Demand has been huge, with Suzuki confirming more than 1,300 online expressions of interest already lodged since the models were first teased. To manage the rush, Suzuki is launching a priority pre-order process designed to reward early fans who registered their interest online.

Customers who completed the “Register Your Interest” form will receive an email from Suzuki on August 12 inviting them to contact their preferred dealer to arrange pre-order contracts. Dealers and customers have until August 29 to lock in as many confirmed pre-orders as possible. The initial December shipment will then be allocated in the order registrations were received.

From September 1, orders will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, matched to the earliest registration dates until stock is exhausted.

Both models will be offered in two colours:
DR-Z4S – Champion Yellow No.2 / Solid Special White No.2, or Solid Iron Grey.
DR-Z4SM – Solid Special White No.2, or Sky Grey.

Suzuki will also offer a range of Genuine Accessories for both bikes, including knuckle covers, brake disc covers, axle sliders, a rear carrier, aluminium skid plate, and a low seat.

Check out our video review from the World Launch… 

For more information, customers can contact their local Suzuki dealer or visit www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au.

The post Suzuki DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM Pricing & Availability | Review Video 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....

Not only have I always been a fan of the Katana and all classic era Japanese fours, I’ve always admired the drag racing engineering brilliance and huge list of achievements Trevor Birrell and Dale Gilbert have collectively amassed over the past 30-years. Then of course, there’s the pure awe of watching Steve Martin reeling off insanely fast laps on this bike, like his 1:38.373 on the Saturday of the Classic. What a lap…

Check out our other racer tests here…

The Trevor Birrell Racing/D&D Industries/QBE/Suzuki team came together when Trevor and Dale were looking for a new challenge from a life of drag racing. They all visited the Phillip Island Classic in 2009, along with friend the late Peter Kerr of Racebike Services. Dale and Trevor were introduced to Steve Martin via Peter, who was an original sponsor and mate of South Australian Steve.

12 months later Steve blew everyone away on a Katana built by the guys and things went from there, the team winning the Phillip Island Classic in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and BSFS 2012. Dale and Trevor brought in their long time drag racing supporters, Castrol and Serco, while Steve brought in Pirelli tyres and QBE Insurance to form their team along with other team sponsors Suzuki Australia, Bendix, Venhill, Light Alloy Engineering, Race Bike Services, MCR, Springwood Suzuki and Dunlop.

Steve’s #99 TBR Katana
The #99 is the most famous bike in classic racing and for good reason. When it arrived on the scene back in 2010 at the Phillip Island Classic, Steve smashed everyone taking pole position and four wins from four starts! Not bad for a bunch of drag racers with a gun rider!

Trevor Birrell is famous for his big four-stroke air-cooled engines, particularly Suzukis. He started drag racing in 1982 and earned Nine Australian Championships and 17 National Records between 1982 and 2011. Dale started drag racing in 1984 and soon started building bodywork and chassis for drag bikes and has won over 10 National Championships.

After the previously mentioned hook up at PI, the guys realised they had enough parts to have a go. Initially using a braced standard frame then moving to chrome-moly in 2011. The engine is based on the mighty GSX1100 and was built to a tight budget using TBR’s 30-years worth of spares and plenty of know-how from Trevor.

The barrels are bored and sleeved to take the 79mm JE custom order forged pistons, which are decompressed slightly. With a 66mm stroke the bike is 1296cc. There are two types of head used by Trevor, a big port head and a CNC ported head. Gilesey’s bike runs the CNC head as he likes the aggressive punch, while Steve uses the smaller port head but more aggressive cams, Steve prefers this type of power delivery than the more aggressive initial throttle opening of the other engine set-ups.

Valves are stainless steel and oversize and Trevor currently gets two race meetings before the head needs a service. Titanium valves and brass alloy seats are high on the priority list but at $150 a valve versus $30 a valve, budget prohibits this for now. Springs are APE and titanium retainers are used. The camshafts Steve runs are TBR units and quite aggressive, while Giles and Roberts run Yoshimura Stage III and cam timing is secret!

