GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team's Lucas Mahias survived a scare to secure his sixth podium of the season to lead the championship by one point after a red flag ended the race prematurely at the Lausitzring for round eight of the 2017 FIM Supersport World Championship. His teammate Federico Caricasulo was incredibly unlucky as he crashed out of the race while battling for the lead in the incident that led to the red flag.

Mahias started from sixth on the grid and when the lights went out he immediately showed he meant business by getting involved in an excellent battle for fourth with championship rival Kenan Sofuoglu. After a couple of big moments in the opening laps while fighting with Sofuoglu he settled into an excellent rhythm and was the quickest man on track, setting the fastest lap of the race, a 1:41.109, on lap 15. On lap 18, he was in third just behind Caricasulo when, unfortunately, the Italian crashed at turn 3 and Mahias had nowhere to go and hit his teammate's bike in an incident that saw the race red-flagged. Incredibly, Mahias managed to get back on his R6 and return to the pits within the 5-minute time limit, which meant he was eligible to be included in the results that were based on the riders' positions at the end of lap 16. His quick thinking ensured that he will head to the next round in Portimao leading the championship, although the gap to Sofuoglu in second is now just one point.

Caricasulo started from the middle of the front row after showing great pace all weekend. At the start, he shot off the line and immediately tagged on to the rear of race-leader Sheridan Morais. They were inseparable throughout the early stages of the race, with the 21-year-old Italian biding his time and waiting to make his move. On lap 17, he made an excellent pass on Morais to take the lead and immediately became involved in a great battle with Sofuoglu who was on a charge, but while attempting an overtake on the following lap, he lost the front and crashed, with his bike running across track and hitting his teammate's machine. Caricasulo was immediately taken to the medical centre for checks but luckily, apart from a slight concussion and some light bruises, he was okay.

It was an excellent debut for the Kallio Racing Team on the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 as Sheridan Morais was awarded the race victory after a dominant performance that saw him lead for the first 16 laps. His teammate Niki Tuuli also impressed on the new bike to cross the line in fifth to ensure three Yamahas in the top five.

This result means that Mahias still leads the championship after eight rounds with 121 points, whilst Caricasulo is now sixth in the standings with 51 points. The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team return to action in Portimao for round nine of the 2017 FIM Supersport World Championship on the 15th-17th of September.

Lucas Mahias: GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team - 3rd +0.600s

"I am not very happy for the result because today I felt I had the rhythm to win the race. I followed my strategy, which was to save my tyres so I could push a lot in the final part of the race. In the beginning, I lost the front twice and didn't feel that confident, but then I found a good rhythm and did a lot of laps in the low 1:41's. Towards the end of the race I overtook Cluzel for third and I was preparing to make a move on the leading two riders, but then my teammate Caricasulo crashed, and it was impossible to avoid his bike. It was unlucky, but I had some good luck too because I managed to make it back to the pits and finished in third. Although obviously, I would have preferred to have finished ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu! In Portimao, I will give everything to win the race, as right now I only have a one-point lead over Kenan and it is like we have started the championship again. My mission is to go out and try to win every one of the last four races!"

Following their winning performance at the Merzouga Rally in Africa, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team are geared up for the Atacama Rally 2017 in Chile. Joining the team of Xavier de Soultrait and Franco Caimi will be Dakar Rally sensation Adrien Van Beveren, with the trio of Yamaha riders looking to secure yet more podium success in 2017.

Playing host to the third round of the 2017 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the Atacama Rally will see Adrien Van Beveren make his much-expected return to racing following his injury earlier this season. Working hard to return to full fitness, the Frenchman will take advantage of the six-day-long event in the dunes of Chile to better prepare for the upcoming Dakar Rally.

Claiming victory at the Merzouga Rally in May, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team's Xavier de Soultrait has his eyes set on continuing his strong run of form during the 2017 international rally racing season. Knowing that another strong finish is well within his reach, Xavier will also look to gain further 'dune riding' experience and off-track navigation.

Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team's line-up for the Atacama Rally 2017 is completed by rally rookie Franco Caimi. Taking the rally scene by surprise with his podium result at the Merzouga Rally, the young Argentinean is eager to continue his apprenticeship aboard the WR450F Rally machine at the week-long Atacama Rally.

Kicking off with a short 14km-long prologue on Sunday, August 13, the 2017 edition of the Atacama Rally will see competitors contest a total of five stages in the north of Chile.

The all-new 2018 Honda CRF250 is radically different from the 2017 model. 

Nobody likes to be among the slowest bikes on the track, least of all Honda. But, when CRF250 sales dipped 27% in 2017. Honda was ready to retire the old warhorse. Luckily, Honda had an all-new bike waiting in the wings for 2018. How new? It shares almost nothing with the 2017 CRF250 and almost everything with the 2018 CRF450.

Honda’s engineers changed the old Uni-Cam CRF250 engine into a dual-overhead-cam design, using a finger-follower rocker arm with a Diamond Like Coating (DLC).

The titanium intake valves are 2.5mm larger, while the exhaust valves are 1.0 mm larger. The intake valves have 1.3mm more lift, while the exhaust valve lift is 1.1mm higher. The valve’s V-angle is narrower at 20.5 degreed. The cylinder is offset 4.5mm forward of the centerline (it was 4.0mm forward in 2017).

The trademark dual exhaust are now mated to dual exhaust ports—making them actual dual exhausts, instead of one-into-twos. Honda claims that they are the first production motocross bike to have twin ports, but they are off by about 50 years, as CZ produced its twin pipe motocross bike back in the 1960s.

Electric starting is standard on the 2018 CRF450 with lithium-iron phosphate battery providing the power.

The 2018 CRF250 borrows the plastic and look of the 2017-2018 CRF450. Included in the borrowed parts is the titanium fuel tank and extruded subframe.

Gone are the air forks of 2017. In their place are Showa coil-spring forks and a shock that is mounted 39mm lower in the frame for a more centralized feel.

The eight-plate clutch is controlled by 5 coil springs. It uses a judder spring design and is a mixture of two different clutch plate materials.

The 2018 Honda CRF250 comes with three maps that can be accessed on the handlebars and two of those maps can be reprogramed with Honda’s special mapping tool.

Dimensionally the 2018 frame has a slacker 27.5 degree head angle, 3mm shorter wheelbase, 2mm less trail and a swingarm that is 15mm shorter than 2017.

In total the 2018 frame is 340 grams lighter than last year. That is two-thirds of a pound. The thin-wall 0.8mm Ti gas tank is one pound, two ounces lighter than last year’s 3.2mm thick plastic tank.

STORY AND PICTURES BY IAN GROAT

 In the110 years of the Isle of Man TT road races there has never been a shortage of brave hearts that want to come and race, man and machine against time.  But this years annual event was dogged by inclement weather which slashed a week’s practice period into a few laps for the ever eager competitors. This resulted in a postponement of the race for the Superbike race until Sunday as the organisers used up their previous race day as a practice day for all concerned.

Along with this came the news that the races were to lose 23-time winner John McGuinness. It was a massive blow. John who was set to ride the new SP2 Fireblade Superbike suffered a horrific crash at the North West 200 race, claiming the engine did not shut off as he rounded a bend at Primrose Corner.

He suffered compound fractures to his right wrist, four broken vertebrae and three broken ribs. The fall left him with one leg currently 50 mm shorter than the other … He was swamped with get well soon wishes. He did however make it to the Island for race week as a spectator.

Michael Dunlop was out on a brand new Suzuki after switching from BMW machinery and the week’s battles were seen to be between him and Ian Hutchinson. Together these two had already won 45 of the Mercurial TT Trophies but according to Dunlop there was much work to be done to get the Suzuki dialled-in to become a winner.

