RideFast June 2020

JUNE 2020

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SUPER

FIRST SA TEST

DUKES

THE ALL-NEW KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE R & 890 DUKE R

FULLY

CHARGED!

ENERGICA ELECTRIC POWER IN SA.

// FLASHBACK: THE KTM GP1 V4 ENGINE

// SA RIDERS SHINE IN MOTOAMERICA

// FIRST RIDE: SUZUKI GIXXER 250

// HONDA’S TWIN TO WIN: THE RC51

+// TRIUMPHANT MACHINES: RETRO COOL

Hot Topic

BMW M 1000 RR

ELECTRIC SUPERCHARGED

ED’S NOTES: ROB PORTMAN

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CONTRIBUTORS:

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Brad Binder

Darryn Binder

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Eugene Liebenberg

Niel Philipson

Greg Moloney

Daniella Kerby

Keith Botha

Brian Cheyne

Donovan Fourie

Shaun Portman

Mat Durrans

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RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 1

ducati.com

Official Sponsor

Developed with

PANIGALE V4 25° ANNIVERSARIO 916

The Milestone.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the legendary 916, the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario

916 was born in a limited and numbered version of 500 units, of which 7 have made their

way into the SA market.

A collector’s bike dedicated to all Ducatistas who can relive the spirit of the legendary 916

while riding this version. To satisfy even the most demanding collectors, the bike comes

with an authenticity certificate, which displays the bike, frame and engine numbers.

DIAVEL 1260/ 1260 S

So Good to be Bad.

Powerful. Muscular. But also agile and effective between the curves for maximum riding

enjoyment. The new Diavel 1260 combines the performance of a maxi-naked with the

ergonomics of a muscle cruiser. Its design reinterprets the Diavel style with a contemporary

look and integrates perfectly the 159 HP Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, beating heart of

this new Diavel 1260.

Own a piece of history - Order yours now!

Tel: 012 765 0600. Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion.

ducati.com

Official Sponsor

Developed with

MONSTER 1200 / 1200 S

I am a Monster.

A contemporary icon always featuring the core values of the original Monster. Essential

and technological, the Monster 1200 stands out for design and sporty soul. The

powerful engine and full-bodied at every speed, the compact dimensions, the agile

chassis and the world-class electronic equipment including Riding Modes, DTC, DWC,

Cornering ABS and Ducati Quick Shift up/down, as standard on the S version, guarantee

maximum riding enjoyment and, at the same time, maximum security.

MULTISTRADA 1260 ENDURO & MULTISTRADA 950

The Red Adventure.

The performance of an Enduro for off-road riding and all the comfort required

for long-range trips. Whether you choose the sand coloured Multistrada 1260

Enduro or the red Multistrada 950 S, fully kitted out for off-roading, you can

be sure it will take you far.

Tel: 012 765 0600. Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion.

ducati.com

Developed with

Official Sponsor

Developed with

Join the

Joyvolution!

SUPERSPORT

Sport, made light.

The SuperSport blends comfort with versatility thanks to solutions that

make it perfect for everyday road riding – but without ever compromising its

sporting spirit: also available in the new color Titanium Grey.

Ride bigger, ride better. With the Ducati Scrambler 1100, the Land

of Joy greets the most demanding and expert motorcyclists, to offer

fun, style and freedom in an upgraded and uncompromised fashion.

Come see the full range of Scramblers in store now.

Tel: 012 765 0600. Centurion Office Park,

Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion.

Tel: 012 765 0600. Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion.

THE PANIGALE V4

25° ANNIVERSARIO

916 HAS ARRIVED!

The Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 is a limited

and numbered version of 500 units.

To satisfy even the most demanding collectors, the

bike comes with an authenticity certificate that

matches the laser-engraved ID number (XXX/500)

on the top yoke with the engine and frame

serial number. Seven of these gorgeous tribute

collector’s items have made their way into SA, and

only a few are now left...

Click here to watch video

The new Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 is characterised by

livery inspired by the Ducati 996 SBK, winner of the 1999 World

Superbike Championship with Carl Fogarty. The graphics, based

on Ducati Red, are distinguished by the number holders of the

front and the fairings, where the World Champion’s number “1”

is proudly placed.

The lower part of the tank is crossed by a black stripe that

extends to the frame and to the side extractors; it accentuates

the side view’s dynamism and evokes the side panels of the

996 SBK’s carbon air-box side body panels.

The black colour is also found on the lower fairings and

headlight housing, making the two front air inlets visually wider

and more threatening. The rider seat exhibits the same colour

combination as the bike, with a clear separation between black

and red that extends to the rear buffer.

Stickers that reproduce the “Shell” and “Foggy” logos are

available to apply on the side fairings and at the base of the

Plexiglas respectively; these two details were designed to

further strengthen the visual connection with Carl Fogarty’s

996 SBK.

This version’s racing look is completed by the magnesiumforged

Marchesini Racing wheels, the Akrapovič titanium

silencer and the several carbon and billet aluminium

components.

Make sure you pop into the Ducati SA dealership and let your

eyes feast on this masterpiece.

Out of the 7 that have arrived in SA there are still a few left, so if

you are keen best you call Ducati SA now on 012 765 0600.

LIMITED EDITION

MV AGUSTA

BRUTALE 1000 RR

ML UNLEASHED

MV Agusta released several photos on their

official social media page of this Brutale 1000 RR

ML model. The frame and swingarm are painted

in matte gold while the forged aluminium rims

feature black inserts. To make the motorcycle as

rare as possible, the Italian manufacturer built just

one unit.

Indeed, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR ML shows that it’s

number 001/001. That means there’s only one rider who will

have the chance to own this motorcycle.

Behind the frame and swingarm matte gold paint scheme and

the black inserts of the rims, the naked bike features a 998cc

transverse inline-four engine making 205 hp. It’s equipped with

the latest electronics and fitted with Öhlins suspension and

Brembo brakes

MV Agusta’s Senior Designer developed the bike starting from

earlier limited edition models including the Brutale 910R Italia

designed to commemorate Italy winning the 2006 Football

World Cup. Back then, the owner of the brand, Claudio Castiglioni

gave each of the Italian players and head coach a Brutale Italia

model fitted with a metal plaque featuring their name.

Unfortunately for MV Agusta customers, the limited edition

model is not available for purchase because it’s already sold to

a customer whose initials are ML. There are no details regarding

the owner of this MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR ML, but in 2006,

the Italian national team head coach was Marcello Lippi.

Source: https://riders.drivemag.com/

NEW TRIUMPH MOTO

2 REPLICA FOR THE

ROAD HAS ARRIVED!

The ultimate edition of Triumph’s legendary

multiple Supersport Championship-winning

Daytona is here – the new Daytona Moto2 765

– the closest you can get to a genuine Moto2

factory ride for the road.

During the lockdown period in May we chatted to Mr. Bruce

Allen - the Boss Man fro Triumph SA and he confirmed that

there will be 6 of the new Daytona 765 Moto2 production

replicas coming into SA and will be priced at R279,000.

The homologation bike is already in the country and proudly on

display on their Showroom floor. We popped past recently to

have a gaze and it truly is a thing of beauty.

Bruce did confirm that only 3 are still available so if you are

keen best you call and books yours now as there probably

won’t be anymore coming into the country and once the 756

limited editions are all sold around the world that’s it.

For more information on the bike contact Triumph SA on

011 444 4444.

Click here to watch video

JACK MILLER SIGNS WITH

FACTORY DUCATI MOTOGP

The Aussie superstar recently put pen-to-paper on a deal with the Factory

MotoGP squad for 2021 and 2022 - and on his official blog site Jack writes

about his big break with Ducati.

Hi everyone,

I always had dreams of becoming a fully-fledged factory rider … fair to say I didn’t think it

would happen with me sitting at home in Townsville having not raced for six months, but

2020 has been a strange old year. But it’s done, and having my 2021 plans sorted out so early

is so exciting with what I’ll be doing, and in many ways a dream come true for me. When I got

to MotoGP in 2015, this is what I was always chasing, so to have it actually happening is a bit

surreal. But it’s the reality, and it feels bloody good.

This is, pretty much, what I’ve been working towards my whole life – to sign with a factory

and be a fully-fledged factory rider is something you put in your mind as long-term goal

when this all started way back when. To be there … it’s so exciting and a little bit unreal in

some ways, but shows you that all the hard work and sacrifices everyone who has helped

me to get there were worth it.

I have to thank Ducati for putting their faith in me, and backing me to do the job they want

me to do and trusting that I can do it. Me wanting a full factory ride with them has been on

my mind since I joined in 2018, it was always the goal. When you’re on one-year contracts

like I always have been, it’s something you’re striving for. And they helped to bring me along.

The last two years with Pramac, I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person, as a rider, about

everything to do with the sport really. They’ve helped me to become a more complete rider

and person and I’ve loved the time they’ve spent investing in me, it’s made me hungrier than

ever to keep getting better and making the most of that. The Pramac guys have been so close

to the factory team that I’ve learned how factory riders are supposed to be, supposed to

work. It’s had a big effect on the way I approach my racing, and there’s a methodical way of

working that I had to learn, but it’s one where you can have a lot more impact on the way the

team and bike works. More responsibility, basically. I’ve really enjoyed that.

I remember thinking last year that I felt the rider market in MotoGP was in for a bit of a shakeup

in the short-term because of the way Marc (Marquez) has been on top most of the time

since he’s been in. He’s only a couple of years older than me, but at first it was the older guys

like Valentino (Rossi), Jorge (Lorenzo) and Dani (Pedrosa) who were his main opponents.

But things have changed. Yamaha have Maverick (Vinales) who is my age, Suzuki have Alex

(Rins) and Joan (Mir), and I was hoping Ducati would see me as their young guy who has

been around for a while but is still pretty young to get into that conversation. Marc is the

benchmark, so the main goal for all of the other factories is to get somewhere close to him.

For me the big switch-up was Yamaha bringing in Fabio (Quartararo) for next year to replace

Rossi – it was an inevitable decision but one that had to be done, but for them to actually do it

was a different thing because, I mean, it’s Rossi ... I’m stoked that Ducati see me as their guy in

that age range to try to fight amongst ourselves and hopefully with Marc in years to come.

This season – I’ll say ‘when’ we get it started more than ‘if’ – I’ll be even more keen to finish

my time out with Pramac on a good note. We had a plan at the start of the season for what

we wanted to achieve and it’s taken us longer than we wanted to start it, but once we get

going I’ll be doing everything I can to get the results we want for the team and for myself. The

team and the organisation have been unreal to me, so hopefully I can help them achieve that

they deserve before I switch garages. Nothing would make me happier.

Cheers, Jack

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BMW M 1000 RR

ELECTRIC SUPERCHARGED BIKE.

The Social Media is leaking details

of a new superbike from BMW

according to BMW Motorcycle

Scene and BMW Motorcycles

Fever. The name is M1000RR,

it’s fitted with an electric

supercharger, M power parts and

M Aerodynamics.

It looks like the HP model range

from the Germans will become M.

And now we have a new model

that could see the day of light.

Meet the BMW M1000RR.

“BMW M 1000 RR with M Power

and M Aerodynamics. BMW is

working on a more radical S 1000

RR using the experience of the

2019 season that will be the new

homologation basis for the World

SBK Championship of 2021.

“It took us the first year to collect

data and see where we stand,”

said BMW motorcycle director

Marc Bongers. “It has been shown

that we are lagging behind when

it comes to top speed. It is a

combination of engine power and

aerodynamics.”

M is the name of the performance

division in the BMW car segment.

And it seems that BMW Motorrad

will also use the strong letter. So,

no more HP models, but instead

we’ll have M performance bikes.

Looking at the photos, this looks

more than just a replacement for

the HP4 Race. There are no details

regarding the fact if this design

will ever come in production form,

but it may not be all just dust in

the wind. BMW could be working

on a replacement for the S1000RR

superbike or a limited edition

model to rival with the Ducati

Superleggera V4.

“BMW Motorrad is following

the philosophy of the most

powerful letter in the world: M is

a worldwide synonym for racing

success and the fascination

of high-performance BMW

models, aimed at customers with

particularly high aspirations in

terms of performance, exclusivity

and individuality.”

What is interesting to see is

that the BMW M1000RR will

have an engine fitted with an

electric supercharger. Probably,

the inspiration for this engine

architecture came from the

supercharged Kawasaki H2R

boosting 326hp with RAM Air.

It could be possible since BMW

filled a patent for a supercharger

and CGTrader released a couple

of photos of supercharged BMW

engine. So, we could expect a lot of

power output.

The BMW M1000RR will have

carbon fibre components including

the frame, fairings, fenders and

single-sided swingarm which

is a first for a BMW superbike.

Completing the package are Ohlins

suspension, most likely semiactive

and Brembo brakes. Of course, we

could expect the latest electronics

package as well.

The M1000RR is fitted with

headlights which showcase that if

the bike will come into production

it’ll be a road-legal superbike and

not just a track-focused machine.

There’s no rear subframe for the

seat as it looks mounted on top of

the frame and it links the tail unit to

the rest of the motorcycle.

The aerodynamics have winglets

which again look like they’re

inspired from the Kawasaki H2R.

The down part of the fairings

embraces the front wheel and

should help the bike reach a

top speed exceeding 200 mph.

Moreover, the fairings are cut

and that could tell us that it’s an

aerodynamic feature to help the

engine cool down and maintain a

normal temperature.

We have to say it looks awesome

and ready to tackle rivals like the

Ducati Superleggera V4, but we still

wonder what the price tag for such

a machine will be judging from the

Italian limited edition superbike

cost of R1.6m while the former HP4

Race was priced at R1.4m.

16 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 17

All the NEWS proudly brought

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MV AGUSTA RUSH 1000

PRODUCTION STARTS ON THIS MASTERPIECE.

If you are in a hurry to get the

limited edition 2020 MV Agusta

Rush 1000 naked hyperbike,

you will be happy to know that

production will begin in June

at Lake Varese. Those who

preordered the stunning €34,000

motorcycle will be first in line

for the 300 units that will be

produced.

We had our first look at the 2020

MV Agusta Rush 1000 late last year,

and we ran down its stunning list

of capabilities. The motor puts out

a claimed peak of 208 horsepower

at the crank, with a top speed in

excess of 300 kph. If that’s not

enough, the optional Racing Kit

pushes maximum output to 212

horsepower. These numbers

put the Rush 1000 into rarefied

company in the naked upright

sportbike world.

There are all sorts of electronics

available, including eight levels

of traction control, Bosch 9 Plus

Race ABS, up/down quickshifter,

wheelie control, launch control,

and electronically active Öhlins EC

suspension.

The Race Kit includes a titanium

dual-exhaust muffler with a

carbon fiber cover sporting CNCed

billet aluminum inserts. A special

ECU takes advantage of the

muffler’s flow characteristics. As

you’ll likely be flying solo with the

Race Kit, the passenger seat gets a

carbon fiber cover.

Based on the MV Agusta Brutale

1000, the Rush 1000 also gets a

number of special styling details.

The front wheel is a wire-spoke

design, the rear of the motorcycle

is cleaned up considerably, lots

of titanium fasteners, a new fiveinch

TFT display, and the paint is

exclusive to the Rush 1000.

The Rush 1000 is something of

a statement motorcycle for MV

Agusta. “With the production of

the Rush 1000 starting this coming

June, we are right on track with

respect to our five-year industrial

plan announced a few weeks ago,”

says MV Agusta Motors CEO Timur

Sardarov. “As we are breaking

new ground in our expansion

journey into new segments and

new markets, MV Agusta will

continue to produce amazing

works of exclusive motorcycle

art from its headquarters in Italy,

remaining true to its heritage of

performance, elegance, and stateof-the-art

technology. I am sure

this incredibly attractive model will

meet the enthusiasm of the proud

new owners.”

For more information contact Fire

it Up! on 011 467 0737.

18 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 19

All the NEWS proudly brought

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ALL DEALERS

NOW OPEN!

RAD MOTO KTM NEWS

NEW KTM SPECIFIC SECTION LOOKS BETTER THAN EVER.

The RAD KTM shop has undergone something of a

transformation - and it’s too cool!

Rather than the upstairs downstairs premises

that they had, they opted to move around the

corner, in the same building to create a space

that simply oozes the KTM brand - still on several

levels - but the concept and feel of the brand new

store is really awesome.

You’ll recognise the same faces with a few new

additions, and we’ll feature the team soon - when

the shops signage and everything is completed.

So, same place, just hit a left as you go through the

boom gate. Same awesome coffee, lekker kuier

plek outside.

Awesome range of new KTM motorcycles and

accessories. And what they might not have in

store, you’ll probably find just up the stairs at the

Bike Kings accessory megastore.

More on this lot soon!

NEW BIG BOY SHIPMENTS ARE HERE!

Swift 125/150

R16,599.00

For the full scooter, motorcycle and ATV range, visit our new website: www.samotorcycles.co.za

IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY

Mustang 250

R35,999.00

Velocity 150

R15,999.00

Adventure 125/150RS

R17,999.00

Utility ATV 250

R55,999.00

Join Big Boy on

Prices include VAT and pre-delivery inspection only. Prices exclude licence, registration and any service costs unless specified. Prices are correct at the time of going to print and may

change without notice due to currency fluctuations or at dealers who are located in outer-lying areas. All advertised models are available at the time of going to print unless specified.

Corner Rivonia and Witkoppen Road, Witkoppen

Rd, Rivonia, Sandton.

(011) 234-5007

www.radmoto.co.za

20 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

All the NEWS proudly brought

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THE GUYS FROM

SUPERMOIST HAVE BEEN

BUSY AT WORK DURING

THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD

Instead of a conventional boring old facemask,

Supermoist has come up with Le Buff – a mask,

come scarf, come chest warmer, branded in

your favorite motorcycle livery with a long

front to keep your chest cozy while you ride.

Soft, washable fabric, and it serves to keep the

nasty viruses at bay. Also available in a lighter

breathable summer fabric.

www.supermoist.co.za for all sorts of

corporate gear.

Trade enquiries are welcome.

BIKE TYRE WAREHOUSE OPENS

IN PORT ELIZABETH

The well known motorcycle tyre guys from Midrand have

opened a new branch in the Windy City, which is really good

news for all Eastern Cape bikers because as with their flagship

JHB branch, the P.E. branch will also stock all the top tyre

brands such as BATT, BRIDGESTONE, CONTINENTAL, HEIDENAU,

MAXXIS, METZLER, MICHELIN, MITAS, MOTOZ, PIRELLI and etc.

with great monthly Combo specials, sound and professional

tyre application advice and service. Under the leadership of

Alan Hughes who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge

from years and years of motorcycling they will also be doing

SBS brake pads and discs, DID chains, various well known

brands of sprockets and generally most things to do with the

wheels on your superbike, track bike, cruiser, chopper, cafe

racer, tourer, adventure bike, dirt bike or ATV, as well as a few

selected bolt on accessories and etc.

You can find them at Unit 1 & 6 in Moffet Business Centre 4,

corner of Restitution and Overbaakens roads in Fairview, Port

Elizabeth or give Alan a call on 083 267 2685 or drop him a mail

on alan@biketyrewarehouse.com.

22 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

All the NEWS proudly brought

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THE C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

THE CONNECTION TO YOUR SATISFACTION.

The C.O.N.N.E.C.T. is a Gauteng

based motorcycle road-side-assist

company run by a winning mixture of

young, vibrant and experienced team

of professionals. The C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

caters for any service required for

assistance by motorcyclists stuck

on the side of the road or those in

distress - they also offer prearranged

towing services.

By concentrating on all the

segments of the market they have

been able to gain rapid market

share with a sound marketing

strategy and brilliant customer

service by demonstrating care and

understanding. They leverage their

competitive edge of professionalism

and trim quality by properly training

all their employees.

Their aim is to take care of their

clients and ensure to give them the

best experience.

Apart from offering roadside

assistance when needed,

The C.O.N.N.E.C.T. also offer a

motorcycle parts and accessories

delivery service. They make it easy

to find the right motorcycle part of

accessory to get you back on two

wheels and ride safely to work or

enjoy a Sunday afternoon cruise.

Plus, with their low prices you’ll

still have money left in your wallet.

Simply put, if you need it, they’ve

got it and you won’t be forced to

just settle.

Their vision and mission is to be the

best motorcycle towing service,

parts and accessories provider

within Gauteng and hope to serve

regions beyond Gauteng in the near

future. They hope to bring ease

to people who are in great need

of motorcycle towing, roadside

assistance, parts and accessories.

Their aim is to please- make you

happy and strive to deliver you the

most exceptional service you have

ever experienced!

By embracing technology, developing

internal efficiencies, and focusing on

the client’s welfare, The C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

can minimize roadside waiting time

and help the riders get back on the

road as soon as possible.

THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL

Scooby “The Connect” Nkosi

Born in a small town called Barbeton

in the Mpumalanga Province, Scooby

always had a dream of becoming a

motorcyclist.

Scooby A.K.A “The Connect” founded

the organization after multiple

encounters with faulty or poor

quality service. He then saw a gap

in the market for a reliable used and

refurbished parts in the motorcycle

community after countless

disappointing transactions - thus The

C.O.N.N.E.C.T. was born.

He is a driven young man with the

energy and love to keep you and your

beloved steel horse out on the road.

