The CRF50 features a low 58.4cm seat height, an adjustable throttle limiter, a sturdy steel frame, a durable low maintenance four-stroke air-cooled motor, kick start, a three speed gearbox with an automatic clutch, chain drive, 10in wheels with knobbies, 6 months warranty, drum brakes, 87mm of front wheel travel and 70mm or rear wheel travel, has a 2.6L fuel capacity and weights 50kg.

“Our fundraising is going really well so far”, said Peta and Tony. “We’ve absolutely smashed the minimum $5,000 entry requirement, and our goal is now to raise $55,000 (Hatto’s racing number was 55!). We’ve had private donors, corporate sponsors and raffle sponsors. We had a really amazing raffle with a prize pool worth over $10,500 and sold 3,500 tickets. We’ve had so much support from businesses, it’s really fantastic. 

“We held a huge garage sale in March, at Hayley and Tony’s property in Bowral. We had a sausage sizzle, lucky dips, the raffle draw, and lots of garage sale items to buy. We raised $5,500 in one weekend. Wayne Gardner donated a number of signed jackets and a helmet, which we auctioned off and raised approximately $2,000.

“And now we have an amazing prize to give away, Honda Australia have generously donated us a CRF50F mini bike, worth $2,598. Tickets are $20 each, and purchased by donating at our link. The winner will be drawn when Tony and Peta arrive in Alice Springs on Friday 21^st June”.

Tickets for the CRF50 are here: https://winter2024.shitboxrally.com.au/hattos

Cancer affects all of us in some way, directly or indirectly. We all need to contribute to finding a cure, particularly when kids are involved. Tony Hatton and daughter Peta Isaac are doing their bit in respect for legendary industry family, the Galvins, in support of their daughter Lucy Galvin. You can help, too…

With a huge career spanning three decades, very few racers in the history of Australian motorcycle racing have clipped as many apexes as Tony Hatton… His interest in bikes started as young as 12, when the Northern Beaches Sydney kid was already subscribing to Motorcycle News… and by 14 he was riding his pushbike up to Terrey’s Green in Terrey Hills to watch the motorcycle racing. The rest is history, as they say, and Hatto went on to have a huge career as a rider, tuner and mentor, winning all the big races that Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Kevin Magee would go on to win…

Follow Tony and Peta’s Shitbox Rally jouney on their Instagram account here...

Now enjoying retirement but still riding on the roads for fun, Tony Hatton is working on a special race with his daughter Peta, and will be taking part in the Shitbox Rally Winter 2024. The dynamic duo will be driving their 10-owner 260,000km young 2004 Honda Accord ‘Goldie Horn’ in the 4500km trek from Bowral, NSW, to Melbourne then from June 15 head North-West through the outback to Alice Springs!

To donate to Hatto’s Shitbox Rally and help Team Hatto reach their goal of $55,000 click here

TONY HATTON’S CAREER 
3 x Australian 125 GP titles
2 x Australian 250GP titles
Multiple Castrol 6 Hour podiums
Multiple Bathurst wins
1974 Duke Of Edinborough Trophy
Multiple Production Bike Wins
Top 10 Le Mans 24HR finishes
Outright Winner 1979 Suzuka 8 Hour

The post Win a Honda CRF50 and help raise money for Cancer Council Australia | Sh&tbox Rally appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday
A full day of practice for all classes in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) from 8:30 am with clear skies, bright sun and near-perfect conditions for getting out on a racing motorcycle with some good friends/mortal enemies.

Alpinestars Superbike
In Superbike FP1, Josh Hook hit the top of the sheets when he completed the first flying lap of the day as 30 Superbikes made their way out on track. The Thriller Motorsport trio of Hook, Shrötter and Miller were very keen to bank as many laps as possible on their untested machines.

It was soon business as usual; Maxwell, Herfoss and very-keen-to-perform-at-home Arthur Sissis the top three early. Other early fast guys included West, Allerton, Jones and Waters. Jack Miller was into the top ten, a very good sign that his Thriller Motorsport bike was good out of the crate and an ominous sign for the regulars.

Fellow Thriller Motorsport rider Josh Hook and Marcel Shrötter were not unreasonably down in the mid-teens for the session, along with Moto3 regular Joel Kelso having his first hit out on a Superbike. Troy Herfoss was fastest for the session with a late fast lap of 1:51.737, narrowing the gap to the lap record of 1:50.972 and pole record of 1:50.520. It was very solid for a first practice.

At the very start of FP2, Josh Hook crashed on his out lap at turn 12 due to an electronics issue that resulted in a high side. He was icing his wrist in the paddock ahead of FP3, but indicated he would not join that session and see how he pulled up Saturday morning to decide if he would participate in the rest of the round.

While Hook was picking himself up, Maxwell went back up to the top with Arthur Sissis again second. Cru Halliday sorted out earlier issues to push into third with FP1 fast man Herfoss close. Jack Miller spent some time at the top of the timesheets before Cru Halliday delivered for the regular ASBK competitors and took P1 ahead of Sissis and Herfoss.

Earlier in the morning, Sissis had bemoaned the number of times he had been P2 during practice sessions at The Bend over the years and it had happened again. Jack Miller was an outstanding fourth with Wayne Maxwell fifth. Championship leader Mike Jones was down in eighth, but ahead of second-in-the-championship Bryan Staring who was 12th and Jones was close enough to third placed Wayne Maxwell to be justifiably unconcerned.

Higher track temperatures appeared to take some of the pace out of the field early in Free Practice Two, but they apparently worked it out and Halliday’s 1:51.518 was 2/10ths quicker than Herfoss’ time from the morning, still working towards the lap record of Maxwell from 2021 of 1:50.972.

In FP3, Herfoss was again up top early. Mike Jones responded brilliantly to all the pressure and other things from this weekend to go to the top with 15 minutes to go. Arthur Sissis – as he had done in every other session- was in the top three with Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell fourth and fifth respectively.

Jack Miller was down in tenth with 12 minutes to go and was a second slower than his best FP2 time. We all waited for him to let loose something special. At ten minutes to go, Cru Halliday put his Yamaha first for a YRT 1-2 with he and Jones at the top of the standings. Bryan Staring’s tough practice day got worse with crash at turn six, but the timing screens indicated “rider up” to the relief of all.

With six minutes left for the day it was Halliday, Jones and Herfoss on top. Maxwell (4th) was followed by two of SA’s finest in Sissis and Falzon in that order. DesmoSport Ducati’s day got even worse when Broc Pearson went down at Turn 12 and again we were pleased to see “rider up” but it was shaping as a rough evening for the factory Ducati squad with two bikes off in ten minutes.

The red flag came out with 4:57 left, perhaps effectively ending the session as a useful exercise. While they recovered the Pearson Ducati, riders went back to their garages to reset and that’s when we found out Miller had crashed as well; somewhere late in the lap and had ridden back to the pits. He was unharmed and the damage to his bike didn’t look severe, but it was also not minor. Screen gone, left winglet gone and some work to do to get the Thriller Racing Caterpillar machine back to race-ready.

