In September 2023, BMW unveiled what many considered to be a long-awaited update of its GS model. Designed practically from scratch, the new BMW R 1300 GS is set to conquer the ADV world. That said, aftermarket specialists have wasted no time in developing new products for the new GS model.

In the ADV world, few brands have as much recognition as Touratech. It’s all in the name; the German brand specializes in accessories and upgrades aimed at making touring and adventure bikes perform better. In the case of the new BMW R 1300 GS, Touratech has covered all the bases, launching accessories designed for both touring and off-road riding.

To begin with, the Sport engine protection bar is designed to protect the new Boxer 1300 engine in the event of a rollover or skid. It absorbs impact and sliding forces, while ensuring that the bike has enough lean capacity to tackle corners with vigor. Meanwhile, the Classic engine guard protects not only the engine, but also the fairings, frame and radiator, with the option of a reinforcement bracket for even greater protection.

Next, the Expedition is designed specifically for riders who want to maximize their bike’s off-road performance. According to Touratech, the Expedition has been proven over millions of kilometers on previous models and is now optimized specifically for the R 1300 GS. It’s made from four-millimetre-thick aluminum plate, ensuring that even the roughest terrain won’t cause any damage to the vulnerable underside of the engine.

With the protective accessories completed, let’s take a look at the luggage options Touratech has to offer for the BMW R 1300 GS. To begin with, the brand offers a stainless steel luggage rack and points out that BMW doesn’t offer one as standard. The design features Touratech’s patented connecting elements, as well as 3D fittings for greater durability and reduced weight. It maintains the bike’s elegant profile and is fully compatible with a selection of panniers. Speaking of panniers, Touratech offers aluminum panniers in various sizes and capacities, as well as the Zega top case and luggage rack.

As far as availability is concerned, all Touratech accessories for the new BMW R 1300 GS are now available via the brand’s official website. Touratech claims that the product catalog for the new GS will only grow, as it develops more solutions for the ever-changing needs of ADV enthusiasts. That said, for exact pricing information, visit the official Touratech website.

O conteúdo Decorate your new BMW R 1300 GS with Touratech upgrades aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The 2007 Yamaha R6 was a very radical bike, built to win on the track, but which also ended up being a success on the road, despite all its aggressiveness in terms of ergonomics and engine behavior. The one we have here is in excellent condition.

Produced (and registered) between 1999 and 2020, the Yamaha R6 was a model that immediately set itself apart from what had previously been produced in the 600 cc class. Instead of producing yet another sport-touring model, ideal for a 50-50 split between road and circuit, the Japanese brand chose to create a much more radical model to win on the track. Several evolutions were launched, and the 2003 generation received fuel injection, in a model that was still relatively easy to drive and comfortable, but already very fast on the track.

It was then in 2006 that the R6 underwent a radical change, with much more angular lines, much more aggressive ergonomics and more track-ready cycling, as well as an engine with a much greater appetite for high revs. There was even some controversy over the overly generous revs on the tachometer, which Yamaha later admitted was a mistake…

2007 MODEL

Despite having 2008 license plates, the bike in this article is from the 2007 generation, so it already had the YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) throttle system, but still didn’t have the YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake) which varied the length of the intake tunnels. Regardless, this was the basis on which the R6 won countless Supersport titles around the world (and several world championships). A bike with a smooth engine, like any in-line four-cylinder, but one that needed to be ridden aggressively and excellently on the track, so that the rider could take advantage of the punchy engine and high-quality cycling.

THE TESTED MOTORCYCLE

Nowadays it’s no longer possible to buy a new Yamaha R6 with a license plate (you can do it for closed-circuit use and even use the GYTR competition kit), so a well-maintained Yamaha R6 may well have added value these days. And while we still come across some in everyday life or on weekend rides, the truth is that many have spent the years doing what they’re most comfortable doing, on the track, so – even if well maintained – it’s not always easy to find an R6 with a 100% healthy “heart”.

This bike looks to be in excellent condition! It has 31,000 km on the clock, recently arrived from Madeira Island and doesn’t appear to have suffered from any abuse throughout its life. It comes pretty much as standard, with the exception of the darkened headlights, the protective “mushrooms”, the Michelin Power 5, the different tuners on the top of the fork and the fitting of a BMC air filter and iridium spark plugs.

