MRW Issue 7 March 21 preview

ALSO INSIDE:
// FIRST TIME ON TRACK FEATURE
// JOHN MCGUINESS INTERVIEW
// CARL FOGARTY INTERVIEW
// TRIUMPH ROCKET R TEST
// RINS & MIR INTERVIEWS
PLUS LOADS MORE!
EXCLUSIVE
MV AGUSTA
800RR
FIRST RIDE
EXCLUSIVE
SUTER
DRAGSTER MMX 500
2-STROKE
Pic by Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)
MOTOGP2021
look ahead of the new MotoGP season showing
off all the new colours plus a look at testing from Qatar.
SPECIALAn in-depth

EDITOR’S
NOTE
My good people, what the hell is
happening with time lately? I mean
it’s already March 2021. That old,
irritating Mom saying “There’s not
enough time in the day” is now very
true. I never used to believe that, but
these days I find myself saying it more
often than not.
I must apologize for sending this issue
out a bit later than normal, but there
was a very valid reason for it. You see,
with print you have a set deadline
to get the mag done and off to the
printers no matter what. It used to
kill me when I would send the mag
off and the next day a breaking news
story or big feature would come and
I would then have to wait an entire
month to get them in and by then it
would be old. The beauty with digital
is I can hold off and make sure we
have nothing but the latest news,
features and exclusive tests for you all
to enjoy - and that’s exactly what I’ve
done this month.
MotoGP is back with testing at Qatar
done and dusted ahead of the season
opener. I just had to get it in so waited
until the last second to send the mag
out. This means you have not only a
brilliant MotoGP 2021 feature to enjoy,
but now also all the happenings from
the test days - you won’t read this in
any other print or digital publication in
SA! Or you might, but only next month
when it’s old news.
We also managed to get in news
features such as the new Harley-
Davidson Adventure bike - yes,
that’s not a typo Harley now have
an adventure bike, crazy I know - as
well as exclusive interviews we did
with Carl Fogarty, Alex Rins, MotoGP
champ Joan Mir and Danilo Petrucci.
All great scoops for us here in SA
and you can also find the full video
interviews up on our YouTube channel
in case you missed it.
But wait, there’s more. We just love
bringing you nothing but the best
when it comes to bike tests and we’ve
managed to bring one that I never in
a million years thought would ever
happen. Both I and Donovan Fourie
did the unthinkable - we tested an
actual real-life Stuer 500cc Grand Prix
machine. Yes, I tell no lie and you can
read the full SCOOP test in this issue!
The video review will be put up on
our YouTube channel soon, I just need
to find a gap to finish editing it. Not
enough time in the day... you see, I’m
turning into my mother...
We also managed to squeeze in a
feature on the first round of the new
World of Motorcycles Racing Series
where my brother and I got our
racing season up-and-running albeit
not the way we wanted too. I’m sure
you’ve all seen the video I posted on
our Facebook page of me wrestling
a stock standard Ducati Streetfighter
around the very tricky Phakisa track?
If not, go check it out along with loads
more great content.
We here at MRW are really trying
to offer you something never seen
before in SA motorcycle media. We
are so much more than just a digital
magazine - we are everything from
video to social media - we want to
give you all that you deserve and will
continue to work harder than anyone
else to bring you as close to all the
action as possible.
I now instruct you to go and enjoy
what is another spectacular magazine
and thank you once again for all your
support and trust. I urge
you to take note of the
companies that advertise
in this magazine and on
our social pages and
without their support, we
would be doing garden
service Monday to
Saturday for
peanuts and you
would not be
getting all the
great content
you have
been spoilt
with since we
started up.
Cheers all.
CONTRIBUTORS
Shaun Portman
Beam Productions
Adam Child “Chad”
Sheridan Morais
Donovan Fourie
Mitchell Boyes
Brian Cheyne
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CONTACT
DETAILS
EDITOR/OWNER
Rob Portman
082 782 8240
rob@motoriderworld.com
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING
Shaun Portman
072 260 9525
shaun@motoriderworld.com
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NEWS
DESK
KTM’S SUPER
ADVENTURE R GETS
MORE SUPER
The all-new KTM 1290
Super Adventure R
allows for limitless travel
possibilities even where the
road ends.
Drop a pin on the map and hit the
road! The 2021 KTM 1290 SUPER
ADVENTURE R has been redesigned
to let adventurers discover the most
hidden paths under the sky with added
agility, class-leading performance and
an extensive list of electronics that
work together to enhance the rider’s
feeling while out exploring.
The second instalment in the
new generation of liter-class KTM
ADVENTURE models comes in the
form of the all-new KTM 1290 SUPER
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terrain, this motorcycle has the
capacity to take adventurers anywhere.
Primed and ready to plant its flag
anywhere on the planet, the 2021 KTM
1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R has been
designed from the ground up with an
extensive list of innovative upgrades.
ALL-TERRAIN AGILITY
Riding the KTM 1290 SUPER
ADVENTURE R across rough terrain
in the easiest and most intuitive way
has been a development priority

