It was an exhilarating weekend for Aussie racing fans as the ASBK Descended upon The Bend Motorsport park for the 2021 Season Finale which saw Wayne Maxwell win the championship and Miller jump on the podium! Check out all the best shots from the Superbike class below…
Read the full race report here…
Welcome to PitBoard.com.au, Australia’s track day and road racing enthusiast’s website, dedicated to all of us weekend racetrack warriors. This website is all about racing, track riding, spectating, tuning, learning and enjoying our favourite sport as fans of the legends that wear out their elbow sliders all over the globe!
Whether it’s racing at Club, State or ASBK level, beginner to expert ride day participation or just tinkering with track and sports bikes, PitBoard will be a great reference and a top way to share your passion with likeminded riders.
From the moment I exited pit lane for my very first lap of a racetrack, Amaroo Park, back in the mid 1990s, I was completely hooked on racing and racetracks. Anything to get on a track – ride days, launches, testing, racing – whatever! I just can’t get enough and more than 25-years later, I’m still riding on the track at every opportunity and when I’m not, I’m watching racing or building bikes. This weekend my eyes will be glued to the ASBK action at The Bend, particularly on MotoGP rider Jack Miller!
Nothing comes close to the adrenaline, the speed and the thrill of being on the edge and staying there for as long as you can. The challenges you face every corner of every lap. It’s a feeling that can’t be replicated and one that we all chase constantly. It’s an ultimate escape from reality and the ultimate feeling of being in control…
PitBoard will take time to grown and develop, just like our other website, Australia’s Number One Motorcycle Site, BikeReview.com.au.
From supporting the club racers and clubs to offering technical advice and riding tips, PitBoard will become your racetrack owner’s manual. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I’m going to…
PitBoard.com.au is published by JPMedia P/L – Editor/Publisher Jeff Ware Journalist Zane Dobie: Publisher/Photographer Heather Ware: Developer/Designer Simon Naish
ASBK fans from all over the world can enjoy all the live racing action from the comfort of their own home this weekend from the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul Grand Finale at The Bend Motorsport Park.
ASBK TV’s official Free-to-Air broadcast partner SBS have stepped up to provide ASBK fans the opportunity to catch the livestream action from Saturday via their exclusive broadcast platform SBS On-Demand so you wont miss a drop of action.
SBS has long been the home of great motorsport and in 2021 they have again provided ASBK race fans with both Live Free-to-Air coverage and the opportunity to catch all the action via SBS On-Demand after each round. At no cost to join, ASBK fans simply need to subscribe to SBS On-Demand.
The ASBK Championship comes to massive conclusion on Sunday and ASBK TV have all the angles covered with Free-to-Air coverage on SBS HD, SBS On-Demand or via Fox Sports Australia from 12.30pm – 3.30pm (Australian Central Daylight Times).
New Zealand race fans can catch the action on Sky Sport NZ who continue to broadcast every round of ASBK to fans across the ditch. From the comfort of home, or on mobile devices, SBS will provide free to air coverage, and Fox Sports Australia and Sky Sport NZ will ensure pay TV viewers won’t miss a minute of the action.
Live race coverage will include the Alpinestars Superbike, Motorsports TV Supersport, Dunlop Supersport 300, Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, plus race fans will get no shortage of behind the scenes features.
Fans across the nation and around the world can also go to www.asbk.com.au and watch up to the live ASBK TV Live Stream on Sunday. Exclusive Live telecast of the Grand Finale of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, can be seen:
Saturday 4th December
Sunday 5th December
Sunday 5th December
Jack Miller has confirmed that he will compete in the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK). Miller will return to Australia after the last round of the MotoGP Championship in Valencia and will travel to South Australia in order to compete at The Bend Motorsport Park on the 3rd – 5th December.
Competing on board the 2021 Ducati Panigale V4 R, Jack Miller will line up aside fellow Australian Ducati Riders Oli Bayliss, Mike Jones and Wayne Maxwell across the two races over the course of the event.
Jack confirmed his participation in a statement “I am really excited to be able to have this opportunity and race the final round of Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK). I would love to say a massive thank you to the guys at Ducati for allowing me this opportunity amidst our busy testing schedule.