The #99 bike runs Pirellis and the rear tyre is not able to sit on the narrow 5.5in rim correctly, contributing to grip issues. The gentler mid range allows Steve to open the throttle earlier but the thing still spins up a lot once the tacho hits 6000rpm, as it is quite a peaky power delivery.

The standard crankcases are used, although EFE are slightly stronger internally than GSX/Katana cases, they are identical externally. The team have a few sets of EFE cases but Steve’s bike runs Katana cases.

The crankshaft is GSX1000S, a special edition Katana built for endurance racing homologation, such as the Castrol 6 Hour. The cranks were stronger and had bigger conrods and are still available as an OEM part. Trevor uses these after welding and balancing. He also bronze bushes the small ends as they get extremely hot and gudgeon pins turn orange so need to be replaced regularly!

The gearbox is standard GSX with heavily undercut gear dogs and a modified detent mechanism, however, the biggest upgrade is the GSX-R1000K6 slipper clutch and Light Alloy Engineering clutch cover. Some challenges have arisen with the gearbox autoshifting when the clutch releases into turns, as it was not designed to be unloaded, but Trevor is working on an improved detent setup between races.

The exhaust system is a sexy Yoshimura period replica titanium four-into-one and fuelling is via Keihin 35mm smoothbore carburettors. The team have extensively tested with 37mm and even 39mm but the 35mm items offer the most controllable power.

Ignition is by MSD MC-4 using a single ignition curve. The MSD ignition has a huge range of capabilities and in future could be used to help some traction problems, with programmable gear specific ignition curves on hand, multiple switchable maps and rev limits the MSD system could help Steve with tyre life and traction via switchable maps, particularly towards the end of a race. It’s a great system used a lot in drag racing.

Spark plugs are NGK J10A items. The engine is wet sump, runs Castrol 10w40 oil and a Lockheed oil cooler and fuel is Avgas. Starting is via remote external starter. A trick addition are quick-release engine mounts, another trick from the drag racing world.

The chassis is a work of art. Dale Gilbert is a renowned drag racing chassis engineer and applied his skills to this road racer. After building a jig off a stock Katana frame, Dale built the chrome-moly frames by hand, heavily bracing them. The three frames are all different spec as per rider’s choice; with the #24 frame an original steel item to mute the critics out there and prove the team can be competitive on a stock frame.

Once the frame is fabricated, it is measured and aligned at Motorcycle Crash Repairs in Victoria using a Scheibner digital measuring system and aligned on a Globaljig frame straightener. The frames are not painted, saving weight and making repairs easy at the track. The swingarm was originally a $50 unit from an RF900 but rules changed and a hand made braced swingarm had to be fabricated. This was done by Light Alloy Engineering and is a work of art.

The wheels are GSX-R1000 front and GSF650 rear, with Manta rotors and AP Lockheed calipers fed by Venhill lines and squeezing very trick Bendix Carbon-Matrix pads. Shocks are Ohlins and the forks are CBR600F2 with Ohlins internals. Racebike Services Tony Hamilton tunes suspension.

All billet parts including the triple-clamps are made by Dale on his CNC mill. The dash is a single centrally-mounted Auto Meter Phantom tacho with an oil warning light, a tether on the left bar is also fitted and a kill switch on the right. Grips are Renthal and the throttle is from a KX250 Kawasaki, while the ‘bars themselves are chrome-moly aftermarket items.

The bodywork is stunning and also hand made by Dale Gilbert. From a distance you swear it has the original grey pillion seat on it. Amazing job…

On Board the #99 TBR Katana
The first thing I noticed about the #99 katana was the rolled back feel – a lower ride-height than the other bikes. The front felt taller and I felt like I was really sitting in the bike rather than on it, more like an original Katana. The ‘bars are widely spaced and under the triple-clamp but still feel tall by modern standards. Grips are ultra-thin, which I found really hard to hold and have a relaxed grip on.

“A big wide air-cooled motor protruding out either side under a narrow, long fuel tank mounted to a narrow frame really gives me the impression I’m about to ride a big motor with handlebars and wheels bolted to it!”

