An emotional 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship came to a close with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) dethroning Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) to become the new World Superbike Champion.
The 25-year-old Turkish rider dazzled as he leapt from victory to victory throughout the season, taking the title in Race 1 in Indonesia on Sunday, ending Rea’s stranglehold on the Championship and becoming the 18th WorldSBK Champion in what was coincidentally the Championship’s 18th final round title decider. Toprak’s not had it all his own way in his career, and he’s worked hard to become World Champion.
Born in Alanya, Turkey, in 1996, Toprak found himself in the motorcycle world, although perhaps not the most well-known side of the sport. His father was the famous Arif Razgatlioglu, a stunt rider. However, tragically on the 17th of November in 2017, just months before Toprak’s move to WorldSBK, his father lost his life in a road accident. A huge influence on Toprak’s life, Razgatlioglu said on social media ahead of the last round, “I will do my best for you this weekend dad. T.T.A.” T.T.A means Tek taker Arif, what his father was known as, meaning Wheelie Arif.
Despite always being a keen motorcyclist and having been brought up around that, Razgatlioglu also has some gymnastic moves. He learnt this on the shores of Alanya where he grew up, doing trickery such as handstands and hand walking. Always seen in the paddock doing something extraordinary and often seen jumping over barriers in Parc Ferme with ease, Razgatlioglu’s not just a one-trick pony, but the clown-prince of WorldSBK. The stoppies that he’s become known for, the charismatic style on and off the bike; he’s a showman that people love.
In his early years and with his dad by his side, Toprak’s journey saw him start on gravel, aged five, on a 50cc motocross bike. However, despite winning four national motocross Championships, the move to tarmac and road racing journey followed, and aged 11, with his dad the driving force, Toprak moved to the kind of surface where he’d go on to be World Champion on some 14 years later. Whilst this was going on in his native Turkey, the country was also seeing national hero Kenan Sofuoglu pick up a first title in 2007. The path to the World Championship was under construction.
His skills continued to be honed, emerging as a force by racing in the IDM Yamaha R6 Cup class in 2011 and 2012, taking podiums and seventh in 2012. Moving on with his career, Razgatlioglu was etched into people’s minds as he joined the Red Bull Rookies Cup programme for 2013, starting with a bang by taking two podiums in his first two races, finishing tenth before 2014 saw him take his first win in the class at the Sachsenring.
Getting too tall for KTM Moto3™ machinery, Toprak tried the European Superstock 600 Championship at Magny-Cours at the end of 2014, after Kenan Sofuoglu entered him and he really did show potential. In a combative race, he stunned to win on his debut; a sign of things to come in terms of his talent and love for Magny-Cours. That single, stunning performance unlocked a monster and Razgatlioglu stormed to the 2015 STK600 title with ease, including an iconic battle with Federico Caricasulo along the way at Imola.
Toprak dominated and won the opening five races, with a third place giving him the crown at Misano. He moved to the European Superstock 1000 Championship a year later, adapting to the bigger machinery and again, it was Magny-Cours which would prove to be a special place as he took his first podium in the class at the French venue. Also in 2016, he had a brief time on the Grillini Kawasaki in WorldSBK at Phillip Island but didn’t start through injury after a Free Practice fall. With two podiums at the end of the STK1000 season, he was fifth and one to watch in 2017’s title battle, narrowly missing out by eight points to 2021 WorldSBK rival Michael Ruben Rinaldi despite three wins.
It was time for the big move: WorldSBK called for Razgatlioglu, and nobody expected big things. As a rookie, the pressure was off, and he was with the Puccetti Kawasaki outfit, themselves only with a year of WorldSBK experience. However, 2018 got off to a solid start, with points in his first ten races, including a top ten in Race 2 at the season-opening round at Phillip Island, whilst eighth was his best result. Donington Park was next and despite not scoring points in Race 1, Razgatlioglu cut through from eighth, beating Jonathan Rea on the last lap for second place for his and Turkey’s first podium in WorldSBK. Taking another podium in San Juan in Argentina, he finished ninth overall.
2019 would be the breakthrough year for Razgatlioglu. Staying in the Puccetti structure, he was on his way to stardom. A first podium of the year came at Imola when he was third, whilst he’d then take a further eighth podiums in the next rounds, at least one at each track. But it’d be the French Round at Magny-Cours where he’d burst onto the scene as a real talent for the future; from 16th on the grid and 1.3s down with two laps to go, Razgatlioglu pushed hard, chasing down Jonathan Rea to take a first ever WorldSBK win in thrilling circumstances. He backed it up with another win in the Tissot Superpole Race before finishing the season fifth overall with 13 podiums and two wins.