NEWS
DESK
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER
ADVENTURE BIKE
Harley-Davidson’s Pan
America launches assault
on the adventure market
with new Pan America
1250 models.
America’s most iconic motorcycle
company has taken a brave step
forward today, launching a brand-new
bike with a brand-new motor into a
weather-beaten adventure segment
full of tough competitors. The Pan
America concept from 2018, with a
new Revolution Max engine, goes into
production as Harley-Davidson initiates
its Hardwire strategy and veers off the
tarmac into the punishing unknown of
the adventure bike class.
Last year proved to be a turning
point for Harley-Davidson, and it wasn’t
due to the pandemic. Shrinking sales
figures have plagued America’s most
iconic motorcycle brand, and it’s been
a generational issue; if this company
can’t draw in younger riders and break
out of the cruiser mold into wider, more
diverse markets, it’s toast.
That strategy appeared to be cut
short on February 2020, when Levatich
was replaced by Jochen Zeitz and
Harley-Davidson announced a new
two-fold project. The first part, named
Rewire, completed the restructuring
of the company’s production base and
sales network by the end of 2020, and
is now followed by the five-year project
Hardwire, part of which is the 2021 Pan
America 1250.
In the process of creating the
Pan America, Harley-Davidson took
two bold steps; it delved into a very
demanding motorcycle segment
without prior experience, and did so
with a brand new engine that veers far
from Harley’s beaten track.

EXCLUSIVE
FEATURE
SUTER MMX
500 2-STROKE
T H E S U T E R M M X 5 0 0
SWISS
MASTERPIECE
Behold, a motorcycle that will leave even the toughest men weak at
the knees and eyes full of tears - it’s a R2 million V-Four Two-Stroke
Race Bike and yes, it’s here in SA and yes, we got to ride it.
Words by Donovan Fourie | Pics by Suter & Beam Productions
You read that correctly – it was here at Red Star. The famous
Suter 500, that same that had featured on various YouTube
videos shown many times on screens at people’s homes, and
sneakily at their work, the same bike whose wailing soundtrack
inspired dreams of ecstasy, of the joy and fear of riding one
of these creatures on one of the gleaming far-off circuits they
inhabit, was at Red Star Raceway in Delmas.
If the bike alone doesn’t cream your under-brooks enough, it
was accompanied here by its creator and handler, Mr Eskil Suter.
Beyond his eponymy, the more perceptive readers might
remember hearing his name between 1991 and 1996 when he
graced many a timesheet in the 250cc Grand Prix Class and then
on an MuZ in the 500cc class.

