Bike Test: 2023 BMW S 1000 RR, Road & Track

By

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November 6, 2023

In January we published the World launch report of the new S 1000 RR, where AC praised the BMW for the new refinements on track. This time we get out hands on the same M Sport version to put it to the test on Aussie roads, plus cut some wet and dry laps at SMSP…. Test: Jeff Ware Photography: HMC Photography, SD Pics

The 2023 BMW S 1000 RR M Sport edition in traditional BMW Motorsport colours is one good looking bike. — The 2023 BMW S 1000 RR M Sport edition in traditional BMW Motorsport colours is one good looking bike…

To say we’ve been looking forward to getting the S 1000 RR on the road is an understatement. The last time we were able to get one in for testing here at BikeReview was way back, six years ago, with the S 1000 RR Race 2017 edition. We attended the world launch of the heavily updated 2019 model, and we have had other track test opportunities and launches, but then we were never able to get out hands on once for road testing. Covid-19 didn’t help… and the S 1000 RR eluded us, until now!

Fortunately I had ridden a friend’s 2020 S 1000 RR. So after my track testing of the model in Estoril, Portugal, I was able to sample it on road, but not for a review for you guys. However, at least I can compare the old and new here… The first bike I picked up on a rainy afternoon was fitted with Michelin Power Cup 2 tyres, which have to be the most track serious street OEM rubber I’ve ever seen.

Jeff refused to review the bike with the Michelin Pilot Power Cup 2 tyres fitted, citing they are not suitable for all-weather road and track use. He rode on them in the rain and decided they were simply too dangerous for public roads. — Jeff declined to review the bike with the Michelin Pilot Power Cup 2 tyres fitted, citing they were not suitable for all-weather road and track use. He rode on them in the rain and decided they were unsuitable for our test requirements.

I rode home on them in the wet, and with 30-years racing experience and 22-years full time bike and tyre testing experience, I am qualified when it comes to riding! These tyres were like slicks off centre, I only just got home… anything off centre and they crab walked… Great on track in the dry, I am sure…

The next day another S 1000 RR was delivered, this time with alternative tyres. And just as well, as the track test the following day was half wet and I was still able to get the job done and test wet and dry. Those Michelins might be great on a dry track day but I would not want to be caught out on the streets in the rain… and on a wet track you may have to miss sessions and sit it out in the pits…

For the full technical updates on the new model, check out the tech release below, and be sure to click on the link to Alan Cathcart’s World launch report where he details more of the changes and why BMW engineers made them… I’ll stick to the testing and ride impression, the fun stuff! I usually road test first, then head to the track, but this time I had to do the opposite, and headed out to SMSP…

The new S 1000 RR in M Sport configuration is 193.5kg, over 10kg under the previous model S 1000 RR.

My track testing history of the S 1000 RR is extensive, going way back to the very first World launch in Portugal back in 2009, plus every model since bar the 2023 launch, lots of domestic testing. Plenty of racebikes too, from Glenn Allerton’s ASBK superbike to Troy Corser’s WorldSBK, and our long term project bikes back in the Rapid Bikes days. I’ve enjoyed every model, and BMW continue to impress.

“I was surprised to be able to lap in the 1:39s bracket on the S 1000 RR”…

For 2023 BMW have really upped the game in the name of gaining that elusive WorldSBK title winner, something that has been just out of reach for so long, despite successes in road racing, domestic series and showroom sales. Even bringing in Scott Redding didn’t do the job, but the improvements on track this year seem to be showing… Let’s see what Toprak can do next year. Can he help Redding?

With standard tyre pressures and cold tyres, I head out onto SMSP with the S 1000 RR in Rain mode. It’s my first ride back since I broke my hands and I am still waiting on surgery for my right hand, so I am not sure what to expect having been off the track for almost two years. With 207hp on hand, it would be natural to feel a bit nervous, and I am. But, within a few laps, I realise that all I need to focus on is edge grip and relaxing. The throttle is so soft and controllable, the ABS there for me and DTC.

Modes include Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race and optional Pro modes and the choice to display the ones you use the most. — Modes include Rain, Road, Dynamic, Race and optional Pro modes and the choice to shortcut the most used ones.

It’s not fully wet, just that annoying period when the track still has water flowing over it in places and has a very faint dry line appearing. I begin to relax and just use the session to loosen up and get comfy in my leathers again, get a feel for the ergonomics and try to get a bit of heat in the tyres and scrub them in. The track starts to dry up and by the time I pit, I’m using every bit of Rain mode power.

Initial impression, if I am honest, is I can’t tell any difference between this and the previous one, so I think I really need some fast, dry laps! Thankfully that is what I get and as I return to the track in clear sunshine, with three sessions after my first to dry the surface, I have the M Sport in Race mode and I have my brain in race mode too. Now just to get the old body in race mode… Beer belly and all…

Race mode. Now we are talking. Straight out of the pit exit, the S 1000 RR feels much faster and more responsive than it did this morning, the way it should feel, angry! A lap to warm the tyres and brakes, and I get into it. The bar is set high for BMW, as they mistakenly let me loose here on a HP4 Race once (Video review here), the $115, 215hp, 145kg dream weapon, so I always think of that amazing bike!

Over the years, the S 1000 RR is catching up and now makes the same power, has the same amount of grip, more advance electronics than the HP4 but like me, carries a bit of weight! Still, at 193.5kg ready to go this is one of the lighter 1000cc sportsbikes on the market now. It shares a lot of geometry and set-up from the $64k M RR, and is closer to a factory superbike than ever before, with a fair price!

The top end power delivery, throttle smoothness and braking were the stand out improvements we felt on track.

Head down, bum up, into it. The S 1000 RR fits me perfectly in attack mode, with the rearsets well placed (they are adjustable on this one), and the rider triangle spacious. The handlebars feel closer and wider, but I may be wrong. It’s easy to tuck in behind the screen on the chute, and the RR feels really small and narrow yet as I brake hard for the first time, into T2, there is plenty of lock-on area.

This is where my smile starts. The front brakes feel much better than the previous one I tested, in which I ended up with the lever all the way back to the ‘bars. I really have nothing great to say about those Hayes calipers on the 2019 model, so I was happy to see and feel these new ones. The RR now stops as well as it accelerates, although the intimate feel and modulation of top Brembo is missing.

Initial bite is not racebike strong and instant, and a fair squeeze is needed to pull the bike up into hairpins, but as I brake hard lap after lap, the fade of the previous brakes is not rearing its head thankfully. If my hands were stronger, I could brake a little harder, then we would find out more. At the back, I burn a lot of rear brake, and this one is great, giving good support and control mid turn.

The forks are doing whatever they do, and are giving good support under heavy braking, while tracking through a turn well and there is loads of front feedback for what I recall from an S 1000 RR, which must be the increase in trail combined with the frame flex and longer wheelbase. The bike is so settled, so planted, even through T1 over the apex bumps, at close to 200km/h, it’s rock solid. Very balanced.

Front-end feedback is improved, in fact, overall feel from the bike is better than it was previously.

Equally, the rear of the bike is very good, no squat under acceleration, no surprises mid corner, complete stability on the brakes and plenty of rear grip while carrying corner speed. Even a heavy rider like me can pull the bike in and keep it tight on the apex, as I find out time and time again in SMSP’s tight, tricky, downhill T9. With EBC and other electronics, the S 1000 RR is just so easy to ride now…

I am opening the throttle here earlier than I normally would on a street bike on street tyres, yet I am only just clipping the outside paint on exit. This proves how good that shock hardware (and software) is. And with the fat 200-section rear tyre, wow, there is some speed going into T10, I tell you! Here, I notice that the S 1000 RR steers slightly slower and heavier than the previous model, noticeably so.

Also, the T4 to T5 change of direction, although faster and more flowing than a traditional flick side to side, has me working harder to get the S 1000 RR hard lean right, to hard lean left, than I recall previously and certainly more than other superbike models there. Whether it is the winglet downforce, the steering damper, the 200-section rear tyre or the more stable rake, or all of the above, I don’t know.

“Whether it is the winglet downforce, the steering damper, the 200-section rear tyre or the more stable rake, or all of the above, I don’t know”…

It’s nothing hanging onto the end of the ‘bars (or fitting wider ones for a racer) won’t sort out and the planted feel and the front grip are by far for me more appreciated, so I would not change a thing for track day use, only for racing when getting through traffic swiftly on lap one is so important! I like the old school riding style of big sweeping lines, so it suits me and I’m loving every lap on the S 1000 RR.

"Acceleration off this turn, full throttle in third gear, is another experience! "... — “Acceleration off this turn, full throttle in third gear, is another experience! “…

Head down, tucked in for the chute, I’m seeing 285km/h before braking and flicking the bike right into T1, shifting rapidly to fourth via the excellent two-way quickshifter. Crack the throttle before the apex to balance the bike for the mid-corner bumps, then wind it progressively to full throttle for a 200km/h run to T2, where the hard braking and rapid backshifting starts. A tightening line is held, no problems.

“It is just a very flattering, 207hp, machine, so I was feeling good but it was the bike making me feel so confident and flowing”…

Hard on the gas out of T2, let the electronics do all the hard work, and the S 1000 RR absolutely launches over the crest into T4, where I run it in very very deep and hard on the brake momentarily, before easing back on the throttle, then changing direction for T5. This uphill exit is a great test of grunt, and the RR absolutely screams up and over the hill into T6. It’s fast, yet so controllable and smooth.

The S 1000 RR is more refined on track than ever before. It would be nice to try one with a 190-section rear tyre.

I do four dry sessions on the S 1000 RR, and I lap in the 1:39 to 1:42 lap time, which is above what I normally would do, because it is just a very flattering, 207hp, machine, so I was feeling good but it was the bike making me feel so confident and flowing. I did not play with the Pro modes or modify anything outside of the factory presets, there was no need, and I didn’t feel the electronics doing too much to be honest – I definitely didn’t try the slide control into corners! Overall, and excellent track day package…

On the streets, the S 1000 RR continues to be what it always has been, a very capable road sportsbike that is easy to live with and offers some nice BMW luxury that most others do not. Cruise control, heated grips, and well over 200 ponies, just crazy. But like it is on the track, the S 1000 RR feels so, so less intimidating than it should be, thanks to BMW engineers containing all of that power and torque.

The BMW S 1000 RR has always been a really good street going sportsbike and the 2023 model continues that trend.

The throttle is smooth, it is really docile in the lower gears, has compliant suspension, and to ride it around town or in the wet, on your commute, you really wouldn’t know you were on a fire breathing track weapon. The ride position is not too extreme even by sportsbike standards, the seat is firm but supportive enough and you can even connect your iPhone to the TFT dash of course…

I spent most of the week in Road mode, where the beast was well and truly tamed. Having ridden plenty of 200-plus horsepower bikes in the old days before electronics, it is hard to believe how tame they all are now and the BMW is the smoothest and tamest of all 200 + club bikes. Don’t get me wrong, open it up and get it in the high gears and revving and you will see God, but in a less fighting way!

I’m going to be completely open and honest with you here, aside from feeling the more stable steering, brakes and engine character/power curve from the new M 1000 RR head/Shift Cam and other changes, I could not place an enormous amount of difference between the outgoing the 2023 on the streets. That is not a criticism, more a compliment, as the 2019 model is an incredibly good bike.