When the session restarted, everyone was there at the end of pitlane ready to go. It was like a race start with riders desperate to get a few flyers in ahead of the chequered flag. Sissis put in his fastest lap of the session to go to P2, then Jones, Herfoss and Allerton were up in sector one as the chequered flag came out. At the end of the session it was again Halliday from Sissis with Mike Jones third. Maxwell was fourth with Herfoss in fifth.

Overall for the day result saw Halliday top dog and the only rider in the 1:50s with Arthur Sissis in P2, Mike Jones third and Maxwell and Herfoss completing the top five.

Superbike The Bend Merged Practice Results (Full Results Here)

1 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.969
2 Arthur Sissis – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:51.122
3 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:51.191

Michelin Supersport
Ty Lynch set the agenda for the Michelin Supersport crew with he and Tom Bramich going 1-2 in first practice while John Lytras was back in seventh, just adding a little warmth to the ingredients for the title fight in that class.

The points situation sees Lytras able to not have to win this weekend, simply keeping Lynch and Bramich in sight will see him take the title. In the second session, Harrison Voight- the only Supersport racer from the Thriller Racing stable -went P1 early and stayed there. Lynch and Bramich were two and three while Lytras slipped back to ninth. In the final session for the day Scott Nicholson went down early in Turn 13 after 6 laps.

Tom Bramich managed to pip Thriller Motorsport’s Harrison Voight for P1 with Ty Lynch in third. Lytras was sixth, but comfortably close to the leaders to avoid any panic stations vis a vis the title situation.

Supersport The Bend Merged Practice Results (Full Results Here)

1 Thomas Bramich – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.182
2 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.403
3 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.142

Dunlop Supersport 300
In FP1, 2021 OJC Champion Cameron Swain stepped up to P1 with a small but useful gap to Sam Pezzetta and Hayden Nelson. Championship leader Cameron Dunker was sixth and a second off.

By FP2 however, Dunker apparently made some changes and immediately leapt to the top of the standings to assert himself. Pezzetta worked his way past Dunker to P1 late in the session and Dunker responded, posting his fastest lap – good enough for P2- on his final lap. Taiyo Aksu was third with Henry Snell fourth and Brodie Gawith fifth.

The final practice session of the day saw Hayden Nelson bounce back and post the fastest time and ensure that he isn’t forgotten in the title chase. Cameron Swain was second and Dunker rounded out the top three.

The overall results for the day saw Hayden Nelson first, then Cameron Swain, Cameron Dunker, Sam Pezzetta and Taiyo Aksu fifth. Third in the title chase, Henry Snell did not post a time in the final practice of the day.

Dunlop Supersport 300 The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.604
2 Cameron Swain – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.783
3 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.885

R3 Cup
If Dunker was going to play it quiet in the R3 Cup while he focussed on the Dunlop Supersport 300 title, then he sure messed up when he was sure not playing it right as he was at or near the top in multiple sessions. In FP1, Cameron Dunker was top of the table from Glenn Nelson and Cameron Swain.

Cameron Swain was able to place his R3 up top in FP2 from Pezzetta and Gawith. Dunker was down in sixth, but was safe (for now!) with second overall Glenn Nelson in ninth while third in the title chase Hayden Nelson was seventh.

In the final practice session of the day, Dunker was on top by .2 of a second with Hayden Nelson second and Marcus Hamod third. Sam Pezzetta was fourth with Taiyo Aksu fifth to setup a fascinating weekend in the currently tied R3 Cup!

R3 Cup The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.675
2 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.909
3 Marcus Hamod – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:11.199

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Ryan Larkin was at the top – or near enough – in both early practice sessions and showed a real affinity for The Bend layout, comfortably out front with a second over the field at times. The interest remains with championship leader Harrison Watts who just needs to be thereabouts in qualifying and then ensure he buys a ticket on the leading group train come race time.

In FP2, Cameron Rende – currently second in the title chase – was 10th, while third overall Hudson Thompson was 14th.  In the final practice of the day -FP3, it was that Ryan Larkin fellow again and this time by an unimaginable 1.4 seconds to Hamod and Fleming in third. For the current Championship 1-2-3, Harrison Watts was in 12th, Cameron Rende fourth and Hudson Thompson in eighth.

OJC The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:29.878
2 Marcus Hamod – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:31.317
3 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:31.434

Sureflight Superbike Masters
One of the popular-for-a-look-in-the-paddock classes, the Superbike masters were on track for three practice sessions. In FP1 it was local rider Strugnell on his Suzuki 750 who was P1 against higher capacity machines, but showing how good his machine was at The Bend.

In FP2 it was David Johnson on another Suzuki- an 1100 this time who was top of the table. The final session late in the day saw Aaron Morris finally push his Suzuki 1200 into the top spot and take the fastest lap honours for the day.

Superbike Masters The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Aaron Morris – Suzuki 1200 2:02.108
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750 2:03.134
3 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100 2:04.276

Horsell Sidecars
The pairing of Underwood and Vercoe abord their F1 class Suzuki were dominant all day with some 12 seconds (not a typo!) between them and the field in the first two sessions. Harvey and Marshall were the best of the rest in FP1 with Gorrie/Gorrie second fastest in FP2 and fastest in the F2 class.

In the final session of the day, it was… Underwood and Varcoe again on top, this time by under 2 seconds as Harvey and Marshall got down to business in the F2 class- and overall. For the day it was Underwood Varcoe from Harvey/Marshall with Clancy/Bonney just .8 behind. The earlier outrageous advantage enjoyed by the leaders was now under two seconds..!

Sidecars The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000 2:10.991
2 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000 2:14.800
3 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000 2:15.681

Saturday
Of course, there was some rain in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK), and we even had oil on the track at one stage, but The Bend refused to fall into the weather trap we found ourselves in at Phillip Island.

Alpinestars Superbike
In Qualifying Two the top three go through to the final Qualifying and effectively back into the main game. At the end of the session, it was Daniel Falzon back in after clocking the fastest time with Senna Agius and Jed Metcher for company. Both DesmosSport Ducatis were again absent with Bryan Staring fourth and .147 from third place, while Broc Pearson was seventh. Of the one-round riders, Thriller Motorsport’s Marcel Shrötter was fifth and Livson’s Joel Kelso sixth.

So to Qualifying Two and the last qualifying session of the year. Just 12 riders were present and so plenty of clear track was available. Billy McConnell had progressed from struggle town to the top nine and was now into this all-important final qualifying session. Jed Metcher and Daniel Falzon were busy turning their bikes around from Q1 and were not on the circuit at the session’s start.

Wayne Maxwell ran wide early at turn six just to ensure he was placing himself under maximum pressure to either produce a diamond or find himself further back. Arthur Sissis and Mike Jones posted fastest laps early to take some pressure off and Jack Miller banked a top two “safety” as well. Herfoss, McConnell and Maxwell were in the pits and yet to complete a flying lap with seven minutes left in the session. The lap record seemed safe at six minutes to go with the order Jones, Miller and Sissis.

While Jones and Miller were in the pits, Herfoss and Maxwell were out on track trying to respond. Maxwell was eleventh at three minutes to go and you had to wonder what the plan was. At two minutes to go the leaderboard was awash with riders on target for the fastest lap of the day.