Moving onto the factory Yamaha and the Pata Yamaha outfit, Toprak Razgatlioglu was hot property going into 2020, living up to all the hype by winning the opening race of the season; one of just 14 riders to win on their new-team debut. Razgatlioglu took eight more podiums and two more wins, clinching fourth overall in the Championship despite missing two races at Barcelona-Catalunya following a Warm-Up crash. Top Yamaha and taking two wins and a second in the final round at Estoril, it was a strong end to 2020 and a good platform to build on going into 2021.
Then, it was the big year, the huge one and perhaps, one of the biggest in the Championship: could WorldSBK’s most dominant and most successful rider in Jonathan Rea be toppled? The answer was yes; Rea may have won four races from the first six, but once Toprak took victory at Misano in Race 2, the floodgates opened. Thrilling wins at Donington Park were followed by a last lap showdown with Scott Redding at Most in Race 1.
The gloves then came off with Jonathan Rea at Navarra in the Superpole Race, as well as in a phenomenal final lap battle with his title rival at Magny-Cours in the Superpole Race there too. However, it’d go on to be decided off-track after a final lap track limits infringement saw Jonathan Rea take the win.
With the rivalry now at its height, more intense battling came in the Superpole Race in Barcelona, Jerez’s emotional Race 1, Portimao’s hectic Race 1 and San Juan’s titanic Race 2. Since Portimao, Toprak’s been able to slowly edge to the title and although he put himself within striking distance for Argentina, it was the Championship’s return to Indonesia where he was able to finally achieve his life-long dream of becoming World Superbike Champion. He did it in style too; not holding back and playing it safe; he laid it all on the line and was going for victories right until the end.
So, now he’s Champion, what next for the 25-year-old Turk? Well, he’ll head home to Sakarya in Turkey, where he lives with his mum and probably tell her all about it. Then, after all the celebrations have calmed, attention will turn to 2022 and making sure that he can do it all over again next year.
Add in plenty of extreme sports throughout the winter, such as snowboarding and probably, some races at Kenan Sofuoglu’s kart track on the Yamaha R3, and he’ll be busy. Whilst being one of the most eye-catching and flamboyant on-track, Toprak is a quietly spoken and humbling star. After all, he was just a kid with a dream of being World Champion.
To understand this eccentric banking heir, who turned his father’s small New Jersey Bank into a financial powerhouse, before selling it for over $1 billion, you must first dig deep into your passion for all thing’s moto. Close your eyes, imagine the most perfect of scenes…
As you leave New York City and head north along the Hudson River, the West Side Highway leads you past the iconic George Washington Bridge, alongside the Bronx and into suburbia. Strangely named enclaves like Yonkers, popularised in TV and film, eventually give way to picturesque farmland.
The Taconic State Parkway is for many, an escape route from the chaos of the city and the burdens of the life that it brings. At the mile 50 marker you feel as if you have been teleported from an Urban Metropolis, as concrete gives way to green fields and beautiful homesteads, while horses and cows gaze lazily at the traffic zipping by.
For most well-heeled New Yorkers, this Parkway represents a cathartic path to peace and quiet. But for one, Alan Wilzig, the rolling hills and seclusion of Taghkanic, in Columbia County, would provide catharsis of a different kind, best enjoyed on two wheels, or four on the limit of traction.
Imagine your own personal professional grade racetrack, a garage, no that’s too small, make it a hangar of sorts, filled with exotic race cars and motorcycles.
Add to the mix some shifter carts, exotic supercars, a collection of memorabilia and race paraphernalia which resembles a museum and just for good measure throw in a lake with a dock and some jet skis for the summer.
Once you’re done imagining it, rejoin me here to find out what you forgot to include, because I have been witness to a “Field of Dreams” which exceeded everything I could possibly imagine. It is the real world of the “Willy Wonka” of motorsport, Alan Wilzig.
I met Alan on a plane one day a few years ago, we were flying to New York. I was on my way to a MotoGP race. Alan had been doing a three day training program with the Yamaha Champions Racing School. As I settled into the middle seat, a guy in a Repsol Honda jacket inched down the aisle.
Thankfully he sat next to me and within seconds I was interrogating him about his choice of clothing. The four-hour flight came and went faster than any I have done. We talked non-stop; the stories Alan shared went from the sublime to the ridiculously sublime. As we parted ways, he invited me to catch up again. I wasn’t sure if he had just told me the biggest bunch of lies, or I had met the actual Dos Equis guy, you know the one “The most interesting man in the world”.
Under the best of circumstances, building a racetrack in your back yard is no easy feat. Layer in a broader community used to fighting development, carpetbagging city slickers who want to preserve their quiet and militant anti-development neighbours who live several miles away, who would object to kids hosting a bake sale out the front of their grandparents’ house.
The road to the racetrack was a long one, starting in 2004 and eventually finishing in 2010 after several New York Supreme Court challenges and subsequent appellate court appearances, costing over $10 million. To do this you must be an unusually motivated participant in life at a level reserved for only the most fortunate and dedicated.