Also having the carbon wheels on the test bike means I don’t have a comment on the steering and handling of the standard model with the alloy wheels. Still, I can say that this particular S 1000 RR M Sport edition is a bloody good road sportsbike. I did some long freeway cruise control runs of a few hundred kilometres, a day on fast flowing bumpy country roads and time in the local twisties…

"I did some long freeway cruise control runs of a few hundred kilometres, a day on fast flowing bumpy country roads and time in the local twisties"... — “I did some long freeway cruise control runs of a few hundred kilometres, a day on fast flowing bumpy country roads and time in the local twisties”…

Typical BMW easy controls, with the scroll wheel and the best TFT display and menu navigation in the business as far as we are concerned… The quality is top notch, and the price is very competitive. we know that BMW servicing and dealer support for the customer is second to none, so the S 1000 RR is definitely a good option if you are after a sportsbike, with track days as the main priority to take advantage of the new updates and the technology in the bike. You really won’t use it all on the road.

Check out Alan Cathcart’s 2023 S 1000 RR M Sport World Launch Report here…

"What a lovely bike it is to ride hard, with such well-mapped, responsive fuelling that lets you wind the throttle open progressively as the corner you’re taking opens up, feeling the rear Bridgestone hook up beneath you as you do so." — “What a lovely bike it is to ride hard, with such well-mapped, responsive fuelling that lets you wind the throttle open progressively as the corner you’re taking opens up, feeling the rear Bridgestone hook up beneath you as you do so.”

TECH TALK, 2023 BMW S 1000 RR

The 2023 BMW RR features a four-cylinder in-line engine based on the power unit of the previous S 1000 RR but with key updates. Peak power is now 154kW@13,500rpm – which is a 2kW increase on over the 2022 model – while the torque figures are now 113Nm@11,000rpm. Not only this, BMW engineers have made changes to the mapping to compliment the change in power figures, the redline is now set at a whopping 14,600rpm.

The heart of the chassis of the 2023 RR remains the aluminium bridge frame – a welded construction of four gravity die-cast elements. It uses the engine, which is inclined forward by 32 degrees as before, as a supporting element. With the aim of optimising flexibility laterally, the main frame of the new RR has been given several openings in the side areas.

BMW Motorrad say the focus during development was also on further increasing riding precision for the chassis of the new RR. The steering-head angle has been flattened out by 0.5 degrees and the offset of the triple-clamps reduced by 3mm. This all translates into a changed riding position, which is better in theory, and allows for more feedback from the front wheel compared to the 2022 model.

"The new feature of the Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) system is the Slide Control function. It allows the rider to select two preset drift angles for the traction control system when accelerating out of bends." — “The new feature of the Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) system is the Slide Control function. It allows the rider to select two preset drift angles for the traction control system when accelerating out of bends.”

New for 2023 with the epic electronics suite is the Slide Control function. Slide Control allows the rider to select two pre-set drift angles for the traction control system when accelerating out of bends. In terms of hardware, this is achieved using a steering angle sensor. Depending on where you set the traction control system, it allows for some slippage at the rear wheel when accelerating out of a bend, allowing for a drift. When the preset steering angle value is reached, traction control intervenes, reduces slip and stabilises the motorcycle.

Also new in terms of tech is the Brake Slide Assist function. As with the new DTC Slide Control function, this new system is also based on steering angle sensors and allows the rider to set a specific drift angle for so-called braking drifts while sliding into corners at a maintained speed.

Same as what’s on the M 1000 RR model, winglets on the new RR aren’t just for looks but generate downforce and additional load on the wheels. All of this translates to the faster you go, the more grip up the front and assists in reducing the bike’s tendency to do a wheelie.

Design of the new edition RR benefits from a redesigned front section including winglets, a new, lighter and sportier-looking rear section and three new colour schemes: Blackstorm metallic; Style Passion in Racingred non-metallic and the racing-oriented Lightwhite non-metallic/BMW M. The new BMW S 1000 RR is priced at $25,750*.

Highlights of the new BMW S 1000 RR:

Increased output and torque: 154kW (210hp) at 13,500rpm and 113Nm at 11,000rpm
Shorter secondary gear ratio for more traction at the rear wheel
Advanced “Flex Frame” with additional flex
Chassis geometry with new values for steering head angle, offset, caster and wheelbase
M Chassis Kit as standard with adjustable swinging arm pivot point and raised rear end
Dynamic Traction Control DTC with new Slide Control function for drifts while accelerating using steering angle sensor
ABS Pro with new Brake Slide Assist function using steering angle sensor for braking drifts when approaching corners
ABS Pro Setting “Slick”
Optimised aerodynamics with new front section, winglets and high windshield

M lightweight battery as standard
USB charging port in the rear section
Redesigned rear section and shorter number plate holder
Optimised wiring harness for removing the number plate holder
Clutch and generator cover in black
Easier rear wheel assembly due to loss-proof axle bushings and chamfered brake pads and brake anchor plate
M GPS Mouse Adapter as part of the BMW Motorrad original accessory range
New GoPro holder as part of the BMW Motorrad original accessory range

2023 BMW S 1000 RR M Sport Specifications

Price: From $25,750 (+ORC)
Warranty: Five-years unlimited km
Colours: Blackstorm metallic, Racingred non-metallic and Lightwhite non-metallic/BMW M
Claimed Power: 154kW@13,750rpm
Claimed Torque: 113Nm@11,000rpm
Kerb Weight: 193.5kg (M Sport)
Fuel capacity: 16.5L
Fuel Consumption Claimed: N/A
Fuel Consumption (measured): N/A

Engine: Water-cooled in-line four-cylinder engine four-valves per cylinder DOHC, Valve actuation via single cam followers and variable intake camshaft control system BMW ShiftCam, 80mm x 49.7mm bore x stroke, 999cc, 13.3:1 compression, Electronic fuel injection system, Closed-loop three-way catalytic converter Gearbox: Six speed, constant mesh Clutch: Self-reinforcing multi-plate anti-hopping oil bath clutch, mechanically operated

Chassis: Frame: Aluminium composite bridge
Rake: 23.6 degrees Trail: 99mm
Suspension: Upside-down telescopic fork, slide tube diameter 45mm, spring preload, compression and rebound stage adjustable, 120mm travel (f) Aluminium underslung double-sided swinging arm with central spring strut, spring preload, adjustable compression and rebound stage, 117mm travel (r)
Brakes: 2 x 320mm floating discs, radially mounted four-piston calipers (f), 220mm disc, single piston floating caliper (r)
Wheels & Tyres: Die-cast aluminium wheels, 120/70R17 (f) 190/55 ZR17 (r)

Dimensions:
Seat height: 824mm
Ground clearance: N/A
Overall width: 846mm
Overall Length: 2073mm
Overall height: N/A
Wheelbase: 1458mm

Instruments & Electronics: Full-colour TFT dash, Riding Modes, Power Modes, Dynamic Traction Control DTC with new Slide Control, ABS Pro with new Brake Slide Assist function, full six-axis assist system…

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

WorldSBK Jerez: Bautista Claims Back To Back Titles

By

PB

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November 3, 2023

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The Spanish rider needed just two points to become a back-to-back WorldSBK Champion and he duly did so in Race 1 with victory. Bautista is now a back-to-back WorldSBK Champion, sealing a new historical mark for Ducati. Read all the race reports from Jerez below… Race Reports: WorldSBK.

Race One
Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) record-breaking campaign culminated in securing his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto after he won Race 1. The reigning Champion needed to score only two points to become a back-to-back Champion and he did just that to add his name to an exclusive club as he fended off Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to end his hopes of taking the title fight until the last day of the season.

Bautista got the holeshot when the 20-lap race got underway and immediately looked to pull out a gap over his rivals, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) started from seventh but made his way into second by the end of Lap 2 knowing he had to win the race to have any chance of delaying Bautista’s coronation. With the #1 a few tenths clear, the #54 set about closing the gap and was faster in some sectors, while the Ducati was faster in others.

However, despite the Turkish rider’s pressure in the first half of the race, the reigning Champion was able to start edging clear with the gap reaching just under a second by the start of Lap 11. As the margin increased, so did his grip on the Championship. Needing just two points to win his second title, the #1’s victory by just over a second, after backing off on the final lap, meant he wrapped up the World Championship, to become the first Ducati rider to retain his title since Carl Fogarty in 1998 and 1999.

Razgatlioglu came home in second despite his valiant efforts in the early stages of Race 1, with the Turk finishing just over a second behind the now double WorldSBK Champion, with the #54 immediately congratulating his rival on the cool-down lap. The win was Bautista’s 25th win of the season, while it was his 87th podium in his WorldSBK career. For Razgatlioglu, it was his 114th rostrum to move him level with Tom Sykes as he took his 19th second place of the year.

The fight for the final spot on the podium was a three-way fight between Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who started from the fourth row, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages before the #22 dropped down in the closing stages. ‘Loka’ came through on Lowes at Turn 13 for P4 on Lap 12, before making the same move on future teammate Rea two laps later to claim third and his 14th career podium. Rea finished in fourth, just under a second back from the Pata Yamaha rider.

With Lowes dropping down the order, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) battled for fifth, with the #9 taking P5 by just 0.887s. Petrucci was able to close in on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in the Independent Riders’ battle as the #47 crashed out after an incident with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at Turn 9 on Lap 14. The #21 was given a Long Lap Penalty for the incident and finished in eighth; six seconds behind Lowes who was able to stem his drop down the field for seventh. In the fight to be the second Ducati rider in the standings, Bassani’s non-score and Rinaldi’s eight points have allowed the latter to close the gap to just three points. For the Independent Riders’ battle, Petrucci now trails Kawasaki-bound Bassani by 28 points.

The #77 tumbled down the order in the opening stages after suffering a technical problem... — The #77 tumbled down the order in the opening stages after suffering a technical problem…

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) claimed ninth after being unable to take advantage of Rinaldi’s penalty with the Italian coming out ahead of the #7 after serving his Long Lap Penalty. He was three seconds clear of teammate Xavi Vierge, while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 11th. With Kawasaki Puccetti using a factory ZX-10RR this weekend, the Spaniard was able to equal his best result in WorldSBK. He was two seconds clear of Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in 12th, while Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in 13th. He fended off teammate Garrett Gerloff as he recovered from a Turn 2 crash on Lap 10, with the American able to battle back for two points. Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Honda) rounded out the points scoring positions.

Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) narrowly missed out on his first point of the year in 16th, as he finished less than a tenth away from the Malaysian. Late substitute Leandro Mercado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 17th, just a few seconds away from his teammate, while Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 18th. The #77 tumbled down the order in the opening stages after suffering a technical problem but was able to finish ahead of wildcard Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) in 19th.

After an impressive Tissot Superpole performance, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out at Turn 8, after making contact with the back of Bassani’s Panigale V4 R, with the #47 able to stay on his bike despite the contact. The Australian was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash and he will be reassessed tomorrow morning before Warm Up after suffering a deep abrasion on his right elbow. Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) had been fighting for top BMW honours but a technical issue around the halfway stage forced him into the pits. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders also retired. Scott Redding brought his bike into the pits after completing seven laps, while Michael van der Mark crashed at Turn 13 a few laps later.

Check out the results from Race One here…

Tissot Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second victory of the Prometeon Spanish Round in the penultimate race of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season, while Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) stormed to a maiden podium after he finished 1.5 seconds away from the two-time Champion. The fight for third went to the final stages of the red-flagged Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in a race that’ll live long in the memory.

The two-time Champion continued his stunning form with victory in the 8-lap race... — The two-time Champion continued his stunning form with victory in the 8-lap race…

The first two laps were action-packed with changes everywhere you looked. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) got the holeshot but his lead only lasted until Turn 5 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came bundling through for the lead. The lead group featured about six riders fighting for the lead, including Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). However, towards the end of Lap 2, the race was red flagged due to track conditions. Aegerter’s engine had smoke pouring out of it, and he pulled off at the side of the track, while Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) crashed at Turn 5; the Spaniard went to the medical centre for a check-up and declared fit.

