Table of contents for #418 23-12 in Just Bikes

Valentino Rossi has returned to Yamaha - but not as a rider. The nine-time World Champion has taken on a new role as Yamaha Brand Ambassador, which will see him officially represent Yamaha at race meetings, motorcycling activities and other events globally. The deal sees Rossi reunite with the brand for whom he achieved four of his seven World Championships in 500cc/MotoGP and formalises a connection that has continued beyond the Italian’s retirement from racing at the end of the 2021 season. “During my MotoGP career, I rode Yamaha bikes as part of my contract. But even after retiring, I kept using Yamaha bikes because I enjoy it,” Rossi said. “I’m happy the agreement is now signed, so Yamaha and I get to work together in this new set-up. “For…

Alvaro Bautista, the defending champion in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, has confirmed he’ll remain in the series for at least another year after signing a contract extension with Ducati. The 38-year-old Spaniard had been suggesting his future may lie elsewhere, possibly even outside of World Superbikes (WSBK), but on 4 May announced that he’d be remaining in the category with the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati factory team until the end of the 2024 season. When he first joined WSBK with Ducati in 2019 after nine years in MotoGP, Bautista set the series alight, winning the first eleven races, but ultimately finished second in the championship. After a two-year stint with Honda, Bautista returned to Aruba.it Racing - Ducati in 2022 and won the championship comfortably. The Spaniard is…

Ventura Bike-Pack System Along with a wide range of other makes and models, Ventura’s Bike-Pack system is available to suit the 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7. Ventura’s Bike-Pack luggage system is already available to suit many current Yamaha models, from the big FJR tourer, to the XSR700 naked, R1 sports, Tracer 9, Tenere 700 adventure bike and MT-03, MT-07, MT-09 and MT-10 family, as well as the WR250/450 and discontinued bikes, like the VMAX, XJ Series, Bolt, V-Star/Virago cruisers, TDM 850/900 and GTS 1000. There’s even a Ventura Bike-Pack system to suit classic RD and FZ models. A recent addition to this range suits Yamaha’s 2022-model YZF-R7 sports bike and comes with all the features Ventura products are famous for. Ventura’s soft luggage options are made from tough, durable Kodra nylon fabric…

After 2021’s Electra Glide Revival and last year’s Low Rider El Diablo, the 2023 addition to Harley-Davidson’s annual Icons Motorcycle Collection has been announced, with the ‘Electra Glide Highway King’ unveiled in May and available to order now. Continuing the Icons Motorcycle Collection mantra of offering fresh interpretations of a classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a current platform, the Electra Glide Highway King takes inspiration from Harley’s FL models of the past, specifically the 1968 FLH Electra Glide Back then, an Electra Glide could be accessorised with a ‘King of the Highway’ package that include a windshield, engine guards, luggage rack over the rear mudguard and fibreglass saddlebags. “In its day, this was a really deluxe motorcycle,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director. THE NEW KING…

Details on MotoGP Premier packages for 2023 have been released, with the Australian round included in this special rider access VIP programme and a new team joining the roster, too. MotoGP Premier is an initiative that allows fans access to a Q&A session with riders from selected MotoGP teams as part of a VIP experience that includes undercover seating in a lounge-style environment, with a bar, food and other amenities. Held at multiple rounds throughout the season, each MotoGP Premier session sees riders take questions from the audience and share personal insights on their team, rivals, the challenges of racing and other topics in an intimate setting, with the opportunity for autographs and selfies, too. Teams in the programme include LCR Honda, Gresini MotoGP, CryptoData RNF MotoGP and Prima Pramac…

After two years of coming close to winning an AMA supercross championship in the USA, Hunter Lawrence has broken through to take his first title, wrapping up the AMA 250SX East Region Championship on his factory Honda CRF 250R with one round remaining. The 23-year-old now joins younger brother Jett in winning an AMA title. Ahead of the ninth round of the 2023 season at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, Lawrence had been victorious in six East Region rounds, winning the main events at Houston, Tampa, Daytona, Indianapolis, Detroit and Atlanta, with moto wins and podiums at Arlington and East Rutherford. The main event win at Nashville on 29 April gave Lawrence an unassailable 56-point lead in the championship heading into May’s combined region showdown in Salt Lake City, Utah.…

A week-long test of skill and teamwork on BMW’s iconic GS dual sport bikes in an exotic country with everything included sounds like heaven. That’s what the biennial International GS Trophy is, but you have to qualify first, and for the most recent edition, a total of 5,000 applicants from 11 countries were whittled down to just 57 invitees. When those lucky few arrived in the former communist country of Albania, the competition was on! There are some things money can’t buy, not even with the platinum edition of a credit card. Participation in BMW’s International GS Trophy is one of them. Since 2008, BMW riders from all over the world have come together every two years to compete in this seven-day, teams-based event that has competitive elements, but isn’t…

Celebrating America’s classic muscle car culture, as well as its own racing history, Harley-Davidson has announced new additions to their Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection for 2023, with three limited-edition versions of current models available under the banner of ‘Fast Johnnie’. Available on the MY23 Low Rider ST, Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST, but limited to just 2,000 units of each globally, the Fast Johnnie trio are defined by a special paint and graphic treatment that’s common to all three performance models. To a Celestial Blue base, bold race-style white stripes are added, taking in the fuel tank and panniers for all three models, as well as the sidecovers on the Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST, and the fairing on the Low Rider ST. On the fuel tank…

Round 3 of the 2023 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship at Assen saw Ducati dominate, with a clean sweep across World Superbike and World Supersport categories, made all the sweeter as Ducati also recorded their 400th win in World Superbikes. Aruba.it Racing’s Alvaro Bautista achieved the milestone win in Race 2 at Assen, backing up from victories in Race 1 and the Superpole Race. Ducati’s tally of 400 wins is more than double that of their nearest rival, Kawasaki (177 at time of writing), while the 400th win was also Bautista’s 40th for the brand. “I am very happy to have put my signature on such an important milestone as the 400th victory for Ducati in Superbike,” Bautista said. Bautista, the current World Champion, continues a Ducati presence in World…

Australia’s Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders has achieved his first victory in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, taking the win for Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing at the Sonora Rally in Mexico. Prior to this, the 28-year-old’s best finish in rally-raid had been a third at the Rallye du Maroc in 2021. Sanders came to the Sonora Rally, Round 3 of the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, fit and firing after his Dakar campaign was interrupted by illness and he sat out Round 2 (the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge) with injury. In the challenging desert terrain of north-western Mexico, Sanders completed the Prologue in tenth place on his GasGas RX 450F, then improved on the opening day’s 170km stage to finish second, just six seconds adrift of the leader. The next day,…