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Suzuki GB to Restore Barry Sheene Race Bikes

Suzuki GB is set to restore three iconic Barry Sheene race bikes to their former glory.
All three were brought back to the UK after Sheene emigrated to Australia.
The liveries were seen on almost every Suzuki for a long time.

Suzuki GB is set to restore three iconic Barry Sheene race bikes to their former glory.

The restored bikes will be displayed as well as started at the Motorcycle Live trade show in England.

The three bikes consist of the 1978 XR27 RG500; a specially-built XR23A RG500 bored to 652cc for the 1979 Trans-Atlantic and F1 Championships; and a 1984 DAF Trucks liveried and Harris-framed XR45 RG500. The DAF bike was Sheene’s final GP bike.

MCN reports that all three bikes have been shipped from the racer’s family home in Australia. The XR23A and XR45 were refurbished through Suzuki’s Vintage Parts program.

The two will then be started up at the show while the X27 will be displayed together with Sheene’s 1976 and 1977 world GP winning XR14s. The latter bikes were also restored through the Vintage Parts program in 2017.

Suzuki GB aftersales marketing coordinator Tim Davies says it’s a special moment for Suzuki as the three bikes return to the UK after Sheene and family emigrated to Australia.

The livery on Barry Sheene’s race bikes were the most iconic for Suzukis for a long while until the Kevin Schwantz and Lucky Strike involvement in the late-80s.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R Confirmed for Indonesian Market

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R looks confirmed for the Indonesian market.
It will feature a new 250cc inline-Four engine.
It may also be the most powerful 250cc four-stroke sportbike.

The rumours of a 250cc inline-Four Kawasaki sportbike has been gaining steam over the past months, but now it’s confirmed for the Indonesian market and called the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R.

The present two-cylinder 250-, 300- and 400cc parallel-Twins are relatively new platforms for Kawasaki. The manufacturer had favoured four-cylinder engines for the longest time, up to the ZXR-250 in the late 1990’s.

The ZX-25R ought to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

Further rumours say that the new engine will produce 59 hp, which ranks it above all other current 250cc bikes in the market. However, do expect to see that gain in the upper realms of the rev range. We can expect a screamer since each cylinder is just bigger than 70cc.

The question now is how much the bike cost in the Asian market will. As for us in Malaysia, it’s also a matter if and when the model will make to our shores. It’s already got a number of points that Malaysian motorcyclists will like i.e. Not needing to upgrade their license to “Full B,” for one. Besides that, we gather, there are many fans of the inline-Four’s exhaust note, compared to that of a parallel-Twin’s.

Photos of 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Leaked!

Picture of the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin have emerged.
They were part of submissions for certification in Australia.
The regular and Adventure versions have slightly different looks.

Here’s how the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin looks like.

The grayscale photos were part of the file submitted for vehicle certification documents in Australia and shared by Motorcyclist.com.

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure

The details also confirmed the speculation that the engine will be enlarged to gain more power in face of stifling Euro 5 regulations. It’s learned that displacement goes up to 1084cc from 998cc, bringing power output to 101 hp at 7,500 RPM. Motorcyclist didn’t disclose the torque figure.

Honda is offering the bike with their proprietary dual clutch transmission (DCT) and manual gearbox.

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure – rear view

Perhaps more importantly, the low-resolution photos show that the manufacturer has reworked the bike’s styling. The dual headlights and distinctive radiator flanks are retained but updated.

The Adventure version retains the “google headlamps” and has a taller windscreen and aluminium panels as on its fuel tanks’ flanks. The side panels are also different but there is a large passenger grab bar and luggage rack at the back.

The regular, non-Adventure model, on the other hand, looks to be more streamlined and the headlamps are made more angular than the current model. There’s noticeably fewer details than its Adventure counterpart.

2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin – rear view

The new Africa Twin may be launched at the Tokyo Motor Show in October or EICMA in November 2019.

Source: Motorcyclist.com

All-New 2020 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade to Debut in October?