Dominique Aegerter stormed to a maiden podium after he finished 1.5 seconds away from the two-time Champion.

As three laps hadn’t been completed, the restarted eight-lap race got underway with the original grid; giving Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) a second chance after he crashed on the opening lap of the original race at Turn 6, while Aegerter and Lecuona were also able to restart. The restart was similar to the first one, with the #77 getting the holeshot again and this time leading for longer. Despite Lowes going through on the opening lap, Aegerter came through again at Turn 13, although Bautista passed him on the run into Turn 6 on Lap 2. On Lap 3, Lowes went down at Turn 1 and made contact with the bike of the Turkish rider’s bike, and the Brit went to the medical centre for a check-up. He was later declared unfit with a facial trauma and eyelid wounds.

While the battle for second ignited between Aegerter, Razgatlioglu and Rea, Bautista was able to pull out a gap to make it two from two at Jerez, an take his 58th WorldSBK win. He also secured the Tissot Award for 2023. In the second half of the race, the Swiss star did close in but fell back to claim second and his first WorldSBK rostrum, and the first Swiss rider on the podium; taking full advantage of Rea and Razgatlioglu squabbling behind. The #65 got ahead of the Turk on Lap 6 for second, and he was able to resist any further challenges to claim his 263rd career podium. It means the Race 2 front row will be comprised of Bautista, Aegerter and Rea.

Razgatlioglu will line up from fourth, with his P4 the first time he’s finished a race off the podium this season, climbing a full row forward from his Race 1 starting position, and he’ll be joined by teammate Locatelli on the second row. ‘Loka’ started from tenth but fought his way up to fifth place to give him a better starting position than he had in the first two races of the round despite his crash before the red flag. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took sixth, and the team’s results meant they confirmed the Independent Teams’ title with one race to go.

German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) continued his strong weekend with seventh, just three tenths behind Gardner. He will be joined on the third row by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who finished eighth, three tenths back, and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in ninth. The #9 was in contention to snatch the Top Independent Riders’ title from Axel Bassani (Barni Spark Racing Team) but his single point wasn’t enough to keep the fight going into Race 2 despite the #47 not scoring; he was involved in an incident with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) at Turn 1 on Lap 6, which will be investigated by the FIM Stewards. Bassani therefore leaves Motocorsa Racing as a two-time Independent Riders’ title winner.

Check out all the results from the Tissot Superpole race here…

Race Two
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a Prometeon Spanish Round hat-trick but he was made to work very hard for it as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) did everything he could to bid farewell to Yamaha with one more victory. Nothing could separate the top two in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, with the #54 demoted one place for a track limits infringement despite crossing the line in first after he and Bautista scrapped it out in Spain with an incredible 38 passes across their battle across the second half of the race, and 39 in total including the early laps.

A race that will live long in the memory: Bautista victorious in unbelievable Razgatlioglu fight with 38 passes for the lead in the final 10 laps, Rea tumbles on Kawasaki farewell.

Bautista initially got away well when the 20-lap race got underway, but his lead lasted only five corners as six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) forced his way through into the lead, looking to end his Kawasaki career on a high note. The #1 was in second but he ran wide at Turn 2 on Lap 2 which allowed Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) into P2 in the early stages.

However, Rea’s fairytale ended turned into a nightmare on Lap 5. He lost the front of his ZX-10RR into Turn 2 and crashed, dropping all the way down to 23rd and last; handing the lead to the #54 with double Champion Bautista, using a special yellow livery on his Panigale V4 R, into second. The 2021 Champion held a lead of just over a second although the #1 was hunting him down towards the end of the first half of the race.

At Turn 13, Bautista looked for a move on the inside before the Yamaha cut back to stay ahead on the straight.

From Lap 11, the gap between them was consistently reducing before one of the best races ever. On Lap 12, Bautista attempted a move on the inside of Turn 13 but the #54 was able to cut back and keep his lead before the Ducati rider claimed the lead on Lap 13 with a series of passes between the pair. The #1 got ahead on the back straight before his rival responded under braking at the Turn 6 hairpin, before Turns 9, 10 and 11 had three position changes: Bautista holding onto to lead at the end of the lap. On Lap 14, Razgatlioglu got through at Turn 1 but ran wide at the Turn 2 right-hander, allowing the Spaniard back through. Through the right-handers towards the end of the lap, the two rivals were exchanging positions, with Bautista finishing the lap ahead. On this lap alone, there were six changes of position at Turns 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

The race continued to ignite with the pair fighting into Turn 6, Bautista getting the run on the straight with the Turkish star responding on the brakes. Later on that lap, at Turn 13, Bautista looked for a move on the inside before the Yamaha cut back to stay ahead on the start-finish straight, before a similar move on Lap 17. A lap later and the Spaniard tried a different move. He looked to outbrake the 2021 Champion at Turn 1, but ran wide which allowed third-placed Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) to close in. It was a similar move on Lap 19 but again, he ran wide, setting up a last-lap showdown.

Rea’s fairytale ended turned into a nightmare on Lap 5. He lost the front of his ZX-10RR into Turn 2 and crashed.

The Yamaha rider was leading throughout the final lap but his rival, once again, tried a move up the inside of the final corner. Razgatlioglu cut back to retake the lead and crossed the line in first, but he was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap, on the exit of Turn 13, which allowed Bautista to take his 59th win in WorldSBK, moving him level with Carl Fogarty. In total, the pair passed each other a scarcely believable 38 times from Lap 10 to Lap 20, with all but three corners on the Jerez circuit used to make a move. Razgatlioglu’s second place gave him his 100th podium for Yamaha in his final race with the manufacturer in his 131st race. In third was Swiss rookie was Aegerter, who was just three tenths away from victory, but still took his second podium of the season with third.

GRT Yamaha ended the season on a massive high. Two podiums on the final day of 2023 season kept their podium streak going since they joined WorldSBK, while teammate Remy Gardner missed out on his first podium by just a second behind his teammate in Race 2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was fifth ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in sixth. The #21 had been in the podium fight but dropped down the order in the second half of the race, eventually finishing more than three seconds down on ‘Petrux’.

Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was seventh and only eight seconds away from Bautista after 20 laps after completing yet another strong weekend as he searches for a 2024 seat. The German was ahead of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth while stablemate Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) took ninth. The American had crossed the line in tenth, but a post-race penalty for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) meant the Italian was demoted to P10. The penalty proved crucial in the outcome of the Teams’ Championship. Both Aruba.it Ducati and Pata Yamaha finished tied on 879 points, but the title went to the Ducati team due to having more feature-length wins.

Check out all the results from Race two here…

Round Preview: ASBK Heads To Phillip Island This Weekend!

By

PB

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October 26, 2023

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After a mid-season hiatus, the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, thunders back into life at the famed Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend (October 27-29). Check out what to expect this weekend Press Release: Motorcycling Australia.

With brilliant weather on the horizon for both competitors and spectators, it will be a packed 16-race program featuring not only the five regular ASBK classes – Alpinestars Superbike, Michelin Supersport, Supersport 300, Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup – but also the return of the bullocking Sureflight Superbike Masters category for immaculately prepared machines manufactured between 1973 and 1990 – some which became instant classics.

Grab the official programme here…

There will also be a static display of ex-racing exotica over the last five decades, and some of them – such as an RC30 in the hands of multiple Aussie Superbike champion Malcolm Campbell – will be wheeled out for parade laps on Saturday and Sunday, too. Yep, a massive amount to see and do…

Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda) holds all the championship momentum after winning six of the last seven races and gaining the ascendancy from early-season pacesetter Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati).

Michelin Superbike
Intrigue abounds across all the classes, including in the premier Alpinestars Superbike where Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R SP) holds all the championship momentum after winning six of the last seven races and gaining the ascendancy from early-season pacesetter Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R).

However, Herfoss’ recent successes certainly haven’t been about putting the opposition to the sword, with the last Morgan Park Raceway round a case-in-point where he was involved in two towering battles with Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing YZF-R1M) before greeting the chequered flag in both races, with Glenn Allerton (GT Racing M 1000 RR) completing the trifectas.

Jones, the defending champion, is now primed for a last-ditch tilt at the title over the final two rounds – The Bend Motorsport Park (SA) hosts the grand final from December 1-3 – while Waters has won the last eight national-level Superbike races at the Victorian circuit but has had some injury concerns to overcome since Morgan Park after being caught up as collateral damage in practice for the Suzuka 8 Hours world endurance race. Could that bring Waters back to the field?

Max Stauffer (GTR MotoStars YZF-R1M) and fellow Yamaha riders Anthony West (Addicted to Track), Bryan Staring (MotoGo) and Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing) will also be in the mix at Phillip Island, as well as Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati V4R) and Ted Collins (Livson Racing M 1000 RR).

There’s also extra spice with Goulburn’s Tom Toparis (Cube Racing YZF-R1M) back from a stellar season in the UK to contest Superbike (and Michelin Supersport) at Phillip Island. Toparis finished third in the 2023 British Supersport Championship, while also back from the UK is Jacob Hatch who finished ninth in the British Junior Superstock Championship. He will partner West in the Addicted to Track Superbike team. The Alpinestars Superbike category will have three unofficial practice sessions on Friday followed by timed practice and qualifying on Saturday and two 12-lap races on Sunday.

Michelin Supersport
In 2023, the Michelin Supersport Championship has boasted the largest number of entries in several years and the on-track intensity has reflected how much the level has lifted. Heading into the penultimate round, South Australian Oli Simpson (Simpson Crash Yamaha YZF-R6) has a 13pt lead over rapidly emerging 15-year-old Cameron Dunker from Kurri Kurri (NSW).

Heading into the penultimate round, Oli Simpson has a 13pt lead over rapidly emerging 15-year-old Cameron Dunker.

In only his second meeting on the GTR MotoStars YZF-R6, at SMSP, Dunker created history by becoming the youngest race winner in the 30-year history of the class. He backed that up with another win and pole position at Queensland Raceway and added another victory at Morgan Park in July. Early season points leader Ty Lynch (Unitech YZF-R6) is just 4pts adrift from Dunker in third spot, and he’s returning to a happy hunting ground after winning the opening round at Phillip Island in late February.

The fly in the ointment could be Toparis, who has no championship considerations to worry about and knows the fast way around Phillip Island. There could be some pyrotechnics coming our way!

In only his second meeting on the GTR MotoStars YZF-R6, at Sydney Motorsport Park for round two of 2023, Cameron Dunker created history by becoming the youngest race winner in the 30-year history of the class.

Supersport 300
The Supersport 300 class will, as usual, produce three crackerjack races with a 99 per cent chance that all races will be decided by less than a second and the winner won’t be known until the final few metres of the race. Brandon Demmery (Race DNA YZF-R3) leads Cameron Swain (Caboolture YZF-R3) by just 2pts with Marcus Hamod (Motocity YZF-R3) a further 9pts behind in third.

Swain was peerless at the last round, taking pole position and three from three. And after his recent ‘school’ excursion to Europe which saw him finish on the podium during an R3 Cup cameo, he will take a vast load of confidence out of that learning into the round.

The Supersport 300 class will, as usual, produce three crackerjack races with a 99 per cent chance that all races will be decided by less than a second and the winner won’t be known until the final few metres of the race.

Demmery has been extremely consistent, finishing in the top three at the past three rounds, while Hamod has also freshly returned from an R3 excursion in Europe. He broke through for his first wins at Queensland Raceway and is keen to add to his tally. Fast fact: Since 2018, the average winning margin across 25 Supersport 300 races at Phillip Island is just 1.13sec. Yep, the racing is bonkers!

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
The two leading protagonists in the Australian Supersport 300 Championship – Brandon Demmery and Cameron Swain – also are on top of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup but the positions are reversed as Swain leads Demmery by 10pts with Brodie Gawith 7pts away in third.