RST Superbike TT

The rain delayed the six lap Superbike race but it was eventually run at record pace in perfect race conditions. Ian Hutchinson snatched victory by a mere five seconds on his BMW 1000 cc machine. The early leader was soon to be a retirement on his new Suzuki, but the race between the BMW, ridden by Peter Hickman, was set to be a long see-saw as one and then the other took the lead in the race. Hutchinson on a Tyco BMW, however, screamed across the finishing line only seconds ahead of Hickman’s Smiths racing machine, with early race leader, Dean Harrison cementing the third place on the podium. Returning to the TT, the works Honda rider, Guy Martin, was also involved in a lap two incident after the bike struck a false neutral in the gearbox and spat him off at Dorians Bend, causing him to run up the kerb. Fortunately, he did not sustain serious injury.

With the Dunlop retirement at Handleys after Michael had posted a 131,135 km/h opening lap, Hutchinson gradually overtook both Hickman and Hiller and passed the leader Dave Johnson on the road, on his super quick Norton. Only 10 seconds covered the top four as late as lap four. Pit stops helped to gain a full ten-second lead over Hickman to claim a prestigious BMW victory with 1, 2 placings.

Sure Sidecar Races

There was a repeat when Ben and Tim Birchall’s week at this year’s TT in the Formula Two events. They scooped both wins. They won the second leg held on Senior Day by a margin of some 26.5 seconds from John Holden and Lee Cain. This was a repeat of the week’s Monday opener. Dave Molyneux and Dan Sale who were on the pace suffered a rib injury over the bumpy section approaching Ramsey which put them out of the second sidecar race.

Crews had to endure more road dampness on opening laps but the Birchall brothers surged over the mountain course at close to 117 mph to lead by over a country mile ahead of Holden’s crew and third place winner Conrad Harrison and Andrew Winkle. All the Formula Two machines run 600cc motors.

360 Quantum Superstock

BMW certainly stamped their mark of the week in the Superstock Event run on the Monday. With Ian Hutchinson (the Bingley Bullet) claiming his second win. The Tyco sponsored rider led from start to finish to win by some 22.4 seconds ahead of Peter Hickman in this four-lap event. While their win was pure joy, it was real elation for Manxman Dan Keen who took third place on the podium. Hutchinson had pitted on the stop box in lap two needing a 130 mph lap to pull away. Michael Dunlop was dicing it out with Michael Rutter for glory. Dunlop took fourth spot, a fraction of a second ahead of Michaels’ Suzuki machine.

SES TT Zero

With the Team Mugen machines oh so fast, this one lap electric bike wonder went to the champion New Zealander, Bruce Anstey. He was never headed and lapped at the amazing time of 117 mph while a recovering Shinden Mugen teammate, Guy Martin, got a well earned second place on the podium. Dean Harrison rounded out the race with third, with the Belgian Sirolea’s race bike at 108 mph. “They were all hoping for a 120 mph lap but maybe next year,” says Anstey, “for the bike has great corner speed now”.

Norton scooped this year’s team prize with the achievement of two top 10 finishes. In both the RST Superbike TT and also in the Pokerstars TT Senior races with Aussie David Johnson on Josh Brookes on board the V4 machine took a big step forward but ran away with the best looking machinery at this year’s races.

All this while the weather once again played its hand with further delays in the race programme. Two things are key now for the running of events: if mist clouds the Snaefell Mountains and the helicopter can’t fly, the race won’t run. Also, current tyre race technology puts a limit of 300 km as an absolute maximum of race distance that can be travelled.

Lightweight TT

These 650cc twin cylinder race bikes were shown the way home by Micheal Rutter’s incredibly quick Palton machine. With Rutter racking up a fifth TT win on Wednesday, he won at 118 km/h ahead of Peter Hickman who was to go on to four podium wins in the weeks events. Rutter eased ahead of newcomer Martin Jessops Kawasaki with Hickman in third on a second Kawasaki KMR.

Monster Energy Supersport TT

Michael Dunlop’s week started to fall in place as he equalled Mike Hailwood’s 14 TT wins record. The Norton rider scooped his win just 13.2 seconds ahead of James Hillier’s 600cc Kawasaki.