Halliday suddenly went P1, and Waters to P2. Miller stuck it into provisional pole. Maxwell pitted without a fast lap and with that went any hope for the championship. Jones put his YRT R1M on pole with seconds to spare just to underline his justifiable claim to the title for 2022. Jack Miller was an outstanding second and Cru Halliday ensured the YRT squad would be well-represented on the front row of the grid.

In fourth was the outstanding Glenn Allerton who was not favourited to be this close to the front based on earlier results and fifth was Arthur Sissis who would be disappointed after beingg second in basically every other session Senna Agius pipped teammate Troy Herfoss for seventh with Billy McConnell ninth, Daniel Falzon tenth, and Jed Metcher eleventh.

Incredibly, Wayne Maxwell was 12th and the last finisher in this final qualifying session of 2022 and indeed his Australian Superbike career, some 2.753 seconds behind Jones sitting on pole.

Superbike The Bend Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.644
2 Jack Miller – Ducati V4R 1:50.805
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.864

Michelin Supersport
The first qualifying for the Saturday Michelin Supersport Squad was an early one and the man of the session was Harrison Voight who just went bang, bang, bang. To play that out, he went fastest on lap two (1:56.908), lap four (1:56.337) and lap five (1:56.058). No one else got a look in.

Tom Bramich made life difficult for himself and his team, crashing halfway through the session. Passfield also went down. Dallas Skeer was able to work his way to second, surprising even himself while a somewhat fortunate Bramich was third, the clearly injured Ty Lynch fourth and Scott Nicholson fifth. Championship leader John Lytras was back in eighth, but that spot still comfortably delivers the championship if replicated in the race.

In Qualifying Two it was a session split by both rain and a serious crash requiring a red flag after Luca Durning went down at turn 10 with 18 minutes to go. The results from the second qualifying reflect the rain situation with Morgan McLaren-Wood P1, Scott Nicholson second and the unfortunate Luca Durning third.

On combined times, the grid for tomorrow reflects the results from First Qualifying with Thriller Racing’s Harrison Voight on pole from Dallas Skeer, Tom Bramich, Ty Lynch and Scott Nicholson.

Supersport The Bend Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.058
2 Dallas Skeer– Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.225
3 Thomas Bramich – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.230

Dunlop Supersport 300
In race one, Dunker led as he is want to do, but had Hayden Nelson and Sam Pezzetta for company.  On lap one, Port and Rende came together at turn one and both crashed out of the race. Cameron Swain pitted with his gear lever hanging off. Glenn Nelson was found to have jumped the start and there his slim titles ended.

On lap four, Pezzetta and Hayden Nelson got past Dunker, but he returned the favour before the lap was done. Into the last few laps and the hard racing began in earnest. Any thoughts Dunker had about a solo break were quelled when he was shuffled down to fourth while Pezzetta and a resurgent Aksu took the top spots with Hayden Nelson third.

With two turns to run Aksu ran wide and found himself down in fourth while Dunker set himself for the run to the line.He was unable to slip past and a deserving Sam Pezzetta saluted for first with Hayden Nelson second.

Cameron Dunker was third at the line and this points haul saw the baby-faced assassin take the Dunlop Supersport title for 2022. Dunker paused at the entrance to pit lane to don the traditional champion t-shirt and a gold helmet to boot. His crew- including superbike rookie Max Stauffer- posed for a pic and he headed to the podium. At the post-race presser, he sat next to Jack Miller, drank it all in and perhaps dared to dream. As he ought.

Supersport 300 The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.131)
3 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.153)

Yamaha R3 Cup
Tension was mounting just at the start it was the perfect run into an exceptionally eventful race. Straight off the line Dunker, Aksu and Pezzetta were at another level until Pezzetta was squeezed back to sixth place down the main straight. This wouldn’t be the only time Pezzetta would find himself on the sharp end of some pointy racing.

Not giving up, Pezzetta clawed back to third place over Snell, Hamod and Aksu through lap three and then Pezzetta was again back into fourth. He was not to be denied, however, and a late charge saw him back up to second at the line. But today was Dunker’s to savour. Fresh from winning the Dunlop Supersport 300 title, he was the smooth operator and was dominant throughout the entire race posting his fastest lap of 2:11.144 on lap two.

It may have been Dunker’s Day, but Sam Pezzetta never gave up to take second place in the R3 Cup.

R3 Cup The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3  (+1.723)
3 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+1.888)

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
In race one, fastest rider Larkin was not on pole after incurring a six-grid spot penalty from the Phillip Island MotoGP support race round. It mattered not, he was at the front of the pack by the end of lap one after lapping seconds ahead of the field and then just danced off into the distance. Thanks to consistent, clean and fast laps, it was never in doubt.

Terrin Fleming and Bodie Page battled on and were second and third with championship leader Harrison Watts down in tenth, leaving the door open to the title challengers Rende (5th) and Thompson (6th) who will need a lot more tomorrow to bridge the 20 and 22 points deficit they face.

OJC The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15 (+5.391)
3 Bodie Paige – Yamaha YZF-R15 (+5.488)

Sureflight Superbike Masters
In race one, the riders jumped away with a couple a little too keen and race direction placed the start under investigation. Aaron Morris jumped over Dave Johnson for the lead, only to have his bike expire a few laps later. Johnson went back into P1 with Strugnell and Coote for company.

And there they would remain to the line, with Johnson aboard his 1100 Suzuki taking the win by 2 seconds over William Strugnell on a 750 Suzuki with another 11 seconds back to the third place Honda 750 of Aiden Coote.

Superbike Masters The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750 (+2.071)
3 Aiden Coote – Honda 750 (+11.683)

Horsell Sidecars
Patrick Clancy and Stephen Bonney continued their reign taking out the fastest lap with a 2:09.661 on lap six. Underwood/Vercoe held second for the entire race and looked to be able to finish in second until the charge of Harvey and Marshal caught them in the final lap making sure they settled for third.  

Work was done early with Harvey and Marshal jumping into third place on lap one of the race chasing down and planning a successful attack on Underwood and Vercoe. The race was largely incident-free, with only mechanical issues striking a few victims in the race. Jones and Boggiano were 2 of these such victims stopping on turn 13, halfway through the race and the Turner/Turner machine stopping on turn 6 but being able to resume.

The last race of the day- race two for the sidecars- was eventful with multiple mechanical and other issues facing the field. We lost Watson/Hegarty, then Rayner/Warne with plenty of smoke and excitement. At the finish, it was Patrick Clancy / Stephen Bonney from the formerly unassailable Underwood/Vercoe second with Harvey / Marshall in third.

Sidecars The Bend Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000
2 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000 (+2.006)
3 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000 (+27.374)

Sunday
Sunday Sees All Our Champions Crowned: Jones, Lytras, Dunker and Watts! Of course, there was talk of rain in the Sunday edition of the Australian Superbike Championship, but it never materialised. Instead, we saw some of the best racing of the season with all the things that make motorcycle racing brilliant.

