Akrapovič Magazine vol. 38

>> SPRING 2025 ISSUE 38

A Portrait of Paolo Ciabatti

ALWAYS A PASSIONATE BOY HOLLINGER & REEVES, ARCH MOTORCYCLE

“We like performance cruising” New BMW M5

LAST EXIT – AUTOBAHN! Colin Field, the World’s Best Bartender

Cocktails Reveal Your Personality

keeping print alive

!

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C ont e nt s

A K RAP OV I Č Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 38, Spring 2025 Akrapovič d.d.

Malo Hudo 8a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Editor in Chief: Miran Ališič Publisher: Korpmedia GmbH Seestrasse 144, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland Office in Slovenia: Korpmedia d.o.o.

Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Registration No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Client Coordinator: Primož Jurman Photo Editor: Bor Dobrin Art Directors: Slavojka Akrapovič, Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Design: Zdenko Bračevac, Andrej Perčič, Bojan Perko, Jan Mohorič, Pia Kante, Akrapovič Kreativa d.o.o.

Content Editor: Julija Porekar Jazbinšek Contributors: Alenka Birk, Matevž Hribar, Miha Jeraj, Primož Jurman, Gaber Keržišnik, Mat Oxley, Imre Paulovits, Johannes Hübner, Deborah Jurišević, Tina Torelli, Miran Ališič, Mitja Reven Contributing Photographers: Bor Dobrin, Rob Gray, Polarity Photo, Graeme Brown, Ray Archer, Brian J. Nelson, Ismail Gürbüs, Ivana Krešić, Yuri Choufour, Edoardo Bauer, Hoch Zwei Translation: Matjaž Horvat, Werner Schneider Proofreading: Tim Walpole Ad space marketing: Korpmedia GmbH Seestrasse 144, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland www.korpmedia.ch On the cover: Slip-On Line (Titanium) exhaust system with Tail Pipe Set (Carbon) for the BMW M5 (G90, G99) Photo: Akrapovič Printing: LUart, Lepovče 42, 1310 Ribnica, Slovenia

Contents

05 Letter

06 Akrapovič News

12 Evolution

26 Ride With Us

32 Drive With Us

36 Story

44 Story

48 Drive With Us

50 Interview

66 Story

72 Drive With Us

78 Brief Talk

88 Story

92 Original

98 High Gear

// Si NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited.

The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2025 in 7,000 copies.

General Warning Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. Warning / USA Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. Warning / California California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

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Letter

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photography Primož Korošec

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“Racing is life…” “… anything that happens before or after is just waiting,” said Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans back in 1971.

I would say that everything else is not waiting but lots of planning, emails, designing, testing, evaluating, possibly breaking, designing again, finally racing and maybe winning.

And a lot of racing has been done in 2024, where Akrapovič has been part of that; 15 world champions across motorcycle and car racing on top level in various categories. Not an easy feat to achieve, even harder to repeat. This would not be possible without dedicated and hard-working associates in the Racing Department as well as everywhere else in the company.

Over the winter development period, we worked on more than 35 racing projects, where a number of them have already been seen around the globe: from the hot Dakar Rally at the start of the year, through the cold WRC Rally Monte-Carlo, showtime of Supercross in the US, to the late winter (for Europe at least) start of WorldSBK and MotoGP.

In MotoGP, more than 80 % of riders use Akrapovič exhausts, in WorldSBK at Phillip Island all but one motorcycle was equipped with an Akrapovič exhaust system. I believe these numbers confirm we were not just waiting over winter when racing motorcycles and cars are not out in the field but hard at work.

Many of those projects are part of the stories that you will read about on the next pages, I invite you to find the details for yourself.

Details are also what sets you apart from the competition – choosing the right material, designing the correct radius of the bracket, finishing the weld in the correct way. Preparing the magazine in your hands up to the last details. It’s the only way to do things, otherwise you risk ending up in the sea of average and lost opportunities. Which is exactly where Akrapovič isn’t and does not want to be, but this takes determination and commitment. Just like racing.

Miha Jeraj Director Akrapovič Racing Department

A krapov ič Ne w s

New EICMA, New Stand Akrapovič took a completely new exhibition stand to the EICMA show in Italy last November, which was shaped like the company’s logo when viewed from above. In addition to numerous racing and production motorcycles, equipped with exhaust systems of the Slovenian manufacturer, Akrapovič, of course, showcased many new products on unique mounts – such as the titanium protection bars for the BMW R 1300 GS. Also on show were exhaust systems meeting the stringent new Euro 5+ standard and the company’s latest clothing collection. The stand and its area were visited by racers from various world championship series, including some world champions, who delighted visitors with autographs and selfies.

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Akrapovič News

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Sanders from Start to Finish

Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is the winner of this year’s Dakar Rally. His convincing victory saw him lead from start to finish to bring home the 20th victory for KTM at the world’s toughest rally. Sanders is only the second rider in history to win in such a convincing fashion at the Dakar. The Australian rode to glory on a KTM 450 RALLY, fitted with an Akrapovič exhaust system. He said immediately after the race that his performance at the Saudi Arabian event was “a massive accomplishment from myself and the team after a tough year, and I can’t thank everyone enough for the support.”

Twentieth Best Brand Award Akrapovič succeeded in convincing the readers of the printed and online editions of the Motorrad magazine for the twentieth time, winning best brand in the motorcycle exhausts category. A total of 46,817 readers chose their favourites in 22 categories. Akrapovič’s final tally stood at 76.9 % of the votes cast in its respective category.

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Straight onto the Podium It had been ten years since the nine-time Italian Motocross Champion Alessandro Lupino had ridden a 250 cm3 4-stroke motocross bike, and the first round of the 2025 Italian Prestige Motocross MX2 Championship was also the occasion for him to debut in a class he had never competed in before in the Italian series.

It was also the first-ever race for a completely new Ducati Desmo250 MX with a lightweight Akrapovič exhaust. “The Desmo250 MX has only been running for three weeks, and today we came for a test day,” Alessandro said after the first weekend of racing, which he finished in third spot, battling not only the competition but also a painful and swollen wrist. Not too shabby for a test day, right?

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A HISTORIC FIRST The fourth round of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship, taking place in Glendale, Arizona, will be written in gold in Triumph Factory Racing’s history, as the team won its first AMA Supercross race, thanks to a superb effort from Jordon Smith on an Akrapovič-equipped TF 250-X. Triumph managed to win within one year after its competitive debut. “It feels incredible to get the first win for Triumph, and we are only just getting started. The only way is up from here,” Smith said after making history in the 250SX West class.

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Akrapovič News

AkrapoviČ Joins Hands with ARCH Motorcycle Akrapovič has teamed up with ARCH Motorcycle, an American bespoke motorcycle maker, in order to develop and manufacture exhaust systems for the LA-based company. The first system to come out of the new collaboration will be fitted onto the powerful ARCH KRGT-1 V-Twin touring motorcycle.

Akrapovič will produce a lightweight titanium exhaust system with the brand’s renowned hexagonal muffler shape, while the outer sleeve will be available in several versions, including carbon fibre. “This is a partnership that transcends business – it’s a story of two passionate companies,” said Akrapovič CEO Davorin Dobočnik, as he welcomed the collaboration.

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KING OF DAYTONA Josh Herrin (Celtic/Economy Lube & Tire by Warhorse HSBK Ducati) raced his way into the history books by securing his fourth Daytona 200 and third consecutive victory for Ducati, marking the first time in the race’s history that a rider and manufacturer have achieved this feat. “It doesn’t get much better than this. I see this as the biggest race in the United States and one of the largest in the world,” Herrin said after achieving his career success, which means he is now tied with Danny Eslick on the all-time Daytona 200 list of victors, with only AMA legends Miguel Duhamel and Scott Russell ahead on five wins each.

First Time Factory Team Lamborghini Squadra Corse wrote a new page in its history by entering the top class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as an official factory team for the very first time, fighting for overall honours at the season-opening 24 Hours at Daytona and the rest of the IMSA WTSC races in 2025. Competing as Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the Lamborghini SC63, fitted with an Akrapovič exhaust system, started its second season of racing after making its debut in both the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships in 2024.

This year, Lamborghini Squadra Corse has elected to concentrate its efforts purely on the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the North American series.

Akrapovič is a Lamborghini Squadra Corse Technical Partner.

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Dozen Doubles Readers of the renowned Motorsport aktuell magazine chose Akrapovič as the best brand in the categories of motorcycle exhaust systems and sports exhaust systems for cars as part of the Racer of the Year 2024 competition. The company received 79.9 % of the votes in the former and 64.9 % in the latter category.

Akrapovič has won the double best brand award for the twelfth year in a row.

Special Livery BMW North America is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the 73rd edition of the Twelve Hours of Sebring was all about this significant semicentenary. It was this endurance classic in Florida that played a special role in the Bavarian company’s history, as the story of BMW North America began in 1975 with the victory of the BMW 3.0 CSL at Sebring. From the second round of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship onwards, the two BMW M Hybrid V8 cars of BMW M Team RLL have been competing in a special anniversary livery.

Akrapovič is an Official Partner of BMW M Motorsport.

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Igor Akrapovič – FIM Gold Medal Recipient

HONOURED AND FORWARD-LOOKING

Akrapovič News

by Primož Jurman photography FIM

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) invited the superstars of the motorcycling world to its awards ceremony last December on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca. FIM President Jorge Viegas used the opportunity to present Igor Akrapovič, owner of the Akrapovič company, with the FIM Nicolas Rodil del Valle Gold Medal.

The world’s best riders and other major movers and shakers of the motorcycling world gather annually at the end of the racing season at a FIM-organised gala event, with the best also receiving awards. At the last such meeting to date, gold medals were handed out to 62 world champions from various motorcycle racing categories, 14 of whom won their titles on motorcycles equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems.

As part of the event, FIM President Jorge Viegas also highlighted special achievements in motorsport, which are marked by the ‘Gold Medal Nicolas Rodil del Valle’. The medal, named after FIM Honorary President, is handed out to key participants in the motorcycle industry, with the honour in 2024 going to Igor Akrapovič, founder and owner of the eponymous Slovenian company known for its superb exhaust systems. The award reflects FIM’s recognition of Igor Akrapovič’s significant contribution to the development and popularisation of motorcycling.

We travelled to the company’s headquarters in Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia, where we met Igor Akrapovič at his large and bright office, which reflects the advanced technology of the company he founded almost 35 years ago.

“I have to say that FIM’s recognition was a huge surprise for me. I’m incredibly honoured to have shared the stage with all the champions and that the FIM has recognised our commitment,

seen in the work of our entire team, to relentless technical improvement as well as our contribution to the motorcycle industry.”

Igor Akrapovič began his career as a motorcycle racer and started modifying his motorcycles during this time. He established his company in 1991, focusing at first on exhaust systems for racing motorcycles before expanding his range to include the general motorcycle market and finally the automotive market. The continuously growing and developing company has more than 1,500 employees and operates from two state-of-the-art locations in Ivančna Gorica and Črnomelj, Slovenia. Akrapovič’s vision – to offer the best exhaust systems to customers – is shared by its entire workforce. The company’s commitment to continuous investment in product development and production technology is inextricably linked to racing. “I look back with pride on the three decades of our development, especially our racing history, as racing is the toughest test for a product,” Igor Akrapovič stressed during our talk, as well as warning that time never stands still. “The company’s employees are driven by curiosity and the desire for development, and we keep looking to improve on our solutions.” The numbers speak for themselves – in the first three and a half decades, the company and its partners won 190 world titles in various classes of world championships on both two- and four-wheels.

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Evolut ion

NEW RULES, SAME FOCUS

FOR RIDERS A COMPANY THAT DEVELOPS AND MANUFACTURES INNOVATIVE EXHAUST SYSTEMS IS EXPECTED TO STAY AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEVELOPMENT. AKRAPOVIČ SHOWED THAT THIS WAS INDEED THE CASE AT THE LATEST EICMA SHOW IN MILAN, WHERE IT PRESENTED A LARGE NUMBER OF NEW PRODUCTS. THESE INCLUDED AN EXHAUST SYSTEM CONCEPT THAT POINTS TOWARDS A NEW ERA OF EXHAUSTS, THE SLOVENIAN COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE NEW EURO 5+ STANDARD.

Akrapovič engineers are used to challenges brought by increasingly strict

with a catalytic converter into the limited space, as well as installing a

regulations, as well as by motorcycle designers who create beautiful

second lambda sensor, which also needs room! You can take my word

machines on two wheels where the exhaust system is often given (too) little

that the engineers did not have an easy job fulfilling their mission to offer

space – from the viewpoint of exhaust specialists. Exhaust systems really

customers the best possible product and exhaust system that delights

turn into complex technical works of art when the two factors mentioned

them with its sound, performance, design, light weight, and high quality,

above – strict regulations and motorcycles with underbelly mufflers, i.e.

while at the same time making sure it meets the highest standards and that

mufflers placed between the bike’s front and rear wheels, as well as under

the customers do not have to worry about type-approved exhausts from

the engine – combine.

Akrapovič not meeting the regulations they were approved under. Ensuring a carefree daily riding experience is very important for the company from

EICMA 2024 Akrapovič showcased several exhaust systems at the International

Ivančna Gorica.

Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition in Milan, Italy, confirming its

EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE

continued focus on developing both advanced exhaust systems and the

The Akrapovič exhaust system for the Suzuki GSX-8S and GSX-8R

technology needed for their production. One product especially stood out

with a handmade carbon-fibre cover featuring an outlet with honeycomb

among the new designs on display by the Slovenian company at EICMA:

exhaust protection – a mark of the company’s racing DNA – is the

a complete exhaust system concept with an underbelly muffler, signalling

forerunner of a new family of systems from the Slovenian company. It is,

the future of exhausts from Akrapovič. We did not have to wait long for

however, not the first Euro 5+ that Akrapovič has been selling, as the

the first production model of this frontrunner to be added to the family

company began launching systems that comply with the new regulations

of exhaust systems for some motorcycle models with a central-bottom

early last year. Akrapovič carries out EC/ECE type approvals in-house

exhaust that meets the latest Euro 5+ standard, as the Racing Line (SS)

because it has all the required certified equipment, including an exhaust

exhaust system for the Suzuki GSX-8S and GSX-8R saw the light of day

gas measurement laboratory and a track for noise emission tests. The

on production machines before the spring of 2025. Pursuing the goal

laboratory was renovated last year and is now well prepared for even

that the new exhaust system design perfectly follows the lines of the

stricter emission standards in the future.

motorcycle was a challenging task, as engineers had to take into account

Next year will mark thirty years since Akrapovič developed its first type-

the limited space, the distance of the exhaust from the ground and the rear

approved exhaust system. Even though that system, which was tested

tyre, the lean angle of the motorcycle, and other limitations when designing

on different motorcycles by Germany’s TÜV, is completely different from

an exhaust system with a muffler big enough to meet the requirements of

today’s exhausts, the core principles remain the same: Akrapovič strives

the new Euro 5+ standard. The latter includes a second lambda sensor,

to develop the best exhaust systems, and this will remain so in the future

installed on top of the muffler, which plays a role directly related to the

as well.

requirements of the standard. Imagine having to fit an underbelly muffler

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by Mitja Reven photography Akrapovič

Pursuing the goal that the new exhaust system design perfectly follows the lines of the motorcycle was a challenging task, as engineers had to take into account the limited space, the distance of the exhaust from the ground and the rear tyre, the lean angle of the motorcycle, and other limitations.

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S tory

ALWAYS A PASSIONATE BOY A

P o r t r a i t

o f

P a o l o

C i a b a t t i

The noisy seventies came on two wheels: free, cheeky and ready to take off. The awakening motorcycle culture with Steve McQueen behind the handlebars resonated strongly in Paolino’s heart. Riding his Ancillotti 50 cm3 Sachs he knew exactly who he was: a future motocross world champion. More than 50 years later, Paolo Ciabatti, general manager of Ducati Corse Off-Road, is still dreaming big and pushing hard from his captain’s desk. Faced with a new challenge, he is again at the MX starting gates with his crew, bringing into offroad racing: diplomacy, Desmo technology and Italian style.

It’s a Sunday morning, and we are meeting him on a motocross track. The situation in Cózar in Castilla-La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote, is not very promising. There are threatening stormy clouds and an even worse weather prediction hanging above our heads. It would be a perfect day to regret leaving MotoGP, but for Paolo it’s just another opportunity to learn something new. To an experience seeker like him, an off-road Sunday far out of the comfort zone is exactly what he loves.

“In a sense, I’m back to the origins now,” Paolo starts telling his story. “In my teenage days, in the seventies, we were all dreaming of becoming motocross world champions. There was a movie produced by Steve McQueen called On Any Sunday, that opened our eyes to an entirely new world of dirt bikes. My parents were not very happy with my racing ambitions, but I was very good at school and at the end my father bought me the best bike of the time. Two actually: a 125 cm³ for training and a 50 cm3 for competition. Unfortunately, my MX career was very short: I smashed my knee only on my second race. My dream of becoming a MX champion vanished in thin air, but not my passion – I stayed close to the racing tracks, did some car racing, offshore boat racing and helped a team in Formula 3000.”

“My story with Ducati begins when I turned 40,” Ciabatti recalls. Close to bankruptcy, Ducati was

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Story

by Tina Torelli photography Ray Archer, Rob Gray, Polarity Photo, Ducati

Paolo Ciabatti, Sporting Director of Ducati Corse from 2013 to 2023, played a key role in Ducati’s success in numerous motorsport classes, especially in MotoGP and WorldSBK, where Ducati has been a serial winner in recent years. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) won two MotoGP world championship titles in 2022 and 2023 following Casey Stoner’s title way back in 2007, while his teammate Marc Márquez started the 2025 season with convincing back-to-back victories in Thailand and Argentina. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) meanwhile ended the drought for the Borgo Panigale-based team in WorldSBK, winning the championship in 2022 and 2023, and his teammate Nicolò Bulega started the 2025 season with three wins at the opening weekend in Australia.

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“I want experiences, not excuses. Maybe this is exactly why I love racing. You have raced and here’s the result. You did good, or bad, so there’s no way to bullshit about it.”

