All-Moto for July (from the web)

(July 29) Former world superbike champ Carl Fogarty gave his Petronas superbike prototype a run in front of the Brands Hatch crowd on the weekend (pictured). However it was Colin Edwards who stole the racing show with a win in both heats. Hodgson and Bayliss shared the second and third placings. Bayliss' effort was particularly good, given he was riding with a cracked rib - gained during a practice crash. Meanwhile the supersport race was a demolition derby with Fujiwara taking the win, while Andrew Pitt failed to score.

(July 26) From MotoGP: The nine Grands Prix in the first half of the MotoGP World Championship have seen a significant increase in spectators, especially when the series passed through France and Great Britain. Taking into account attendance figures over the three days of each GP, the sport - featuring the new era of four-stroke motorcycles - has seen a rise of 113,247 people compared to last year.
Substantial growth was seen particularly on race day at the GPs at Le Mans in France and Donington Park in Britain. In France there were 13,133 more people at the event than in 2001, while the British race had 20,655 more through the turnstiles. The upsurge in numbers at the British GP represented a 50 per cent rise and best demonstrated the boost the championship has received from the introduction of four-stroke machines into the MotoGP category.

(July 23) Dr Marcus Wigan is a motorcyclist running for a board position on Victoria's RACV motoring service group. Wigan is the author of some exceptional bike research. The significance of his campaign is that the RACV may have joint control of the new bike tax fund in that state. If you're an RACV member who owns a motorcycle, vote for him...please.

(July 23) Australia's Grand Prix motorcycle riders, Garry McCoy and Casey Stoner, have a month to charge their batteries for the second half of the season. McCoy is edging back to full fitness after an injury-interrupted year but having completed race distances in the German and British GPs in the past eight days, is optimistic ahead of the remaining rounds of the new-look MotoGP championship.
Teenager Stoner has been a revelation in the 250cc series this year, becoming the youngest rider to have scored world championship points in that class, but an engine seizure robbed him of a potentially strong result in Germany at the weekend. The season has now entered its traditional northern summer break and will resume at the Czech Republic GP on August 25. Among the other six rounds of the championships will be the 2002 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Victoria's Phillip Island on October 18-20.

(July 22) Germany turned on one of the season's more interesting MotoGP races, though it was Rossi who came out on top for the seventh consecutive event. He was followed by Biaggi and Ukawa. Garry McCoy finished ninth, while fellow Australian Casey Stoner retired from the 250 race with a seized engine.

(July 22) China is to host a GP in 2004. The venue is a completely new site, which is also being developed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will be capable of accommodating 500,000 people.

(July 21) Two-strokes dominated MotoGP qualifying overnight, for the first time this year. Olivier Jacque was the surprise pole-winner. Nakano scored second ahead of Barros. Championship leader Rossi is on the second row, as is Aussie Garry McCoy. The top 16 riders qualified within a second of each other.

(July 21) We mentioned the National Saferoads conference in a news item earlier this week - well here's the website where you can view the papers that were presented: www.saferoads2002.com

(July 20) Honda's HART rider training centres in wintery Melb are offering "Bring a buddy" deals for learners and pre-licence riders. The gist is you sign with a friend and the two of you get world-standard training for the cost of 1.5 folk. Worth a try at tel (03) 9335 2766

(July 19) From yesterday's Courier-Mail newspaper in Brisbane: "Of all the vehicle drivers exceeding speed limits on Qld roads, motorcyclists, despite the absence of a front number plate, are the most likely to be prosecuted if they are caught on speed cameras. Police department statistics show that of all the motorcycles which trigger a speed camera, only 0.88% escape prosecution because the vehicle is unable to be identified..." Readers Bill Howard and Noel Roberts both sent this in. AllMoto thanks you, and a few police PR departments around the country won't. As MRAQ Prez Noel comments: "The figure for all vehicles is 14 percent ... Just goes to show what absolute rubbish this campaign (for front numberplates on bikes - Ed) is based on."

We're delighted to point out this completely contradicts the previous lies trotted out by police departments around the nation.

(July 18) Reader Ian Smith highlights reports from a national road safety conference happening in Melbourne at the moment. George Rechnitzer, of the Monash University Accident Research Centre, is reported as telling the conference that more law enforcement and safety education campaigns were unlikely to have a significant effect on reducing the road toll further. He says road design and design of some cars (particularly four-wheel-drives) are areas worthy of attention.