With an excellent exterior, it’s amazing how light this bike is to handle. It feels like a 300 cc sports bike! Then, on the road, we were reminded of how aggressive this bike is for the body, with a very radical position through a very high seat and footpegs and low stanchions, which put weight on the wrists. The sound of the exhaust is loud but super appealing, and you don’t even have to push the gears very hard to hear it “scream”, although you do need to rev it above 8,000 / 10,000 rpm for this engine to show its worth! Of course, you can drive quietly on the highway below these speeds, but on the track forget it, you have to squeeze the 4-cylinder above the 5-digit mark on the tachometer!

If the engine feels like new, the braking needs a little more force than a current sports car, but it still delivers without a glitch, and as for the suspensions, they were also faultless, with an excellent reading of the asphalt, whether at a leisurely pace or a faster one. With a good feel for all the components – only the final drive showed signs of needing to be changed – this R6 is more than approved and still ready for many good rides on the road or on the track, before being well stored in a garage or living room (and later in a museum)!

Maintaining and preserving

Our reader Tiago Ramos (RS) kindly provided his Yamaha R6 for our test, but more than that, he came all the way from Peniche to the Estoril Autodrome, on purpose, on one of those very cold mornings in this aggressive winter.

Having had the bike for about a year, but very experienced and a fan of the tuning fork brand, Tiago reveals that “it was a deal that came up and I didn’t want to let it go. I think it’s a mythical bike and I was curious to ride it, so I did.” So far, due to lack of time, he’s only done a few road rides, but “in the future I’d still like to do some track days, but this will always be a bike just for a few laps.” “I’d like to keep it in the garage, although there are offers for me to sell it. And then eventually buy something more practical, like a Tracer 7 or 9 for example. But I’m in no hurry to sell it, as it’s a bike that won’t exist any more.” Thank you very much Tiago and keep on riding, if possible with this beautiful R6!

O conteúdo Review – used of the month – Yamaha YZF-R6 – for racing… with a license plate aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

It could be said that the medium-sized motorcycle segment is the most hotly contested ever. The sweet spot between 600cc and 800cc has given rise to a wide selection of motorcycles over the years, all designed to meet the needs of a wide range of riders. Kawasaki has been active in this segment for almost two decades, since the launch of the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and, unsurprisingly, the platform has given rise to a large number of motorcycles.

Today, the Kawasaki 650 platform includes not only the Ninja, but also the Versys, Vulcan S, Z650 and Z650RS. That said, for the 2024 model year, Kawasaki has updated the Z650 and Z650RS, mainly with new colors and a traction control system on the Z650RS. Importantly, the Z650 has already received traction control for 2023, and now its retro-inspired sister is getting the safety feature for 2024.

Starting with the Z650RS, the neo-retro roadster retains its basic underpinnings and boasts a very premium configuration and finish, just like its premium sister, the Z900RS. For 2024, the Z650RS retains its tried and tested engine, a 649 cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected twin-cylinder engine. It continues to have the same 180-degree crankshaft configuration, with no signs from Kawasaki pointing to a switch to the ever-popular 270-degree, or crossplane, configuration any time soon.

The Z650RS features a lightweight steel trellis frame and a standard telescopic fork with no adjustments whatsoever. The rear shock absorber, however, has preload adjustment. In the cabin, the rider is treated to a retro double-dial instrument panel with a simple multifunction LCD screen in the center. It has a round LED headlight and cast aluminum wheels shaped to look like spoked wheels, just like its bigger sister the Z900RS. It shares the same electronics package as the modern-style Z650, with dual-channel ABS and KTRC for extra safety, offering two riding modes.

Speaking of the Z650, it also gets a slight update for 2024, but continues to incorporate the Sugomi styling first introduced on the Z1000 a decade ago. Its base is exactly the same as that of the Z650RS, so there’s no need to analyze it in detail. However, it’s worth noting that the Z650 gets a color TFT instrument panel with smartphone pairing compatibility via the Kawasaki Rideology app. The wheels are also different, as the Z650 uses the lightweight cast aluminum wheels found on the Ninja 650, adding to its athletic and sporty stance.

