AFRICA’S ONLY ADVENTU
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URE & OVERLAND E-ZINE
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For more information and sales visit www.hexdiagnostics.co.za or call +27 21 880 1433
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ROCKIN’ pre-owned value. 4 available from
2 available from
r199,000
r279,000
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1. 2 available from
r279,000
r145,000
• 18,000 km, includes engine guard and luggage rack • balance of 2 year factory warranty
2. FLHTCU Ultra Classic - 2009
• 20,000 km, new swing arm, new 180 rear tyre, abs, cruise control, radio / cd • balance of factory warranty
r189,000
r199,000
2. 1. FLSTC HeRITage CLaSSIC - 2009
5.
3.FLHTCU ULTRa CLaSSIC - 2009
• 20,000 km, new swing arm, new 180 rear tyre, abs, cruise control, radio / cd • balance of factory warranty
4. FXdB Street Bob - 2006
• 4,400 km, includes pillion seat, sissy bar and screamin’ eagle pipes
NatioNWide delivery caN be arraNged • Full raNge oF NeW models available trade-iNs Welcome / FiNaNce caN be arraNged Harley-Davidson® Tyger Valley, Cape Winelands, the dealership with a difference. Willowbridge Lifestyle Centre, 39 Carl Cronje Drive, Tyger Valley | Georg: 0833792479 e-mail: georg@hd-tygervalley.co.za | web: www.harley-davidson-tygervalley.co.za © H-D 2009. Harley, Harley-Davidson, Bar and Shield logo and Buell are among the trademarks of H-D Michigan, LLC.
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4. 5. FLHRC ROad KINg - 2004
• 25,000 km, includes top box, pipes, rider back rest and many more
6. FXdF Fat Bob - 2008
• 3,200 km, includes v&H pipes, race tuner, heavy breather kit and much more • balance of factory warranty
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Adventure Magazine Crew & Contributors Editor-In-Chief Stephen de Vries Copywright Editor Kirsten Sheldon Photography & Design Kirsten Sheldon Stephen de Vries Stitchedkitten Photography www.stitchedkitten.co.za Contact 082 5888383 022 461 2526 Advertising Enquiries info@adventuremagazine.co.za
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Contents
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GS911 - Ad GSworkShop - Ad Harley Davidson Tygervalley - Ad Bike 2 Bike Action Cam - Ad Gear Review :Motogear.co.za Suzuki Jimny owners review Motogear.co.za - Ad Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Review Bike 2 Bike Interphone F4 - Ad 4x4 Sping under suspension Buell CR1125 Review Cederberg Adventure Bike Challenge Photothon Tulies Adventure Bike Trips - Ad
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Gear
Click me to feature your product here.
Bieffe 3 Sport Clear out sale R950 - 00 www.motogear.co.za
Ferrari Rosso Kid R2200 - 00 www.motogear.co.za
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Interphone F4 Full Duplex communication Compatible with all mobile phones and GPS Bluetooth DPS filter to remove noise digitally Communication up to 500 MT Stereo headest Self-levelling volume based on the speed Multipoint (easy handling of functions) Intercommunication up to 180 km/h Easy installation on all type of helmets no permenant damage Compatible with all previous Supermoto and Interphone models 100 % Waterproof Fast installation (5 minutes) Removable main unit Fits all helmets Lithium Battery Up to 5 hours continuous talk time Up to 700 hours in standby Complete recharge in 60/90 minutes
R3200 - 00 for both
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s s Icelandicpre Ex Adventure Magazine
12 I want to tell you a little about my car and how it all started. My name is Fred and live in the south of the Netherlands. Since I turned 18 (I am now 35), I often visited Iceland to spend the holidays, mostly travelling by feet; backpacking, but a few times also taking the car. In the good old days when I still was a student I also made a visit once in a while during the winter time, mainly within the northern Fjallabak area (surroundings of Landmannalaugar); once by Jeep, then by skidoo and finally on foot, when I was running out of budget. Well, in the midnineties there was not much of a choice.