Mattia Guadagnini

Jeremy Seewer

bought by the American private equity firm Texas

we were going nowhere, it was very frustrating, but

help an Italian manufacturer to succeed. And here

Pacific Group from Cagiva and was looking for

I continued to work hard and eventually managed

we are,” says the man who knows the sweet taste

some management. “As someone having lots

to convince Domenicali that we needed a change.

of destination but – more than anything – enjoys

of experience from the automotive world, I was

We let some people go, got stronger technical

the journey.

actually headhunted, but I instantly loved the

leadership as Claudio convinced Gigi Dall’Igna to

When Paolo found himself at the finish line called

idea of joining the group of people with the same

join at the end of 2013, and … the rest is history.”

retirement, according to the societal norms, he

mission: trying to turn around the company. In 1999 Federico Minoli, my first boss at Ducati, and the current CEO, Claudio Domenicali, started the

could, after the glorious two MotoGP titles, have

Finally, on top

bought a ticket to Hawaii, but instead he said to

“With Dovizioso we were second in 2017, 2018

himself, “Paolo, you are healthy and motivated, so

department Ducati Corse as an entity to take care

and in 2019. In 2021, Pecco (ed. note: Francesco

it would be nice and right if you try to write a new

of racing. I got assigned to Superbikes, stayed

Bagnaia) was runner-up once again! It seemed

chapter, not only in your life but in Ducati’s history.

there for eight years and six world titles until I left

like a curse of the second place, but in 2022 and

So, last year Ducati came up with a new bike, the

the company for a new challenge. I worked another

2023 we finally did it. Pecco did an amazing job

Desmo450 MX. We did the Italian championship,

six years for the World Superbike promoter, with

and I am very happy to be part of the story that

and we won it. Last year we also did one MXGP

the intention of bringing the championship to a

once again led Ducati to the top, twice and with

race with Cairoli in Holland and then actually this

higher level.” Ciabatti enthusiastically continues

an Italian rider as an extra value. I saw a young guy

race in Spain with Lupino. This year we debuted

his story: “But then Ducati called me back in

who was ready to fight, and I was right. And while

for the first full season with two great riders:

2012; it was when the Valentino dream became a

Pecco was winning, Ducati started this new off-

Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadagnini. Already

nightmare. When you have the most iconic Italian

road project. We went to the States to check out

the first race in Argentina set our expectations

rider on the most iconic Italian bike and the thing

Supercross and then I helped to contract Maddii

high: Jeremy did a holeshot in race one, Mattia in

doesn’t work, obviously for multiple reasons, it’s

Racing, Alessandro Lupino and, to everybody’s

race two, while Mattia was fourth in both races

leaving a lot of wounds. So, I went back to Ducati

surprise, Tony Cairoli. Very few people believed

in 2013, and it was a very difficult year; racing-

and overall. I know it will take time to arrive on top;

Tony would leave KTM, but I guess he missed the

wise we were not competitive and not everyone

this is how things work, but I am happy to see how

competition and loved the idea of being part of a

was working in the same direction. It looked like

everything is going in the right direction.”

project where his expertise on riding a bike would

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Story

Álvaro Bautista

“I am a diplomat by nature, so I have my methods to keep the riders, the team and the partners happy. I listen, and I observe a lot; generally, I avoid speaking too much during the race weekend.”

Nicolò Bulega

Marc Márquez

Talking about his riders, Paolo’s face lightens up with pride. “Jeremy has lots of experience, while Mattia has an enormous potential. They are very different, but I can see how well they are working together. Mattia is young, intense and very strong.

Jeremy is mature and calmer. Alessandro Lupino is a great human being, a great rider and a very hard worker. He accepted this year to compete with a 250 cm3 and with younger guys to support Ducati in a new project, and that says everything.

Tony Cairoli needs no presentation; he is a

Celebrating titles in 2022

living legend who surprised everybody with how humble, dedicated and generous he is with sharing his knowledge.”

Powered by MotoGP experience “Ducati Corse Off-Road is a group of extremely dedicated people, but most of the members of the team are technicians. I’m bringing to the table the experience of managing people, partners and riders – something I’ve been mastering my whole life and perfected in MotoGP. I don’t presume that I know everything, especially on the technical side, so I ask a lot. When there’s a problem, I

Francesco Bagnaia, 2023 MotoGP World Champion

put on my poker face, let things cool down and speak afterwards. I can be very strong in my opinions, and I am not afraid to make decisions.

My job title says general manager, and this is what I do. Besides that, I can’t help but care a lot about details; the appearance of the team and the appearance of the bike, which I think is also what people expect from Ducati,” Paolo – diplomatically – explains his experience transfer from MotoGP to MXGP. To the already high-adrenaline job, Paolo likes to add some more in his free time. A 67-year young Torinese lives where the majority of people fear Marc Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia

Francesco Bagnaia

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Story

to live – seeking the silence of the darkest sea corners and the thrill of high g-forces up in the skies. “I like challenges, and I like adrenaline; this is who I am. I always have a plan up my sleeve for something exciting to happen soon. A flight with the Red Arrows or Frecce Tricolori, a skydive or an immersion in the belly of the submerged WW2 Japanese tanker do the trick. To feel more life, I need to feel a little fear. Sometimes I hear a little voice in my head saying, ‘Paolo, you are not a boy anymore… but obviously I am. My face says one thing, my heart says something else. I still like to push the limits and put lots of pressure on myself to prove that I can do it.”

Paolo Ciabatti defines himself with the words of the great Jovanotti: un ragazzo fortunato and shares his luck on his Instagram profile, spoiling his 133,000 followers with behind-the-scenes reels, stories and great music. An avid reader of 20th-century history books, he is also a proud owner of a permanent pass to the concerts of his friends: The Scorpions. He doesn’t dive only in the ocean, but also in the comic art of Milo Manara, Guido Crepax, Hugo Pratt, Charles Schulz and the company. When moving on-road, he drives a Corvette, a sexy piece of art from the late seventies. “In the late 70’s I studied in Boston where I was watching the rich guys at the university driving Corvettes. I knew that one day I would own one as well. It’s not red, but it’s noisy as hell,” smiles Paolo. And if once Paolo’s American dream had four wheels, now it has two and it races in a stadium. “America is the largest market for MX bikes in general, and obviously we don’t do this only because we love racing, but because we also sell bikes. Our Desmo450 MX will be available from June onwards, and the 250

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is coming out next year. We have already been approaching supercross for quite some time, we made an agreement with Troy Lee Designs, as announced in Anaheim last January, and we are working with Factory Connection on the development of our SX bike.”

And in the meantime, Paolo Ciabatti will enjoy the old-fashioned charm and the simplicity of motocross races. “In motocross there’s a lot of real passion. Most of the people are working in

// Si

very difficult conditions, but you will see them with a smile on their face. That said, I also think that we could all together, teams, promoters and federations, make a push and bring it to a higher level. I absolutely don’t think of luxury hospitality, but of a better working environment for every participant.” On a stormy Sunday in Cózar, the fast-changing weather was a real metaphor of life: the sun came after the storm, and again and again, it did laps until the rainbow stretched above the muddy track. It wasn’t the best day for Ducati, but not everything is under control when you are going fast.

Paolo Ciabatti, 67-letni Torinčan, je v sedemdesetih letih sanjal o tem, da bi postal svetovni prvak v motokrosu. Njegova dirkaška kariera je bila sicer kratka, vendar je vseeno ohranil stik z dirkališči, se ukvarjal z avtomobilskimi dirkami, tekmoval z jadrnicami na odprtem morju in pomagal ekipi v formuli 3000. Ducatiju se je pridružil, ko je dopolnil 40 let, in po skorajšnjem stečaju podjetje spremenil na bolje. Leta 1999 je začel delati za Ducati Corse – dirkaški oddelek Ducatija, kjer je bil zadolžen za superbike motocikle, vendar je po osmih letih odšel in si poiskal nov izziv. Ko se je sanjska zgodba Valentina Rossija spremenila v nočno moro, ga je Ducati leta 2012 povabil nazaj in kljub izzivom je Francesco (Pecco) Bagnaia v letih 2022 in 2023 končno dosegel dva naslova svetovnega prvaka. Namesto da bi se upokojil, se je Ciabatti odločil, da z dirkalnikom Desmo450 MX napiše novo poglavje v Ducatijevi zgodovini. Ciabatti je generalni direktor oddelka Ducati Corse Off-Road, v katerega vnaša v MotoGP izpopolnjenje izkušnje z vodenjem ljudi, partnerjev in dirkačev.

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Yamaha an d H on da in M otoG P & Wo r ld SBK

DIFFERENT APPROACH, SIMILAR SHOW T h e f a c t o r y r i d e r s o f t h e M o t o G P a n d S u p e r b i ke Wo r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p p u t o n a g i g a n t i c s h o w f o r t h e f a n s e v e r y r a c e we e ke n d . A l l o v e r t h e w o r l d . F r o m F e b r u a r y t o N o v e m b e r. W e o n l y s e e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p e r f o r m e r s , the riders and the team bosses, on the screen or in the stands. But to get to the finish line or to win, you need a huge crowd of helpers in the background. How big is this court of the two premier classes, MotoGP a n d S u p e r b i ke W o r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p ? A r e t h e r e d i ff e r e n c e s , w h e r e a r e t h e p a r a l l e l s ?

by Imre Paulovits photography Graeme Brown, Rob Gray, Polarity Photo, Honda HRC Castrol, Honda HRC, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

20 / 25 Ride With Us

20 MotoGP MotoGP

WorldSBK WorldSBK

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Prototypes built specifically for racing have been

first-class marketing tool. They had created a

around for almost as long as there have been

silhouette formula with the Superbikes, where

motorcycles, i.e., for 120 years now. From the

the shape and paintwork of the bikes made

very beginning, they were built to be as fast as

them look as if anyone could buy them from

possible without compromising on everyday

the dealer around the corner, but thanks to

practicality or durability. As much power and

sufficient modifications, they were potent racing

as little weight as possible have always been

machines. When riders such as Eddie Lawson,

the determining factors in the battle against the

Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey and Kevin

clock and against the competition. Putting as

Schwantz were put on them, their spectacle

much power on the ground as possible under

created a huge fan base. Other countries

all circumstances is an ongoing development

followed suit, and since 1988 there has also

that has made motorsport the driving force

been a world championship for superbikes.

behind progress. Man can only unleash his

Exciting races, charismatic heroes and the active

true abilities when he has to fight for his life,

participation of many manufacturers ensured

and the fire of competition has a similar effect.

that the class established itself alongside the

Many new technologies, solutions and materials

traditional motorcycle world championship

were born in the gunpowder of motorsport and

for prototypes, which can still look back on a

later found their way into series production in

tradition more than twice as long today. Since

one form or another. This is why participation is

the Supersport and Superstock classes were

more worthwhile for manufacturers today than

added on a series basis, the Superbike World

ever before. However, the more experience

Championship today has a substructure like the

the engineers gained in motorsport, the more

MotoGP World Championship, which provides

special and expensive these prototypes

spectators with an equally complete programme

became. Not only the factory machines, but

and its premier class with sufficient young talent.

also those that the factories built as expensive

However, the reach of MotoGP is still greater

racing motorcycles for sufficiently financially

than that of the Superbike World Championship,

strong riders. From the very beginning,

especially outside Europe. In addition, MotoGP

mass sport resorted to more affordable

has become such an important driving force for

production motorcycles. However, while after

new technologies at the limits of what is feasible,

the Great Depression in the USA even the

and from which a part of the manufacturers’

highest championship, the Grand National

general research and development budget flows

Championship, was based on production

into it. The Superbike World Championship,

motorcycles, the production-based classes in

on the other hand, is a direct advertisement

Europe were mostly reserved for young talent

for their expertise in production bikes, and

or less talented riders. Only endurance races

the development and experience gained there

were an exception, as the manufacturers could

directly benefit the next generation of their

advertise the reliability of their production

hypersport motorcycles.

models there.

H u g e e ff o r t

Spectacular silhouette formula

The commitment is immense. We took a look

In the 1970s, however, it became clear in the

around the factory teams of Honda and Yamaha

USA that races in which the best riders were

in both series to see how much effort is required

put on motorcycles that looked as if they had

to achieve top-class technology, premier-level

been pushed straight from the showroom onto

motorsport and such a spectacle. A closer look

the racetrack were a huge spectacle and a

at the teams of the two manufacturers also

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MotoGP

MotoGP

WorldSBK

MotoGP

WorldSBK

MotoGP

WorldSBK

MotoGP

WorldSBK“

20 / 25 Ride With Us

WorldSBK

WorldSBK

WorldSBK

MotoGP

WorldSBK

MotoGP MotoGP

MotoGP

25

shows how highly the two series are regarded

in four blue-painted articulated lorries, and the

by the manufacturers.

hospitality in another five. A further truck is

In MotoGP, Honda HRC Castrol, the factory

available to the 12-strong test team. Yamaha has

team of the world’s biggest manufacturer

brought together its best technicians worldwide

Honda, currently has 40 to 50 men and women

for the MotoGP challenge, and in addition to the

on site at every Grand Prix to ensure the

hundreds of engineers in Japan, there are others

smooth running of the two factory riders. Each

at the headquarters in Italy.

rider is supported by two race engineers, five

In the Superbike World Championship, the

mechanics and a crew chief, who coordinates

numbers of the two Japanese giants are quite

all of this and makes the technical decisions

similar. Both works teams, Honda HRC and Pata

for the rider. Ten people from management,

Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, have

PR and marketing oversee the running of

26 people on site at the race weekends, with six

the weekend. However, the number can also

engineers and eight mechanics looking after the

increase if new parts are brought to the track,

two riders. The amount of material required is

one of the test riders is competing in a wildcard

lower, as the regulations limit the scope, so the

event or there is a need for personnel for any

factory team transports it with two articulated

other reason. The equipment is brought to

lorries, while one truck is sufficient for the

the tracks by four articulated lorries, while a

hospitality at Honda. Yamaha has two, but their

further three are needed to transport the mobile

hospitality also supplies the satellite teams.

hospitality palace, where the offices are located

Test teams are on the road for the Superbike

and team members and invited guests are

World Championship too, and there are

catered to. In addition, HRC now operates a

engineers working on development. However,

very extensive test team with three test riders,

because the bikes are a mixture of racing

while several hundred engineers work on further

prototypes and production bikes, there are also

developments at the factory, and hundreds of

synergies between MotoGP use and production

specialist companies supply them with parts.

development.

The situation is similar at Yamaha. Monster

Even if the fans only see the riders and perhaps

Energy Yamaha MotoGP has 45–55 people

a few uniformed team members on the starting

on site at the Grand Prix. When the second

grid: motorcycle racing at this level is a highly

biggest manufacturer in the world decided to

professional business in which the number

increase its presence in MotoGP a year and a

of coworkers in the background is constantly

half ago, it also increased its staff. A total of 20

increasing. Just as the competition demands –

engineers and 12 mechanics take care of the

and so that the show is right.

technology, the equipment arrives at the tracks

// Si

24

Tovarniški dirkači svetovnega prvenstva MotoGP in Superbike na vsakem dirkaškem vikendu od februarja do novembra navijačem prikazujejo svoje sposobnosti in dosežke. Dirkaški prototipi obstajajo že 120 let – skoraj toliko časa, kot obstajajo motocikli. V boju s časom in konkurenco gre vedno za iskanje največje moči ob najmanši teži. Prav ta nenehni razvoj je razlog, da je motošport postal gonilna sila napredka. Svetovno prvenstvo Superbike ima podobno zasnovo kot svetovno prvenstvo MotoGP in gledalcem ponuja enakovredno popoln program ter dovolj mladih talentov. Kljub temu je doseg prvenstva MotoGP še vedno večji, zlasti zunaj Evrope. Zato je postalo pomembna gonilna sila novih tehnologij in del splošnega proračuna proizvajalcev za raziskave in razvoj. Zavezanost k ustvarjanju vrhunske tehnologije in prvovrstnega motošporta je neizmerna. Na vsaki dirki za Veliko nagrado je v Hondini tovarniški ekipi Honda HRC Castrol trenutno prisotnih od 40 do 50 ljudi. Drugi največji proizvajalec, Yamaha, ima prav tako obsežno ekipo Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, ki šteje od 45 do 55 ljudi. V svetovnem prvenstvu Superbike je število članov ekipe pri obeh japonskih velikanih precej podobno. Obe tovarniški ekipi, Honda HRC in Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, imata ob dirkaških vikendih na terenu 26 ljudi, od tega šest inženirjev in osem mehanikov, ki skrbijo za dva dirkača. Motorji so mešanica dirkalnih prototipov in serijskih motociklov, zato obstajajo tudi sinergije med uporabo v MotoGP in serijskim razvojem. Čeprav lahko navijači na štartni črti vidijo le dirkače in nekaj uniformiranih članov ekipe, je motociklistično dirkanje na tej ravni zelo profesionalen posel, kjer se število ljudi v ozadju nenehno povečuje.

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by Matevž Hribar photography Ismail Gürbüs Media, Graeme Brown, BMW, Matevž Hribar

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The young Turkish rider’s achievement – a record 13 consecutive victories and winning the 2024 World Superbike Championship with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in his first season on the team – is nothing short of extraordinary. Those who don’t follow racing might find it hard to imagine how many stars had to have aligned to achieve something like that, lap after lap, race after race, fighting riders who want exactly the same. But Toprak Razgatlıoğlu has done something else for the WorldSBK championship and the motorcycle scene in general; his riding style and playfulness outside the track have brought fun back to the sport. Fun that might be too much for some, but hey, the point of these motorcycles is not food delivery. Riding a motorcycle ought to be a passionate party, spiced up with some occasional burning of rubber and riding on the front and rear wheels on circuits. So, who’s the guy setting the new milestones? We visited him in Sakarya, Turkey, a two-hour drive to the east of Istanbul.

Visiting Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

TIME FOR THOSE WHO DARE

“Are you an engineer?” a man asks me as I pick

The man on the bike

much better. Also because I like the track,” he

up my rental car at Istanbul Havalimanı – the

I meet the 28-year-old Toprak at the track

describes the testing. His riding style means

larger of the city’s two international airports,

built by the five-time Supersport World

he likes technically demanding tracks, and the

opened in 2018 – after I tell him I’m going

Championship and Toprak’s manager, Kenan

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is just

to Sakarya, a province in the Asian part of

Sofuoğlu, while he was still racing. I expected

that – a dynamic and undulating circuit. For

Turkey. “I actually am, but that’s not why I’m

seeing karting and supermoto fans rather than

example, as you’re speeding along the second

going there. I have an interview with Toprak

a two-time WorldSBK champion on this short,

longest straight, the rising track prevents you

Razga…” “Razgatlıoğlu,” he finishes for me

twisty track with only a 300-metre straight,

from seeing the sharp turn No. 5. Toprak is not

with a gesture that tells me he’s heard of him.

but, as you will soon see and as his results

a fan of Phillip Island. The track is too flowing

The O-7 motorway from the airport, across the

definitely show, the circuit serves its purpose

for him, there’s no hard braking at all. I can

Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, also known as the

well. Toprak has just returned from testing at

better understand now why the first WorldSBK

‘Third Bosphorus Bridge’, which opened in

Portimão, so we started there. “It was very

race of the year didn’t go exactly as he would

2016, to Sakarya is eight lanes wide – plus two

positive because we didn’t open this season

have wanted: he was runner-up in the first

emergency lanes. The Turks are quite serious

very strong at Phillip Island, but we improved

race and had to retire in the second due to a

when it comes to infrastructure development.

the bike a little bit at Portimão, and now I feel

technical failure.

26 / 31 Ride With Us

Training methods

slits? The Bavarians hired Rubén Xaus and Troy

a moment of passion. His signing up with the

The fact that he likes technically demanding and

Corser to do the job and got Corser’s fifth place

Bavarians was seen by some as a mistake of a

tiring races might also be due to how and where

as the season’s best result in return. They were

lifetime, and few believed that the combination

he trains. He and his racing buddies train on the

followed in the RR’s saddle by Marco Melandri,

could be successful.

track beside us on production 250 cm3 four-

Leon Haslam and a few others, who won a few

Did he have any special requests before signing

stroke bikes for at least an hour without a break,

individual races but were not able to win the

up? “I didn’t get involved with the contract,

as if they were in a race. “And then sometimes,

championship. While the S 1000 RR proved to

Kenan took care of that. I told them it was

when we are already very tired, we do another

be an advanced and powerful machine loved

important they listen to me too. The way I do

five- or ten-lap sprint race. That’s when it gets

by hobby racers and professionals, sales of

things is to fully immerse myself in the team,

real,” laughs Toprak, who also does fitness,

touring enduro motorcycles went through the

don’t comment on anything, just let us get to

CrossFit and boxing, though he believes that the

roof at the time, and the superbike became more

know each other. Then I had some comments

best fitness equipment is the motorcycle. Their

of a symbol of prestige. It lost its recognisable

regarding the bike’s set-up, for example, lowering

bikes were stripped of their fairings, fitted with

asymmetrical front, became even lighter, even

the seat.”

low handlebar mounts, better front brake tubes

more powerful, even more ‘M’, but... something

and protection bars to suffer less from crashes.

was missing, and now it’s clear that that

Requirements for a smooth ride

“That’s it. OK, Kenan uses Öhlins suspension,

‘something’ – the ace up the sleeve – was a

“A high seat doesn’t suit me, so they lowered it.

but he’s an old man, so we let him,” jokes Toprak.

somewhat wilful racer, eager for a challenge.