“To go and race in front of the Australian fans is a massive privilege and honour. Thank you the team at ASBK and Motorcycling Australia for their support at such short notice. I am also thankful to Ben Henry from DesmoSport Ducati for his help in the organisation. As you can imagine it has not been easy to try and organise everthing from the other side of the world at such short notice, having Ben and Matty Macalpine there to help me organise most things, has been very easy. I am very excited to be able to race in front of the Australian fans at least one time this year, it is going to be fantastic. I look forward to seeing everyone there!”
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, said he was ecstatic to have Jack Miller joining the Grand Finale of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.
“Having Australian MotoGP sensation Jack Miller compete in the ASBK is further testament to the tough and highly competitive nature of our ASBK Championship which is one of the best national superbike championships in the world,” Mr Doyle said.
“Australian race fans have been starved of on track MotoGP action here for two years due to COVID, but to now have their Aussie hero in Jack Miller come home and race ASBK, we are sure fans will flock to the ASBK Grand Finale at The Bend in South Australia.”
The ASBK Grand Finale will operate under a COVIDSafe Plan in accordance with SA Government regulations, and all interstate travellers, volunteers and race fans will be required to be double vaccinated for entry into South Australia. For those fans who are unable to be trackside, you can catch all the fantastic action through the ASBK TV partners SBS, FOXSPORTS Australia, Sky Sport NZ and via ASBK TV Live Stream.
The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will make a long anticipated and welcome return to the picturesque South Downs region and Morgan Park Raceway in 2022.
“Our ASBK competitors and fans love coming to Morgan Park, thanks to the support of Southern Downs Council, we’re raring to put on a show!” Mr Doyle said. “The build up to this event has been long, but we will be there in 2022 to do our part to boost and showcase the entire region. We will have three days of jam-packed ASBK Championship racing at Morgan Park Raceway with our elite classes in action, guaranteeing fans a spectacular racing festival in a beautiful region that offers wonderful hospitality and tourism.”
Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi said the return of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance ASBK Championship presented by Motul would be a major highlight to the region’s exciting events calendar.
“Warwick is known in the racing circles as the Horsepower Capital of Australia and after the unfortunate cancellation of last year’s mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul, we are particularly excited to welcome the iconic event back to the region in 2022,” Mayor Pennisi said. “By hosting this event in our backyard, our region will clock-up additional kudos to attract other major events to the Southern Downs.”
“The economic benefits of hosting a round of the Championship to our region can’t be under-valued, and as motorsport enthusiasts flock to the region to watch world-class riders roar around Morgan Park Raceway, we relish the opportunity to showcase the Southern Downs as the ideal destination to live, work, play and stay.”
The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will be at Morgan Park Raceway from 5-7 August, 2022.
Keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, via their website and following ASBK on Facebook and Instagram.
Metzeler know you’re going to be wearing through those knee sliders when you’re on their tyres, they’re so confident that they’re giving away a free pair of knee sliders with selected tyre purchases. This deal wont last long so if you need new hoops, now’s the time to jump on it!
Metzeler has something special just for Australian sports and track day riders. They know that using their tyres on your bikes means your knee sliders can wear out faster with all of that grip! So for limited time, when you buy a set of Racetec Slick, Racetec RR or Sportec M9-RR, you can score a set of Metzeler knee sliders free of charge. So, you can get your knee down on the new hoops
Limited time only. Sliders are available to claim for Australian store purchases of a set of Racetec Slick, Racetec RR or Sportec M9-RR tyres through participating, authorised Metzeler dealers only. For further details click here!
The SHOEI Neotec II is a premium Sports Touring helmet with the versatility to excel no matter where your next journey takes you. The convenience of a two-in-one “flip-up” helmet with next-level aerodynamics and ventilation are available in new “Jaunt” colours!
An internal flip down sun-visor, and the ability to seamlessly integrate with the Sena SRL2 Communication System makes the Neotec II the pinnacle of modular helmet design with no-compromise to full face protection.