Most tour companies offered longer winter tours almost only into Landmannalaugar and of course the Golden Circle. Later it started to change a little bit, but then I had already finished school and found a job...with to less time off! The last winter visit was in March 2000, when the volcano Hekla erupted. Renting a Suzuki Jimny, I took off to spend my first night at the farm Leirubakki. The day after the
weather turned for the worse, wind sped up, clouds gathered and the forecast for the next few days was no good, with only a quick visit to the surroundings I headed back to ReykjavĂk. Due to the continuAdventure Magazine
13 ing bad weather, after 3 days of consistency, I decided to return home. I often thought back on that rented car. Yes, it sometimes really did behave like a wild donkey when the wind started to play with the car on the icy roads and on a long, steep hill you needed to press both feet onto the petrol to keep a little bit of speed to make it to the top. But man did I like that tiny Suzuki shoebox a lot! It was light, highly manoeuvrable and also important; very affordable! And... it’s easier to find
a parking spot at the shopping mall. With high and low gear to choose from, wheels put on the far outside, rigid axles and frame, it altogether makes for a true four wheel drive. On the down side though, a little small. After spending some money, I traded my then 16year old Nissan pickup 4wd in for a new Jimny. I never once regretted that trade! After every modification, I liked that shoebox even a little bit more. In the beginning it was hard to find some decent upgrades for
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14 a Suzuki Jimny. Nowadays though, it’s starting to get easier. So after visiting Iceland twice in Autumn time, backpacking, I enjoyed that season a lot. Leaves colouring, northern light dancing in the sky, the snowline coming down the mountains. But if one wants to visit the interior during offseason, it will be difficult to reach, since public transportation into it comes to an end. However, I then decided to bring my own car into Iceland, since renting is pretty expensive (so is the shipping), and not all tracks can be taken with a stock - read: unmodified car. The second time I shipped my car into the amazing country was two years ago, during summertime, when I was not physically in shape to use the backpack for a long trip. But making the best out of the situation I always wanted to drive the old Gæsavatnaleið, so now there was my excuse. Since there are “wild” stories in some guide books about the country describing this track, I upgraded the axle clearance
by using a higher (but not wider!!) tire. From 29inch to 32 inches. And meanwhile, a second winch found its place at the rear. Yes, it was terribly beautiful to drive this track, but was it difficult? No....slow going with no big challenges, but worthwhile! After taking a dip in the warm pool at Marteinsflæði, I decided to make my way through Vonarskarð. I must say that this is one of the most stunning routes! Leaving Iceland, I took some Icelandic fender flares home as a souvenir. Later they were attached to the car and now covering a 37inch tire. Knowing that the stock Suzuki axles could most likely not handle the stress on the drivetrain, I changed them for Spidertrax axles. Because the car is so light (stock 1050kg), I hope it will now have sufficient flotation to drive, for example, on the snow. Hopefully I will figure that out next week; but for now, I’m putting the Jimny once more on a container vessel in the direction of Iceland!
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MOTOGEAR.CO.ZA
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18 Bike supplied by Harley Davidson Tygervalley
Iron Maiden
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19 So there I was, cruising down the N1 towards Cape Town, Kirsten on the back and having the 96 cube motor tick along in 6th gear. I must admit, I’ve long forgotten how comfortable the Harley’s are down the highway… No wonder you often see Harley owners with the ‘Live to Ride’ slogan somewhere on their leather jackets. From a distance, the 2010 Harley Davidson FLSTC looks almost the same as the last year’s model. However it is now offered in fewer colours. The bike starts with the 16inch, white-walled front tire with the soft lined fenders that move
on to the single headlight with the smaller spots, to the high windscreen and the teardrop fuel tank. The frame is painted black with a rigid mounted motor. The saddlebags and the sissy bar just complete the package with added flair. The added eye candy is noticeable everywhere. Tassels here and there, seat covers and plenty - and I mean plenty - of chrome. The Heritage is a blend of old-school with new school funk. It’s perfect for the touring purist who does not rely on
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20 CB radios, GPS units or even cruise control. The expansive screen and the enormous saddlebags should fit what you need, pretty easy. They have plastic clickers under the leather straps that make them look authentic but with added ready for plenty of tar eating miles. Clip the screen off and remove the pillion seat and ride out solo. The tires are noticeably narrow. Well, narrow for a v-twin of this nature; 150 in the back. easy-to-unclip access to open or close them. The plush saddle with halfmoon foot boards makes you realise that there is only on skipper on the voyage. The pillion sissy bar is padded and will provide the passenger with noticeably enough comfort. The High handlebars, or Ape hangers, as some call them; places the rider in the perfect laid back cruising position, Adventure
It makes it handle pretty well considering the package. Cornering is sort of restrictive with the floorboards rather low to Magazine
21 the ground, so expect a scrape here and there. All in all, you adjust pretty well. Fuel consumption is actually extremely good for a bike of this size. I would estimate we were doing 20km/l + on our trip. The trip computer just would not go down - unbelievable.