Superbike Race One
Sissis just sent it from the line and jumped away into the lead while Miller slipped back to fifth. Allerton was second with Jones in third. Maxwell, Herfoss and Starting got great starts. Halliday was caught napping and was 12th.

Sissis worked up a small gap over Allerton and Jones and no one who had been watching the Unitech Yamaha with Sissis aboard all weekend were surprised. Jones tried a move into turn one of lap two and it cost him a place as the wry contender Miller pounced.

As our eyes were rightly on Miller, Staring and McConnell came together and both went down at turn one and that brought out the red flag. The riders went to the grid for another go at the starting caper. Staring was allowed to rejoin (McConnell excluded) and Halliday would be thanking the racing gods, having been given another chance after his first start nightmare where he was 12th at the red flag.

Agius was missing with a clutch issue and Staring went late from pit lane. An electrical issue would end Staring’s charge shortly after.

At the restart, it was Sissis all over again with Glenn Allerton again second. Herfoss was faster this time and third, while newly minted SBK champion Jones was fourth. Miller did a better job off the line this time and yet was only fifth. Halliday would perhaps have been happier with sixth at this point and Maxwell settled for seventh from his 12th on the grid. Miller pulled up with a chain issue and did not complete lap one, but was able to circulate to pit lane. His long face in his pit box told the story.

Meanwhile, Herfoss got past Allerton and Arthur Sissis was up the road a little, just .6 ahead. In a fascinating and potentially explosive situation, teammates Waters and Maxwell were upon Mike Jones who was sixth. For all the potential of this situation, both riders passed the championship-leading #46 Jones without incident. It was apparent that Jones was indeed happy to ride for the points needed to take the title.

Up front, the sentimental local favourite Arthur Sissis was doing his best work of the season with Herfoss for company. Waters was up to third, Maxwell fourth while Glenn Allerton found himself down in fifth. Maxwell had an easy pass on teammate Waters, but for those who thought there were team orders, Waters nearly repassed the #1 Ducati shortly after. he would later reveal it was just due to a hot tow down the straight from his teammate.

At half distance, Arthur Sissis was putting his speedway skills to good effect and was sliding here and there. Maxwell was now second on a huge charge and we could only ponder the tyre life on the Pirellis. Lap six, and Maxwell took the lead and pulled out to a .4 second gap. He was riding like a man possessed and some consideration really had to be given to tyre life for the powerful Ducati.

Marcel Shrötter was doing the job for the Thriller Motorsport Team in tenth with West ahead and Metcher behind him. Herfoss had Maxwell down to under .4 but it was clear there were some tyre degradation issues for some more than others as Sissis dropped to fifth. Shortly after, Herfoss took the lead into turn one of lap nine.

We now had a group of three with Herfoss, Maxwell and Allerton battling on. Waters could see them, but was just a little further back. The last lap and Herfoss was hungry for his first win of 2022. Maxwell needed the 25 points and Allerton was similarly keen to salute for a win in a winless year. As we headed to turn 17, the most likely passing point for The Bend, Herfoss did all he could to get a gap. Maxwell looked to be too far back. Allerton and Maxwell were briefly out of their seats and so were the crowd. Herfoss’ gap was enough. He took his first win of the year at the second-to-last race of 2022.

That would be enough cause for an enormous celebration but for one factor. By finishing fifth, YRT’s #46 Mike Jones was now the 2022 Alpinestars Champion.

Superbike The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Arthur Sissis – Yamaha YZF-R1

Michelin Supersport

Race One
With the championship still live, it was the non-championship players who were well involved with Dallas Skeer taking the holeshot with Harrison Voight close by. Championship challengers Bramich and Lynch were thereabouts, but Lytras- the heir apparent- was back in 10th early.

Voight pulled out a sensational opening lap and took a second-plus lead into lap two. Bramich and Lynch were dicing for fourth, but really needed to push to the front to put Lytras under any pressure. Scott Nicholson was in third, three seconds behind second-placed Dallas Skeer who was feeling rejuvenated at the 4.95km Bend International Circuit. Lynch got past Nicholson on lap four and pushed on towards Skeer, while Thriller Motorsports Harrison Voight just scooted away. On lap five he was four seconds up and the interest then remained with Lynch, Nicolson and Bramich.

Despite the race being just a nine-lap journey, tyre life was going to feature so some riders were just holding back a tad to ensure they could run to the finish. Lynch set his fastest lap of the race to date to cement his third place and Bramich realised he had to chase and set off, passing Nicholson as the fight was on for third place for the race and second for the title. Lynch responded and pulled another fast lap and was 3.6 seconds ahead while Tom Bramich in fifth fell away from Nicholson in fourth. Meanwhile, Lytras was up to seventh, but not enough points to take the title with a lap to go.

Harrison Voight sensibly backed off a little on the run to the line and the Thriller Motorsport racer took a four-second victory to post the first win for the team for the day. The title championship would require just one more race to be decided.

Race Two
Harrison Voight came to play and was out of the gate fast and loose and looking to escape. Thanks to an epic and fast lap two, the 16-year-old worked his way up the road lap by lap, leaving the championship regulars in his wake.

Lynch set after the Thriller Motorsport Yamaha, but by lap five, the gap was 4 seconds. Skeer was third, some 2 seconds further back. And so it was for multiple laps. Voight was on the edge and yet in control and you could not help but be impressed. In the title race, Bramich was sixth and out of the hunt, while Lytras was eighth and on track to take the title. Lynch was in second, but would need to get the win and have Lytras DNF.

Meanwhile, Lytras had his hands full with Farnsworth challenging, but Lytras wisely let him go. All he needed was some points as a safety barrier for the title and Lynch was now six seconds behind Voight. Voight went over the line for the win, Lynch in second, Skeer third. John Lytras crossed the line in ninth, but rightfully took the 2022 Supersport title..!

Supersport The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Dallas Skeer – Yamaha YZF-R6

Supersport 300 The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3

R3 Cup The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3

OJC The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Bodie Paige – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15

Superbike Masters The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750
3 Murray Clarke – Suzuki 1100

Sidecars The Bend Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000
2 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000
3 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000

The post ASBK Weekend: All The Action From The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

“The acceleration is what really shocked me. Compared to the NSR, the RCV is amazing. It’s just phenomenal.” Those are the words of 1987 world 500 grand prix champion, Wayne Gardner – who was still sweating after a sliding, wheelstanding, wheelspinning ride on Max Biaggi’s Repsol Honda RC211V. It had been 13 years since the 18-time GP winner had ridden a grand prix bike, his last world championship race being the South African Grand Prix, 1992, aboard an NSR500.

Read Mossy’s test of Rossi’s RC211V here…

Fittingly, and by pure chance, his return to the Honda garage was under the watchful eye of Erv Kanemoto – who was also there for Gardner’s last GP. “Walking into the pit garage and seeing Erv was great,” said Wayne, “It wasn’t planned that way and it was very fitting that my return to riding a grand prix motorcycle was with Erv. “As soon as I walked into the pits those 13 years seemed to disappear. I felt like I hadn’t left, although I am older and fatter now! But the feeling was still there. It was very emotional for me.”