The footpegs are close to the seat and being an old girl there is a nice long reach to the ‘bars, which helps to duck behind the tiny fairing. Overall it’s a good fighting position. The 1980s superbike feel is something else. A big wide air-cooled motor protruding out either side under a narrow, long fuel tank mounted to a narrow frame really gives me the impression I’m about to ride a big motor with handlebars and wheels bolted to it!

The siren goes off and the guys get the remote starter out and fire the beast into life. The servo pie and large strawberry Moove I had for breakfast, well, hangover cure, is churning in my stomach. For some reason I thought a Berocca to wash it all down would help but it ain’t helping now. Damn I shouldn’t have opened that second bottle of red last night. Worse – I’ve got my brand new Ricondi custom suit on for the first time and I was a full 8kg lighter when I was measured for it! Time to lose my reputation as the fastest A Grader in Australia with a triple-chin, I reckon!

Well if anything is going to snap me into life it’s a bloody big-engined Katana so I roll out pit lane onto the track. The Pirellis are straight off the warmers and time is limited so I don’t muck around, knee is on the deck in turn one. I fire out of one to two and can’t believe the power of this thing – really, it’s amazing up top, or at least feels that way with the delivery.

As soon as I change direction for turn two I feel the chassis difference on Steve’s bike. The steering is quick, ultra quick in initial turn, but a bit of muscle is required to get the bike over on its side for the run through the apex. I’m struggling and running wide. I feel like I can’t lean the bike fully over. I push on for a lap and figure it out then try and have a bit of fun. First run onto the chute I notice the Pirelli really sliding around as the bike weaves and bucks wide open in fourth gear (it also pulls fifth there no worries!).

I grab fifth 100m or so before the start line and do my best to tuck my lard in behind the screen and fairing. This bike is wickedly fast but does not feel quite as fast as the other two at the end of the straight. I still absolutely blast past a BMW S 1000 RR and two Fireblades! Hahah. Suckers!

Sitting up and peeling into T1 on the brakes I almost oversteer, then pull the bike on its side through the turn. It’s hard work and I take my hat off to Steve. He must be a fit old bastard! Opening the gas the initial drive of the big port motors is not there but once the engine is revving higher the acceleration from T1 to T2 is amazing. Hard on the brakes helps me get the bike on its side for the double-apex through Southern loop.

There is some sidewall pumping from the rear tyre out of Southern Loop and then the run to Stoner Corner and the corner itself is a blur. It is literally a blink form T2 to T3. I’m in fourth through Stoner corner, pinned to the stop on the exit and it’s superbike fast. As I approach Honda I think about the escape road then decide to give the brakes a good squeeze. I’m amazed at how good they are and the familiar feel of the Carbon-Matrix pads is there immediately. They need heat and they cool by Honda so the first bit of initial braking is not there then they get hot and bang you have brakes for the lap until they cool again on the chute…

I pull it up for Honda. Again, initial steering moment is super quick but then I find it hard to complete the turn and keep it on its side nice and tight. The power delivery off Honda causes wheelspin. I also notice I’m carrying a full 1000rpm less than on the other bikes as I can easily hold second gear for Siberia while on the others I felt I needed to grab third briefly. I’m told Gilesy just revs it to 10,500rpm in second there!

“Holy crap! Even the seagulls don’t scare me as I’ve got a massive air-cooled engine to take them out with!”

Through Siberia the #99 machine is good once in the turn and fires off the corner like a missile. This is where these bikes feel really fast, from Siberia to Lukey Heights. Holy crap! Even the seagulls don’t scare me as I’ve got a massive air-cooled engine to take them out with! Lukey Heights arrives quickly and I crack the throttle to get balance and a bit of drive, but I get wheelspin. Amazing.

Braking into MG is easy, the powerful brakes and firm front end and lower rear ride height mean Steve’s bike is stable here. The gearbox is super heavy in shift and the throttle is also heavy, so I feel a bit clumsy here, in and out of the corner where you short-shift to third. Driving through T10 takes a bit of finesse as the Pirelli wants to light up, then it’s 9500rpm in third before grabbing fifth for the ride of your life through the final corner, the big Kat wheel spinning and wheel standing onto the chute like the angry beast it is.