His love of bikes and cars dates back to childhood. As a student, his dad, a Holocaust survivor, rewarded he and his brother with a Corvette for achieving good grades. As the most junior of bankers following the Holocaust survivors career path, managing the branch pest controllers and doing every other job nobody else wanted to do, Alan did so in style.
Trading his Corvette and cashing out his bar mitzvah gifts for a fly yellow Ferrari, a misstep that sent his father into a rage as he chastised the younger Wilzig for expediting the rewards of hard work. Alan’s proudest day seems to have been crushed, only to be revived as he heard his father’s throaty laugh as he shared the sons scalding with a fellow Holocaust survivor and friend. “Can you even imagine” Siggi Wizig said “That my son buying a Ferrari should be my biggest problem when not 50 years before we were eating dandelions in a death camp to survive”.
Following his father’s passing, the Wharton schooled Wilzig assumed the reins at the Trust Company of New Jersey, growing its branch count and expanding its loan books significantly. Where his father had tried and failed to sell the bank, Alan struck a deal in 2004 to sell the company to a competitor in a cash and stock deal that would prove to be a masterful transaction as the acquiring bank was purchased by Capital One a few years later, valuing the stock at a significant premium.
With the financial means to bring any dream to life, Alan set about building the Wilzig Racing Manor. Having selected a site with gently undulating hills and a beautiful spring fed pond, Alan set about designing the track, draining then expanding the pond into a 25-acre lake and restoring the historic barn and Dutch Colonial house into works of modern art.
The track is a bi-directional circuit, its nine turns feature a banking left hander, a cross over allows racers to cross the circuit and run it in the opposite direction. The conventional 1.15-mile circuit then expands to over 2.4 miles with this clever use of the crossover. There are few barriers to the circuit, instead the runoffs are a mixture of grass and gravel.
At 90 feet wide, the circuit is wide enough for cars to pass and more than ample for the self-imposed limit of up to four bikes to chase each other around. Why just four bikes? Remember this is the dream circuit, just for you and your friends, it was never intended for commercial use.
The pit lane access roads link to the road network, which services the Wilzig Racing Manor, connecting the residence to the “Wonka-land” moto museum which drew its origins from a Tasmanian emergency services helicopter hangar. Alan, an enthusiast of design and architecture, had seen pictures of the hangar in a magazine and instructed his architects to draw inspiration from its brow shaped roof line and open plan interior.
The deceptively large building is clad in metal exterior paneling with a soft rusted patina. Nestled in a hollow below the circuit, instead of dominating the landscape it blends in beautifully, especially with the autumn colours.
Upstairs placed around the perimeter pathway is the biggest collection of Bimotas I’ve seen. I counted 28 of them ranging from the first generations to the most current and the V-Due 500cc two-stroke model, which sent the storied brand into bankruptcy and the eventual hands of the Kawasaki group.
The most interesting of that collection belonged to Steve Forbes of the Forbes magazine empire. So much did he love that bike that he had a Samsonite case made for it, allowing him to pack it into his private jet so he could travel with it to far-off places.
There is no fewer than 14 Ducati’s, my favourite being the 1957 Americano, which harkens back to the days of slippery fairings and bravery of those who rode it. The most unique of the Ducati lot is the “hybrid” MV Augusta / Ducati “egg bike” custom commissioned by Alan and painted using the techniques employed by the Faberge for the creation of their exquisite Russian “Eggs”.
The most expensive bike in the collection and the one Alan would most love to ride is the Honda NR750 RC40, a super rare collector bike he purchased a decade ago from Japan. Its speed is only rivalled by its appreciation in value, now the most expensive bike in the collection. No wonder he hasn’t ridden it. Oval pistons. Phew…
When it comes to riding Alan tells me there really is no challenger to his favourite bike, the Krämer GP2 890R. A purpose-built race bike from designed by the German manufacturer and built and supplied from the US distributor. Alan says it was instantly competitive right out of the box without the need to tune and farkle a street bike like the Yamaha R3 or GSX-R600.
To encourage his friends to experience the thrills of knee down racing, Alan purchased three NSR50 two-stroke race bikes for visitors to practice on. These little demons absolutely rip and are infinitely “chuckable” allowing beginners to really get the feel for leaning into corners without the fear of being bucked by a full-size race bike and ending up in the kitty litter.
While the circuit is private occasionally Alan hosts charity events, club events and track days for his friends at Audi, McLaren and Ferrari. Alan shared a story of the launch of the Audi TT and a very stoic Audi test driver who declined a couple of laps to get a feel for the circuit. “I have been driving these cars at the Nürburgring and every other continent on earth” he replied, before promptly putting the thing backwards into the mud at the second corner, a tricky right hander which is off camber and is a bit reminiscent of the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.