It was the Australian Grand Prix – an event that was built from the foundations laid by Gardner back in the late ‘80s – and a fitting place for WG to give his fans a buzz. It was also an opportunity for Phillip Island to say ‘Thank you’ to the man that put Aussie motorcycling on the map. As Gardner caught up with old mates in the Honda camp, his 1987 NSR500 was wheeled out into pit lane and placed alongside the #3 RCV of Biaggi.

Check out our other racer tests here…

The crowd began to stir as images of the old Rothmans Honda were shown on the screens around track. You can bet that most of the crowd are hardened GP goers. Punters that were there for Gardner’s gutsy wins in 1989 and 1990. The NSR’s livery was bringing back memories. The crowd was starting to rumble…

“The build-up to the ride was amazing. It was an experience I’ll never forget. As I was gearing up in the change room I just couldn’t believe it’d been 13 years. The routine was the same. Leathers on. Then boots. Stretching. Walking into the garage and getting the rundown from Erv. Earplugs in as the bike is being warmed up. Brap. Brap. Brap… “Checking the monitor, cleaning my visor. Checking my helmet strap and then, finally, getting the nod from Erv. You’re up!”

“The first thing I noticed about the RC211V is the size,” admits Wayne, “Although it looks very tight and compact, Biaggi’s bike is actually quite roomy. The reach to the ‘bars is further than the old NSR and the seat-to-footpeg distance is also roomy. There’s plenty of space to move around on the bike.”

With 250-odd horsepower on tap and, err, a fair gap between rides, it was no surprise that the Repsol Honda garage began to stir and break into a group cold sweat as Gardner rolled out into pit lane and began his trip to the pit lane exit. All eyes turned to the monitor and Erv Kanemoto was at the front, joined by team manager Tanaka-San. Silence was followed by bursts of nervous laughter as Wayne wheelstood out of pit lane and onto the track…

“As soon as I clicked first and started to ride away I thought, ‘I remember how to do this. I know how to ride a GP bike,’ so I pulled a wheelie straight away!” The plan was for WG to do a sighting lap and two flying laps, so there was no rush to set the world on fire in the first corner. Still, once a racer…

“I was supposed to wave at the crowd, just do some demo laps. I took it easy for the first few corners, then I made a decision – bugger waving at the crowd, I’m going to have some fun on this thing!” With a lifetime of experience on wild NSR500s it is no surprise that Gardner found the RCV to be smooth and rideable, comparing it to one of his favourite bikes, the Suzuka 8-hour RVFs that he enjoyed so much success on.

“The RC211V is very rideable. The power curve is really, really good – just like a roadbike but much more powerful. Initially I made the mistake of riding the bike a bit too much like a two-stroke, keeping it in the high rpm. The result was lots of wheelstands and wheelspinning, but I soon figured out where to short-shift and how to ride the torque. The V5 is amazing. It pulls from quite low in the rev range and it’s nice through the bottom-end and mid-range. From 9000rpm the bike really starts to accelerate hard and to 17000rpm it is just amazing.

“The V5 is amazing. It pulls from quite low in the rev range… From 9000rpm the bike really starts to accelerate hard and to 17000rpm it is just amazing.”

“The gearbox is terrific. Biaggi has his shifter set very sensitively and you only have to touch it to change gears. The ratios are wider than the old two-strokes and I think this is a motorcycle that could benefit from overgearing – because of the torque curve. It’s very useable. “I liked the clutch set-up, with the back-torque limiter. I tried it out into Honda hairpin and the rear tyre just skipped a little. It is set just right.” Wrestling the NSRs of 1985 to 1988 was hard work (they improved in 1989), and Gardner developed a very aggressive point and shoot riding style, steering with the rear wheel out of necessity.

The modern grand prix motorcycle is, however, much more refined in the chassis department. “I can’t believe how well the RCV handles,” admits WG, “Turn-in is very light, very easy, accurate and predictable. The motorcycle is extremely stable, even through the fast sections, and the brakes are fantastic. They are so, so hard hitting once they’re up to temperature. Really amazing. There’s good feel and feedback from the chassis, it’s very neutral and reasonably light – but it does feel heavier than the 500.”

“Max likes to ride with lots of corner speed, so he runs the front very stiff and the rear quite soft. That didn’t really work too well for me as I’m more aggressive on the throttle off the turns, so a few times on my last lap the rear squatted and the bike ran wide off the turn – but that’s only a setting issue.”

NSR500 vs RC211V
“Wow. I really don’t know where to start with the differences – the NSR just seems so old, a bit like it’s rider!” Gardner spent some time sitting on his 1987 NSR after the RC211V ride – and he couldn’t believe the difference. “I didn’t realize that the NSR had aged so much but I guess it is almost 20-years old now. It’s just so small, it feels like a mini bike!”

With a weight limit of only 115 kilograms compared to the RCV’s 148 kilograms and no bulky electrics it’s no wonder the NSR500 feels so small. It is. The seat height is much lower than the RCV, the NSR is narrower and the bike is generally pretty bare bones by today’s standards.

“Still, millions of dollars were spent developing the 1987 NSR500 and it was a very, very fast motorcycle – plus it won the world championship. But I wouldn’t say it was a good motorcycle at that stage in its development. The ’86, ’87 and ’88 NSR500s were very, very difficult to ride.” Although the brutish NSR got a new chassis for 1987, a new V angle of 112-degrees and a conventional crankshaft rotation (clockwise), the V4 500 was still a handful, and didn’t like to go around corners. “The only way to turn the NSR was with the rear wheel – and you have to work hard to do that for 30-laps on a 190-horsepower bike with a 4000rpm powerband.

“500s are very physical to ride over race distance, and mentally draining. Keeping them on the pace is tough and they are easy to over ride and crash on. The RC211V felt much easier to ride and I think that, over race distance, the four-stroke would be easier than the two-stroke. In saying that, these guys are doing an amazing job riding at the level that they are. Rossi seems to be the only rider taking a four-stroke beyond its limit day-in-day-out but the others are still very fast.”

“The RCV felt much easier to ride and I think that, over race distance, the four-stroke would be easier than the two-stroke.”

“Technology has come a long way since the NSR days, and it shows when you look at the fundamental components of each of these factory bikes. The NSR wears cast-iron rotors with conventionally mounted four-piston calipers. The RC211V has carbon rotors with radial-mount calipers. The NSR has conventional forks – the RC has huge inverted items. The list goes on.”

“The 500 was very mechanical – no quickshifter, no rider aids such as traction control, back-torque limiting, or even telemetry! It was still very much seat of the pants riding, right down to jetting the four 36mm Keihin carburettors and picking gearbox ratio’s – which was absolutely crucial on the 500. “Riding the RC211V was a hell of an experience. But I have to say, nothing beats the excitement of a 500cc Grand Prix two-stroke!”