I did another few laps and that was enough for me. My arms usually don’t get that sore and I can ride a superbike all day long as I’m just relaxed on a bike but, my hands were cramping and every muscle in my upper body strained. It was either the Katana or the pie but I’m blaming the Katana. At the end of the test I could not get the grin off my face. Hats off to the team who have proven that drag racers can go road racing with great success.

The Three TBR Katanas
I also managed to test the #19 bike of the legendary Shawn Giles as well as the #24 steel framed bike of Brendan Roberts on the days, which will both get full features soon. All three bikes were very different and it is amazing how they achieve the same lap time in such different ways.

Shawn’s #19 bike was on rails, tall in the back, low in the front with soft forks and smooth, linear power delivery from low rpm to the peak. It was easy steering and not tiring to ride.

Brendan Robert’s #24 bike, which has the steel original heavily braced frame, was the fastest straight-line bike of the trio with monster mid range and top end power, smooth delivery but not as smooth as the Giles engine, and a nice handling set-up but pretty flexy and with plenty of headshake.

Brendan’s bike had to be manhandled a fair bit more and had a firmer suspension set-up too. Steve’s bike was a wild animal, with the shortest chrome-moly frame here and the most aggressive engine, she sure was a loose unit that could do with some sitting in a dark room calming down! YeeHaa!

#99 Steve Martin TBR Suzuki Katana Specifications 

ENGINE: Trevor Birrell Racing engine. 1982 GSX1100 Katana based engine, 79 x 66mm bore x stroke, 1296cc, 10:1 compression, GSX1100/Katana crankcases, Suzuki GSX barrels bored and resleeved to accept 79mm, Wiseco forged alloy pistons, Wiseco rings, GSX1000S polished and welded crankshaft, Suzuki main bearings, big end bearings and conrods, CNC ported cylinder-head, oversize valves (+3mm EX, +4mm IN), RD valve springs, modified valve seats, Yoshimura stage III cams, GSX-R1000K6 slipper clutch, standard plates and heavy-duty springs, modified shift drum, undercut gear dogs using standard five-speed gearbox, GS750 primary drive gears, 35mm Keihin smoothbore carburettors, titanium Yoshimura exhaust system, MSD-MC4 ignition unit, D&D Industries billet engine covers and remote starter access, Lockheed oil cooler.

CHASSIS & BODYWORK: Dale Gilbert D&D Industries chassis and bodywork, hand made chrome-moly tubing with additional bracing in steering head and swingarm pivot areas, 20mm shorter than standard Katana, standard Katana steering head size and rake angle. Frame is measured on a Scheibner measuring system and straightened on a Globaljig frame aligner at Motorcycle Crash Repairs. Light Alloy Engineering swingarm, Ohlins shocks, CBR600F2 forks with Ohlins internals, GSX-R1000 3.5 x 17in front wheel, GSF650 5.0 x 17 rear wheel, Pirelli slicks, Manta rotors (f), AP Lockheed dual-piston calipers, stainless rotor, Suzuki caliper (r), GPX-Pro GPS lap timer and data loggers (testing only), D&D Industries fibreglass bodywork, D&D Industries CNC billet triple-clamps, billet rearsets, all CNC billet parts made by D&D Industries, aftermarket chrome-moly handlebars.

PERFORMANCE:185-horsepower, 140ft-lbs torque, top speed Phillip Island 260km/h, best lap 2014 Phillip Island Classic 1:38.373.

#99 Steve Martin TBR Suzuki Katana Gallery

The post Racer Test: Steve Martin’s #99 TBR Suzuki Katana appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

However, should Suzuki depart following an agreement between both parties, Dorna will decide on the ideal number of riders and teams racing in the MotoGP class from 2023.

Dorna say they continue to receive high levels of interest from a number of both official factories and Independent Teams looking to join the MotoGP grid as the sport continues to set a global example of close competition, innovation and entertainment, reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world. Interest from these parties has been re-confirmed in the past 24 hours.

It’ll be an interesting rest of the season to see what Suzuki do in terms of their factory team and who will be in to replace them following their possible departure…

The post Dorna Looks To Squash Rumours Of Suzuki Leaving MotoGP In 2022 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

If you have supplemented your road riding with some ride days, are running in the fast group and now find you spend most of your day at the local track being held up by slower traffic, then the logical progression is to have a go at racing. The good news is that if you own a late model sports bike or nakedbike, then you already have a great base from which to build a competitive racing motorcycle by carrying out some reasonably straightforward improvements.