Trusted with the care and maintenance of the collection and property is Peter Huber. Keeping up with Alan must be a nightmare because the guy is literally always going 100 miles an hour. Peter’s calm demeanour and extensive knowledge of all things mechanical make him the perfect candidate to keep the place in order.
During Alan’s decade of road racing prior to the construction of the circuit, Peter managed his race team and was one of the few guys who managed a 100 per cent reliability record from season to season. Peter knows the bikes inside out and importantly knows Alan. When he is not maintaining the property, setting up for weekend shenanigans or showing people like me around, he is hard at work rebuilding bikes, changing slicks and prepping the bikes and cars for the track.
After ripping around the track in my little Abarth for a few hours one day while Alan had a sleep in after our big night, I got to wonder whether the barking exhaust of my little rocket would be disturbing the neighbours and if it did, how did they cope with the bikes and race cars ripping laps?
It turns out the location of the track on the property and the way it was designed means that the neighbours rarely hear a thing and certainly don’t complain. In fact, one day when we went into town to get pick up a few pizzas for Alans kids, we bumped into a local guy who recognised Alan as being the “racetrack dude” most likely because of the Red Bull jacket and pants.
There is little doubt that Alan is living his best life. Unlike pretentious ‘collectors’ who covet the machine, Alan covets the speed and the experience, sharing the passion with his friends. For lovers of motorcycles and cars the Wilzig Racing Manor may well be the “Field Of Dreams”.
The latest shipment of RJAYs Apex III helmets has just landed at Cassons! This new version of the legendary, aerodynamic and affordable Apex line of full face helmets from RJAYs sees one new colour option also added to the range of great looking, comfortable lids.
The RJAYS Apex III features and aerodynamic design but it doesn’t stop there. RJAYS say it has an advanced polycarbonate shell, combined with the inner structure, the Apex III has a certification of ECE 22.05. Featuring an internal sun visor with an easy use lever, meaning you don’t have to worry about swapping to a clear visor at night as you can just click the lever. The clear visor that comes on the helmet has UV protection to keep your eyes safe.
Along with this are top vents to allow air to flow through the interior air channels, a quick release Micrometric chin strap and a removable liner to ensure the inside stays clean.
The Apex III in a solid colour has an RRP of $139.95 or if you want to switch it up with your style, you can get one with a livery for an RRP of $149.95. They are in-stock now through Cassons or you can contact your local motorcycle store to check the stock. Check out the full catalogue here.
If you’re on the hunt for a race bike or track bike and you’re limited to under $5000, there is plenty of scope to build a fantastic bike like I have done. My goal to buy a cheap track bike has been achieved and I couldn’t be happier.
During 2009 I was trying to transform my R6 from a basically stock bike with worn out suspension, into a sharp handling, fast stopping track machine. The aim of the project was to get everything as cheap as possible and do most of the work myself to save money. I’m lucky that I am mechanically minded and have friends in the business that I can scrounge parts off. To be honest, I may have pushed the bounds of friendship with Jeff somewhat in my quest to get the job done but that was never a reason to give up and pay full retail!
So what’s been done so far? Well the most important part for me was the suspension. To be blunt, it was shagged and ripped up back tyres like they were going out of fashion! Next on the list were the brakes. The standard ones are OK but for the track, more stopping power is nice. Thankfully, Hel supplied trick looking braided lines and I replaced the pads with EBC race items. Another problem with my R6 is the fact that tank slappers are all too common and a bit scary. With this in mind I raided Jeff’s shed and found a nearly new steering damper. Unfortunately, it had no fitting brackets so I had to manufacture some to get the damper working. I gave the bike a thorough service and check – a sensible move before risking my life at 250km/h. Next I fitted a race airfilter and replaced the battery. Lastly, I slapped on a bit of black paint and fitted some stickers. I took the bike to my mate Anton to fit some race rubber and that was just about it.
So I arrive at Eastern Creek all excited about the first ride on my shiny black track bike. As I head out on the track and tip the bike into turn two, I can feel the difference in the suspension immediately. The bike now feels so light and easy to steer as I flip-flop from turn two to three. Unfortunately, I can also tell instantly that I’ve dropped a bollock by fitting the race airfilter and not re-jetting the carbs. The R6 now has an obvious fuelling problem and must be getting too much air in the carburettors. So I get out the gaffer tape and try to restrict some of the airflow. This works a bit but the bike is still far from perfect and dozy-me had forgotten to bring along the standard filter!
Anyway, I decide to make the best of it and have some fun – and fun is what this bike is all about. Instead of being worried about dropping my road bike, for less than four grand, I thrashed the R6 around the track without a care in the world.
The brakes are now so powerful that I have to change my braking points. Allowing for later braking should speed me up but instead it just scares me more! I can’t get over how much better the bike handles. With the steering damper fitted, gone are the frightening shakes. As I return to the pits and jump off the bike, proof of the bike’s improved suspension is apparent when I check out the back tyre. Instead of being torn to bits, it’s now as smooth as a baby’s bum all the way to the edge.
