MRW issue 3 preview

MOTO RIDER WORLD ISSUE 3 WWW.MOTORIDERWORLD.COM
ISSUE #3
EXCLUSIVE TESTS
FEEL THE
RUSH
THE NEW APRILIA RS660
& MV AGUSTA RUSH 1000
JOHNNY
THE
CHAMP
REA TAKES
WORLD TITLE
NUMBER SIX
BACK
WHERE HE
BELONGS
BEHIND THE SCENES
WITH SHEZ MORAIS AT
THE ESTORIL WSBK

EDITOR’S
NOTE
Hello and welcome to the first official print
issue of MRW. From the start, going to print was
never really an option for me. The cost involved in
printing is crazy and unless you are printing and
selling big numbers is not worthwhile. But, after
many messages, emails and phone calls kaking me
out for not having a print option available I have
decided to take the plunge and go to print.
I am still a huge fan of a print mag - nothing beats
holding the magazine in your hands and paging
through, especially when it’s quality like you are
about to experience now. I wanted our print option to
be unlike any other motorcycle magazine ever seen
before here in SA - and maybe even in the world.
You will see and feel a magazine of the highest
quality, one that I have spent plenty of hours trying
to perfect and source only the finest quality paper
and print - at the best possible price of course.
I’m sure you will agree that it’s amazing quality -
from the print to the content - and I would love to hear
your thoughts, good or bad, I don’t mind, it’s how I am
able to judge if we are doing a good job or not.
For the print issue, I also decided to veer away
from the traditional route of selling from shops.
This is where the biggest headache comes in,
judging by my past experiences. Dealing with
distribution companies who don’t really care and
treat you like just another sausage in the sausage
factory can be very frustrating, and on top of that,
the shops they deliver to don’t care either - so
if your mag makes it to the shelves or not, they
couldn’t care less.
At my previous venture, I had nothing but
complaints about not being able to find the mag,
so this time around I have come up with a better,
more efficient solution for both you the customer
and me. Every month a new copy of the mag will
be couriered to subscribers doors, no kak Post
Office involved. This way the customer can get
their copy hand-delivered at either their work or
home address. Much better hey? I think it’s the way
to go and thank you all who have supported me
in this new way of thinking so far, and am sure it’s
only going to go from strength to strength.
As for the digital side, there is still a huge
following there, so you guys and girls are looked
after as well. All subscribers to the digital version
will be sent a link to the digital flipbook via email
FOLLOW US
every month, along with a link to download the pdf
files as well. This way you can enjoy the magazine
is whichever format you prefer.
Digital subscribers will be treated to a bit more
added content every month, content that could
not be squeezed into the print copy, as we have
boundaries with print, as more pages equal more
money so have to keep it as tight as possible without
sacrificing too much though and still offer brilliant
content, something I think we’ve done in this first
print issue with over 120 pages of pure awesomeness!
Please let me know what you think? Drop me
a mail at rob@motoriderworld.com and let me
know if you are happy or not? If there is anything
that is upsetting you or something you would like
changed or added let me know.
It’s been a crazy 3 months now getting MRW up
and running and when I started this I never thought
I would be offering a print copy as soon as the 3rd
issue, but here we are, and I am extremely proud of
the first issue we have put together here - content
and quality better than anything else ever seen here
in SA, and in the motorcycle game for sure me thinks!
Helping me control all the madness is the latest
addition to the MRW family. My brother has now
joined the team to be my right-hand man and help
get the job done. I needed someone I could trust,
someone not afraid of hard work and someone
that I could rely on to get the job done and they
don’t come any better than Shaun Portman. Very
happy and proud to be able to have him work
alongside me in this new venture and together we
will do everything we possibly can to make MRW
the best in the world!!!
Make sure you visit all of our platforms for the
latest news, reviews, product and shop features on
our YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.
Here at MRW, we’ve got you covered in just about
every department, keeping you up-to-date with all
the happenings through video, digital, and now print
content. What a rollercoaster ride it has been so far,
and we don’t plan on getting off anytime soon!
Rob Portman
rob@motoriderworld.com
WEBSITE: www.motoriderworld.com | FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Moto-Rider-World | INSTAGRAM: rob_motoriderworld
Copyright © Moto Rider World: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,
articles, or other methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

NEWS
DESK
and lower the fuel consumption by 9 percent!
The engine isn’t the only thing that’s lost
some weight, the exhaust will be 1.4 kg lighter,
and the swingarm, frame, and subframe have
also been redesigned to save even more
weight, a whole 2.5 kg to be exact. The lateral
stiffness has also been increased by 50% to
increase straight-line stability.
The new wheels have also been beefed
up and will have 10-spokes spin-forged rims
which will also be almost a kilogram lighter
than the previous version. Because of this,
the bike should turn even faster at higher
speeds which sounds promising seeing as the
previous version was so easy to throw around.
Overall, the new MT09 will shed a fair bit of
weight, with the wet weight coming down the
low number of 189 kg.
LOADS OF NEW GADJETS
INCLUDING NEW RIDER
AIDS & AUTO-BLIP TO GO
WITH QUICKSIFTER
THE DARKER SIDE
OF JAPAN
Increased torque, decreased weight and
radical new looks for their MT-09.
When it debuted 8 years ago, the Yamaha
MT09 was the perfect combination of naked,
lightweight, and superbike to entice you into
bad behaviour every time you got on. Now
there is a new model on its way, and there is
every reason to think that the upcoming 2021
model will be just as, if not more, fun.
Yamaha has increased power to the original
3-cylinder motor of the MT09 which now sits
at 890cc’s. what this has also done is pump up
the torque a small amount from 87.5 to 93Nm.
The new MT09 will also get a horsepower
boost of about 5bhp from 113 to around 118hp.
This may not seem like much, but the torque
will hit earlier meaning that the new MT09 will
be even crazier when it comes to street use.
According to our sources “Virtually every
major component” in the 2021 MT09’s engine
is new. What this means is we will see a
drop of 1.7 Kg. We are also going to see a
completely new Fuel injection system which
will significantly increase the engine efficiency
NEW 10-SPOKE
WHEELS
UPDATED ENGINE
GETS MORE
POWER & TORQUE
NEW ALUMINIUM
DELTABOX FRAME
2.3KG LIGHTER
THAN PREVIOUS