This guide is designed to take you through the modifications required to convert your existing road bike into a race specification machine, and covers a range of performance levels to suit your budget and skill level.

The bike you start with is really going to determine how important engine modifications are to your lap times. If you are running a late model 1000cc bike and you’re starting out in racing, then you can’t fully utilise the 162bhp your stock bike has. 

If you are running a 600cc machine then more horsepower could definitely give you an advantage, especially in passing down the straights during a race, so your requirements may be different. I’m going to break this down into a number of stages, and if you’re inexperienced then I really recommend keeping engine mods to a minimum and spending your dollars on suspension setup, weight reduction and practice, as that is where you will find the biggest improvements.

Stage 1 – Bolt-ons
The obvious starting point for engine upgrades is to use off the shelf parts that do not require the engine to be rebuilt. As a start point a slip-on muffler ($250-$800) or Stainless Steel full race exhaust system ($1200-$2000), race airfilter ($80), plus a Power Commander and map from a reputable dyno room ($800-$1200), will get you around 170HP at the back wheel on a late model Japanese 1000 and a good clean torque curve right through your acceleration zone. This is really all you need to do to your engine until you are running top 15 in one of the major Australian Championship classes.

Stage 2 – Light internal mods
If pulling your engine out and taking the head off is not too scary for you, then a relatively simple and cheap mod is to install a thinner head gasket ($200), which will give a noticeable improvement in torque and throttle response, and brings your power up to around the 175HP mark. At this stage I’d also look to add a quickshifter ($350-$600), which not only improves acceleration but also allows you to “spend” valuable concentration in other areas.

Stage 3 – Getting serious
If a 200hp monster is what you really must have, then serious engine work is the only way to get there. This is going to require camshafts ($1200-$1800), a CNC ported head and multi angle valve job ($1500-$2000) plus possibly machining of the pistons, blueprinting and labour ($1500-$2500). Alternatively you can drop your motor off to someone like PTR Racing or Motologic and just ask them to build you an ASBK spec motor ($6,000-$8,000).

Suspension
This is an area where correct setup is critical to lap times no matter what type of machine you ride. If there is one area of bike preparation on which to focus, this is it. Poorly set up suspension will not only be the biggest barrier to improving your lap speed, it could also land you in hospital and see your pride and joy being carted home in a wheelbarrow.

Again there are a range of options here and buying the most expensive Ohlins WSBK kit is not necessarily the answer. Installation of the correct springs for your weight and an after market valve kit into your stock forks and shock ($800-$1200) by a reputable specialist such as Terry Hay’s Shock Treatment will make an enormous difference to lap times and allow you to find your limit more safely. You should also add an aftermarket steering damper ($250-$500) to keep those headshake issues under control as your new motor has the front wheel pawing at the sky. 

Next in line on the suspension upgrade list are race specification fork cartridges from Race Tech ($1200) or Ohlins ($1800), plus an aftermarket Shock ($1400-$2000), which will provide further improvement. If you want to get really serious then a set of SBK specification gas charged Ohlins or K-Tech front forks ($13,000-$16,000) will certainly make you the envy of all in pit lane, just don’t forget the factory technician to service and set them up.

Brakes
Most of the national classes in Australian racing are quite restrictive in terms of the modifications you can make to the braking system. Modern sports bikes do have extremely efficient brakes as standard, however they are set up more for road use than the repeated high load requirements found during a circuit race.

You can achieve significant improvements and a very good braking package by simply adding braided front brake lines from an aftermarket supplier such as HEL, Galfer or Goodridge ($80-$150) and some race specification pads ($50-$200). 

In choosing pads there are a huge amount of options out there. I personally use Performance Friction pads, and have found them to be excellent, however others have achieved equally good results with products from EBC, Brembo, SBS, the list goes on. 