Peter Hickman was enjoying a great week at the races bringing home a Triumph race bike. Dunlop (Yamaha), in this four lap race was very emotional at the post race function claiming a resounding victory after all previous disappointments.

Pokerstars Senior Race

The shortened Senior race of 2017 was won by Michael Dunlop. The race was red flagged on the second lap after Hutchinson took a fall at the 27th milestone and suffered a broken femur. He was eventually airlifted to a specialist hospital in Liverpool. The race was shaping up to be an epic dual between the Bennets Suzuki and Peter Hickmans BMW as only a second separated them all race long. With lap speeds of 132 mph, the gloves were off on the prestige race of the week. After the pitstop, however, Dunlop got bogged down eeking out a six second lead by Ramsey on three. He headed Hickman and Harrison by some 9.2 seconds. This brand new motor bike bike never missed a  beat and the team put so much effort in to win this race because everyone remembers who wins the Senior TT race result.

While Peter Hickman and his Smiths machine had themselves gained five podium positions from five starts, Dean Harrison completed the top three for this years race week.

That said the weather played a decisive role on rearranging the race week with constantly changing schedules and revised race days. It was a game of wait and see for one and all at the 2017 TT races.

Altherm Yamaha Official WMX's Courtney Duncan came out on top at Loket in the Czech Republic - round four of the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship - after a thrilling race where she passed MX Fonta Yamaha Official WMX's Kiara Fontanesi on the final corner for the win, while NoFear Yamaha Official WMX's Nancy Van de Ven made it a total Yamaha domination chasing the duo home for third. Overnight rain made for a slick and challenging final moto where Duncan, Fontanesi and Van de Ven all faced adversity. Duncan salvaged second place and won the Grand Prix while Van de Ven laid it all on the line for third and third overall, 3-points clear of Fontanesi who was fourth.

A hard-pack track always becomes a challenging battle for grip especially when there are hills involved like the steep climbs and daunting decents in Loket. With that said, traction wasn't the only hurdle this weekend as the track was relatively smooth and lap-times were tighter than ever. In the Timed Practice session yesterday less than half of a second separated the top three. FontaMX Yamaha Official WMX's Kiara Fontanesi set the pace and went pole ahead of fellow Yamaha starlets No Fear Yamaha Official WMX's Nancy Van de Ven and Altherm Yamaha Official WMX's Courtney Duncan.

All three girls were looking sharp on-board their fierce YZ250F machines in Race 1. Kiara Fontanesi emerged from turn one in fifth place ahead on Van de Ven while Duncan was buried in the pack well outside of the top-ten. Fontanesi, who is looking fitter and faster than ever right now, put in a hard charge right off the bat and had passed a bunch of high calibre WMX riders, including the defending champion Livia Lancelot, to move into second place before the end of lap two. Meanwhile, Lancelot proved a tough nut to crack for Van de Ven, but the Dutch lady never gave up and seven laps in, she finally got the job done.

It may seem out of character for Duncan to bide her time as a rider that is renowned for her energetic and eager riding style, but the 'Kiwi Girl' is under the wing of former Yamaha ace Josh Coppins, and he has been working on her race craft. Her patience paid dividends this time round as she took her time at the start of the race before dropping the hammer with four minutes to go. A nice pass of Van de Ven with three laps to go threw Fontanesi in the pressure cooker as the Kiwi started chipping away at the Italian's lead.

It was a nail-biting final 3-Laps for everyone dressed in paddock blue with all three Official Yamaha WMX riders inside the top three. Duncan set the fastest lap of the race with two laps to go and managed to pass Fontanesi on the final corner to take an emphatic race win. Fontanesi later learned she had a hole in her header pipe, which meant she was down on power, and did a fantastic job of nursing her bike home for second place ahead of Van de Ven.

After an incredible day yesterday with all three Yamaha starlets finishing inside the top-three, the seas weren't as smooth today. Overnight rain made for an extremely slick clay surface which caught out all three riders at certain points of the race. Duncan got off to a decent start, but lost traction while trying to make a pass for the lead on lap four and crashed. The 'Kiwi Girl' made a quick remount and managed to hold onto second place all the way to the flag, which was enough for her to win the WMX Grand Prix of Czech Republic, and also inherit the championship lead.