The list of services and offerings

is almost endless - from assisting

with your breakdown on the side

of the road, to offering motorcycle

accessories and parts at great prices.

Oh yes, and they can even help you

with buying a new or used bike.

It really is a one stop connection to

everything motorcycle related. But,

you know what they say; the proof

is in the pudding, so give them a try

and see for yourself if they are as

good as they claim.

Tel: 082 257 8832

Email: scooby@

scoobytheconnect.co.za

24 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

All the NEWS proudly brought

to you by HJC HELMETS

STYLISH JUST GOT A

WHOLE LOT MORE STYLE

HUSQVARNA’S NEW “STYLE” SVARTPILEN 701

Husqvarna’s Svartpilen 701

Style is a new special edition

of the Svartpilen 701 that’s

immediately available at

dealerships. The company

calls its latest iteration of the

motorcycle a “flat-track inspired

street explorer” in its press

release. The bike gets a special

bronze, black, and silver color

scheme, setting it apart from

the standard model.

The colour isn’t the only thing

that sets it apart. The bike

also gets spoked wheels,

CNC-machined footpegs,

handlebar-mounted mirrors,

and aluminum badging. The

rest of the bike is more or less

like the regular Svartpilen 701.

The special edition has the

same engine, WP suspension,

and Brembo brakes with

Bosch ABS.

Husqvarna also offers

numerous parts for buyers

to use to further customize

their Svartpilen 701 Style

motorcycle. This can help take

the bike to a whole new level if

you feel the need.

The Husqvarna Svartpilen

701 is already a pretty special

bike with a high-powered

single-cylinder engine and a

unique and sporty appearance.

There’s not much else like it

on the road. The base model

comes with an R136,699 price

tag. To find out more about the

new “Style” model get hold of

your local Husqvarna dealer

as the bike should be hitting

showrrom floors as we speak.

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Powerful and torquey 692 cc, 75 hp, 72 Nm,

single cylinder engine • Dynamic, lightweight

high-performance chassis • Spoked wheels

as standard • Striking new graphics, trim and

paint finish • CNC machined footrests

• Up/down Easy Shift

26 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

All the NEWS proudly brought

to you by HJC HELMETS

MOTUL OILS AND LUBES

GETTING READY FOR LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN.

Motul is a world-class French

company who specialises in the

formulation, production and

distribution of high-tech engine

lubricants (two-wheelers, cars

and other vehicles) as well as

lubricants for industry via its Motul

Tech activity.

Unanimously recognised for

more than 160 years for the

quality of its products, innovation

capacity and involvement in the

field of competition, Motul is

also recognised as a specialist in

synthetic lubricants. As early as

1971, Motul was the first lubricant

manufacturer to pioneer the

formulation of a 100% synthetic

lubricant, issued from the

aeronautical industry, making use of

esters technology: 300V lubricant.

Motul is a partner to many

manufacturers and racing teams in

order to further their technological

development in motorsports. It

has invested in many international

competitions as an official supplier

for teams in: Road racing, Trials,

Enduro, Endurance, Superbike,

Supercross, Rallycross, World GT1,

24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and

motorcycles), 24 Hours of Spa, Le

Mans Series, Andros Trophy, the

Dakar Rally and Motul Roof of Africa.

With the second easing of

lockdown restrictions in effect from

1st June, Motul is looking forward to

more businesses being able to start

trading again and contribute to the

health of the economy.

Motul has been working behind

the scenes to onboard two new

distributors in the effort to help all

their customers prepare to hit the

workshop floor running once the

government gives the green light.

“We’re always excited to welcome

new distributors to the Motul

family,” commented Mercia Jansen,

Motul Area Manager for Southern

28 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

and Eastern Africa. “The speed

with which these two distributors

have adapted to the Motul way

of doing business promises great

things for the future, including

outstanding service for workshops

and retailers looking for Motul

products,” she concluded.

Port Elizabeth and the Eastern

Cape will benefit from Automotive

Performance Solutions becoming

an official distributor of Motul

Automotive, Heavy Duty, and

Agricultural lubricants. The

owner Domiziano Azzalin, is

confident that his team is ready to

commence deliveries of products

as soon as is allowed.

“We’re using the lockdown period

to fine-tune our knowledge of

Motul products and to finalise

arrangements for the logistics,”

said Azzalin. “We’re also working on

some special opening offers that

reflect our pride at being associated

with a premium global brand like

Motul,” he added. To get more info

about these offers you can go to

www.raceaps.co.za or to contact

him directly at sales@raceaps.co.za

In KZN, Indy Go Tyres is gearing up

to offer Motul’s range of Automotive

products and lubricants as soon as

the current restrictions are eased.

The owner Charl Momsen is working

on promotional introductory offers

for retailers across KZN. “Our

current customers can order from

us as soon as they are permitted

to trade again, and we are keen to

build relationships with new clients,”

said Momsen. “We are working

with Motul to optimise product

availability during this challenging

time,” he added.

Momsen also described how

becoming a Motul distributor is both

a source of great pride to his team,

and an opportunity to raise their

standards still higher. Indy Go Tyres

can be contacted via their website

www.indygotyres.co.za or by email

at motul@indygotyres.co.za

“With our ongoing Motul distribution

arrangement with Bikewise and our

Motorcycle products going from

strength to strength, the addition

of two distributors in different SA

provinces is further evidence of

our commitment to making Motul

products even more readily available.

Motul believes that it is through this

kind of teamwork that we can offer

the best possible service. To this end,

we are always open to discussing

potential new partnerships,”

confirmed Mercia Jansen.

www.motul.com

GSX150 Available at your nearest Suzuki

authorized dealer. Recommended retail

price R30 950 including VAT.

*Top Box and Bracket are optional extras and not included in the price.

Terms and conditions apply suzuki_motorcycle_s.a @MotorcycleSA www.suzukimotorcycle.co.za

All the NEWS proudly brought

to you by HJC HELMETS

DUCATI AND MT

DISTRIBUTION TOGETHER

FOR URBAN MOBILITY

Ducati and MT Distribution, licensee and commercial

partner, present a new line of folding e-bikes and electric

scooters for urban mobility.

Urban travel is a particularly topical issue and sustainable

transport is a growing trend. Ducati is responding to these

market needs by presenting seven new products, created

in partnership with MT Distribution, an Italian company

already present in the sector for over 40 years. The new

range will consist of four electric scooters and three

folding e-bikes under the Ducati, Ducati Corse and Ducati

Scrambler brand. Designed for all those who want to

move around the city with style and originality, the entire

line will be available for purchase during 2020.

During the development of the products, special attention

was paid to the design, curated by the Ducati Design

Centre, which also collaborated with Italdesign for the

folding e-bikes. The result is an innovative collection with

an attractive design.

The scooters that come from the partnership between

Ducati and MT Distribution have motors from 250W to

500W while the e-bikes are equipped with 250W motors

(the maximum value stipulated by law for this type of

vehicle). The first two electric scooters to be presented on

the market are called Cross-E and Pro II, which will launch

respectively on June 20 and July 6, 2020.

The Ducati Scrambler branded Cross-E scooter mounts

so-called “fat” anti-puncture tubeless tyres (size 110/50-

6.5”), which are also suitable for stretches of dirt or

very uneven roads. The brushless motor provides a

continuous power output of 500W and guarantees

excellent pick-up both at the start and on uphill sections,

without undergoing any slowdown in pace. The 375 Wh

battery guarantees an autonomy of up to 30-35 km,

maintaining an average speed of 15 km/h. The sturdiness,

BATT LAUNCHES THEIR NEW

GIANT CRUISER RANGE

BATT has just landed their Giant Cruiser tyre range in the

following sizes;

310/35-18 Rear MSRP R4,000.00 inclusive of VAT

360/30-18 Rear MSRP R5,000.00 inclusive of VAT

They are also busy with the 240/40-18 rear and the 130/70-

18 front which should be available later this year.

So, if you want a lekker fat takkie to make your your Cruiser

or muscle bike look really big and muscular give them a try

Contact Bruce 073 777 9269 or bruce@battholdings.com

also visual, of the frame gives maximum stability and

riding comfort. The double front headlight allows the

use of the vehicle at night with excellent visibility and the

management of all the functions, including the 3 riding

modes, takes place through the large 3.5” LCD display.

The Pro II, branded by Ducati, instead mounts a 350W

continuous brushless motor and a 280 Wh battery, which

allows you to cover 25-30 km in full comfort, thanks

also to the rear suspension and the 10” puncture-proof

tubeless tyres. The safety and ease of use of these

vehicles are a fundamental prerogative of the Ducati

product line, so the scooter has a double brake (electric

front and rear disc) and a large 3.5” LCD display from

which to monitor and manage all the settings.

The folding e-bikes, which will be launched on the market

in the coming weeks, will have an innovative design and

will be equipped with rear lights integrated in the seat

post, a battery that is completely hidden in the frame

and activation of the lights with twilight sensors. More

information on the products will be available at the time

of presentation.

Some models of scooters and e-bikes will also be

available at Ducati dealers and in the Ducati Shop Online.

For further information on the purchase and availability

of products, please

contact MT Distribution,

whose contacts can be

found on the website

www.mtdistribution.it.

“CAN I INSURE MY BIKE FOR

TRACKDAY USE? AND IF SO,

WHO DOES IT AND WHAT DO I

NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?”

One of the biggest questions we always get asked is “Can

I insure my bike for trackday riding, and if so, who does it?”

It’s a question we always struggle to answer as there

are many different options and views on this topic out

there. So, we decided to get hold of one of the pro’s

in the motorcycle insurance business and get some

clarity on this subject. Here is what Terry Terblanche

from Tegrity Insurance had to say on this topic;

Track day participation is covered at MiWay Insurance.

Not all insurance companies will cover track day

participation, so it’s crucial to make sure if you will be

allowed to participate at track day events.

At MiWay, approved track day participation is allowed

with most of the major track schools - classes A to D all

allowed and covered.

Official racing events are not covered, and you probably

won’t find an insurer that dooes, and if they say they

do be very cautious. Open track day events are also not

covered, so the event must be hosted by an approved

track school with instructors monitoring the days event.

MiWay charge a small additional premium for track

day participation as optional cover onto your existing

premium. The small additional premium allows a client

to decide if he\she needs such additional cover - with

no additional excess being charged in event of a mishap

at the track day, but always make sure you know about

your excess and cover type - this is where you can get

caught out. Some companies will also charge a massive

additional excess, so watch out for that.

At Miway, only the noted regular rider is allowed to

participate. Only accidental cover is covered on the

track, liability to other parties is excluded - so you are

only covered on track for your own accidental damage

to your bike.

Only superbikes, naked super bikes and motards are

covered for track days.

Make sure all your non standard accessories on your

bike are specified in order to enjoy cover for such items.

Remember, insurers cover you on a standard bike and in

the event of a total loss they will not pay you for extras

unless specified - premium is determined on value

of bike, non standard extras ultimately increase the

value of your bike, and such items need to be specified

separately in order to enjoy cover for such items.

Also remember to specify your riding gear - helmet,

leathers, gloves, boots etc..

Keep in mind you will always have an excess payable,

so these amounts can add up if you also need to

replace riding gear out of your own pocket.

If participating in track days one needs to inform their

life insurer as some exclude such participation as it is

seen as extreme sport, so make sure you clarify your

life cover.

Just a little bit about Terry and why he is considered one

of the top men in the motorcycle insurance industry:

• Is a Miway insurance representative,

• Is the founding member of Tegrity Insurance Business

Consultants.

• Terry is a specialist motorcycle insurer. He has been

involved in the insurance industry since 1997. He was

the founding member of the only exclusive motorcycle

insurer under manager in 2005.

• He has created motorcycle insurance products for 3

major insurance companies to date.

• He has pioneered specialist accident insurance

assessments for the insurance industry.

If you would like more information on this subject, or

are looking for insurance for your motorcycle give Terry

a call on 083 603 7611 or email terry@tegrity.cc

30 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 31

PADDOCK NEWS

Brought to you by

LORD OF THE RING

& FAST FIBRE

Professional karter and Formula 4

racer Jordan Sherratt demonstrated

incredible versatility as he

dominated the third iteration of

the Seagate Gaming Solidarity

e-Race series. The recent round

of the popular racing event took

place at the virtual rendition of the

Nürburgring Nordschleife recently.

Sherratt quickly got to grips with

the daunting ‘Green Hell’ to secure

the fastest time during the Hot Lap

qualifying sessions and continued

with leading performances through

the quarter- and semi-finals. For the

Grand Final, the drivers slotted in

behind Sherratt, all of which would

compete in a fixed set-up McLaren

P1 GTR. Once again Jordan was the

man to beat as he claimed pole

position in his brutal P1 aiming to

take a flag-to-flag victory in the sixlap

Grand Final race.

With the preliminary heats only

two laps, the final was a major step

up in terms of concentration, race

craft, tyre and battery conservation

and strategy, but the opening lap of

the 25km-long track looked more

like a one-lap sprint with Chris

Langeveldt, Julian Fameliaris and

Leslie Oliphant in hot pursuit of

Sherratt. At the end of lap 1, Sherratt

managed to break away from the

pack and create a five-second lead

which continued to grow as the

train of cars following him, battled

for position. By lap 5 Oliphant and

his McLaren, which had been put

under pressure by Lorenzo Gualtieri

for four laps, started to show signs

of tyre fatigue and was unable to

capitalise on the mistakes that

were made by both Langeveldt and

Fameliaris during the last lap.

Sherratt was the first to cross the

finish line, 23 seconds ahead of

second-place driver Langeveldt with

Fameliaris taking third and Oliphant

fourth. Gualtieri held it together to

come in fifth place ahead of Robert

Whiting which managed to keep,

well-known race and rally driver,

Charl Wilken behind him.

On a track, this complex and of

this magnitude, completing one

quick lap requires a huge amount

of concentration and skill. To do it

for six consecutive laps requires

a lot of discipline and a calm

temperament and Sherratt was

rewarded for employing both by

walking away with the R12 000

prize and an Afrihost 1GB fibre line

and router for 12 months further

adding to the cash rewards he

earned during the Hot Lap sessions

and staggering performances in

the quarter- and semi-final races.

Second and third positions in the

Grand Final earned R7 000 and R3

500 respectively. The winner of the

Plate Final, Brandon Kruger, walked

away with R2 000 and a G-Force

Sim Race Rig, narrowly escaping a

last-lap incident. Close behind the

flag-to-flag winner of the three-lap

race was Mitchell Licen and Riaan

Theunissen, who earned R1 000

and R500 for their second and third

position results.

Sim racing is more than just fun

and games, it requires sharp and

forward-thinking drivers and the

display that the talented drivers

gave the fans during the recent

event proved that this digital world

will work hand in hand with the real

track action in the future. Proving

that innovative and sustainable

collaboration between virtual and

real-world racing is the recent

motorsport commentator search

that took place parallel to the

recent event. Kyle Lawrence and

George Smith rose to the top as

commentating talents and could

see a blossoming career in both

the virtual and real-world racing

industry. Volkswagen Motorsport

Academy further demonstrates

the collaboration of the two worlds

as they rewarded youngster Arno

Visagie, the best-placed sim racer,

with a spot in their 2021 programme,

where Arno will learn all the aspects

of competition driving.

Over R70 000 worth of prizes were

awarded during the last week and

a share of the money raised by the

team behind the Solidarity e-Race

series will go to benefit the Solidarity

Fund which aims to assist South

Africans during this difficult time.

Of course, none of this would be

possible without the support from

the event sponsors namely, Seagate

Gaming, Afrihost, Data Sciences, Pure

Storage, NEC and True Race.

If you are a simulation racing driver

or just an enthusiast of motorsport

in general, head over to HYPERLINK

“http://www.solidarityerace.co.za”

www.solidarityerace.co.za or follow

the Solidarity e-Race Facebook

and YouTube pages to find out

more about upcoming events and

competitions.

32 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

PADDOCK NEWS

Brought to you by

PLANNING

CONTINUES

FOR RESTART

OF WORLDSBK

SEASON

MOTOGP TO REMAIN

IN EUROPE UNTIL MID-

NOVEMBER AT LEAST

MotoGP won’t travel to Austrailia or

the UK for a round during the 2020

world championship, with Motegi

in Japan the latest round to be

cancelled due to COVID-19.

The Japanese grand prix was

scheduled to take place between 16-

18 October and has been a staple on

the calendar since 1999.

“It is with great sadness that we

announce the cancellation of the

Motul Grand Prix of Japan at the very

unique Motegi circuit, meaning we

will not have a Japanese Grand Prix

on the calendar for the first time

since 1986,” commented Carmelo

Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports.

“The MotoGP family is working very

hard to be able to re-start the racing

season and hold as many events

as possible, and in the safest way

possible. For this reason, the FIM

and Dorna, in consultation with IRTA

and MSMA, have decided that, until

mid-November, MotoGP will remain

in Europe to do as many European

MotoGP events as we are able to.

“Therefore, overseas events, if at

all possible, should be scheduled

after mid-November – which would

be too late in the year for the Motul

Grand Prix of Japan to be held. For

this reason it has been decided, in

consultation with Mobilityland, that

the Motul Grand Prix of Japan cannot

be held in 2020.

“I very much thank Mobilityland

for the support given to MotoGP.

On behalf of Dorna, I would also

like to thank all the fans for their

understanding and patience as we

wait for the situation to improve. We

very much look forward to returning

to Motegi next year.”

Reports suggest that if flyaways

do in fact go ahead following mid-

November, both Malaysia and

Thailand appear to be the most

likely rounds that will go ahead. The

only other potential – but unlikely

– options remain the United States

and Argentina.

The 2020 Motul Superbike

World Championship is working

hard on resuming racing

action for the remainder of the

season, amidst the ongoing

coronavirus pandemic.

The championship started in

style at Phillip Island and Dorna

WSBK Organization has issued

an update on plans to get

racing back underway.

Jerez is scheduled to mark

the restart of the season on

31 July-2 August, before going

to Portimao in Portugal a

week later on 7-9 August. The

season should then follow

the provisional schedule at

MotorLand Aragon on 28-30

August 2020.

The health of everybody is

at the forefront of decision

making and these rounds

within the Iberian Peninsula

are planned to be held behind

closed doors, in-line with

social distancing measures

and medical guidelines set by

the Spanish and Portuguese

governments.

Furthermore, updates have

been made to the British and

Dutch rounds, which have

been postponed. Further

updates for the end-season

calendar will be communicated

soon in order to further clarify

the calendar situation.

34 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

PADDOCK NEWS

REPLACEMENT TIME. HOW LONG DO

MOTOGP BIKE PARTS LAST?

The most important thing

during a race is going the

fastest, and every little

detail counts when it comes

to gaining a few precious

milliseconds. So it comes as

no surprise that MotoGP bikes

have super strict and thorough

maintenance protocols.

The RC213V used by Marc Márquez

and Alex Márquez is one of the

most advanced pieces of motor

vehicle engineering on Earth. This

bike requires completely different

maintenance to other apparently

similar ones like the Honda CBR.

It also differs a great deal from

the way two-stroke bikes were

maintained back in the days of the

500cc world championship. As the

engines in these bikes were more

rudimentary, they had to be taken

apart completely so that each part

could be cleaned… and this had to be

done at the end of every GP day!

These days, with the rules stating

that engines have to be sealed,

and thanks to the advances in

technology, such exhaustive

maintenance is no longer necessary

(or permitted). However, many

parts are subject to heavy wear

and need to be replaced frequently

to avoid accidents. Assuming a

MotoGP bike has around 2,000

separate parts and components,

around 200 of these require high

maintenance and control.

Tyres: These are changed before

every session, and sometimes

during sessions too, if required.

MotoGP tyres don’t last much

longer than the distance covered in

one race (around 120 km).

Oil: The oil level is checked at each

session and topped up if needed,

though it’s drained completely and

replaced with a new lubricant on

race day. The oil used by MotoGP

bikes has special qualities as it’s

specifically formulated to get the

most from the engine. After each

GP, the oil is taken out so the bike

can be transported, meaning every

weekend starts with fresh oil.

Cooling system: The coolant

is checked at every session and

replaced completely at the start

of every day. At the end of every

session, the radiator and cooling

pipes are cleaned and checked for

any damage or imperfections that

may have occurred.

Chain and sprockets: These parts

are checked, greased, and tightened

after every session, and they are

only replaced if they need to be.

They have a service life of around

500 km, which is equivalent to one

GP weekend. The sprockets, both

front and rear, last almost twice as

long, so they’re normally replaced

at every second GP.

Clutch: Although the clutch is taken

apart after almost every session

to check the clutch plates, springs,

and other components, it has a

service life of around 1,000 km.

After sessions for practicing race

starts, the whole clutch system is

completely replaced.

Brakes: The brake discs and pads

can be reused if they aren’t too

worn from previous sessions. They

have an estimated service life of

between 800 and 1,000 km. The

brakes are also bled before each

session. The calipers are good for

a whole season, but the teams

rely on the suppliers to provide an

official maintenance service that

keeps them in top condition.

Wheels: The wheels can last

around 2,000 km before they

need replacing, but they’re usually

changed at every second race, like

the sprockets.

Engine: Marc and Dani each have

7 engines for the entire season.