Last but not least is some high performance brake fluid. What you are looking for here is a high wet boiling point. Castrol’s SRF ($160/L) is probably the most popular choice out there, but I have also had excellent results from Motul RBF 660($30/500ml). These three modifications will give a substantial increase in feel and braking power over the stock road setup, and most importantly they will dramatically reduce the amount of “fade” you experience towards the end of a race.

If the rules allow then an upgraded front master-cylinder should be next on your shopping list. Brembo offer an 18-20 x 19 RCS option ($400-$500), which allows adjustability between increased feel from the 18 ratio and a stronger bite using the 20 option. This is great if you are new to the race scene and aren’t yet sure what you prefer, and it’s not substantially more expensive than a non-adjustable aftermarket master-cylinder. The performance increase from a master-cylinder change will depend on how good your stock system was to begin with, however I did notice a substantial improvement on my GSX-R1000 from the Brembo MC.

If rules and budget are not restrictive, then it’s time to look at some aftermarket rotors and calipers. On the rear I normally just run a wave type rotor ($150-$250) to save approx 100g of rotating mass and leave everything else stock, as I rarely use the rear brake unless I’m off in a gravel trap! On the front you can look to a wave type setup from Galfer or Braking ($600-$800), however most of the front running teams are still using traditional circular rotors from Brembo ($800-$1500). 

For callipers Brembo have a range of options starting at their cast entry level items ($1000-$1500/set) and progressing up to their ultra trick race specification billet Monoblocs ($6000-$8000/set).

Bodywork
Replacing your stock bodywork with something more suitable for track use is highly recommended and due to the rules for most series stipulating a bellypan able to hold a certain amount of fluid, pretty much essential. Aftermarket fairings made from fibreglass ($800-$1200) or carbon-fibre ($2000-$3000) will save a substantial amount of weight from the heavy stock plastics and are also much easier and cheaper to repair if you happen to have an off. At this time I would also suggest picking up a slightly damaged tank from a wrecker if you can find one at a reasonable price ($350-$700), as replacing a stock tank is a very expensive exercise if you want to return your bike to road trim down the track.

Other items on the bodywork list include fibreglass/carbon-fibre air-intake ducts, tank cover, chain guard and rear hugger. All these items will be lighter in fibreglass or carbon-fibre and will also be cheaper than replacing damaged OEM components. While you are doing the bodywork consider moving to an aftermarket screen from Zero Gravity or Puig ($80-$150) and I would recommend a double bubble unit if the rules in your class allow. Again this will be cheaper than replacing an EOM item if it gets damaged and a double bubble design reduces buffeting immensely when you pop up to hit the brakes at the end of the straight.

Some fairing suppliers now offer to supply your race bodywork with the gel coat pre coloured to your requirements. The finish and tone may not be as good as quality paintwork, however it is a very cost effective way of having some colour on your bike and with the addition of a few stickers will still look fine from 10 metres away. If you want a full custom paint job then prices can vary widely ($500-$2000) depending on the complexity and quality you require. 

Weight Reduction
Weight is the enemy of just about everything that makes a motorcycle go fast around a racetrack. Acceleration, braking and cornering performance are all hugely effected by the overall weight of the bike and any reductions can have significant benefits in reducing lap times and also tyre wear. Depending on the rules in your class you may be quite limited in what you are allowed to change on the bike and may also have a minimum weight limit, however here are some things you can do if the rules allow. 

Probably the easiest and best bang for your buck weight reduction item available these days comes through replacing the stock lead acid battery with a much lighter and smaller Lithium-Ion unit ($200-$400). This will save multiple kilograms for the price of a few hundred dollars and let me tell you, the top WSBK teams are spending thousands to save a few grams by the time they get to the end of weight reduction programs.

Next on the list are lightweight aluminium alloy fasteners. You would be shocked to find out how many nuts and bolts there really are on a motorcycle and to say you could replace somewhere in the region of 150-200 steel bolts with aluminium would not be overstating it. Just don’t get too excited with this, structural bolts such as engine mounts, brake calliper mounts, triple clamp bolts, etc should all be left off the alloy replacement list. You do not want to have a brake calliper bolt shear through when you hit the anchors at over 280km/ph into turn one at SMSP! 