Extremely tight finishes are a theme at every round. It’s pulsating to the extreme, with riders often relegated from first to 10th in one corner and visa-versa at the next. It’s a case of blink and you’ll miss it. This weekend’s triple race treat will produce more of the same.

bLU cRU Oceana Junior Cup preview
After last weekend’s Phillip Island MotoGP where the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup was the support class, the youngsters who range in age from 11-16 years old will be well primed to continue their on-track antics. The GP crowd was enthralled with the talents of these rising stars.

After last weekend’s Phillip Island MotoGP where the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup was the support class, the youngsters who range in age from 11-16 years old will be well primed to continue their on-track antics.

As we head into the penultimate round, Bodie Paige has a handy 20pt lead over Archie Schmidt, while the battle for third place heading has 10pts covering Haydn Fordyce from John Pelgrave.

The OJC is the nursery of the future and, like junior programs in the past, has produced riders that are now on the world stage. In the vein of all sports that if you start ‘em young, the world is your oyster. Many of these kids will find pearls instead of oysters.

Sureflight Superbike Masters preview
The Sureflight Superbike Masters will also make a welcome return to the fold for the first time since round two at Sydney Motorsport Park. And the response from the classic racing community has been emphatic, with a total of 42 riders making the Island pilgrimage to compete across the four Period 5 (bikes manufactured between 1973 and 1982) and Period 6 (1983-1990) classes.

Keo Watson dominated the two Superbike Masters races at Sydney Motorsport Park on his FZR1000.

Brad Phelan (Katana, P5 Unlimited), Troy Corser (TZ750, P5 F1), Robert Young (Ducati 888 P6 Formula 750) and Keo Watson (Yamaha FZR1000, P6 Formula 1300) lead the respective Superbike Masters classes. The level of intensity will then ratchet up at Phillip Island, with South Aussie international David Johnson (Suzuki Katana), Scott Campbell (RC30), Denis Ackland (Z1000), the evergreen Albert Tehennepe (Kawaski Harris) and Ryan Taylor (GSX-R1100) among the new additions from the round two protagonists.

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

Aussies Racing Abroad: October 2023

By

PB

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October 25, 2023

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Our homegrown talent has been battling it out on track and making us proud! Check out our monthly column that follows all things Aussies racing Internationally on and off-road, from MotoGP to AMA Motocross. See what our future and current champions are up to…

It's been a massive month for our Aussie talent racing internationally. Check out what Edward has for us this month... — It’s been a massive month for our Aussie talent racing internationally. Check out what Edward has for us this month…

On-Track

Jack Miller – MotoGP
The month of October has been a consistent one for Aussie MotoGP star Jack Miller. Bagging an impressive fourth in the Sprint and a sixth in the red-flagged race in Japan due to the brutal wet conditions, he backed this up with a solid ninth and a seventh in Indonesia to ensure he headed into his home GP with some handy momentum.

Venturing to the famed Phillip Island track in front of his adoring fans, there was much reason for positivity from his weekend in an event where the main race was run on Saturday due to the impending severe wind and rain on Sunday.

Miller hopeful to show off in front of a home crowd. — The month of October has been a consistent one for Aussie MotoGP star Jack Miller on-board his factory KTM…

Banking eighth in qualifying ahead of the main race, this gave him a decent grid position to enjoy a strong body of work, where he finished seventh after engaging in some pulsating battles throughout.

“It was a decent Grand Prix. I had a bit of fun with the guys there. The bike was working good, and I cannot complain. I felt I was losing a bit too much time in the last sector but then also struggling a bit with the front tire. I had to try and nurse it. We learned from that today. We didn’t really want that result at our home GP but it was a solid finish and we were not too far away from the front guys. Happy enough and happy with the bike. We have a bit more work to do, but things are going good.”

Joel Kelso marked his home race at Phillip Island in memorable style by bagging his first-ever Moto3 podium.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Joel Kelso marked his home race in memorable style by bagging his first-ever Moto3 podium. Having earned himself second on the grid, the Darwinian immediately got down to business in the race, displaying excellent speed and race-craft to keep pace with the frontrunners.

Putting on a wicked show for the supporters to eventually bag third despite a late moment, Kelso rightfully cut a delighted figure afterwards, stating: “Bloody brilliant! I’m over the moon. It was tricky conditions, but I just had to go for it at my home GP. I wanted the win but then made a little mistake, so I thought ‘Just put it in the bag’ and get it home safely. There was a lot of pressure, but now we’ll finish the year and try to bring the best results to CFMOTO,” he gleamed.

The future is looking very promising for the Darwinian. The rain proved he has the skill to be a front-runner when he's not held back by his equipment, and hopefully he proved himself to future teams for a Moto2 move. — The future is looking very promising for the Darwinian. The rain proved he has the skill to be a front-runner when he’s not held back by his equipment, and hopefully he proved himself to future teams for a Moto2 move.

In another exciting piece of news for the ambitious Kelso, it’s been confirmed he’s signed with BOE Motorsports in Moto3 for 2024. “I am very happy to be able to join a great team like BOE Motorsports for another year in Moto3. I am very grateful for this opportunity; my goal will be to fight at the front and show everyone what we are capable of.”

Senna Agius – European Moto2 Championship and Moto2
The Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact team ace won’t be forgetting October in a hurry, for not only did Agius secure the European Moto2 Championship, but he also signed on the dotted line with his current team to step up to Moto2 on a full-time basis.

The Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact team won’t be forgetting October in a hurry, for not only did Agius secure the European Moto2 Championship, but he also signed with his current team to step up to Moto2. Photo: Senna Agius Racing.

“I am feeling super-grateful to have the opportunity to step up with this team. I just have to say thank you for this incredible chance and thanks to everyone involved for believing in me,” he expressed. “It will be my rookie season, and I have so much to learn, but it’s already been a good time riding in Moto2, and I am so happy to be jumping up to Grand Prix now. I am just so excited.”

To shift the attention back to his title triumph, the way the 18-year-old handled the pressure and weight of expectation expertly to get the job done was nothing short of impressive, as he triumphed at Aragon after logging the quickest time in qualifying to underline his tremendous talent emphatically.

Harrison Voight – European Moto2 Championship
Back in action at Aragon, Harrison Voight once again showcased many glimpses of his undeniable class. Starting the opening race all the way back in 20th, it was eye-catching how he embarked on a scintillating charge through the field to work his way up to sixth. Disappointingly, though, while running close to the group of riders up to second, a mistake from a rival forced a collision, which saw him pull out courtesy of some subsequent pain in his leg that meant he was unable to change gears.

Making vital progress with every passing outing, there's been much to admire about Harrison Voight's latest offerings. Photo Via Harrison Voight Racing. — Making vital progress with every passing outing, there’s been much to admire about Harrison Voight’s latest offerings. Despite battling some bad luck this year, he’s looking to prove himself at the finale. Photo Via Harrison Voight Racing.

Bravely lining up for the second race, 13th was the best he could manage in a bout that saw him toil on valiantly following a rough start. With one round left in the series, all eyes will be on the finale, where the Stylobike hotshot will be eager to close out his season in an uplifting fashion.

Josh Brookes – British Superbike
Josh Brookes ended his 2023 crusade with commendable efforts at the final two rounds at Donington Park and Brands Hatch. To start with the former, his 7-8-3 finishes were a tidy return, considering he qualified back in 17th. Although he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his output at the rain-interrupted round due to him posting great results and rides at the same venue earlier in the term, Brookes remained upbeat with his podium placing.

Brookes ended 2023 with commendable efforts at the final two rounds: Donington Park and Brands Hatch. Photo: BSB.

Even though a nasty spill in first practice and a bike issue in qualifying ensured he had to line up for the opening bout in 18th. It was an unsatisfactory way to begin the finale, but the way he salvaged his weekend was notable. Struggling with bike setup all weekend and never feeling comfortable, much credit must go to Brookes, who fought on doggedly to claim a seventh, an eighth and a ninth to conclude his campaign in a credible seventh in the standings.

“I’d like to thank everyone; all the supporters, the team, sponsors, the fans – everyone who has put something into the team and hopefully next year we can get some better results and fight for the championship,” he told the team’s website.

Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Jason O’Halloran closed out his season with an outstanding showing on his way to a terrific victory at Donington before wrapping up his 2023 with a mixed weekend at Brands Hatch. Despite blasting out of the blocks to bank pole position with the fastest-ever BSB time at the circuit, the opener didn’t go to plan, for tyre issues ensured 17th was all he could muster.

A man on a mission in race two, the ‘O’Show’ scorched his way from 21st to fourth before the race was red-flagged just as a podium beckoned for the Aussie. The third duel was all about the McAMS Yamaha star, as he shot off the line to then ride to an accomplished win in what was a statement body of work ahead of Brands Hatch.

Jason O’Halloran closed out his season with an outstanding showing on his way to a terrific victory at Donington before wrapping up his 2023 with a mixed weekend at Brands Hatch. He now moves to Kawasaki for 2024. Photo via BSB.

While this last stop on the calendar wasn’t one to remember, even if he bagged pole and was second in the opener, as a crash and a seventh scuppered any hopes he had of challenging for the title. Ultimately obtaining sixth in the standings to close his tenure with the team, who will no longer be running a BSB outfit, an emotional O’Halloran expressed his gratitude for all they’ve done for him and stated what a fantastic time he’s had under the awning over the years.

“I think together with the team, we can look back on what we’ve achieved with great pride. We’ve had an incredible journey over the last five years, and I wish everyone all the success in their next steps. A huge thanks to Steve Rodgers, Wendy, Tina and all the other people who make this happen,”

Now moving to the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki, it’ll be intriguing to see how he fares with his new squad in 2024.

Off-Road

Jett Lawrence – MXoN for Australia
Flexing his muscles on the world stage on French soil, Jett Lawrence shone brightly for Team Australian at the prestigious Motocross of Nations. Playing an instrumental role in propelling his nation to their best-ever finish at the event in second!

Flexing his muscles on the world stage on French soil, Jett Lawrence shone brightly for Team Australian at the prestigious Motocross of Nations. Bringing Australia to their best ever finish of Second. Photo: MA.

After constructing some exceptional rides in the qualifying race and in his first moto to carve through the park on the rutty, hard surface, his final moto masterclass was a joy to behold, with him rising to the occasion to outfox the legendary Ken Roczen with aplomb to secure a magnificent victory.

“The first race, the start wasn’t too bad, I was there. I was in the top 10, and I thought I had a good chance of winning it, but I made an aggressive pass on the outside and went down. Starting dead last wasn’t ideal, but I had a pretty good flow around the track and felt fit, and didn’t get tired at all. My last six laps were the fastest, so I was happy with that,”

“The second moto I wanted to go out and win… I had a decent start, around third, then I made a quick move for second and was chasing Kenny again like back in America. I felt at home, although he had a lot better lines than I did at the start, so I was following him for a bit, but once I was able to get around him, I put my head down and flowed just like home. It was good to get the win and finish on a high.”

Hunter Lawrence – MXoN for Australia
Coming into the showpiece dealing with a nerve issue in his back, Hunter Lawrence deserved plenty of praise for putting his body on the line for his country. Kicking things off with a third in his qualification race, it was impressive how he adjusted to the rugged conditions at Ernee. He then carried his form into the Sunday by securing a 10th and a fifth to bag second in the MX2 class behind Tom Vialle, with him overcoming the pain barrier strikingly to play a pivotal part in his team’s score.

Coming into the showpiece dealing with a nerve issue in his back, Hunter Lawrence deserved plenty of praise for putting his body on the line for his country. it was impressive how he adjusted to the rugged conditions at Ernee.