Then I had some other ideas that the team didn’t

Although he no longer races professionally, the

believe in, but I insisted, saying that if it won’t

Looking for something special

work, we’ll never do it again. When my lap time

“I wanted something more, something new. Apart

improved by 0.8 seconds, they said, ‘Okay, now

The challenge

from moving to BMW, I had several other more

we’re listening’.” In addition to lowering the seat,

To get an insight into how important winning the

logical, easier options, but I said to Kenan, Hey,

one of Toprak’s unusual settings is clamping

championship last year was, we need to look

if I manage to become a champion on a BMW,

the front fork higher. While the theory says that

back to the period after 2009, when Toprak’s

that really would be something special,” Toprak

clamping it lower is better for faster entry into

racing career was still in its infancy. That’s

describes one of the most famous motorsport

turns, you won’t see the front fork on Toprak’s

when BMW entered the Superbike World

transfers of recent times. BMW is said to have

M 1000 RR sticking out of the triple clamp. He

Championship with a brand-new S 1000 RR –

welcomed him with open arms, accepting the

can’t explain why, but it suits him that way. And if

remember the asymmetrical lights and shark-gill

hot-blooded Turk. Toprak can break a visor in

you’ve ever seen him race, you know that he can

40-year-old Kenan is reportedly still very fast.

“I wanted something more, something new. Apart from moving to BMW, I had several other more logical, easier options, but I said to Kenan, Hey, if I manage to become a champion on a BMW, that really would be something special.”

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In the 2024 season, Toprak also impressed with some playful celebrating of the victories.

brake really well. He enters the corner brutally,

mum’s food, see my friends, but I had a clear

know me everywhere, even if I go to Istanbul.

with the rear tyre lifted and the inside leg often

goal.” He returned three races before the end

Sometimes it’s annoying, I just want to have my

sticking out in supermoto style. But the surprising

of the season, finished second twice, and felt a

tea in peace, but everyone is watching.” You

thing is that his style is not only attractive – it’s

huge weight being lifted off his shoulders. The

also won’t see Toprak at any popular global

fast as well. As we all know, attractiveness

flight back home after that race was also critical.

destination before or after the race, he always

sometimes doesn’t go well with the stopwatch,

“The doctor warned me that if air pressure

heads home straight away. He says he’s very

and fast lap times require a smooth ride.

caused pain, I would have to urgently punch a

lucky that Istanbul is in the centre of the world,

hole in the lower edge of my chest. Kenan said

with direct flights to all the race venues.

The challenges and recovery

he would do that if necessary. Luckily it wasn’t,

His two-year contract with BMW expires at the

The darkest moment of his 2024 season was the

because I doubt that I would have looked

end of this season, and Toprak is not hiding his

second free practice session at Magny-Cours in

decent after that,” Toprak laughs as he recalls

desire to move on to MotoGP. When he gets

early September, when he already had a 92-point

that unpleasant period of the season. He won

bored of motorbikes, he’d like to try racing on

lead over Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing –

twice in Estoril, so he didn’t need to in the final

four wheels again, he explains while Kenan

Ducati). After sliding in a right-hander, he

race in Spain and took his second WorldSBK

prepares a child’s supermoto bike for his son.

crashed hard into a small wall. Hearts stopped

title with a 43-point lead. Unbelievable.

Two other children, one aged two, the other

in the pits but continued beating after he rolled

Akrapovič’s racing department made him a

(who’s in control) four, are riding a 50 cm3 quad

onto his knees and walked off the track. He was

unique exhaust for the occasion, and BMW

bike around the parking lot. Nobody’s nannying

alive, and he was walking. “I was scared too. I

launched a limited series of the M RR WSBK

them, nobody is saying, “Don’t do this, don’t do

didn’t know if I had injured my head, my spine or

Champion Edition 2024, with the serial number

that.” Now, I’m not claiming that children should

anything else.” He was taken in for a check-up

1/54 going to Toprak’s garage and number

ride quad bikes, but this relaxed atmosphere

that discovered a lung injury, and the doctors

54/54 to the BMW Museum.

tells you a lot about how Toprak, his family and

naturally wouldn’t let him race. His teammate

friends see life. His father, a famous stunt rider,

Michael van der Mark’s victory at that race felt

The lucky Turk

lost his life in a motorbike accident in 2017. Two

very emotional for the team.

El Turco, as he is called, doesn’t smoke or drink.

of Sofuoğlu’s brothers also died, one on the

Toprak also had to skip the next race in Italy,

You also won’t see him spraying champagne on

road, the other on the racetrack. Here, amidst

and the world championship title that seemed

the podium after the race. He was told mineral

the Anatolian plains not far from Istanbul, we

well within reach was left hanging in the air.

water could be put into the bottle, but he

watch life race on. It may sound strange, but

“If I hadn’t spent two weeks at the Red Bull

refused. “I’d know it’s water, but the spectators

this immeasurable, illogical fearlessness is a

medical centre in Austria, I might have lost

wouldn’t.” At the time of this interview, it was

major part of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s racing and

the title. When I got there, I was 100 percent

Ramadan, and restaurants were mostly closed

life success.

focused on being ready by Aragon, helped by

during the day. Walking around the city, it

doctors and physiotherapists. It was hard for

was clear that people know him. They waved

me because I couldn’t go home, couldn’t eat my

at him and wanted to take pictures. “They

26 / 31 Ride With Us

Toprak celebrated the BMW World Championship title with a “golden” jumpsuit and a special exhaust system.

// Si Turški dirkač Toprak Razgatlıoğlu je dosegel rekordnih 13 zaporednih zmag in v svoji prvi sezoni z ekipo ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team osvojil naslov svetovnega prvaka v razredu Superbike. S svojim slogom vožnje in igrivostjo izven dirkališča je v to dirkaško serijo vrnil pravo vzdušje. Obiskali smo ga v turški Sakaryi, kjer trenira pod taktirko petkratnega svetovnega prvaka v razredu Supersport in Toprakovega menedžerja Kenana Sofuoğluja.

Pomen Toprakove lanske osvojitve prvenstva lahko pripišemo obdobju po letu 2009, ko je bila njegova dirkaška kariera še v povojih. Takrat je BMW v svetovno prvenstvo WorldSBK vstopil s povsem novim modelom S 1000 RR. A ves ta čas je osvojitev prvenstva ostala kot neuresničene sanje, manjkal je dirkač, željan izziva. Toprak pa je želel nekaj več, nekaj novega, zato je kljub drugim možnostim prestopil k BMW-ju. Pri BMW-ju so ga dobro sprejeli, medtem ko so nekateri njegov podpis pogodbe označili kot življenjsko napako. V pogodbo z BMW se ni vmešaval, a vztraja, da ekipa posluša tudi njega. Postavil je nekaj nenavadnih zahtev, kot sta znižanje sedeža in višje vpetje prednjih vilic, kar je skrivnost za njegovo hitrost.

Toprak ima edinstven pristop k dirkanju, rad ima tehnično zahtevne steze, njegove metode pa vključujejo treninge na serijskih štiritaktnih 250-kubičnih motociklih vsaj eno uro brez odmora. El Turco, kot ga kličejo, ne kadi in ne pije alkohola.

Po dirki ne škropi stopničk za zmagovalce in se namesto na kakšno od svetovnih destinacij raje odpravi domov. Pravi, da ima srečo, da je Istanbul v središču sveta z neposrednimi letalskimi povezavami na vsa prizorišča dirk.

Kenan Sofuoğlu and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

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32 / 35 Drive With Us

by Mitja Reven photography Ferrari

Evolution

Golden Age It seems that endurance racing has never been as popular as in the current era of the Hypercar, which in 2021 replaced the LMP1 category, previously considered the pinnacle of long-distance racing. It therefore comes as no surprise that last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans was seen live by a record-breaking 329,000 spectators.

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Winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024

The latest version of the Ferrari 499P is an evolution of the winner of the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans. The striking 2025 design pays homage to Ferrari’s recent history while celebrating its predecessor, the 312 PB, which competed until 1973.

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32 / 35 Drive With Us

on top of just any shelf. Well, that’s also the

for by about 40 mechanics, specialists in

case since it can be as tall as 1.30 metres,

various fields. Hypercars are technologically

with The 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary

extremely advanced and complex. Many of their

Trophy, awarded for the victory at the 2023

components have to last for several races, with

centennial of the race, being even taller.

the exception of Le Mans, where up to 70 %

The 24 Hours of Le Mans trophies are

of the parts are new. The process of preparing

made in accordance with extremely precise

a Ferrari 499P for a racing weekend consists

specifications. For example, if dropped,

of six stages. Stage one is dismantling the

they must not shatter and must also be

component parts, which are then inspected

Champagne resistant. The race cars that

by specialised departments in stage two. Only

compete against the clock and competitors

the chassis remains during this disassembling

in the FIA World Endurance Championship

phase. Once inspection is complete, the cars

on eight race tracks around the world

are reassembled, which is followed by the

are similar in that vein. They must be as

fire-up phase with a static check on the engine,

durable as possible and withstand extreme

front transmission and battery. This stage is

speeds, vibrations, possible collisions with

intended to test whether all the parts have been

competitors, often also extreme heat, and

assembled correctly. Then comes the set-up

rain. During day and night.

phase with the initial adjustment of the Ferrari 499P, which will be further refined once out

Perfect podium Speed and durability are the two key parameters. The Ferrari 499P, which the Italian brand uses to compete in the FIA WEC and with which Akrapovič has been associated as a Ferrari Hypercar Technical Partner since last year, started the 2025 season in splendid form, as the first three places at the Qatar 1812KM went to the cars from Maranello. Victory was secured by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 car, crossing the line ahead of the #83 of AF Corse, driven by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica, and Phil Hanson, with the third place going to the #51 official Ferrari – AF Corse crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi. Ferrari finished a race in the top flight of endurance racing with three cars on the podium for the first time in 53 years. This dominant victory was further underlined by the durability of all For the 93rd edition of the famous race, which will also be the fourth race of this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has put 21 Hypercar racing cars from eight different manufacturers on the provisional entry list, including Ferrari, which has won the endurance classic in the past two years. The team from Maranello wants this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy for a special reason: the trophy is transferable, but if the same team or marque wins at Le Mans three times in a row, they can keep it – only three manufacturers have managed to do so

on the track. And the final phase is ‘scanning’, where cutting-edge instruments are used to check that the cars are assembled correctly and meet the standards of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The latest version of the Ferrari 499P is an evolution of the winner of the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans. Alongside the technological upgrades and re-signing of the same driver line-up for #50 and #51, both winners of the last two Le Mans races, the striking 2025 design pays homage to Ferrari’s recent history while celebrating its predecessor, the 312 PB, which competed until 1973 before a 50-year hiatus that ended in 2023 with Ferrari’s return to the top class of endurance racing. The 2025 livery features a dominant glossy red finish, optimised for high car visibility (particularly at night), while the cockpit retains the signature yellow diagonal stripe – a hallmark of the 499P since 2023 – with graphics now extending across the side pods.

the components that make up each Hypercar from Maranello – each Ferrari 499P is made

Many hours and kilometres

up of over 3,000 parts, without considering

After the first rounds of the 2025 FIA WEC

the internal components of the thermal

season in Qatar and Italy (Imola), the drivers will

and electric engines. “Our Hypercars are

have to visit Belgium (Spa), France (Le Mans),

engineered to endure up to 9,000 kilometres

Brazil (Interlagos), the USA (COTA) and Japan

with the same components,” Luca Massé, AF

(Fuji) before the season finale in Bahrain, facing

Corse Technical Manager, said in a dedicated

different tracks, completing countless laps and

online piece created by the Maranello

kilometres, all the while fighting both time and

company, adding that the figure significantly

rivals. Often wheel to wheel. Technology facing

exceeds the distance the cars must complete

technology. Driver against driver. Who will be

at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

the winners of the speed and endurance season will be known in the autumn. What we can say

in the modern era of the race. True, the drivers

Preparation is key

are exhausted after the 24-hour race, but

Nothing can be left to chance when racing

they also need their teammates’ help when

at the highest level, which is why the 499P

lifting up the trophy after winning the world’s

cars travel back home after each FIA WEC

most prestigious endurance race because it

race, where they get thoroughly inspected

weighs almost 70 kilograms. Many say that the

and prepared for the next event. The cars

24 Hours of Le Mans is the greatest racing

are usually flown there, as this saves time

spectacle in the world, so it makes sense that

and allows the team to start getting ready

the trophy honouring the winners of the battles

for the next race weekend as quickly as

at the Circuit de la Sarthe cannot be placed

possible. LMH race cars are usually cared

with certainty now is that the season will be very tense. Do not forget to buckle up.

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Story

bimota

GRADUATION THESIS

by Matevž Hribar photography Bor Dobrin, Graeme Brown, bimota

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Just before the brand new bimota KB998 Rimini race bike was packed into wooden crates and shipped to Australia for the first WorldSBK race of the season, we visited the modest factory in the Italian coastal resort of – you guessed it – Rimini. Also, there were bimota’s superbike world championship riders Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes alongside legendary engineer and Chief Operating

Officer Pierluigi Marconi. Seated beside them were several gentlemen from the Land of the Rising Sun, including bimota Chairman and Managing Director Shigemi Tanaka. It is certain that the boutique Italian motorcycles stopped experimenting with engines from different manufacturers and that their mechanical hearts in this new era decidedly beat in the rhythm of Kawasaki. However, bimota is associated with a very eventful and interesting history. So, let us take a closer look.

36 / 41 Story

Saying bimota was experimenting with

tools found just on the other side of a partition.

smell of petrol; they worked on plumbing

engines may seem a bit exaggerated, but the

It really reminded me of a local motorcycle

and ventilation systems. Tamburini liked to

outfit’s history unveils a wealth of powertrain

mechanic. Then it was down the corridor,

race in his free time and kept creating some

manufacturers: Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki,

which also serves as the storage area for the

pretty crazy things. In 1973, Bi-Mo-Ta began

Yamaha, Ducati, BMW, Aprilia, Gilera,

new, already assembled motorcycles – by the

manufacturing motorcycle frames. In 1975,

Benelli… with their own legendary 500 cm3

by, have you seen the retro-modern KB4? It’s

they made 10 frames for their first commercial

direct injected two-stroke V-Twin in between.

a real beauty! – to the engine assembly room,

model, the HB1, borrowing the engine from a

The first letter in the name of the motorcycles

where 10 motorcycles are being assembled

Honda CB750 Four. If you compare the photos

stood for the initial letter of the manufacturer

at the same time from machined pieces of art

of the two bikes, you’ll see that the Honda

that contributed its mechanical heart, the

made of milled aluminium, carbon fibre parts

looks like a timeless classic and the bimota like

second was B for bimota, and the number

and – we now know, and it is not a secret

a café racer converted in a modern workshop.

indicated the generation. “In each era, bimota

anymore – Kawasaki technology. After the

SB2, their second and first road-legal bike,

used the most powerful engine of the time. The

photographer commented that the factory is

had a Suzuki GS750 engine and reflected how

essence of bimota has always been racing, the

very clean, bimota spokesperson Gianluca

Tamburini saw the future of superbikes. It was

bikes were made for racing,” explained Pierluigi

Galasso pointed to the mechanic Ignacio,

followed by the KB1, their first model with an

Marconi, an infectiously positive Italian, “only

tapped his own head and said that cleanliness

engine taken from a Kawasaki, the Z900 to

later did we add lights, side mirrors… And

was his obsession. Ignacio obviously

be precise, which enjoyed a production run of

sometimes license plates.”

understood, shrugged his shoulders and hinted

827 between 1978 and 1982. The word on the

with his expression that maybe it wasn’t him

street was that bimotas rode a class above the

who was special here. Ah, Italy, where in all

Japanese originals – due to their better frame

aspects one can find la vita bella (the beautiful

and lower weight. They cost an arm and a leg,

life). The small size, flexibility and ingenuity of

but many weren’t bothered by that. Morri and

the bimota company allowed it to produce a

Tamburini parted ways in 1983, with bimota

race bike, ready to compete with the best in

being saved by former Ducati technical director

the world, in record time.

Federico Martini. 1985 saw the birth of DB1,

In the first race at Phillip Island, Lowes and

a futuristic design for the time, completely

Bassani finished eighth and ninth, respectively,

covered in fibreglass and, for many, one of the

about ten seconds behind the winner, while

most beautiful bimotas of all time. The D in the

reaching top speeds of 330 km/h. When I

name stands for Ducati, of course.

Intimacy of a slightly larger motorcycle workshop The atmosphere at the launch of the bimota

by Kawasaki Racing Team, which is – like the previous Kawasaki Racing Team – managed by the experienced and proven Provec Racing, felt intimate, almost family-like. Before the evening reveal of the colours of the KB998 Rimini race bike, we toured the production facilities, which are no bigger than a slightly larger motorcycle shop. This coastal town on the Adriatic currently produces between 300 and 350 motorcycles per year – for comparison, Kawasaki makes about half a million during the same period. What caught my eye the most was the workshop where prototypes are born – I felt as if I had returned to my high

pressed the riders to tell me more about how the Rimini handled two weeks earlier, they were both reserved in their statements; it behaves differently but surprisingly well. Italian Bassani added that it was nice to race for a domestic brand because he feels like being among friends.

school mechanical engineering classroom with

The Thesis lives on While I was still in my diapers when the DB1 was born, I think the most recognisable bimota is the Tesi. ‘Tesi’ means thesis in Italian.

The name was chosen by the then students Pierluigi Marconi and Roberto Ugolini. Yes, the same Marconi I spoke with at this year’s

its several old, green and reliable industrial

BI-anchi, MO-rri, TA-mburini

presentation in Rimini. “I was bothered by

lathes, milling and welding machines. This is

Let’s turn back the clock to 1966, when three

using the long supporting part of the frame

the space where ideas take physical form, with

friends, Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri

if we only had to connect the front and rear

the prototype assembly room and its three

and Massimo Tamburini, decided to launch

wheels – the distance between them is much

tables, a few shelves and drawers with hand

a business. Back then their shop didn’t yet

shorter if we connect them below, which also

The atmosphere at the launch of the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, which is, like the previous Kawasaki Racing Team, managed by the experienced and proven Provec Racing, felt intimate, almost family-like.

