For 30 years Fabio Taglioni was the Technical Director of Ducati, its Direttore Tecnico, and was responsible for all manner of engine designs ranging from single-cylinder lightweights to a massive V-four and especially the bevel drive 90-degree V-twins…

For the whole of his career, Taglioni held the racetrack to be the finest proving ground available for the development of successive families of Ducati models, as well as the demonstration of their worth. His bevel-drive V-twin models of the 1970s are proof positive of that reasoning. They were the mainstay of the Ducati range for the whole of that decade, and scored many memorable race successes, such as Paul Smart’s and Bruno Spaggiari’s dominant 1-2 victory in the prestigious 1972 Imola 200, and the now legendary Isle of Man TT comeback victory by the late, great Mike Hailwood in 1978. Personal recollections of their Ducati successes by both Hailwood and Smart provide chapters of this wide-ranging book.

Alan Cathcart has been and still is the owner and racer of several of those classic Desmo V-twins. He is also the author of several best-selling books on Ducati motorcycles, including the first-ever history of the marque in the English language, published in 1983. As such he became a personal friend and confidant of Ing. Taglioni over many years, so no-one is better qualified to pen the history of the greatest name in motorcycle design.

Fabio Taglioni – Designer of Ducati Legends is a 232-page book with 200+ photographs, most of which are in full colour. They range from historic factory archive material to modern digital photography commissioned especially for this title.

Ducati’s history and Taglioni’s personal story are covered in-depth along with detailed information on his most famous machines. The story starts in immediate post-WW2 Italy, and the company’s entry into the motorcycle market with an engine designed to clip on to a bicycle, and provide transportation for the public in a country with an economy struggling to recover from its wartime devastation.

From there it moved into proper motorcycles and by the mid-1950s was just one of many manufacturers of lightweight machines. Then along came Fabio Taglioni. In May 1954, he joined the company and within a year transformed its fortunes with his ground-breaking ‘Marianna’ Gran Sport 100 design. Its little 98cc single-cylinder engine was technically far ahead of its rivals, featuring overhead-camshaft valve operation driven from the crankshaft by a shaft and bevel gears. This was a configuration seen mainly on 350cc and 500cc racing machines of that era, and was previously unheard of in such a small engine as the Gran Sport 100. It immediately struck a chord with the racing-mad Italian public and, when it and its Gran Sport 125 bigger brother began winning long distance road races, and even excelled in Grand Prix competition via desmo derivatives, sales success soon followed.

Taglioni’s genius had set Ducati on the path to the pre-eminence that Ducati enjoys in the world of Italian motorcycle production today, for these little GS ultra-lightweights were only the first steps on the journey. Their basic design parameters went on to be used in future successful single-cylinder motorcycles ranging from 250 to 450cc and even in the famous V-twins of the 1970s.

In the early 1980s, some 25 years after his first single-cylinder machines and a full decade after the initial appearance of his 90-degree V-twins, Taglioni updated and future-proofed the V-twins by changing the overhead-camshaft valve operation to a belt-driven system. First seen on the Pantah models, this took Ducati into the 21st century, and that basic architecture is still used on today’s twins.

All of Taglioni’s seminal designs are featured in-depth in this book: single-cylinder, parallel twins, V-twins and even a pair of experimental four-cylinder prototypes – the giant Apollo V-four of 1964, and the Bi-Pantah, his final such design which never made it into production.

Alan Cathcart was fortunate to enjoy unparalleled access to the Ducati factory, and to Ing. Fabio Taglioni on a personal basis, during the last decade of his tenure as Ducati Meccanica’s Direttore Tecnico. That is what makes this book so special.

Fabio Taglioni – Designer of Ducati Legends is available worldwide exclusively from Amazon priced at $54.40 AUD including delivery. An e-book version is also available costing £8.95 in the UK, and the appropriate local currency equivalent elsewhere.