The Neotec II has a new ventilation system with inlets at the upper head and chin area, as well as outlets at the back, dramatically improving ventilation. The aerodynamics are also improved back in 2018, making it what Shoei claim to be one of the quietest touring helmets on the market today.
There is now an integrated spoiler, integrated vortex generator and new aero deflector chin spoiler. The cheek pads include a noise isolator for maximum noise reduction and comfort, while the interior is completely removable and washable. The leather chin strap is also wider, to further block excess airflow and wind noise. The visor is 3D-molded (CNS-3) and offers extra wide vision and great sealing.
Click here to see the latest Shoei catalogue from McLoed Accessories here. The Shoei Neotec II Jaunt will be landing in stores this month for an RRP of $1199.90. Available in sizes XXS – XXL.
To celebrate the legendary MotoGP career of the biggest star to grace the sport, Yamaha has produced a special R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute, designed with unique spec’s, to give to the nine-time world champion for the many successful years spent at the pinnacle of racing…
Having made his debut 26 years ago, Rossi rose to become the most prominent figure in MotoGP history, producing some of the most mesmerising and memorable performances that influenced and inspired an entirely new generation of motorcycle racing stars.
To commemorate his illustrious achievements, which included nine world championship titles across the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc classes, 115 wins, and 235 podiums over 425 race starts, Yamaha have built this unique R1, donning a special livery produced by Aldo Drudi, Valentino Rossi’s long-time helmet designer and friend.
The R1 GYTR VR46 sports upcoming 2022 GYTR spec parts and unique features that are all a direct result of Yamaha’s WorldSBK development, which helped Yamaha achieve the 2021 WorldSBK Triple Crown, culminating in the highest spec R1 GYTR ever produced for track day usage. A special gift that the Tavullia legend will have the opportunity to enjoy at the Misano circuit soon.
A carbon-fibre fairing kit and full carbon rear sub-frame have been produced, with the tank capacity increased to 22L, all designed with weight saving in mind. The Brembo brakes have been developed for incredible stopping power, while the high performance ECU REX 140 Marelli produces world class power delivery. The full list of the special parts coming from WorldSBK Championship winning experience is listed below, and are additional to the GYTR parts such as the Ohlins suspension and GYTR front and rear sprockets.
The R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute was given to Valentino Rossi for the One More Lap event at EICMA 2021, which the Italian star attended for the first time, as Yamaha pay tribute to VR46 and his historic legacy. The R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute was built with carefully selected parts which, among others, include the following:
From the 2022 GYTR catalogue:
Special parts from WorldSBK development:
Pirelli’s wide range of Diablo tyres just got bigger and better with their latest addition, the Rosso IV. Pirelli say this all-weather tyre caters for supersport, hypersport and naked models, offering fantastic performance to road riders.
The latest in Pirelli technology has landed in Australia, the Diablo Rosso IV tyres.The tread pattern design of the Diablo Rosso™ IV features slicker mid-lean areas. This is an evolution of the Diablo Rosso™ III, giving support at lean angles where water drainage is useless (over 35°). This means a large slick area on the shoulders, which results in excellent grip and line holding while cornering at extreme lean angles.
The Diablo Rosso™ IV tread pattern is developed around the Flash™ icon which is synonymous with all Pirelli sport tyres. Flash™ features two prominent centre grooves providing directional stability and ensuring wear stability. They also provide water drainage from the centre out for the contact patch when upright. Flash™ tails of varying lengths are distributed around the centre design, outlining the mid-lean grooves. These tails are an important element for the tyre’s behaviour, providing the right tyre flexibility, efficient water evacuation and wear uniformity.
The Rosso™ IV boasts a Silica-enriched, multi-compound in both the front and rear tyres, combined with WSBK-derived structures and contours. Pirelli has spared no expense in development, this is demonstrated in the confidence that the Rosso™ IV inspires. It offers superb grip under braking, thrust boost in extreme lean angles and brilliant traction when powering out of corners.