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36 / 41 Story

52

This coastal town on the Adriatic currently produces between 300 and 350 motorcycles per year – for comparison, Kawasaki makes about half a million during the same period.

reduces the weight and lowers the centre of

WorldSBK?” “I hope so,” laughed Marconi.

gravity. It was quite a task to make the front

“You know, the motorcycle is an unstable

wheel mount and steering, but I overcame

system, only the rider makes it stable. If you

that as well,” the designer of the prototype

park a bike without lowering the side stand,

with a fibreglass and aluminium frame, which

it will fall. You have to give the rider a good

in 1982 turned upside down the way in which

feeling of stability. The way the rider feels

the front wheel mount and steering are made,

is the most important. The steering system

explained enthusiastically. But where are the

is completely direct with the front wheel,

forks? And how does this motorcycle even

so for the rider, it is a bit difficult to feel, to

turn? The prototype was followed by the

know when the front tyre begins to slide. We

production models Tesi 1D, 2D and 3D, all the

started creating a system, which we now

way to today’s Tesi H2 and a ‘touring’ version

use on Tera (ed. Tesi H2 Tera, categorised

of it – the Tesi H2 Tera, which already comes

as a performance cross-over motorcycle, a

equipped with an Akrapovič exhaust system

currently popular category), and we found out

as standard. As is the KB998 Rimini, which

that the feeling is much better, you get the

breathes through an Akrapovič exhaust in

feedback as from a normal bike. But still, when

both its racing and road versions. It became

we started the superbike project, we had to go

available to regular customers on April 9 ; it

with a traditional bike, with proven things. The

has not been homologated for public road use

idea still lives on, though.”

within Europe.

When I told him that I took a Tesi 2D to the

Since our conversation took place immediately

Grobnik racetrack in 2007, marvelling at its

after the presentation of the superbike team,

inhuman lightness and the strange feeling

I couldn’t help but ask, “Will you continue to

because the front of the motorcycle did not

develop this type of mounting for the front

sag at all, he said that I should really get on a

wheel? Will we ever see this patent in the

Tesi H2. “It’s completely stable at 300 km/h.”

th

Pierluigi Marconi

The Tesi H2 comes with a 170 kW (231 hp) supercharged Kawasaki engine and weighs a mere 207 kilograms, including all liquids. I felt a pang of regret for not throwing a helmet, jacket and gloves into the boot, even though we were in Rimini in February.

The company bimota is currently 100 % owned

by Kawasaki and has, alongside the technically exceptional engines and electronic systems, their extensive sales and service network at its disposal as well. The Japanese do not interfere in the development at bimota and give the wizards from Rimini a free hand. This seems to be the right recipe for the brand, which has already survived several storms in its history, but its future appears to be bright.

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// Si Preden sta dirkalnika bimota KB998 Rimini odpotovala na avstralsko dirko WorldSBK, smo obiskali tovarno v Riminiju v Italiji. Bistvo znamke bimota je bilo vedno dirkanje, njena zgodovina pa seveda vključuje tudi eksperimentiranje z motorji različnih proizvajalcev. Vzdušje ob predstavitvi ekipe bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team je bilo domače, skoraj družinsko sproščeno. Proizvodnja v Riminiju je razmeroma majhna – letno izdelajo od 300 do 350 motociklov. Majhnost, prilagodljivost in iznajdljivost pa omogočajo, da lahko v rekordnem času izdelajo dirkalnik, ki se lahko spopade z najboljšimi na svetu.

Začetki znamke segajo v leto 1966, ko so trije prijatelji, Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri in Massimo Tamburini ustanovili podjetje in se sprva osredotočali na vodovodne in prezračevalne sisteme. Leta 1973 so začeli izdelovati okvirje za motocikle in leta 1975 izdelali svoj prvi komercialni model HB1. Ko sta se Morri in Tamburini leta 1983 razšla, je bimoto rešil nekdanji tehnični direktor podjetja Ducati Federico Martini. V začetku osemdesetih let sta študenta Pierluigi Marconi in Roberto Ugolini izbrala ime Tesi (diplomska naloga v italijanščini).

Njunemu prototipu, katerega namen je bil izboljšati občutek stabilnosti, so pozneje sledili serijski modeli Tesi 1D, 2D in 3D, vse do današnjega modela Tesi H2 in KB998 Rimini.

Podjetje bimota je danes v 100-odstotni lasti podjetja Kawasaki. Tesi H2 je zmogljiv križanec s prisilno polnjenim Kawasakijevim motorjem s 170 kW (231 KM) in tehta le 207 kilogramov. Potovalna različica, Tesi H2 Tera, ter dirkalna in cestna različica KB998 Rimini so serijsko opremljeni z Akrapovičevim izpušnim sistemom.

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Bike Stuff Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles.

They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and all come with amazing sound and appearance as standard. The change is also visual, as Akrapovič mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.

Bike Stuff

by Mitja Reven

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43

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Kawasaki Ninja 1100SX + 0.4 kW (+ 0.6 hp) at 9,600 rpm + 2.3 Nm at 1,860 rpm - 2.7 kg (- 51.7 %) BMW R 1300 GS Protection Bar Set (Titanium)

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Car Stuff

by Mitja Reven

Car Stuff

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BMW M5 (G90 / G99) + 5.2 kW (+ 7.1 hp) at 2,050 rpm, + 24.3 Nm at 2,050 rpm, - 6.1 kg (- 31.8 %), Titanium

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S tory

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Rob Gray, Polarity Photo, KTM Images (Focus Pollution, Rob Gray, Polarity Photo)

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

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Aki Ajo, born in Toijala, Finland, is a well-known name and is exceptionally renowned in motorcycle racing. He is known as a successful team manager with numerous championship titles and as an acknowledged talent scout with a keen eye for

MY WIFE IS THE REAL BOSS

finding youngsters with the potential of becoming world champions.

How it all started Following the departure of Francesco Guidotti, Ajo was placed at the reins of the factory KTM team in the MotoGP class this year and so faces a demanding task, though one that might be made a bit easier by the fact that he has known the KTM brand and the people behind it for a long time, having worked with the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer for many years. “I think we started talking with KTM about potential collaboration sometime in 1998 or 1999, still in the era of two-stroke engines. We were close to a deal then, but it unfortunately fell through. Things started to move again much later, in 2009, when we were already using KTM motorcycles. That’s when the young Marc Márquez, a very talented and incredibly fast racer, rode out the season for our team. Márquez’s then manager Emilio Alzamora and I managed to bring in the Spanish petroleum company Repsol and the Austrian energy drink brand Red Bull. My goal is to create lasting and fair business relationships, which usually write a mutually beneficial story. This also applies to Akrapovič, one of my longest collaborations. We’ve been working together in Moto2 and Moto3 for years and have

The new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MotoGP team manager comes from a family with a strong racing heritage. His father and uncle raced cars and he watched them as a boy. But since not everything can be cloned from generation to generation, he became increasingly drawn to motorcycles. Mainly due to money,

won many championships together. Akrapovič is one of our main technical partners, we share a similar mentality,” says Ajo.

The first successes Aki Ajo won his first 125 cm3 (later rebranded as Moto3) world championship title in 2010 with

but also because he was very young and did not have the option to

Marc Márquez, which caused the doors to the

compete in car racing. He kept following it, but raced very little

Ajo Motorsport team. He began collaborating

world of racing success to open wide for his

on four wheels. While he did eventually take part in the 1998 and

closely with KTM in 2012, when the Austrians

1999 seasons of the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship,

several teams, all riding under the auspices of

entered the Moto3 class, featuring riders across

though only after having finished his motorcycle career, he has

Ajo Motorsport. It became clear then that he

always sworn by racing on two wheels. We chatted about his love

done motocross and counting Scandinavian ice

would remain in road racing, despite having

of racing in Sepang, Malaysia, where riders were testing their

racing as his great love. He still races on ice as

bikes before the start of the 2025 MotoGP season.

that, which today involves his entire family.

an amateur and has created a whole new team for

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Story

The whole family is involved, including his wife and son Niklas, also a former racer. “I sometimes jokingly say that she is the real boss of our team. Of course, this only applies to my team. My new role as KTM team MotoGP manager has nothing to do with it. The two are completely separate.”

It is not only about the racers, their results or speed, but also the environment they come from, what their family is like, who is behind them, their history and other background information.

The early beginnings “I entered the racing world quite late. When I was 16 or 17 years old, I started my first small business. Like all the boys at that time, I bought and sold used mopeds. I soon earned enough money to buy my first motocross bike. It didn’t take long for me to switch from off-road to road racing, but I didn’t compete in the latter for long.

I only raced for four years, between 1992 and 1996, when my career was unexpectedly and permanently ended by an injury. I was riding in the 125 cm3 class in the European Championship Pedro Acosta

back then, and only raced in the World Championship once as a substitute rider.”

Brad Binder

When everything clarified “In 1994, I tried to win a spot among the world’s elite with my private team. The idea has been maturing in my mind ever since. When I was lying injured in the hospital in 1996, it became clear that the moment to make it come true had arrived. I knew that my racing career was over and decided to create my own team and try my hand as a racing team manager. I set up my company and initially planned to do racing on ice, but life took a different turn. We were racing in the European road racing championships in 2001 when we also got the chance to compete in the World Championship and, just a year later, we finished our first full season there. Our rider was Mika Kallio,” Ajo reminisces over a cup of coffee in the heat of the Sepang circuit, while his KTM mechanics are getting ready for a test day at the track. Despite the excitement, the early morning hour, the built-up tension before the start of testing, he is in no hurry.

He remains calm, his answers measured, thoughtful and composed. One could say that a typical Finn shines through his demeanour.

Ajo’s dual role Ajo is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager in the elite category, but his own team still maintains a strong presence in the lower categories of racing. The whole family is involved in it, including his wife and son Niklas, also a former racer. “I sometimes jokingly say that she is the real boss of our team. Of course, this only applies to my team. My new role as KTM team MotoGP manager has nothing to do with it. The two are completely separate. I’m responsible for what I do in the MotoGP team, while the Moto2 and Moto3 teams are managed by Ajo Motorsport,” he delineates the different roles associated with the name Ajo in the world of motorcycle racing.

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Story

Recognising excellence Apart from managerial skills, Ajo is also known as an excellent racing talent scout. He always keeps an eye out for the young and not yet established racers he believes are worth paying attention to and investing in. While he had to follow various championships and pay attention to many young racers around the world in the past, this has become a bit easier nowadays, as almost all real talents first go through the Spanish racing ‘sieve’.

“Spain has the strongest championship for young racers. All the best then end up in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup anyway, which one has to follow closely and try to single out those with speed and talent. In this category, the level of racing gets higher and more demanding every year.” It is not only about the racers, their results or speed, but also the environment they come from, what their family is like, who is behind them, their history and other background information. He pays attention to many things and tries to obtain as much information as possible so as to conduct a proper analysis of a young rider. “I follow them from the moment they apply for the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Some even before that,” he unveils a part of his recipe, which, truth be told, does not seem all that complicated.

Ajo discovered, and in many cases worked with, almost all the big names in racing. Many famous names that we follow or have followed in the MotoGP class have passed through his hands and ‘school’. Kallio, Márquez, Folger, Miller, Zarco,

Brad Binder, 2016 Moto3 World Champion

Binder, Gardner, Fernández, Acosta, Oliveira, Martin, to name just a few.

Only the results matter Towards the end of the conversation, I couldn’t help but ask a somewhat provocative question, but Ajo remained calm, composed and collected, retaining his diplomatic demeanour in true Finnish style.

When asked if he could single out the best or most talented racer he had ever had the opportunity to work with, he replied, “No! I can’t and I don’t want to.

It wouldn’t be fair to choose just one. I can’t single out just one most talented rider. It’s hard to say who’s the best, because every racer has their own qualities. Some are better in one area and some in

Augusto Fernández, 2022 Moto2 World Champion

another.” He concluded by meaningfully adding, “I’ve always treated all racers equally. Their results speak for themselves. Victories, points and titles. That is the only thing that ultimately counts in our sport.”

“I’ve always treated all racers equally. Their results speak for themselves. Victories, points and titles. That is the only thing that ultimately counts in our sport.”

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Pedro Acosta, 2023 Moto2 World Champion

+7 °C Drive With Us

BMW M Hybrid V8 Cockpit

LEDs The row of LEDs on top of the steering wheel is logical: it shows engine rpms. However, if you’re not exactly a fan of computer games, you might not know that the vertical row of similar lights to the right of the wheel displays the force of braking (without ABS, there is none) and the level of traction control, which is very good, but cannot perform miracles – when all the LEDs are lit, the car is quite close to ending in a sand pit.

Steering Wheel The steering wheel seems to come straight from a computer game. The most important settings are within reach of both thumbs – they can be operated while racing, even in the middle of a turn. One such setting is traction control sensitivity, which works in two dimensions: during acceleration and in cornering. In the rare case, when the car needs to be turned by drifting or rear tyres need to be warmed quickly, the driver can turn TC off completely. The steering wheel also comes with a screen, thankfully not touch-sensitive (can you imagine?!) while LED lights display the car’s status, for example: P0 – the car is turned off, P1 – the low-voltage system is on and there’s current available, P2 – the car can take off, although the (hybrid!) engine is not yet turned on – it can do the first few metres by using its electric motor. Two more very important buttons: for limiting the speed in the pit lane and for flashing the lights to warn slower racers. According to our speaker, this is often abused to annoy or deceive competitors.

Sounds familiar from a motorway?

Workspace Although the aerodynamic cabin appears from the outside to be positioned in the middle of the car, the driver sits on the left side, squeezed between his door on the left and a ton of electronic components on his right. The temperature in the cabin must not exceed 7 °C above the outside temperature, and apparently this condition is more difficult to meet when it is a moderate 20 degrees outside, rather than when it is a more scorching 30. All the electronics, the computers on the driver’s right and the 3,999 cm3 V8 somewhere behind his back always radiate the same amount of heat... The driver gets fresh air through a tube fed directly into his helmet, but he cannot adjust its flaps during the race – they must be set by a mechanic. During qualifying, for example, all the flaps are closed to improve aerodynamics. In addition to fresh air, a smaller tube is there for drink. Some drivers use it, others don’t, as there is no third tube below!

48 / 49 Drive With Us

by Matevž Hribar photography BMW

This time, we must start with a trip down memory lane. Not too long ago, let’s say when my grandfather would have been racing, the driver turned a steering wheel, shifted gears with a stick in his right hand, and pressed on three pedals under his feet. There was a main switch, a choke pull handle and a few indicators – speed, rpms, temperature, pressure – if any of the last two moved into the red zone, the fun was well and truly over.

But what you see on these pages is the cockpit of an endurance race car which competes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or Daytona. And you haven’t seen everything yet... The cockpit of the BMW M Hybrid V8, as seen by the drivers, was explained to us by Loïc Descamps, Chief Engineer of the LMDh program at BMW M.

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Quick Service The buttons to the right of the driver, let’s call it the centre console, are intended more for the mechanic than the driver, though the latter might still need to use them during the race. It may happen that the gearbox needs to be operated manually (still by using buttons, though), a switch has to be turned off, the reserve fuel pump turned on, or the like. But, as mentioned, the entire central console area is intended for the mechanics to be used in special modes, for example for adjusting the accelerator and brake pedals. “If everything is fine, the racer won’t touch that,” Descamps laughs. But there is something unique there – the driver can adjust the stiffness of the front and rear suspension during the race, though only

Steering Wheel, Back Side We’re not done yet. Behind the steering wheel are three rows of paddles, operated with the index and middle fingers of both hands.

At the bottom are the clutch ’pedals‘ which can be moved, so it behaves the same a normal clutch pedal does. A row higher up are the paddles which shift gears simply by being pressed. And another row higher still are the paddles to crank the engine, something only used when starting the car, so not very often during a race.

if the car is moving in a straight line, and thus affect the vehicle’s balance.

Inte r vie w

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by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin, Matic Eržen, Brian J. Nelson, ARCH Motorcycle

GARD HOLLINGER AND KEANU REEVES A R C H M O T O R C Y C L E OW N E R S

We like Hawthorne is a city made of low-rise buildings located in the southwestern part of a wider conurbation, better known to the world as Los Angeles. In its industrial part, just across the street from a brick building that houses a superb craft brewery, some very special motorcycles are also being crafted. Unique and fully tailored to each client’s desires. No signs, labels or parked motorcycles can be found anywhere on, or near the building.

Everything is done quietly, out of sight, exclusively, almost secretively. This reflects the clients, as well as the motorcycles that are created behind the walls of ARCH Motorcycle. Inside these very walls, we were able to interview the owners running this mystery: former racer and motorcycle constructor/designer Gard Hollinger and Hollywood movie star/motorcycle enthusiast Keanu Reeves.

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50 / 57 Interview

Where did you first meet, do you remember when you first saw

different people, designers, technicians and

KR: We mainly test our bikes in the Santa

the like. We became good friends with many

Monica Mountains. That’s where we do most

each other?

of them and during that time also got to know

of our testing mileage, because every bike

each other better.

has to be thoroughly checked before it can be prepared for customer pickup.

KR: I met Gard probably around 2006 or

and gradually came to realise that it would

Looking at the bikes you’re making today, I see so many interesting solutions and ideas. Where did you get them from? Where did you get all the know-how to create all this in

make the most sense to modify the entire

your head and with your hands?

2007. That’s when I came up with the idea that maybe he could help me modify my then motorcycle. At the time, I was riding a Harley-Davidson. We talked for quite a while

thing or, better still, make me a custom bike from scratch. We didn’t know it at the time, but it later turned out that this very bike paved the way for our collaboration and kickstarted our journey into the world of

GH: I went to the School of Hard Knocks, which basically means that I largely created and tested by myself, often failing, and so learnt things from my own mistakes. This is

Some say that Los Angeles is not a friendly place for bikers, that it’s much better to drive a car here. Is this really the case?

KR: I wouldn’t really know. It’s true that LA, basically California in general, has a bad reputation among motorcyclists, with people saying that drivers are not very considerate and that it’s a dangerous place to ride…

motorcycle manufacture. I came up with the

the hardest and the most painful way to learn.

idea and straight-up asked Gard if he wants

My education mainly came from experience.

GH: Maybe also because there’s just so much

to start a motorcycle company with me. We

I started working on motorcycles as a child,

commuter traffic and so many things on or

established the ARCH Motorcycle company

and two-wheelers have always remained

near the road that distract the drivers from

and brand in 2011.

close to me. Of course, I also enjoyed riding,

what’s happening around them. Someone

modifying, upgrading and improving them.

can easily overlook you, and accidents can

So, this project is basically your idea?

One can learn a lot over the years.

happen quickly in such a scenario. But I still

KR: Yes. Well, ours, actually. We’ve been

I know you are both passionate

getting acquainted and building our friendship

bikers. Do you often ride together?

don’t think it’s that bad or dangerous.

throughout the years Gard was modifying and converting my motorcycle. He would ask me questions and really try to get to know me better to find out what kind of motorcycle

GH: We do. We have some really nice roads around here and in California in general.

It’s a great ride up to the mountains. The

I wanted. But not only that. We worked

Angeles Crest Highway is a fantastic road

together a lot and also travelled a lot, met

for a bike trip.

Igor Akrapovič with Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger

KR: I agree with that. I don’t think it’s reached critical levels yet, and I ride my bike quite a lot. Almost every day, in fact. Thinking about it, LA is a great place for a ride, especially when you consider the natural environment and lay of the roads.

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“We set out to create a motorcycle with a typical big American V-Twin engine but also wanted to make it agile and easy to ride. We followed this goal from the first prototype onwards.” Keanu Reeves

I find it interesting to see many Hollywood celebrities being drawn to motorcycles. The legendary Steve McQueen was a dedicated racer on two and four wheels, Tom Cruise is said to have done some motorcycle scenes in his films by himself, while Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom are also regularly seen riding in Hollywood and around Los Angeles. Do you ever

KR: Yes, that was back in the mid-1990s. We were riding 600 cm bikes back then. It was

So, what’s your favourite track then?