In compliance with the rules, the

engines are sealed, preventing

any internal maintenance or

Brought to you by

“Team mechanics are in charge of replacing

all these parts. These professionals work

tirelessly at every GP, paying great attention

to every little detail.”

modifications. When they’re

replaced, the whole engine is taken

out and a new one put in; this

decision is entirely up to the team.

Sensors: As these are electronic

parts, they’re not subject to

extreme wear and tear, but the

sensors can deteriorate due to their

working conditions. For maximum

performance they’re usually

replaced at every fourth GP, which

is a distance of about 2,000 km.

Air filter, injection systems,

bearings, and spark plugs:

All of these parts are checked

after every session and replaced

when necessary, either because

of visible wear or because the

electronics have detected a drop in

performance.

Fairing: Although the fairing

can last for several GPs, or even

an entire season if there are no

collisions that dent or break it, it’s

usually checked and cleaned after

every session.

Suspension: The suspension setup

is adjusted several times over the

course of a GP weekend to test

out different configurations. The

chassis and swingarm last a long

time, only needing to be replaced

about halfway through the season.

Replacing these parts might also

depend on other related factors,

like developing the bike.

Handlebars and seat: These two

parts come into contact with the

rider and are generally changed

once a season in MotoGP. It’s

always nice to have a new seat,

even if you’re going to be hurtling

round a circuit.

36 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 37

PADDOCK NEWS

Brought to you by

By Shaun Wray (The Bike Show)

MOTOGP 2021: THE SILLIEST

OF SILLY SEASONS

There has been no premier

class racing for close

on seven months, and

development is on hold, so

the only thing we can get

excited about is gossip. On

that front things haven’t

been looking great – Iannone

took drugs and had sex, so

nothing new there. Crutchlow

crashed a bicycle again, so

nothing new again. Please

give me something other

than South African politics

and conspiracy theories to

read. I need something juicy

and exciting.

Enter silly season…

I for one was always excited when

silly season fell in the summer

break, roughly two-thirds of the way

through the championship; however,

in 2020 it is coming at the right time.

What are the mechanisms for a

good silly season? You need riders,

teams and us, the armchair experts.

The rider’s needs are

relatively simple:

1) a job riding a motorcycle.

2) hopefully said motorcycle and

team have the potential to bring

wins. Failing that, podiums. Failing

that, regular Q2 appearances.

3) longevity, being able to build

a relationship with a team, looks

suitable for the rider and the team.

A team’s needs are a bit different –

teams and manufactures go racing

to do well or to just be less shit

year on year. To do this, they need

to raise millions of dollars to get

two bikes to the start line, and this

money comes from sponsors, big

corporate sponsors. They care a lot

about their image and pay someone

a decent amount of money to have

‘PR and marketing director’ on their

email signature. So, when the silly

season comes along, they need to

stick to the budget, find a rider that

will get results but also look shiny

for your brand, and only say good

things about you. He will need to be

reliable and someone you can build

a relationship with.

And us lot, the people. We all think

we are better crew chiefs and riders

anyway, but at the end of the day

we just want our hero (read Brad)

to win, and Sundays to be more

exciting than ever.

Right now all the teams but one

have a problem, a big Marc Marquez

problem. Honda is happy that he is

winning year in and year out, and

they have other good riders like Cal

and Taka who can occasionally steal

points from Ducati and Yamaha but

won’t be a threat to their golden

child. They even went as far as

allowing his little brother Alex to sit

at the adults’ table – he still needs

to clean Marc’s boots, but now he

gets to ride the other bike and cause

traffic jams further down the field.

The guys that do similar, less

exciting racing with more money

but on four wheels have a similar

problem – his name is Lewis, and

he likes winning in a little silver car

that works very well. The Netflix

series Formula One: Drive to Survive,

which is far better than the actual

racing, took us behind the scenes

of the 2018 and 2019 season and

highlighted the importance of the

silly season. Ferrari gets close but

finds a way of messing it up every

year, so make perfect bridesmaids.

The 2019 season was different

though teams started getting rid of

their older, more established, more

expensive drivers and went hunting

for the young dumb and full of cum

variety. They cost less, come with

a social media presence and are

really hungry to win. And thus, 2019

had the youngest average age of all

time, so racing and politics became

more exciting. Earlier this month,

Ferrari announced Carlos Sainz to

join Le clerk who seems like the right

move – both are young and hungry

enough, and in a car that can fight

with Lewis. We have seen Red Bull

do this in 2019 with Max and Pierre,

then Max and Alex (Chris Horner can

move drivers between Red Bull and

Scuderia AlphaTauri as he likes).

While KTM is improving, the only

real competitors to Repsol HRC are

the Mission Winnow Ducati team,

Monster Yamaha and Suzuki Ecstar.

Yamaha played their card before the

season was supposed to begin by

announcing that Fabio would join

Maverick in the factory team in 2021.

At first, Rossi fans were far from

stoked, but later they were told he

has been linked to the Petronas SRT

Yamaha team for 2021, although he

has not yet put pen to paper. Being

a Ducati fan, I have no reason not

to like the team Dovi and Petrucci.

They are both very likeable and get

results, but Ducati hasn’t won a

world championship for a very long

time now, and I can only keep this

Casey Stoner poster for so long.

We need something a little more

exciting, we need a young gun or

two who can provide results and

bring some excitement to the team.

I hoped, I prayed, and I did

didgeridoo lessons online during the

lockdown. The Wandjina (popular

Australian Aboriginal god) must

have heard my plea and beautiful

music, as I woke up to the news that

Ducati has signed Jack Millar for the

2021 season. We don’t know who

will accompany him – I am hoping

Dovi will hang around for another

year to show him the ropes, then

get replaced for 2022. Other sources

have suggested a return for Iannone,

but I think that is a reach as he is

as good for PR as brake-grabber

Romano Fenati. If Ducati were to go

back in their HR archives, I would

prefer if they signed Rossi (again),

but that’s a wild dream.

Where would you go if you were

Petrucci? Maybe a better question

is who wants a big fast Italian

gorilla? He has been linked to

a WSBK factory ride with Scott

Redding which to me would be a

sensible move. Petrucci came from

Superstock 1000 and, being slightly

bigger, might be more suited for a

‘production’ bike. Aprilia also have

their hand up, as a rider would

you rather be one of the best in an

inferior class or fight for points in

the top class? We can see which one

Rea chooses often.

Suzuki is playing it safe and keeping

their pairing of the freshly-pruned

Alex Rins and the hungry-for-more

Joan Mir for another year.

As only seven seats for the 2021

season have been confirmed, many

rides are preparing for a great game

of musical chairs. Our Brad Binder is

still the apple of KTM’s eye, and yes

their bike is improving but is it a real

podium contender or is it still just

good fighting with the best of the

rest? If a better opportunity came

along for Brad, should he take it?

So far, the 2021 grid looks

like this:

Repsol Honda:

Marc Marquez (End of 2024)

Alex Marquez (End of 2020)

Monster Yamaha:

Maverick Vinales (End of 2022)

Fabio Quartararo (End of 2022)

(Valentino Rossi has been offered a

factory-spec Yamaha at a satellite

team for 2021)

Ducati Team:

Jack Miller (End of 2021, option

for 2022)

Andrea Dovizioso (End of 2020)

Danilo Petrucci (End of 2020)

Suzuki:

Alex Rins (End of 2022)

Joan Mir (End of 2022)

Red Bull KTM:

Pol Espargaro (End of 2020)

Brad Binder (End of 2020)

Aprilia Gresini:

Aleix Espargaro (End of 2020)

Andrea Iannone (End of 2020)

Tech3 KTM:

Miguel Oliveira (KTM contract,

end of 2020)

Iker Lecuona (KTM contract,

end of 2020)

LCR Honda:

Cal Crutchlow (HRC contract,

end of 2020)

Takaaki Nakagami (HRC contract,

end of 2020)

Pramac Ducati:

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati contract,

end of 2020)

TBA

Avintia Racing:

Johann Zarco (Ducati contract,

end of 2020)

Tito Rabat (End of 2021)

Petronas Yamaha Sepang Team:

Franco Morbidelli (End of 2020)

TBA – Valentino Rossi?

What would you do with millions of

Dollars and a plethora of riders at

your disposal?

38 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 3 9

PADDOCK NEWS

Brought to you by

MOTOGP IN LOCKDOWN!

THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

By Adam Wheeler (KTM Blog)

What about the bikes, the reorganization,

a skeleton crew

for closed-doors GPs, the

lack of testing, the future?

KTM’s MotoGP Technical

Co-ordinator Sebastian

Risse tackles some of the big

current question marks over

the sport.

While the clock ticks down towards

news of 2020 MotoGP the Red Bull

KTM race teams have been left

in limbo due to the absence of a

calendar and a routine that normally

steers much of their lives and energy.

The RC16s were in freight boxes and

untouchable for over two months;

the machines were last used at the

Qatar test at the end of February.

To gain more insight into how the

crew handles the break, negotiates

homologation, what it thinks about

behind-closed-doors Grands Prix (as

well as deal with the technical ‘freeze’

that will affect areas of development

up until 2022) we called Sebastian to

tackle some issues…

On the bikes being boxed and only

recently shipped to Spain from

Qatar…

When this material is in transit for

a long time there is humidity that

can damage some parts. For sure

you take as many take precautions

as possible but those still only work

for two-three weeks – the normal

time the bikes are in the crates

– so it has been a very long time

and we need to fix this. We need

to take the parts out of the boxes,

clean them and check for humidity

and oxidization. It’s not about the

durability of the parts but engine

oxidation. Normally we have some

special material – a silicone base

that soaks up the humidity in the

box – and when this is full then you

start to have trouble. In a normal

environment the parts would last

forever but the precautions for a

different environment only has a

certain lifespan.

On being without the bikes after

the last test…

From this point of view there was

not such a big drama. We did not

have any big technical problems at

the test that needed to be analysed

at home. If there had been then we

would have shipped this material

separately when the problem

occurred, so the components would

have been in another transport. We

have been mainly working on the

data that we had on laptops and for

this we also have synchronization

with the factory, so the data is

already shared on the computers

where it needs to be. The trouble

comes when you want to react

to any findings because it means

working on hardware on the bikes

or something in the workshop. Like

many companies KTM has been

quite limited with what it can do

in terms of manpower, work-time

and access to the workshop. After

Qatar was cancelled we had work

‘on the table’ and side-projects that

we were able to address: Those side

projects became ‘main’ projects for

many on the race team.

On the time frame to be (very)

READY TO RACE…

The first job is sorting the material.

If we can get the bikes cleaned

and ready then the trucks are

already packed – as we had already

anticipated that the next races

would be European based – and this

could all be organized short-term,

especially if people can travel. Our

truck drivers are spread around

Europe, so if they cannot get here

then you need another way to move

the trucks to a track and that could

affect organization and delays. But

otherwise I think we can react quickly.

On the prospect of reduced staff

for a behind-closed-doors races…

Many things are possible! Any

change in the structure and our

normal racing day means all the

procedures that have been run with

the group and the people around

it have to change also, and that’s a

challenge but also one that we will

take and we’ll manage. Everybody

else will have to deal with it, so

it becomes like a competition:

Whoever will approach it in the best

way and gets the job done in the

best way under the set conditions

will be winning…or going forward at

least. Racing, and being efficient, is

often about focussing on the most

important points at hand. There is

always more to do – if you have the

time – and this is the same thing but

on a different level.

On the process of homologation

for 2020…

It is normally all documented but

we also show the parts to the

MotoGP technical crew that we wish

to homologate so they see them

physically as well. The need for

reference documents means that

the procedure was already digital, so

that was easy and not much different

to usual. What was different is that,

as a concession team, there are

some things we don’t usually have to

homologate but now we did because

we agreed to ‘fix’ them [for 2021

also]. On the engine side we didn’t do

digitally, instead we sent a sample

engine so they can compare it to any

engine submitted.

On the technical ‘freeze’ for 2021-

2022 and the pressure involved…

As an engineer you always want

to go forward, try many things

and try to improve but at the same

time make the most of the given

resources. It’s not clear at the

moment what resources there

will be. There is a commitment to

racing of course and everybody

will do their best to be competitive

but we’ll have to wait and see

the details to understand the

circumstances. To a degree there

is always pressure. For example,

let’s look at the engine. Of course,

we are constantly developing and

the engine we wanted to use this

season is different to last year’s.

Over the winter we tried our best

and we did a good job in finding

the right spec. We didn’t face any

technical problems that gave us

a headache – but – it hasn’t been

raced yet! So, if this engine, which

is for this year and also the start

of 2021, has a technical problem

then you are in trouble. But – at

the moment – what can we do?

We know what we know about

this package and if it had a known

weak point then we would have

addressed it. Unfortunately, there

is no way around homologation,

so you have to make the best of

something. We have done race

simulations during the tests and

we have been in critical conditions,

like the heat in Malaysia, and we’ve

been at demanding tracks. We can

also reproduce this on the dyno: we

do endurance runs before we even

get to the track. It means in theory

– combined with the tests – you

have done everything to make sure

it works…reality can occasionally

be different though! You can get a

surprise sometimes! You cannot

simulate that. Based on what we

know it is fine and we are confident

because we also didn’t have many

big dramas in the last couple of

years. You just have to hope that

something you never thought or

imagine doesn’t hit you!

On being able to look for

loopholes in the rules or

using extra time to find small

innovations…

It is always a matter of resources.

For example, if you explore the ‘grey

zone’ around the rules then you have

to do all the work and somehow

keep it the ‘right’ side of legal.

Then fight other competitors in the

technical meetings and discussions

as well as the officials. You need to

have the resources behind you to do

it and then maybe you have to throw

it away. As we are new to MotoGP️

we have many areas in which we

can invest resources and be sure

that we are investing wisely – so

ideas that are comfortably inside the

rules and don’t have to be thrown

away. It makes more sense to focus

on those instead of something that

is ‘50-50’ or it’s allowed for some

races but then banned. If we are

working on something that nobody

else has then our strategy is to

speak with the MotoGP technical

officials sooner rather than later and

get their advice so that we don’t get

any last minute ‘no’s’.

40 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 41

PADDOCK NEWS

Brought to you by

By Donovan Flugel

at the game, but do let others have

a chance at winning (not really, but

Rob is the man in charge here so we

have to say that).

The MotoGP20 game by Milestone

has provided the most realistic form

of virtual motorcycle racing to date,

with bike setup becoming a key

ingredient of lapping fast.

Even when you do get a good setup,

you need to be able to put in the

consistently fast laps during the

race to keep on hold a lead.

In addition to our two A and B

League events, we also run a more

casual fun League simply named

the Moto3 C League. This race is run

over the weekend and invites all

players from either championship

to compete. It also provides a

mentoring ground for newer players

to the game to meet and play

with the whole group. This event

provides a setting for a lot of laughs

and sharing of setups, liveries, and

bad jokes.

After the two official races, lobbies

extend into casual games where the

rider’s race, trade paint and share

settings for faster lap times.

What started out as just a way to

help pass the time in lockdown has

now turned into a huge craze and a

very sociable, fun way to go racing.

New friendships have been formed

and there is such a great vibe

between all.

For more information and to watch

all the racing action that has taken

place so far go check out the official

RideFast ESport South Africa

Facebook page, and if you are keen

to join simply pop a message on the

page and we’ll get back to you and

help get you racing.

RIDEFAST ESPORTS SOUTH

AFRICA – MOTOGP20

If there is one thing mankind has

learned over the last two months, it

should be that life is unpredictable.

However, with unpredictability,

opportunity is often born.

During this difficult time of COVID-19,

we have all had to find new

opportunities to pass the time and

find new avenues to feed our need

for speed.

In May 2020, RideFast Magazine

decided to create South Africa’s

first organized and official Esports

Motorcycle Racing Championship.

An idea spawned by gamers, for

gamers and riders alike - Inspired

by both the love for racing and the

international Virtual Racing being

participated by the actual riders in

the MotoGP Championships.

On Tuesday night the 10th of May

2020, competitors in South Africa

sat down with their controllers

and keyboards in sweaty hands

to take part in the inaugural event

that would become the start of

our 10 week Championship across

three categories of racing in three

different platforms - PS4, Xbox and

PC, using the new MotoGP 20 game.

The Groups have been split in to

and A League and a B League. The

A League comprises of riders with

more of an edge and with more

control and speed. These warriors

race the MotoGP class with Pro-

Settings and manual gears as a base

standard.

The B League guys are not as fast,

but still provide close racing and

serious fun by using the Moto2 class

as their standard. Two race events

are run during the week respectively

comprising of an event with two

races at two different tracks.

Event 1 was held at Losail

International Circuit in Qatar and

the second race at the Chang

International Circuit in Thailand.

Event 2 was held at the Circuit of the

America’s in Texas or COTA USA, the

second race taking part in Argentina

at the International Autodromo

Termas De Rio Hondo circuit.

The latest event as this mag when

out was held at the Mugello circuit

in Italy and the Catalan GP at the

Catalunya circuit.

All events went off brilliantly

with only minor internet issues

preventing some players from

accessing the race servers.

However, those who show up and

participate always obtain points.

Riders also have the choice of

a throw away event during the

10 weeks to compensate for

any connection issues they may

experience.

It quickly emerged that we have

some real race celebrities among

the groups, with riders mastering

set-ups and becoming extremely

smooth and fast in the events.

Top names in SA motorsport such as

multiple SA Supersport 600 champ

Blaze Baker (XBox), Brandon Haupt

(PS4), Jesse Boshoff (PS4), WSS 300

and SA Supersport rider Dino Iozzo

(PS4), just to name a few, take part

and show off their skills every week.

The most famous though have to

be the Portman brothers, Rob and

Shaun, who are just simply sublime

42 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 43

TYRE TECH TALK

by Bruce de Kock, owner of Bike Tyre Warehouse Midrand

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF

MICHELIN POWER LINE

Friday deadline and its Thursday night

I know I am back at work, we are

lucky our industry has opened up for

business albeit with conditions so all of

us must now kick start the engine most

survived the crash 08/09 it’s that time

again – Stay Positive.

Right back to the real business, the

new Michelin Power Line: Four distinct

ranges of sport tyres namely the

Michelin Power 5, the Michelin Power

GP, the Michelin Power Cup and the

Michelin Power Slick.

EICMA – Press Kit 2019

Quote “the new Michelin power line

places the accent on delivering

unique sensations, performance

and riding enjoyment to riders

who derive immense satisfaction

from taking the perfect line

through the corners, who

know they can improve their

lap times when riding to the

maximum of their and their

bikes potential, or who seek

unbridled pleasure, completely

at one with their machine”.

A quick look at all four of them,

The Michelin Power 5 targets

sports motorcycle owners who

use their bikes intensively on

public roads. The priorities of

these riders range from long tyre life

and good grip performance, whatever

the conditions but more especially in

wet weather – to efficient traction and

reassuring handling under braking.

The wet weather grip provided by the

Michelin Power 5 is exceptional.

CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

MICHELIN POWER 5:

• Innovative compound, incorporating

silica and carbon black,

• MICHELIN 2CT technology

(front tyre) and MICHELIN 2CT+

technology (rear tyre),

• A sea-to-land ratio of 11

percent front and rear,

• A new design and sidewalls

that feature Michelin’s

Premium Touch

Technology.

The Michelin Power GP targets

motorcyclists who use their

sport bikes on public roads but

occasionally take it to circuits

for track days or tuition, for example. The

Michelin Power GP offers high performance

levels in these situations.

CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

MICHELIN POWER GP:

• A compound that incorporates silica and

carbon black

• MICHELIN 2CT technology (front tyre)

and MICHELIN 2CT+ technology (rear tyre)

conceived to deliver superior performance

on public roads and racetracks alike.

• ‘Slick zones’ on the sidewalls for track use,

• A sea-to-land ratio of 6.5%,

• Sidewalls that feature Michelin’s Premium

Touch Technology.

The Michelin Power Cup 2

Although the Michelin Power Cup 2 is

essentially designed for track use, it is type

approved for road use. It offers fast lap

times both over a single lap and on a run

of many laps

CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

MICHELIN POWER CUP2

• MICHELIN 2CT technology (front

tyre) and MICHELIN 2CT+ technology

(rear tyre), plus a compound designed

primarily for on-track performance,

• Sea-to-land ratios of four and five

percent for the front and rear tyres

respectively, enabling it to be type approved

for road use,

• Sidewalls that feature Michelin’s Premium

Touch Technology.

The MICHELIN Power Slick 2 is designed for

track use and track-day fans, but it is not type

approved for road use. It is primarily for riders

whose main priority is speed. It offers fast lap

times both over a single lap and on a run of

many laps.

CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

MICHELIN POWER SLICK2

• 2CT (front tyre) and 2CT+ (rear tyre) technology

with a dedicated compound, developed

uncompromisingly for on-track performance,

• Sidewalls that feature Michelin’s Premium

Touch Technology.

There is a tyre to suit your riding style in the

Power range line up whether road or track, we

have all been sitting long enough, it’s time to get

back out on the roads & tracks and do what we

love best – RIDE!