EXCLUSIVE
MV AGUSTA
DRAGSTER
800 RR
O L D & N E W : M V A G U S T A ’ S
DRAG
STARS
On a recent visit to the very impressive Fire It Up
dealership in Bryanston we spotted some very tasty
looking Italian Super models, so we asked for the keys
and took them for a ride.
Words by Rob Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
Many moons ago I remember
walking into the Cayenne dealership
in Midrand and gasping at the sight
of a very strange yet seductive
looking machine. “What the hell is it?
I asked in a very taken back tone. I
was quickly told that it was the new
MV Agusta Dragster 800 that had
just arrived in the country. “What
is it?” was my next question, as I
couldn’t quite wrap my head around
if it was a naked sportsbike or not. It
had spoked wheels and a futuristic
brute design that was even ahead
of its time back in 2016. It featured
a thrilling three-cylinder motor that
sounded fantastic and pushed out
power figures not far off production
superbikes at the time.
I was lucky enough to be one of
the first journos in the country to
test the new Dragster 800. It was
a fierce, edgy, raw motorcycle that
demanded attention from both the
rider and all who had the honour
of laying eyes on it. It was brutal,
snappy and didn’t like to just go for
a stroll - it wanted fast and furious -
it wanted thrill!!!
While it was a very exciting ride
and completely different from
anything else on the market at that
time, it did lack a bit of maturity.
Yes, it was loads of fun, but like a kid

EXCLUSIVE
FEATURE
MEETING
ONE STEP
WOLFGANG
FELBER
BEYOND
MEETING THE MAN WHO HELPED ACCELERATE THE
KTM RC16 TO THE FRONT OF THE MOTOGP GRID
“I’m part of the inventory,” Wolfgang Felber smiles from behind
his glasses. The 58-year old is sitting – socially-distanced –
in the dark reception area of KTM’s Motorsport building in
Munderfing and is being quizzed about his role in the rapid
evolution of the KTM RC16; from MotoGP newboys and learners
to Grand Prix winners and front runners.
Words by Adam Wheeler (KTM Blog) Pics by Philip Platzer, Polarity Photo & KTM Images
The former racer’s fingerprints have
been over a large slice of KTM’s track
efforts: from the first MotoGP V4
at the beginning of the century to
the victorious Moto3 project, WP’s
progression in offroad and Supercross
and then the company’s current
bustling Grand Prix tech. The KTM RC16
is a machine that went from being two
seconds-a-lap adrift of the leaders to
the peak of the MotoGP pack in just
four seasons.
Felber has been in KTM for almost
four decades. He is well placed to have

FIRST RIDE
TRIUMPH
ROCKET 3 R
T R I U M P H R O C K E T 3 R
THRUST
LUST
We recently sampled the latest version of Triumph’s
mothership - the Rocket 3 GT - and we loved everything
about it. We wanted more, so we got hold of the R version
and took it for a thrash.
Words by Shaun Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
A couple of issues ago we tested
Triumph’s new powerhouse, the Rocket
3 GT. We were highly impressed by this
bike and while dropping the bike off at
Triumph SA we noticed the same bike
standing outside their showroom. The
same bike, but slightly different.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and
we once again outside Triumph SA to
collect this bike to test. Yes indeed,
you guessed it, Triumph’s new Rocket
3 R. With the Rocket 3 GT parked next
to the R, it is quite difficult to spot
the differences straight away. The
name badges on the side of the bikes
do give it away though. GT meaning
‘Grand Tourer’ and ‘R’, obviously being
the more sporty version. The main
differences are easy to spot as you look
closer. The R has more of a Roadster/
Sporty handlebar setup where the GT
has a more refined, higher bend cruiser
type handlebar. When sitting on both
bikes you do notice that the R does
sit lower than the GT, 23mm to be
exact (750mm for the R and 773mm
for the GT). The footrests on the R are
adjustable horizontally by two positions
while GT has three horizontal footrest
settings for the rider. The position of

FEATURE
FIRST
TRACKDAY
MY FIRST
TRACKDAY
W I T H A D U K E
The team from KTM Paarl invited our Mitchell Boyes down to
the Killarney track to test ride their 890 Duke R. Mitchell tells
us about his first ever track experience and the Duke.
Words by Mitchell Boyes | Pics by RW Gouws & KTM Paarl
I have been riding bikes for about 18
years, mostly on the road as a form of
transport because it’s something that I
love. But there was something that I had
never done, a track day. Until now that
is. On the 20th of February with the help
of Clinton Pienaar, Ronald van Rensburg
and KTM Paarl I took part in my first track
day at Killarney Raceway. Clinton and the
team from KTM Paarl were kind enough to
provide us with a machine to do it with.