O conteúdo Kawasaki aims to dominate the mid-size category with the updated Z650 and Z650RS aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Riding a motorcycle is supposed to be fun, even for those taking their first steps. That’s why we were delighted to ride a Voge 300AC for several days, a small naked bike built with newcomers in mind, but which still offered good riding moments for someone already well experienced in this field.

It’s sometimes frustrating to ride low-cylinder models – sometimes even too expensive for what they’re worth – and realize that they weren’t designed (or there was cost containment) for the less experienced. I’m talking about brake levers with a poor feel and no adjustment, suspensions that fall short of expectations, etc. Fortunately, we didn’t find any of that in this Voge, which seems to have been really well thought out and built – even at its benchmark price – and only in one respect can we really point the finger: a rider of tall stature won’t be able to fit on this bike!

THE RANGE

The brand is no longer new here at Motociclismo, but let us remind you that Voge is the premium brand of the Loncin manufacturer, which has a lot of experience in engine manufacturing. At the moment, Voge has models in the Adventure, Naked, Classic, Scooter and Electric segments, and while the current range is already very interesting, there will soon be other models shown at the last edition of EICMA. Other good news: the five-year warranty that the brand now offers for the entire range and the fact that anyone who doesn’t like this 300AC for some reason has other models available that are very similar. One of them is the 300ACX, which has the same single-cylinder engine but has spoke rims, a single seat and different aesthetic details in a more scrambler philosophy.

As for the 350AC, it has also arrived on the market and is also a classic-looking naked bike, but it has a parallel twin-cylinder engine and a series of components and general finishes that put it on a slightly more “premium” level compared to the smaller displacement bikes.

GOOD DETAILS

For those newly qualified with an A2 license, the bike we have here has some good features: 28.5 horsepower that’s easy for even the least experienced to handle, a low weight of 170 kg in running order (which actually feels a lot smaller) and an accessible seat. Aesthetically, it’s immediately noticeable for its beautiful headlight, taillight and LED indicators and for the good looks of the bike, with an inverted fork and two brake discs at the front with ABS from Bosch (the brand that also gives its name to the fuel injection system).

On the other hand, the instrumentation is very simple: there’s a gasoline level, a partial totalizer, and although you can change the shade of the background, there isn’t even a clock, but there is a USB port. Dynamically, the liquid-cooled engine is a lot of fun! The transmission is much longer than that of the 300 Rally we tested last month, but it doesn’t lack power, even though it prefers to run at medium/high speeds. You can drive in sixth gear from 3,500 rpm (at around 60 km/h), and you can see that it really wakes up after 6,500 rpm, allowing you to quickly reach 130 km/h and even 150 km/h when you rev it up. Not bad! As for the vibrations, which are sometimes annoying on single-cylinders, they don’t bother much and only appear at the last revs of the tachometer. Another highlight is the very pleasant sound of the exhaust, which even emits some interesting rumbles when decelerating!

THE BEST PRICE, FUN ENGINE, DYNAMIC

IMPROVING ERGONOMICS, INSTRUMENTATION, THROTTLE TRAVEL

DYNAMICS AND DETAILS
In terms of dynamics, there’s not much to say except praise! The inverted fork works very well and the two-disc front brake doesn’t fail either, and the feel of the adjustable lever is good. At the rear, the single shock absorber with connecting rods does its job without compromise.

It’s in terms of ergonomics, then, that this bike has a few shortcomings, since the fact that the seats are independent means that the rider can’t get a little further back. Ideally, the rider shouldn’t be much taller than 1.70m, otherwise the good riding position will be affected. Other details also worthy of improvement are the small passenger seat – which doesn’t have hard grips – the gear selector which is too close to the footrest and the accelerator handle which stretches too much. You twist the handle, twist it, and it doesn’t seem to reach the end, and some of the stickers don’t look very modern either. As for the rest, there are many good things to say, including the performance of the Cordial tires, both dry and in the rain, despite my initial doubts.