While the bike has gone under some slight reconstructive changes since it was introduced, it’s still the same Heritage and will still appeal to the original fans… and even more now. This bike is meant for the road. Pack your bags, we are heading out!
Slow manoeuvring is obviously difficult, but you compensate for that in your riding style. Riding in traffic you have to be careful, or you might tap a mirror here and there. But all in all, it’s really manageable.
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O g n i r p S
By David Gray
Many people go through an evolutionary process when building their 4x4 for trail use. Many times they buy stock and near-stock vehicles, throw on some beefier tires and then, filled with confidence in their new unstoppable 4x4, they try a few trails. If they never get into any really rough stuff, many people stop there. Other folks get bitten by the offhighway bug and seek more challenging terrain. These new challenges quickly expose the weaknesses of their vehicle’s capability off-highway, and after an afternoon of getting unstuck, they are looking at ways of making their vehicles more capable.
The first rung up on this evolutionary ladder are the first modifications to make vehicles a bit more capable, more able to meet and beat some of the challenges that bested them on the first trail ride. They seek more ground clearance, more traction, and maybe some insurance in case things go wrong. They are still convinced that they are not trying to build “one of those ridiculous monster trucks” and are probably still using their 4x4 as a daily driver. They decide a lift kit and some bigger tires are what they need. After a visit to their local 4x4 center, they drive away with a mild 2-3” lift, and some new, beefier tires (32” is a popular size at this level), a new winch on the front and about twice the confidence they had the first time around. They can now drive around the streets with a bit more swagger, waving at other 4x4s, eager to tackle the trails they had trouble with before.
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25 They conquer these trails, but soon find that the 4-wheeling bug is not that easy to cure, and start to seek tougher trails. They may have found their local 4x4 club by this point; they are regularly bringing home a couple of 4x4 magazines each month and are, of course, visiting 4x4Wire.com on a regular basis. They are also being exposed to other seriously built rigs, and hear the tales of tougher trails like the legends of the Rubicon, Moab, Tellico, and others. A great driver can take a mildly built rig through some pretty hard core trails, but it is just human nature to want a bit more - just in case… Now our recent enthusiasts see that what they really need to need conquer the world (or at least those trails) was not just a mild lift, 32” tires and a winch - but a bigger lift, 33” or 35” tires, better gearing, and maybe a locker or two. Yep that will be the ticket! For drivers with conventional spring under axle (SUA) leaf spring suspensions, this is generally were you will find a divergence in the evolution of
the modified 4x4. Some people stay with a standard spring under configuration, going to a 4” or so lift kit; others try the spring over axle conversion, gaining 5” to 6” of lift. Both lifts can also be combined with body lifts and other tricks to allow larger tires to fit or reduce interference with articulation. A family of “standard” 4-inch lift kits has long been available from a variety of manufacturers while the spring over axle conversion has long been a matter of custom fabrication. Unfortunately no manufacturer has marketed a workable kit for a dramatic increase in driving skill. What I have described as evolutionary growth also has coined another descriptive term - “incrementalism”. I have the very good fortune to work with some real 4 wheel-
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ing gurus, among them Jeff “Jefe” Reynolds. Now Jefe has said that anybody who is really serious about rock crawling will eventually run a spring over axle (SOA) suspension configuration. There are some advantages to the SOA, but like everything in life, there can be some drawbacks. Jefe has also advocated a move away from incrementalism. It’s not that the incremental steps are bad, it is just that over time, building a rig in small steps costs much more than doing it right the first time. Jefe is a wise man, and he is usually right,
but I occasionally like playing the devil’s advocate... I may be the current designated poster child for the spring under axle configuration, with my express goal being to develop my spring under Jeep (YJ2K) so it is as capable as most SOA rigs or the lifted coil spring TJs. I am proud to say that I think I have gotten pretty close to this goal. I have done this in an incremental fashion, not because of any philosophical reason, but because I went through a version of that evolutionary growth
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and, to be honest, I only had the money to make small changes at a time. If I had to start all over again I may have chosen to take Jefe’s advice and go SOA from the git-go, but I am very pleased with YJ2K’s setup and handling at this point. Of course, I always aspire to more, and will continue to upgrade and modify YJ2K with the best I can find (and afford), but I don’t know what path this may take.