So was all the work worth it? Hell yes! Even with the bike running rough I can still manage a reasonable lap. Once I get the fuelling right the bike will be a ripper. I’m not sure if my lap time will improve. I may just have to resign myself to the fact that I’ll always run around in the low 1:50s. However, one thing is for sure, I’ll certainly be less worn out at the end of the day after riding a bike that’s set-up correctly.
All up the 1999 R6 has proven to be a great choice and with a bit of scrounging and begging I’ve only spent $1800 on it and $1000 of that was in the one area where I didn’t scrimp – suspension.
Following the provisional calendar announcement, which sees the championship travel to seven different countries, the provisional Entry List for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup can now be announced, with 18 riders of at least six nationalities set to contest the Cup next season.
A host of fast faces return to the grid, including 2020 and 2021 Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40). The Spaniard will be joined by the likes of 2021 runner up Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), multiple race winner Eric Granado (LCR E-Team), 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), race winner Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) and podium finisher Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40).
The 2022 season will also see the return of Grand Prix winner and established MotoE™ challenger Bradley Smith, the Brit set to line up at WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team alongside another experienced, returning rider in Niccolo Canepa. Grand Prix podium finisher Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Team) also returns to the fold, having already proven one of the fastest in the field in his previous MotoE™ outings.
The experience continues with Maria Herrera (Openbank Aspar Team), Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) and Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), and there are also a good number of rookies set to contest the Cup in 2022.
They include the likes of Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing). Fores is a multiple podium finisher in WorldSBK and has a wealth of experience on two wheels ahead of his new challenge, and Escrig arrives from winning the STK600 category in the 2021 Moto2™ European Championship – as did Fermin Aldeguer, one of the fastest MotoE™ rookies last season who then went on to take the European Moto2™ crown.
Wakefield Park is located near Goulburn in NSW and is named after the founder of Castrol Oil. While it is a relatively short track it has plenty of fast sections that can make or break your lap. Check out how to get the most out of your lap!
Turn One
Depending on what size bike you are taking through there, this is not really much of a turn and is more of a fast kink. On the ZX-6R it was back one gear from sixth and then rolling the throttle back on slightly before turn two.
Turn Two After drifting to the outside of the track coming through the turn one kink in fifth, I would pick the bike upright a little to brake in a straight line while shifting back two more gears before tipping into turn two. It is important to release the brakes early here to let it keep rolling and pick up the throttle early to keep the rpms from dropping too low and get a good exit which could allow one of the very few passing chances up the inside into turn three.
Turn Three On your own (or at a track day) you would approach from the outside white line, shifting back to third for a fast entry but in a racing situation you had to cover yourself a little from someone coming up the inside.
Turn Four Was simply about pulling it back to the left a bit and shifting back to second and even a mid-track entry was okay here because you tended to park it a little before you started to build speed again through the next series of turns.
Turn Five After picking it up a little and driving out of turn four over the slight rise, turn five was slightly faster as you went down through the dip that was the apex, all the time being careful not to grind out the cases and foot pegs through here and ending up on your arse in the dirt.
Turn Six & Seven This turn meant building speed around the right and keeping the bike stable before flicking it left through the fast turn seven. Depending on the bike and gearing again, but usually it was up to fourth through here to soften the bike slightly under acceleration before grabbing the brakes and back to second for the tight left.
Turn Eight
Here it was basically just a matter of getting it stopped and lining it up for the exit onto the next faster section. After apexing the turn you would get on the throttle smoothly, a little like the 11 and 12 combination at Eastern Creek. Picking up the throttle and letting it run out before pulling it back in to apex again.
Turn Nine Having shifted up to third on the exit of turn eight and sometimes fourth (again to keep the bike settled), it was then the flick right and on to turn 10. You really needed to be inch perfect through here – outside white line, inside white line and outside white line again to get the run onto the back straight and hopefully create a passing chance into the last turn on the track, the tight second-gear turn 11.
Turn Ten Following KC around here in the early days was when I started to realise that rushing in all locked up on a bigger bike wasn’t always the best way because although I liked to be able to close the gap a lot on Kev on the brakes I would lose all of it and more again every time on the exit.
That was when I started to realise I wasn’t using the power on the exit because I couldn’t get the throttle opened. All because I was still trying to get it stopped and all back in line and I was carrying way too much lean angle while Kev was already gone with the throttle fully open.
Overall I really enjoyed riding around on my own at Wakefield Park and loved the layout but racing on it left me a little frustrated trying to find passing places. I would imagine it must be a pretty tough race around there with a field of superbikes unless you had qualified on the front row and got away at the front. Saying that though, compared to some of the BSB tracks I have seen, Wakefield Park leaves them standing in the shade.