EXCLUSIVE
CARL FOGARTY
INTERVIEW
KING
CARL
I N T E R V I E W
A few weeks ago, Mitchell
Boyes got the opportunity
to interview one of the best
motorcycle racers of all time,
Carl Fogarty. Foggy had an
incredible motorcycle racing
career. It this exclusive
interview we hear about his
life in motorcycle racing, as
well as get his take on the
upcoming WSBK season.
Words by Mitchell Boyes
Pics by CCM and Forzo Watches

FEATURE
MOTOGP 2021
PREVIEW
MOTOGP 2021
P R E V I E W : A T I T L E F I G H T F O R T H E A G E S ?
After nine winners and 15 podium finishers in 2020, who’s your pick
for the title this year? There’s a whole host of candidates. and we
show off their new colours and teams for the 2021 season.

EXCLUSIVE
MIR & RINS
INTERVIEW
THE BOYS
J O A N M I R &
A L E X R I N S
IN
BLUE
Here at Moto Rider World, we have a pretty cool job. We get the opportunity to
speak to some cool people. This month was especially cool. Two of the people
we interviewed are the current Suzuki MotoGP riders Alex Rins and reigning
MotoGP world champion Joan Mir. Rob got the opportunity to speak to both of
these riders and ask them questions about 2020 as well as the 2021 season.
Words by Mitchell Boyes | Pics by Suzuki Racing

EXCLUSIVE
DANILO
PETRUCCI
INTERVIEW
D A N I L O P E T R U C C I I N T E R V I E W
“I WANT TO ENJOY
RACING AGAIN”
A lot of the time when we speak to MotoGP riders, or anyone in the business
really, they can be quite guarded and have to be very careful about what
they say. Recently, our Rob spoke to the new boy in the KTM stable, Danilo
Petrucci. It was quite refreshing to hear such honest opinions and feelings
from someone who has to be so careful about what he says to the media.
Words by Mitchell Boyes | Pics by Philip Platzer (KTM Images)
PROUDLY POWERED BY
NOW AVAILABLE IN SA

BACK ON
TRACK!
Finally, racing action was back-on-track with round one of the new World of
Motorcycles Racing Series taking place at a very hot Phakisa Raceway.
Words by Rob Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
Nicole Fourie and
Oliver McKay
There was a huge buzz in the pits as finally racing action
was back underway in 2021 with round one of the new
World of Motorcycles Racing Series taking place at the
Phakisa track in Welkom.
A great atmosphere in the pit lane with all riders ready
to test themselves in the very hot conditions around the
very abrasive Phakisa track. This would be the biggest
challenge for all, managing tyres in the two races for each
category on the day.
The day’s racing action kicked off with the Superport
300 class and what a start it was. World-class racing
from our current and future stars of SA racing. A big
three-way battle between Ruche Moodley, Jesse Boshoff
and Graigen Nel was the highlight of the race. Ruche,
who was on his Moto3 bike getting some much-needed
saddle time in before heading overseas to compete in the
Spanish Moto4 championship, eventually pulled away at
the front but very sportingly pulled in on the last lap not
to mess with the overall results and championship points.
That left Boshoff and Nel out front and a proper
head-to-head battle pursued. At the line, it was the
ever-improving Nel who just took the win ahead of the
experienced Boshoff by 0.188. Clinton Fourie was a further
2.8 seconds back in 3rd with lady racer Jessica Howden in
4th. Oliver McKay picked up 5th ahead of Christo Pienaar
and Giuliano Desogus.
Boshoff leads
Moodley and Nel
Race two and it was an almighty battle once
again but this time it was Boshoff who took the
win on his GFP sponsored Kawasaki 400 machine
ahead of Nel, this time by 0.236 of a second. That
gave Boshoff the overall win for the day by less
than a tenth of a second ahead of Nel and Fourie.
Next on track was the Streetbike class, which is
growing in numbers every race inviting all riders
to join in the racing action. But, riders had/have
to be careful as if you go to fast and break out
of the allocated lap time they will be moved to
another faster class. This is to help keep all the
newby and less experienced riders happy and to
help those who are going faster to progress in the
faster classes with faster riders. The only way to
improve is by being exposed to faster riders.
One rider that improved massively the first
time out at Phakisa was double race winner Peron
Parasaramen, who started the weekend off doing
2,10 lap times and ended up breaking out at 1,49s.
Peron will now be moved to the 1000cc class
from the next race on and is looking forward to
the new challenge and improving his riding skills.
Another rider that really impressed on the
day in his first-ever race and first-ever time out