YJ2K, next month Part II will side track a bit to take a look at some of the basic factors to address when your want to build a flexible suspension as well as some things you might want to know when shopping for lift kits, and later Part III will cover other often overlooked yet critically-important modifications, such as steering and braking systems and show you some of the best shots of this suspension in action over the past year. Now - let’s take a look at the suspension.
My goal was to maximize ground clearance, accommodate 35” or larger tires, and maximize articulation. In previous articles on YJ2K you can see some of the incremental upgrades that we had made You have been very patient along the way toward these reading this far without a single ends, such as the MORE shackmention of how YJ2K’s suspen- le reversal and the Revolver sion is now configured. Doing shackles from Metal Made Rite. a customized suspension corEach incremental modification rectly is actually a complex pro- increased YJ2K’s capabilities, cess, so I am going to present but brought about new chalthis for you in three parts: Part lenges as well. After all this I (this month) covers the latest creeping incrementalism, it was suspension modifications on time to consolidate. Adventure Magazine
28 When building the suspension a critical element is selecting great springs. YJ2K’s journey started off with a standard 4” Explorer Pro-Comp lift kit about 5 years ago, and after so many years of hard trail use and with all of the other modification we had made, they were just not keeping up. When I decided to replace the springs I had quite a few choices. I could have spent some really serious money and had custom springs designed and built - this would have been the ultimate, but it also would have been very expensive. I decided to go with an off-the-shelf component, so that people who may have wanted to follow along this same path would have an option of starting off with the same standard lift kit and working up from there. After careful evaluation of the
options at the time, I selected the springs from the Rubicon Express 4.5” lift kit. These springs are extremely well built, with 5 & 6 leafs per pack, a dual main leaf with a full military wrap on one end and a half-military wrap on the other, bolted clamps that allow the springs to more spread a bit during droop, diamond-cut and -bevelled ends, and Teflon pads at the ends of the leafs. They have an increase arch which does shorten the eye-to-eye length across the arc of the spring, but with a Jeep that is quite a bit heavier than stock, that little bit of extra height is desperately needed. Without making you read till the end, I will say that these are among the best production leaf springs that I have ridden on. They are available from Rubicon Express in a comprehensive lift kit that
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29 covers all of the items that most people would want for a serious off-road lift - including most of the extras necessities that you would usually have to buy later.
long shocks that we needed to accommodate all of the flex we were getting, we fabricated a new rear shock mounting system
I decided to upgrade a bit from the Doetsch Tech shocks that are in the RE kit to the Doetsch Tech Pre-Runner shock absorbers. I needed a beefy, long travel shock to replace the Ranch 9012 & 9010 combination I had been running - it had sustained some severe trail damage. After talking with Rustin at Rubicon Express, we decided on the Pre-Runners with their heavy-duty dampening, thicker shaft, and built in bumpstops to eliminate the chance that we might damage the shocks by bottoming them out. YJ2K is a very heavy Jeep and it needs beefy shocks to help provide control on the street, but some of the popular shocks are just a wee too stiff for my thirty-something carcass. In our current configuration these shocks ride extremely well both on the street and on the trail, and I extremely pleased with them. To fit the
The springs and shocks were a major part of the suspension, but to really get the best possible performance, I pulled a few other tricks out of the bag. I utilized our existing MORE Shackle Reversal, and expanded our use of the nifty Revolver Shackles to both the front and the rear, then flipped the Ubolts using a kit from Dynatrac. The Shackle Reversal provides a small degree of lift in the front of the vehicle and provides improvements in the vehicle’s ride‌ and I also believe that it enhances articulation. It does create some difficulties as well, requiring use of a longtravel front driveshaft. Also, since the wheels now move up and back upon compression, I needed to do some trimming at the rear of the front wheel well.
