News

Stretching back 108 years and encompassing 82 world championship titles, the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand has achieved rare longevity in a fickle market. We survey its past and look ahead to the future as Husqvarna pioneers off-road ABS.

Shannons' upcoming Melbourne auction features a slew of rare motorcycles - including four with no reserve and five classic Harleys - as well as several low-digit black and white number plates.

The 'Spartan' is an all-new, limited-production, Australian-made sportscar, powered by a Ducati V-twin engine, that is set to make its public debut at the Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show from November 25-27.

Bonhams' recent "Classic California" auction event, held at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles, had a major touch of "Hollywood" about it, with cars from the movies amongst the consignments. Celebrity-owned cars were also part of the November 12 event, including a Cadillac originally owned by Elvis, and a Mercedes owned by Madonna.

Casey Stoner's recent victory at Aragon marked the 100th for the Repsol Honda Team since the partnership was formed in 1995 allowing the Respol Honda Team to confirm it is the most successful team of the Motorcycling World Championship modern era.

After dominating the 2011 championship season from the opening round, Procon Maxima BMW's Glenn Allerton fought through a tough round at Symmons Plains to wrap up the Australian Superbike title with one round remaining.

On November 11, South Australia's Motorcycle Accident Commission (MAC) launched the next phase of its motorcycle safety campaign, using Mighty Mick Doohan as the ambassador and face of the campaign.

The penultimate round of the 2011 Monster Energy Super X, Australian Supercross Championship, saw Raceline Pirelli Suzuki's Lawson Bopping claim his first ever Super X round win, but consistency from CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha's Jay Marmont means he leads the Pro Open field heading into the final round. In the Lites class, another round win from JDR Motorex KTM's Matt Moss saw him extend his championship lead to an almost unassailable 22 points heading into the season finale.

Lining up next to the Brutale 920, the entry-level motorcycle in the MV Agusta four-cylinder family is the new Brutale R 1090.

Daelim are just about to release the 'Besbi' scooter locally. With its retro styling, 125cc engine and CVT transmission, Daelim expect this cute 'scoot to be a top seller.

JUST Bikes is excited to announce the JUST Bikes Build Off 2011 at the Sydney Motorcycle Expo, held on November 22-26.

BMW has revealed two new premium maxi scooters, the BMW C 600 Sport and the BMW C 650 GT. Developed in response to increased demand for single-track urban mobility, the outstanding new scooters promise agility, comfort and a dynamic riding experience.

Ducati and Mercedes AMG unveiled an AMG Special Edition Ducati Diavel at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The 2012 flagship model of the Diavel family is an awesome performance package, true to the AMG luxury-sport brand and is intended for buyers seeking a combination of technology, engineering detail and exclusive style.

Following the conclusion of the Valencia MotoGP round, the champions, rookies, team owners and managers across all categories gathered for the annual end-of-season awards ceremony.

The final round of the 2011 MotoGP championship, held at Spain's Valencia circuit, was special for a number of reasons. Firstly, the final round of the 2011 championship marked the end of the 800cc era, with all teams switching to 1,000cc machines for 2012. Secondly, the final race saw a special tribute to Marco Simoncelli, the popular Italian rider who died at the preceding race at Malaysia.

After a disappointing start to the 2011 Monster Energy Super X series, CDR Rockstar Yamaha's Jay Marmont turned it all around to win the third round, held at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday, November 5. The Open class victory was the second celebration of the week for Marmont, following the birth of his first son Jax, two days earlier. In the Lites class, JDR Motorex KTM's Brenden Harrison broke through for a win ahead of American guest rider, Gavin Faith.

Valencia's season finale also marked the last ever 125cc world championship race, with the category being replaced by 'Moto3' in 2012. Ahead of the race, the championship battle was down to two riders - Nicolas Terol (Bankia Aspar) and Johann Zarco (Avant-Air Asia-Ajo). Terol held a 20 point lead over Zarco ahead of the Valencia round, so a win from Frenchman Zarco and DNF or close to a non-points result from Terol would be required to overturn the championship table.

The battle for the Moto2 championship was over before it started at Valencia, with Spain's Marc Marquez (CatalunyaCaixa Repsol) unable to contend the race on medical grounds following an accident in practise for the Malaysian Moto2 round. This meant Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) was the 2011 Moto2 champion, but the race was still a dramatic one, with many riders battling for position throughout the race distance.

A motorcycle powered purely by compressed air will make its debut later this month at the 2011 Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show.

Suzuki will premiere a hot new model and show a slew of updates at this weekend's Perth Motorcycle and Scooter Show.

Rockhampton's Project FMX compound was the venue for the Unit FMX Open, presented by RFDmx, on Saturday, October 29. The event also marked the final round of the 2011 Australian Underground FMX Championship, with points accrued in the Open counting towards the championship. In typically good, albeit hot, Queensland weather, the head-to-head competition saw Luke McNeill secure the Unit Open event, with Rhys Hillier taking out the Underground FMX series championship.

Due to injuries sustained in the tragic accident that claimed the life of Marco Simoncelli in Sepang, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Colin Edwards will not be fit to ride the YZR-M1 machine at the Valencia MotoGP round on November 6.

The past weekend's round of the 2011 Monster Energy Super X Championship at Wollongong saw the CDR Rockstar Yamaha duo of Jay Marmont and Jake Moss swap their regular racing gear for a special set of Pink Fox nylons to promote breast cancer awareness.

JDR Motorex KTM's Matt Moss proved he will be the rider to beat in the Lites class after recording another win at round 2 of the 2011 Monster Energy Super X Australasian Supercross Championship, held at Wollongong's WIN Stadium on October 29.