For more information on the Michelin

Power Line range of tyres contact us;

Bike Tyre Warehouse – Midrand 073

777 9269 | 083 467 1349 or sales@

biketyrewarehouse.com

Bike Tyre Warehouse - Port Elizabeth

083 267 2685 alan@biketyrewarehouse.com

Tel: 011 205 0216 • Cell: 073 777 9269 / 083 467 1349

Unit 9 Sable Park, 997 Richards Drive, Midrand

Facebook @BikeTyreWarehouse • Twitter @biketyrewhse

www.biketyrewarehouse.com

||| PRODUCTS FEATURE ||| PRODUCTS FEATURE

2020 Arai RX-7V helmets

The RX-7V represents the summit of Arai’s knowledge, experience and know-how in helmet technology.

With a completely new PB-SNC² outer shell, the revolutionary VAS (“Variable Axis System”) visor system

and a significant increased smoother area around the temples, the RX-7V offers the new benchmark in the

premium helmet segment. From the also new anti-microbial material liner with an even slimmer frame, to

the new ducts, improved diffuser and the integrated Air Channels, every part shows the attention to detail

that is so typical for Arai. Arai has continually improved the “glancing off” performance by learning from real

scenarios. Thanks to the new stronger and smoother shell and VAS, the RX-7V is closer to the ideal helmet

shape than ever. With VAS, the visor mounting position is lowered 24mm in pursuit of the ideal smoother

shape that increases the ability of glancing off energy. As a result, this has made it possible for the shell to be

completely smooth above the test line of the Snell standard.

Featured here are the new replica graphics, which have just

landed in SA - Johnny Rea, Leon Haslam, Micheal van der

Mark and MotoGP star Maverick Vinales.

Get hold of Arai SA on bikewise@kmsa.co.za or

call 011 566 0333 to find your nearest stockist.

Tork Craft

Adjustable Desk

A perfect instant set up for your home, office,

events, promotions, media centres, lecture rooms,

training centres and shows.

The Tork Craft Adjustable stand desks requires no

additional set up for an instant working station, to

accommodate computers, screens, mouse/mouse

pad and working space with the sliding second tier

shelf for the keyboard. All units offer an adjustable

height options, are easy to set up and can be quickly

folded up and packed away.

EFFORTLESS ELEVATION ADJUSTMENT

These standing desk units can adjust to the perfect

height with minimal effort. When you are ready to

stand, simply raise your entire adjustable height

desk to your desired height. A silky-smooth process

with infinite stops creating tremendous height range

adjustability, fast and easy to move from sitting to

standing height. Grabbing the main work surface

on the left and right edges and squeezing the brake

release paddles on both sides making it all happen.

LARGE EXTENDING KEYBOARD AND WORK AREA

The extending keyboard area of the adjustable

height desk offers lots of space, and there is

enough room for a mouse and mouse pad. The

standing desk is designed to provide plenty of

room for a monitor, laptop, and much more without

taking up too much space.

EASY QUICK SETUP

The quick easy set up gets you up and running

immediately and it is ready to use, increasing

your productivity without wasting time. They are

ultra-stable, with sturdy stands, and gas strut

arms for excellent strength, the overall finish is a

black powder coating which is chip free and easy

to keep clean.

Three units are available the TCWS003, desk size

810mm x 520mm and a height of 150 to 450 mm,

the TCWS004 desk size is 900mm x 580 mm

with height option from 150 to 510mm, the larger

TCWS005 desktop is 1067mm x 580mm with height

options from 150mm to 510mm

Tork Craft is a leading brand of accessories in

the Vermont Sales company and all products

are available from leading specialist stores

countrywide. For more information talk to

your retail outlet or contact, Vermont Sales

on 011 314 7711 or visit their web site www.

vermontsales.co.za - Trade enquiries welcome

BB33 KTM shirts

We all know that our very own Brad Binder is

now a full factory KTM MotoGP rider, and KTM

have now just launched the new BB33 official

Powerwear supporters shirt.

RAD Moto KTM, the massive dealership in

Sandton, has just unpacked their stock and now

have them available in store for R535 each.

Available in sizes from S-XXL.

Available now from RAD Moto KTM

011 234 5007

46 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 47

PURE

2020 KTM

1290 SUPERDUKE R

& 890 DUKE R

BREEDS

The new Dukes have finally arrived in SA! The updated, highly raved

about 1290 Superduke R and the latest addition to the range the 890

Duke R. Is the new 1290 SD R that much better? Why bring out an 890

when you have a 790? Rob reveals all...

Words by Rob Portman | Pics by Beam Productions

The KTM Duke range has been a huge

hit over the years and the Austrian outfit

continues to make improvements on the

full range trying to satisfy old fans, while

attracting new riders into the great world

of Dukeness.

KTM have always been at the forefront

of listening to their customers when it

comes to what they want in a motorcycle,

and more often than not, they get the

formula between customers wants, and

what they know works spot on – with a

few exceptions here and there.

The Duke range lends itself to a wide

market – from new, and entry level riders

on the 125 Duke, to the hooligan clan -

craving raw performance and mad pleasure

on the 1290 Superduke R. Most have been

left satisfied over the years by the Dukes

exclusive qualities and riding experience.

But KTM are never happy to just settle

on a good thing. They want more, they

crave more, just like their adoring fans,

and that’s what has made them one of the

most exciting motorcycle brands out there

at the moment.

For 2020, KTM have made big updates

to their already sublime 1290 SD R and

added a new Duke to the range – the 890

R. This got me, and every Duke fan excited,

but I couldn’t help wonder why the hell

they would release an 890 Duke when they

already have a 790 in the range? Why go

through all that R&D and production to

bring out a machine just with a 100cc more?

Well, I quickly found the answer to this and

other questions I had regarding not only the

890 R, but also the 1290 R, and I reveal all

right here over the next few pages…

48 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 4 9

2020 KTM 1290

SUPERDUKE R

“It looks just like the old

one?” That’s the first thing

most people ask me about

the new 1290 SD R, and yes,

to the naked eye it does very

much resemble the previous

gen model, but when you

look closer the changes are

actually very evident.

Having shed some skin,

the new 1290 SD R is now

a leaner, meaner and even

more menacing hyper-naked

bike than ever before. At least

that’s what the marketing

guys at KTM say…

The first big change that

the eye will/should spot is

the new exhaust system.

Now Euro 5 compliant, it’s

also had a complete redesign

and looks a lot neater and

more refined. This is not just

a case of “bark being worse

than bite” - this BEAST roars!

Up to 60 mm of drainpipelike

dimensions at the

headers optimize gas flow,

while 2 catalytic converters

control emissions, without

compromising the V-twin

engine note or horsepower.

The next big change I

noticed was the wheels. The

big beautiful wheel at the

back now looks so much

more aggressive, and fits in

much better with the bikes

overall design. These wheels

didn’t just happen by the

grace of a designer’s pen

- they are the product of a

sophisticated CAD system,

which determines the best

shape in terms of strength

and lightness. What that

means is that these wheels

are engineered down to the

finest detail, they are lighter

than before and look great.

The new 1290 SD R now

also gets updated WP Apex

suspension, which is now

more adjustable than ever.

This was a very nessasary

update in the eyes on the

R&D team, who heard the

cries from previous owners

asking for improvement to

An all-new

TFT dashboard

with increased

functionality has

been added as well

as a more robust and

intuitive motorcycle

switchgear, which

we found a big

improvement.

The new LED headlight doubles as a ram air

intake, with air being channelled between the

lights, keeping them cool, and directly into the

airbox, making for a more efficient burn.

50 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 51

the handling, adjustability and

overall performance.

The Spine of the new Beast

3.0, as KTM calls it, has had a

big upgrade and won’t be seen

by the naked eye, but promises

a big change in the overall feel.

Adopting many elements from

the previous RC8 superbike

model, the new frame, which

uses the engine as a means

to increase torsional rigidity,

has resulted in the 1290 R

being 3 times stiffer than its

predecessor. This allows for a

more effortless, confidenceinspiring

riding position which

translates into an ultimately

faster ride. This is achieved by

maximizing the feedback from

the chassis and the front tyre.

The frame also makes use of

thicker diameter tubes with

thinner walls, which is the single

biggest weight saving measure

on the bike - saving 2 kg…

Helping the chassis and

suspension keep all the

madness of the 1301cc LC8

V-Twin powerplant boasting

imporved figures of 180hp and

140Nm of torque, is the updated

electronics package. Many

traditionalists might frown at

the sight of electronic rider

aids, saying they interfere with

the purity of the ride. However,

when it comes to the 1290 SD

R, all electronic features have

received an update, providing

more feedback from the engine,

and less intrusiveness from

the safety systems. This means

improved Quickshifter+ settings,

more refined and natural

feedback and smoother, more

intuitive anti-wheelie functions.

Ergonomics and comfort have

been improved with a restyled

tank that gives the rider better

support, while lower, variable

handlebars and adjustable foot

pegs make for improved comfort

on the road and more control on

the track.

Other small updates can

be found in the headlight and

ram air, which has a smoother

channel to help keep things

cooler, and new graphics

which maintain the tradition

of aggressive, yet cool and

modern 1290 SD R.

At the core of the new Beast

3.0 is a major chassis overhaul.

Boasting an all new frame with

3 times the torsional rigidity of

previous models, stickier tyres,

smarter WP suspension, an

aluminum and carbon composite

subframe and completely

revised geometry, the king of

the DUKES has become lighter,

stiffer and faster.

Legend has it, if you walk through the streets of Mattighofen at full

moon, you can hear its roar. Ok, so we made that part up, but there is

no denying the 1301 cc V-twin’s legendary status. Now even lighter

and more powerful than before, this torquey powerhouse has been

built to take on anything you’re brave enough to throw at it.

RIDING THE BEAST 3.0

I’ve been super excited to swing

my leg over this new machine.

I’ve heard nothing but praise from

my colleagues overseas about

the Beast 3.0 and its new-found

sophistication, whilst also keeping

the rawness that’s made it the

naked bike of choice for many over

the years.

I’ve spent some good time on

the previous gens, mainly the

second and a couple of years ago

myself, along with Riaan Neveling

from KTM SA (now at KTM head

office in Austria), decided to prove

just how capable the SD 1290

R was out on track by entering

it into a BOTTS (Battle of the

Twins) race to take on the mighty

red machines, and also put it up

against its toughest challenge ever

- the RSR 24-hour race.

Things were looking great in the

BOTTS race down in PE, where I

managed to qualify in 2nd place

and pick up 2nd in race one before

unceremoniously throwing it into

the Aldo Scribante scenery whilst

leading and trying to impersonate

Marc Marquez.

While it was very capable out

on track, it took a fair amount of

work and money to get it there,

and even then, it still lacked a bit of

certainty. The main problem was

the customary front-end “float”

feeling, found on most naked bikes.

This gave off a slight feeling of

uncertainty out on track, and even

on the road. Limited adjustment on

the suspension didn’t really help

matters and a lack of flex from the

chassis also contributed.

KTM knew they had a class

leading street machine, but many

were using them out on tracks, so

KTM did what KTM do best and

addressed the problems voiced by

their customers wanting a more

solid feel out on track.

KTM engineers had a tough job -

while the masses raved about the

previous 1290 SD R’s, slowly but

surely those fingers started pointing

at problems that didn’t seem to be

there at the beginning - the age old

tale of humanity never being satisfied.

So, for the Beast 3.0 they had

to keep the rawness that the fist

gen riders loved, add a bit more

sophistication and commercialism

52 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 5 3

It feels like a proper

track superbike, just

without the fairings

and bigger price tag.

from gen 2 and add more modernday

bells and whistles to attract

new buyers. Keeping old hooligan

gen riders, while attracting new

modern everyday riders was

always going to be tricky, and

for sure it’s almost impossible to

please everyone, but another thing

KTM are one of the best at doing

is trying, and never giving up or

The new 1290 SD R comes

out with the new Bridgestone

S22 hypersport tyres and

they work perfectly in sync

with the new bikes all-round

superbness.

stopping in their pursuit to become

leaders in the street bike market.

They took a massive leap

forward with their Duke range, the

1290 SD R in particular, but can the

new Beast 3.0 tick the very long

line of boxes set forth in front of it?

Riaan Neveling, if you are

reading this please do me a

favor. Go down stairs to the R&D

department there at head office,

find the team responsible for

building the new 1290 SD R and

give them a big hug from me. Heck,

give them a big kiss while you at it

and tell them Rob says well done

on building a superb all-round

work-of-art!!!

Just as I had been told and

expected, the new Beast 3.0 is the

best yet. Everything about the new

machine and the updates make

sense and can be felt. So much

more positive feedback – that little

bit of uncertainty that was there

before is now gone.

This new machine is more

determined than ever and now

has the resources to keep it all

under control. That extra flex from

the chassis and suspension just

make it more solid than ever, even

around the tight track I was testing

on. Stability has improved ten-fold

in every area – from straight line,

to corner entry and exit – this thing

is now planted to the tar!

The updated electronics don’t

interfere as much as before, but

are still there to help keep things

in check. Big Brembo Stylema

monobloc calipers offer nothing

but fierce, usable stopping power

and work in perfect tandem with

the new WP Apex adjustable

suspension up front. The rear

shock also feels way more mature

and assured of itself - this made

going fast a lot easier than on the

previous gen, and this bike was still

out-the-crate standard. All those

tedious problems before that

could only be solved by throwing

thousands of rands at are now all

sorted from stock.

There was never really an

issue with the motor. Power and

torque a plenty, but what some

did complain about, mainly less

experienced, non-hooligan type

riders, was the way it delivered it.

It was very intimidating for some

how the power came in. So much

force from so low down - it packed

a massive punch!

Just like all those other

criticisms, KTM listened and have

addressed and solved the problem.

The first gen SD 1290 R felt like

a Tattooed, ripped MMA fighter

The new gen 3 still has that big punch, only

this time it comes from that same MMA fighter

who is now dressed in a suit and tie, so the

tattoos and muscles are still there but hidden.

...it’s still a big punch, but now feels more

controlled, more presentable, more classy...”

punching you in the face when

turning that throttle. It was wild,

and in many ways uncontrollable,

with a then good electronics

package, but not great. This is what

those hooligan riders loved about

this model, but what everyday

riders were threatened by.

The new gen 3 still has that

big punch, only this time it comes

from that same MMA fighter who

is now dressed in a suit and tie, so

the tattoos and muscles are still

there but hidden. As I said, it’s still

a big punch, but now feels more

controlled, more presentable,

more classy - and that might put

off the hooligans just a bit, but

will welcome those who were

previously cautious about the SD

1290 R with open arms.

Add to this a much more

controlled and solid electronics

package and chassis, and we now

have what I, and many think, is the

most classy, sophisticated SD 1290

R to date - one that all can enjoy

and get the best out of.

It’s a machine previous gen

owners and the hooligans can

still go crazy on and enjoy, but

now also one that the everyday

rider can enjoy without feeling the

need to up their life insurance and

medical aid policies.

Where previously the SD 1290 R

failed, it now succeeds, and with

flying colours!

The new 1290 SD R uses what was pretty much

the old RC8 super bike chassis, with one-ortwo

small adjustments, and it’s made a huge

difference - it has that same solid, stable, and

precise feeling the RC8 had, only much better!

54 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 55

2020 KTM 890 Duke R

Two years ago, KTM added another

Duke to their already splendid

Streetbike range - the 790 Duke. A

machine that the wider audience

cried out for, and catered for a

wider range of riders offering

them the chance to experience the

pleasure of riding an Austrian Duke.

Fast forward to 2020 and KTM

once again have listened to the

cries from their adoring fans who

loved the 790, but wanted a bit

more, and weren’t quick, brave, or

rich enough to go for the 1290 SD R.

As I said earlier, KTM have always

been one of the best at listening to

the customer and did so once again

with the 890 Duke R project.

There was nothing really to

complain about of the 790 Duke

- it was comfy, had a powerful,

torquey motor that excited, and

featured a chassis that even a new

born baby could enjoy. But, fans

of the Duke wanted a bit more.

They are, after all, riders that like

to be a bit more

hooliganry let’s

just say. While the 790 did attract

more everyday riders to the KTM

and Duke range, it didn’t really

excite their already big fan base as

much as they would have liked. So,

in typical KTM fashion, they quickly

went back to the drawing board

and released a machine that will

tick all the boxes of those who still

had some empty ones.

Going into this test, I had this

question on my mind more often

than not; “Why the 890 R?” Why

spend all that time, money and

effort on a machine that just has

100cc more than the one you

already have in your stable?

So, like any good journo I did

some homework and managed

to find my answers before even

swinging a leg over the new bike.

Those answers came from a

very well-known and respected

man in the motorcycle journo

world – Mr. Adam Wheeler – who

does a lot of PR stuff for many top

companies including KTM. He does

work on the KTM Blog website and

we have used his content many

a time over the past couple of

months, and will do so once again

New WP Apex suspension,

Brembo brakes, lighter more

agile chassis, more power and

torque - the new 890 Duke R

is so much more than just a

790 Duke with more capacity

- it’s dressed a little more to

impress a lot more.

Adapted to suit the added power

of the KTM 890 DUKE R but still

retaining the signature DUKE agility,

the fully adjustable suspension

on the KTM 890 DUKE R has been

fettled to be sportier with improved

high-speed stability, while retaining

real-world street riding comfort.

56 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 57

SPECIAL FINANCE OFFER

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

FROM R 3,899

PER MONTH*

Foto: R. Schedl

here as he helped me answer the

question of why the 890 R? This is

what he had to say:

There is a degree of intrigue

about the 2020 KTM 890 DUKE

R: a fresh, rasping entrant to the

manufacturer’s virulent Naked

bike portfolio. So, we enlisted the

help of Street Product Manager

Adriaan Sinke to explain some of

the ‘reasons for being’.

The KTM 890 DUKE R has

been designed with priorities of

‘sensation’ and ‘exhilaration’ at the

forefront. But how did it originate

in the minds of KTM R&D staff?

And how did they strive to create

something that was different to

the thrill already provided by the

other Naked bikes in the line-up

(specifically the KTM 790 DUKE and

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R)?

In search of answers we

fashioned four of the five ‘W’s and

asked Adriaan to help us flesh out

the details…

Who?

With the KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE

R, KTM quenched the thirst for

torque and crafted a bike as strong

for the road as it is on the track.

With the KTM 790 DUKE the firm

aimed for agility, light weight

and power. Models such as the

KTM 390 and KTM 125 DUKEs

again blend optimal handling

with fierce motors and enhanced

practicality for different groups of

motorcyclists.

What’s the KTM 890 DUKE R’s

identity then? What’s its role?

“We are always looking at

the performance-end of the

scale,” Sinke states. “A KTM 790

DUKE is a great bike, and one of

sportiest in the midrange, but like

in racing, there is always room for

improvement. There is obviously

quite a gap between a KTM 790

DUKE and a KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE

R, so part of the decision [to make

the KTM 890 DUKE R] was the wish

to fill that gap. But much more

important was the wish to deliver

the highest performing bike in the

midrange segment. Be it handling,

suspension, engine or electronics,

the KTM 890 DUKE R tops them all.”

The KTM 790 DUKE’s

characteristics were defined

enough for the bike to be labelled

‘THE SCALPEL’. The KTM 890 DUKE

R’s appearance represents an

attempt to make another slice

at the motorcycling market. In a

style true to KTM’s alternative

values and philosophy, the KTM

890 DUKE R charges in, exhaust

ablaze. “The midrange segment

is very big, especially in Europe

and spans a very wide range of

models,” explains Sinke. “KTM

always wants to offer the sharpest

tool in the segment and is not

necessarily aimed at the middle of

the segment where the volume is,

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58 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

we create our own niche.”

“Potential competitors would be

a Triumph Street Triple RS, an MV

Agusta Brutale, maybe a Kawasaki

Z900 or a Yamaha MT-10: we

trump all those bikes on individual

points and all of them with our

overall package of handling,

torque, power and electronics.”

What?

So, the KTM 890 DUKE R is not a

‘suped-up 790’. How have KTM

gone about reinventing the best

parts and fabricating something

new? Well, the parallel twin

platform is vaguely similar,

but increased bore and stroke,

higher compression and a higher

maximum RPM mean a hike

to 121 HP and 99 Nm: 15 more

horsepower. A new cylinder head,

new camshaft and new balancer

shafts all help to deal with the

boosted revs and rotating mass.

The chassis has been

engineered to be sportier, more

aggressive and lighter with

altered ergonomics to suit the

KTM 890 DUKE R’s role as a bike

that will attack the twistiest of

roads and the most inviting circuit

layouts. The ride is smoothened

by adjustable linear spring WP

APEX front forks with split function

damping, compression and

rebound settings, and to counter

all of that extra potency the new

KTM relies on the latest Brembo

Stylema monoblock calipers

with 320mm floating front disks.

These and more differences to the

KTM 790 DUKE only increase the

distinction of the KTM 890 DUKE R.

When?

The special orange frame of the

KTM 890 DUKE R will be bouncing

off shiny showroom floors by the

time this story hits the KTM Blog.

But will the 2020 emergence of the

motorcycle cause any ripples in

the overall DUKE family catalogue?

The KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

reached a third-generation model

in 2020 with the best iteration of

‘THE BEAST’ yet and the KTM 790

DUKE already ruffled middleweight

feathers since it appeared almost

two years ago. KTM may claim that

they have taken ‘all the things we

love about the KTM 790 DUKE and

turned it up to 11’ but the KTM 890

DUKE R comes at a time when it

can find its own path. For those

riders optimistic of mining the

full list of KTM’s PowerParts to

make their KTM 790 DUKE reach

the same ballpark of performance

then disappointment lies in store.

