We take you back to 2001 for an AMCN head check.
AMCN Vol 51 No 4
114 pages, $6.50
On sale Aug 31 – Sept 13
Editor: Ken Wootton
The season long battle between the two giants of motoGP, Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi, was starting to get a little crazy as the season reached fever pitch following an action packed Brno round in the Czech Republic.
Pic of the issue
In his days as a 250cc proddie rider, Glenn Allerton finds himself in a peculiar position during the NSW Championships at Oran Park. We thought it was so gnarly, it was the issue’s pull-out poster. Anyone who sends a photo of it still hanging on their wall wins a neck sock!
Future looks good
“With the Milan and Paris Motorcycle Shows opening on September 18 and 19 respectively, the world motorcycle public ‘s wait to catch a glimpse of what we’ll be riding (or what we would like to be riding) in 2002 is nearly over. With Milan set to display the greatest array of new bikes for 2002, here’s a rundown on what to expect when the curtain goes up.”
Temperatures and tensions soar in Brno
“The world championship is a long way from being over. But if the gods continue to rain blessings down on Valentino Rossi, it may as well be. When the Honda rider arrived at Brno for round his lead over Max Biaggi had shrunk to just 10pts.”
“By the time the weekend was over, Rossi had the pleasure of hounding race leader Biaggi and then watching him slide gently into the grave just in front of him.”
Bike Test
Honda VTX1800
Price $22,990 + ORC
Engine 1795cc V-Twin
Dry Weight 320kg
Power (claimed)103ps @ 5000rpm
Rod Chapman enjoyed his time cruising the streets and dragging off performance cars on the 1795cc V-twin Honda VTX1800 cruiser.
Chapman wrote: “Not even a tricky little UV numberplate light was going to save this particular Subaru WRX owner, because between my legs that night throbbed something special – very special indeed”. Oh dear.
The Ducati 996 still looks cutting edge over two decades later.
World standings
2001 world standing after 10 of 16 round (at time of publication)
- 125GP Toni Elias
- 250GP Daijiro Katoh
- MotoGP Valentino Rossi