EXCLUSIVE
MOTOGP QATAR
TESTING
SHAKE
M O T O G P B A C K O N T R A C K
DOWN
Right guys, drop those garden shears, unplug the lawn mowers
because life is about too get exciting once again - MotoGP is back on
track with the first tests held at Qatar recently.
After the first days testing was restricted
to test riders and rookies only, the doors to
the Losail International Circuit were opened
for all the riders in attendance to join and
test which included many riders getting
their first taste of a new manufacturer, this
included Pol Espargaro on the Honda and
Danilo Petrucci on the Tech3 KTM.
We also got to feast our eyes on Fabio
Quartararo in the factory Yamaha colours for
the first time whilst Valentino Rossi donned
the Petronas suit under the lights at Qatar.
Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia also
showed up in their Ducati red suits as they
tested for the factory team for the first time
and Miguel Oliveira rode the factory KTM for
the second time, the first being Aragon 2017
when he rode the RC16 in a private test for
the Austrian manufacturer in factory colours.
It was an interesting day of testing with
Aprilia once again coming out hot with their
new evolution with the hopes of fixing their
issues of unreliability which plagued them
in 2020 and forced them to de-tune the
monster they had created.
Aleix Espargaro topped the timesheets
in an impressive manner, taking the P1
spot with a few hours left to go in the test
and held it until the very end, the new
evolution of the RS-GP proving to be quite
competitive. The team have introduced
many updates to the bike regarding the
chassis and a ‘salad box’ with the aim of
improving their bikes reliability as there is
not much use having a fast bike that only
operates at 80% of its capacity.
Stefan Bradl once again appears to be
Honda’s best test rider they ever could’ve

RACING PAGES
EXCLUSIVE
JOHN
MCGUINNESS
INTERVIEW
JOHN
MCGUINNESS
I N T E R V I E W
John McGuinness reveals to Adam Child how he
found out about his MBE and whether he’ll be
back at the TT at fifty… By Adam Child ‘Chad’
TT legend John McGuinness recently received a huge
accolade by being rewarded an MBE (Member of the
British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
And for good reason because, with 23 TT wins, the
48-year-old is the second most successful rider around
the 37 3/4-mile Isle of Man course, just behind the great
Joey Dunlop OBE (26 wins).
However, this was the only good news in road racing for
2021 as, for the second consecutive year, the Isle of Man
TT and North West 200 races were cancelled due to the
global Covid pandemic.
Our man Adam Child, who was team-mate to John
in the Superstock race at the TT in 2015, caught up
with a somewhat frustrated superstar as he reflected
on his relatively unsuccessful years with Norton and his
comeback from career-threatening injury – plus his joy at
being awarded the MBE. McPint meets the Queen… who
would have predicted that!

NOW AVAILABLE
FROM WORLD OF
MOTORCYCLES
146 Akkerboom Steet &
John Voster Drive Centurion
012 765 0600