Fontanesi got off to a terrible start but didn't waste any time laying the power of her YZ250F down as she charged her way up into fourth. While tussling with the defending champ, Lancelot, once again, her patience wore thin and she attempted to force a pass. Lancelot didn't back out of the challenge and the two class-A riders ended up in a heap on the ground. Both were quick to remount with Lancelot getting away slightly quicker than Fontanesi, but too much time was lost. Fontanesi had to settle for sixth, and fourth overall while Van de Ven was lightening quick and managed to salvage third place after starting outside the top-twenty. She finished third overall.

Altherm Yamaha Official WMX's Courtney Duncan now leads the 2017 FIM Women's Motocross World Championship by 3-points over MX Fonta Yamaha Official WMX's Kiara Fontanesi. NoFear Yamaha Official WMX's Nancy Van de Ven is fourth, only 5-points shy of the championship leader, Duncan. The next round of the WMX championship will take place at the world renowned Dutch TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.

The 2017 Wheels & Waves event touched down in Biarritz this summer, bringing its own special blend of custom cool two-wheel action, wrapped up in a laid-back vibe. Yamaha's Faster Sons were a defining presence again this year, getting stuck in to the heart of both the action, and the chill out. Having set up base at the Cité de L'Ocean with a stunning set of Yard Built machines, Faster Sons then rode into Spain to slide round the track for the infamous El Rollo flat track races, winning the Hooligans race with Marco Belli on an SCR950. Culture followed with the Art Ride before it was time to test the mettle up on the mountainside at the Punks Peak Races. Trophies were won, new friends made and the Faster Sons philosophy shared amongst the thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts who made the pilgrimage to the heart of Basque country in search of wheels, waves and motorcycle freedom.

This year's event saw eight diverse Yard Built projects from different countries across Europe, built in collaboration with local national builders, Yamaha distributors and motorcycle media. All builds were based on either the Yamaha XSR700, or XSR900, proving again that the two make the perfect base for personalisation. Eight different project builds with the same approach typical of the Yard Built program of no cut or major modification to the frame delivered stunning bikes; each one with its own mood that reflected the builder's style.

"We are very happy with this project because we were again able to show how the XSR is a perfect base for every kind of customization! Of these eight bikes, no one is like the other, each builder saw something unique in the base bike and their vision went on to deliver and realise with their creations. Considering the rules of being fully ridable and without any major modifications to the frame, it is incredible how they are all so different!" commented Cristian Barelli, Marketing Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Europe.  "Bikes are made to be ridden, not just to be beautiful, so to prove the rideability of all eight Yard Built machines they were entered into, and raced hard, in dedicated trophy races at the legendary Punks Peak race. The builders were in the perfect Faster Sons spirit. See you next year in Biarritz!" 

Valentino Rossi, nine-time World Champion - including seven in the premier-class - is truly one of the greatest riders ever in the history of motorcycle racing. 115 GP victories, 225 podiums and 64 pole positions across all classes have earnt him the nickname the GOAT - the greatest of all time - an accolade he thoroughly deserves but still one target eludes him. Will 2017 be the season he makes it a 'perfect ten' world championship titles?

Now in his 22nd season in the World Championship, the 'Doctor' is still as determined to win now as was when he first broke on to the scene, despite being 38 years of age. In fact, if anything, Rossi has grown hungrier with age but there is still one accolade that has remained out of his grasp while all others have fallen by the wayside, that elusive tenth title.

When Rossi lifted his ninth title back in 2009, few would have guessed that he would still be riding eight years later. Let alone that he would still be winning races and challenging for the title. Rossi, like a fine wine, only seems to get better with age, with the Italian finishing as runner-up the last three seasons. To keep himself motivated he now trains on a daily basis with the young Italian riders he is nurturing through the VR46 Academy scheme, something that he says not only keeps him on his toes but keeps his enjoyment of racing alive.