Being honest though, if they can run car races around Wakefield Park, then back in 1997 when I last raced there in my early Supersport days I probably still had a fair bit of my overtaking craft and manoeuvres to learn.
Wakefield Park is located near Goulburn in NSW and is named after the founder of Castrol Oil. WORDS: Andrew Pitt PHOTOGRAPHY: Keith Muir, John Smith
When Todd bought his new 2012 CBR1000RR to get back into road bikes after a few years switching to off road, he went to town on all the bling bits he could find. What he ended up with was a stunning black current Blade and there was no way he was going to trash it at a track day.
As a qualified flag marshal and a race fan, Todd had always wanted to get out on the track himself so decided to build a track hack just for that purpose. Something that was affordable and would not break the bank too much if it was thrown down the road…
After deciding on a big bore Japanese sportsbike, Todd began the search. After many weeks he eventually found this amazing Fireblade on eBay and better still, it turned out to be only 15km from his house. A call was made and a deal struck and later that night Todd had a crashed CBR929 in the shed. Well, in a mate’s shed anyway.
The bike was previously a track day bike and the owner parted company with the bike. It had extensive gravel rash and the tank was dented. It was also dirty and in need of a service and new tyres. A quick visit to eBay saw Todd score a set of Castrol race fairings that were delivered from China for $500.
“I then filled the dent and had a local smash repair joint respray the tank white, then went over the bike with spanners and checked every nut and bolt, changed the oil and filter, and basically gave it a detail and tidy up”.
“I then got a red Pro Bolt kit from eBay and a screen from the UK. The only problem I encountered on the build was the fairing kit mounting holes were too small for the grommets. But all up I only spent about four weeks on the bike”.
Todd purchased every single part online, “There are some great bargains to be had,” says Todd, “Don’t be turned off by cosmetic damage just add a fairing kit to your budget and any other minor scratches won’t affect your lap times!”
New parts used on the bike include the fairing kit, Pro Bolt kit, screen, oil and filter plus tyres are on the way. Used parts were donor bar ends from the owner’s 2012 CBR, heel plates and a chain guard.
“I couldn’t be happier. The entire bike cost less than a repair if I drop my new Blade. I spent just on $3000 and I took it to Western Sydney Dragway for a shakedown ride and ran 10.937@213km/h so that is great. Next up I want to change the gearing, fit new tyres and hit the track”.
Whatever the reason for a gearing change, you need to understand all the pros and cons of your gearing options, reason being, with every change in the direction you wanted to move, will be offset with positives and negatives. So when I make a change I consider at what cost did I get that benefit?
The decision to change gearing is stemmed by the initial want for more power or speed, a holistic view will have you consider how the new gearing will affect following areas; rider input, geometry of your bike both front and rear, corner speed, how many gear change, what we gain in one corner, we lose in another or in an overall lap time?
As a coach I Quite honestly believe gearing has a huge impact on rider development. Gearing a bike around a poor riding habit is not going to help the new rider develop. What I usually find is as the rider improves he or she goes back to an original gearing, so the original problem was a riding problem and not a gearing issue.
Gearing sounds simple but there are some trial blunders made especially by novices. I know because I made them myself. You know it’s funny how losing can be a real lesson; it’s the pain that makes the lesson stick in your head. Racing was great educator for me, I hated losing, and racing taught you one thing. The past should not equal the future!
With motorcycle road racing, if you did not make a change to what you were doing wrong, then you were getting much the same result at the next race meeting. So I learnt you can never sit on your arse and expect things to change – you had to sit down, work it out and not be complacent, competition tells you that just because you win today does mean you will win tomorrow.
The dynamics of the bike and rider, the bond between the two, is paramount and a critical consideration in gearing decisions, even race strategies will be made around how you set up your bike, especially if you are interested in endurance racing.
It is also very important to understand that gearing doesn’t change the horsepower of the motorcycle, although different gearing on a dyno will change how the dyno reads your engine rpm may reflect a different opinion.
Reasons for change Road bikes are usually set up for a range of different conditions so when we race our road registered sportsbikes we are trying to improve lower acceleration in a straight line or out of a particular corner.
Maybe we are at a track where there is a lot of low speed turns requiring bottom power to drive.
Improve top end speed, especially if we get to a fast track or a track with a large long straight.
Get better engine performance in certain parts of the track
Different tyre manufacturers can have the same size tyres but have variances in rolling diameter.
Running out of rpm
Down sides
Better bottom end power off the turns maybe great but the top speed of your motorcycle is affected
Gear engine rpm to your current riding skill and speed.
