Australian Road Rider Issue 99

Roadrider : T ST L G TE GE RE N TY LLI A RE PI

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BIKES, BIKES, BIKES!

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TOUR WITH ARR!

JOIN THE ADVENTURE — SEE P30

10-PAGE BONANZA: 2014’s NEW TOYS PRIZE FIGHT: R1200GS vs 1190 ADVENTURE NAKED BEAUTIES: K1300R vs BRUTALE vs SPEED TRIPLE HI-TECH SUPER SCOOT: PIAGGIO X10 ULTRA-COOL CRUISING: HARLEY SEVENTY-TWO

ON THE ROAD

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

JUPITER’S LEGACY TED SIMON ON 40 YEARS OF TRAVELS AND HIS LATEST INSPIRATIONAL BOOK

PLUS: FJR1300 LONG-TERM WRAP-UP | ORGAN DONATION DEBATE ARR099_COVERS_FINAL.indd 1

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Contents #99 “Anyone who spends long hours alone with himself on the road has to have more in his head than a stock of sterile prejudices.”

— Ted Simon, referring with some surprise to Aussie truckies.

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40 2014 MOTORCYCLES SPECIAL 10 What new bikes are heading our way this year? It’s all here in our special news feature.

TED SIMON INTERVIEW 40 Journeys and interruptions: A lifetime in Jupiter’s orbit.

PLACES TO GO 50 Crossing Australia: Massimiliano’s Nullarbor trek.

58 The GS Safari: On tour with BMW’s most intrepid fans.

66 Sturgis and beyond: A US tour on a modest budget.

74 Been to Bali too? Try renting a bike and seeing more!

BIKES TO RIDE 84 R1200GS vs 1190 Adventure: The adventure-touring alpha males go at it!

96 Naked romp: K1300R, Brutale, Speed Triple R show their muscle.

106 Piaggio X10: The hi-tech, open-road super-scooter.

108 Harley Seventy-Two: Back to the future, man.

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66

GEAR ON TEST 116 Pirelli Angel GT: Genuinely great tyres.

118 MC Performance pipe: Breathing some sport into it.

120 Wunderlich screen extension: Smoother flow.

A BIT OF A LAUGH 82 Jerry built it: Not a tale of engineering excellence.

YARNS AND LAUGHS 4

Mathochism: Transported in more ways than one.

32 Boorman: Loving the Perth show!

35 Seddo: Leader of the pack.

37 McKinnon: Laura Norder’s new man.

39 Gregor: A true mate.

145 Knowledge bank: Organ donation.

146 Last look: The Cocklebiddy census.

MONTHLY MAIL 28 Big Shot: Back to the ’70s.

122 Whatz new: All sorts of cool new stuff.

126 Readers rite: What’s all this about shopping trolleys?

130 Price guide: Plenty of updates for you this month.

140 Bike supermarket: Have you seen the cool stuff in here?

144 Advertiser listing: Where’d you see that ad again?

96 AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 5

MATHOCHISM Going faster at slower speeds? Or just hooning?

TRANSPORTED The bike you ride will do more than simply take you places MICK MATHESON he level of involvement makes motorcycling so addictive and desirable. You could say it’s the wind in your face. Or the ground rolling beneath you. Leaning into corners. Being at one with the machine. The immersion in speed. It’s all these things and more. For every one of us, motorcycling is defined by different measures of all sorts of thrills and various types of rewards. The experience of riding is like colour: there are millions of colours to suit many scenes, moods and purposes,

T

6 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

and you might like some more than others, but take them away and grey fills the world.

For all its shades, motorcycling does unite us all, from tourers to racers, dirt riders to road riders, cruisers to sportsbikes. Speed is one of the purest and most popular thrills of motorcycling.

Always has been, always will be. Going fast is a basic human desire that probably predated the first horseman. Proto-bikers in about 1900 bolted an engine into a bicycle with the sole goal of going faster, although strangely it was to enable

pedal-powered bikes to go faster because the petrol-powered ones were just pace vehicles for the cyclists to follow.

It must have taken about five seconds for the first pacer to realise the potential of the machine between his legs and he le the pedallers to their own destiny.

Motorcycle riders have been chasing speed ever since. I know it drove me in my early days. It wasn’t long before I discovered the ag bike’s top speed was 60kmh … and strewth, did that feel fast! My eyes streamed, my ears rang, my heart beat and my mind was made up. I’d get a licence when I grew up.

Speed is far from being the only reason to ride, of course. Bikes take us somewhere, both physically and metaphorically. Cars, buses, trains, planes and our own feet also take us places, so it’s obviously not the destination that calls us into the saddle instead of the seat (or boots). The a raction lies in where we go inside ourselves on our way to Point B. You can do a bit of inner travelling in a car or whatever, but the bike adds something. On a bike, you touch the journey — the wind blasts you, the temperature changes, bugs smack you.

There’s even the smells, an aspect of the journey that car drivers rarely enjoy. It all adds intensity, which influences what’s happening in your head.