Still on fasteners you can spend hours knocking off the spare 3-5mm of thread on the end of structural steel bolts, and drilling out hollow bolts for items such as the subframe mounts to an extra 1mm oversize. I was once talking to the owner of a well known performance shop about this type of work and his attitude was, “Just go and have a piss before you race, it will save more weight than drilling out that bolt”.

“Well yes and I do but you can only have one piss and all these little things add up to make a big difference when you multiply it by 200.”

Speaking of sub-frames, alloy aftermarket race units are available for most sports bikes ($500-$800). Alternatively you could save quite a bit of weight here by reducing the amount of brackets in the stock item, and replacing the heavy plastic OEM undertray with fibreglass or carbon-fibre unit, although you may have to make this up yourself as I haven’t found suitable items to be readily available off the shelf.

If budget and class rules are not a problem then a set of lightweight aftermarket wheels are possibly the most significant weight reduction item you can add, due to the fact that any weight saved here is both unsprung (improved suspension action) and rotating (improved handling, acceleration and braking). Aftermarket aluminium rims are the most cost effective option ($1500-$2500/set) and should provide a small but noticeable improvement over OEM. For a more pronounced improvement Magnesium Alloy ($2500-$4000) or carbon-fibre ($4000-$5000) are the materials of choice for WSBK and GP teams and look just as trick as they perform.

Other Add-Ons
The majority of race series now require high strength engine case covers to be fitted, as modern OEM covers are very fragile, and also a shark fin rear sprocket guard to prevent “Daryl Beattie syndrome” (No toes). Damaging engine cases in a crash will almost definitely result in a serious amount of oil on the track, which is dangerous for other competitors and creates a lot of clean up work for the marshals. Kits are available from Vortex, GB Racing, Woodcraft, Yoshimura and others ($250-$500) and while you are at it get some rear stand swingarm bobbins ($40-$80).

To protect the expensive OEM items and allow increased adjustability, you should look to replace the standard handlebars with aftermarket clip-ons ($150-$250) and swap OEM footpegs with adjustable rearsets ($350-$800), from Vortex, Renthal, Woodcraft, Yoshimura, Sato or similar. I also prefer some grips with a little more bite and find the Renthal dual compounds to work very well ($25). 

While not essential a 520 chain conversion kit ($250-$400) will reduce power losses to the rear wheel and allow a wide choice of gearing options, as this is the most popular pitch for racing world wide. A lot of national series run a control tyre at the moment, which means you don’t have to worry about making a choice and prices average around $550 per set. 

If you do not need to run a control tyre, then some brands can be picked up for around $480/set fitted and you would expect to go through a minimum of two sets per race weekend. Also keep in mind that you will need spare tyres in reasonable condition for practice days, so it’s advisable not to race them until they are completely finished. The last thing you want to do is be trying to race on completely shot tyres, then shell out for a brand new set just for practice. It’s far better to partially use one extra set of tyres on race day and leave yourself with enough rubber for your next practice session.

Lockwiring
Finally on the bike preparation front, all race bikes are required as a minimum to have the following items lockwired – oil filler cap, oil filter, sump plug, radiator cap and front brake calliper bolts. I like to use a hose clamp around the oil filter, and “R” clips through the caps and calliper bolts, this allows easy removal without having to rewire everything each time.

Check out how to lockwire your bike here…

Riding Gear
Before you get out on track you are going to need some decent protective clothing. The price of leathers has come down significantly in the last decade and reasonable quality kit is now available for a much more affordable price ($500-$800). If you want something with a bit more style and comfort then you can upgrade to some premium brand Leathers from Dainese, Alpinestar, Spidi, or similar ($1200-$1800). For those who are a bit different in body shape or just want a custom design or perfect fit, made to measure leathers are produced locally by specialists such as Ricondi, Trinity Racewear, Quin Leathers or Tiger Angel ($1500-$2500).

A back protector ($100-$350), gloves ($100-$400) and boots ($250-$600) are all mandatory and you should always shell out on the best kit you can afford in this area. Trying on a range of brands and styles is a good idea, as they all have a slightly different fit and some will suit your individual body shape better than others.