The hard layer on the front tyre delivers outstanding grip in cold and wet conditions. The softer side layer (accessed when in lean angles over 35°) offers excellent grip and delivers a brilliant contact feeling. The new Diablo Rosso™ IV’ has increased the Rayon cord stiffness, obtained through a larger section of more twisted strands, adapted along the contour, which differentiates stiffness depending on the lean angle. Combined this gives the rider the option to adjust the trajectory while cornering or to delay braking ahead of entering into lean.
The dual-compound rear up to 195/50 r17 features a Rayon 2-wire strand structure. The chord stiffness has been raised by more than 30 per cent over the Diablo Rosso™ III, reducing the end-count freeing up the space available for the compound to perform. The full silica dual compound rear offers a quick warm-up and a significant grip level irrespective of lean angle, even in wet conditions. In relation to the dimension of the tyre, and therefore of the contact patch, a dual compound with more continuity ensures the best stress distribution and wear uniformity.
This endurance-racing compound features a 5-zone layout, which trades wet grip on high lean angles for thrust boost to cope with the extreme cornering speed and the astonishing engine outputs of modern performance motorcycles. It features a 3-wire strand Lyocell structure which translates to a deformation ratio considerably lower than usual street tyres. The soft full silica mid-rubber strip ensures performance, whilst delivering a safe sporty ride across all weather conditions.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso™ IV is available now, click here to find out more! Check out the sizing chart below to find a suitable size for your bike, other sizes will be available soon.
Front
Rear
The Metzeler RACETEC TD SLICK combines the advantages of a slick tyre but do not require tyre warmers or elaborate bike settings, according to Metzeler. Check out the amazing tech and research that goes into these tyres!
For those who have ridden a motorcycle with racing slicks, the first few minutes fresh off the tyre warmers can be quite sketchy unless you push immediately to make sure you don’t lose temperature, as racing slicks only operate properly within a very narrow temperature and pressure operating range.
You wouldn’t dare leave the pits on stone cold slicks if you want to finish lap around the track still on your bike. Metzeler, however, have found a way to eliminate the use of tyre warmers to keep the costs down and track days easier by having a broader operating range, with these essentially replacing the RACETEC INTERACT K3 from previous years, the hardest race slick from Metzeler.
The secret is comes from the TD SLICK featuring a racing compound that includes polymers with a low glass transition temperature, carbon black and high melting temperature resins. METZELER engineers have designed a compound capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and asphalt conditions, in order to offer consistency in performance and resistance to cold tearing.
The exclusive patented CCM process – Compound Continuous Mixing process – maximises the homogeneity of the components in the polymetric matrix and allows the tyre to consistently offer high performances, from the first to the last lap, even if divided between several thermal cycles.
Thanks to this set-up, track day fans can get all the performance they can dream of out of their bike without needing to spend thousands on bike stands, climate controlled storage and tyre warmers. Riders can just kick their stand up, warm the tyres up slightly and apply maximum throttle.
Strengthened by the experience accumulated in road racing such as the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, used as a testing ground to test the versatility of its products, Metzeler engineers have designed a compound capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and asphalt conditions, offering consistency in performance and resistance to cold tearing.
Metzeler have kept the sizing simple by providing the most common rear sizes, so you don’t have to muck around with changing the rear setup. The Genuine rear sizes allow a smoother transition from OEM tyres geometries to professional racing tyres, and helps the rider skip some of the setup variables a professional racer is required to manage
Everything about the TD SLICK has had value for money in mind, rear sizes feature a symmetric structure and seamless construction layers avoiding the junctions, which are sensitive to the stress direction. The rear is also fully reversible, offering the rider the chance to fully use the tyre, when riding at tracks featuring a predominant leaning side, which exploit just one side of the tyre.
The Metzeler TD RACETEC SLICK are available now, check out the sizing and price list down below. Contact Cassons to find a supplier near you so you can improve your track day experience and your lap times beyond your expectations!
PitBoard.com.au brings you the latest news, features and results in motorcycle racing from MotoGP, WorldSBK to ASBK and local club as well as some off-road.
We have features on track days, motorcycle racing, set up, track guides, tech tips and race schools and so much more.
If you're into motorcycle sport and track culture, then you'll find it all here! Jeff Ware, Publisher.
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