“The KTM 890 DUKE R is

much more than just a tune-up,”

underlines Sinke. “The engine

character with the different valve

train and crankshaft is so different

from the KTM 790 DUKE engine that

the entire feeling of the motorcycle

has changed. The differences to the

chassis setup and brakes complete

the feeling of being on a different

bike altogether.”

“The upgrades we made on the

suspension and brakes would not

be easy to match,” he admits. “A

power increase of more than 15

horsepower is very hard to reach

and very expensive, especially

when the bike has to remain street

legal. And even if a talented tuner

could reach our values putting it all

together with the very advanced

level of electronics – Cornering

ABS, Cornering MTC and so on – in a

functional package that make a bike

that works on the street as well as

it does on the track is not realistic.”

The KTM 890 DUKE R may not

Brad was so surprised

at the amount of

grunt the 890 Duke R

had at low RPM.

strike fear into a speed camera

like a KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE

R but this bike adds a whole

new dimension of demand and

necessity to KTM’s Naked bike

line-up. Thus, leading onto…

Why?

Ultimately, why should KTM

owners (or prospective owners)

consider switching from a KTM

790 DUKE to the KTM 890 DUKE

R? Or have their eyes pulled away

from the peerless KTM 1290 SUPER

DUKE R to rest on the new younger

brother? By making such an impact

with their two models at the top

of the Naked bike sector KTM are

placing the KTM 890 DUKE R in a

competitive and ‘crowded’ space

within its own family.

“Good question, it really depends

Recognise this rider? Yup,

factory KTM MotoGP rider Brad

Binder takes the RAD Moto KTM

890 Duke R demo bike for a spin.

He now wants one in his garage.

on what you are looking for in

an upgrade,” outlines Sinke. “Do

you want absolute power and

BEAST levels of torque? Get a

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R. Do you

want agility, precision, power to

weight, compactness, and a lot of

horsepower, torque and stopping

power? Then now is the time to get

an KTM 890 DUKE R.”

Not quite a BEAST but sharper

and more lethal than a SCALPEL:

looks like the KTM 890 DUKE R is a

weapon regardless.

Ok, so that answers my question

of “Why the 890 R” to perfection. I

also managed to have a chat with

my mate, Riaan Neveling, who is

now the man in charge of Street

Motorcycles for the KTM brand

worldwide, and he had a bit more

straightforward answer; “We

needed to bridge the gap from 790

60 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

“Calling it the Super Scalpel was

right – this thing cuts through

corners faster and sharper than

anything and around the short

kart track we were testing on

it felt right at home. It was a

perfect blend of motard-styled

riding position and handling with

superbike like performance –

a real treat for sure!”

Duke to 1290 SD R, and the 890 Duke R does that

perfectly”. Short and sweet, but is it true?

Let’s find out…

RIDING THE SUPER SCAPEL

I’ll start by saying this: the gap has very much been

bridged!

Going into this test I honestly could not see how

the 890 R could be that much better than the 790.

Yes, the specs sheet looked more exciting, but

surely it couldn’t be that much better. After literally

10seconds on the bike, another one of my big

questions were answered.

Calling a machine a “Super Scalpel” is a big

statement, but then again KTM have never been

afraid of hyping up their machines, and with good

reasons, because more often than not they get it

right and have done so once again with the 890

Duke R.

The mods made to the now parallel twin engine

the 890 R features (single on the 790) have made

the world of difference. This thing has serious

punch from the bottom and carries it nonstop

to the top. That 99 Nm of torque is available

instantly and effortlessly and the extra rpm

available means there’s more power for longer.

That impressive figure of 121hp is awesome to

play with, and combined with its lightweight 175kg

chassis (3.5kg lighter than the 790) makes for one

incredible thrasher.

Calling it the Super Scalpel was right – this

thing cuts through corners faster and sharper

than anything and around the short kart track

we were testing on it felt right at home. It was a

perfect blend of motard-styled riding position and

handling, with superbike like performance – a real

treat for sure!

Braking from the Brembo’s was as expected

– sublime, while the new adjustable WP Apex

suspension front and back gave the bike perfect

support in every aspect.

Hitting the apex, easy. Accelerating hard out from

the apex, easy. Braking late and getting it in, easy.

Stability under braking, easy. In other words, the

890 Duke R made easy work of whatever I threw

its way - even a MotoGP star loved the new 890 R;

“I was so surprised by the amount of bottom end

power. I really wasn’t expecting it. And the handling

felt so sharp and precise, it really did surprise me

and I’m now keen to get one in my garage”, said our

very own Brad Binder after doing some laps on the

RAD moto KTM demo 890 Duke R.

62 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 6 3

So, that’s where I will leave it

because if you get the approval

from a top MotoGP rider like Brad

then anything else I say from here

on out is just not as substantial.

A quick look at the 790

Duke by RAD moto

So, does this mean that the 790

Duke is now deprived of any

meaning in the range? Certainly not,

The 790 still very

much deserves its

place in the Duke

streetbike range.

and certainly not once RAD Moto do

their exhaust conversion to one.

After riding the 890 R and 1290

R, the 790 will no doubt feel a

bit flat and, well pointless to be

honest. RAD Moto kind of saw this

maybe happening and did not want

unhappy customers flooding to their

dealership wanting to trade-in or get

rid of their 790’s and lose money, so

they came up with a solution that

gives the 790 a bit more street cred.

They have a pipe conversion that

not only sounds amazing, but also

adds some much-needed bite to

the bark. The addition of the Akro

carbon silencer along with new

mid-pipe and EVO mapping really

does draw more strength from the

single powered motor. This certainly

is a great solution for those looking

to get more out of their 790 without

having to scrape the barrel to pay

for it, or shamelessly having to sell

their more-than-capable machine

for peanuts.

The full conversion will cost

around R15k, way less than one will

lose if trading in or trying to sell. It

just helps boost the 790’s ego to a

point where it feels respected, and

64 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Available at dealers Nation-Wide

so it should, because it’s certainly

more than capable of holding its

own in the ever-expanding range

of Dukes.

Conclusion

All my questions answered and left

with a big smile – I would call that a

very good test.

It’s a Cath 22 situation when

being a big fan of the machine you

are testing. On the one side, it can

do no wrong and when I read the

article back it comes out as very

biased - and then on the other

side I try and be as open-minded

and unbiased as possible. But, at

the end I am a big fan and am a

bit biased towards it because it’s

such an amazing machine, and

I am loving everything the KTM

brand is doing at the moment. They

are listening to customers, using

the development they are getting

from MotoGP and other areas and

putting it straight into R&D for

their street, adventure and offroad

machines, and we the end user can

feel it and appreciate it.

I am a firm believer in giving

credit where credit is due, and

bucket loads of it is due to KTM

and their new 1290 SD R and 890

Duke R machines.

Some hardcore fans might argue

that the 1290 SD R has gone a bit

too commercialized, to corporate,

compared to the brutally raw first

gen, and I can in a way see their

point, but the fact is with the new

updates and changes KTM have now

opened the door to a wider audience,

welcoming them into the wonderful

world of Dukeness, and ultimately

that is their main goal - to share the

awesomeness with as many riders

as possible. I’m sure those hardcore

fans will be happy seeing more

riders buying and supporting the

brand from these changes, rather

than harping on about them.

I think of the new 1290 SD R like

a basketball player; who needs

to have soft hands to accept and

handle the ball, but then also

needs to be firm and aggressive

to dunk it and score points. The

1290 SD R has to be the same -

soft but firm. It needs to be soft to

welcome and accept new riders in,

making it easy for them to handle,

well at the same time be firm and

aggressive, to score the big points

with previous generation fans. So,

in this sense, the new Superduke

has to be the Michael Jordan of

naked bikes, and it is, scoring

points in every game and exciting

every single fan!

As for the 890 R – just get to

RAD Moto and book a test ride

on one and you will experience

all the charm, satisfaction,

delight, wonder, bliss, diversion,

elation, ravishment, refreshment,

liveliness, revelry and rapture that

I experienced whilst riding it.

If you want one, look at the advert

on the right, call them, and get one!

#SupportThoseWhoSupportUs

1290 Superduke R - R265 999

890 Duke R - R189 999

“...the fact is with the new

updates and changes KTM

have now opened the door to

a wider audience, welcoming

them into the wonderful world

of Dukeness...”

66 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Something

Different

but rather as a everyday machine

to get from A-B, and then to C, D, E,

F, G…. on the weekends.

For 2020, Husqvarna 701 Enduro

features the latest cutting-edge

electronic rider aids. Cornering

ABS, lean angle sensitive traction

control, ride modes and easy shift

are featured as standard – Just like

your favourite superbike.

They have outfitted this

one with an advanced Engine

Management System, that they

say delivers perfect power

delivery, precise throttle response

and customisable control over the

motorcycle.

Now, apart from the fact that it

can go just about anywhere - be

it road or offroad - the electronics

package is what makes this

machine so impressive, according

to those colleges and readers’ of

our who can’t stop raving about

this machine.

“Impressive power and

torque, together with

outstanding chassis

agility and handling,

for inspiring, fun-filled

adventures and overall

riding experience.”

This is pretty much what all fans

of this machine have written on

their protest boards outside our

offices, reminding us that there

is more to bikes that just overall

power and sportiness.

In addition to the 701 Enduro,

there is also now the 701 Enduro

LR (Long Range), which shares the

same advanced electronics as the

701 Enduro, but offers additional

touring capabilities for riders

wanting to travel further.

Remaining a lightweight and

nimble machine, the additional

12-litre auxiliary fuel tank

increases the total fuel capacity to

25 litres, meaning a significantly

bigger fuel range.

The 701 is powered by the

renowned, torquey, 74 hp singlecylinder

692.7 cc engine features

ride-by-wire throttle, offering a

perfectly linear power delivery.

SOME TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• New switchable Ride Modes –

change power characteristics

while riding.

• New Bosch cornering ABS – lean

angle specific braking technology.

• New Easy Shift function –

shorter shift times and improved

rear wheel traction.

• New lean-angle sensitive

• Motorcycle Traction Control –

perfect rear wheel traction.

• New graphics and slim bodywork

– carefully engineered ergonomics.

• 74 hp single cylinder engine – •

Impressive power and torque and

long service intervals.

• Ride-by-wire throttle.

• Chromium-molybdenum steel

trellis frame.

• WP XPLOR & WP APEX

suspension.

• Polyamide rear subframe with

integrated fuel tank – high-tech,

single-piece construction.

• Slipper clutch – maximum

control under hard acceleration,

braking and down-shifting.

That’s actually very impressive

specs!! So, unlike our Government

we are going to listen to the cries

and protests from those people

insisting we give the Husqvarna

701 Enduro a chance to blow our

minds with its awesomeness.

We get our mitts onto a unit next

month, so you can look for a full

local road test in our next issue…

and we guarantee lots of wheelies.

The bikes are making their way to

dealer showrooms now.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

SO MUCH MORE THAN

YOU THINK

T H E N E W 2 0 2 0 H U S Q V A R N A 7 0 1 E N D U R O

Husqvarna have just released

the new 701 Enduro LR (Long

Range) which adds even more

benefit to this already highly

beneficial machine.

At RideFast, we get to feature any

bike that can be used on the road

– and whilst this is a departure

from our “Usual” recipe, the latest

offering from Husqvarna looks

like a great, economical, versatile

barrel of fun to ride. Husqvarna

has a habit of building bikes that

are just so much fun. This one is

just begging to be thrashed!

The 701 ENDURO models marked Husqvarna

Motorcycles’ return to the street motorcycle segment

in 2015, and contributed to the brands record-breaking

year-on-year sales results.

A very versatile machine that often gets overlooked as

a everyday commuter for the road - including by us if we

are being honest. It says Enduro, doesn’t it? Yes, it does,

but it is so much more than that, or so we are told...

We’ve had a few of our colleagues and readers who

have experienced the awesomeness of the 701 Enduro

tell us to take it for a ride - not only out on the dirty stuff,

68 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 69

First

Ride

Here we go – R49,900. People

have told me that’s a lot of money

for a 250cc motorcycle, although I

suspect most of these people are

stuck in 1986, awaiting the end of

the Cold War. Others have at least

justified this statement by pointing

out that you could purchase a

second-hand 600cc supersport for

that price.

Yeah, good luck with that. From

what I’ve seen, having perused

the selection of used motorcycles

at various dealers, most decent

600s are somewhere in the

R100,000 range; maybe R80,000

at a push. A 600cc for R50,000 has

been pulled out its own ass and

is almost certainly on the verge of

costing you a good chunk of money

in spares that are probably no longer

imported. Also, the general running

costs of a 600, especially a poked

one, are going to catch up to the

person that can afford only R50,000.

Lastly, that R50,000 supersport

is most likely more than tenyears-old,

and the banks are going

to laugh at you when you try to

finance it.

So, R49,900 is a good deal for a

new bike, especially one like the

Gixxer 250. When you look at the

range of similar motorcycles, the

closest is the 300cc range that

starts at R75,000. Really, R49,900

for a 250 is a properly good bang

for the buck.

With sensibility out of the

way, is it any good to ride? That

would depend on how you look

at it. The motor is a 249cc singlecylindered

getup with oil-cooling

and a single overhead cam,

churning out 26hp and 22Nm of

torque. None of this is particularly

applaudable, especially compared

to motorcycles with just 50cc more

displacement but, again, none of

these motorcycles have a R49,900

price tag.

What can be extracted from

these specs is that the motor is

relatively simple. From that, we

can confidently assume that it

is also bulletproof, a quality that

is especially sought after when

LITTLE

GEM

S U Z U K I G I X X E R 2 5 0

Motorcycles are

getting increasingly

expensive and, in a

time when a simple

commuter costs close

to R100,000, the need

for something fun,

that will not require

the selling of one of

your kids to afford,

is massive. Suzuki

thinks they have

the answer with the

Gixxer 250. Donovan

Fourie gave it a go.

Pics by Beam Productions & Chris Kuun

70 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 7 1

anything thrown at it in the city

and a 150 rear tyre that gives it an

even more masculine look plus

puts more rubber on the road.

The Gixxer looks good, is fun

to ride, will outlast the abuse

thrown at it and will not break

any bank accounts.

In a manner that is not only

objective, it could be the best bike

available today.

Rob says

Motorcycles are all about fun

and getting around in the fastest,

most efficient and economical

way, and the Suzuki Gixxer 250

perfectly highlights all those

attributes and many more. It’s a

very attractive piece of kit that

gets the job done really well.

In these hard times, a bike like

this, priced at a mere R49,900, is

the perfect solution for most who

can’t afford that big, heavy on

fuel car anymore, and are in the

market for a motorcycle under

the R50k mark

to help get them

around, but also

want to do so with

a bit of pride.

Don’t get me

wrong, there is

nothing wrong

with riding a

scooter around,

it also makes

sense (cents) in many

ways but the Suzuki Gixxer

has way more street cred...

I love everything about this

little gem and just like Don

said I would have thrived

having one of these when I

was growing up!

Build quality is typical Japanese

brilliance and I love the overall

aesthetics of the bike - from

bodywork design and

livery, to riding

position - it’s

just a brilliant

machine!

purchasing a motorcycle for a keen

youngster who will be going full-

MotoGP every time they ride.

With that thought, let us relook at

those specs, especially the 26hp.

When I was a teenager, my father

graced me with my first road

motorcycle – a Suzuki RG50. This

rickety bucket of bolts had the sex

appeal of a rusty water pump, a

piston the size of tot glass and an

output of just 7hp.

Pathetic, right?

No – 16-year-old me gazed

upon this machine with lauding

wonderment. It was a shining

light in my otherwise dark world.

It was my NSR500, my ZZR1100

and my Ducati 916. I rode the tits

off it everywhere, attempting top

end runs on every stretch of road I

could find and treating each corner

like a MotoGP last corner tussle.

Andrew Pitt also

The bike was terrible, but it was a

had a go on the

bike. Ilmor That’s X3. all I cared about.

“The Gixxer looks good, is fun to ride,

will outlast the abuse thrown at it and

will not break any bank accounts.”

With those fond memories

drifting through my mind, I clicked

the Gixxer into gear and attempted

some urban MotoGP of my own.

Before getting to any riding

impressions, let’s first consider that

this is a damn good looking bike,

and not just for a 250 – I would

be happy if my GSXR1000 looked

like that. Apart from aggressive

fairing panels, both lights are LED

and there is a snazzy digital dash.

Teenage me would crap himself.

He would also laugh manically

at that motor, buzzing through the

revs to nearly four times the power

of the trusty little fifty, tucking in

beneath the screen in an attempt to

nudge the speedo up to 160km/h.

To a teenager, it may as well be

growling MotoGP bike.

Adult me finds this motor

amusing, especially while whizzing

through the suburbs of the West

Rand. A long ride might get tedious,

but in the stop-go environment

of suburbia, it feels like the sort

of thing you would cheer on, like

a puppy massacring a rope. It

isn’t fast, but it makes a big deal

out of whatever speed it is going,

with the rider chuckling joyfully

as they rocket between housing

complexes on their way to glory.

Beyond the aesthetics and motor,

it has suspension that is simple but

surprisingly effective, a larger front

disk brake that can easily handle

72 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 73

RetroCool

Old School Rules.

Our lot grabbed a few of the more chilled bikes from Triumph South Africa

and took off for a really lekker lockdown escape…

Words & Pics: Séan Hendley, Glenn Foley, Kyle Lawrenson

“…You can’t start a fire without a

spark …”, and that is certainly what

we are hoping is happening at the

moment with the re-opening of

the Motor Industry after the long

Covid-19 induced coma that the

market in general was plunged

into. And it is to that end, with

all the correct and up to date

Government issued permission

slips in hand we approached all the

Importers and Distributors for a

couple of demo bikes.

Bruce and Ash from Triumph SA

were among the first to oblige and

loaned us three cool retro bikes

from their stable of demo’s. We

hadn’t been on a proper ride in

months because of the national

lock down, so it was with great

excitement and anticipation on a

sunny Highveld autumn morning

that we wandered off to their HQ

just off South and Dartfield roads

in Sandton.

Now, we do know that we have

ridden and tested these bikes

before, but every time we go out

we get a new perspective on the

whole triumph lifestyle. Firstly, I

think it is important to mention,

that even though these bikes

have proper old school nostalgic

styling they are all built with and to

the latest technology and design

available and mostly well spec’d

with all the top brands like Brembo

brakes, Fox Suspension and the

Coz they British,

we found a castle...

74 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 75

like. So they all go well, stop

properly and handle, feel and ride

like proper modern motorcycles …

just with that “something special”

attitude about them.

Our ride took us from the

Triumph HQ in Sandton onto

the freeway out west where we

popped in at another importer/

distributor for test ride on their

brand new electric scooters, (more

about those a bit later this year …

watch this space), and then out

towards the Magaliesberg and

down the Broederstroom satellite

road and then back home via

Lanseria. Even though there was a

bit of a chill in the air, there wasn’t

a cloud in the sky. The cold hadn’t

quite turned everything dull and

brown yet. So, green fields, sunny

blue skies, some good mates, quiet

roads and three quite special bikes

we were in for a treat.

Even though all three bikes were

naked and the air quite cool, I opted

for my open face helmet and light

weight DMD textile shirt-jacket

because I wanted that old school

feel of the wind and cold in my face

… just to feel alive and free again.

First up for me was Triumphs

900 Street Scrambler, a bike I have

never really had the opportunity

to ride properly for any length

of time, so I was quite intrigued.

The best way to describe this bike

is it is like that shy wall flower

at your school dance. You know,

the one with the slightly more

conservative look, no skimpy

outfit or gaudy make up but just

unassuming, easy going and

naturally pretty and when you

took the time to get to know her

she was actually a lot of fun,

enjoys getting a bit dirty and the

girl you ended up marrying. Well,

that is exactly what the 900 Street

Scrambler is, a naturally pretty but

unassuming bike that is very easy

to get along with oodles of friendly

power delivery, nice handling,

comfortable suspension and good

brakes and doesn’t mind getting a

little bit dirty either.

As with the entire twin cylinder

range from Triumph the motor is

very torquey with a smooth and

predictable power curve and quite

a sexy and husky burble from the

twin up swept exhaust pipes. I was

immediately comfortable on the

Street Scrambler and was soon

whizzing down the freeway easily

quicker than the rest of the traffic

and the posted national speed

limit. Yes, wind protection was an

issue and is easily solved with an

aftermarket screen from Triumph’s

comprehensive accessories bar,

but these bikes are not designed

for prolonged high speed runs

down the freeway. They are more

suited for a comfortable ride

around the country side enjoying

a couple of twisty roads and

reveling in the freedom of riding a

bike on a beautiful day in stunning

countryside. And, that is exactly

what we did … although she is

“As with the entire twin

cylinder range from

Triumph the motor is very

torquey with a smooth and

predictable power curve

and quite a sexy and husky

burble from the twin up

swept exhaust pipes.”

no Tupperware torpedo corner

carver, the Street Scrambler

was very willing and completely

predictable in the corners, soaked

up all the pot holes and other

inconsistencies in the black top

and picked up her skirts and got a

move on when asked to. I did pick

up a negligible amount of torque

steer from the single rotor up

front, and that is literally the only

little bit of negativity I could find

with the bike.