3

a great experience. I learnt a lot, but Gard knows even more than me because he used to race motorcycles. Off-road bikes, true, but he still has a lot of racing experience.

GH: My early bike years are linked to dirt and sand. Until the early 1990s, I didn’t really ride motorcycles on the street or in traffic.

go somewhere together?

For me, bikes were only connected to racing.

KR: Yes, it’s happened before. We don’t really

2015 or 2016, when Keanu and I decided to

I think I first got on a paved racetrack in

KR: Jerez de la Frontera in Spain.

GH: It’s Jerez for me as well. It took me a while to figure it out, but once you get to know it, it’s a real pleasure...

KR: (laughs)...well, I don’t think I ever really figured it out. I just enjoyed it. I think I was on a Yamaha R1 at the time.

both really enjoy it and go to the racetrack

I know you both also follow the MotoGP World Championship. Keanu, I see you at MotoGP races quite often.

do it all that often.

whenever we can.

So, are you a fan too?

Both of you are also big fans of racing. If I’m not mistaken, you’re often on the racetrack, Gard and you, Keanu, have also attended a few motorcycle racing courses. Is it correct that you once enrolled in the riding school managed by the

Where do you ride the most? Do you

KR: Yes. Absolutely. I follow MotoGP

have many options around here?

regularly. I think I started to around 2014.

GH: We have quite a few racetracks, both

the days of Mick Doohan, then through the

legendary Freddie Spencer?

Springs, and a few other really nice circuits in

have a lot of time, but we’ve already ridden together a few times. But I can’t say that we

discover the racing world together. Now we

bigger and smaller ones. Laguna Seca is definitely one of the best tracks. Then there’s Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, there’s Willow the area.

I knew a bit about MotoGP before, back in successful years of Valentino Rossi, and of course Casey Stoner and the Spanish guy, the three-time champion who’s been living in Switzerland for the last few years... Argh, now I can’t remember the name … yes, of course, Jorge Lorenzo, of course!

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Let’s return to your bikes. ARCH bikes are a mixture of American custom motorcycles and road bikes. Where did the idea come from, and who are

the suspension, brakes, exhaust and everything else. I do actually believe

they actually for?

GH: I’m not saying it’s a very light motorcycle,

detail and the end result. The sum of all that is important.

it rides well...

KR: And we shouldn’t forget our philosophy, but it’s well balanced and extremely pleasant

KR: We set out to create a motorcycle with

to ride. It handles really well. It’s calm in the

a typical big American V-Twin engine but

corners and likes to turn, remains neutral

also wanted to make it agile and easy to ride.

when changing direction quickly and obeys

Traditionally, such bikes were not known for

the rider’s commands well. While you’re on it,

having a lot of handling ability, but we still

you don’t really feel all the weight that seems

wanted to create one like that, though one

to be there at first sight.

company name and, ultimately, the history that our brand already has. I feel that our idea alone attracts customers.

this goal from the first prototype onwards.

KR: Our customers have a sense and a

This is what sets our motorcycles apart

feel for aesthetics and customisation. This

from other similar brands or manufacturers.

is our trademark. True, we own a brand

We want to give enthusiasts a performance

and manufacture motorcycles, but these

cruiser, a motorcycle that rides well, turns

are primarily bikes that are entirely made

While on the subject, let me be a little provocative on purpose. Isn’t it a bit contradictory to add all these lightweight components to a big and heavy engine? Aluminium, carbon fibre, titanium... And then add all the state-of-the-art components, high-performance racing front forks, brakes, exhaust... Can all of the above still play the same role on such a

well and stops well. I know it sounds like an

to order. Every single bike is unique. No

motorcycle?

oxymoron, but if you take a ride on our ARCH

two look alike. We’ll give you a motorcycle

KRGT-1, you’ll immediately see that what I’am

made especially for you, because each of

GH: That was actually our basic idea and

saying is true.

our products is completely tailored to the

intention. We don’t see all these components

requirements and tastes of each customer.

as high-performance parts. In essence, our plan

There are no compromises here.

was to revive the concept of the distinctive and

that would also be easy to ride. We followed

I believe that the engine has a lot of torque and a lot of power, and I can also see that it’s not very heavy. Lots of aluminium and carbon, and then all these state-of-the-art components:

typical heritage American motorcycle. Both in GH: We’ve also been praised about

terms of engine – a big, air-cooled V-Twin – and

the bike’s finishing, the precision of the

design, and at the same time make the bike as

workmanship, the sense for every little

easy to handle as possible.

50 / 57 Interview

Is it perhaps too soon to talk about your latest project? A bike that is yet to come and will be truly superior in

racing, looking forward to what will ultimately

every way?

in the first race of this season in the AMA

GH: No, it’s not too early. This is our main

with Corey Alexander in the saddle. The bike

project at the moment, this is what we’re interested in the most right now.

KR: The idea came about in 2019. Well,

own bike, which we will use to compete championship in the Super Hooligan class uses a completely new engine and platform, and everything is designed around a so-called stressed member engine.

serious about making our own motorcycle

What are your expectations from the first racing season or, indeed, the

in 2019. We wanted a bike with our own

first race at Daytona?

actually before that, but we started getting

“I spend a lot of time in the MotoGP paddock, and I see their exhausts almost everywhere. This got my attention, and I soon started seeing these exhausts on many road bikes in everyday traffic.” Keanu Reeves on finding out about Akrapovič

come of this project. This is completely our

powertrain. We needed a suitable partner with the right idea and experience. We are

GH: Well, first we have to get there (laughs).

excited that our project attracted the Swiss

And since our project is brand new and the

constructor and guru Eskil Suter and his

bike itself is still a bit of a mystery with very

company’s engineers. We discussed the idea

little testing done on it, our initial goal is

for a bit in 2017, but nothing came of it. Now

basically to finish the race (laughs). We’re

it has really happened, and we have our own

under no illusions that we’ll win at our very

powertrain, developed for us by Suter.

first race, though we wouldn’t mind that at all (laughs). But our bike is only six weeks old,

GH: The prototype has been finished. It runs,

though we’ve already done a lot with it, we

and it rides. We’ve already tested it, and,

see great progress every day.

as befits a real racing bike, we’ve already crashed it… No need to panic, it got fixed, and we’re moving on. We are developing,

55

Is it just me, or could we draw a kind of a parallel with automotive connoisseurs, where we have seen small manufacturers of so-called restomod cars pop up recently, who add the latest and greatest components to the old ‘old school’ cars? This improves their performance and driving characteristics, but they still look like vintage cars on the outside.

Don’t you have a few brands here in California that convert Porsches, Mercedes or American muscle cars?

GH: Yeah, I think I get it, I see where those similarities are drawn. There might be quite a few comparisons there, but the difference is that we don’t start with something vintage but rather assemble everything from brand new parts. While our power unit is still air-cooled, as this is one of the main characteristics of American motorcycles, it’s a twin cam engine. This technology is nothing like vintage. We’re trying to make a modern bike with everything that goes with it.

We are not using old or vintage motorcycles at all here.

50 / 57 Interview

Is this a one-off, or do you plan to ride through the entire season?

“We don’t start with something vintage, but rather assemble everything from brand new parts. While our power unit is still air-cooled, as this is one of the main characteristics of American motorcycles, it’s a twin cam engine.”

Gard Hollinger

KR: We plan to race the whole year. We will start with one racer and one bike at the first race in Daytona and the second race in Road Atlanta. We’re hoping to finish our second bike after that so that another racer can join the team – at least before Laguna Seca. I think that an improved version of our bike should also be ready by then, as we’re constantly developing and improving on it.

This project also saw you team up with the Slovenian exhaust manufacturer Akrapovic for the first time. Will you be putting their exhaust on this racing bike? How did you find out about Akrapovic?

KR: For me, it all started with the legend of Akrapovič. I spend a lot of time in the MotoGP paddock, and I see their exhausts almost everywhere. Wherever you turn, there’s Akrapovič. This got my attention, and I soon started seeing these exhausts on many road bikes in everyday traffic. Everyone who knew the brand kept telling me that their exhausts were the best in the world. That it is a topnotch brand and that nothing could beat it.

I had zero knowledge of Akrapovič before, which made me even more interested in it. I delved into the history and the products to learn more about the best exhaust systems in the world.

GH: We paid a visit to the Akrapovič company in Slovenia, we were very surprised by how everything looked. Truth be told, we were told by many that this was a company at a very high global level even before our trip, but we were still surprised when we got there. Seeing their production and their R&D department, spending some time with Igor (Akrapovič), it was quite an unforgettable experience.

KR: We were very impressed by the quality, passion and dedication to motorcycling from

we found a common path. I first approached

longer motorcycle tours. Travelling around

Akrapovič back in 2014 or 2015, but they

on a motorcycle is one of the best things in

honestly and sincerely told me then they

the world.

didn’t have enough engineering resources to give us. Well, we’ve found each other now,

And where would you go if you could

and I’m very pleased about that.

leave tomorrow?

Considering that both of you are so passionate about motorcycles, I’m curious about your attitude to cars?

KR: I’d go to Australia and ride the famous wish list.

Are you also interested in four wheels?

GH: I’ve also heard many things about this KR: Not really. Cars are something completely

road. Doesn’t sound bad at all.

different. I like to drive, but I don’t have the same attitude to cars that I have towards bikes. I don’t collect cars.

Didn’t you recently take part in a car race? In a Toyota, if I’m not mistaken?

KR: Yeah, true. I did. It was a special project and a racing series with the Toyota racing program. I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

Bikes and rock’n’roll have always gone hand in hand. Do you still play rock? I know you are in a rock band, Keanu. What about you, Gard?

Keanu, you’re a recognised member of the Hollywood crowd. Can we finally expect a decent motorcycle movie coming to the silver screen?

Come on... Are we perhaps waiting for the story of ARCH Motorcycle and two friends who started their own motorcycle brand? Wouldn’t that be a great script for a feature film? It would be a hit!

KR: No! Oh no, never. Anything but that.

Maybe people would be more attracted to a good movie about racing on the Isle of Man. But I don’t know if I’d want to be involved in that, I rather wouldn’t.

GH: Unfortunately, not. I’d like to dabble in instruments, but I simply don’t have the time to do that.

Keanu, does your passion for bikes have its roots in rock’n’roll, or is it the other way around?

everyone there and seen at every step.

KR: I see these as two individual things. I

Will you also cooperate with them outside the racetrack?

Great Ocean Road. That’s at the top of my

really love music, and I really love playing my electric bass. I love playing in a band, and I’m also involved in songwriting. Nothing about

GH: We’d love to, yeah. First, we wanted

that is a chore for me. I love performing live,

Akrapovič to help us with fitting and

and I like recording albums in a studio. It’s a

developing our prototype race bike, and we’re

lot of fun. Then there’s this special life on the

happy that they agreed to do so. Fairly quickly

road, when we tour with the band and get

we expanded our cooperation to include

to know different places, something I really

the development of the exhaust for our road

like. It also has a parallel with motorcycling

motorbikes, and the production of the new

because you can also travel really well on two

exhaust is already underway. I’m glad that

wheels. I’d like to have more time to go on

Perhaps you could. You look a bit like Joey Dunlop, you’re a good actor and a skilled motorcycle rider. You could definitely play the role of a racer on the Isle of Man. KR: I guess I can ride a bike pretty well, but I’m not that good. I’ll pass on the role you offered me this time (laughs). I do agree that a good motorbike movie should be made sometime soon. A good idea. Let’s think of something.

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// Si V industrijskem predelu na jugozahodu Los Angelesa v podjetju ARCH Motorcycle po meri izdelujejo zelo posebne motocikle. Imeli smo priložnost, da smo se sestali z lastnikoma, nekdanjim dirkačem Gardom Hollingerjem in filmskim zvezdnikom Keanujem Reevesom. Pogovarjali smo se o tem, kako sta se prvič srečala okoli leta 2006, ko je Hollinger pomagal Reevesu pri predelavi njegovega takratnega motocikla. Leta 2011 sta ustanovila podjetje, ki povezuje ameriške po meri narejene motocikle in cestne motorje. Njuni motocikli so okretni in lahko vodljivi.

Znamka se osredotoča na estetiko in izdelavo po meri, tako da izdeluje edinstvene motocikle, prilagojene prav vsaki posamezni stranki.

Ekipa se trenutno ukvarja s svojim najnovejšim projektom, motociklom z lastnim pogonskim sklopom, ki ga je razvilo podjetje švicarskega konstruktorja Eskila Suterja. Prototip je že dokončan, z njim so se skupaj z dirkačem Coreyjem Alexandrom odpravili na prvo dirko razreda Super Hooligan prvenstva AMA v Daytoni.

Ta projekt je bil tudi povod za vzpostavitev sodelovanja s podjetjem Akrapovič, katerega izpušni sistemi so v paddocku MotoGP pritegnili pozornost podjetja ARCH Motorcycle. Oba lastnika sta obiskala podjetje Akrapovič v Sloveniji in bila navdušena nad njihovo kakovostjo in predanostjo motociklizmu.

F A A N N TT A A SS TT II C C

by Alenka Birk

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S tory

THE QUEEN

Rally Monte-Carlo Located on a roc k i n t he M e d i t e rra ne a n S e a , M o n t e Ca r l o o n t h e C ô t e d ’A z u r i s f a m e d f o r i t s g la mo u r , its ca sin o , a n d Formu la 1. Th e of f i c i a l a d m i ni s t ra t i v e a r e a f o r t h e P r i n c i p a l i t y o f M o n a c o , o n e o f E u r o p e ’s sma lle st co u n tr ie s, h a s been ru led ove r b y t he H ous e of G ri m a l d i s i n c e t h e 13 t h c e n t u r y. T h e c a s i n o h a d o p e n e d i n t h e 18 00s, before Formula 1 arrived in 19 2 9, but by then the Rally Monte-Carlo had already reached adulthood. Initially the rally wasn’t actu a lly r u n in Mo naco – it j us t ha d t he p re s t i g i ous n a m e – b u t 114 ye a r s o n f r o m i t s i n c e p t i o n , r a l l y c a r s a r e still r o a r in g in th e mo un tains o f M ona c o, e v e n w i t h a n Ak ra p o v i č e x h a u s t o n t h e wi n n i n g H yu n d a i f r o m 2 0 2 4 .

by Johannes Hübner photography Archives Automobile Club de Monaco, Hyundai Motorsport

OF RALLIES

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13

1911 - Henri Rougier, Turcat Méry

The Rally Monte-Carlo was first held in 1911 and has been regarded

during this time, but there was also a circuit in Monaco, which was held

as the mother of all rallies ever since. This is also because it linked the

as the last timed stage until the 1960s.

term rally with motorsport, as rallier originally means to gather or reunite in French, when the participants of a cross-country ride or hunt would

A new era

meet at the finish line coming from all directions, and this word has

From the mid-1960s, the transition was made to a centralised format with

characterised rallying ever since. The Rally Monte-Carlo was invented

a start and finish of the rally in Monaco, but still with departing locations

as an event to attract tourists to the mild Principality of Monaco even

throughout Europe: Glasgow, Oslo, Bad Homburg, Warsaw, Reims,

in winter, and the route has undergone many changes over the course

Barcelona, Turin, and even Athens. The introduction of special stages on

of its history. In the early years the route to Monaco was already the

closed roads took account of the ever faster vehicles, but the final circuit

destination. The participants started in a star pattern from various

in Monaco was abandoned.

European cities and met in Monaco for the most important competition

The focus on the French Alps and the hinterland of Monaco brought

stages. The routes led over public roads and were heavily dependent on

important changes: the Etapes de Concentration recorded in the

the weather – there were years when the participants from Athens got

logbook were joined by interspersed special stages and, in the 1980s,

stuck in the snow in the Balkans. Famous passages, such as the Col de

additional night stages were introduced, including an extension into

Turini in the Maritime Alps, dreaded by cyclists, were already established

higher mountain regions to integrate snow sections and mountain passes. Between 1990 and 2010, the overall length was reduced while the special stages were intensified in order to meet the demands of television, which often could not make it to the next special stage in time due to snow and the large number of spectator cars. After a temporary relocation of the start to Valence – for cost reasons – the Rally MonteCarlo returned to the traditional start in Monaco from 2012 and surprises the participants with annual variations of the special stages.

Concentrating on the region around Monaco, Gap, and the French Maritime Alps, typically 14 to 17 special stages over a distance of around 300–350 kilometres are driven during each event. Classic stages

1983 - W. Röhrl, C. Geistdörfer, Lancia

such as Col de Turini, Col de Braus, and Col de l’Orme, or even the Ardèche, often remain in the programme to maintain the challenge for the teams and to take local conditions into account. The development of the

1984 - W. Röhrl, C. Geistdörfer, Audi

route reflects technical progress in rallying as well as safety aspects and organisational considerations. Despite all the alterations, the character of the Rally Monte-Carlo, with its ever-changing weather conditions in winter and technically demanding routes, remains the same – making it one of the most prestigious motorsport events in the world. One of its trademarks is the Col de Turini pass, the legendary special stage, known for its hairpin bends and changeable weather, takes place in front of thousands of spectators in the glow of bonfires and flashbulbs, known as the ’Night of the Long Knives’, it was where the winner was often decided.

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1959 - P. Coltelonni, P. Alexandre, Citroën

Until 1960, new scoring modes were constantly being sought, such as an index de performance, which favoured small cars, or a touring cup, in which equipment and accessories were also evaluated. Only once, at the first major Rally Monte-Carlo after WW1, was there an index of effectiveness, which led to François Repusseau winning with a huge Renault 40 CV in 1925. This idea was subsequently abandoned. In the 1960s, the Mini Cooper S dominated with three wins, making the little car an icon and also being part of one of the most controversial decisions in rally history. In 1966, the Minis were in the lead for the third time. After crossing the finish line, 10 cars were disqualified – among them the top three placing Minis – due to faulty headlamps. Pauli Toivonen with Citroën DS won, but the Mini squad returned to Monaco in 1967 and won again! The rally was part of the World Championship from 1973 to 2008 and returned in 2012 after being held as part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in the meantime.

Cars that made history …

The long history of the Rally Monte-Carlo includes legendary automobiles

“The Rally Monte-Carlo was invented as an event to attract tourists to the mild Principality of Monaco even in winter.”

from various car brands, which have always had their own fan clubs. The list of the best cars contains many surprises. Who would have thought that Lancia would be in pole position with 13 victories? The brand won back in the 1950s with the Aurelia B20 GT Coupé and dominated in the 1970s and 1980s in particular with the Fulvia HF, the wedge-shaped Stratos with a mid-engine, the Lancia Rally 037, and the all-wheel-drive Delta Integrale. Ford’s ten victories are spread over several decades; after the V8 and the Zephyr, the Escort, the Focus, the Fiesta, and the Puma were the measure of all things. Citroën also scored 10 victories and, after the

1979 - B. Darniche, A. Mahé, Lancia

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triumph of the DS in 1966, was very successful in the 2000s and 2010s, mainly with Sébastien Loeb at the wheel. Toyota and the French marque Hotchkiss, which ceased to exist in 1966, each scored six wins, while Peugeot achieved four. Two of Renault’s wins came in the early 1970s with the flat plastic-racers type A110, which – despite its engine in the rear – successfully beat the other works-teams with Ove Andersson and JeanClaude Andruet behind the steering wheel.