Click here to order your copy from amazon.com.au

The post New Book | Fabio Taglioni, Designer of Ducati Legends, Alan Cathcart appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the Introduction to the book and sample chapters here…

Many of the great characters profiled in the book have left us, leaving their amazing stories of life and times on the famed Continental Circus. Tales of derring-do and occasional bastardry by dodgy promoters. Venues as diverse as the Isle of Man and long public-road circuits behind the Iron Curtain. For more info or to order, visit circuslifebook.com

What They Said About Circus Life:

“I congratulate you on a monumental work, truly superb, so detailed…I was particularly impressed by the chapter on the money side of things…the amount of money paid by Moto Guzzi to Ken Kavanagh was a real eye opener.” – the late Mick Woollett, 1950s GP sidecar passenger, GP photo-journalist, motorcycle newspaper editor and book author, Hemel Hempstead, England

“What you have achieved with this book is quite incredible – stories of lives and racing that would have been lost if you had not had the determination to set it down on paper.” – Dr Martin Raines, MotoGP statistician.

“This is without doubt the best motorcycle book ever, and I have a lot of them.” – Kel Carruthers, Australia’s 1969 world champion.

“A very beautiful thing. It’s a proper work of diligent research; less common in bikes than in cars.” – Mat Oxley, motorcycle journalist and author, London.

The post Circus Life Christmas & New Year Offer | New Products appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

New from Pro Accessories Australia is this Acebikes SteadyStand. With the Acebikes SteadyStand your motorbike is firmly anchored in seconds. The SteadyStand is suitable for 15 to 19 inch tyres, with a tyre width of 90 up to 130mm. This makes the SteadyStand ideal for home use for a wide variety of bikes. Because you can put your motorbike upright, it doesn’t take much space in your garage. The SteadyStand is designed for total ease of use and is high quality…

The unique rubber feet prevent the SteadyStand from sliding as you roll your machine forward onto the stand, and it is easy to move (when there is no bike on it) because of the convenient handle. The SteadyStand is easy to store because of the small size and lightweight materials as well. Designed in the Netherlands, its dimensions are 61 x 52 x 35cm and it weighs 7kg.

Unique features:

• Durable, high quality powder-coated frame and cups
• Special rubber feet to prevent sliding
• Easy to move when unloaded because of the convenient handle
• Maximum stability because of the total secure-system of the front wheel
• Suitable for wheel sizes from 15 to 19 inches, tyre width from 90 to 130mm

The Acebikes SteadyStand is available for $269.95 RRP from most local bike shops (just ask), and to find out more or help locate one, visit Pro Accessories Australia here or call them on (07) 3277 0675, or email here.

The post New Product: ACE STEADYSTAND motorcycle stand 15in – 19in appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

When I was made aware of Complete Rider, I was genuinely excited. Not only because it’s written by an Aussie plus printed and designed here, but also that it’s new, modern and not just another updated book from back when bikes had drum brakes, carburettors and 100hp was out of this world!

Finally, a new education book with online options, for the new generation and for experienced riders. I’ve been reading it now for a few months on and off and still have plenty to go, probably a third of it, but I can confidently write this review on it… I’ve been picking it up every other day and learning more.

Not just another updated book from back when bikes had drum brakes, carburettors and 100hp was out of this world!

I’ve found rather than read it front to back, I’ve been perusing the brilliant index, finding a subject I’m interested in (even Plexus is there, man, I love that stuff it is the best!), then reading that section or some of it, jumping forwards and backwards through the book. I do the same with workshop manuals… Which I admit to reading in the little spare time I have!

There is humour hidden throughout Complete Rider, which always lightens up the read with anything technical. An example is under T in the index, you can find Tom Cruise listed… Page 105 (drop down visor info) and then further along you will find Wanker… see Tom Cruise… Ha!

That stuff will make you laugh. I also related to it as, like the author, the first time I saw a drop down visor I thought you would have to be a wanker to wear a helmet with one… and now I have about three helmets with them and love them! It’s called getting old, I’m told.

Seriously, though, there is plenty that ANY rider can learn from this book. I always say that as riders we never stop learning. I’ve been an A Grade racer for 26-years this year, competed 413 times, been a full time bike journo since 2001 and have tested over 1000 bikes and I still learn something new ever week at least. I love learning new things to apply to my riding. Some work out, some don’t, but I always try!

I’ve always had a terrible ‘Risk versus Reward’ meter, and have found some great points in Complete Rider to remind me of this and hopefully address it. On the other hand, my ‘Anticipation’ meter has always been my get out of jail free card… But I have still picked up a few things there in the book. It’s easy to pick up bad habits and sometimes it takes a third party to wake us up to them.

