The year gone by and the year ahead – Trevor Hedge takes a look at what is in store for 2012 Despite the lingering effects of the global credit crunch, 2011 was still a good year for Australian motorcyclists. On the racing stage Casey Stoner gave motorcycle enthusiasts plenty to cheer for after wrapping up the MotoGP title in front of his home fans at Phillip Island and in so doing, kicked sand in the face of Valentino Rossi and ex employer, Ducati. The weekend after Stoner’s title win, a shadow was cast over MotoGP as a whole when flamboyant Italian star Marco Simoncelli was killed in a sickening crash beamed live to the world from Malaysia. New rules allowing production-based engines will alter the MotoGP landscape in 2012 and along with a move back to 1000cc capacity, things should spice up a little when the season kicks off at the Losail circuit in Qatar in April. On the domestic front, Honda did learner riders a great favour with the introduction of the new CBR250R. Aggressively priced at $5490, Kawasaki and Hyosung were forced to drop their 250cc learner bikes to a similar price point, instantly making new motorcycles more affordable to learners and thus winners all round no matter which machine they chose. Honda plans to come out even harder in 2012 with the introduction of a basic CB125 later this month, at a previously unheard of $1990 sticker price. While it is not all that new and sportsbike flashy, make no mistake, this motorcycle will be very important to Australian motorcycling. Triumph gave the adventure-touring market a shake up with the introduction of their Tiger 800 XC. Priced at $16,290, the Tiger brings a healthy dose of fun not found elsewhere at its mid-range price point from a lively 800cc triple-cylinder mill that proves effective and endearing. The British brand aims to take on the top-end of the adventure-touring sector with the arrival of a fully-featured Explorer 1200 model, due to hit Australian shores in May. If it’s as much fun as its little brother then expect it to steal plenty of sales from BMW’s dominant R 1200 GS, KTM’s 990 Adventure R and Yamaha’s Super Tenere. BMW brought a new level of dynamics to the touring market with the K 1600 GT. Relatively nimble with good cornering clearance and a truly wonderful engine, the K 1600 GT really did bring true sports motorcycling to the touring ranks. After raising the bar in the sportsbike category two years earlier with the S 1000 RR, BMW’s Superbike undergoes its first major revamp in 2012 with the focus firmly on chassis geometry and subtle styling tweaks while electronic changes aside, the drivetrain remains largely untouched. The contenders for Superbike supremacy are not likely to come from Japan in 2012 with the big four seemingly content to allow European brands to steal the sporting limelight. Aprilia’s demonic RSV4 Factory was the trickest bit of sportsbike kit in 2011 and the V4R Tuono it spawned brought new levels of hedonism to the nakedbike category. Both machines boast an outrageous V-Four powerplant that manages to combine reasonable road manners with sheer insanity. How anyone can hold on to their licence while riding either on public roads has me stumped. Ducati are aiming to steal the show from their cousins over at Aprilia in 2012 with the arrival of their all-new 1199 Panigale. The 1199 Panigale is the biggest generational change in recent memory to spring forth from Bologna with an awe-inspiring new powerplant busting out nearly 200hp with an accompanying 133Nm, delivered in a way only a big twin can. KTM continued to refine and reinvent their two-stroke enduro bikes much to the joy of the smoker faithful, while redefining the open motocross ranks with the introduction of the 350 SX-F four-stroke. On the roadbike front the Austrian brand tuned their pugnacious 990 v-twin to new levels of refinement without ruining its snappy character in the process. 2012 will see KTM chase the learner market for the first time with the arrival of affordable new lower-capacity models born from a partnership with Indian manufacturer, Bajaj. Husqvarna’s indoctrination to the BMW family will herald a new Husky roadbike line up. The first lovechild from the liaison to hit the road will come in the shape of a tasty looking nakedbike, aptly named ‘Nuda’ (according to its birth certificate). Powered by an upsized variant of the 798cc parallel twin that sees duty in a variety of BMW models and boasting DNA from well pedigreed stallions the likes of Brembo and Ohlins, the 174kg Nuda is sure to offer a ticket to licentiousness. It is clear that European brands are stealing the show of late. Enthusiasts awaiting a barrage of retaliation from Japan are likely to be disappointed in 2012 as, again, the big-four seem content to chase the burgeoning budget focused markets of China and India in search of profits rather than being the pioneering leaders of innovation they once were. In the dirt, at least, things are a lot more exciting for Japan with Yamaha debuting the most radical revamp of their four-stroke enduro market, game changing, WR450F since the models inception. Debuting in 1999 at 400cc the WR rewrote the off-road rule book and ever since has maintained sales supremacy against all comers. The model was largely inspired by the work of Yamaha Australia and they have again been instrumental in the changes for 2012 with the WR450F scoring a more high-tech fuel-injected powerplant nestled between frame spars derived from the YZ250F motocross machine. The result is sure to be a lighter, more powerful and better handling enduro weapon and will, I predict, make the WR450F the biggest selling off-road bike of 2012. Suzuki’s DR-Z400E will continue without change for the 462nd year in succession but will still run the WR450F close in the sales war. Suzuki’s long awaited revamp of their DL650 adventure-tourer will see this affordable, versatile and competent motorcycle dominate the adventure category in the sales race. Or perhaps Kawasaki’s new Versys 1000 will steal the V-Strom’s limelight? If Honda does another affordable Casey Stoner replica Fireblade to celebrate its MotoGP success complete with the 2012 Fireblade’s advanced new suspension and trick new rims, then no matter how fast or delectable Ducati’s 1199 Panigale proves, I predict Honda will win the Superbike sales race. Alas, however, word from Honda Australia is that no Stoner replica Fireblade is coming from Japan this year. If a Japanese rider, American rider or European rider won the MotoGP Championship on a Honda it is ironic that we would be more likely to get a Repsol Fireblade, such is the small size of our somewhat inconsequential market on the world scene. Harley will somehow manage to make another 24 different models out of essentially the same motorcycle to dominate the cruiser sales race while cheap and cheerful Chinese and Korean scooters from obscure and ever changing brand names, will rule the scooter market. And hopefully we all remain with the rubber the right way around throughout 2012 to enjoy all that motorcycling has to offer.