While countless private drivers took part in ‘the Monte’ with Porsche, the brand was only able to claim four overall victories with the 911, including three in a row from 1968 to 1970 with Vic Elford and twice with Björn Waldegård, as well as Jean-Pierre Nicolas in 1978, the penultimate private driver to beat the works. The last was his compatriot Bernard Darniche

2008 - S. Loeb, D. Elena, Citroën

in a Lancia Stratos a year later. However, Porsche’s attempt to succeed with the mid-engined 914/6 model failed. The many different brands are typical of the queen of rallies. The egg-shaped Saab 96 achieved two victories, and before 1960 many brands were successful that have long since disappeared – apart from Hotchkiss, which has already been mentioned, for example, Sunbeam, Allard, Delahaye, AC, or Amilcar. Among many personalities and stars are Sébastien Ogier, record winner with ten victories, including six in a row, and Sébastien Loeb, eight-time winner, mainly with Citroën – for almost twenty years, the first name Sébastien seemed to be a prerequisite for victory. Also worthy of mention is Walter Röhrl, the German rally star with four victories in four different makes (Fiat 131 Abarth Rally, Opel Ascona 400, Lancia Rally 037, and Audi Quattro), who made ’the Monte’ a highlight for German fans.

2009 - S. Ogier, J. Ingrassia, Peugeot

Recent trends The high significance of the rally as a test for new developments is demonstrated by commitments such as that of the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, which achieved remarkable success for Hyundai with two victories, first in 2020 and last in 2024, when Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe won the 2024 Rally Monte-Carlo for the Korean brand.

It was Neuville’s second victory at this prestigious event. Hyundai put in an impressive overall performance with all three cars in the top six, achieving a perfect start to the 2024 WRC season for the team and impressively demonstrating the competitiveness of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, which was fitted with an Akrapovič exhaust system for the first time.

The 2024 victory was particularly significant, as it was the first of the season in which Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe claimed FIA WRC Drivers’ & Co-Drivers’ Championships. At this year’s Rally Monte-Carlo Hyundai achieved a podium finish, marking a successful start to the new WRC season. Adrien Fourmaux and co-driver Alexandre Coria finished third, just behind Elfyn Evans, and secured Hyundai important points for the manufacturers’ championship. Thierry Neuville, the 2024 World Champion, also put in a solid performance, although the team faced challenges for the first time in 2025, such as new Hankook tyres and changes to the regulations – a sign that the Rally Monte-Carlo, with its many uncertainties, is more than ever the queen of rallies.

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2021 - S. Ogier, J. Ingrassia, Toyota

Martijn Wydaeghe and Thierry Neuville won the 2024 Rally Monte-Carlo

The Rally Monte-Carlo has also featured various rally stars, such as Sébastien Ogier, Sébastien Loeb, and Walter Röhrl, who have all achieved multiple victories in the event. Hyundai first won the Rally Monte-Carlo in 2020 and repeated the success in 2024, showcasing the competitiveness of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid sporting an Akrapovič exhaust system.

// Si Rally Monte-Carlo, ki je prvič potekal leta 1911, je v svoji zgodovini doživel več sprememb. V začetnih letih so udeleženci štartali iz različnih evropskih mest in se na tekmovalnih preizkušnjah srečevali v Monaku. Sčasoma se je trasa razvijala, saj so bile uvedene posebne hitrostne preizkušnje na zaprtih cestah in dodatne nočne preizkušnje. Rally Monte-Carlo ima dolgo zgodovino – na njem so nastopili legendarni avtomobili različnih znamk. Od leta 1973 do 2008 je bil rally del svetovnega prvenstva; vanj se je nato spet vrnil leta 2012, potem ko je vmes potekal kot del tekmovanja Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Na njem so nastopile različne zvezde rallyja, kot so Sébastien Ogier, Sébastien Loeb in Walter Röhrl, ki so na rallyju dosegli več zmag. Svojo prvo zmago na Rallyju Monte-Carlo pa je leta 2020 dosegel Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team in nato z lansko ponovitvijo uspeha potrdil konkurenčnost vozila Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid z izpušnim sistemom Akrapovič.

S tory

MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers

PACK YOUR BAGS!

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This particular racing category is not brand new anymore, as more than five years have passed since the initial idea, attempts and the first improvised race. It all started as a kind of joke. If one can watch semitrucks and even heavy tractor units in motorsport, then why not put large and cumbersome touring motorcycles with saddlebags and cases on a racetrack. It’ll be fun for the race riders and, at the same time, quite a sight for the spectators, thought the Americans, and set about converting their large cruisers into racing machines.

You can hear them way before you see them. They proclaim the start of their race at the first event of the season in Daytona with a roar that shakes the stands, though they only come into my view when accelerating towards the famous Horseshoe turn.

With a loud thunder reminiscent of American V8 cars, the large and bulky motorcycles, saddlebags properly attached, sway on braking, slide out of the turn and accelerate into the straight in a neat row. It looks a bit like a freight train leaving the station.

People get up from their seats, I think for the first time on the day. Comparing these machines to road racing bikes feels like NASCAR vs Formula 1. MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers, i.e., saddlebag racing. American NASCAR on two wheels.

“This is exactly what we need, right? The road superbike segment seems to be slowly dying out. Fewer and fewer are being sold. Nowadays, the average motorcycle buyer is over fifty years old. Touring motorcycles are increasingly entering the market. In Europe, it’s going more in the direction of enduro-tourers from the so-called ‘adventure’ segment, but in America, Harley-Davidson and Indian sell huge touring cruisers. So why not race them? You know what they say in motorsports: Race on Sunday, sell on Monday,” former racer Roland Sands, a successful visionary, custom motorcycle designer, businessman and team leader, told me in his Daytona apartment. He was one of the first to be in favour of saddlebag racing, though he then switched to another similar and also very successful new

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Brian J. Nelson

class of stripped motorcycles, called Mission Super Hooligan. Yes, racing has always primarily been a part of marketing and sales promotion, with ‘Baggers’ and ‘Hooligans’ being no exception.

68 After the sharp increase in the popularity of ‘Bagger’ racing in America, the idea is also spreading among racing enthusiasts in Europe, where this category will be organised for the first time this season as a professional championship.

Racing on ‘Baggers’, where saddlebags form an integral part of the equipment, has brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to the racing world.

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A Growing Competition Class While it might have started more as a joke five years ago, ‘Baggers’ have become a serious competition class in recent years.

Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson are both here with wellrepresented and well-oiled teams, and there is an increasing number of private racers and well-organised semi-private teams. “At first, people laughed, and it was just done for fun, but, if you remember, something similar happened in the seventies and eighties, when the then unknown superbike class was being born in America. At that time, racing around the world was done on light, two-stroke bikes, specially made for racing with 125, 250, 350 or 500 cm 3 engines.

America, however, was experimenting with large and heavy 1,000 cm 3 machines. Today’s superbike was being born. It was a cheap way to race using serial road motorcycles with only basic modifications. The riders removed the lights, beefed up the brakes, replaced the exhaust, installed flat handlebars and a starting number board. The motorcycles were heavy, cumbersome, slippery and twitchy. But the racing itself was extremely attractive; it soon reached such popularity that it grew into the successful national superbike competitions and the Superbike World Championship we know today,” said James Rispoli, one of three factory racers riding for Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Race Team in the American championship, as we were debating racing with the ‘Baggers’ in the Harley-Davidson tent. Apart from Rispoli, the Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Race Team also includes Kyle Wyman, the most successful racer in the class with 20 victories, who won the series in 2021. Kyle finished second last year but is ready to take the crown again this season. His intentions were confirmed by a strong start to the season, winning both races in Daytona. The two Americans were, quite unexpectedly, joined in 2025 by Briton Bradley Smith, not an unknown name to any true racing fan, having been a long-time MotoGP racer.

First Impressions “It’s all quite amazing. We clinched the deal to come over quite late, but I’m very glad to have made it. This is going to be a crazy adventure and an interesting one, I’m sure. I’m still getting to know the bike and putting in my first few kilometres. It’s huge, but not as bulky and unwieldy as one would expect at first glance. Just look at it; it has so much torque and pulls like crazy... It has all the top-notch components. Parts made of milled aluminium, carbon, forged racing wheels, first-class Brembo brakes, the best Öhlins suspension and an incredibly attractive bespoke racing titanium exhaust made by Akrapovič. It almost looks like a MotoGP bike with saddlebags added,” Bradley Smith jested while gathering his impressions after the first few laps and watching the motorcycle that the mechanics were preparing for the first race of the season.

Racing on ‘Baggers’, where saddlebags form an integral part of the equipment, has brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to the racing world, as did the Super Hooligan class, where riders use flat handlebars but are prohibited from attaching upper fairings, windscreens or any other aerodynamic accessories. Both classes hark back to the times when superbike racing was just getting going. This is another attempt to return to the roots and essence of racing. Adrenaline, fun, risks and sport. History is repeating itself. After the sharp increase in the popularity of ‘Bagger’ racing in America in recent years, the idea is also spreading among racing enthusiasts in Europe, where this racing category will be organised for the first time this season as a professional championship. You can take my word for it – this ‘NASCAR on two wheels’ is fun and adrenaline-pumping. If you can be at the right place and time, then pack your bags and get to a race to see the spectacle live.

You won’t regret it, and you’ll be a part of history.

by Alenka Birk

MEET THE DRAGON Follow in the footsteps of Luka Čeč on an adrenalinefilled adventure through the hidden passages of Europe’s most famous karst cave – a journey that will awaken the explorer within. Wearing boots and equipped with a helmet, rope, and headlamp, you’ll venture deep into the cave’s secret world, guided by expert cavers and biologists. This is an experience for those eager to tackle challenging passages, descend by rope, and cross underground lakes and the Pivka riverbed. Through fun and immersive tasks, you’ll step into the shoes of Luka Čeč, the cave lamplighter who, while preparing for the visit of Emperor Francis I of Austria, became the first to dare explore the unknown underground of Postojna. The highlight? A magical encounter with the baby dragon – the olm – in its natural habitat. postojnska-jama.eu

ROW LIKE AN OLYMPIAN Imagine gliding across the crystal-clear waters of Lake Bled, one of the world’s most stunning rowing courses, alongside Olympic athletes! This is your chance to experience the thrill of rowing in professional racing boats, learning the ropes from the best. Feel the rush as you master the strokes and discover the true essence of teamwork in this legendary sport. As you row, take in the breathtaking views of Bled Castle and the famous island, a truly iconic backdrop for your adventure.

The experience includes expert coaching, a miniregatta to test your skills, and a celebratory medal ceremony to crown your triumph. insync.si/team-building-bled

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Crazy Stuff

WILD ESCAPE Trade the city noise for the whispers of the forest. At Falkensteiner Lake Blagus, the wilderness becomes your retreat – where mornings start with paddleboarding on a glassy lake, and nights end under a canopy of stars.

Nestled deep in nature, this premium camping resort offers a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation.

Wake up in the Lakeview Cabin with a wooden tent, surrounded by towering trees and fresh air. Hike, bike, or simply let the silence reset your mind. With a sauna hidden in the woods, a lakeside fire pit, and endless outdoor thrills, this is your chance to disconnect from the world and reconnect with yourself.

Ditch the screens, pack your gear, and step into the wild. falkensteiner.com/en/premium-camping-blagus

DINE WITH F1 LEGENDS

Step into the exhilarating world of Formula 1 with an exclusive dinner alongside racing legends. Former F1 drivers, top engineers, and renowned commentators will share behind-the-scenes stories, dissect legendary races, and reveal secrets from the high-speed world of motorsport – all while you indulge in a worldclass culinary experience. The next event, Drinks with F1 Legends, takes place on Friday, 23rd May 2025, in Monaco at the prestigious Casino Square Terrace in the Hôtel de Paris, offering prime views of the Friday practice sessions. This is your chance to experience the glamour, adrenaline, and prestige of Formula 1 in an intimate, unforgettable setting. For other upcoming events and reservations, visit grandprixevents.com. senategrandprix.com

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D riv e With Us

by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin

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72 / 77 Drive With Us

Where to take the new BMW M5, which is, by the way, fitted with an aftermarket Akrapovič exhaust and is the first M5 from the Bavarian company that happily runs on petrol, but is also completely usable on battery power alone? While my humble suggestion would be to use the battery to help with acceleration or overtaking, similar to Formula 1, the spec sheet for the new M5 truly is impressive: 1,000 Nm of torque and 535 kW (727 hp) of combined power from the eight-cylinder biturbo and the electric motor. While choosing the place to put all these numbers to the test, I came across an article about the new M5 in the German specialist magazine

Auto Motor und Sport, where, alongside all the praise, they also mention the significant increase in weight and therefore recommend that the ideal location to experience the very

!

N H A B O T U A – best it can offer were the German motorways.

Is this even possible with all the traffic, road construction and other restrictions? Take a ride with us to find out.

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On the highway, you will be more than fast enough with the standard Comfort driving profile. Sport or Sport Plus are superfluous in these conditions.

Germany’s motorway network is some 13,000 km long. If you take into account that you can drive in both directions, the number doubles to 26,000 km. And how many of these kilometres have no speed limit? Since I drive in Germany a lot, my guess was that about 30 percent of the autobahns are free from speed restrictions. Well, you’ll be surprised, because according to data from 2019, the motorway freedom in Germany far exceeds my expectations – as much as 70 percent of motorway sections have no speed limits. The map, published alongside this article, shows you where all such sections are, but even a cursory glance will tell you that this freedom is evenly distributed throughout the country.

There are not many countries in the world, and certainly none in Europe, with such an extensive motorway network as Germany that allow drivers to freely choose their speed on the motorway. Of course, you need a few prerequisites to go fast on the autobahn; you need to be able to control the speed, you

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must not be afraid of the traffic around you, it’s recommended to have some knowledge and experience with fast driving and sports cars, you need excellent reflexes, and, above all, you need the right car to do such a thing. The new BMW M5, for example.

A powerful combination The new M5 is a brutally powerful compromise between weight, a sedan, a hybrid drive and a supercar. Forget about the lightness or agility of an M5 from a few generations ago, because the new one weighs in at around 2.5 tonnes, around 500 kilograms more than its predecessor. Half of the weight gain is due to the hybrid plugin components and while this has annoyed a number of fans, making your powertrain ecofriendlier takes its toll. Let’s not forget, the new M5 comes with AWD, which alters its dynamic behaviour. Its length of more than five metres does not help with agility either, and its tracks are slightly wider than any of its predecessors, which, however, does make it more stable in extreme situations. The sedan, also because of its length, easily muffles any bumps on flat roads, but in order to experience sliding through the turns you’ll have to switch off the ESP and then select rear-wheel drive mode only. But let’s remain on the highway, where you will be more than fast enough with the standard Comfort driving profile. Sport or Sport Plus are superfluous in these conditions.

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The autobahn So, where to begin your journey through the German highway freedom? This depends on where you are entering the country or where you are located, because navigating all of the 10,000+ kilometres without speed restrictions will probably prove too much for a single weekend. Oh, and there’s something else.

Choose the sections with six lanes or more, as you will be speeding more comfortably than on sections with only four lanes. If there are only two lanes in your direction, the motorway becomes very narrow at 220 or 250 km/h.

You’ll feel that it might be very difficult to avoid a dangerous situation when braking, or if a ‘slowpoke’ pottering along at 170 or 180 km/h decides to move into your lane. Statistics and surveys by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) say that the fastest 10 % of passenger cars on the unrestricted sections of German motorways drive at an average speed of 185 km/h. What about the other 90 %? They are much more sedate, because the average of all drivers, even on the unrestricted motorway sections, is 122 km/h.

Only 30 % drive faster than 130 km/h, and only 12 % exceed 150 km/h.

Performance and comfort You will find it hard to drive this M5 so slowly.

Pushing on the gas pedal catapults the Bavarian sedan forward even at high speeds; a kick down at, say, 220 km/h will amaze you, because together with electric power, the powerful V8 biturbo shoots like a cannon to 259 km/h, where the speedometer in the Sport mode hits the factory limit. I have rarely experienced anything like this before. The adaptive suspension helps the wheels to constantly adjust to the surface, which at those motorway speeds gives you the feeling of driving on rails. The comfort is superb as is the feeling of safety in the large sedan. The more and longer we drove this M5, the clearer it became to me that that we have chosen the right place for our story. The motorway is the new BMW M5’s favourite environment. But that’s not to say that it doesn’t feel at home in other situations, such as driving in a city or on normal roads where the combination of the 4.4-litre V8 biturbo and the electric motor is simply superb. The car takes off on battery power quietly, without vibrations and without the unpleasant feeling of a hard clutch, and the electric motor also provides excellent support to the gearbox by helping to cut turbo lag and providing a feeling of uniform acceleration. I felt that I always had a lot of available power and the numbers back that up. After all, the total power output is 535 kW (727 hp), which is in the range of a Formula 1 racing car, although the Formula 1 tips the scales at an almost feathery 700 kilograms in comparison. The other dimension is the sound. The Akrapovič exhaust system adds the essential finishing touch with this car. There aren’t many words to describe it;

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you have to simply try it. We spent the majority

in the country stands at 125 km/h. And here

of our time driving it in Sport mode, primarily

are a few tips for a pleasant fast drive. During

due to the sound. However, the Akrapovič

the week and during the day, the motorways

exhaust provides the M5 with extra power and

in Germany are full. There’s a lot of local

less weight, so it’s not just about the sound. It

and even more commercial traffic, and lots

makes your time on the German autobahn even

of trucks. The best time to test your ability

more enjoyable.

and the capabilities of this M5 is at night, between 10 pm and 5 am, when traffic is light

Best locations for speed

everywhere. If you are not a fan of driving at

Do you want to test drive the new BMW M5

night or don’t feel comfortable behind the

on the fastest sections of German motorways?

wheel in the dark, you’re left with Sundays.

The BMDV will point you towards the section

On Sunday mornings, the roads are usually as

of the A8 between Augsburg and the Ulm/

empty as at night.

Elchingen junction. The fastest cars here drive at an average speed of more than 200 km/h (204

Versatility and power

km/h to be exact), and this section has been

The new M5 can also use battery power alone.

recently expanded to six lanes. Given that this

The battery capacity is 18.6 kW, which is

is only the average speed of the fastest 10 % of

enough for around 70 km of range, and the

cars, many also exceed 250 km/h here. If you

car can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h when

are at the other end of Germany, much further

using the electric motor only. This makes the

north and east, then you might want to take

otherwise extremely sport-oriented, latest

your brand-new M5 to the A19 in the state of

edition of the BMW M5 perfectly suitable

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the fastest

for quiet and unspectacular errands in the

10 % zoom along at an average speed of just

city, around your home, for shopping and

above 180 km/h. But, beware! This average

shorter trips on local roads where the speed

has been measured on a total of 75 % of the

limit is a much slower 30 and 60 km/h. The

A19 and the section is 92 km long. And here’s

new model far surpasses its predecessors

a third suggestion. If you are in the Munich

here. I can easily say that the newest M5 is

area and want to head north towards the part

more versatile than any of its forebearers.

of Bavaria called Franconia, take the flat and

But this compromise comes at a price. I’ve

wide A9 between Ingolstadt – where the other

already mentioned its weight and agility. It

Bavarian sports cars, Audis, are designed and

displays all of its power and the quality of the

manufactured – and Nuremberg. The highest

battery/petrol AWD, as well as comfort and

average speed of all vehicles, including buses,

explosiveness, on German autobahns. The

vans and trucks, was measured at 160 km/h

new M5 is literally made for German motorway

here, which is the highest average speed of

freedom. The last remaining place for speed

all motorways in Germany. For comparison,

and fun to be found in Europe.

the general average speed on all motorways

Pushing on the gas pedal catapults the Bavarian sedan forward even at high speeds. Together with electric power, the powerful V8 biturbo shoots like a cannon to 259 km/h, where the speedometer in the Sport mode hits the factory limit.