Rossi's debut season in the 125cc World Championship was in 1996 and the following year he won his first title, before moving up to the 250cc class in 1998. After taking a year to learn the class, he lifted the 250cc crown in 1999. He made his move into the premier class in the year 2000, following the same pattern of taking a year to get to know the class, before he went on to dominate the sport between 2001-2005, winning five successive premier-class titles in a row. He would then miss out in 2006 to American Nicky Hayden at the very last race of the season before young Australian Casey Stoner beat him to the title in 2007. Many thought at the time Rossi was past his peak, that the Italian's domination of the class was over. All of which just made the way in which he came back to win World Championship number eight in 2008 even more sensational, despite the arrival of a new teammate in the form of Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi took nine victories on his way to his highest ever tally of 373 points at the end of the year. Incredibly he then went on to lift title number nine in 2009 as he beat Lorenzo to the championship by 45 points.

The 2010 season saw Lorenzo crowned champion, in what many saw as the passing of the torch, before Rossi made the move to Ducati for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. These were two barren years for the 'Doctor' as he uncharacteristically struggled, leaving the door open for his great rival Casey Stoner to lift his second title in 2011. Lorenzo made it two championships in three years by winning again in 2012, before Rossi made a sensational return to the factory Yamaha team in 2013 to once more partner Lorenzo.

Unfortunately, this was also the year that a certain Marc Marquez joined the championship. The Spanish rookie would bring a new threat to Rossi, with his on the edge style and fearless attitude. Marquez went on to lift the title in his debut season with Rossi fourth overall on his return to Yamaha, but more importantly back to winning ways after taking victory at Assen.

In 2014, he was runner up to a dominant Marquez, as the Spaniard won the first ten races of the season, Rossi finishing in a strong second place, 67-points behind Marquez. It looked like it could finally be Rossi's time to lift the tenth title in 2015, but he missed out on being crowned champion by just five points to Lorenzo after a dramatic grand finale at Valencia. In 2016 Rossi would once again come close, missing out to a resurgent Marquez by 49 points.

Could 2017 be the year he makes it a 'perfect ten'? Once more Rossi has a hungry young teammate in the shape of Maverick Viñales to compete against, as well as his arch rivals Marquez and Lorenzo. After three podiums in the first three races Rossi was leading the standings. A downturn in form during the next few rounds had people questioning if 2017 could really be his year, but he bounced back with his first victory of the season at Assen and he is currently fourth in the championship standings with 119 points, just ten points behind the leader Marquez in what is turning into the closest championship battle in years. Can Rossi make 2017 the year he reaches the elusive milestone of ten World Championship titles, or will it forever remain out of his grasp? Only time will tell.

The 2018 Suzuki RM-Z450 is all-new from the ground up.

New chassis, updated engine and spring forks. 

For the first time in a decade, Suzuki has made an all-new Suzuki RM-Z450. Here are the top 20 changes made to the bike:

(1) Revision of the intake and fuel systems.
(2) Suzuki’s Holeshot Assist Control (HAC) has been updated.
(3) New cylinder head port shape increases tumble flow by 25%.
(4) Larger air filter aperture.
(5) Change of injector direction to improves combustion efficiency and throttle response.

(6) A higher fuel pump pressure is used to improve throttle response.
(7) Throttle body has been updated.
(8) A rib has been added to the piston for greater strength to support high engine output.
(9) The frame and swingarm are all new.
(10) The wheelbase is shorter, steering head pipe is 10mm backward and handlebar position is 7mm forward.

(11) New Showa BFRC rear shock.
(12) New 49mm Showa coil spring forks.
(13) Comes standard with Bridgestone Battlecross X30 tires.
(14) The seat has been reduced in weight by 246 grams.
(15) Gas tank material has been changed from stamped aluminium to plastic resin to save weight.

(16) The rear brake master cylinder has been undated.
(17) The rims and upper triple clamp have been lightened.
(18) Chain guide has been updated.
(19) Aggressive new character line with the design keyword “Beak DNA.”
(20) Larger 270mm front brake rotor.