Not tuning for the slip stream
Increase wear and tear on tyres
Harsher acceleration = harder to get on the throttle earlier
More engine rpm in turns can make you feel real busy and that you are going faster than you actually are
There are quite a few ways we can change our gearing. Internal gearbox cassette gearboxes in genuine GP bikes and other exotic bikes means you can alter all gears – input and output – to gain an advantage in a particular area without losing out in another area… very good fun but very complex and expensive.
Front sprocket
The larger the sprocket the faster top speed less bottom power, the smaller the front sprocket the better bottom end power less speed. There are issues with changing the front sprocket in the way it pulls the chain and effects swingarm movement and rear squat.
Rear sprocket
When we change the amount of teeth on the rear it work in the opposite to the front. Three teeth up or down on the rear equals one on the front. The issues on changing this sprocket is not as bad as the front, however there are still changes which will affect ride height and wheelbase.
Diameter of wheel Rolling radius of rear tyre is just the same as your wheel-not every manufacture has the exact rolling radius tyre dimensions, knowing if you have a larger or smaller diameter tyre is critical especially if you have tuned the bike and gearing to a track then you change brand in tyres or model. It should be remembered that larger diameter tyres will also affect you steering geometry.
Gear Ratio chart A gear ratio chart-can be a very effective way of calculating the overall ratio of the front and rear sprocket. The chart should be laminated and kept with track maps and tuning information. I have always used one and it is such a brilliant tool. The ratio can be worked out mathematically using a calculator – divide your rear sprocket i.e. let’s say your motorcycle has a 38-tooth rear sprocket, divide 38 by your front sprocket, which is 14 – this gives you a ratio of 2.714:1.
If we change the front sprocket to say 13 and maintain the same 38 rear this would give a ratio of 2.923:1. A gear ratio chart makes finding these ratios a lot easier and you have a better idea of what options you have available firstly with the sprockets you possess or may even need to buy so you can create a range of front and rear sprockets to fine tune your exact gearing.
Rider input When we lean a motorcycle over we use a smaller diameter of the tyre. When this happens, if you are paying attention, you will realise that the rpm will pick up. Likewise as we stand the motorcycle up we increase the rolling radius of the tyre, which also affects the gearing of your motorcycle lowering engine rpm. This means a good road racer or track day punter knows when to pick up the bike and why!
Being able tune your gearing so you can maintain concentration, reduce fatigue, high corner speed, good acceleration and easy motor, is a great advantage, we do this by reducing engine braking, noise, reducing the amount of gear changes we have to do, or just quite simply moving a gear change point to suit an action that makes the lap more efficient. This is a rider skill as much as a tuners skill.
Measuring performance The measurement of rpm on the exit of every turn can help. The noise of an under geared bike can make us feel we are travelling faster than we are especially when we look at the overall lap time. If you get real smart you may even be able to get a friend to do track splits where you can measure a performance in one part of a track, this great to iron out both riding and gearing on your bike and help you run different lines to make a set-up work.
You will need the following information on your bike set up sheets:
Map of the track
Track information (length turns etc).
Engine hours
Fuel used
Weather conditions
Track surface conditions
Tyre details
Suspension settings
Chassis settings
Gearing
Lap times
Record the following info too
Make a map of gear change points up and down
Rpm out turns and max rpm on straight
Acceleration points
Braking points
Feeling of harsh acceleration
Feeling of lack of acceleration
Weather conditions
Dry conditions allow us to run more corner speed which means we will be able to pull higher gearing. Wet conditions means we are down on grip which has a huge effect on your corner speed so lower gearing. Windy condition may blow you around on the way into and out of turns which can affect your corner speed.
Change in sprockets can have an effect on your chassis set up. Front sprocket is preferred not to be changed from std as it changes the way the chain is pulled and that has a huge effect on the swingarm especially under hard acceleration. Rear sprocket change will affect the rear wheel position which can have an effect on the rear, wheelbase which will also have an effect on the geometry of the bike.
Personal gearing lessons and strategies One of my racing mates would be over to our pit garage after every qualifying session asking what gearing we were running. We would not disclose it so we could keep the opposition guessing and play with their heads
My mate kept this up for quite a while, so I took this game one step further and I wrote in white marker on the rear sprocket the incorrect gearing. I knew I had succeeded with my little trick when he came to me all despondent asking how the hell we ran such tall gearing. I just laughed.
Bernie tells us some tips to final gearing choices… Words: Bernie Hatton
The Bend Motorsports Park was the location for the Grand Finale of the 2021 ASBK season, and championships were on the line in all classes. Big name riders returned from international racing to compete at the final ASBK round, including MotoGP superstar Jack Miller and World Endurance racer Josh Hook…
The premier Superbike class saw Wayne Maxwell (Pirelli) enter the weekend with a comfortable points lead over second place, but with a championship up for grabs, and with a field stacked deep with talent, Wayne would have to be on top of his game. And from Friday afternoon it was evident just how good Maxwell and the entire Boost Mobile K-Tech Ducati team are. Setting the fastest lap time in Free Practice 3 on his Ducati V4R was just the start of what was a flawless weekend for Maxwell, going on to take Pole position with a new qualifying lap record on Saturday afternoon, and two race wins on Sunday to secure the Superbike Championship for himself, the Boost Mobile K-Tech Ducati team and Pirelli.