“It was the best result ever for Australia, so it’s awesome, but I’m already looking forward to next year. It was a wild day, the track was super gnarly, it was brutal so we’re happy that everyone was able to do their best, and the boys gave their all, and left everything on the track. If everyone gives their 100% effort, you can’t ask for much more,” reflected the Honda wizard.

Dean Ferris – MXoN for Australia
Experienced campaigner Dean Ferris headed to Ernee fresh from winning the ProMX MX1 crown, eager to impress in what was his seventh MXoN. Surviving a savage crash on the Saturday unscathed, the aim for him was to produce just one sound ride to accompany the Lawrence brothers. And that’s exactly what he did by getting a 12th to stand up and be counted when his country needed him.

Relishing the opportunity and loving coming back to Europe, all eyes will now be on the 2024 season back home, which sees Ferris return to the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy in his quest for further glory.

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR & R, Track Test!

By

PB

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October 25, 2023

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There is no denying that a non-lams approved, small capacity, high revving four-cylinder sportsbike is an incredibly niche market. But, goodness, we are glad Kawasaki brought the new Ninja ZX-4RR & ZX-4R to Australia. How does it handle hitting the track though? Words: Zane Dobie

There is no denying that a non-lams approved, small capacity, high revving four-cylinder sportsbike is an incredibly niche market in Australia. But, goodness, we are glad Kawasaki brought the new Ninja ZX-4RR & ZX-4R to Australia.

We haven’t seen the likes of a bike like this since the ZXR400 production stopped in 1999; sure, you could buy a CB400 in Australia up until 2012, but nothing could compare to the fully-faired high-revving machines of the ’90s.

Even when the ZXR400 finished production, it was pumping out 48kW@13,000rpm (homologation model) and a top speed of 225km/h! In 1999! The inline-four 398cc wasn’t a popular choice. Many people opted for the larger counterparts, but if you owned a 400, the chances are you knew how to really extract the most amount of performance a motorcycle can give.

Back then, the mini supersport models got all the cool bits. The ZXR400 had a 16v head with tiny 32mm flatslides, adjustable cams and a rev limit of 15,200rpm on the homologation models. The frame was fitted with adjustable front and rear suspension, a single seat and a lighter rear sub-frame.

Mini supersport is finally back thanks to Kawasaki with the new Ninja ZX-4RR... — Mini supersport is finally back thanks to Kawasaki with the new Ninja ZX-4RR…

They didn’t make these bikes as an affordable entry into the brand; they were a race bike with premium equipment for the road. In a world where the lower capacity motorcycles get some average, low-spec suspension and dismal powerplant, Kawasaki has said “screw that” and made the Ninja ZX-4RR.

” In a world where the lower capacity motorcycles get some average, low-spec suspension and dismal powerplant, Kawasaki have said “screw that” and made the Ninja ZX-4RR.”

I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for these bikes, having raced in the PCRA on multiple CBR250RR MC22s. There’s just something so rewarding about keeping a low-powered bike up around the 20,000rpm mark that forces you to carry some outrageous corning speed.

We haven’t seen the likes of a bike like this since the ZXR400 stopped production in 1999; sure, you could buy a CB400 in Australia up until 2012, but nothing could compare to the fully-faired high-revving machines of the ‘90s.

Not only would I be able to embarrass litre bikes (who think that just because their bike makes 200hp, it qualifies them for the race group) through the corners, but I would also be able to give the Supersport 300 riders a run for their money.

Zane started out road racing on these little four-cylinder CBR250RRs.

These bikes are simply the best sort of bikes to learn how to be early on the brakes and then quickly off them, diving the bike into the corner and not relying on torque to correct your mistakes, at least since the demise of two-stroke 250s. When Kawasaki released the ZX-25RR in 2020, I was distraught at the fact it wasn’t coming to Australia, so I held my breath with the announcement of the Ninja ZX-4RR.

But here we are at Morgan Park with a green machine in front of me that surely promises to be one of my favourite bikes of the year, and what better place to see if it stacks up to its ’90s predecessors than on a race track.

Let’s chat styling first. The Ninja ZX-4RR is just a slightly scaled-down ZX-6R; it’s the opposite of a sleeper, which is what we so desperately need in this category. For those who don’t know what a sleeper is, it’s something that looks slow but is extremely quick. The headlights have been enlarged over the ZX-6R, but it still features that gorgeous and sharp fairing with the Kwaka ram-air intake.

The single R features all the same styling as the RR but comes in this sleek black colour scheme... — The single R features all the same styling as the RR but comes in this sleek black colour scheme…

The Ninja ZX-4RR comes in the KRT livery, while the ZX-4R will land in Australia in a sleek black. The KRT livery is the only thing that separates the RR from the R in terms of styling. LED lighting all around and a surprisingly solid tail section with no aero, sturdy mirrors mounted to the fairing and integrated indicators round out the look.

The Ninja ZX-4RR is deceptively small; it looks like a big bike from the outside, and my 183cm frame feels cramped almost instantly after throwing a leg over the bike for the first time. The bike is made to feel smaller than it is due to the choice of seat position; the bike feels a lot shorter and doesn’t have that typical tail rake that the 600cc Supersport and 1000cc bikes have. It’s actually a lot closer to a nakedbike rider triangle.

"The ZX-4RR is deceptively small; it looks like a big bike from the outside, and my 183cm frame feels cramped almost instantly after throwing a leg over the bike for the first time." — “The ZX-4RR is deceptively small; it looks like a big bike from the outside, and my 183cm frame feels cramped almost instantly after throwing a leg over the bike for the first time.”

What’s the difference between the RR and the R? The RR gets a quick-shifter, preload adjustability on its SFF-BP Showa USD Forks (both models get SFF-BP forks), and a fully adjustable BFRC shock over the preload adjustable only on the single R. Other than that, the bikes are identical.

You’re met with a gorgeous 4.3in full-colour TFT dash that can be connected via Bluetooth to your phone for the typical Kawasaki Rideology app. You can access the two power modes (Full and Low), KTRC levels and rider profiles. The TFT can also be switched into a track mode, which includes a lap-timer and only shows you the tacho above 10,000rpm.

“Making its peak torque of 37.6Nm@12,500rpm, you can bet it has a seriously forgiving nature if you accidentally give it too many revs while releasing the clutch.”

The closest chance I have to testing how the ZX-4RR handles daily road riding is how well it takes off from a standing start in the pits. Making its peak torque of 37.6Nm@12,500rpm, you can bet it has a seriously forgiving nature if you accidentally give it too many revs while releasing the clutch. Riding through the pits proves the new Ninja easy to ride at slow speeds, and the throttle input is plenty smooth at speeds of 40km/h and lower!

Within half a lap, Zane had enough confidence in the Ninja ZX-4RR to put the hammer down... — Within half a lap, Zane had enough confidence in the Ninja ZX-4RR to put the hammer down…

Exiting the pits for my first ever time at Morgan Park, and the ZX-4RR is set on Full Power and KRTC set on 1 (the lowest intervention), it’s time to hear this thing scream. Winding the throttle on, there’s that familiar feeling that reminds me of my first ever time on a racetrack on my MC22, zero feeling of torque and a smooth application of power as the tacho climbs until it reaches a whopping 16,000rpm.

Kawasaki have plenty of experience building inline four-cylinder four-stroke 400cc engines. The ZXR400 won many 400 production races in the day, producing similar lap times to the 250cc two-strokes of the era.

Half a lap scrubbing in the tyres, I already have the Ninja cranked with my knee on the ground. There have been very few bikes in recent years that have inspired me with so much confidence to instantly put the hammer down and start pushing the bike to its limit. In fact, the last bike that did this to me was the little Yamaha YZF-R15M.

“There have been very few bikes in recent years that have inspired me with this much confidence to instantly put the hammer down and start pushing it to the limit.”

This bike isn’t scary by any standards. The four-cylinder 399cc powerplant is more than happy to be ridden way below the redline or bouncing off its max rpm. Early on, I realise that the ZX-4RR does feel like it’s lacking a few ponies compared to its claimed 56.7kW@14,500rpm, this most likely due to the deceptive nature of a high rpm torque and power peak, but it’s further away in feeling to a 600 Supersport than initially thought.

Bouncing it off the limiter, the bike feels like it has more to give in terms of power. I’m interested to see what can be done with these on the dyno if the limiter was raised another 1000rpm and the timing changed. I can’t wait to hear one of these with an aftermarket exhaust.

There are glimmers of that four-cylinder symphony, but that Euro-regulated muffler heavily muffles it. It whispers one of the loveliest sounds of a sub-700cc bike on the market at the moment.

That beautiful sound is muffled heavily by the Euro-regulated muffler.

Kawasaki threw some warmers and track tyres on... — Kawasaki threw some warmers and track tyres on…

The ZX-4RRs were fitted with Dunlop Sportsmart TT and had tyre warmers thrown on in between sessions as opposed to the Dunlop Sportmax’s that are fitted from factory. I’d say this is an essential upgrade for anyone looking to extract the most performance out of the RR on the track; it helps keep up with that sporty suspension and get the most out of that side grip.

After a few more sessions, I begin to get my eye in and push the Ninja ZX-4RR to its limit; this is when I find a few things on the suspension that need to be changed to suit my riding style. The factory settings compressed far too quickly under hard braking, which causes the bike to lift the rear wheel and become unstable into the corner.

We click the front preload up two steps harder, then four more after that when I begin to see some further stability whilst entering the corner.

On the RR, the rear shock felt suitable for my 85kg frame. A lack of torque helped limit the corner exit squat coming back onto the throttle. With these small, high-revving machines, you need to be on the throttle as soon as possible when you reach the other side of the corner.

I notice the TCS light flashing on corner exits, so some changes to the shock settings to help that rear tyre grip up better may have helped me get on the throttle earlier.

“You can tell they’ve taken some design queues from the ZX-10RR with the frame; it’s just excellent. Everything feels so planted, the ZX-4RR just goes precisely where you tell it to go.”

As the day heated up, I’m still pushing the RR as much as my body will let me. I find the bike getting unsettled while lifting slightly through the long turn three sweeper. A possible revision of the rebound setting helps with the rear tyre losing grip while releasing some of the weight off.

A top speed of 187km/h in fourth on the short Morgan Park front chute saw Zane get the quickest of the day, not that us journo's get competitive! Independent tests have seen top speeds around 210km/h with stock gearing and mapping. — A top speed of 187km/h in fourth on the short Morgan Park front chute saw Zane get the quickest of the day, not that us journo’s get competitive! Independent tests have seen top speeds around 210km/h with stock gearing and mapping.

You can tell they’ve taken some design queues from the ZX-10RR with the frame; it’s just excellent. Everything feels so planted, and the ZX-4RR just goes precisely where you tell it to go. The side changes are lightning fast thanks to a wheelbase of just 1380mm, but it also maintains its mid-corner stability well with some of those 170km/h corners at Morgan Park.

2x290mm discs with four-piston calipers.

1x220mm disc with single-piston caliper.

The brakes are excellent. After riding those ’90s 250s for so long, I’ve become accustomed to squeezing the brakes as hard as possible, coming into a corner to try and slow up a little. The ZX-4RR, on the other hand, encouraged me to use fewer brakes and come off them much earlier than I would with other bikes.

They’ve matched the weight and size of these bikes with an excellent brake package that isn’t going to send you over the ‘bars when you grab them.

The initial bite is plentiful, I feel more confident to squeeze them on all the way than I would on other bikes. They’ve matched the weight and size of these with an excellent brake package that isn’t going to send you over the ‘bars when you grab them. It should also be worth noting that at no time did I feel the brakes begin to fade or lose any braking power throughout the day; this is on factory brake pads!

Quick shifter fitted as standard on the RR.