// Si Z novim BMW M5 smo se zapeljali po nemških avtocestah. To je prvi M5 bavarskega podjetja, ki ga lahko poganja močan 4,4-litrski bencinski motor V8 biturbo, pa tudi samo elektrika. Nameščen ima Akrapovičev izpušni sistem druge vgradnje, njegovi podatki pa so navdušujoči – 1.000 Nm navora in kar 535 kW (727 KM) skupne moči.

Svobodna izbira hitrosti vožnje na avtocesti (približno 70 % obsežnega nemškega avtocestnega omrežja nima omejitev hitrosti) zahteva od voznikov sposobnost obvladanja hitrosti, izkušnje s hitro vožnjo, odlične reflekse, predvsem pa pravi avtomobil, kot je novi BMW M5. Predstavlja brutalno močan kompromis med težo, limuzino, hibridnim pogonom in superšportnim avtomobilom – tehta okoli 2,5 tone in ima štirikolesni pogon. Dolžina preko pet metrov ne prispeva k njegovi okretnosti, a zato nekoliko širši kolotek pripomore k stabilnosti v ekstremnih situacijah, vendar je za drsenje v ovinkih treba izklopiti ESP in izbrati način pogona samo na zadnji kolesni par. Pri hitrosti 220 km/h je kick down neverjeten, saj v kombinaciji z električnim pogonom močni V8 biturbo avtomobil izstreli kot iz topa do tovarniško omejene hitrosti 259 km/h.

Udobje je popolno, prav tako kot občutek varnosti v tej veliki limuzini.

Vso svojo moč, kakovost kombinacije pogona ter eksplozivnost najbolje izraža prav na nemških avtocestah, ki prestavljajo še zadnjo lokacijo za hitrost in z njo povezane navdušujoče hitre vožnje v Evropi.

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photography Edoardo Bauer / Edophoto

by Tina Torelli

Brief Talk

RALLY DAKAR WITH OLIVES ON TOP Nandu Jubany – Michelin Star and Rally Dakar

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Catch him if you can: getting your Michelin star at 27 as the youngest-ever Spanish chef up until then means you are ambitious, hard-working and extraordinarily talented. Finishing the toughest rally in second place in the two-wheel drive category at 54 proves you are something else. Long story short: a Catalan chef has 14 top restaurants scattered throughout Spain, Andorra and Singapore, a hotel and catering company, croquettes and canelons factory, 5 soles Repsol, 520 employees, a superstar hotelier partner – Lionel Messi – and 344,000 Instagram followers. The most important ingredients of his being are his three sons: Eudald, Gil and Lluc, and the love of his life – his wife Anna. We met him in Calldetenes in his Michelin-starred restaurant, Can Jubany, to talk about his life on the fast track.

This year’s Dakar was your second one, you swapped the bike for a car. Will you go back, considering that you are always after a new challenge?

Since this was my first Dakar rally with a car, copilot Marc Solà and I didn’t do too badly.

I don’t usually repeat experiences, but I think this one is worth doing again. The car I bought is still flawless and ready to race. We only had a few problems with a steering pump, which made my biceps super strong. Now the plan is to race the Rallye du Maroc in the autumn and then go to Dakar again. If I manage to cross the finish line another time, I’ll park my buggy, and next time – in ten years or so – take a truck. In the meantime, I want to start with Rally de Catalunya and then, after Dakar 2026,

cuttlefish for me, I bought Vietnamese scamps

saviour of humanity or a mafia kingpin. Luckily

that looked amazing, plus some onions,

I managed to channel my energy in a positive

peppers and tomatoes for a stir-fry. I made

direction, and my job allows me to make

a great feast, some were invited, some were

people happy every day. And though I was a

not, but I mostly wanted to thank my team. Not

bad student, I still made it to university. When

everyone in my French team knew what I do for

Ferran Adrià made a symposium at Harvard

a living, so one of the guys told me afterwards

University, I was one of the chefs to teach a

that for a racer, I did a really great job. The

master class. It was the chemistry of emulsions

paella was superb!

I was lecturing about – nothing complicated – but Harvard is Harvard.

What shaped you into the warrior you’ve become? devastated because I’d lost my mentor. I was

How do you choose your projects – they are so different from one another?

already running a restaurant at 18, but now

That is my ideal job – doing projects. As

My father died when I was 22, and I was

I was suddenly in charge of 3 restaurants and 40 people working for me. There were

do my dream race: WRC Rally Sweden.

challenges of all sorts, workers saw me as the

While Dakar 2025 made it into the history books for incredible crashes, you had a smooth race, finishing as the best Spanish crew in the car category overall.

What’s your little secret, and how much does luck have to do with it?

the boss… In two years, I changed the team

I work 18 hours a day and do 70,000 km a year with my car at full speed – and that’s the whole secret. I know literally nobody who sleeps until midday and just has lots of luck. Rally Dakar is hard work for the body and even harder for the mind. It eats you alive if you don’t have the perseverance. For me, a long-distance race is like a wedding or a banquet – your body hurts and maybe you haven’t slept for days, but it’s not over until it’s over. And the truth is that a hard week at work tires me out much more than a week of racing among the dunes. When I went to my hairdresser after Dakar, she asked me if I took vitamins because my hair looked thicker. Well, I can’t imagine anything more relaxing than competing with the legends you once only admired in magazines.

It’s obvious that you love Dakar and that Dakar loves you back. There’s no competitor with a bigger smile than yours.

This is my annual leave, and I don’t feel like wasting it. So, I prepared for it as I would for opening a new restaurant, and that’s the main reason why I enjoyed it… All the way to the finish line. Instead of waiting for the assistance truck somewhere in the middle of the dunes, I was having my vermouth before lunch every day: olives, berberechos, cheese… while chatting with friends.

You even used the ‘much-needed’ rest day for cooking.

How many people did you feed with paella in Ha’il?

Around 130! I’ve already arrived at the Dakar with the paellero gas burner, canned squid with ink and 13 kg of the best rice. If you add some good picada – garlic and parsley – that by itself makes a pretty decent survival rice.

But I was lucky to find an open supermarket in Ha’il on Thursday night. At midnight they professionally cleaned a mountain of fresh

owner’s son, the wine sellers were asking for and opened Can Jubany with Anna. We were 27 and 26 years old when we received our first Michelin star. But the story begins when we were still teenagers. I was crazy in love but still told her, “Anna, if you want to be my wife, you need to start learning all about gastronomy.”

So, she went to work as a waitress at my sister’s restaurant.

You’ve always wanted to become a chef?

I wanted to be a motocross or enduro

an entrepreneur, I touched on all areas of gastronomy and mastered every concept: I can cook a meal for 12 euros, design a menu for 600 or prepare a banquet for 3,000 people.

I never put all the eggs in one basket; I’ve diversified all my life, same as my father taught me. When I get an idea, I study every detail and then go all in. When it’s time to finish it, everything has to click: the people, the place, the hotel owner, the vibe… If it doesn’t, I am capable of leaving without looking back and starting something new. I got more experienced and intuitive as time went by, and I make fewer bad decisions. But that’s fine – in life you don’t learn from the things that went well; you learn from your mistakes.

champion. After some glory and some more bad injuries, I landed straight in the kitchen, not knowing how fulfilling my life as a chef would be. Only one example: I was a really bad student, I had ADHD for sure, always moving, never shutting up. One of my teachers actually cared for me and was quite concerned about

When you play in the Champions League of your profession, your days are complicated. If I can keep up with this crazy pace, I can just

my future after I got expelled from school.

as well make it through the

I guess he was right, and there were only

12 stages of the Dakar Rally.

two options: I could either become a great

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Story

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YOU’RE CRAZY! AND YOU’LL GET YOUR MOTHER KILLED

by Miran Ališič photography Effie Hotchkiss, Archive KM

FIRST WOMEN TO CROSS THE USA ON A MOTORCYCLE (1915) It seems almost unbelievable that in 1915 two women got on a motorcycle with a sidecar and set off across America on mainly unpaved roads for a trip from New York to San Francisco and back. Due to lack of direct connections, the pair had to cover some 9,000 miles (about 14,500 km), much more than it would be required today.

They slept outdoors, overcame numerous obstacles, fought coyotes, and only in exceptional circumstances stayed in a hotel or house overnight. Before leaving her well-paid job in a Wall Street broker’s office for this adventure, Brooklynite Effie Hotchkiss bought herself a state-of-theart Harley-Davidson 11-F for $275 (about $8,600 or €7,900 today), attached a sidecar and began discovering the nature around New York, often in the company of her mother Avis Hotchkiss. It was on one of those trips that her mother said, “Let’s go all the way to California.”

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When a reporter asked them how they managed to cope with six flat tyres in one day in the vicinity of Chicago, Effie retorted with a telling smile, “We fixed and patched them.”

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1915

was a tumultuous time.

and waited for another one to appear,” the

World War I was raging in faraway Europe, but

motorcyclist later recalled. “Soon, two more

the two women were interested in the Panama-

beasts showed up and watched us curiously.

Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, held in

I didn’t shoot at them yet, but one of them

honour of the opening of the Panama Canal.

began to approach dangerously close. I shot

A total of 18 million people visited the expo

it and it dropped dead on the spot.” First she

between February and December 1915, which

wanted to skin it to make a rug, but the coyote

featured a telephone line to New York City

was too big and she abandoned the idea. The

(so that people there could hear the Pacific

photo she had taken of the dead animal was

Ocean), promoted wireless telegraphy, and

also destroyed during development, so she

had an air of general excitement about cars.

sadly remarked that she had no proof of being

“The day I quit my job on Wall Street, I felt

a successful coyote hunter. The couple almost

as free as a bird, and my bosses were mad,”

froze near Albuquerque. They decided to

Effie Hotchkiss later recalled. “You’re crazy,”

spend the night outside as usual, but it got so

was the reaction of the reporters after she

cold that even being wrapped in four blankets

announced her adventure. “It’s suicidal and

almost wasn’t enough. They rode through the

you’ll kill your mother as well. You have no idea

Mojave Desert with handkerchiefs tied over

what you’re getting into.” “I probably don’t,”

their faces the whole time to safeguard against

the young woman replied. “My horizons have

the scorching sun and irritating dust. The pair

been very limited up to now. Now I will broaden

managed to cover some 150 miles (241 km)

them.”

through the desert in three days without any

And an adventure it was ...

major burns or blisters. About three months after leaving Brooklyn, they arrived at the

In 1915, women in the USA were not allowed

Pacific coast and first took to the beach. “We

to vote and could not wear trousers in many

took out a jar of water from the Atlantic that we

states – and in such states, wearing men’s

brought along and poured it into the Pacific.”

clothing could result in imprisonment. The

This photo fortunately still exists. The media

roads were only partly paved, they had to

interest in California was greater than when

cross hills and mountains, traverse the prairie,

they left New York and when a reporter asked

sand and mud, which made some roads barely

them how they managed to cope with six flat

passable after heavy rains. Miss Hotchkiss was

tyres in one day in the vicinity of Chicago,

an excellent rider as well as an accomplished

Effie retorted with a telling smile, “We fixed

mechanic. Due to the horrendous state of the

and patched them.” Hotchkiss was a typical

roads, flat tyres were a constant concern and

American girl who loved nature and freedom

they often had to make do with what was at

and who believed that girls could do everything

hand. They suffered a flat tyre three times in a

boys could.

row in New Mexico. Approaching the town of Fulton, their last inner tube blew about eight kilometres before reaching it. Having no more spares, the two women cut down a blanket, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the tyre to make it into town. There were no spare inner tubes available there, so they had to get one from nearby Santa Fe. Effie hitchhiked there, leaving her mother and the motorcycle in Fulton. And, of course, the gun, just in case. A new tube proved impossible to find in Santa Fe as well, but she was able to buy a used and patched one from a driver... Only when she returned a day later, did her mother tell her that she didn’t even know how to use a gun. In addition, Effie forgot to leave her any food in her haste, so Avis hadn’t eaten for 40 hours. From that day on, the pair made sure that there was always enough food in the trailer.

Overcoming challenges Effie was an excellent shot, and managed to shoot several rabbits and snakes along the way before being awakened by howling at dawn near Kansas City. The pair at first thought they heard dogs, but a nearby farmer told them it was coyotes. The day after Effie spotted a grey animal by an embankment. “I took my gun

And what was their ride?

The two adventurers opted for a HarleyDavidson 11-F, which was given a threespeed gearbox in 1915. Its 61-cubic-inch (999 cm3) V-Twin produced 8.2 kW (11 hp) and the bike reached a top speed of 65 mph (104 km/h). Apart from the gearbox, which stayed in use for 21 years, the then young and innovative company equipped this model with a chain drive and many other innovations that Harley-Davidson was the first to bring to the American and world markets. Effie and Avis Hotchkiss set off back to the East Coast in August 1915, taking a somewhat different route through Nevada and Utah. In total, they spent more than five months on the road and their feat undoubtedly made motorcycle history.

Effie married soon after returning back and continued to live a much quieter life in Oregon, where she died in 1966. Their Harley-Davidson 11-F and the memory of the adventure are now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

“You have no idea what you’re getting into.” “I probably don’t,” the young woman replied.

“My horizons have been very limited up to now. Now I will broaden them.”

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Speedbooks Fast lane memoir

Calum Nicholas: Life in the Pitlane After 15 years of working as a mechanic, 13 Formula 1 seasons, 233 Grands Prix, 4 World Drivers’ and 2 World Constructors’ Championships, plus 7 consecutive pitstop awards, the most famous mechanic in motorsports – well, senior engineer to be precise – hung up his race suit and wrote a bestseller. Life in the Pitlane details the realities of life off the track; the good, the bad and the ugly, with a particular spotlight on diversity and inclusion within the sport. Filled with all the high-octane tales and behind-the-scenes details, the memoir brings a fresh perspective to this incredibly exciting corner of the market. Unwavering in his appraisal of F1, Calum hopes to spark industry-changing conversations and initiatives with a book that addresses difficult topics and, at the same time, inspires the reader. Calum Nicholas has always found a way to make it work, and you could too. littlebrown.com

Know thyself

Rick Rubin: The Creative Act – A Way of Being He was once called the most important producer of the last 20 years by MTV and featured on Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, he played a vital role in shaping hip-hop music and produced albums and singles for iconic acts such as LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Adele, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Johnny Cash, and many more. Over the years, he has learnt that being an artist isn’t about your specific output but about your relationship with the world, and Rick Rubin now sees creativity as a path to a more profound understanding of oneself and the world around us. “I set out to write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead, it revealed itself to be a book on how to be,” he said. penguinrandomhouse.com

High-rev poetry

Aubrey Marcus: Love to the 7th Power The ancient Greeks recognised seven different types of love: Eros (erotic love), Mania (obsessive love), Pragma (rational love), Philautia (selflove), Philia (fraternal love), Storge (parental love) and Agape (eternal love). Love wasn’t just one force – it was seven distinct fractals of divine expression.

This debut collection of poetry from Aubrey Marcus, a New York Times bestselling author, warrior, and philosopher, explores the themes and ideas that emerge from each of these seven notes of love.

Complemented by stunningly evocative illustrations by Abby Tucker and designed like works of visual art, Marcus’s poems are whispering to the reader’s souls, as every page is crafted as meditation, a revelation, and a mirror reflecting the universal truths. But this is far more than just a beautiful book – it’s a maiden journey through the heart’s deepest chambers. chakaruna.com

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Speedbooks

by Tina Torelli

Tasty road trip

Amber Guinness: Italian Coastal Benvenuti to the home of la dolce vita, sun-drenched islands, and charming seaside towns where even simplicity has an amazing taste and an effortless glamour. Inspired by the markets and food of summer holidays by the beach, Italian Coastal is a fusion of a recipe book and travelogue – with sumptuous food and travel photography throughout. The author travels from the Tuscan coast down through Lazio and Campania via Naples and the Amalfi Coast and on to northern Sicily, delving into the stories and flavours that have shaped her life and food philosophy. Her quest for maximum flavour with minimal effort shines through delicious recipes that will bring an authentic mouthful of coastal Italy to your table. Have you got your shopping list ready, or your bags packed? thamesandhudson.com

A feel-good classic

Robin Sharma: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Fear not! Nobody is asking you to sell your Ferrari – you can fulfil your dreams and achieve your destiny even from the cockpit of an elegant Testarossa. Yet the story, written by motivational teacher and author Robin Sharma, is incredibly interesting and enlightening! The book tells a captivating tale of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront a dark night of the soul and the wisdom he gained on a life-changing odyssey. After surviving a heart attack, Julian sold all his possessions, including his expensive Ferrari, and travelled to the Himalayas in search of meaning, purpose, and inner peace. Under the wing of an ancient culture, he learnt to develop joyful thoughts, follow his life’s mission, cultivate self-discipline, value time, nourish relationships, and live fully, one day at a time. robinsharma.com

Sports drama

Tim MacMahon: The Wonder Boy – Luka Dončić and the Curse of Greatness In 2018, the Dallas Mavericks landed the most hyped European teen prospect in basketball history – Luka Dončić, who has proven to be a generational NBA talent. But that’s only one part of the story.

With his book, Tim MacMahon, a Dallas native who reports on the NBA for ESPN, an American sports channel, and has been following the Mavs for decades, takes the reader beyond the highlights to the madness that follows as the Mavericks try to avoid blowing their golden opportunity. From the internal power struggles in owner Mark Cuban’s front office during the early years of Dončić’s career to the effort to earn Dončić’s loyalty and put him in a position to win, MacMahon reveals details about the story’s biggest moments, including the improbable journey to the 2024 finals. hachettebookgroup.com

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S tory

Cocktails Reveal Your Personality Colin Field, the World’s Best Bartender

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Story

by Miran Ališič photography Ivana Krešić

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Let’s begin with a few facts about the charming and eloquent Englishman, whose manner proves he is immune to fame or any other vanity. He was named the best bartender in the world by Forbes and Travel+Leisure magazines. For more than 30 years, his home away from home was the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, named Best of the Best Bar in the World in 2016. Colin Field is a cocktail inventor extraordinaire, creating iconic drinks like the Picasso Martini, Highland Cream, Serendipity and Clean Dirty Martini. He also invented the Miss Bond cocktail, published two books on cocktails, made drinks for all James Bond actors except Roger Moore, and is friends with Kate Moss, Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp and many others who are part of the world’s jet set. For several years now, the 64-year-old Colin Field has been living at a slightly slower pace than he used to, but he still tends the bar at the boutique luxury hotel Maison Proust in the Marais district of Paris on Fridays.

“In whatever I do, I mainly strive for positive, genuine, and trustworthy relationships.

They are worth more than money or privilege.”