The new aluminium-alloy twin-spar frame combines cast and extruded sections to achieve superior front-and-rear weight distribution while balancing strength and weight. The new frame is 700 grams (1.32 lbs.) lighter to improve cornering performance and shock absorption while delivering stable handling. The new swingarm is assembled with thinner materials for 100 grams (0.25 lbs.) lower weight while cornering performance and handling stability is improved.

A 30% larger air cleaner opening is combined with a more direct air cleaner outlet tube path to the throttle body to increase air flow.

The intake camshaft profile is changed, including more valve lift than the prior model, increasing power at all engine speeds. The compact aluminium cylinder is finished with a Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material (SCEM) coating for durability, light weight and efficient heat transfer.

The RM-Z450 has a new, Suzuki-unique throttle body design to improve atomization of the fuel/air charge. The new throttle body design eliminates complex control linkage so the rider feels a more direct connection to the engine.

The 2018 RM-Z450 has a relocated fuel injector, fed by a higher-pressure fuel pump that directly sprays fuel at the butterfly valve.

A new plastic fuel tank weighs half-a-pound less than the prior model’s aluminium tank. Fuel capacity is raised to 1.7 gallons. The seat base, inner fenders and side covers were developed to reduce dirt from getting to the air cleaner. This helps prevent debris from contaminating the air filter element.

A new design rear brake master cylinder hugs the frame beam to reduce dirt contamination and the chance of the rider’s boot hitting it during riding.

Suzuki was the last of the Japanese brands to stick with old school 250mm brakes, but for 2018 they have stepped up to a larger 270mm wave-style front brake rotor.

A refined 5-speed transmission enables precise gear shift operation. The transmission feel has been improved with a precisely machined shift cam. Specialized machining processes also increase the precision of the matching gears.

Showa coil spring front fork have larger inner tubes and cartridge rods for durability. Springs in each fork leg are combine with larger adjustable damping cylinders to deliver better response to the terrain. Their is a 3-pound weight penalty in the switch from air forks to spring forks for 2018.

Renthal aluminum tapered handlebars have a straighter bend that prior models to help aid the rider during aggressive maneuvering. A new, lighter top triple clamp is used to complement the new front suspension and handlebars.

The fully adjustable BFRC shock controls damping better during small suspension movements so that ride comfort at low speeds is improved, while stability is enhanced at high speeds.

The 2018 RM-Z450 uses Showa’s Balance Free Rear Cushion (BFRC) shock that has separate, external damping circuits that improves the responsiveness of damping force for better absorption over bumps.

The 2018 RM-Z450 has stronger brakes (for better stopping power), a wider spread of engine muscle (with higher peak power), a frame that is stronger and lighter, and ergonmics that are thinner, flatter and more comfortable.

Instead of an aluminum tank, Suzuki switched to a plastic resin material to save weight. 

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is a crazy two-wheeled enthusiast who has started up his own motorcycle company.

If you’re a fan of the movie Speed or The Matrix, it’s quite possible that you are also a fan of Keanu Reeves. This Lebanese-born Canadian actor is also known for his starring roles in Point Break, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and the more recent John Wick.

He has an affinity for playing both the goofy, good-natured guy and the super cool action hero, but in real life, Reeves has been described as “down-to-earth” and “elusive.” That hasn’t kept him out of the spotlight, though. Throughout his career, he has earned several MTV movie awards and multiple nominations for best actor. He has also been ranked one of People magazine’s 50 most beautiful people in the world and he’s even got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But what does Keanu Reeves have to do with motorcycles?

A lot, actually. The now 50-year-old is an avid rider who’s logged thousands of kilometres behind the bars of his favourite bike, the Norton Commando.

“Riding your bike is one of the greatest things you can do to clear your head and just feel the speed and the motion,” said Reeves.

Unlike the many other riders out there, Reeves didn’t get into motorcycles until he was a young adult. As a teenager growing up in Toronto, Ontario, he was more into playing ice hockey than anything (he is, after all, a Canadian—eh).