Gearing could be revised for some more acceleration.

The quick-shifter is excellent on the upshift with the RR; it helps you focus on your line and stay in that top-end powerband. The downshift is average in terms of an up-and-down quick-shifter; it needs a slight blip to really smooth out the shift.

These could be a great step up from a Ninja 400 for LAMS riders who don't want to go for 600 or 1000cc sportsbikes. — These could be a great step up from a Ninja 400 for LAMS riders who don’t want to go for 600 or 1000cc sportsbikes.

In terms of gearing, I didn’t find my way above fourth gear on the Morgan Park circuit. I feel like it’s much of a location thing if you’re taking one of these on track, across the board, it could use an extra tooth on the front and rear sprockets; the acceleration feels a little lazy with someone like me on board.

While in a slipstream position, my elbows do touch my knees, making me feel claustrophobic on the bike.

Just quickly touching back on those ergonomics, while in a slipstream position, my elbows do touch my knees, making me feel claustrophobic on the bike and out in the breeze. I could have hit 195/200km/h if I could have tucked in properly. The seat height and footpeg location would be the first on my list to change, but for people under 177cm, it would work really well. I can see this rider triangle working really well for street riding.

Ninja ZX-4R
After a few sessions on the RR, I decide to try the single R for a few laps. The single R was fitted with the standard Dunlop Sportmax hoops, so I ride with a little more caution than I was with the RR. It turns out there’s no need, as the R provides just as much instant confidence to put the hammer down.

After a few sessions on the RR, I decide to try the single R for a few laps. The single R was fitted with the standard Dunlop Sportmax hoops, so I ride with a little more caution than I was with the RR.

I almost feel like the stiff nature of the non-adjustable SFF-BP forks and the simple shock suit my weight and riding style better than what the RR was set to. There’s less dive in the front, and the rear feels planted despite not having the same grip level with the road bias tyres.

"The road bias tyres make the R even twitchier and easier to change direction than the RR with the TTs. Off the showroom floor, this thing is ready to boogie through your local twisties." — “The road bias tyres make the R even twitchier and easier to change direction than the RR with the TTs. Off the showroom floor, this thing is ready to boogie through your local twisties.”

The road tyres make the R even twitchier and easier to change direction on than the RR on the TTs. Off the showroom floor, this thing is ready to boogie through your local twisties. The lack of a quick-shifter on the R is enough to make me want to throw myself back on the RR though. You can’t extract that same level of smoothness out of this engine without having those lightning-fast gear shifts.

ZX-4RR vs ZX-4R
I would opt for the Ninja ZX-4RR every time. You get an excellent level of equipment straight out of the factory for a price of $13,194 + ORC, but the single R is undoubtedly worth considering at $11,794 + ORC if you can’t get your hands on a RR or just don’t like the green. If it comes down to it, you can always add the quick-shifter as an accessory and possibly even buy that fully-adjustable shock later.

"I would opt for the ZX-4RR every time. You get an excellent level of equipment straight out of the factory for a price of $13,194(+orc), but the single R is undoubtedly worth considering at $11,794 (+orc) if you can’t get your hands on a RR." — “I would opt for the ZX-4RR every time. You get an excellent level of equipment straight out of the factory for a price of $13,194(+orc), but the single R is undoubtedly worth considering at $11,794 (+orc) if you can’t get your hands on a RR.”

Kawasaki Australia have said they’ve only bringing in 80 of the RR and R combined for their first MY. You’re going to want to hit your local dealership before people realise they don’t need 200hp to have fun on Australian roads. But be quick!

This has been one of the only bikes in 2023 that I have seriously considered buying. The engine is so much fun and easy to ride, I see potential in the suspension being set up to my liking, and it’s a future classic. Kawasaki has done a fantastic job providing a base for a pocket rocket, and I’m praying that we will get to see an Australian race series for these. I’m also hoping that the other major manufacturers will soon follow this path of bringing back high-revving, low-capacity sportsbike for the general public.

For our full Tech Talk Details on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR, head here…

2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR [ZX-4R] Specifications

kawasaki.com.au/en-au/

Price: $13,194(+orc) [$11,794 (+orc)]
Warranty: Two-years unlimited km
Colours: KRT Lime Green [Spark Black]
Claimed Power: 55kW[75hp]@14,500rpm
Claimed Torque: 37.6Nm[43ft-lbs]@12,500rpm
Claimed Fuel Consumption: N/A
Wet Weight: 188kg
Fuel capacity: 15L

Engine: Liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke, 16-valve, DOHC, 399cc, 12.3:1 compression, 57 x 39.1mm bore x stroke, 4x34mm throttle bodies, wet sump.
Gearbox: Six speed with Kawasaki QS
Clutch: Wet, multiple disc slipper

Chassis: Trelis frame
Rake: 23.5°
Trail: 97mm
Suspension: 37mm USD Showa SFF-BP top out springs, preload adjustable [not adjustable on R] (f), Horizontal Back-link, BFRC lite gas-charged shock with piggyback reservoir, compression and rebound damping and spring preload adjustability, and top-out spring [Horizontal Back-link, gas-charged shock with spring preload adjustability] (r)
Brakes: Dual semi-floating 290mm discs, radial-mount, monobloc, opposed four-piston calipers (f) Single piston caliper, 220mm disc (r)
Wheels & Tyres: 120/70ZR17M/C (f) 160/60ZR17M/C (r) Dunlop Sportmax

Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1990mm
Seat height: 800mm
Ground clearance: 135mm
Overall width: 765mm
Overall Length: 1990mm
Overall height: 1110mm

Instruments & Equipment: 4.3in TFT Dash, KRTC, Power Modes, LED Lighting, Kawasaki QS, ABS.

New Model: 2024 Yamaha XSR900 GP

By

PB

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October 25, 2023

0

Racing is in Yamaha’s DNA. Their history on the track is headlined by riders like ‘King’ Kenny Roberts who piloted his YZR500 to a third consecutive title in 1980. So for 2024 the nod to Yamaha’s racing tradition takes another leap with the introduction of the new XSR900 GP.

This new model pays homage to some of the most celebrated race machines from Yamaha’s illustrious past in a way never seen before in the Sports Heritage range.

Read our latest XSR900 review here…

Adorned in one of the most iconic Yamaha Grand Prix colours of all time, the XSR900 GP is available in a heritage livery inspired by the machines ridden by legends such as Wayne Rainey to multiple 500cc Grand Prix World Championships, complete with authentic yellow number boards on both front and rear cowlings.

Combining a sense of 1980s Grand Prix nostalgia with the very latest technology including the iconic 890cc CP3 engine, R1-derived six-axis IMU and lean sensitive rider aids, the XSR900 GP combines Yamaha’s Racing history with modern day performance. Yamaha say that the aim was not to create a replica, but instead release a model that pays the utmost respect to the past, while holding its own with the latest in performance and technology.

The XSR900 GP features an upper cowling reminiscent of this era, not only with a clear influence from the 1980s YZR Grand Prix bikes but also with notes of the FZR and TZR production sports machines of the late 1980s and early 1990s. To maintain the race-bike look, the XSR900’s round LED headlamp is replaced by a compact lens module, neatly hidden in the front cowling.

The bodywork is not only a symbol of the past in looks alone, but the method in which it is fixed in position is also inspired by the 1980s, with a tubed structure connecting the cowling to the frame and straight brackets supporting the dash creating a rider’s view with a genuine golden era feel.

Yamaha say that the aim was not to create a replica, but instead release a model that pays the utmost respect to the past, while holding its own with the latest in performance and technology. That is the XSR900 GP.

To emphasise the classic cockpit feeling, the upper fairing stay is supported by a nut structure identical to that used for the original TZ250. In true racing style, this structure is fastened with a beta pin, marking the first time Yamaha has used such a fastening on a mass-produced production model for public road use.

The function behind the move from the curvaceous cowlings of the 1970s to the more squared off style of the 1980s was to both improve aerodynamic efficiency and protect the rider from the wind and this is no different with the XSR900 GP.

While the windscreen and individual knuckle guards incorporate a taste of the 1980s; it’s not solely about looks. The power output and gear ratio of the 890cc CP3 engine are identical to that of the XSR900, but the front cowling structure of the XSR900 GP increases both acceleration and top speed while the ducts on the side panels efficiently discharge heat from the radiator to maximise cooling performance. The colour-matched seat cover fits over the passenger seat to complete the racer look with a boxy 1980s style rear end hiding the rear light, while a seat stopper on top of the seat cowling keeps the rider in position.

The Deltabox-style chassis and swingarm are finished in silver to better evoke the era of the 1980s prototypes and emphasise the character of the Deltabox style frame itself.

XSR900 GP SELECTED FEATURES

Race-style clip on handlebars
Separate ‘clip on’ handlebars add to the racer-style cockpit and offer a sportier riding experience. The revised handlebars move the rider further forward on the machine into a sportier riding position, but not excessively. The position offers a balance that can be enjoyed on the road without discomfort. This comfort is emphasised via a thicker, more supportive seat.

The aluminium diecast footrests are adjustable to two different positions but come out of the factory set at the upper position to highlight the sportier riding position.

To accommodate the extra load on the front end of the machine as a result of the more forward riding position, the XSR900 GP areas surrounding the frame have been tuned to optimise stability in turning.

Tuned rigidity
To accommodate the extra load on the front end of the machine as a result of the more forward riding position, the XSR900 GP areas surrounding the frame have been tuned to optimise stability in turning. The subframe has also been reinforced over the one found on the XSR900.

To further correspond with this front end-led riding style, the XSR900 is the only CP3 model to feature an aluminium steering stem shaft, adjusting rigidity in the steering area to better balance the often conflicting feelings of lightness and stability when changing direction or under rapid deceleration. In conjunction with the lightweight Spinforged wheels and new Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23 tyres.

High performance brakes and suspension
In line with the mantra of blending yesterday’s style with modern technology, the XSR900 GP boasts the latest in suspension and braking components. The KYB upside down forks are fully adjustable for preload and compression damping as well as rebound damping.

The link-type rear suspension actuates a forward-inclined fully adjustable KYB shock. Remote pre-load adjustment makes customising the ride a simple task. Also fitted with a Brembo radial front master cylinder for added braking confidence.

Yamaha Ride Control (YRC)
Further maintaining the mix of nostalgic style with the latest in high performance technology, XSR900 GP riders can customise their riding experience via Yamaha Ride Control (YRC). Three pre-set integrated riding modes, SPORT, STREET and RAIN feature factory settings with different intervention levels to suit different conditions. These are complemented by two custom settings, which enable the rider to manually select their own power and intervention settings for the various electronically controlled, lean-sensitive rider aids – all of which can be set using a smartphone via the MyRide app.

Further maintaining the mix of nostalgic style with the latest in high performance technology, XSR900 GP riders can customise their riding experience via Yamaha Ride Control (YRC).

5in TFT meter with full connectivity
A new five-inch full colour TFT display is housed in the retro-styled cockpit. While riders can choose from four different themes to suit a range of mindsets, a traditional analogue-style tachometer theme inspired by race bikes of yesteryear truly enhances the period riding experience.

Smartphone connectivity comes as standard on the XSR900 GP via a built-in Communication Control Unit (CCU), ensuring riders can stay connected while riding by linking their smart phone with their machine via the free MyRide Link app. As well as seeing call and message notifications on the 5in TFT display, a new dimension is added to the ride by the possibility of taking calls and listening to music via a Bluetooth headset (not included). Once connected, riders can also make use of the integrated Garmin StreetCross navigation system which will display Turn-By-Turn navigation on the 5in TFT dashboard. There is also the option to provide power to external devices by the new USB Type C socket located near the dashboard.