The RC211V engine is a direct descendant of a V6 Honda engine called the FXX, which was designed in the late ’80s to optimise mass centralisation and compactness. The engine was successful, but never put into production – despite out-performing the RC30’s V4. RC211V project leader, Tomoo Shiozaki, was part of the team that developed the FXX, and the influence of that engine shows in the RCV’s V5. The V5 was chosen to avoid the 10kg penalty a six-cylinder would incur – plus Honda though it would be a good challenge…

Biaggi’s Honda RC211V MotoGP Racer Specifications 

ENGINE: Liquid- cooled, DOHC, 20-valve, 990cc, 75.5-degree V5 four-stroke, 72.3mm × 48.2mm bore x stroke, Multi-injector programmable EFI, digital ignition, Six-speed cassette-type gearbox

CHASSIS: Twin-tube frame, Telescopic forks at the front, unit pro-link rear suspension, twin radial-mounted four piston calipers with carbon discs at the front, Michelin tyres all round, 17in at the front, 16.5in at the rear, 2050mm length, 600mm width, 1130mm height, 1440mm wheelbase, 130mm ground clearance..

PERFORMANCE: 240hp (increased to 256hp in 2004), 148kg wet weight, over 330km/h top speed.

OWNER: Honda Racing Corporation, Japan 

Biaggi’s Honda RCV MotoGP Racer Gallery

The post Racer Test: Wayne Gardner Rides Max Biaggi’s RC211V appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The bike I was most keen on actually wasn’t the Althea Ducati of Carlos Checa, or the Alitalia Aprilia of Max Biaggi. OK, so Marco Melandri’s R1 was one of the bikes I was really stoked to ride but – it was the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR that really had me excited.

Check out our other racer tests here…

Growing up idolising the likes of Aaron Slight, Carl Fogarty, Joey Dunlop and Colin Edwards on their Castrol Hondas has engrained the Castrol Honda colours and name in the youthful and enthusiastic area of my brain – you know that bit? It’s the part that fades when the mortgage and kids come along.

So as I jumped on the plane for the long haul from Sydney to Lisbon I started re-visiting the history books. After getting one or eight bloody mary’s into me on and being told about the ‘responsible drinking policy’ by the hostess, I shut my eyes and began to remember all the late nights watching WSBK in 1990s in our boiling hot family lounge room – then walking to school half asleep the next day, getting kicked out of class for spending my time sketching Castrol Honda RC45s in my books.

So there I was 20 years later, driving a hire car from Lisbon to Portimao to ride the latest generation Castrol Honda superbike. I’m thinking how lucky I am, how there’s a kid out there somewhere just like I was – watching the races on TV, Jonathan Rea posters in their room, sketching Castrol Honda’s in their schoolbooks but probably with a worse haircut than I had back in the day.

THE RIDE

I’ve just jumped off the Alitalia Aprilia RSV4, the fastest motorcycle I think I’ve ever ridden. It’s hot. I have no time to spare so I rush to the Castrol Honda garage for my allotted test on the CBR. I meet Tarsh Weston, an Aussie from Phillip Island who runs a PR and Marketing business with clients like Kawasaki, Ten Kate Honda and Castrol Honda.

Tarsh happens to be engaged to Jonny Rea. I tell her to stand by and watch how it’s really done. Then I tell the mechanic to put a real man sized spring on the shock, I eat lots of meat and drink lots of beer. I tell them, It took two Kangaroos to make this leather suit, I make terrible jokes when I’m nervous. A few laughs and a few odd looks and I’m heading up pit lane on the pit lane speed limiter. It all sinks in. I’m riding a real Castrol Honda WSBK machine.

Last year my test at Magny Cours was rained out, that was hard to take after an epic trip there. The year before I sent our own Wayne Gardner to ride the bikes, also here at Portimao. He found the Castrol Honda peaky, with vague brake and with wide offsets and lots of trail. He called it a one-line bike that was not as raceable as he expected on a circuit like Portimao. I was interested to see if things were still like this, as the other bikes on the day were not like that so far.

As I roll onto the chute and short-shift to fourth gear for a run down to turn one for the first time I find myself instantly feeling at home on the bike. Despite a height difference of about three meters between Rea and myself, I actually fit. The bars are fairly wide and flat but not as radically MX looking as they seem on TV. Just more of a flat angle than stock and slightly wider, they are not low, like Checa’s old school set-up on the Ducati.

It feels slim and the screen is nice and tall. The pegs and levers all fall in a natural position – much like the streetbike feels and the machine, despite having a fair amount of ride height in it, is not as tall in the back as I expected. In fact out of all of the machines I’ve ridden today this one feels the most balanced.

I have to put my head down immediately as we only get three laps, I’ve done a million laps here so I’m good to go. As I crest the hump around the back before of the circuit the front of the bike goes sky high. I didn’t ask if it has wheelie control – but either it doesn’t or it only works at higher rpm where proper riders would be in this section.

The acceleration down through the dipper is incredible – second to the Alitalia Aprilia. Stronger than the rest including the BMW, which I’m convinced, was heavily wound back for us journalists on the day.

I arrive at turn 10 a tight right-hander and brake hard. The forks dive through their stroke fairly quickly and the back of the bike gets a little unstable. This has been common today – my weight plus my lack of finesse on the brakes.

It’s easy to turn the bike regardless and get through the corner, accelerating hard down the hill around to turn 12. From 12 to the chute is where the Castrol Honda really feels fast. That power delivery again has me feeling confident to open the throttle earlier and harder than on the other bikes today so out of turn 13 I’m going faster than ever – there seems to be more feel from the rear of this bike than the other WSBK machines.

Cresting the hill onto the chute, the bike rears it’s head and gives a gentle shake. I tuck in tight and click via the quickshifter through the neat ‘box to fifth gear only. The CBR is so freaking fast compared to any other I’ve ridden, including the past three or four generations of factory Australian Superbikes. Think of your streetbike acceleration in second gear, now think of your streetbikes acceleration in second gear down a steep hill. That’s what this bike feels like in fourth and fifth.

I sit up just before the downhill and really brake in the dip at the end, back shifting to second gear. The gearbox is so neat the clutch slip makes the bike feel like a two-stroke. Hard braking while turning into T1 then accelerating hard to T2 and T3, the CBR rides the few bumps there and feels so nimble. Into the uphill T3 it is the only superbike I’ve been able to easily get in tight and neat quickly, stand it up and fire it off without feeling like I’m going to run out of track as I come onto the short straight at T5.

Between T5 and T6 the Castrol Honda is so fast but that braking stability I felt into T10 appears again at T6. The rear of the bike gets unstable and throws me out a bit. I do like the back of a bike to come around a bit on the hard brakes, it helps me have some sort of feel for the rear, but it throws me off a little on the Castrol Honda. I put it down to my 85kg weight. Still, no problems to turn it tight and fire it off up the hill out of the corner.

I have one more flying lap and that’s it. I might never get this kind of opportunity again. I’m going to enjoy this. I truly, honestly put my head down. If I crash then that would really suck but what would suck more is if I don’t ride a real WSBK bike in anger when I have had to opportunity to do so, I’ve fallen off about nine million bikes so it’s not going to be the end of the world.

The SC1 tyres fitted are so, so incredible. They were new when I jumped on the bike so after the first lap they are in that perfect place. Again the bike shakes its head gently over the crest onto the chute, I click fifth gear and bury my big head. I go as close as I have yet to the crest of the hill before rolling off and braking, the bike stays so stable because I’m calmer and slowed my actions down.