A
MECHANIC’S
TALE
Frantic scheduling, rookie race winners, wildly
unpredictable scenes: MotoGP has been a
dizzying ride this year but what’s it been like for
someone in the depths of a pitbox?!
Words by Adam Wheeler (KTM Blog) | Pics PolarityPhoto

Words Adam Child ‘Chad’ | Pics by Milagro
FEEL THE
RIDE
MV BRUTALE
1000 RUSH
RUSHFIRST
The MV Brutale Rush, R699,000, limited to just 300
units worldwide with 209bhp and a bark to match its bite.

FEATURE
MYSTERY
MYSTICAL
RIDE
JOURNEY
Forty-odd Ducati customers and SA journalists joined on this first-ever
Ducati Mystery Ride -2650km across some of our countries most
beautiful land on some gorgeous Italian machines.
Words by Rob Portman | Pics by Beam Productions

FIRST RIDE
ALL-NEW
APRILIA RS600
FLYING
Aprilia have arguably
created a new segment,
with the light, 100bhp,
parallel-twin RS600,
creating an affordable,
usable sports bike (with a
plethora of rider aids)
for the road.
Words Adam Child ‘Chad’ | Pics by Milagro

EXCLUSIVE
WORLD SBK
ESTORIL
BACK WHERE HE
BELONGS
B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S W I T H S H E Z
Sheridan Morais recently
competed in the final round of the
2020 World SBK championship
held at the Estoril track in
Portugal, and our Rob managed to
spend the entire weekend by his
side. Here’s his story.
Words by Rob Portman | Pics by Mateusz Jagielski & Rob
When a friend needs your help, you help, and
that’s exactly what I did when Ricky Morais
gave me a call on Tuesday the 13th of October
asking if I could get on a plane to Portugal
and take Shez his homologated Arai race
helmet for the final World SBK of the year at
the Estoril track.
If I must get on a plane, travel to Portugal
to experience WSBK action live to help a
mate then that’s what I will do. Not easy for
sure, but someone had to. (can you sense
the sarcasm?)
It sounds easy enough, but in these tough
times with COVID-19 around it’s not as easy as
just jumping on a plane, especially with only
a days notice to get everything done. To my
surprise, I managed to get it all done. I went
for my COVID test at the Dalview Clinic in
Brakpan on Tuesday night and had the results
back on Wednesday at 6 pm, ready in time for
my flight that night at 11 pm.
It was easier than I thought to book the
ticket as well, with a KLM flight from JHB to
Amersterdam and finally to Lisbon readily
available and not as expensive as I thought.

FEATURE
LORD OF
HISTORY
MAKER
THE RINGS
At the final round of the World Superbike
Championship in Estoril, Jonathan Rea won his
6th consecutive world title, making him by far the
most successful World Superbike rider in history.
In the first issue of MRW, I wrote an article about the
state of World SBK at the time, and I said that there
might be someone who could finally challenge Rea
for the title. the man we and many others thought
could do this was class rookie Scott Redding who
was aiming to be the first rookie since American Ben
Spies to win the SBK title. Going into the season many
thought that Rea would once again run away with the
title, but the Brit put up one hell of a fight to delay
that for as long as possible.
Words Mitchell Boyes

RACING PAGES
by Greg Moloney | Pics Andre Laubscher & others
THE UNITED STATES OF
CAM-ERICA
2020 MOTOAMERICA SUPERSTOCK CHAMPION
If you page through the original
version of our esteemed motorcycling
journal MCSA 2011, you’ll find a very
awesome little article written by one
of the scribes of the past Gavin Foster,
discussing the history of South African
motorcycle racing and that one surname
that seemed to just be in every genre
of the sport of Motorcycle racing -
Petersen. Foster puts in such a way as
to say that there would be a new string
to the Petersen bow, with then 16-yearold
Cameron, son of Robbie, showing
signs of possibly becoming the best of
all from the family. Most people would
agree to sentiments that the Petersen
family have outshone most others in
the world of motorcycle racing holding
multiple titles amongst themselves,
including Cam’s own SA championships
in Supersport and SuperMoto.
Cam started his journey for
International stardom in 2008 where he
looked like he had a small breakthrough
into international racing testing for
the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup in
America and ended up third quickest of
the 117 riders. Robbie then packed up
house and home and started the journey
with Cam, but unfortunately, it was very
short-lived with the sudden cancellation
of the series for financial reasons,
putting the Petersen family into their
own bit of financial difficulties too.
As in South Africa, the sport in Europe
and America has been hard hit by the
financial woes that Covid has brought
along, but that is now and even back
then on the start of this journey Robbie
and Cam made a huge announcement
that Cam would be retiring from the
sport as a whole due their financial
difficulties. So how did this incredible
story end up, with Cameron Petersen
being crowned 2020 MotoAmerica
Superstock Champion...
Well, I can tell you with a lot of blood,
sweat and tears not to mention the
financial manoeuvres, because we
all know how much it costs to race
internationally and even with the
contacts that Robbie has in the USA,
having not only raced for one of the
most famous riders in the world, King
Kenny Roberts himself but also handled
duties for the Roberts GP team and