The KYB upside down forks are fully adjustable for preload and compression damping as well as rebound damping.

New ergonomic switchgear
New integrated handlebar switch assemblies enable the rider to operate the wider range of functions of the new XSR900 GP including smartphone connectivity, navigation and riding modes as well as interrogating the various menu options. To aid navigation of busy road environments, a softclick of the indicator switch will flash the turn signals three times for use when lane-changing or when only brief indication is required. A full-click of the switch will result in continuous flashing until 15 seconds has passed and when the machine has travelled more than 150 metres. A new Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) function reacts to sudden braking by engaging the hazard lights to warn road users behind the vehicle is stopping at speed in an emergency situation.

Extra support from advanced six-axis IMU with lean sensitive rider aids
Developed directly from the electronic systems on the R1, the XSR900 GP’s high-tech six-axis IMU constantly measures acceleration in the forward-backward, up-down and left-right directions – as well as the angular velocity in the machine’s pitch, roll and yaw directions. The six-axis IMU is able to send data in real time to the ECU which controls the suite of electronic rider aids, including the lean sensitive Traction Control System (TCS), Slide Control System (SCS) as well as a front wheel Lift Control System (LIF) and Brake Control System (BC).

XSR900 GP also becomes the first Sport Heritage model to be equipped with the third-generation quick shift system, enhancing the ride by enabling clutchless upshifts while accelerating and clutchless downshifts under deceleration in addition to the standard functionality.

Technical Highlights

Distinctive design evocative of Grand Prix racers of the 80s and 90s
New 5-inch full colour TFT display with connectivity
High grade fully adjustable front and rear KYB suspension
Newly designed clip-on handlebars and handlebar switches
Deltabox-style chassis with optimised rigidity
Comfortable main seat, new side covers and removable seat cover
New footpeg style and positioning
Yamaha Ride Control YRC and 6-axis IMU
Cruise control, third generation Quick Shift System and A&S Clutch
Sophisticated high-torque CP3 890cc engine
Yamaha Spinforged wheels fitted with Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23

Colours, availability and price
The new XSR900 GP will be available in two colours Legend Red and Power Grey. Delivery dates to Australian dealers and prices are not set yet, more details will be supplied in due course.

Yamaha Genuine Accessories
Yamaha has developed a range of individual Genuine Accessories that enable the XSR900 GP owner to easily personalise their motorcycle. The genuine accessory list for the XSR900 GP includes a Lower Fairing, a License Plate Holder, a Tinted Screen and an Akrapovič Exhaust System.

2024 Yamaha XSR900 GP Gallery

Aus MotoGP Sunday: Joel Kelso on the Podium in Moto3, Tissot Sprint Cancelled!

By

PB

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October 22, 2023

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Due to rain and wind, the Tissot Sprint at the MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn Australian Grand Prix was cancelled. Fans would have been gutted, after an already chaotic weekend, but at least we had Joel Kelso on the podium, a first Aussie Moto3 podium since Jack Miller in 2014. Report: MotoGP Press

With the forecast to worsening, further track activity - following the conclusion of the Moto2 race - was cancelled. — With the forecast to worsening, further track activity – following the conclusion of the Moto2 race – was cancelled.

Before all that, the riders also headed for the Hero Walk after the Warm Up session. Then riders headed out again to greet fans as the weather closed in on the Island.

Dorna Chief Sporting Officer, Carlos Ezpeleta: “As we expected the conditions today were not the most favourable, which is why we had the GP yesterday. It’s not an easy decision, for sure. This morning actually the feedback was positive from the MotoGP class riders, it was not negative, more positive than the other classes actually, and so Moto3 were difficult conditions but the race was able to go ahead, and then we had to red flag Moto2 because of some gusts of wind and the forecast was that it was only going to get worse during rest of day.

“We spoke with the teams and that was more or less the feedback. It wasn’t all the teams, but that was more or less the consensus. You know it’s always hard to make a decision like this. It’s really important to say thank you to the fans for enduring the conditions of cold and wind who came to see how great MotoGP™ is and we hope to be here next year and complete our schedule. There are still four great race weekends to look forward to on the MotoGP calendar.”

“Clearly in hindsight it was the correct decision to move the main MotoGP race, but hindsight is always a tricky thing, because this time it’s in our favour, and clearly we were able to complete the greatest and most important part of the weekend’s schedule, the fans were able to see a fantastic race yesterday. Today has been a little harder, the conditions have just been quite hard, but this is part of what Phillip Island is. It’s a great circuit with great fans, but sometimes we have these conditions.”

Moto2
Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) went a stunning 15 seconds clear in a shortened and rain-soaked Moto2™ race at the MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The red flags came out with 14 laps remaining as conditions worsened and half points were awarded, but the drama had already hit for Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the number 37 crashed on the sighting lap and had to start the race from the back of the grid. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took second and third , the former aiming for a top three overall in 2023 and the latter taking back to back podiums for the first time.

The race got underway and it was Canet that led the charge into Turn 1, but not long after the Pons machine dropped to fourth after the two Boscoscuro riders of Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Aldeguer pushed their way through, with Arbolino also on an early charge. It was a short-lived story for Lopez however, who crashed out of the race lead not long after, rider ok but out of the race at the venue he’d reigned in 2022 in the dry. He rejoined but was ultimately four laps down.

Arbolino tames the Island in shortened showdown as drama hits for Acosta.

That gave the race lead to rookie Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), with Arbolino and Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Moto2) rounding out the top three early doors. The order quickly changed once again though, and this time it was Garcia who crashed out of the race lead, with Salač going down nearly simultaneously from third. The laps ticked away as the riders braved the tricky conditions, but Arbolino had checked out already as he stretched out a 15-second lead. That was ahead of Canet and Aldeguer after crashes for Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) and Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) reshuffled the order in the chasing pack once more.

With 14 laps to go, however, the conditions were worsening and the Red Flag came out. The race was initially set to be restarted as a six-lap dash but with the conditions failing to improve, the result was declared and half points awarded. Arbolino, Canet and Aldeguer took the rostrum, with Jeremy Alcoba (QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Moto2) and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top five ahead of rookie Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team).

Acosta made a fair charge from the back, but with ninth position and half points the advantage is down to 56 points. Still, that’s enough for the number 37 to have his first shot at the crown in Buriram! Tune in for match point Acosta at the OR Thailand Grand Prix!

Moto2 Race Results…

Moto3, Kelso scores podium
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is right back in the title fight after defeating Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) in a very wet duel Down Under, with the Turkish rider taking those valuable 25 points after a stunning last lap lunge. Sasaki’s second place sees him close back in on Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), however, as the Spaniard had a tougher one to come home in P8. Third, meanwhile, was a very first podium for Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) as the home hero converted a dry front row to a soaked P3, impressive all weekend.

There was drama on the sighting lap for a number of riders as Championship contender Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), winner in Indonesia Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and replacement rider Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) all crashed out. They were all able to start, but for Moreira it was from pitlane and the Brazilian then later retired from the race.

Öncü makes last lap lunge to defeat Sasaki in wet weather duel Down Under.

Once the lights went out though, it was a nervy but clean start for the field as they made their way through Turn 1, with no dramas early on but Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) immediately got the hammer down as Öncü charged up into second. The first and sole crasher in the early stages was David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and he rejoined, pitted and then rejoined again, with plenty of laps still to go. But the Colombian then later pulled back into pitlane again, forced to watch from the sidelines as some key title rivals rode on in the front.

Fernandez led Öncü, Kelso, and the two Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP machines of Sasaki and Collin Veijer. The Leopard in the lead was unthreatened lap after lap, with Fernandez putting in a seriously impressive performance as the front gaggle pulled out a mountain of time on the rest of the field. But with five laps to go, heartbreak hit at Turn 11 and the number 31 slid out. With the unbelievable margin the front group had pulled out, however, he was able to rejoin in fifth.

By the latter stages, Veijer had dropped off the leaders and with Fernandez’ crash, it became a three-rider fight for the win: Sasaki, Kelso and Öncü. But as the metres ticked down, Sasaki and Öncü started to pull the pin and Kelso got dropped, left to race himself for his very first Grand Prix podium, with the conditions tricky but some time in hand behind him.

And so it was a duel, and a familiar one: Sasaki vs Öncü. The duo were locked together in a private battle for 25 points, with the Japanese rider ahead as they crossed the line for the final lap. Sasaki played defense to perfection over the first part of the lap, but at Turn 10 Öncü went for it – and pulled it off. All that was left to do was keep it tidy to the line, and the Turkish rider had no trouble doing just that, taking a stunning victory and those valuable 25 points to take him back to within 25 of the top.

For Sasaki, second place may have been a little too familiar in 2023, but he also needed those 20 points – bringing his deficit to Masia back down to just four. Kelso, meanwhile, celebrates a first visit to the rostrum and on home turf too.

Moto3 Race Results…

MotoGP: Zarco Takes The Saturday Full Length Race Win At Phillip Island

By

PitBoard

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October 22, 2023

0

The backflip is back! Johann Zarco took a stunning maiden MotoGP win at the Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, stalking his way onto the rear wheel of teammate and title contender Jorge Martin before making a brutal, clean and perfectly-judged move to take the lead on the very last lap. Report: MotoGP Press

The Frenchman catches Martin in a last lap rush, with Bagnaia slicing through to extend his lead to 27 points as the number 89 plummets to fifth.

He also opened the door for a perfectly-judged lunge from Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) too, with Pecco picking Martin’s pocket and the Pramac on the soft rear tyre then finding himself mobbed by both Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) late on.

As the dust settles and some more history is made, Zarco gives away his record as the rider with the most MotoGP podiums without a win, Martin licks his wounds as he faces down a 27-point deficit in the Championship, Bagnaia celebrates another stylish bounce back from Q1 to the podium… and ‘Diggia’ enjoys that sweet Prosecco of a first ever premier class podium.

Before all that, Binder threatened the holeshot with a great start but Martin held firm from pole, immediately getting the hammer down as the two shot off into the lead and the shuffle began just behind. And that was that. Except this time, it wasn’t.

Martin’s strategy was clear: the number 89, an incredible four tenths clear on pole, had gambled on the soft rear hanging on as he escaped at the front and nursed it home. And the strategy was absolutely perfect until the very last handful of laps, when the Jaws music really began and Martin’s odds dropped off a cliff as the chasing group closed in.

The gap was over three seconds when it was Binder trying to keep tabs, and after an impressive start from an impressive qualifying, next came Diggia, and then Bagnaia at the head of a serious battle for fourth. The reigning Champion led Zarco, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with elbows out all over the shop in the first third of the race. Bit by bit as Martin edged clear in the lead, however, Binder held onto second but Diggia homed in on the KTM – and Bagnaia and Zarco started to create their own daylight to the duels behind them.

By 16 laps to go, Di Giannantonio had Binder well within a second and was only continuing to close in, but Bagnaia and Zarco had been able to go with the number 49. The gap kept see-sawing, however, with the Gresini machine homing in on the KTM and Bagnaia losing ground before another few laps would see it close back up. By nine laps to go, Di Giannantonio then made his move and pulled alongside the KTM on the Gardner straight, taking over in second.

The chase was on and the gap to Martin started to come down, but the number 49 wasn’t making the charge alone. Binder, Bagnaia AND Zarco were all locked together on the simple but difficult mission of catching the race leader, and that they started to do. But was it enough? When Binder attacked back with five laps to go, the group ran the risk of losing time in the battle but the gap was still coming down – just over two seconds across the start-finish line.

On the third to last lap, Martin’s advantage started to really tumble in tenths, with Binder still on the chase and Zarco now next in line as he’d taken over in third. Over the line with two to go it was 1.2 seconds, but Turn 4 saw another huge shuffle and another risk of losing time. But it was Zarco who went for a dress rehearsal and equally well-judged attack, snatching second place and quickly setting off after Martin.