I peel into T1 harder and with more lean angle than I have all day and crack the throttle much earlier, and wider, for the run up to T3. Again into T3 I’m braking harder and with more lean angle than before. I’m pretty much at my limit, which is domestic A grade and it’s been the same limit for 20 years. I head towards T6 with much more speed and really have one of those hard braking, turning, hold my breath shit I’m going to die entries into T6.

The bike absolutely hauls up the hill and through the fast T8 and again I’m getting that feeling of injury as I brake at what seems to be an impossible lean angle into T9. Up over the crest carrying more speed and rpm, the bike doesn’t try and spit me over the back like it did when I was going slower.

I go through the dip flat in third (pretty sure the WSBK guys do it in fourth!) and brake hard for T10. Fire it down the hill for and suddenly I’m again in need of Oxygen as I think I’ve overshot T13 but Jesus Christ these brake and tyres are insane. I almost fall off as I change direction for T14 but I get the bike in there really nice and tight and get on the throttle hard, using every inch of track on exit before rolling off gently and entering pit lane.

I’m shaking as I hop off the bike and grinning ear to ear. When you spend your life riding motorcycles for a job and ride your own bikes on weekends, it takes something special to really get that buzz you got the very first time you rode a bike. Well, I got that buzz on the Castrol Honda. I’m glad I didn’t crash, I’m glad I took the risk, I have no idea how fast or slow I was. I’m just stoked that I had the chance to experience how good these machine and their riders really are.

The Castrol Honda was amazing. Balanced, fast, quick steering yet stable and needed much less lean angle than any of the other bikes out there (aside from Melandri’s R1), to get through a corner at the same speed. It felt safer to ride. Used less track and also left more room for error and more lean angle up your sleeve if it all goes wrong.

Jonathan Rea Interview (2011 end of season).

Jonathan Rea spoke about how the 2011 Castrol Honda had some major changes all throughout the seasons between 2008 to 2011. He also gave his opinions on what needed to be changed and what he struggled with the most across the season on the bike.

JW – How much did the 2011 machine change between 2008 and 2011?

Jonathan Rea – As a race machine my bike has got much easier to ride. Mid-way through 2009 we swapped from WP to Ohlins suspension and together with my Team we have developed the PI electronics package to what it is today.

JW – What are two key strong points and weak points of the 2011 machine?

Jonathan Rea – Strongest points of the bike are high-speed direction change and it’s quite easy to ride. Weakest points are top speed and corner entry stability before the PI ride-by-wire was introduced mid-way through 2011.

JW – What are the main two key improvements you have asked for 2012?

Jonathan Rea – We will now work with the Factory Ohlins suspension guys as well as one of their suspension technicians and my team are working hard to find some horsepower.

JW – Did you have fun riding the 2011 Castrol Honda?

Jonathan Rea – To be honest in the middle of the season I was enjoying riding it at all – and then I got injured – which was maybe a blessing as when I came back we started to work towards the 2012 bike which meant changes with electronics, Cosworth PI and the ride-by-wire introduction.

2011 WSBK Castrol Honda Fireblade Specifications

Power: Over 215hp
Wet weight: Under 165kg
Fuel capacity: 22L

Engine: Liquid-cooled 16-valve inline four-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and stroke: 76 x 55.1mm
Displacement: 999.8cc
Fuel delivery: PI Research PECTEL fuel injection, 46mm throttle-bodies, HRC airfilter and airbox
Exhaust: Arrow four-into-one titanium
Gearbox: HRC kit cassette style with 1.717 primary ratio, race shift with quickshifter
Clutch: STM wet multi-plate slipper clutch, cable actuation, 520 chain final drive

Frame type: Diamond aluminium composite twin-spar
Wheelbase: Adjustable
Rake: Adjustable
Trail: Adjustable
Front suspension: Ohlins FGR900 forks with TTX system
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX36 with hydraulic preload adjuster added
Front brakes: Nissin/Yutaka floating 320mm rotors, radial-mount monoblock calipers
Rear brake: Nissin/Yutaka floating 220mm rotor, single caliper
Front wheel: PVM Magnesium forged seven-spoke, 16.5 x 3.50in
Rear wheel: PVM Magnesium forged seven-spoke, 16.5 x 6.25in
Front tyre: Pirelli Slick, 120/70 – 16.5
Rear tyre: Pirelli slick, 190/50 or 200/65 – 16.5
Instruments: PI Research race dash

2011 WSBK Jonathan Rea Honda Fireblade Gallery

The post Racer Test: Jonathan Rea’s 2011 WSBK Castrol Honda appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

This one began for me during a nondescript Wednesday evening drive home. When I answered my squawking mobile, life instantly changed from grainy black and white, to full HD colour. Honda’s PR chief was a man I knew well, and when he asked a simple question, “do you fancy riding Rossi’s GP bike Mossy?”, sequential chuckling instantly followed. I knew he wasn’t joking. He knew I’d say yes. And so I did. Repeatedly.

Check out our other Racer Tests here…

The rest of the trip home became very different; essentially now a much more special journey – from Derby, UK to Cataluyna, Spain. I went from feeling who I was, an ordinary Joe, to someone way more significant. Given the 990cc, V5, 240bhp thoroughbred was going to be like nothing I’d ever sampled before, and especially given the owner was one of the greatest racers of all time, it became obvious I was about to spend time in an emotional zone I’d never visited before. Fuck me, just the prospect of the ride gave me a massive rush.

Before I got to fly to Barcelona, Rossi won his second world title on the RC211V, then announced he’d be off to Yamaha the following year. My ride took on even more significance. When I got to the track the day before ride, the gravity of it all hit me like a well-aimed bat.  

Colin Edwards, who’d just signed to ride a V5 in the 2004 championship, was testing the Honda for the first time. And the noise of him caning the bike for all it was worth was filling the air. It was a chilling and raucous din, so damned loud you could hear the Texan complete a whole lap from any point round the track. He looked at home on it. I meanwhile, felt terrified by the sight and sound of the V5 monster.

Randy Mamola helped a smidgen by offering comforting words. “It’s just like a fast street bike. It’s really well mannered, and it won’t frighten you a bit. You’ll love riding it and will want to own one straight away.” He seemed very honest and sincere when he said that, so I took his word for it and left the track hoping for the best the next day.

“It’s just like a fast street bike. It’s really well mannered, and it won’t frighten you a bit. You’ll love riding it and will want to own one straight away.”  Said Randy Mamola.

The following morning when the alarm call reminded me that the big day had dawned (not that I needed it, as I had been lying awake in fear since 4am), Randy’s words didn’t mean jack shit. Today I was going to be all on my own.

At the circuit I learned I was only going to get three laps on the RC211V and how vital it was not to crash it. Then the call came to get ready for the big deal. This was it. Time to get on the mother of all motorcycles. I got kitted up and headed to the pit lane. And there it was. The world champion’s steed in all its glory. Closer examination revealed it to be an absolute masterpiece of engineering and every single part of it looked crafted to ensure victory. Compared to this, every other bike I’d seen before appeared somewhat ordinary, though nowhere near as intimidating. Then it was time to ride.