It’s a fun little bike, very economical (average consumption is around 3.9 l/100 km), with a great price and an excellent warranty, so I personally rate it as one of the most interesting Voge in the current range.

O conteúdo Review – Voge 300 AC – getting off to a fun start aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

It is said that design is intelligence made visible, and we are seeing this come to fruition in the growing number of electric vehicles hitting the market. It could be said that the “micromobility” segment, which consists of electric scooters, electric bicycles and other personal mobility devices, is one of the most lucrative when it comes to cutting-edge technology and design. Take, for example, the new P1 electric scooter from Brooklyn-based Infinite Machine.

The P1, not to be confused with the British manufacturer Mclaren’s supercar, is designed to be your urban mobility companion. Its styling conveys a futuristic feel thanks to its radical aluminum and steel structure. It also has a front grille that contributes to its unique aesthetic, although I think it serves more stylistic than functional purposes. The P1’s square, simplistic styling demonstrates its simple, user-oriented nature, something we’ll come to shortly.

As far as performance is concerned, the P1 is equipped with a 12-kilowatt electric motor with a power output of 16 hp. This puts it on the same performance level as 150cc scooters, curiously exceeding the power regulations stipulated for A1-compliant two-wheelers in Europe. Meanwhile, the scooter’s 72-volt removable battery system promises a range of up to 96.5 km on a single charge – more than enough for two days of city commuting. What’s more, the fact that it uses a removable battery means that it can be charged both inside and outside the scooter, which increases its efficiency.

16 hp may not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to guarantee a quick ride around town. To make things more user-friendly, the P1 has four riding modes: Eco, Performance, Turbo Boost and Reverse Mode (yes, they include Reverse as a riding mode). This makes it easy to set the power mode and get going, especially in unpredictable city traffic conditions. The P1 gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a useful app for remote tracking and theft detection.

Needless to say, the star of the show when it comes to the P1’s design is the modular storage system at the back of the scooter. Instead of using a top box like normal scooters, the P1 integrates a box at the rear – that’s where you sit when you ride around town. It has a modular system that allows you to attach external components for even more utility. These include mounts, luggage and even speakers.

Infinite Machine’s co-founders, Eddie and Joseph Cohen, believe that the P1 could revolutionize the way people get around in the urban environment. Dissatisfied with the utility offered by normal motorcycles and scooters, they decided to create their own solution. “We’ve been riding motorcycles and scooters for years, but we were fundamentally dissatisfied with what was on the market. That led us to build the P1,” Eddie Cohen told The Pack.

O conteúdo Infinite Machine’s P1 electric scooter seeks to revolutionize your city commute aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Green Team fans are in for a treat in 2024, with Kawasaki presenting its revamped line-up for 2024. This time, it’s the top-of-the-range models that get an update. 2024 marks the tenth year of the Kawasaki Ninja H2, one of the few current production bikes that comes with a supercharger straight from the factory. In addition, Kawasaki has also updated its naked sister, the Z H2 SE, for the 2024 model year.

To start with the Z H2 SE, this bike is one of the most powerful hyper-naked bikes on the market, as it features a 998 cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected in-line four-cylinder engine with a patented supercharger. This results in a maximum power of 197 hp and 136.9 Nm of torque. All this power is kept in check by a sophisticated set of electronics that includes various driving modes, as well as a set of IMU electronics that offer safety features such as cornering ABS and inclination-sensitive traction control.

On top of all this, the Kawasaki Z H2 SE is further enhanced with Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS) with Skyhook EERA Technology. This gives the suspension the ability to adapt instantly to different road and riding conditions. Of course, with such impressive performance, the Z H2 SE also has to brake well, and it does so with the help of Brembo Stylema Monobloc brake calipers. Other features include a quickshift system, launch control, cornering management, electronic cruise control and smartphone connectivity.

Next, let’s focus our attention on the Ninja H2. For 2024, Kawasaki is launching two versions, as before, in the form of the Ninja H2 ABS and the Ninja H2R. The Ninja H2 is further divided into two versions: the Ninja H2 ABS and the Ninja H2 Carbon, which, as the name suggests, has a higher price tag due to the extensive use of carbon fiber.