Next, I hopped onto the 1200

Bonneville Bobber, a bike that I must

admit I wasn’t really looking forward

to riding for a number of reasons.

Firstly, because of my size I generally

look like a gorilla riding a tricycle on

most bikes and the Bobber is, at first

perception, an exceptionally small

bike. Secondly, some pretty well

informed peoples opinions have

been quite disparaging about the

suspension and ride quality. All I can

say is that opinions are like noses,

everyone has one, and they can smell

bad. My opinion with any bike – ride it

yourself and make up your own mind.

The 1200 Bobber is, in reality,

a comfortably low slung, well

handling and powerfully muscular

hot rod with all the street cred

and attitude of Mickey Rourke in

that movie …. what was it??? …

something … something and The

Marlboro Man. You don’t swing

a leg over it, you kinda step over

it and then drop into it, (ideal for

the vertically challenged), and

immediately feel like you can

take on the world in your leather

jeans, slicked back hair and ray

ban aviators with your box of

fags rolled into the sleeve of your

t-shirt and your flask of Old No.7

Brand hanging from your hip.

Riding the Bobber, the hard tail

suspension is firm and you do get

a lot of feedback from the road

through your butt cheeks but

that just adds to your hardcore

macho attitude and creates a lot

of high speed corner stability.

76 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 77

With its cornering ability and its

assertive and solid power delivery

the Bobber does lend itself to the

occasional bit of hooliganism and

fun in the twisty bits. The riding

position, your close proximity to

the tarmac and the beefy grumble

from the twin exhaust pipes

only encourages more mischief

and from being apprehensive

about riding the Bobber, I became

reluctant to give up my spot behind

its handlebars. This bike truly

harks back to proper old school

riding when men still opened doors

for ladies or gave up their seats to

the elderly and sorted out issues

with each other the old fashioned

way and not by clicking ‘unfriend’

on social media or by complaining

to the group admins.

Finally, it was my favourite for

the ride home, Triumphs 1200

Scrambler. My biggest issue

with most of the automotive and

motorcycle world is my 7 foot plus

size versus the size of the vehicle

they produce. I generally always

look like a pig trying it on with a

rugby ball. Most bikes, especially

off road and adventure bikes, force

me to hunch over or do a crouch

come mid - air hover above the seat

when I need to stand up in the very

technical sections of off road riding

because the rear sets are either

too high or the handle bars are too

low or both, which just makes them

miserable for me to ride. And, if they

are comfortable for to stand up and

ride then they are generally big fat

lumps of heavy cumbersomeness

that are unpleasant to ride in the

technical sections anyway. Then

comes along Triumph with their

1200cc nimble dirt bike designed for

blokes just like me and suddenly I

can stand properly and chuck the

bike around in the technical bits

with ease and not walk around

crippled with muscle pain for the

next week or so.

It also makes me look like a

lot better rider than I really am,

which is another big plus point in

my book.

However, on this ride we just

stuck to the black top and did a bit

of mileage and the 1200 Scrambler

was just as flippin’ enjoyable to

ride as I remember it being in the

dirt. Wind protection isn’t great as

expected from any naked bike and

the seat is quite firm and flat, so

not great with pillions over long

distances, but once again, not what

the Scrambler was designed for.

This bike is straight up designed

for fun, scaring the superbikes

up and down mountain passes,

then turning off into the bush and

hanging on the throttle, grabbing

some air time over whatever gets

in the way, drifting around long dirt

corners and then chasing dirt bikes

up mountain goat paths or tearing

across the dunes of Namibia. It is

a tall bike, (FINALLY!!), so those a

little closer to terra firma will find

You just can’t not

enjoy riding the

Scrambler 1200.

“All-in-all, three really great

bikes if used in the application

they were designed for and

absolute head turners.”

it a bit challenging but I am sure

a clever technician will be able to

lower it a bit for you.

All-in-all, three really great bikes

if used in the application they

were designed for and absolute

head turners. The three of them

riding together always attracted

a huge amount of attention from

other road users and gathered an

audience wherever we stopped.

I do understand why Triumph

owners, riders and staff are

always so passionate about their

bikes. Get down to Triumph SA on

the corner of South and Dartfield

roads in Sandton, they have a

comprehensive demo fleet and

would love you to go for a ride with

them. They are up and running

with all the correct precautions

and etc. in place for the Covid 19

pandemic.

Glenn says

What a lekker day it was… and

its strange how you notice stuff

when restrictions are in place.

We ended up in the North West

province without actually realizing

it (Sorry Mr Ramaphosa), and had

no choice but to continue lest we

ran out of fuel. We even tried to get

our hands on a cheeseburger – but

that failed, so we reverted back to

the traditional old Simba chips and

a loaf of bread… but no complaints

here. The Hekpoort police even

caught us having a picnic on the

side of the road – but, it seems

that they had bigger fish to fry, so

we just smiled through our masks

and waved…

Funny times for sure! Some

thoughts on the bikes.

The Scrambler

If you follow Dirt And Trail

Magazine, you’ll know that the

1200 Scrambler literally blew

our minds. It’s one of the bikes

that delivered exactly what the

pamphlet promised huge fun with

incredible off-road credentials. It

is undoubtedly one of the coolest

bikes released in the last 3 years. A

veritable hooligan machine on the

road and just so adept at taking on

the dirt. Very different. Very unique.

110 percent fun! I only got to spend

a very short time in the saddle on

this trip because the other two

would not release it from their

sweaty mitts…. And that’s quite

understandable. It’s a bike that we

have all fallen in lust with.

The Bobber

The last time that I rode the Bobber

and the Street Scrambler was at

the launch a year or so ago – and

the “expert” that Sean refers too

when he talks about the Bobber –

is – well – me…

This time, I got to ride the Bobber

from Triumph, all the way out to

Krugersdorp – and the roads all

the way on our route are in perfect

condition. If I remember correctly,

at the launch, it was a fairly short

ride with lots of unavoidable

potholes… and that little seat sent

many a sharp smack up my spine

just to make sure that I was awake.

What Sean says about the Bobber

is quite true – 100 percent attitude

and a real head turner. And its

surprisingly comfortable over a

bit of distance. The fuel injected

1200cc parallel twin delivers very

78 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 79

Sadly there were no

burgers available...

powerful – real world performance

without any horrible vibrations,

rattles or clangs. If this is the kind

of bike that you enjoy, you need to

ride this one. It is a great option.

The Street:

If there was one bike of the three

that anyone can ride all day long, it

has to be the 900 Street Scrambler.

Once again, this was the first

time that I actually got to ride it

over any kind of distance – and

I was so taken at what a wellrounded

bike it is. The 1200’s are

notably more powerful, but there

is nothing wrong with Triumphs

900cc parallel twin. The bike

boasts a well padded comfortable

seat, very neutral seating for all

day comfort and one of the very

coolest exhaust notes on the

planet. The old school styling gets

heads turning everywhere and the

fact that it is so easy to ride makes

it a perfect bike for – well just

about everyone.

Kyle says

Scrambler 1200

Having read about this machine a

few issues ago in Dirt And Trail, the

first thing that went through my

mind was - I hope this is a kick ass

road legal dirt bike...

It’s actually quite weird. The

smoothest dirt bike I have ever

ridden - and the fastest. It looks

the part - old school double rear

shocks and a slick noise maker on

the side. Having said that it is a

beautiful sound that come out of

those twin pipes.

Sticking with the old school look,

the high bars on the front gives

you the attitude to match this bike.

Around every corner you want to

put your foot out and pretend you

are on a MX track. Please can we

use this at the next VMX?

Up front, the beefy shocks that

didn’t bottom out once when you

hop a speed bump, launch off a

pavement or even when you try hit

a grass gap. Granted it’s not an MX

The Scrambler 1200

will go wherever

you want to...

“This is the

bike that

reminded me

most about

why I love

riding. Time

in the saddle

not a worry

in the world

with a cool

autumn breeze

through

your jacket.”

No knee down stuff

just smooth cruisin...

bike but everything about this bike

just says ride hard, have fun and

jump things.

The one thing that was pointed

out on this bike is that Triumph

haven’t spared a dime. It is

fittedwith Brembo brakes front

and rear, Ohlins rear suspension

and Showa out front. This bike

means business.

It has attitude and Triumph

nostalgia but at the same time it is

an absolute hooligan. The power

is smooth and direct. A blip of

the throttle and the front is up. It

brings all the fun of riding your MX

bike on the road to reality. I would

like one of these in my garage.

Completely selfish but I want one.

Scrambler 900

I have ridden this bike before. And

I would ride it over and over again

This is an every day bike. Comfy,

smooth and so easy to ride.

This is the bike that reminded me

most about why I love riding. Time

in the saddle not a worry in the

world with a cool autumn breeze

through your jacket. Time runs

away from you as you clock up the

Kay’s. Out of the 3 this is by far the

most practical and easiest to ride.

The 900 motor purrs away and

as funny as this may sound - this

bike was happier cruising half

throttle around 130 up hills, down

hills, bends you name it. It is such a

well planted bike. I would buy one

in a heartbeat.

Bobber

Pull out your scarf, don’t shave

your beard and go to the nearest

coffee shop. It has the looks and

man does it get the looks. This is

the only bike I did not ride at the

Triumph launch when it came out.

But after spending a few hours in

the saddle, you do get that dapper

attitude developing. That says a lot

for a guy who still has no facial hair

– but that’s what this bike does to

you. It mnakes you feel part of the

cool club.

The first thought that crossed

my mind was the seating position

unusual, but not uncomfortable at

all. The power delivery is typical

Triumph smooth. The important

thing to remember is - don’t expect

to get there first but you will arrive

in style.

Honestly – I’m too young for a

bike like this, his is not my kind of

bike but having said that I did feel

like the coolest guy on the road

while riding it…

All of these bikes are available at

the Triumph SA dealership located

at Cnr South & Dartfield road,

Eastgate Ext 13, Johannesburg.

They also available to demo so

call now to book or for more info -

011 444 4444.

80 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 81

FULLY

CHARGED!

ENERGICA EGO AND EVA ELECTRIC SPORTS BIKES

Energica is an Italian motorcycle maker hailing from the same town as

Ferrari. They were well known within electric motorcycle circles since

their first prototype, designed using 3D printing and F1 technology, rolled

out of the factory in 2010. They made global headlines in 2018 when it

was announced that they would be the sole motorcycle provider for the

newly-dubbed MotoE electric racing class following the MotoGP circus.

Now, two of their esteemed models have graced South African shores

at the hand of the new importer, Electronia. Donovan Fourie and Robert

Portman snapped them up for a day on the Cradle Road.

Herewith from Donovan:

Pics by Beam Productions

82 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 83

Electric motorcycles have

received a lot of flack, especially in

South Africa, and there is validity to

some of these qualms. Our roads

are broader and longer than the

sinuous threads lacing Europe, we

are yet to develop a network of

fast chargers at garages and our

electricity supply can charitably be

described “mostly working”.

We then move to the qualms

that carry no weight and are

usually proposed by people

whose experiences with electric

motorcycles tally at zero.

Having no experience or limited

knowledge about a subject, of

course, doesn’t hamper them

sharing an opinion: you charge

them for 30 hours to get about

10 kays of mileage! They’re slow!

They sound like kitchen appliances!

With that, we offloaded the

two Energicas at the silent Bidon

Bistro in the Cradle of Humankind

for a day of riding, shooting and

hopefully no big fires.

Standing before the rustic

setting of Bidon, the Italian design

shone with contrasting futuristic

delight. To the casual eye, they

appear to be ordinary Italian

sportbikes with hard, aggressive

lines and a countenance of malice.

Look closer, and there are clues

– no exhaust pipe, a smaller oil

cooler instead of a behemoth

radiator and a neat battery where

the monstrous goitre of a motor

usually sits.

There were two models on the

day – the Ego and the Eva, the

former is the superbike while the

latter is described as a streetfighter.

It usually is entirely naked, but the

model we had on test was adorned

with the optional screen.

Internally, they are the same.

They are each available with

a 21kWh batteries, a unit of

measurement comparable

with litres – a 21kWh battery is

something like a 21L fuel tank; it’s

not an exact transfer in terms of

the outcome of each, but rather a

measure of the amount of energy

each can produce. They both use

oil-cooled permanent magnet AC

motors both producing 145hp, an

amount that is far from charttopping

however is propped up by

a behemoth 215Nm of torque.

The only petrol motorcycle that

can hold a candle to that figure

is the new Triumph Rocket 3. The

2500cc motor presses 221Nm

on to the Earth, causing tectonic

plates to shift and earthquakes

all around the Pacific Rim. While

the max torque output of Rocket

eclipses that of the Energicas,

the petrol motor has to build up

some courage before said output

is reached. The electric motor can

dump the full 215Nm from 1rpm –

not 1000rpm, we mean one.

This has a profound effect – the

Pacific Plate has turned a full 360º,

and Los Angeles has since fallen

into the ocean.

Rob and Don talking

to The Bike Show

cameras

The Ego superbike

and the Eva

streetfighter

It all starts with some buttons –

turn the ignition on, and a welcome

screen appears on the full-colour

TFT dash. With the side stand

up, the rider needs to pull the

front brake lever and hold down

a start button on the handlebar

very similar to those that usually

swings a starter motor. After two

seconds, a little green light saying

“GO” will appear on the dash and

that is the sole indicator that the

engine is indeed “running”; there is

no rumble from an idling motor, no

fuel pump whine, no vibrations –

only one silent light.

At this point, life becomes

dangerous for the unwary that are

tempted to ask questions like “is

this thing on” followed by a casual

twist in the throttle. The ensuing

mayhem can be very expensive

indeed, and if the culprit is lucky,

he will die in the crash before the

bike’s owner gets hold of him.

The more familiar rider will

gently open the throttle and feel

the bike silently move forward

under its own steam in a mature

and calculated manner. If your

name is Rob or Donovan, and your

level of maturity is somewhere

around the pre-school mark,

84 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 85

you will point the bike at an empty piece of tar, grin

manically and whack open the throttle.

The Energicas do have a transmission of sorts;

however, it is nothing like the six-speed plethora

of cogs found on traditional motors. Instead, it is a

simple mechanism that transfers power from the

free-spinning electric motor to the front sprocket and

on to the rear wheel via a traditional motorcycle chain.

Thusly, it has no gear lever, no clutch and pulling off is

a procedure similar to that of an automatic scooter –

simply open the throttle.

As discussed, this immediately dumps the full might

of 215Nm of torque onto the back wheel that shoots

the motorcycle forward in an alarming fashion that

will endanger various internal organs and parts of

your skeletal structure. Within an instant, where you

were is somewhere far behind you, where you are

now is somewhere in the far distance and the next

distance is a mere moment away.

Crossing the line at the end of drag

race with Don on the Ego and Rob

on the new BMW S1000RR.

It’s not silent either – the

meagre transmission and final

drive emit a ringing whine

not unlike that of a jet-fighter

warming up; a fitting soundtrack

for a futuristic machine like this.

The combination of mountains

of torque and that jet sound is

intoxicating as you eagerly await

each opportunity to go full throttle.

Words may be cheap, so as a

more tangible illustration of the

acceleration from a standstill, we

borrowed a new BMW S1000RR

from the good people at BMW

Motorrad West Rand and held our

own private drag race. To not give

the electric bike an advantage, my

generous, pie-loving proportions

were placed aboard the Ego while

gym-buddy Rob piloted the Beemer.

The race was a mere 300m long,

over in an instant and ultimately

decided the moment the flag

dropped. I simply had to open

the throttle and hope my innards

didn’t mash, while Rob had to

meddle with balancing clutches,

and throttles, and wheelies before

beginning his hard acceleration.

Towards the end, the S1000RR did

start closing up and were the race

any longer, we are sure it would

have won. We are also convinced

that if Rob had managed a better

start, he might have been able to

nip it on the line, but he didn’t so

the deserved victory goes to the

Energica.

Beyond wrecking Earth’s

geology, these machines also can

turn and stop via a chassis that is

conveniently provided with every

motorcycle. The mainframe is

a steel-trellis design offering a

delightful combination of agility

and stability. The standard bike

is delivered with Marzocchi

suspension, but ours had the

optional Ohlins units for even

better handling during hard riding.

Braking is standard-issue

Brembo.

While everything looks set for

some serious corner slashing,

the entire system is mildly

inconvenienced by a weight of

86 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 8 7

280kg, some 70kg heavier than the

more rotund litre superbike. You

may look aghast at this revealing

detail, but the people at Energica

can be commended for these

bikes not weighing even more –

batteries of any practical use are

heavy, and engineers do their best.

This hefty load is primarily felt

at a standstill, when attempting to

manoeuvre out of or into parking

spots. Thankfully, Energica has

been good enough to fit a parking

assist feature, with a low-speed

forward mode and a reverse.

When on the move, this weight

is mostly felt when cornering hard

and putting pressure on the front.

Weirdly, probably due to the lower

centre of gravity, they tip into

turns fairly effortlessly, and the

extra load is really felt only during

heavy leaning.

Ergonomically, the Ego is a typical

superbike with a typically crouched

superbike stance worthy of hard

and fast riding, and less so of

people with bad backs. The Eva has

more upright clip-on bars and lower

pegs providing the sort of comfort

that could go on all day, while the

optional screen provides decent

wind resistance for a faster day.

Naturally, there’s a fair dollop

of electrickery with the usual

six-level traction control plus an

option to switch it off, an equally

switchable ABS, four rider modes

each offering different power

delivery and range, and four

braking recharge options that will

send power back to the battery for

better mileage, and manifest as a

feeling akin to engine braking.

The mileage of the 21.5kWh

battery varies similarly to petrol

tanks – the harder you ride it, the

less distance you will get. Rob and I

were riding like first-class idiots in

a desperate attempt to look good

for the cameras, thus our mileage

was appalling. Still, Rob managed

around 180km on the Ego, and I

managed to dig a little further to

200km on the Eva. Unlike other

electric bikes, that grind to a deadly

and final halt when the battery

reaches zero, Energica supplies

their motorcycles with a “reserve

tank” – they will come to a halt

upon battery depletion, but if you

turn the ignition off and on again, it

will manage another 10km in limp

mode. When that is done, you can

still restart the ignition, and it will

charitably give you another 10km

of limping forwardness.

If you manage to find a fastcharging

station, the battery will

recharge in a mere 20 minutes.

Otherwise, you can plug the

standard charger into your wall

at home, and a full recharge will

take anywhere from two and

a half to four hours depending

on the quality of your electrical

connection. People can also source

a fast-charging system for their

home – starting from around

R10,000 – that will also recharge in

a fraction of that time.

These will be especially

convenient at a track day, where

each session lasts 20 minutes

followed by a 40-minute break

before the next one. With said

recharger, a rider can arrive with a

full “tank” and be able to ride every

session throughout the day.

People riding more maturely

will achieve better mileage than

Rob and my tomfoolery, and

Energica claims that a bike ridden

economically through town will get

as much as 400km on a charge.

It’s unlikely that anyone in South

Africa, and our open roads, will

achieve such a milestone, but they

will easily manage the average daily

commute and the Sunday breakfast

run without stranding their

occupant on the side of the road.

The price of these two

technological wonders is an affair

that requires some explaining

– Electronia is keeping these

two demo units as examples for

customers to peruse and ride

while deliberating upon their

purchase. When the green light

is given, they will be directed to

the Energica website to custom

order their machine. This is

where the price gets tricky – the

88 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 8 9

standard Ego costs in the region

of €21,000, but customers will

be navigated through a series

of options including the €2,100

Ohlins suspension, carbon

parts, bar ends, seat trimmings,

colour options, various optional

components and even extras such

as the snazzy Energica bike covers.

Once everything is configured

and confirmed, the factory

will begin production of your

motorcycle. The shipping will cost

an additional R50,000, and you

will be charged the obligatory 15%

VAT upon landing in South Africa.

The final tally on a standard Ego is

around R615,000, and the standard

Eva is in the R570,000 range, all

depending on the exchange rate at

the time of ordering.

Those are some big numbers,

and growing bigger when the

options list gets ticks, but they

are primarily a victim of the newly

devalued Rand. Also, there’s some

expensive technology within all

that electro-wizardry. Those

batteries are the best performing

example found on any production

motorcycle, the motor is rated at

1.5 million kilometres and then

there’s the system controlling it all.

Much like DNA controls living

organisms, software is managed

by lines of complex computer

coding. The more lines of code

there is, the more complex the

programming. To put that into

perspective, the Space Shuttle

had 400,000 lines of code to

transport people into space and

(mostly) bring them back safely. By

contrast, the Energicas each have

1.1 million lines of code!

There’s more good news

because the initial price of these

machines will be absorbed by the

frugal running costs – the motor

expenses are zero, except for

occasionally changing the blob of

oil needed for the transmission.

The batteries will last years and

then there are ordinary running

expenses like brakes, tyres, chains

and sprockets.

Of course, the petrol price will

not affect you.

Energicas are high-end exotics

designed for the more discerning

customer. That’s a nice way of

saying quirky, rich folk. We are

insanely jealous of all of them.