The last and most important item is a quality helmet. If you’ve been around motorcycles for a while, then you’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “If you’ve got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet”. Surgeons are pretty skilled these days and can repair most things you are likely to break in an accident, however your brain is not on that list. Spend some dollars and protect it. In my personal opinion, if you can’t afford a $500 helmet as a minimum, then you can’t afford to go racing. Cheaper lids do pass all the safety criteria, or you wouldn’t be allowed to buy them, however they tend to be heavier, which increases the whip force when your head smashes into something solid (like bitumen).

Top range helmets, think Shoei, Arai, AGV ($600-$1200) are lighter, more comfortable, afford a better field of vision and have had the R&D dollars spent to ensure the best possible fit and protection.

Equipment
Additional equipment you will require to go racing includes a trailer or van to get the bike to and from the track, and what you choose here will generally reflect what you can afford and also what suits your requirements away from racing. I use a box trailer ($800-$1400) with a runner and tie down points, and chose this option as it does double duty for garbage and mulch shifting purposes. A fully enclosed trailer ($3000-$6000) would be ideal if you want everything locked up and protected and also allows you to leave tools and parts stored in the trailer at home rather than having to unpack after every meeting.

Check out our transportation tips here…

Front and rear stands are mandatory ($250-$450/set) and I’d recommend going with a head lifting style front stand, which allows easy removal of the front forks for suspension adjustment.

Tyre warmers ($250-$800) are really an essential item these days. Modern race tyres are designed to run only one to three heat cycles, so you need to get them warm, and keep them warm all day to reduce the negative effects. They are also intended to run off tyre warmers and will cold tear badly if you try to ride without heat in them. Trust me, your reduced tyre bill will pay for the warmers after only a couple of race weekends and going out on pre-heated rubber will also dramatically reduce the chances of a first lap crash.

Other desirable equipment includes a decent tool kit, crash spares including clip-ons and footpegs as a minimum and preferably spare fairings and screen, brake levers, throttle tube and grips. Also include cable ties, lock wire, duct tape, spare knee and toe sliders, tinted and clear visors, ear plugs, alternative sprockets, spare rims with wets, chairs and table, extension leads and power boards, Loctite and a selection of nuts bolts and washers.

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After many conversations between the team, rider, and sponsors, a tough decision was reached by Team Specialist Suzuki as the team confirms they will not contest the final round of the 2021 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at The Bend Motorsport Park early next month. 

Team Specialist Suzuki Principal, Scott Noble: “In our first ASBK season, the goal was progression both with Yanni’s results on the track, and how we worked as a team, and although our season was cut short due to the lockdowns and border closures around the country, I think we saw a lot of improvement on both fronts. We presented well, Yanni continued to improve, and we worked well together to keep improving the bike. The majority of our equipment has been held in Queensland, originally placed there after Darwin in preparation for the Morgan Park round, but essentially trapped there by the escalations in restrictions.”

“Being one of the few Sydney-based teams and the location of our equipment, it really limited Yanni’s ability to ride the Superbike in the five months since Darwin. It was a hard decision to make, but as team we decided that it would be best to forgo the last round of ASBK and instead focus our efforts on the 2022 season. I can’t thank our partners, and each individual that worked to create Team Specialist Suzuki. Their support throughout the year has been terrific, despite so many unknowns about how the season would progress with Covid restrictions across the country. In saying all this, I’m really excited for what 2022 brings!” 

#333 Yanni Shaw: “I’m disappointment to not be racing at The Bend for sure, but I completely agree with the decision we made. 2021 was about coming together and growing as a team, in every aspect, and in that respect the consensus to not race is another sign of our commitment to the longer term success of Team Specialist Suzuki. With restrictions easing, I’ll now take the opportunity to get back on our GSXR1000-RR Superbikes to keep working both on the development of the bike and bike fitness.”

“Our plan through summer involves as much track time as possible including the St. George Summer Series running this year at Sydney Motorsport Park. The whole Specialist Suzuki Team is amazing and we really have become a family. I can’t thank Scott enough for the opportunity to ride in their inaugural season and Dougie for the countless hours behind the scenes working to get the most from the bikes. Our sponsors have gone above and beyond to help us, I really appreciate the support they’ve shown and the whole team.” 

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