Arranging the meeting was simplicity itself. I called the reception desk

estate much further out in the countryside where he loves to do something

and asked them if they could contact the famous bartender. Some two

else he did in his youth – shoot clay pigeons. When I ask him how he fell in

hours later, I received an email saying, “Hi, Colin here. The hotel owner

love with France, he immediately serves an anecdote. “When buying a car,

gave me your details, when can we meet?” That’s how straightforward the

the French ask themselves why this car, how many of us are going to be in it,

Englishman from the small town of Rugby in central England was about

where will I park it and how much does it cost. The Englishman asks himself

arranging the meeting with me and a photographer. He was wearing a

what am I, am I more of a Jaguar or more of a Land Rover person?” Colin flirts

snow-white jacket on that rainy spring Friday afternoon and holding two

with literature throughout the conversation, knows it well, and usually draws

cocktails on a tray. Something refreshing for the photographer and a

ideas for his cocktails from it. He compares the writing style of Ernest

variation of a dry martini for me. Colin Field doesn’t just mix cocktails;

Hemingway with Scott Fitzgerald, is interested in philosophy, evaluates,

he looks at each guest first and, if possible, speaks with them, at least

is inspired by and debates the theses of Marcel Proust, and speaks about

briefly. “That’s how I try to find out more about the person sitting across

it all so quickly that it is almost impossible to follow him. “I once had a

from me, how they feel, what they’re thinking... I always make cocktails

long conversation about the painter Francis Bacon, his motives, and the

based on mood.”

hardships of misunderstood homosexuality with the curator of the Musée d’Orsay while pouring cocktails at the Ritz. This topic stayed in my head

Communication is key

for a long time, I couldn’t get rid of it, and so I invented a cocktail.” Bars are

When we started talking, the establishment was still relatively empty, with

Cocktails are not drinks either, but are created because of communication

a few customers sitting here and there and a younger couple chatting

between us, believes Colin, who left the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz

at the bar. Field speaks quickly, clearly, and resolutely. We began at the

in 2023 after more than 30 years. “In whatever I do, I mainly strive for

beginning – his childhood. When did he realise that he would spend his

positive, genuine, and trustworthy relationships. They are worth more than

life in hotel bars? “My father owned a cinema. He was also a businessman

money or privilege,” he briefly describes his departure from the Ritz, “and

and an excellent communicator, so some of that was probably already

at some point I felt that things had changed, that the Ritz and the people in

placed in my cradle. I remember having to perform in a yo-yo competition

it were no longer what I loved the Ritz for.”

not made for drinks, claims the famous bartender, but for communication.

in front of 200 people at the age of seven or eight. I was very nervous and had serious stage fright. I think I cried because I was so scared.” The experience hardened and encouraged him to fall in love with performing in

Inspiration for cocktails

front of people. At the age of ten or twelve, he often worked in his father’s

Kate Moss was the inspiration for the Kate 76 cocktail (vodka, grapefruit

theatre, checking tickets, helping people find seats, and doing other odd

juice, champagne), and Miss Bond was created at the Ritz because of

jobs. “My father was a gentleman. He loved nice and quality restaurants,

Caroline Bond, a friend of one of the men from a group of rich young

and we often went out for lunch. That’s how I got to know the world of

people called the Ritz Boys. She inspired him with her indescribable

hotels, bars and restaurants. My father also taught me to be polite to

beauty, and they became platonic friends. He dedicated a cocktail based

waiters. This was a sacred profession for him, and we had to know how

on champagne and raspberry to her. How come Clive Owen never became

to show it due respect. I already knew at the age of fifteen that I was

James Bond, even though he was shortlisted ahead of Daniel Craig? Field

attracted to these public places, mainly because of the communication

knows. “He came to the bar, and I made him a dry martini. He tasted it

between people. I like people, I like talking to them.”

and immediately said ‘It’s far too strong.’ I said to myself that this one will

At 17 Colin would hold cocktail parties in his room with his friends,

never become James Bond.” As it happens, Daniel Craig, who landed the

which outraged his German mother, who was wary of the debauchery

role of the famous British MI5 agent instead of Owen, also came to the

that was supposedly going on behind the closed door, while in reality it

Hemingway Bar one evening. “I told him I had just lost the first place in the

was all completely innocent. And Colin Field was in love with something

Dry Martini world championship. Everything was perfect, the cocktail, the

else. France. He first went to Paris as a teenager on a school trip, and he

ingredients, the glasses, the cleanliness, the temperature – 18.4 degrees,

immediately knew he would live there one day.

but the third olive was missing. There were only two. A few years later I saw Spectre, the next Bond film, and Craig tells the bartender that he

A bartender’s journey

wants a Dry Martini with three olives.”

He studied English literature and first applied to be a bartender at the

The bar in the Maison Proust hotel, meanwhile filled up nicely and while

Hemingway Bar in the famous Ritz in Paris at the age of 19. He didn’t

Colin Field kept patiently answering our questions and posing for the lens,

receive a reply. He tried again a few years later, but was rejected again.

I felt that he wanted to get back to the bar as soon as possible, be among

More than ten years later, in 1994, when the Hemingway Bar had already

his guests and cocktails and new stories of nocturnal Paris. At the end,

been closed for twelve years, someone from the Ritz called him and asked

I couldn’t help but ask him what he thought of the world of motorsport,

if it was true that he had studied English literature and really liked the

motorcycles and cars. “I like cars, but not motorcycles. Well, I do like

writings of Ernest Hemingway. It was thus literature that got him behind the

them, I just wouldn’t sit on any. I stopped following Formula 1 by the days

bar and among cocktails in one of the best cocktail bars in the world. He

of Prost and Senna. My heroes are Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, James Hunt...

stayed there for more than 30 years.

And Stewart, of course. Well, to be honest, my only addictions are hotels,

He is now married for the third time, has a young child, and two adult

bars, and the incredible stories that keep coming up over cocktails.” The

children from previous marriages. “My first two marriages fell apart

next morning, I woke up to a message on my phone with Colin thanking me

because I was married to my bars and their guests for decades. Now that

for the chat and asking if we had a good time at his bar the night before.

I’m in the years for a normal retirement, I’ve slowed down. I work as much as I

What’s Colin’s mantra again? Cocktails are not just about drinking, they’re

want, I spend a lot of time with my family.” Colin Field has two homes: a house

about communication.

not far from Paris, so he can be behind the bar in 25 minutes by train, and an

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Colin Field doesn’t just mix cocktails; he looks at each guest first and, if possible, speaks with them, at least briefly, to find out more about the person, how they feel, what they’re thinking.

Original

by Deborah Jurišević photography Yuri Choufour

A Different Antarctica

When we think of remote, untouched corners of the earth, it is Antarctica that naturally comes to mind first. Everything else is either inhabited or too small to mention. Antarctica, however, with its cover of ice and snow is an untouched and mystical world, visited mainly by adventurers. But it would be a misconception to think of it as devoid of life. True, the human residents are few and far between, but there is a huge wealth of wildlife and history. Though, if you want to sail to the southernmost place on the planet, which is how most visitors get there, you should consider get ting a bit more acclimatised before set ting foot on the white continent. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Orkney Islands and the Falklands are names that mean nothing to many, but are in fact quite interesting islands and islets in the southern seas, not far from your final destination. As you stop by along the way, you are preparing for the climax – Antarctica itself.

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The Falklands, called Las Malvinas by the Argentinians, are best known for a short war

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more than 40 years ago when they were invaded by Argentina. The British government, headed by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, responded to the invasion by sending

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members of its army, navy and air force halfway around the world and successfully recapturing them. The atmosphere on these rocky outcrops in the middle of the South Atlantic thus remains quite British, and Port Stanley, the archipelago’s capital, feels very much like an English coastal town, green and rocky.

Quite an assortment History and politics aside, the islands’ main attraction is undoubtedly the wildlife. The Falklands are home to an astonishing number of penguins, belonging to five species: the Gentoo, King, Macaroni, Magellanic and Rockhopper, which nest on the rocky shores and grassy hills. Every day they waddle from their nesting points high on the hills to the sea for feeding before slowly making their way back uphill.

Birds are a specialty that one simply cannot get enough of, and visitors will find the blackbrowed albatross, black-crowned night-heron, black-necked swan, white-tufted grebe, Falkland steamer duck, rock shag, imperial shag, upland goose, kelp goose, ruddy-headed goose, turkey vulture, striated caracara, variable hawk, Magellanic oystercatcher, blackish oystercatcher, Falkland skua and many others alongside the flightless penguins. For bird watchers, the islands are a year-round feast.

The royal nesting grounds The Falklands are the nesting grounds for more than two thirds of the global population of the black-browed albatross. This is an endangered species and any interference with its population, such as egg collection, is prohibited. Having a pale yellow-pink beak and a dark eyestripe, which creates the effect of a black eyebrow, these majestic birds lay one egg in October and keep returning to the same breeding site and reusing the same nest year after year. During breeding, they are found on West Falkland, Steeple Jason, Saunders Island, West Point and New Island. They feed mainly on fish, lobsters and squid.

Summer residence for human nomads Apart from the islanders, the Falklands can also provide a temporary home to human nomads.

Germany’s Thies Matzen and Sweden’s Kicki Ericson can be found on West Point Island during the summer, taking a respite from sailing and living on the Wanderer III, a seventy-yearold nine-meter sailboat. Having been sailing around the world for decades, mainly in the southern seas, Thies and Kicki are the third couple to live on this sailboat, which underwent extensive renovation and repairs some 20 years

ago. While the couple met in the warm waters of the Caribbean, they now prefer to sail at about the 40th parallel south with the seas between the Falklands, South America and New Zealand being their nomadic home, while a romantic farm on West Point Island, where they raise sheep and produce excellent merino wool – the best and most expensive in the world – serves as their summer abode on shore.

Solitary silence Kicki and Thies are also familiar with the frozen island of South Georgia, where they spent more than two years on a sailboat and got married.

This solitary group of islands, trapped in ice and snow for the majority of the year and housing ten researchers and scientists, also presented a hefty survival challenge which required careful planning, strong nerves and a lot of dried and powdered food, as two-years’ worth of canned food is too heavy to put on a sailboat. This solitary archipelago is a paradise for wildlife lovers and researchers, with a wild beauty that is almost indescribable. Glaciers descend from high peaks in the main island’s interior and dramatic fjords line the coast. The wildlife truly takes the breath away from the miniscule number of travellers who stop here. Enormous colonies of King penguins, often numbering in hundreds of thousands, gather on its beaches, which are also home to other penguin species, such as Gentoo and Macaroni. Seals and sea lions are the beachmasters here and water is teeming with marine life, including orcas and humpback whales. Looking at South Georgia feels like literally walking into pristine nature.

Here you can hear the silence. There is no noise, no traffic, not even contrails litter the sky.

This is the type of peace that one must first get used to. Nothing quite like it exists anywhere else in the world. Wherever you turn, you only see wild animals, waterfalls and low vegetation peeping from under the snow cover.

Memory of times long past The main island boasts a lot of interesting history as well. It played a key role in polar exploration, most notably serving as the starting point for Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated Antarctica expedition, and Shackleton’s grave is in Grytviken, the island’s sole settlement.

South Georgia is also home to remains of whaling stations, a derelict and scenic reminder of the ways people made money in times gone by. Scientists meanwhile reside at Grytviken in the summer where they maintain a museum dedicated to the island’s history and to stuffed animals. By the way, if you feel the penguins’ coat of feathers, you will find that it is very hard, thick and waxy. We also stopped at the South Orkney Islands to drop off some scientists who sailed with us, spotting small Adelie and Chinstrap penguins along the way on an island without a human footprint.

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The Falklands are home to an astonishing number of penguins, belonging to five species: the Gentoo, King, Macaroni, Magellanic and Rockhopper, which nest on the

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rocky shores and grassy hills.

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Breathtaking experience of nature at its rawest

The breathtaking white mountains, high glaciers

The sound of silence

and a landscape clad in white for as far as the

Antarctica has a mysterious sense of time,

We then finally land at our planet’s

eye can see. The ear slowly gets used to the

as its huge ice deposits keep the secrets of

southernmost part, the kingdom of eternal ice,

cracking of sea ice, while the gentle splashing

millions of years. Visiting research stations and

an otherworldly landscape that looks like a

of waves on ice floes, watching individual orcas

listening to scientists working in one of the most

fairy tale and the most beautiful realistic work

slowly swimming from north to south, flirting

extreme environments in the world reminds

of art. Our expedition aboard an icebreaker

with penguins resting on ice floating in the

one of our planet’s enormous time span and

travelled through the turbulent Drake Passage,

middle of the sea, and watching flocks of birds

the transience of our short moment on it. Here,

the crossing of which caused bouts of

flying high above the ship calms the thoughts

science develops and grows through discovering

seasickness and presents a challenge for

and does away with tension. You can accurately

the glacial record over millions of years. Today’s

many. The prize is definitely worth it, because

measure the wingspan of albatrosses sailing

adventurers might rather settle for camping

this is something that cannot be compared to

right above you, the experience is unique,

through the night on the ice, as the feeling of

anything else.

unrepeatable and unforgettable.

cold and complete silence is something that

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Here, we encounter the pristine, a beauty unparalleled, a silence that can be heard, and at the same time begin to wonder about ourselves, our role in this world and our existence.

cannot be experienced in normal daily life. An

water adventures without any worries, whereas

unparalleled, a silence that can be heard,

adrenaline rush is provided by a kayak ride on icy

the human body is not really made for sharing

and at the same time begin to wonder

water through pieces of floating glaciers, where

their freezing habitat and that is what made the

about ourselves, our role in this world and

we merge with the marine animals of Antarctica

experience all the more valuable.

our existence. Antarctica reminds us how small we are compared to nature’s might.

into a whole, because for a moment we feel we are not just visiting, but sharing their home on

Last one standing

Here, we are but intermittent guests, most

the surface of the frosty sea and permanent

Why is that so? Antarctica and its

clearly shown by the fact that you have to get

ice. I saved swimming in the southern seas for

surroundings are probably the last part

thoroughly disinfected and your clothes and

last. The sea temperature was almost a degree

of the world that humans have not yet

shoes vacuumed before getting of the ship as

below zero Celsius. It takes quite a bit of courage

conquered with nature in its most extreme

the sensitive environment would not survive

to plunge in it during a heavy snowstorm and

form, defying and determining the fate of

contact with much of human civilisation. In

sharp winds cutting through the air to swim with

this mighty uninhabited frozen continent.

Antarctica, animals still own the eternal ice

a flock of penguins. These tiny creatures enjoy

Here, we encounter the pristine, a beauty

and the icy sea.

// Si DRUGAČNA ANTARKTIKA: LEDENO KRALJESTVO ŽIVALI

Južna Georgia, Južni Sandwichevi otoki, Južni Orkneyski otoki in Falklandsko otočje so zanimiva območja v južnih morjih, ki jih lahko obiščete, ko se pripravljate na vrhunec – na Antarktiko, prekrito z ledom in snegom, nedotaknjen in mističen svet. Tukaj so glavna znamenitost nedvomno divje živali – število pingvinov je osupljivo, za opazovalce ptic pa so otoki vse leto prava paša za oči.

Poleti tukaj začasni dom najdejo človeški nomadi, ki si oddahnejo od plovbe. V zgodovini pa je imela ključno vlogo pri polarnem raziskovanju.

Osamljeno otočje Južna Georgia je raj za ljubitelje divjih živali in raziskovalce. Z visokih vrhov v notranjosti glavnega otoka se spuščajo ledeniki, obalo pa oblikujejo dramatični fjordi. Na plažah se zbirajo kolonije pingvinov. Tam vladajo tjulnji in morski levi, v vodi pa je bogata bera morskega življenja. Tu slišite tišino. Nikjer ni nobenega hrupa, prometa.

Odprava na najjužnejši del našega planeta – v kraljestvo večnega ledu, nezemeljsko pokrajino, ki se zdi kot pravljica in najlepše umetniško delo v realističnem pomenu, nas popelje skozi razburkane vode Drakovega preliva – kar predstavlja izziv za mnoge. Vendar je vsekakor vredno, saj se ne more primerjati z ničemer drugim.

H i gh G e ar

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High Gear

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New technical regulations to reduce speed

LIFE NEVER GETS SIMPLER It won’t be long before Akrapovič engineers start working on a new generation of MotoGP exhaust systems.

From 2027 the MotoGP World Championship undergoes its biggest technical rules shake-up in a quarter of a century, since large-capacity four-strokes took over from motorcycles powered by 500 cm 3 engines in 2002.

The most obvious change is a reduction in engine capacity, from 1,000 cm 3 to 850 cm 3 .

These smaller engines will have different power and torque characteristics, which will require perfectly matched exhaust systems.

At the same time, downforce aerodynamics will be trimmed, so-called ride-height adjusters will be banned, and MotoGP will have a new tyre supplier, with Pirelli taking over from Michelin.

The main goal of the new regulations is to reduce outright performance. MotoGP’s latest 1,000 cm 3 machines are nudging 370 km/h (230 mph) on the longest straights and are so quick through the corners – thanks to increased grip created by downforce aero and better tyres – that some tracks are running out of safety runoff.

In other words, the bikes are getting too fast, so they need to be slowed down.

The new rules, which were concocted

by MotoGP rights-holder Dorna and the

MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association), do have other purposes.

MotoGP engineering has changed dramatically over the last half-decade, with Formula 1-derived technologies like downforce aerodynamics and ride-height devices taking away some of the skill required to ride a MotoGP bike.

Six-time MotoGP king Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) says these go-faster aids can make MotoGP bikes more like Moto3 bikes – instead of having to modulate throttle opening and move your body around the motorcycle to increase grip and reduce wheelies as you accelerate out of corners, you simply tuck in and go full gas.

Therefore, the new rules should reward the most talented riders. Márquez also thinks the rules rewrite will make MotoGP a better spectacle. “When they reduce the [downforce] aero, you will again see slides and saves,” he says. “With the aero you can’t save a crash, because when you are leaning at more than 60 degrees, the aero puts so much force into the tyres that when you lose grip, it’s not a gradual loss.” Although downforce aero remains a huge factor in F1 performance, the championship banned ride-height devices soon after they appeared in 2014, when Lewis Hamilton won the title driving a Mercedes equipped with a rideheight regulator. This gizmo was basically a hydraulic computer, consisting of 2,000

This article does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

by Mat Oxley illustration Natan Esku

parts, including valves and accumulators, created by theoretical physicist Robin Tuluie, who later designed MotoGP’s first ride-height adjuster, fitted to Ducati’s Desmosedici since 2019.

In theory, the new rules should tick all the boxes: reducing costs by banning one area of research and development, improving safety by lowering performance and improving the spectacle by making the bikes more exciting to watch. MotoGP rewrites its technical rules changes every five years, so the new rules will run until the end of the 2031 season. The rules didn’t used to change so often as they do now. The premier-class capacity limit stayed at 500 cm 3 from 1949 to 2001. By 2027 it will have changed four times since 2002 – from 500 cm 3 to 990 cm 3 in 2002, to 800 cm 3 in 2007, to 1,000 cm 3 in 2012 and now to 850 cm 3 the year after next. Life never gets simpler!

Mat Oxley Mat Oxley has been a motorcycle journalist for more than four decades, covering MotoGP full-time since 1988. During his own racing career, he won an Isle of Man TT and took third place in the Endurance World Championship, scoring secondplace finishes in the Le Mans and SpaFrancorchamps 24 hours. He is based in London, UK.

Follow @matoxley / X and Instagram

Winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025 in the Vehicle Accessories category.

The Akrapovič Racing Line (SS) Exhaust System for the Suzuki GSX-8S / GSX-8R

Akrapovič d.d., Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia / www.akrapovic.com

GENERAL WARNING Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws.

USA WARNING Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. CALIFORNIA WARNING California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

Product code: 802430

MASTERING PERFORMANCE With more than three decades of racing success, Akrapovič’s innovative technology is designed to enhance every aspect of your ride. Utilising precision engineering, the finest materials, and expert craftsmanship to create an unparalleled experience, allowing you to fully appreciate the performance and signature sound.

Akrapovič d.d., Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia / www.akrapovic.com