(July 15) The national front numberplate push by police departments in various states continues. WA police (now undergoing a corruption investigation) fed its local media recently (thanks to reader Alex for the info), with an alarmist story. It said over 40,000 motorcyclists had gone "unpunished" by speed cameras in the last two years, which is statistically impossible unless every rider in the state rode 24 hours a day at over the speed limit - and even then it's questionable. Meanwhile another reader, Bill in Qld, sent us a story from last weekend's Sunday Mail. It was equally alarmist and the police info (that state's police department underwent a corruption investigation some years ago and is due for another) included three photos of those crazed riders getting away with mad speeds. The third claimed to show a bike doing 178kmh, a speed which the model shown is not capable of. This whole mess was started by police in Victoria (25 members of which have just been charged with corruption), with a publicity campaign that used a pic which was exposed as recycled and ludicrous by the ABC's Media Watch program last week. See AllMoto July 11. That pic, which supposedly showed another crazy bike rider doing some insane speed past a speed camera, is - according to our info - of a police officer then based in Broadmeadows. He was famous for not running any numberplate, confident he could show his badge to fellow police and get off whatever the charge might be. We at AllMoto are getting tired of the lies. A little note for police forces: if front numberplates are important, bring your case to the attention of the public for debate - but honestly this time. Then again you could just use speed cameras which shoot in both directions - as recommended by a recent draft VicRoads report - which would immediately quash the whole issue.

This represents three cases of three police forces in three states pumping out dodgy PR in a desperate attempt to push a cause. All three forces have been the subject of serious corruption charges in recent years. Is it just us, or is there a pattern developing here? We suggest complaining by email to your local police minister (copy and paste this story as part of the letter), who you'll find via our PollyMail page.

(July 15) Valentino Rossi celebrated his 100th Grand Prix by taking victory number 46 in front of a packed Donington Park in the Cinzano British Grand Prix, ahead of Biaggi and Barros. Garry McCoy and Casey Stoner finished 12th and 11th in their respective classes.

(July 15) Time zone differences delayed reports from the Laguna Seca Superbikes, but here are the basic results. Race 1: Troy Bayliss, Ruben Xaus, Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden, Neil Hodgson, Eric Bostrom, Aaron Yates, Ben Bostrom, James Toseland, Mat Mladin. Race 2: Colin Edwards, Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson, Eric Bostrom, Ben Bostrom, James Toseland, Pier Frencesco Chili, Aaron Yates, Doug Chandler, Chris Walker.

(July 13) The NRMA has said it is developing a satellite tracking system for motorcycles in partnership with AustRoads, ostensibly as an anti-theft and crash location measure. However AllMoto can't help noticing the Big Brother aspect, given this would effectively allow 24-hour monitoring of a bike's location. Thanks to reader Robert Jenner for the tip-off. He also makes the observation, "What odds they develop this tracker and then refuse insurance to those who refuse to retro-fit it to their bikes. Or worse, refuse to register bikes because the ambos and police won't be able to track it in case of emergency. Yes I'm sure it's all above board and quite harmless. Still, if you're not paranoid, you're not paying attention!" Given the involvement of AustRoads (a coven of state and federal road authorities), we're inclined to suspect the worst. We suggest NRMA members, insurance policy holders and investors might like to give the organisation an earful via telephone 132 132 or their feedback page on the web at https://www.nrma.com.au/Form/Enquiry.

(July 11) Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper has been embarrassed by a Media Watch (ABC TV) episode which highlighted how it had been taken for a ride by local police. The latter supplied a 10-year-old pic for a beat-up news story on front numberplates, which the paper swallowed hook line and sinker. The pic has been digitally altered and is said to in fact show an officer formerly stationed at Broadmeadows. Bike lobbyist Damien Codognotto is launching complaints to the national Press Council and the police ethics watchdog.

(July 9) Honda Riders Club Alpine Ride for charity, $50 entry, november 16^th weekend. Big raffle prizes. See http://www.ccia.org.au/snowyride/ This may be worth investigating as a MSTCV Club Ride…

(July 3) Queensland police have banned their riders from taking their ST1100s above 130km/h, the maximum speed recommended by the owner manual for machines fitted with panniers. So does this mean that if you do 131kmh you'll get away from them? Apparently it's in response to concerns over the death of an officer last year. The 130 speed limit is pretty much standard advice in owner manuals for a few brands that sell bikes with panniers, but this is the first time we've heard of anyone taking it literally. The move has raised suspicions that it may be in response to fears of legal action. Our thanks to several readers, with Mark Reed the quickest off the mark, for sending in the story.

(July 1) Yesterday's Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne) ran a news story essentially confirming our tip on front numberplates. It's now a matter of when, rather than if, for Victoria and we suspect all other states. Vic Transport Minister Peter Batchelor was quoted saying, "A minority of irresponsible motorcyclists have been deliberately provocative, thumbing their nose at speed safety cameras and enforcement agencies," he said. The 'evidence' run by the newspaper included a (in AllMoto's opinion) doctored photo of a rider who was claimed to be giving a speed camera the finger at 179kmh in a 60 zone. There is also circumstantial evidence which says either the quoted speed is a lie or it was staged in the first place.