What they are not is slow,

boring, soundless, kitchen

appliances, and we have the organ

failures to prove it.

https://e2u.co.za/

CUSTOMIZE YOUR RIDE

If one goes to the Energicamotor.com website there is all the info you will need on the new range of Energica machines -

including the two we have on test here as well as the retro Eva EsseEsse9 model.

Customers can go in and configure their own machines to the spec they want.

Choose from the cheaper Marzocchi suspension, or go all out with top grade Ohlins - and it is top grade!

Change bar end weight colour, add travel luggage etc. There is even a Sport Kit option on the EGO sportbike, which gives

you the MotoE replica racing colours along with EGO-Tech Seat Red Stitching - love it!

It can all be done on the website. When you are done and happy with your choice simply follow the instructions to

complete your order, pay your money, and your bike will go into production - handmade - and will be sent once completed.

90 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 9 1

F L A S H B A C K

KTM GP1

V4 ENGINE

My story begins when KTM decided to enter the world of

road racing. The plan was initially to gain GP experience

with 125s from 2003 onwards. MotoGP would then be

on the agenda from 2005. But everything turned out

differently. My career was brief and turbulent.

By Adam Wheeler (blog.ktm.com)

Hello everyone! I’m V4 racing engine No.

5/05, one of the engines that KTM built a

few years ago to take the racing world by

storm. My project number is simply 990, the

same as the maximum engine displacement

for the GP1 four-stroke class, which is now

known as MotoGP. Every part number on my

bill of materials started with 990.

By the way, you’re probably wondering

why I can speak. That’s simply because KTM

builds motorcycles with a soul and a strong

voice, and the riding pleasure that we

provide is very lively. No matter how many

cylinders. You always feel that something’s

alive there. During tête-à-têtes in the

garage or out on tour. That’s precisely what

makes us so entertaining.

Although I’m no longer in use, I am still

ever-present as a part of racing history. My

home is in Mattighofen, Austria, where I’m

displayed on the third floor of the reception

building. I sit enthroned on a stand right

beside the meeting rooms. Many stop on

their way in and out to take a look at my

technology. And I’m pleased to say they

usually look impressed!

Otherwise, I’m positioned at a window,

where I have a great view of our factory. To

the right lies the orange main building, the

rear of which adjoins the production area.

On the other side lies the development

centre. There’s always lots going on there.

And because I’m equipped with sensors,

very little escapes my notice. I can therefore

assure you that KTM is a company full

of competitive spirit, which continues to

bloom, thrive and grow.

KTM currently employs 1,900 people,

with about 350 of them in development.

When my project was launched in the

late summer of 2002, less than half this

number were working in development.

We therefore needed to recruit new

people. Head of Development Wolfgang

Felber, who was also put in charge of GP1

project management, first took Kurt Trieb

92 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 93

“I WAS DESIGNED FOR

230 HP AT 15,500 RPM,

TOGETHER WITH EXCELLENT

RIDEABILITY AND A USABLE

REV RANGE OF AROUND

8,000 TO 16,500 RPM.”

(previously in F1 motorsport at Porsche and BMW) on

board as a designer, and then other dedicated engineers

and specialists who either had racing experience or were

recent technology graduates.

The core team that designed me consisted of seven

people. Various concepts were considered to begin

with – three-, four- and five-cylinders, in-line or in a

V-configuration. In the end, I was developed as a V4 with a

75-degree cylinder angle. Compact, strong, relatively light,

not too thirsty. Equipped with pneumatic valve control,

titanium piston rods, a dry clutch, high-end cylinder

coating, a cassette transmission with special clutch

sleeves, camshaft control with cascading gears, and a drysump

lubrication system with several pumps. Moreover,

I was the first ever plain-bearing KTM engine, the first

engine with cam followers and the first with radially

arranged valves.

From a design perspective, I was a state-of-the-art,

high-performance jewel. Also noteworthy: my clean looks

with no cooling or oil hoses, since the necessary ducts

were integrated from the very start. I was designed for

230 hp at 15,500 rpm, together with excellent rideability

and a usable rev range of around 8,000 to 16,500 rpm. My

components were designed to withstand over-revving

of 18,000 rpm. A minor problem with the pneumatic

components was discovered during my first test bed run,

but after this had been fixed, I had no problem growling

dutifully up and down the rev range. The load profile

corresponded to the Barcelona track.

In July 2003, the KTM Board then decided to discontinue

the GP1 project as it was. Work on the chassis, which was

still in the design phase at the time, was also halted. The

financial resources required for the project were needed

more urgently in other areas at the time.

As an alternative, the powers that be eventually decided

to pursue the idea of joining forces with an existing GP1

team. Talks with the WCM team came to nothing. But then

a collaboration was agreed with Kenny Roberts Senior’s

Proton team, which was seeking a replacement for its own

V5 engine.

At the end of summer 2004, a Roberts’ delegation from

Banbury in England arrived in Mattighofen. Together with

KTM engineers, they integrated me into the chassis of

the existing Proton KR. Once done, a large crowd of staff

gathered in the yard behind the Development department

to celebrate the KTM engine being fired up for the very first

time in the new chassis. It was a memorable moment that

was also witnessed by Roberts rider Nobuatsu Aoki, who had

travelled to Austria for the occasion with his wife and child.

Aoki then also performed the first roll-out of the

completed machine in Brno. The first real test, which

was all very encouraging and dispelled any doubts about

my reliability, was later completed in Jerez by Jeremy

McWilliams.

94 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 9 5

“BUT THE COLLABORATION PROVED ILL-

FATED, BRINGING ONLY MODERATE SUCCESS.

I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED SOPHISTICATED

ELECTRONICS FROM TAG MCLAREN OR

MAGNETI MARELLI, BUT I HAD TO MAKE DO

WITH A CHEAPER EFI SYSTEM FROM ENGLAND.

THIS IMPAIRED MY RIDEABILITY, WHICH

ULTIMATELY AFFECTED OUR PERFORMANCE.”

In 2005, the time had come: The

KR team finally started a MotoGP

with me on board. Kenny Roberts

and KTM had agreed to join forces.

Briton Shane Byrne was engaged as

a rider. KTM provided the engines,

bore the cost of the rider’s salary

and paid for the Michelin tyres.

With the help of external sponsors,

the Roberts team was responsible

for ensuring sufficient funding to

cover the running costs.

But the collaboration proved

ill-fated, bringing only moderate

success. I would have preferred

sophisticated electronics from TAG

McLaren or Magneti Marelli, but I

had to make do with a cheaper EFI

system from England. This impaired

my rideability, which ultimately

affected our performance. My

best result with Shane Byrne

on board was 15th place at the

Laguna Seca GP, which earned one

Word Championship point. At a

rainy Donington, a podium place

was within reach for much of the

race, but our hopes eventually

ended in the gravel trap. My last

MotoGP appearance then came to

an end with an early crash at the

Sachsenring circuit.

When there was no end in sight

to the discussions about team

financing, my bosses eventually

drew a radical line under the

matter. At the Brno GP, the KTM

engines were collected and taken to

Austria, which represented the end

of the GP1 and MotoGP story for me

as a power unit.

How many V4 engines were built

in total? Initially five, then ten more

for 2005. I’ve no idea where they

all ended up. But I do know of one

V4 engine that CEO Stefan Pierer

“WHEN THERE WAS NO

END IN SIGHT TO THE

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TEAM

FINANCING, MY BOSSES

EVENTUALLY DREW A

RADICAL LINE UNDER THE

MATTER. AT THE BRNO

GP, THE KTM ENGINES

WERE COLLECTED AND

TAKEN TO AUSTRIA, WHICH

REPRESENTED THE END OF

THE GP1 AND MOTOGP STORY

FOR ME AS A POWER UNIT.”

96 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 97

gave to KTM veteran Wolfgang

Felber as a reward for his many

years of service as overall Head

of Development, as “father” of the

RC8, and as project manager of the

GP1 and then the Moto3 engine.

Felber, who is now in charge of

offroad component development

at WP Suspension, will attempt

to restore and reconstruct the

KR-KTM around the engine.

Apparently, a few chassis

components have been found, but

much is still missing. However,

Kenny Roberts has already agreed

to help in the search for required

parts. The machine will then

eventually enrich the planned KTM

museum.

Looking back, I didn’t quite live

up to expectations as a V4 racing

engine. But I wouldn’t change

anything about those wild years.

The enthusiasm shown by all

the engineers involved was

nothing short of sensational. I

“LOOKING BACK, I DIDN’T QUITE

LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS AS

A V4 RACING ENGINE. BUT I

WOULDN’T CHANGE ANYTHING

ABOUT THOSE WILD YEARS.”

also have no regrets, because

all my experiences were really

important and eventually

benefited subsequent KTM

designs in one form or another.

Whether with regard to pistons

and cylinder coatings, radial

valve arrangements, use of cam

followers or special crankcase

ventilation systems. And not only

in series production – such as

for the 450cc twin-camshaft MX

engine – but also with the Moto3

racing engine. Every time KTM has

celebrated Moto3 victories or even

world championship titles in the

past two-and-a-half years, I’ve

shared the team’s delight. After all,

this success is also due to knowhow

from me.

If you ever visit KTM in

Mattighofen, be sure to drop in and

see me. If you haven’t got time, just

look up and give me a quick wave!

98 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

THE RC51

HONDA’S TWIN

TO WIN

Two decades ago Honda, so often kings of

the multi-cylinder four-stroke racing world

since the stunning arrival of several jewellike

Grand Prix machines in the 1960s, had

realised that something truly new was

required to stay in the important game of

winning WorldSBK championships.

100 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 101

Something new for

Honda, at least.

In 2000 the biggest Japanese

manufacturer of them all adopted a

1000cc V-twin engine configuration,

the same basic format that their main

WorldSBK rivals – Ducati – had been

using to such great effect long before

the WorldSBK party had officially

started in 1988.

In reality, the Honda VTR1000SP1

was a very different design to the

Desmodromic, 90° belt-driven ‘laid

down L’ of the Ducati.

The reason for the birth of the

Japanese twin-spar aluminium

framed 90° V-twin was simple.

Having won the Superbike Riders’

Championship with Fred Merkel and

the RC30 (twice), then John Kocinski

and the RC45 as recently as 1997, the

writing was on the wall for the whole

era of 750cc four-cylinders being

competitive against bigger-bore

twins. Even the title-winning Honda

V-fours.

Aprilia, another Italian marque

which competed against Honda in

the smaller GP classes, had already

jumped on the big V-twin bandwagon

as they entered WorldSBK full

of ambition in 1999. Even little

Bimota had hybridized their smallproduction

run Italian philosophy

with a V-twin Suzuki engine for the

2000 WorldSBK season.

Despite all this V-twin momentum

building up elsewhere it must have

taken a degree of deep thought

– even a corporate deep breath –

before the go-ahead was given to

abandon the much-loved V-four

configuration Honda had made

their own trademark for many

years. Especially given that any

racing version of the new road

going V-twin would be an instant

technical challenge against the prime

exponents of the V-due art, Ducati.

Honda, however, has never been a

company lacking ambition.

The new bike, the VTR1000SP1

(suffixed ‘W’ for the works bikes in

WorldSBK), had a relatively upright

single crank V-twin engine layout,

four valve heads fed by two fuel

injectors per cylinder. Engine capacity

maxed out at 999cc, by regulation.

Philosophically radical it may

have been but it was relatively

conventional, aside from the

roadbikes’ side mounted coolant

radiators, brought to the front on the

racebike. And it worked well from the

very start.

New Zealander Aaron Slight,

and the eventual double World

Champion Colin Edwards, were the

first to transition from fours to twins

in Honda’s full HRC Castrol Honda

team, based in the UK but very much

a direct factory effort from Japan.

With Showa suspension and Nissin

brakes on the racebike, it was all very

Japanese indeed.

Edwards, a Texan from head to

toe, knew at that point in time Honda

– or maybe anybody – probably

needed a twin to win, based on at

least one central truth in any form of

motorsport.

“The old saying goes that there is

no replacement for displacement,

and that still stands true,” said

102 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 103

Edwards, 20 years after he won the

first of his two WorldSBK crowns.

And it was not just a cubed route to

success for the larger twin, it was

also its very nature compared to a

high-revving 750 four. “The thing

with the twin was that it was like

riding a Supersport bike,” remembers

Edwards. “It had such easy,

deliverable power. There was no ‘hit’

– you could do it in your sleep. It was

such an easy bike to ride compared to

the four-cylinders.”

Edwards had been a convert to

1000cc twins before he even got

one of his own, even in his pre-RC45

V-four days it seems. “Before I joined

Honda I was with Yamaha and I said

to them, ‘let’s build a twin!’” stated

Colin. “Then when I joined Honda they

decided they were going to do it, so

obviously we were excited about it,

knowing what Honda do with motors.

They had ability to extract a lot of

power out of it and we were excited

about it.”

Edwards first got confirmation

that the VTR1000SP1 was on the

way as early as 1998, and first rode it

in early 1999.

“We heard in 1998 that they were

building it,” he said, “We went testing

on it in Australia, at Phillip Island and

Eastern Creek in – I think – February

1999. It was a full year before they

even brought the bike out. I rode two

days on the twin at PhiIlip Island.

The bike was way slow; it was in a

somewhat production mode at that

time and it did not have any kit on it

to speak of. But our lap times were

about three-quarters of a second

behind the RC45, I want to say, and

we were going about 20-25kmph

slower down the straight. We knew it

was slow just because they had not

had any time to develop it. We knew

we could get more power out of it,

but at that time we had just started

playing with fuelling and mapping.”

As well as being fast around the

corners, and eventually fast enough

down the straight after the first

year of non-competitive engine

development, Edwards also found

the bike relatively easy on tyres

compared to the higher-revving fours

he had known before.

“The twins were definitely easier

on tyres, but at that time we were

going through – I am not going to

say a transition – but there was

so much development going on

“Before I joined Honda

I was with Yamaha

and I said to them,

‘let’s build a twin!”

104 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 105

with Michelin at that time,” confirmed

Edwards, who was the fastest test

rider imaginable for Michelin in those

heady days before single make tyre

regulations became almost ubiquitous

in most championships. Tailored

options were the norm. “Everybody

was on different casings and different

rubber… everybody had pretty much

carte blanche. It was sort of, ‘try this one

and if it doesn’t work try that one.’ Then

they would come over and say, ‘Fogarty

likes this one, why don’t you try this

one?’ You did not have two or three to

choose from, like nowadays. It was quite

different back in the day.”

Another pleasant characteristic of the

new V-twin was that it was less finicky

in its basic on-track preparation. “It was

definitely easier to set-up,” said Colin.

But despite all the new things to

understand, and while trying to race to

win the title during a season in which

nine different riders on seven different

makes of machine won races, Honda’s

brand new V-twin and Edwards had

still secured the Riders’ Championship.

They took eight race wins along the

way, including the first and last of the

season. A shift to 1000cc had led to 400

championship-winning points.

It was top teamwork, after a difficult

but finally rewarding debut season

for the VTR SP1. To the query of was it

more man or machine in 2000, Edwards

stated, “I think it was both things.” He

was certainly ready to win outright as

much as the new bike was. “I finished

second the year before and I had been

improving year-by-year. My level of

riding was getting to the top level and

ready to fight for the championship.

At the same time, the bike we brought

out was easier to ride but by no means

perfect. The SP2 I would say was perfect.

That was a great bike. The SP1… we did

have to play around with it. It was not

like every race was awesome.”

As well as so many challenges for

individual wins, Edwards was also

competing in the era of tyre wars, which

his Michelins usually won, but by not

every time. Some races were downright

stressful for this reason, and more.

“...it was that first winning season in

2000 that blew everybody’s mind,

even if it took every joule of energy and

spark of inspiration the manufacturer,

technical partners, team and rider had

to make the outcome certain.

“It was stressful!” agreed Colin.

“We had that tyre thing going on, and

then you would show up at Sugo or

Donington, or anywhere where Dunlop

were on point and there was nothing

you could do. We did have bad weekends

and you just had to come out of a bad

weekend the best you could.”

With limits of the amount of testing

he could do on WorldSBK circuits,

Edwards made the most of his other

riding opportunities, especially in

France. “I think that was around the

time that you had two allocated test

tracks, and we did more tests at

Clermont-Ferrand for Michelin than

anywhere,” remembers Colin. “We could

not have done without that.”

After the then all-time WorldSBK

great Carl Fogarty (Ducati) had been

eliminated from 2000 season and then

his career through a nasty shoulder

injury, Edwards’ was given no respite in

his title charge after Noriyuki Haga and

his homologation special Yamaha found

their stride.

“The first race, in South Africa, I won.

Haga was right there with me; and

Fogarty. In the second race Haga just

cleared off – by seconds. He was gone

106 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 107

and I was riding my ass off. It

was just weird; why had he

not done that in the first race?

A setting change, whatever, I

dunno? But it was a little bit

abnormal I thought at the time.

“At Brands Hatch all I had

to do was to have, I think, two

tenth places, even if they had

not taken those points away,

so it was in the back of my

mind. It was Brands Hatch and

I usually won there, so I was

not really stressed.”

In the final chapter of a

multi-venue rolling fairytale,

Honda’s first WorldSBK V-twin

and Edwards won the title,

and would do so again on the

subsequent SP2 in 2002. But it

was that first winning season

in 2000 that blew everybody’s

mind, even if it took every

joule of energy and spark of

inspiration the manufacturer,

technical partners, team and

rider had to make the outcome

certain.

“Adrian Gorst was my crew

chief, which he had been since

1998 and Neil Tuxworth was

leading the team – we had a

really good crew,” affirmed

Edwards.

“Honda put in a lot that year, I

would say a full factory effort.

We had some Japanese staff

come around race-by-race.

As far as the amount of effort

that was put in I would say

maximum. There was nothing

that we were missing. That

was also the first year that me

and Valentino Rossi did the

Suzuka 8-Hour. So all of this

went into developing the bike

– it was a big, big effort on the

twin that year.”

Edwards continues “We won

WorldSBK, we beat Ducati and

the bike was awesome, but the

2002 bike was even way better.

It was a development thing. We

did the whole first two years

with the SP1, found out where

our weaknesses were, where

we could make it better, and

built that into the 2002 models.

That is just R&D, but from

where they started in 2000,

obviously they started at a really

good spot – and we won the

championship.”

In the end, the RC51 in its

three years of full WorldSBK

competition amassed 26

victories, a further 30 podium

places and two Riders’

Championship titles in 2000 and

2002 with Colin Edwards.

108 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 109

B R A D B I N D E R I N T E R V I E W

RISE THROUGH

THE RANKS

FROM ROOKIES CUP

TO WORLD CHAMPION

& MOTOGP. Words By Peter Clifford

It was Brad Binder who smashed through

the 100 Grand Prix wins for graduates from

the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup with his

superb victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix; he

was in the midst of a fabulous Moto2 hat-trick

that left him just three points off the top of

the championship table at the end of the year.

The ex Moto3 World Champion has a total

of 35 Grand Prix victories to his name and has

no doubt about the biggest early step he took

on his path to stardom. “Joining the Red Bull

Rookies Cup was so crucial. Without it I would

never have had the opportunity to get where I

am now.”

“For us, especially coming from South Africa,

getting started in International racing was

not so easy. A lot of travelling, a lot of difficult

decisions we had to make on how we were

going to do things,” explains the 24-year-old

Springbok.

“For a few years before I went to try out

we had quite a few South Africans who went

to the Selection Event, Mathew Scholtz got

picked so that was the goal, I was just waiting

until I was old enough to try and do the same.”

“I think I was still 12 years old when I went to

the try outs in 2008. I was very glad that I got

in the first time.”

“One thing that really sticks out in my mind

when I think back was when we went to the

first preseason test in Jerez 2009, we saw

the set-up and the paddock the MotoGP guys

were testing at the same time. That was

kind of crazy for me, I remember sitting on

the grandstand every chance I got, watching

Rossi and all the big boys go round. That was

when I realised just how big it is and what an

amazing class it is.”

“I remember being very very very

disappointed finishing up in 10th place and

110 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 111

home, we realised that we had to do more, get

quicker, do things a little bit different. I started to

ride motocross almost every week, maybe two

or three days a week riding flat track. I started to

do my training much better, everything got more

intense. I felt that basically everything got taken

to the next level.”

“It took me a while to adapt to the class of

riders I was in with the Rookies Cup but then

I was doing all that different training that I

obviously carried through the off season at

the end of year one so that I was much better

prepared going into the second Cup season in

2010. Also of course in the second year, going

back to many of the same circuits definitely

helped. When you arrive there you know what

to expect, you can immediately start off at a

much better level already from Free Practice 1.”

“In season two again I definitely learnt a lot

and going into season three I really thought I

could win the championship. But I think what

it came down to in my third season was that

I think we had a wet race almost every single

weekend of the championship. I think we had

maybe three or four dry races in the year.”

13th when we went back to Jerez

for the first races of the season.

Obviously everyone is there because

you want to win. I think I went in

there expecting way too much,

straight away I was a bit shocked

“FOR ME IT WAS VERY COOL

TO HAVE HIM IN MY CORNER.

FOR BOTH MY DAD AND

I IT WAS A BIG LEARNING

CURVE, WE HAD A LOT OF

THINGS TO ADAPT TO.”

with just how high the level was in

Red Bull Rookies Cup. The guys were

all super fast and I realised that I

had a lot of work to do.”