“I started when I was 22,” said Reeves. “I was filming in Munich, Germany, at this film studio, and this young girl had a gorgeous (Kawasaki) Enduro motorcycle which she would drive around. One day I asked her to teach me how to ride it. So I started to ride that bike around the stage when she wasn’t using it, and when I got back to Los Angeles, I got the first bike I saw that was similar...”

His next bike was a canary yellow 1971-ish Norton Commando. He then bought a 1973 Norton Commando—on which he can still be spotted bombing around the streets of L.A. today.

Norton’s aren’t his only passion. Over the years, Reeves has had everything from Suzuki sport bikes to Harley-Davidson cruisers in his stable. And lately, he has turned his attention to choppers.

THE BIRTH OF ARCH MOTORCYCLE COMPANY

Eight years ago, Reeves walked into a custom shop in L.A. looking for a sissy bar for one of his bikes. That’s when he met Gard Hollinger, a motorcycle builder with years of experience under his belt. The two got talking and eventually they decided to start Arch Motorcycle Company.

Last fall, Arch Motorcycle Company came out with its first production motorcycle, the KRGT-1, which is based on the bike that Hollinger built for Reeves shortly after they met.

Not quite a full-on chopper but not a sport bike either, the KRGT-1 is a mishmash of different designs. At the heart and soul is a massive 2,032-cc V-twin engine that produces a claimed 121 horsepower—more than enough ponies to get its rider from point A to point B in a hurry.

Apparently, Reeves likes to go fast. Or does he?

“I don’t go as fast as I used to,” he said. “I don’t have a sense of fear, it’s just that I’ve had enough accidents, a ruptured spleen, a lot of scraped skin and road rash that I don’t really feel the need to test the limits as much. I also don’t use riding a motorcycle as a way of getting rid of anger or frustration the way I used to. When I was younger, I used to get out on the road with the bike and just go as fast as I could and basically let it all out on the road. But after enough wipe-outs, you begin to think that that’s not a really good frame of mind to be in when you’re riding a motorcycle at high speed (laughs).”

For more information about the collaboration between Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger and their newest creation, see the website for Arch Motorcycle Company. 

Listen to Reeves and Hollinger talking about how they met in the following video: 

In a first for the Austrian manufacturer in South Africa, KTM enthusiasts will gather for the official Annual KTM Adventure Rider Rally in Central Drakensberg from August 31st-3rd September, 2017.

One Rally, Two Days, 210 Riders

Situated deep in the Central Drakensberg Valley is the Champagne Sports Resort from where one can enjoy spectacular views of Cathkin Peak, Champagne Castle, Monks Cowl and the Dragon Peaks. This venue has it all from luxurious rooms and amazing food to a huge stage which will host live entertainment each night.

Each morning will start with breakfast accompanied by spectacular views of some of the best scenery KZN has to offer. Lunch will be served on the ride and there will be a different dinner theme each night.

Each day will start and end at the Champagne Sports Resort and consists of three skill level routes, ranging from an easy but scenic Green Route to a more technical and physically demanding Red Route and topped off by the infamous Black Route for those riders who want the ultimate challenge to man and machine.

DETAILS

The KTM Adventure Rider Rally is designed for KTM 640, 690, 950, 990, 1050, 1090, 1190 and 1290 Adventure riders. Last year’s event sold out, so participants are encouraged to register early.

The registration price is R 7400.00 for single and R 4900.00 per person sharing, which includes accommodation and all meals and an event goody bag.

KTM experts will be on hand each day to offer a technical overview of all KTM Adventure models in between jam-packed days of dual-sport riding, to ensure that every participant gets the best out of their bike and the routes.

KTM will also host free demo rides to all participants on the KTM range of adventure motorcycles including: 2017 1090 Adventure, 1090 Adventure R, 1290 Super Adventure S and 1290 Super Adventure R.

For more information phone: 083 395 4747 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Only a limited number of rooms available – Book early to avoid disappointment – Entries close 20th August 2017.