Australian

Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions

by Ian Royall from https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/ The 2020 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, scheduled for October 25 at Phillip Island, has been cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions. The four-day MotoGP weekend at the island is regional Victoria’s biggest sporting event, attracting more than 85,000 spectators and generating about $50 million for the state economy. The Australian Grand Prix Corporation and the sport’s commercial rights holder Dorna made the call to cancel the GP, the latest event to get the axe. The British GP, due to be held on August 30 at Silverstone, has also been cancelled. No races have been held yet this year with tentative plans to start in Spain in late July. Aussie Ducati rider Jack Miller said he was disappointed he would not be able to race in front of home fans at the island. “It’s my favourite weekend of the whole year and it’s the best circuit in the world so it’ll be a shame not to be there,’’ Miller told the Herald Sun. Miller finished third in the 2019 race at the island last October. Mick Doohan, five-time 500cc world champion and AGPC board member said it would be the first year since 1997 that Phillip Island had not hosted the Australian GP. “The race will return in 2021 and provide an opportunity to make it one of the biggest and best-attended MotoGP events we’ve seen, plus watch Miller take the win,” Doohan said. Full refunds would be given to all ticket holders. AGPC chairman Paul Little said the race would be back better than ever in 2021. Dorna chief executive Carmelo Ezpeleta said: “We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of this iconic event after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar.’’ The race cancellation will […]

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Australian Forcite MK1 smart motorcycle helmet is coming to the U.S.

by Bruce Brown from https://www.digitaltrends.com Australian smart motorcycle helmet maker Forcite broke through the barriers that prevented several earlier smart helmet makers from going to production with heavily hyped designs. The initial run of 1,000 MK1 Founders Edition helmets sold out quickly, according to founder and CEO Alfred Boyadgis, 700 of which sold in the first 48 hours. Next on the horizon, Forcite intends to bring the MK1 to the U.S. in 2020. Forcite’s MK1 patented helmet tech Raydar system includes LED technology currently used in Formula 1 race cars, a Sony HD video camera, dual microphones and ultra-thin 8mm speakers, and a fingertip handlebar controller. Data streams to the helmet via Forcite’s cloud-based server system, with information that includes directions, hazards, and alerts. The MK1’s LED system uses visual cues on the visor for directions, weather, and other alerts with a combination of a flashing band of colored light just below the visor and audio messages. A green light indicates a turn coming up, blue is for the weather, orange is a caution signal, and flashing red and blue indicates police nearby. The whole point of the integrated components is to communicate to the rider without requiring eyes off the road. The Sony military-grade camera has near-infrared sensors, an extra-wide 166-degree diagonal field of vision. The camera records continuous video for up to five hours. The camera is on the helmet front, just below the integrated visor. According to Forcite, the MK1 audio system blocks road noise for phone calls, streaming music, or inter-helmet communication with other MK1 users. An onboard computer located in the lower front section manages the helmet’s sensors and audio and camera controls. The MK1 helmet is designed to be both strong and lightweight, which means it’s made out of carbon fiber; the shell is

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