A German magazine reported that the all-new 2020 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade will debut in October 2019.
The date puts it at the Tokyo Motor Show, instead of EICMA.
The new bike may prove to be the world-beater in WorldSBK.

A German magazine reported that the all-new 2020 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade will debut in October 2019.

If what Speedweek magazinesaid was true, the bike will be introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show instead of at EICMA in November.

Lending credibility to the rumour is rider Alvaro Bautista purportedly signing a two-year deal to ride for the HRC factory team in WorldSBK from 2020. There was “news” that the bike he will ride is the all-new CBR1000RR.

The Honda CBR1000RR is the best-handling and easiest to ride superbike we’ve tested thus far but the current model is lacking in top-end horsepower, at least on paper, anyway. However, superbike buyers are always looking at the specs sheets and the CBR’s 189 hp “isn’t enough” when compared to its peers.

As such, the new ‘Blade may have the most powerful naturally-aspirated roadgoing inline-Four.

It may also feature the “active aerodynamics” shown in a patent filing. The system features ECU-controlled winglets in addition to “aerobodies” seen in MotoGP.

The news should bode well for the WorldSBK team, as well. The riders are at the deep end of the field, finding themselves outgunned and unable to mount any serious challenge to the top runners.

Honda and CBR1000RR Fireblade fans will likely rejoice at the news too.

Alvaro Bautista Back to MotoGP with KTM?

Alvaro Bautista is rumored to return to MotoGP to ride with KTM.
The rumors came to light despite another rumor linking him to Honda in WorldSBK in 2020.
Which way will he go?

Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista is rumored to return to MotoGP to ride with KTM.

Bautista was earlier rumoured to be moving to the Honda’s HRC factory team and remain in WorldSBK 2020. It was also heavily speculated that he will be riding a new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. Honda is expected to unveil the all-new bike at the Tokyo Motor Show this October, and the team will be based in Barcelona.

He had migrated to the WorldSBK for the 2019 season, riding the new Ducati Panigale V4 R for Ducati Corse. However, his form fell by the wayside despite having dominated the field earlier in the season by winning 12 races in a row.

His relationship with the Italian team soured since then. Alvaro then revealed that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season but did not mention where he was going to. His boss, the Ducati Corse Sporting Director, Paolo Ciabatti confirmed that the rider has signed a two-year deal with a “rival manufacturer.”

But now as KTM is searching for a rider to fill the vacancy left by Johann Zarco in the factory Red Bull KTM Racing Team, Bautista’s name came to the fore.

The question was brought up during the Tank Slappers podcast. Motorsport.com Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan discussed the compelling possibilities.

Please click on the link below to listen to the podcast.

Listen to “Shock MotoGP return for World Superbike sensation?: Episode #3” on Spreaker.

JPJ Warns Not Only Yamaha Y15ZR Besides Celebrities Supporting Modifications

The JPJ warned that they are not only targeting the Yamaha Y15ZR for illegal modifications.
They are also paying attention to all vehicles that are modified.
They also warned celebrities to not encourage illegal vehicle modifications.

The Director of the Kuala Lumpur Road Transport Department (better known as Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan or JPJ) warned that his department is not paying attention to only modified Yamaha Y15ZR but also all other vehicles that have undergone similar alterations.

His issued his statement two days after Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement deputy director warned the police may confiscate motorcycles that are illegally modified and pointed to the popular Y15ZR.

“We will issue a compound of RM150 for each infraction found on the vehicle as per Section 6 of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said when met by Harian Metro.

“Motorcycles are modified according to the owners’ tastes. Some made the exhaust louder; there are those who remove the rearview mirrors; in addition to or using non-regulation number plates and installing skinny tyres that are too narrow.”

He added that while modified motorcycles represent all brands, the trend is most popular with the Yamaha Y15ZR. He is aware that the model looks the sportiest in its category and there are many modified for illegal racing.

“Each modification must be within the confines of the law. Owners can refer to JPJ is they are unsure.”

He also warned celebrities to stop displaying their interest in vehicle modification on social media as that will be indirectly misconstrued as encouragement. “It is the wrong thing to do,” he concluded.