For experienced riders, there is plenty in here to help you iron out some old creases and even prompt you about things you may have forgotten. The author is super experienced and understands that us long term riders do not always like to be told better ways to do something we have been doing for years. Fair enough, but he will offer an alternative and back it up with reason and proven testing.

The newbies will get huge gains from Complete Rider. It covers everything and anything and will truly help you on your journey and be a bike bible for you for many years as you continue to develop as not only a rider, but as a motorcycle owner. There is info on riding gear and bike maintenance that will help you no end and drills at the back to help you practice your riding and apply some of the techniques…

Complete Rider is a big book. It is not a quick guide to riding. You need to take your time to read and study it, think about the things you pick up and apply them to your daily or weekend riding, have a think about them then move on to the next section, or choose one that you think you need to read to help address a riding issue you are currently experiencing. As mentioned, it’s a reference for experienced riders and a great learning tool for new riders.

To buy Complete Rider, purchase a course or visit the YouTube channel click here…

It’s a road riding guide – something that is very important as it is not adapted from a racing book or racing skills, which are completely different to the street in so many ways. For me, over the past few decades as a bike journo and a bike racer, I often feel like two completely different people who ride totally differently – one road rider and one track rider.

It’s like I have a mental switch between the two. There are not that many track skills that apply to the road and it goes the other way, so a dedicated road book is important… Another area I found very good was the Human Factors chapter. It’s so easy to forget how one small bad choice can impact our lives until it is too late. My injuries over the past few years are testament to that… I have a bad habit of riding when I have a lot on my mind, which leads to mistakes. Complete Rider helped me address this issue.

Complete Rider is available for Left and Right side of the road countries and written accordingly. It is also available as a digital edition. There is an online course, which involves the author presenting the book and with bonus quizzes and a digital edition. The website (below) has these available.

Complete Rider is split into five sections – The 3 Essential Bike Handling Skills, Interaction (Roadcraft), Human Factors, Our Stuff (Gear and Maintenance) and Drills. There are 11 Chapters, with great illustrations throughout, as well as QR codes that you can scan and ‘find out more’ for example watch the YouTube clip.

Highly recommended for all riders. Visit the Complete Rider website for more info and to order yours!

Check out some of the videos on the YouTube Channel

The post Book Review: Complete Rider, by The Anonymous Rider appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Gaerne GRS
A racing boot suitable for track and street. The GRS has the exclusive Gaerne floating system to surround the ankle while at the same time flowing with your natural movement. The heel cup is designed for maximum strength, while a wide shin plate in PU and gear lever protection add further safety.

Inside is a breathable lining and shinbone area with special padding for extra comfort. There is also a side-entry system with elastic zip panel and velcro for customized fit, non-slip and oil resistant sole and changeable toe sliders.

Gaerne GRT
GRT is a new racing boot from Gaerne suitable for sporty riding! The upper is made in micro-fiber, while the inside is fully lined with a breathable Airmesh. The heel cup, the front plate and the gear support complement the technical features of this new boot.

Inner side elastic zip pannel and wide velcro allows a perfect closure of the boot. Exclusive dual compound, anti-slip rubber sole, replaceable sliders, Anatomic and removable insole complete the awesome features of this boot!

Keen on either pair? Head into your local motorcycle store now or contact Cassons Australia directly regarding stock availability. Check out the 2022 Gaerne Australia catalogue here…

The post Gaerne: All New GRT & GRS Race Boots appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Since I started riding, I’ve been pretty loyal to AGV and Shark when it comes to lids. I’ve got quite the collection but for the past year I’ve only been wearing my AGV K3 S-V since it’s so comfortable. It has seen plenty of road tests, track days and it has even been my choice for when I take my go-kart out.

Check out our product reviews here…

It’s about time a new contender entered my personal helmet rotation and the 6D ATS-1R has already impressed me. Unboxing it, I was welcomed with quality packaging, three visors (including the clear one that comes on the helmet) and a Pinlock system.