In terms of performance, we’re looking at an engine similar to that of the Z H2 SE, although tuned to produce even more power – 228 hp and 142.2 Nm of torque. The engine is installed in a lightweight steel trellis frame and the bike features compact superbike dimensions characterized by the same aggressive fairing found on previous versions. The Ninja H2 and H2 Carbon 2024 come equipped with high-quality Brembo Stylema calipers as standard, as well as the Kawsaki Quick Shift (KQS) system and nine Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) modes. Both models feature a TFT color display with smartphone connectivity via the Rideology mobile app.

Last but certainly not least, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R is designed for the most demanding riders with a desire for power. Designed exclusively for track use, this bike takes everything the standard Ninja H2 has to offer in terms of performance and takes it to the next level. As such, its liquid-cooled, fuel-injected and supercharged 998 cc in-line four engine produces an impressive 326 hp of power and 164.7 Nm of torque. All this power is controlled by a set of sophisticated electronics, as well as carbon fiber aerodynamic components.

The Kawasaki Ninja H2R 2024 has launch control, Brembo Stylema calipers, an Öhlins rear shock absorber and fully adjustable front suspension. Like the Ninja H2, it has all the details you could ask for from a technological point of view, although only for use on closed courses.

O conteúdo Kawasaki is entering 2024 with the renewed Z H2 SE and Ninja H2 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The Australian Grand Prix turned the MotoGP World Championship upside down. It all started with the change of schedule due to weather conditions, a prediction that was completely correct. Although there was a full Moto3 race and several Moto2 laps, the final Moto2 lap was canceled and then the MotoGP race was canceled. Sunday’s race was the Sprint race, as the main race was moved to Saturday to ensure a good spectacle. Dani Pedrosa, this weekend’s commentator on DAZN, looks at three names after the weekend at Phillip Island.

One of the first is Marc Márquez. The Repsol Honda rider has had a total of 25 crashes. Pedrosa looks at how Márquez should approach the last few Grands Prix he has before leaving the Japanese manufacturer. “It will depend a little on each circuit. I think that, as happened on some tracks, the bike adapted less badly than on others. And there we saw him attack a bit more, looking for a good result. This weekend, we saw him do a worse time and adopt a different strategy. You can see the change in his attitude when he has the chance and when he doesn’t. In general, he has to analyze track by track. You can’t look too far ahead, just see how the bike can work in the next race. Also, in Thailand, the rear tire has a different construction, different from what it is now. We’ll see if this is a factor that influences the bike’s behavior.

Dani Pedrosa on the fight for the MotoGP title

Pecco Bagnaia is stronger than ever. The Italian took advantage of Jorge Martin’s mistake to finish second in Saturday’s race: ‘It’s a bit of his character. He’s a person who likes to analyze why he does certain things, why he has to ride a certain way depending on the tire, and how to attack his rivals. He likes to know why he does things and yesterday he had the patience to know that the important thing was to conserve the tire, trying not to lose too many positions. He found that middle ground, but without pushing. And that really worked.

Finally, Pedrosa spoke about Jorge Martín. For the current KTM test rider, Martín has to reset and stop thinking about what happened in the last few Grands Prix.

– ‘We shouldn’t waste too much time on the past and we shouldn’t waste too much time on the future, we have to be in the present. This is what has happened, I learn from it, I look to the future. But I’m not thinking about Qatar or Valencia, I’m thinking about the next race, the first practice. I’m going step by step, because in this situation it’s the smartest thing to do’.

O conteúdo Dani Pedrosa – ‘You can see the difference in Marc Márquez’s attitude when he has an opportunity and when he doesn’t’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Luca Marini finished Saturday’s race in 12th position. The Italian driver picked up 4 points for the championship after failing to score in the Indonesian GP.

This Sunday, the Mooney VR46 Racing Team driver revealed in a debrief his opinion on the decision made by the race directors to cancel the Australian GP Sprint race.