A Few Other Goodies
I have used the Revolver Shackles from Metal Made Rite
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30 on the rear and was extremely pleased with them. I was eager to get the same advantages that they provided on the front of the vehicle, as well. The Revolvers provide quite a bit of extra droop as they open up, and their ability to twist decreases torsional stress on the spring. Metal Made Rite also has several other tricks that can help some people get a bit more out of their suspension systems, but it is wise to remember that you should plan on course of systematic upgrades to achieve a goal, and
not just willy-nilly add each of the latest doo-dads that come on the market trying to correct or improve performance (that would be the “dark side” of incrementalism). Using Dynatrac’s front and the rear U-bolt flip kits really cleaned up the suspension’s profile. One of the big advantages of a spring over axle configuration is that nothing hangs down below the axle tubes to snag the rocks. Using Dynatrac’s beefy kit, we minimized all of the components that would traditionally hang
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31 down, while the plates help protect the U-bolts themselves. The pictures show the dramatic improvement between before and after. The springs also help protect some of our steering components and the driveshaft when I am literally dragging the front end across the rocks. All of these tricks helped a great deal, but getting the same altitude (5” +) as a spring over axle suspension, and to accommodate the increased articulation, it took a little fabrication. On a Wrangler (YJ), the shackles normally mount to a hole through the center of the frame. On a CJ, the shackles mount underneath the frame. I relocated the mounting holes for both my front and rear shackles below the frame and fabricated custom mounts out of DOM tubing and 2.5” x .25” square tubing. Because of their location, the front and rear spring hanger designs are significantly different. The new shackle hangers are located almost 3” below their original in-frame position and provide approximately 1.5” of lift at each end of the Jeep Adventure
(without many of the detriments that extended shackles would create in a lift this high). This does significantly change the pinion angle on each end, rotating the rear pinion up and normally would rotate the front pinion down. In my case this was a good thing for the rear, since rotating the rear pinion up a little bit helped to compensate for the increased suspension height. On the front axle, the original MORE shackle reversal was designed to be used with a buggy spring (which also located the shackle hanger under the frame), and the front brackets lower the front spring end mount. As a result, moving the spring hangers under the frame resulted in very little change in the front pinion angle. As I mentioned earlier, I fabricated a new rear shock mounting system. I decided to change the orientation of the shock from a fore-aft mount and angle the shocks laterally across the vehicle . This orientation and angle has several advantages: it allows the use of a longer shock for more Magazine
32 travel, it allows the use of a much stiffer shock than would otherwise be comfortable, and it seems to help to damp roll. A disadvantage for some applications is that this mounting may do less to control spring wrap than the original fore-aft position. I fashioned a new tubular crosspiece with the shock mounts welded on. Since I did not want shock mount binding when flexing to be a limiting factor I also fabricated this so the upper end of the shock mount can rotate around the tubular cross member (see pictures below). The lower end of the shock is mounted to a small 1/4” thick steel tab that was welded to the mounting plate used in the Dynatrac U-bolt flip kit. [Editors note: The Pre-Runner shocks that we are running would be much stiffer if mounted in the normal, near-vertical orientation. Rustin at Rubicon Express says that many of the complaints that about the ride quality of any given lift kit can be traced back to the use of an inexpensive and overly stiff shock. He advises that you speak with a knowledgeable Adventure
expert when choosing shocks for your vehicle. More in Parts II and III Next month, part II will look at some of the general factors involved in shopping for a lift kit and building a flexible suspension. While we often think of just the springs and shocks when thinking of lift, several other items must be taken care of as well if you want to build a super-flexy suspension for the trail that will still be safe on the street. The steering system, lateral axle location, and brake lines are some of critical items that we will be covering in Part III of this article - I will also touch on the ever-problematic issue of the Wrangler’s short drivelines, long-travel drive shafts and roll (sway) control. Results? I would not want to leave everybody hanging until the end of Part II before I discuss how well this works. It has been so long since YJ2K was stock that I can’t calculate exactly how much lift was achieved over a stock suspension, but I Magazine
33 would easily say that we have achieved between 5” and 6” of total lift. This elevation change is comparable to SOA rigs. There is now XX” of clearance below the midline frame rail, and XX” clearance at the rocker panels. After more than a year, I can say that this suspension handles great on both the trail and the street and while the RTI ramp is not the true measure of a suspension’s trail prowess, YJ2K had no problem doing better than 850 on a 30-degree RTI ramp at the 1999 Sierra Trek. This puts it in the same general ballpark as well-done SOA Jeeps, 4” lifted TJs, and many Jeeps with the Warn Coil conversion. If well-planned, a similar spring-under lift project could be done in stages, with the shackle reversal, the Revolvers, and the lift kit being added as they could be afforded - then it is possible to increase your capability at each stage and not breaking the bank all at once. Remember: This is just the way that I did it, not all people will need or want all of these components, and many people may find that
different components or configurations work just as well or better in their individual applications. Incrementalism can be a costly mistake if you do not plan wisely. But if you can follow a good, logical path -- one that does not require completely redoing previous modifications, but instead builds upon them -then you can build your vehicle in incremental steps when you don’t have the spare cash to go straight from stock to dreamJeep in one jump.