Pulling it out of the box and the ATS-1R is secured by a zip up back instead of a conventional cloth helmet bag, this properly protects your lid from any bumps or scratches when storing/transporting it. Unzipping the bag and I’m greeted with a solid black colour, changing it up from my usual eccentric colour scheme choice. The solid gloss black colour scheme works well to show off the carbon-fibre outer shell, subtle in the dark but looks great when the sun hits it.

First course of action is getting rid of that clear visor, my refusal to look up the instructions proved handy as it showed that the visor couldn’t be removed by accident or pressure. After searching up how to properly do it, a latch on each side pops the visor straight out. McLeod’s sent me a choice between a Dark Smoke (anti-scratch and anti-fog) and Light Smoke (just anti-scratch but Pinlock ready) and of course I went for the darker one!

Throwing the lid on for the first time and it’s pretty roomy inside. My long nose has plenty of space, my cheeks sit comfortably against the padding with my usual XL size and my glasses don’t feel like they’re digging in at all!

Under the chin is a small fabric guard with some elasticity that tucks in well to properly seal off your head in its own cockpit. I haven’t had a lid like this before and I never realised how much a difference it makes in terms of comfort and protection from the elements.

The helmet itself is relatively light, weighing in at 1640 grams, it’s definitely not one of the lightest on the market or in my collection but it doesn’t feel heavy on my head at all. In terms of visibility, its fine for the road and we will see how it goes on track in full tuck.

Other features include a conventional double d ring strap, plenty of vents to help your head stay cool and an emergency release system which seems to be an industry standard across all lids now. I’m looking forward to putting it to the test with my daily riding soon, check back in a few months for a full review of the 6D ATS-1R helmet!

Tech Talk
The brand name name “6D” is a reference to the engineering term 6 Degrees of Freedom, which refers to the ability to move three dimensionally on the X,Y and Z axis, including rotation about each axis. The Omni-Directional Suspension system utilises this term to maximise its ability to absorb and mitigate energy. Read further into their Omni-Directional Suspension system here.

This impact system is improved over the last model ATS-1R, with the new design taking heavy inspiration from the ATR-2 motocross helmet. For 2022, 6D have shed 200 grams off the total weight with the new lid weighing in at 1560 grams (medium).

For comfort, they’ve redesigned the shield base plates for an improved feeling and seal.  The fitment as a whole has been improved thanks to a larger shell opening and cheek pad shape, combined with a new chin curtain and neck cuff. The internal breath guard directs fresh air up the inside of the shield, while exhausting breath down and out to reduce fogging.

6D know not everyone’s head is the shape, so they have multiple pad options available to help you feel comfortable. All of these features are wrapped up neatly in a 3K carbon fibre shell with three visor options: clear, light smoke and dark smoke. All of which are VESC-8 certified and anti-scratch. A clear Pinlock 120 anti-fog insert is also included. 

The 6D ATS-1R is available now at your local motorcycle store or through McLeod’s Accessories for an RRP of $999.95 in a choice of gloss black, matte black, gloss silver, grey and gloss white.

The post First Impressions: 6D ATS-1R Helmet appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The book, which features the most exciting and spectacular photographs of the races from the sport’s top photographers, is an unmissable opportunity to see inside the racing world of Ducati Corse and a great Xmas gift for all Ducatisti as well as bike racing fans all around the world.

The Ducati Lenovo Team, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Francesco Bagnaia, Jack Miller, Scott Redding, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, together with the other satellite teams and riders in MotoGP, World Superbike and the most important national championships – British Superbike, MotoAmerica, CIV, Endurance and Australian SBK – are all beautifully illustrated in the 208 pages of a large-format volume (30 x 30 cm.) with hardcover and dust jacket, text in Italian and English and over 250 images printed in full colour on glossy paper for a truly exceptional photographic yield.

The Ducati Corse 2021 Official Yearbook is available for purchase now in all good bookshops and online here.

The post Ducati Corse 2021 Official Yearbook On Sale Now! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

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 post Get A Free Pair Of Knee Sliders With Your Metzeler Tyres appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The great thing about the Slacker is that it makes a job that previously required two people easily achieved on your own as it does all of the measuring and calculations for you accurately and quickly.

Normally, when adjusting sag, you first need to measure full extension, then static distance from the floor, then subtract that from the extended distance to give static sag. You then need to repeat that sitting on the bike in the riding position, repeating it twice for both ends. To do that, you need a helper to do the measuring while you handle the bike. With the Slacker, you can do it all alone very quickly.