Taking second overall for the round and securing second place in the championship standings was Glenn Allerton (Pirelli) aboard his Maxima Racing BMW. Allerton rode strong all weekend and put in two great second place finishes behind Maxwell in what was a great result for Glenn and the Maxima Racing BMW team. Rounding out the championship standings podium was Cru Halliday, with Troy Herfoss in fourth, while DesmoSport Ducati’s Oli Bayliss (Pirelli) in his rookie year on board a Superbike rounded out the top 5.
The Australian Supersport Championship is always hotly contested and 2021 would be no different, with 3 riders in the hunt for the title going in to the Grand Finale at The Bend. It was a battle between Broc Pearson (Pirelli) who led the points going in to the final round ahead of Tom Edwards (Pirelli), and Max Stauffer (Pirelli) and it would be no holds barred racing between the riders in what made for some epic racing that won’t soon be forgotten.
Race 1 saw Edwards, Stauffer and Pearson battle at the front of the field early before Edwards was able to make a convincing pass for the lead and gap the other 2 riders. Stauffer was then able to make a pass on Pearson for second with 2 laps to go, holding him off until the finish line. The implications of that pass meant Edwards now trailed Pearson by 1 point in the championship standings with 1 race remaining. The final race of the season would determine the 2021 Supersport champion. And didn’t the final race of the season deliver. With everything on the line, Tom Edwards and Broc Pearson pushed the absolute limits of their Yamaha R6’s at the front of the field, trading paint and swapping positions almost once a lap for the entire race.
On the final lap it was Broc Pearson who was able to make the pass on Edwards, and with just several corners to contend with, was able to block any pass attempts Edwards made to lead in to the last turn. With a short run to the finish line it was Broc Pearson who would cross the finish line first, just 5 one hundredths of a second in front to claim the 2021 ASBK Supersport Championship. A well-deserved and hard fought championship win. Tom Edwards secured second in the championship with his second place finish for the round, while Max Stauffer rounded out the podium in third.
The two deepest fields of the weekend belonged to the two 300 classes, the Supersport 300 class, and the Yamaha R3 Cup. The two extremely competitive classes both had full grids for their 3 races across the weekend, but there was one rider who had been a dominant force in both classes all year. Ben Baker (Pirelli) came in to the weekend with a sizeable points lead in both classes, and just needed consistent finishes across the 3 races in each class to wrap up the titles.
Two third place finishes and a race win in the final race of the weekend was enough to see Baker crowned the 2021 ASBK R3 Cup champion, ahead of Glenn Nelson (Pirelli) who put in 3 great rides which included a race win in Race 2 to secure second overall in the championship standings, while Cameron Dunker (Pirelli) did enough to secure third overall for the championship despite a crash in the last race of the weekend.
In the Supersport 300 class it was anything but smooth sailing for Baker who had once again put himself on Pole, and after a solid third place finish in race 1, it was a crash in race 2 that left him outside of the points and potentially opened up the opportunity for another rider to snatch the championship from his grasp. The final race saw Baker ride a solid race to finish fourth, enough to wrap up the ASBK Supersport 300 Championship.
An amazing effort by Ben to win both the R3 Cup and the Supersport 300 championships. Reece Oughtred (Pirelli) had a great weekend to secure his second place finish in the Supersport 300 class, while Zac Johnson (Pirelli) did enough to hang on to his third place finish overall despite a crash in the final race which saw him finish outside of the points.
The Oceania Junior Cup always sees great battles with every rider aboard identically prepared race bikes, and the Grand Finale at The Bend was no different. With a points lead coming in to the final round, Cameron Swain (Pirelli) would be the rider to beat for the championship, with the likes of Ryan Larkin (Pirelli) and Levi Russo (Pirelli) looking for race wins and maximum points. In the end it was Swain who came out victorious with 2 second place finishes and a race win for the weekend to take out the 2021 Oceania Junior Cup. Larkin put in 3 great rides with 2 race wins and a third place finish to secure his second place overall for the championship, while Levi Russo was super consistent all weekend to lock away his third place for the championship.
Congratulations to all of the 2021 ASBK Champions as well as every rider that went racing in what was a difficult year due to the interruptions and cancellations of events throughout the year. Bring on 2022.
With COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown interrupting the ASBK season, club racing and state level competition, we’ve had to rely on the thrills of the MotoGP and WorldSBK championships for a racing fix. That doesn’t mean the first few rounds of ASBK didn’t produce some cranking action… Here are our favourite shots from 2021 so far…