“My whole first season was all

about learning. Getting into the

second season things started to get

a little bit easier. Then I managed

to run in that crazy front group that

you always get in Rookies Cup.”

“There was a huge amount of

interest from South Africa in what we

were doing, people following Mathew

and I. Just to have a South African

racing abroad was massive and to be

racing on the same weekend as all the

MotoGP guys was insane. So I think

that even then I started to see a lot of

people really interested in what I was

doing overseas and from then on it

just grew.”

“My dad was always my mechanic,

it was great, for me it was no

different to when we were here

in South Africa before going into

Rookies Cup, my dad prepared

all my bikes and got everything

prepped, he did all the engines, he

did everything.”

“For me it was very cool to have

him in my corner. For both my dad

and I it was a big learning curve, we

had a lot of things to adapt to.”

“I remember during that first race

weekend in Jerez and after we came

112 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 113

“In those days if it rained I barely

finished in the points. That made

things a lot more difficult for me in

the third year. It all came back to the

fact that I’d never ridden in the rain.

My first rain race was the Rookies

Cup race at the Sachsenring.”

“I remember lining up on the grid

and not knowing what to expect.

We rode off from the start, the guys

rode away from me a bit and then

I just remember thinking, ‘jees, the

grip’s amazing!’ I did a few laps

passing a whole lot of riders… then

slung it…. It was crazy, you know, a

whole new game to get used to.”

For Binder his enjoyment of the

Rookies Cup wasn’t just about the

time on the bike. “When I think back

to Rookies Cup of course we had

great races but really the fondest

memories are the camaraderie with

the other Rookies, memories of

hanging out with Arthur (Sissis), we

had a great time hanging around

the paddock and the Red Bull

Energy Station. A great life with a

great bunch of guys all doing what

we wanted to be doing. Just chilling

out waiting for our session, it was

so cool.”

“If I had to pick out a particular

race, it would have to be the only

one I actually won in Rookies Cup it

was in Portugal, Estoril. It was my

first race win overseas it was a big

one for me.”

And what about the worst

moment? He chuckles… “There are

quite a few. In those days I used

to fall off quite a lot. It’s difficult

to pick one but if I think back to

my second season I remember

the last race of the year. It was in

Misano and I think I had to finish

around fifth to take third in the

championship. With four or five

laps to go someone crashed in

front of me and I rode over their

bike… I fell right there and ended up

fifth in the championship.”

“Thinking back now, if I could have

learnt to ride in the rain a lot earlier,

then my last season in Rookies Cup

would have been a lot better.”

After three years in

Rookies Cup it was time

to move on to the Moto3

Grand Prix class.

“It was definitely a big step.

The way you ride the bike and

everything is quite similar but one

thing I found quite difficult to adapt

to was that you have so much more

strategy, with like tyres, you have

telemetry to follow. Everything is

more complex, you have to give so

much more feedback to get your

bike set up perfectly for yourself

whereas in Rookies Cup we pretty

much have a setting that works

everywhere you go once you’ve

found that.”

“In the GP classes you have to work

harder at that and it is a lot more

changeable. You have to personalise

the bike more for yourself and the

individual tracks. I remember my

first few races in Moto3 were really

difficult but was great to be there and

one of the big advantages of having

done Rookies Cup is that you know so

many of the European circuits. That

is a huge advantage when you are

doing the GPs.”

Moving on to the World

Championship classes did not

mean that he lost interest in the

Rookies Cup. “I think it is the same

for everyone, it’s the thing to do in

the paddock, sit down at the end

of the day and watch the Rookies

Cup race. It’s always cool to see

the guys wandering around. We

become mates with some of the

young guys and the Cup race is

always the highlight of the day,

never a dull moment.”

Binder won 7 Grand Prix and

stood on the podium 20 times

and took the Moto3 World

Championship in 2016. He is now

just as fast in the wet as he is in the

dry and has scored 8 victories and

15 podiums in Moto2. Unlucky not

to take the title in 2019, he has now

stepped up to the premier class.

He does not pretend that the latest

step was easy.

114 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 115

“It started off very difficult, it was

actually really tough to adapt to the

MotoGP bike when we did the Valencia

test at the end of last year. But each

day I improved a little bit and got a little

faster and then after the off season we

“I’M JUST STARTING TO GET

USED TO THAT NEXT LEVEL, THE

ELECTRONICS, THE SPEED YOU

HAVE, THE AMAZING POWER

YOU HAVE OUT OF THE CORNERS

AND ALL OF THAT. IT REALLY IS

ANOTHER BIG STEP.”

went to Malaysia for the preseason test

and things were much much better I was

a lot quicker, more comfortable on the

bike and I could really make sense of

what it was doing.”

“When we finished in Malaysia I was

just 0.7 off the best, about 17th position.

Then we went to the Qatar test and

each day I was a little quicker and then

on the final day I think I finished up in

9th position 0.4 off so I was quite happy

with that. It was nice to see that I started

to make steps forward and was getting

towards the front and also you know we

made a lot of changes on the bike, I felt

a lot more comfortable. The team and

everyone’s working great.”

“I’m just starting to get used to that

next level, the electronics, the speed you

have, the amazing power you have out

of the corners and all of that. It really is

another big step. It was unbelievable at

the beginning but is starting to feel a bit

more normal and I’m happy to say that

we are getting there slowly.”

It is easy to feel Brad’s wonderful

enthusiasm for the KTM MotoGP bike

and so understandable to share his

current frustration at the delay to the

start of his first MotoGP race. “It’s pretty

difficult. You know, after the season

“I AM JUST FOCUSED ON TRYING

TO MAINTAIN MY FITNESS IF NOT

IMPROVE IT A LITTLE BIT AND TRY

TO STAY RELAXED, TO EXERCISE

MY PATIENCE RIGHT NOW AND

HOPEFULLY ONCE WE HEAR THAT

THE SEASON IS GOING TO START

I CAN MAKE MY WAY OVER TO

EUROPE AND GET BACK INTO IT.”

ends in Valencia I normally take

a week or two of and then it is

basically a build up. You are trying

to peak in your fitness and have

everything perfect by the time you

get to Qatar for the first race. We

were in Qatar, all ready to go then

everything got cancelled.”

“I came home and now I am

training every single day trying to

do all I can to keep my fitness as

high as possible. At this moment

though when there is still no

calendar and no one really knows

what’s going on it is tough, it is

difficult to focus in quite the same

way, we don’t have that carrot in

front of us. We are just waiting

pretty much.”

“I am just focused on trying to

maintain my fitness if not improve

it a little bit and try to stay relaxed,

to exercise my patience right now

and hopefully once we hear that

the season is going to start I can

make my way over to Europe and

get back into it.”

“About the only other thing I am

doing is a project in the garage. We

have been working on some of the

cars and bikes. I have been building

up an old bike and had it all planned

to be finished when the lockdown

finished here in a couple of days

but now that’s been extended by a

couple of weeks so hopefully things

wont get too boring.”

“The mindset is that all you want

to do is race. That is all I’ve ever

really known but at the end of the

day the biggest battle right now is

to try and get rid of this virus. What

has been going on in the world is

unbelievable to say the least.”

“Right now everyone has to take

the lockdown totally seriously

and the sooner this goes away,

the better. I haven’t left the house

in more than three weeks. I am

certainly trying my best. The

sooner this is over, the sooner we

can return to real life.”

In closing Brad turns

back to the Rookies and

some words of wisdom:

“The advice I would give is that

you must work hard every single

day and every single lap. At the

beginning of your career when

things don’t go well it is easy to

lose your focus and start to sit

up in track, look for a tow and not

really work on your own. If I could

go back in my career then that is

one thing I would change, I would

just focus on myself and work on

being able to push every single lap

on your own and not worry about

where anybody is around you that

is a great advantage. It is a great

thing to learn and if you can get

that dialled in before you step up

into say, Moto3 then you definitely

have a big advantage on your side.”

116 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 117

Words by Greg Moloney

MOTO AMERICA

BECOMES MOTO U-SA

THE DELAYED

OPENING ROUND

OF THE 2020

MOTOAMERICA

RACING SEASON

FINALLY GOT

UNDERWAY AT

ROAD AMERICA

AND OUR SA STARS

STOLE THE SHOW.

Mathew Scholtz

in full flight -

love that riding

style of his.

After a lengthy time off due to

that C-19 thing that has had

its effects felt far and wide,

Moto America rolled into Road

America for the first event out

of lockdown. Tensions were

high and lots of the riders were

not sure if their training and

simulations they had done

in the off period would be

enough to bring them to the

fore in the first outing of the

now very reduced calendar for

2020. This however was not

the case amongst the South

African contingent and hence us

saying is there a possible name

change required for the highly

competitive championship

based in the USA, or as we at

RideFast like to now call it, the

U- SA (South Africa).

The race week end started

off with some spectacular

spills and thrills as riders all

started to shake off the rust

and get back into some kind

of a rhythm. Mathew Scholtz

(Westby Yamaha) was one of

the first who provided the spill

aspect of our previous comment,

going down after losing the front

end. His incredible team who, were

of course on a slightly smaller size,

but with the same capabilities, got

him back into the swing very quickly

and he would go on to show them

what a great job they had done,

by getting a hard fought for 2nd

place in race one of the Premier

class - HONOS Superbike class of

Moto America. Jubilation was still

continuing in race two as Scholtz

once again looked like he was going

to go one better, but unfortunately

a late out breaking attempt by

Suzuki mounted Bobby Fong ended

his chances and both riders went

down and out of the second heat.

This left Cameron Baubier out front

all alone and comfortable to take

his second win of the week end and

the championship lead after the first

round. Scholtz is still in the top 5 and

despite being disappointed with the

incident was the first man to get

across to Fong and make sure he

was okay - top class.

Fellow South African and

Super Stock pilot for 2020,

Cameron Petersen, also had

a great first outing in the first

event of the year and looked

good in the qualifying session.

He too would podium in race

1 in amongst the faster Moto

America bikes, so much so that

he actually finished off in the

top 10 and 7th overall aboard

his Altus Motorsports Suzuki

GSX1000R. Considering the deal

for Petersen came though very

late into the season, lockdown

was actually a blessing as it

gave the team time to prep

a potential race winner for

Petersen to ride and he was

very unlucky not to actually

secure the win as he lead most

of the race.

In the Supersport Junior Cup

class it was SA all the way with

our young guns showing what

kind of metal we have here

in the land of gold. Dominic

Doyle went about business

in a stealth bomber like way

firstly securing an unofficial

lap record in qualifying to take

pole and as we mentioned

earlier the thrill aspect of this.

His dominance was unmatched

with a double victory coming

his way in the Junior Cup. His

fellow country man, Sam

Lockhof, showed that the

SA contingent had not been

affected by the lockdown in any

form and joined Doyle on the

podium in race one with a very

well deserved 3rd place.

Round 2 of this championship

takes place at Road America

2 on the week end of 26- 28

June and will once again

be streamed live on Social

Media. Be sure to catch all the

incredible action and keep up

the support for our SA racing

pilots in the now “U - SA” as

they look to once again be the

dominant species in America’s

National Park of Speed.

A good start for

Cam Petersen

and his new

Suzuki team.

Dominic Doyle leads 2019

champ Rocco landers in the

Junior Cup. He would go on to

dominate the entire weekend.

All our boys

proudly standing

togther with

their silverware.

And the winner is...

During the recent lockdown period RaceDay TV in

conjunction with Motul hosted a comp where viewers

got the chance to win a R5000 Motul hamper by simply

colouring in or painting the supplied pictures of SA riders

taken by Jeff Latham. This was the winning entry - a

stunning painting done by Justin Zimmerman of our very

own Rob Portman in action on his Ducati V4R machine.

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R115,995

R159,995

R229,995

R259,995

R329,888

R310,995

R249,995

Z H2 Hypernaked

390 Adventure

790 DUKE

790 Adventure

790 Adventure R

690 Enduro R

890 DUKE R

1090 Adventure R

1290 Super Adventure S

1290 Super Adventure R

1290 Super Duke R

1290 Super Duke GT

1290 SUPER DUKE R

Agility RS 125

Like 125l ABS

G-Dink 300l

Xciting 400l

AK550

KYMCO

MOTO GUZZI

R85,999

R155,999

R181,999

R194,999

R159,999

R189,999

R198,999

R234,999

R249,999

R265,999

R248,999

R19,950

R34,950

R54,950

R99,950

R154,950

V85 TT

R209,000

California 1400 Touring R405,000

MGX 21 Flying Fortress R489,000

V7 Stone lll ABS

R171,150

V7 Rough

R175,875

V7 Milano

R191,625

V7 Carbon lll

R201,950

V7 lll Racer

R208,950

All pricing correct as at time of publishing, but may vary due to exchange rates etc.

SELLING YOUR BIKE? FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA!

WE PAY INSTANTLY, WE COLLECT, WE COME TO YOU!

www.fireitup.co.za

FASTRACK

YOUR MOTORCYCLE

BUYING EXPERIENCE!

MODEL PRICE MODEL PRICE MODEL

PRICE

Dragster Pirelli LE

Dragster 800RR

Dragster 800 RC Limited

Super Veloce 800RR

Brutale 1000RR 208HP

RUSH 1000RR 212hp

MV AGUSTA

Turismo Veloce 800 160HP

R329,900

R299,900

R359,900

R379,900

R479,900

R549,900

R299,900

GTS 300l EV

Max Sym 600l ABS

Crox 125

Fiddle ll 150

Jet14 200

Orbit ii 125

Symphony 150

X-Pro 125

R63,995

R98,995

R17,995

R17,495

R23,995

R14,995

R19,995

R18,995

FJR1300

XMax 300 Scooter

YZF R3

YZF R6

YZF R1 2020

YZF R1M 2020

Niken 3-wheeler

NIKEN 3-WHEELER

R229,950

R89,950

R78,950

R209,950

R319,950

R399,950

R275,000

UR110

UB125

GSX150

GSX150F

GIXXER SF 250

DL650XA L9

DL1000XA L9

SV650A

GSXR750

GSXR1000 A

GSXS1000 R A

GSXS1000 A

GSXS1000 ZA

Katana

VZR1800

Hyabusa 1300

SUZUKI

R18,100

R20,100

R30,500

R33,150

R49,900

R127,900

R172,900

R99,500

R163,950

R237,500

R273,900

R162,500

R172,500

R188,900

R196,900

R211,900

TRIUMPH

Street Triple RS

Speed Triple RS

Street Twin

Bonneville T100

Bonneville T120

Bonneville Bobber

Bonneville Bobber Black

Bonneville Speed Master

Street Scrambler

Thruxton 1200 R

Tiger 800 XCX

Tiger 800 XCA

Tiger 1200 XCX

Tiger 1200 XCA

Tiger 900

Tiger 900 Rally Pro

Rocket R

R170,000

R219,000

R144,000

R145,000

R169,000

R184,000

R179,000

R169,000

R192,000

R186,000

R205,000

R226,000

R260,000

R192,000

R215,000

R299,000

ZT250 R

ZT310R

ZT310X

ZT310T

ZONTES

R44,900

R63,900

R68,900

R74,900

DEALERS CONTACTS WHO

ADVERTISE WITH US

Fire It Up! Have recently launched

a new a great new and very

convenient online buying platform.

Just hop on your computer, smart

device or etc. In the comfort of

your home or office click on www.

fireitup.co.za, surf through the

plethora of good, clean stock until

you find something that grabs your

fancy. Then, give them a call and

chat to one of their top notch sales

guys who will then do a detailed

walk-around video feed of the bike

you are keen on. If you are happy

with that you can then do your

finance application and all the

paperwork on line. In the interim,

the team at Fire It Up! Will get

your new baby ready for delivery

by doing a full PDI and inspection,

put it through roadworthy, have it

cleaned and detailed to the max

as well as sanitised. Once all the

T’s are crossed and all the i’s are

dotted they will have one of their

very knowledgeable ‘Motorcycle

Concierges’ deliver the bike to

you anywhere in Gauteng, (we

are pretty sure suitable delivery

arrangements around the country

can be negotiated), where it will

once again be sanitised before the

Concierge goes through the bike

with you from top to bottom. If

you are 100% completely happy

with the bike and the whole deal

the concierge will get you to put a

final signature on the dotted line,

load your trade-in, (if you have

one), and leave you to ride your

new motorcycle off into the sunset.

What could be easier and more

convenient than that??

Click on www.fireitup.co.za or

give them a call on 011 467 0737

NOW!

GIXXER SF 250

XS125 K Delivery

NH125

XS200 Blaze

XS200 Trail Blaze

Citycom 300l

SYM

R16,495

R25,995

R18,495

R19,995

R54,995

Rocket GT

XTZ125

YBR125G

TW200

XT250

XT1200Z

XT1200ZE

MT07 ABS

MT09 ABS

MT07 Tracer

MT09 Tracer

MT09 Tracer GT

YAMAHA

R315,000

R35,950

R28,950

R59,950

R69,950

R194,950

R228,950

R124,950

R152,950

R144,950

R159,950

R189,950

Aprilia SA (IMI) Tel: 010 443 4596

BMW West Rand Tel: 011 761 3500

SMG Motorrad Umhlanga Tel: 031 502 9800

SMG Motorrad Noth Coast Tel: 035 426 0020

Daly Motorrad Klerksdorp Tel: 018 011 1888

Ducati SA Tel: 012 765 0600

Honda East Tel: 011 826 4444

Holeshot Husqvarna Tel: 011 823 5830

Indian Motorcycles SA Tel: 010 020 6195

TRD Kawasaki Tel: 011 051 9104

Fire it Up Kawasaki Tel: 011 467 0737

RAD KTM Tel: 011 234 5007

TRAX KTM Tel: 012 111 0190

KTM Centurion Tel: 012 643 1110

Moto Guzzi SA (IMI) Tel: 010 443 4596

Fire it Up MV Agusta Tel: 011 467 0737

KCR Suzuki Tel: 011 975 5545

SYM TRD Motorcycles Tel: 011 051 9104

Zontes SA Tel: 012 565 6730

All pricing correct as at time of publishing, but may vary due to exchange rates etc.

EVERYTHING

YOU NEED &

MORE!

ALL UNDER

ONE BIG ROOF!

EXCLUSIVE DEALS

ON THE NEW RANGE

OF AGV HELMETS.

Massive range of Arai

road, Adventure & offroad

helmets FROM R8500

Massive range of

AIROH road, Adventure &

oFfroad helmets FROM R2800

Massive range of YOHE & VEGA

HELMETS STARTING FROM R899

Massive range of

AGV HELMETS STARTING

FROM R4990

AGV K-3 BIRDY

R4320

AGV K-3 LIQUEFY

R4320

AGV K-3 ROSSI 5

CONTINENTS R4820

AGV K-3 ROSSI

TARTARUGA R4820

AGV K-3 ROSSI

MISANO R4820

AGV K-3 ROSSI

WINTER TEST R4820

Exclusive

Deals!

FULL RANGE OF SCORPION HELMETS STARTING FROM R3500 Exclusive

ALL-NEW SCORPION

COMBAT ONLY R5550

AGV K-3 SAKURA

R4320

AGV K-1 POWER

R3490

AGV K-1 POWER

R3490

AGV K-1 MIR

R4150

EXCLUSIVE DEALS

ON THE RANGE OF

SCORPION HELMETS.

AGV K-1 ROSSI GOTHIC

R4150

AGV K-1 ROSSI GOTHIC

R3490

Massive range of SHARK HELMETS FROM R4000

FULL RANGE OF GAERNE BOOTS STARTING FROM R4150

BERIK KANGAROO

LEATHER SUITS

ONLY R11500

SCORPION EXO-490

VISION R3500

SCORPION EXO-490

GENESIS R3500

BERIK JACKETS FROM R2950

ALPINESTARS JACKETS FROM R4600

WIDE range of OLD SCHOOL CLASSIC & RETRO

RIDING JACKETS & APPAREL FROM R4900

Massive range of BERIK,

ALPINESTARS & STEALTH

RIDING GLOVES FROM R890

COME VISIT OUR 3 FLOORS OF PURE

MOTORCYCLING PLEASURE!

Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street & John Voster Drive, Centurion. Tel: 012 765 0600

SCORPION R1 AIR

BAUTISTA REPLICA

R9180

SCORPION EXO-2000

AIR BAUTISTA REPLICA

R8200

SCORPION EXO-2000

BRUTUS R8200

SCORPION EXO-1400

CARBON R7500

SCORPION EXO-390

ARMY R2600

COME VISIT OUR 3 FLOORS OF

PURE MOTORCYCLING PLEASURE!

Centurion Office Park, Akkerboom Street &

John Voster Drive, Centurion.

Tel: 012 765 0600

ROAD

TRACK

DIRT

GET A GRIP ON 2020!

///RACE

///TRACK

KR451

D213 PRO

///TRACK

///ROAD

GPR 300

ROADSMART 3 ROADSPORT 2

Q3+ Q4

S594/A

///OFFROAD

///TRAIL

AT81 & AT81EX

MX33 MX53 EN91 TRAILMAX MISSION

50/50

DUNLOPTYRESSA

Get a Grip on 2020! Email Nicole Swanepoel at

nicole.swanepoel@srigroup.co.za or contact our call centre on 011 418 3088.

RideFast June 2020

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RideFast June 2020

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