“It didn’t matter I’d been riding all and sundry in the motorcycle world for over twenty-five years, I honestly doubted I could do it.”

An HRC engineer nonchalantly wheeled the starter motor towards the fat rear slick. He nodded for me to get on board. All I needed to do now was wait for the Honda’s rear wheel to be spun up, snick a gear, dump the clutch and fire up the motor. But right then, such was my fear and damage to my confidence I genuinely didn’t think I could even do that simple job. As for getting the RC211V underway down the pit-lane and riding it for three laps, my brain delivered apprehension. It didn’t matter I’d been riding all and sundry in the motorcycle world for over twenty-five years, I honestly doubted I could do it.

Despite the huge self-doubt I did manage to get underway and, amid the most ear-bashing cacophony of sound I’ve ever heard from a bike, off I set for my session of uncertainty. The massive torque of the motor means clutch slip isn’t really needed at all to get the bike off the line. Though, with a huge first gear (tall enough, I’m told, to take the bike to over 200kph!) it’s a wonder. After that, even after short-shifting through the first three gears and using very little amounts of throttle, it was patently obvious that this was one amazingly strong engine. 

Once I was out on track I gave the twistgrip a slightly angrier tug in fourth and man did the world go backwards! Not quite ready for all of that explosive level of acceleration just yet, I snicked it into fifth and sixth sharpish to let the revs drop and get back to a less frantic pace. Soon after, I needed to brake for the first corner.

But slowing for the bend didn’t bring much in the way of stopping at all. The carbon brakes weren’t up to full temperature and weren’t very effective at all. Fortunately, I’d grabbed the lever well in advance, thankfully making the corner with room to spare.

Then, just as I’d sussed that out, I had my second serious fright. Steering into the bend made me feel as though the front end was washing out and I was about to get dumped unceremoniously onto the Cataluyna track. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, the feeling of impending doom vanishing as I realised it was just the lightness and speed of how the bike turned that gave me that impression. 

Ten corners later and the reassurance was even more complete, the perfect feel and feedback from the chassis allowing me to get my knee down in total confidence. Not only did I feel physically comfy on this bike, I actually felt mentally comfortable too. Maybe Mamola had been talking sense after all. It says a hell of a lot for the overall balance of the RC211V when you can feel at home on it as soon as I did.

“Maybe Mamola had been talking sense after all. It says a hell of a lot for the overall balance of the RC211V when you can feel at home on it as soon as I did.”

I still wasn’t pushing it very hard of course, but the Honda wasn’t frightening me anywhere near as much as I’d expected. Then came the big test. And as I rounded the last corner leading to the lengthy start-finish straight I knew I was only seconds away from opening the throttle fully for the very first time. And I really didn’t have a clue what to expect.

Tightly gripping everything I could just to stay on board, I feared either flipping the thing or just sliding off the back of it. I shouldn’t have worried. Though the Honda eats rpm, gears and straights in a flurry of flashing rev lights and frantic gear changes, the totally linear and gorgeously turbine-smooth power delivery masks the actual rate at which you’re accelerating. It just feels like an ultra-fast VFR1200-engined roadbike. It really is that friendly, that civilised, that refined. 

And so the experience went on. I say it was an experience rather than a test, because I’m not really qualified to give a fully credible account of how this amazing projectile behaves in detail or at its limit. But, as a human being, I feel more than able to pass a judgement on what it does to you when you ride it. And that’s a lot. No other bike I’ve ridden before (including Aaron Slight and Carl Fogarty’s WSB racers) feels anything quite as perfectly sorted as the Honda. Nothing I’ve ridden before stirs the emotions as much. 

It’s like a big tiger that you can stroke and hand-feed, it’s so friendly. Yet, because it has so much ultimate performance lurking under its fairing, you still have to respect it massively. Just like the big cat, it’ll maul you and take your face off if you don’t. When I did get off it there was a mixture of sadness that it was all over, but relief that I hadn’t dumped it. But more to the point, I had uncontrollable urge to tell the whole world about my brief but incredible adventure. I simply couldn’t stop jabbering about the brilliance of the RC211V.

“It’s like a big tiger that you can stroke and hand-feed, it’s so friendly. Yet, because it has so much ultimate performance lurking under its fairing, you still have to respect it massively.”

Nothing about the bike deserves criticism at all. Every single part of it complements the rest of the bike so perfectly it’s almost unreal. And how the likes of ordinary blokes like me can feel so at home on what essentially is a guided missile is almost beyond belief. I’ve been intimidated more by some road bikes since, like Ducati V4 Panigales which, despite their deserved accolades, next to this feel a lot less predictable. There are motorbikes, and then there are RC211Vs. The gap is that big. All the men responsible for creating the V5 deserve huge praise. They’ve crafted a perfect racing tool. It’s no wonder that every GP rider who got the chance to ride one, got good results.

It’s actually very hard to express your feelings accurately enough to make people fully appreciate what this amazing machine is capable of doing – both on the track, and to your heart and mind. Only if you rode one yourself would you fully comprehend its incredible balance and togetherness. And that’s the beauty of it – anyone can ride it. Not necessarily as fast as Valentino and the others, but pretty quickly and without fear nevertheless.

Looking back, getting the chance to go on the Honda was probably the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my forty-odd years in motorcycling. I only got something like six minutes on it. But that time was so fulfilling I’d be happy to get the chance of just another thirty seconds. And now that I actually know what it feels like, I wouldn’t get anywhere near as terrified as I did before this ride. Thanks to HRC for changing my life for a while. It was an emotional experience, and one I won’t ever forget. 

Tune in next week as we revisit Wayne Gardners spin on Max Biaggi’s RC211V…

2003 Rossi’s Honda RC211V MotoGP Racer Specifications 

ENGINE: Liquid- cooled, DOHC, 20-valve, 990cc, 75.5-degree V5 four-stroke, 72.3mm × 48.2mm bore x stroke, Multi-injector programmable EFI, digital ignition, Six-speed cassette-type gearbox

CHASSIS: Twin-tube frame, Telescopic forks at the front, unit pro-link rear suspension, twin radial-mounted four piston calipers with carbon discs at the front, Michelin tyres all round, 17in at the front, 16.5in at the rear, 2050mm length, 600mm width, 1130mm height, 1440mm wheelbase, 130mm ground clearance..

PERFORMANCE: 240hp (increased to 256hp in 2004), 148kg wet weight, over 330km/h top speed.

OWNER: Honda Racing Corporation, Japan 

Honda RC211V MotoGP Racer Gallery

The post Racer Test: Rossi’s Honda RC211V! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

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…

Check out our other track bike tests here…

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”.

The Build

• 2001 Honda CBR929RR Fireblade
• PURCHASE COST: $2000
• INITIAL BUDGET: $4000
• TOTAL SPENT: $3000
• PURCHASED FROM: eBay

Parts List

• $500 Hong Kong eBay special pre painted fairings
• Fresh oil, filter and brake fluid
• Detail and safety check
• New screen
• Engine bolt kit
  

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The post Track Bikes: Honda CBR929 Fireblade Budget Track Tool appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....