– ‘I think it’s always difficult to make these decisions. Sometimes it’s better to stay on the side of safety, if you look at the trees, the flags and the wind now it’s crazy. All the drivers know that it’s very risky to brake in the first corner in these conditions because you reach 340 km/h and braking is very complicated, the wind pushes you off the track, it was the best decision. In the morning we were still able to drive, I don’t know if the spray from the other drivers was critical because I was alone at the Warm-up, but the problem for me was the temperature in the front tire, it was very low and we had no grip at all, it just got worse with every lap I did.

Asked if the aerodynamics made it more dangerous to ride in the wind, Marini replied: “I don’t know, for me it’s always dangerous and difficult to ride in these conditions. When I was in Moto2 we did the practice session and it was crazy. They canceled the MotoGP session and we didn’t have aerodynamic wings in Moto2 and it was still very dangerous, it was impossible to ride. I don’t think it’s an aerodynamic issue, if it’s not safe to ride we shouldn’t do it, if there are no conditions we should stay safe.

O conteúdo ‘I don’t think it’s an aerodynamic issue, if it’s not safe to ride we shouldn’t do it’ – Luca Marini aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marc Márquez finished Saturday’s race in 15th position. The Spanish rider has been struggling since Friday. After two crashes in the first two practice sessions of the first day of the Australian GP, Marc was never able to go as fast as he wanted on his Honda RC213V and finished Saturday with just one point.

The Repsol Honda Team rider spoke about the race and his tire choices.

– ‘ Last year it was a gamble with the tires and this year too. That gamble got me a podium last year, but today wasn’t our day, especially because at the start when I saw Martín with the soft tire on the rear pushing so hard the race became very fast and when you’re riding at that pace it’s impossible to manage the tires. I was lapping in the low 1.29”s and I thought to myself whether or not to push harder, but if I pushed harder I’d be dead, I just didn’t know when. On lap 10 I still managed to save the race and I didn’t crash, it was my choice of tires and it’s totally my fault, but we were calculating and I should have finished 10th or 9th with the medium, not much better than that”.

Asked about Jorge Martín’s choice of the soft tire today and his compatriot’s chances of winning the MotoGP world championship, Marc replied: ‘ For me Jorge had that extra speed today. Of course it was a mistake for him to choose the soft, but on the track he was the fastest and he’ll only learn more from this. With the medium he was also the fastest, so when he chose the soft tire it was a surprise. Riders like me, Pol, we have to gamble, last year it worked this year it didn’t, but Jorge was the fastest today and he’s the fastest without a doubt. He’s still my choice to win the championship, there are still four races to go, plus the Sprint races, so he still has a chance. Jorge is driving very well’.

O conteúdo ‘If I pushed any harder I’d be dead, I just didn’t know when’ – Marc Márquez aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marco Bezzecchi finished Saturday’s race in 6th position. The Italian rider was unable to win points over his direct rivals in the fight for the championship, finishing behind Jorge Martín in 5th and Francesco Bagnaia in 2nd.

The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider revealed that he thought he could do better during the race, despite his physical limitations.

– ‘I thought I could do more, but at the start of the weekend I struggled physically and the bike isn’t at its best either. When the bike isn’t good, physically it’s worse to ride, I didn’t expect better but I wanted to do more. In the end I managed to overtake Marc, Alex, Aleix and Jack and finished 6th, not bad, but I wanted more. At the beginning it was difficult to lean the bike in fast corners, I pushed the front tire too hard, but in the end I was still quite fast and finished 6th.

Regarding his choice of tires, Bezzecchi compared himself to his rivals on the track and spoke about how he felt physically during the race, explaining: ‘ I found out after the race that Martín chose the soft tire on the rear. I was more afraid of the front tire because of the cold on the track, but at the rear I was sure everyone was going to put the medium one on, at least it was impossible for me to finish the race with a soft one. So we didn’t know his choice, but I was impressed. Mandalika was very painful, it was pure pain and I suffered a lot, but the bike was much better and did everything I wanted to do even though I was suffering physically and the circuit wasn’t very demanding. Here I still had pain, less than in Indonesia, but physically I suffered more in my arm, shoulder and neck because this circuit is physically more demanding’.

O conteúdo “I thought I could do more, but at the start of the weekend I struggled physically and with the bike” – Marco Bezzecchi aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.