Over the line for the last lap the number 89 had just four tenths left in hand ahead of his teammate, Bagnaia was now the bike behind Zarco and Binder had dropped to fifth. And again, it came at Turn 4. The number 5 slammed up the inside of Martin to take the lead, Bagnaia cut back in in a flash to also demote the number 89, and suddenly everything had changed: Zarco was just corners from a maiden MotoGP™ win, Bagnaia was on the verge of a huge change in momentum, and Martin was left trying to fend off Di Giannantonio and Binder.

That he could not. As Zarco crossed the finish line to take that first ever premier class win, Bagnaia took second and Di Giannantonio was more than able to grab third and his first MotoGP™ podium, with Binder ultimately also demoting Martin right on the finish line.

, Bagnaia took second and Di Giannantonio was more than able to grab third and his first MotoGP™ podium, with Binder ultimately also demoting Martin right on the finish line. — Bagnaia took second and Di Giannantonio was more than able to grab third and his first MotoGP™ podium, with Binder ultimately also demoting Martin right on the finish line.

The battle behind was no slouch either. After elbows earlier in the race there were plenty more, with Bezzecchi slicing through to take sixth from Miller. Aleix Espargaro was even closer behind in eighth, ahead of a seriously impressive charge from the still-recovering Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the top ten ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) after Top Gun was shuffled down the order in a Turn 1 shuffle, and Marc Marquez, another gambler on the soft rear tyre, ultimately finished P15.

That’s that from a historic, unique and instantly iconic Saturday Grand Prix race at Phillip Island, and it’s Johann Zarco who writes his name into the historic books with a maiden MotoGP™ win. Bagnaia proved once again he can’t be written off, but Martin showed yet more pure speed. Now we look to the skies as we wait for Sunday, with races all set to start an hour early and fingers crossed for more awesome action Down Under if the weather holds out. See you on Sunday!

Check out the MotoGP Race Results here…

Moto2 Qualifying
Following his incredible form in Practice, Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) did not disappoint in qualifying Down Under. The Spaniard set a new record to take pole position in the intermediate category with a scintillating 1:31.888, and joining him on the front row will be Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) after the Valencian put in a stellar performance to take P2. The polesitter’s teammate Alonso Lopez, winner last year at Phillip Island, made it two Boscoscuros in the top three as Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is set to start fifth.

Aldeguer unstoppable in Australia to take pole ahead of Canet and Lopez, Acosta fifth.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) just missed out on a front-row start by only 0.012s as he took P4, just ahead of Acosta. The pair will be joined by Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) on the outside of Row 2 after he bagged 6th place. The third row of the grid went to rookie Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), second in the Championship Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team), and Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna IntactGP) in that order, with Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) rounding out the top ten.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Qualifying, Kelso Starts Second!
Qualifying at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix went the way of Championship hopeful Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider grabbed the honours from home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) in third. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) will start from down in P13, with challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) only two places further ahead on the grid.

The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) in third. — The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa in third.

Winner last time out, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) missed out on the front row by 0.105s as he’s set to head Row 2 ahead of Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) fronts Row 3 in seventh place as he’s joined by David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), who also crashed in Q2, rider ok, and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). Replacement rider Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) rounds out the top 10 ahead of Holgado, with Masia in P13.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

Guru by Gryfyn Aus MotoGP Qualifying: Martin Sets A New Lap Record

By

PitBoard

-

October 21, 2023

0

Binder splits the top two in the Championship, with Bagnaia making it through Q1 but Martin unstoppable in Q2 with a searing new lap record. Check out all the info from Phillip Island as the riders qualify ahead of a Saturday race day and a Sunday Sprint race due to a schedule shift… Report: MotoGP Press

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) remained eye-wateringly fast at Phillip Island to take a lap record pole on Saturday morning, with the title challenger in a prime position and over four tenths clear as he looks to grab back that Championship lead both found and lost in Indonesia. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), fastest on Friday, takes second on the grid with some ominous speed, with Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row after a successful and impressive rescue mission coming through Q1.

Q1
After the first runs it was Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) leading the way ahead of Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) just a single thousandth off the number 93’s time in a close, close contest.

On the second time of asking, Bagnaia’s first hot lap saw him take over on top by 0.275. But the red sectors kept coming, from both the reigning Champion and the eight-time Champion looking to move through with him. In the final seconds the two flew across the line and Bagnaia improved his own fastest lap to stay top, with Marc Marquez moving up to second and heading through to Q2 – just 0.077 off the Ducati.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) also made a late charge and was just another 0.010 back, pipping Augusto Fernandez to P13 on the grid but neither quite making it out of Q1.

Martin's lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on provisional pole by over four tenths. — Martin’s lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on pole by over four tenths.

Q2
The first runs saw a familiar name take over on top: Martin. The number 89 was nearly a quarter of a second clear of Binder, with Bagnaia bouncing back early to a provisional front row.

On attack two, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was tucked in behind Martin, and Marc Marquez was tucked in behind Bagnaia – including for a trip through the run off to rejoin. But once the gas was open, the red sectors began to come in.

Behind Martin, Binder and Bagnaia as the KTM gets ready to stir it up for the top two in the title fight, Aleix Espargaro heads Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) takes P5 to pip Diggia late on.

Martin’s lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on provisional pole by over four tenths. Aleix Espargaro moved up into second and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) into third, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also edging out his teammate initially.

The next attack from Binder saw him hit back and nab second though, and Bagnaia then slotted in just behind the South African to get back on the provisional front row. That’s how it stayed, with no one else able to challenge and a tantalising trio ready to head the grid for our Saturday Grand Prix race.

Behind Martin, Binder and Bagnaia as the KTM gets ready to stir it up for the top two in the title fight, Aleix Espargaro heads Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) takes P5 to pip Diggia late on.

Marc Marquez heads Row 3 ahead of home hero Miller, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) in P9 after improving late on but proving unable to quite make those first two rows. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is down in P10 ahead of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) having a tougher session in P12. The top two contenders on the front row split by a Red Bull KTM ready to pay their battle no heed promises much as the lights go out Down Under.

Check out Q2 results here…

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

The MotoGP Title Fight Is Ready To Boil Over Down Under

By

PB

-

October 19, 2023

0

When the Tissot Sprint was announced for 2023, where did your mind go? For many, it was the fierce, fabulous and fast Phillip Island Circuit, and for very good reason. Now, the time has come to take on one of the true greats once more and we get to see the lights go out not just once, but twice.

One of the greatest sporting spectacles on Earth is about to get underway as MotoGP returns to Phillip Island.

Even better, as MotoGP arrives back in Australia there’s truly everything on the line after an unbelievable whiplash twist in the title fight. On Saturday in Indonesia, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) continued his stunning run, taking the Championship lead for the first time as he won his fourth Sprint on the bounce and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) struggled to eighth after failing to make it out of Q1. But on Sunday, Martin made a sudden, shocking error to crash out the lead – and Bagnaia had already been on quite some mission to slice through the pack. With Martin’s crash, third became second and then the Italian attacked Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) to take the lead and win. What. A. Twist. And what a performance from a Pecco some had already started to write off.

Now it’s time to take on the Island and the title fighting duo will be stealing plenty of spotlight as the battle just gets hotter and hotter. We’re also in need of a real duel on track to see the gloves come off. Could the Island be the place? Last year, Bagnaia was on the podium and took the Championship lead that would lead to his first premier class crown on this very turf. Martin, after some hot pace early on, was only seventh… but the top seven were covered by eight tenths. For racing series with more wheels, that’s an almost offensively small gap.

Last year, Bagnaia was on the podium and took the Championship lead that would lead to his first premier class crown on this very turf.

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, ain’t out of it yet either. It’s a long shot, but the Italian soldiered on at Mandalika despite that recent collarbone surgery, and in Australia last year was very, very fast – as was teammate Luca Marini. What can they do Down Under this time around? Can Johann Zarco(Prima Pramac Racing) join that fight at the front? Has Fabio Di Giannantonio(Gresini Racing MotoGP™) got more impressive form after his best finish yet? What about his teammate Alex Marquez on the road to recovery? And what can we expect from Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he gets back in the groove? Eight Ducatis will be roaring down that Gardner Straight.

Let’s go back to Viñales, however. If you listed the venues you’d expect BatMav – we’ll let the fans decide whether that should stick – to threaten at the front, there’d be a few on there. Phillip Island? This place would definitely feature. Coming off the back of that performance in Indonesia too, the number 12 really could be one to watch, having been almost teasingly close to making that history as the first rider to win with three machines in the MotoGP™ era.

Marco Bezzecchi ain't out of it yet either. It's a long shot, but the Italian soldiered on at Mandalika despite that recent collarbone surgery, and in Australia last year was very, very fast – as was teammate Luca Marini. — Marco Bezzecchi ain’t out of it yet either. It’s a long shot, but the Italian soldiered on at Mandalika despite that recent collarbone surgery, and in Australia last year was very, very fast – as was teammate Luca Marini.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), meanwhile, arrives from bad luck and hot speed wanting a lot more reward, and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) would also like a little luck back after a bit of a shunting from former teammate Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) at Mandalika. Raul Fernandez’ (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team), meanwhile, needs to rediscover that upward trajectory after a much tougher time of it in Indonesia. He’d been on a run of top ten finishes before yes, taking points last time out, but down in a P13 that was the last of the riders on the same lap.

Also having a much tougher time of it in Indonesia after some real steps forward of late was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Two DNFs and nothing much to show from the weekend – except a whole lotta love from one of the sport’s biggest markets – leave the number 93 looking for another uptick Down Under. But he is and has been, since a certain number 27 retired, the king of the Island. He was on the podium, and nearly the top step, in 2022, and he can’t be counted out. Even in the situation in which he finds himself in 2023. Can he?

That “nearly” to quantify Marquez’ 2022, however, came courtesy of now LCR Honda Castrol rider Alex Rins, who was back in the top ten at Mandalika for the first time since his broken leg. That’s impressive enough, and he played a masterpiece last season. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will want to learn a few of those secrets on the other side of the garage, and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) also wants a lot more as the Hondas all had a tougher weekend last time out, especially after the return to the front the number 36 had in India.

Speaking of a return to the front, and in this case just tenths off the win, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the closest podium of the year so far in Indonesia. He qualified well, had a good Sprint and then seriously impressed in the Grand Prix race, scything through the gap to home in on the win and very nearly take it. Can Phillip Island be kinder too, despite it seeing him lose that Championship lead last season? For teammate Franco Morbidelli it’s a slightly opposite arrival as he suffered some issues at Mandalika and was ultimately a few laps down. Still, on Sunday his fastest lap was only a tenth off Quartararo.

Finally, KTM and GASGAS. At GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 it’s all about finding much better fortunes Down Under for both Augusto Fernandez and Pol Espargaro, with both enduring a tougher run of late. Better fortune is something also sought by Binder after a slightly adventurous Mandalika. On Saturday, he got taken out by Aleix Espargaro and on Sunday, he clashed with Marini AND Oliveira in two uncharacteristic incidents, both of which earned him a Long Lap. Uncharacteristic in that the South African usually poises his aggression perfectly. After a crash in Japan too, Binder will want a tidier weekend overall Down Under, but he can take heart from some speed in Indonesia as he came back through to sixth despite those excursions required in penance.

Last and by no means least, home hero Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be ready to get his elbows out at Phillip Island. The Australian is having a year of ups and downs in his new adventure with KTM, but there have been plenty of the former and he’ll want to make home turf count for another. The awesome Turn 4 now officially bears his name as we arrive for another showdown too, and fans are guaranteed a Thriller from Miller as he rides for them and some home glory…

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