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sTREET kING
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GZ
Bike supplied by Buell Tygervalley. Adventure Magazine
37 Part superbike, part street fighter, part café racer. There is no other way to look at it. The styling is so extreme you either like it or you don’t. It is really that simple. The engine is the helicon based unit that is extremely smooth and makes buckets of power for a v-twin… yes really. The Helicon unit produces 146hp @ 9800RPM. The 72 degree V-twin is extremely smooth; however you still know that you are on a Buell. Mirrors vibrate slightly at cruising speed but it seems that as you creep into the Behind the bars speed things tend to smooth out. It’s not like you need mirrors at that speed do you? The Buell has a class leading power-to-weight ratio and unlike the thunderstorm type engine where you have plenty of power from idle, you have to give the helicon a bit or rpm. It loves its ear turned all the way. It’s almost like stepping into mach1 territory. Okay it’s not that fast, but its pretty quick for a naked bike. Power wheelies are not uncommon in the 1st two gears; however 1st gear is very twitchy, so Adventure
hooligan antics should be kept to a minimum if possible and shifted to second gear. Once the front wheel is up pointing to the moon you can keep it there forever, but keep your foot on the back brake when changing gears as we all know Buell’s feature the Goodyear Hibrex final drive belt with no slack, Unlike chains where you have a slight break in drive tension… the Buell just nudges its head even higher! The fuelling is taken care of 61mm dual downdraught throttle bodies with a noticeable induction howl if the gates are open. The redline is set at 10-500Rpm and its pretty high for an engine of this calibre. But enough of the illegal things and more about the bike. The cockpit is very much American Magazine
38 with a digital speedo and an analogue rpm needle. There are so many little functions like a decent trip computer giving average l/100km and current l/100km. There is also a voltage meter, clock and 2 distance trip computers with a next service due indicator. Once you hit reserve it gives you an estimated range, that drops rather suddenly… as we have experienced with other Buell models. The front suspension by Showa is fully adjustable with 47mm inverted forks. The rear suspension is also fully adjustable with an external piggyback reservoir for heat dissipation and it’s mounted directly between the frame and swing-arm without linkage.
I initially expected this 1125cc to be thirsty, but after all the hooligan antics and blazing up and down Franschhoek pass, the computer showed an average of 8l/100km. Not bad I say! The 20l is stored in the frame, again keeping the centre of gravity low. It’s no wonder Buell claims over 50 degree lean angles. Buell brakes has always been in a class of their own with the 8pot (ZTL)front calliper .The stopping power is amazing but to me the rear brake could really do with more feedback. Although this could just be an adjustment, either way the Buell will get you up to speed and down from speed quickly. A nifty little thing I noticed was the adjustable rear brake and
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39 gear lever that you don’t find on my motorcycles these days. The Japanese need to realise that there are bigger shoe sizes then a size 6. The close ratio 6 speed gearbox is close to perfect with the HVA (Hydraulic Vacuum Assist) Slipper clutch. It does its job noticeably well as I never felt the rear lockup under hard downshifts. I did however encounter 2 false neutrals around 4-5gear. Look the CR1125 is not an everyday bike. I don’t think it was designed to take pillion on a 500km return trip. Its best experienced on the track or in the mountains. It rewards you with superb grip in the corners with decent flickability from the low centre of gravity. There are some saddle bags available from Buell should you feel the need to do some road miles. I would however skip that and only start up the bike on Sundays for track Adventure Magazine
40 days or breakfast runs. Such a pity the Buell’s won’t be available for much longer.
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Cederbe
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erg Adventure Bike Challenge
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