Once you have the Slacker string connected, hook up the handlebar mounted display so you can easily do the job on your own. This simply plugs into the Slacker with the lead provided and attaches to the handlebars via a velcro strap. Makes life a lot easier when trying to read the results.

The remote display has the same functions as the Slacker so everything can be controlled now from the handlebar. Lift on the bars and fully extend the forks, then zero the slacker.

Once sorted, it is time to stand alongside the bike holding it upright. Holding the front brake, bounce the front-end up and down five times to loosen and seal stiction on the fork inner tube and to help the forks settle. Release the brake and give the forks one more bounce with no brakes.

You will now have a reading on the display showing the static sag (unloaded) of the front of the bike for your records, the WR was 49mm. Next, sit on the bike in your normal riding position. Again, bounce the forks up and down, then when they settle, you will have the sag amount displayed on the remote display. Repeat this a few times until you get a consistent reading. The WR was 79mm.

If your bike has preload adjustment, this is the point where you can repeat steps until the correct sag is achieved, either adding or removing spring preload. Sometimes compression damping adjustment can help to set sag as well as preload but you don’t want to be riding on compression rather than spring, so it is generally best to set spring sag with the comp and rebound backed completely off.

With the WR, we ended up with compression at 9/21clicks, rebound at 11/29 clicks and a sag with rider of 79mm. With no spring preload adjustment, we can’t do anything else but those numbers are fine for now as Mike is still a relatively new off road rider.

Once you have set the front up, it is time to move the Slacker unit to the back of the bike. Fit another stick on hook somewhere in a straight line of travel above the rear axle, move the magnetised Slacker to the back axle and connect the string/cable. You can leave the remote display on the handlebar as the cable is very long, which is convenient. Kneeling alongside the right hand side of the bike, push up under the seat area to fully extend the rear suspension, or stand alongside it and lift the rear, then zero the Slacker using the buttons on either the main unit or the remote unit.

Now walk around to the left side, take the bike off the stand and bounce the rear up and down five times then let it settle. You will now have a static sag figure for your records. In this case, 40mm.

Sitting on the bike now, bounce the back up and down with your weight then sit in your usual spot. Try not to take any weight through your legs, which will be on the ground only for balance. If you are alone this will be the best you can do and will be fine, maybe rest an elbow on the wall to stay upright.

You will now have your rear rider sag figure, in this case for the WR, 108mm. We are aiming for 100mm. So we increase rear spring preload to 12mm (three turns on the collar). We do this one turn at a time, checking sags each time. Now the WR250R has 100mm rider sag at the rear and exactly 30mm static, which is spot on with 80kg Mike on it and he is the only person riding the bike. We also set the rear rebound to 8 clicks out and the rear compression to 8 clicks out.

So using the Slacker is so easy compared the old fashioned mate with a tape measure way. You can quickly and easily do this by yourself and the entire process took us around 15-minutes start to finish.

The Slacker is easy to use, comes with a range of connections and is available for $199.95 RRP (Street kit an extra $39.95 RRP) in all good bike shops via the national distributor Pro Accessories, you can check out the Pro Accessories website here.

The post Product Review: WR250R Rider Sag Setting, Motool Slacker appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Gaerne say the GP1 Evo is the ultimate racing boot from their research centre, developed in cooperations with professional riders. The floating system allows the foot to move naturally and prevents ankle twisting while the rubber inserts on the inner calf and heel provide additional grip while protecting the leg from heat.

Made of carbon composite, the GP1 evo is lightweight and strong, the carbon composite also allows the foot to move without compromising flexibility and prevents hyper extension or compression. Along with the premium materials is a high-wear resistant magnesium toe slider to ensure that the boots will last you a long time.

A non-deformable polyurethane heel cup has also been added, this is protected by that replaceable low-friction magnesium slider. The anti-shock heel feature an internal comfort enhancing decompression zone, located between the inside and sole.

If you’re interested in the GP1 Evo boots, you can head to the Gaerne website here. If you are interested in purchasing a pair, contact Cassons and they will find a store that stocks them near you or direct you to an online purchasing system.

The post New Product: Gaerne GP1 Evo Boots appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....