The other influence is the bike itself.

Yes, it’ll thrill you with speed and transport you to unexpected places, but all the time you’re absolutely conscious of the machine you’re on, sometimes more so than at other times and perhaps more intensely on some bikes than others, but it’s always there. Your choice of bike has an enormous effect on how involved you get with your ride. It’s more important than the speed you reach or the places you go, because the motorcycle you ride has a profound influence on how you experience the speed and the journey.

A Yamaha employee came up with a succinct phrase to describe the new MT-09: “Going faster at slower speeds.”

I can tell you it works for the MT-09 (the test is coming in a couple of issues) because you don’t have to ride it at 200km/h to have all the fun you’d have on an R1. The new MT triple doesn’t have an exclusive licence on the concept, though, and it’s the same sentiment that is driving so many riders onto adventure bikes, cruisers and nakeds while the sportsbike market contracts.

In the end, it’s about having fun on your bike. And it’s pre y hard not to, eh? ARR

I WILL. RIDE MORE IN 2014.

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800cc inline twin Standard Features ABS (switchable), heated grips, on board comp., pannier fast., centre stand, white LED ind.

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Price may vary according to individual circumstances and may vary between BMW Motorrad dealers and states/territories. Stock may vary between BMW Motorrad dealers. Excludes fleet, government and rental buyers. Consult your participating BMW Motorrad dealer for further details. BMW Group Australia reserves the right to change or extend the offer.

Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

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Editor Mick Matheson Sub-Editor Karina Piddington Designer Jarrad McCallum Photographers Anne Baker, Jeff Crowe, Alex Juris, Keith Muir, Ted Simon, Greg Smith, Heather Ware Contributors Charley Boorman, Ariel HillMatheson, Mark Hinchliffe, Stevie Jordan, Justin Law, James Maloney, Sam Manicom, Bill McKinnon, Steve Melchior, Ian Neubauer, Massimiliano Perrella, Greg Reynolds, Geoff Seddon, Ma hew Shields, Ron Spriggs

R E A L

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Australian Road Rider #99 is published by Australian Publishing, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road South Melbourne, Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9694 6444 Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed by Webstar Sydney, distributed by Network Services, Phone: (02) 9282 8777.

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NEWS

$85,000 DUCATI HEADLINES EICMA The world’s biggest motorcycle show didn’t disappoint late last year with a host of new models, concepts and updates, pointing to a very positive 2014 for the industry. The 71st EICMA (or International Exhibition of Cycle and Motorcycle Accessories) in Milan housed 1408 brands from 38 countries in 130,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor space across six pavilions.

Italian brands went all out to introduce showstopper models including Ducati’s $85,000 limited edition 1199 Superleggera and MV Agusta’s first touring bike. However, it was American icon Harley-Davidson which caused the biggest shock when it released the new Street family, including the learner-approved Street 500.

APRILIA

Another shock came from British sportscar manufacturer Caterham, who will follow Lotus into motorcycles.

Two of their three offerings were electric bikes and there were many more plug-in two-wheelers on show, clearly indicating an electrifying future for motorcycles.

Here are the highlights in alphabetical order:

■ BMW’s superbike sheds the fairing to become the S1000R

The 2014 RSV4 R ABS and RSV4 Factory ABS have become more powerful and technological. Aprilia revised the 65-degree V4 to produce 184 horsepower and 117Nm of torque. The RSV4 Factory ABS even allows riders to adjust engine position in the bike’s chassis. The bikes also get an updated, multi-map, three-level ABS system that uses a Bosch 9MP ABS unit. Level 1 is track-focused, level 2 is for the street and level 3 is for riding in the rain.

They also have a bigger fuel tank up 1.5L to 18.5L, modified side panels for improved ergonomics and new Brembo monobloc M430 radial-mount brake calipers at the front. They come in matt black and red, while the RSV4 Factory ABS is only available in black.

BIMOTA The troubled Italian manufacturer celebrated their recent sale to Swiss financiers with the launch of the new BB3 sportsbike powered by BMW’s S1000RR 193bhp inline-four. With its trellis frame and carbon-fibre bodywork, the Bimota BB3 weighs just 179kg.

Apart from the new BB3, Bimota announced it will celebrate their 40th birthday by building 40 units of the Tesi 40th edition, which has a front swingarm and hub-centre steering. The bike will be fitted with an 1100cc aircooled V-twin from Ducati.

10 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BMW It’s going to be a busy first half of the year for BMW after unveiling three new models at the Milan bike show. There is the BMW nineT roadster with an innovative convertible seat, a naked version of the S10000RR sportsbike and the water-cooled RT. BMW Motorrad product communications manager, Scott Croaker,

says they will all arrive by about April. No prices have yet been confirmed.

The BMW R nineT started life as the Concept Ninety designed by master customisers Roland Sands Designs of LA. The production version has some changes but is still a sexy roadster with its wire wheels, round headlight, scalloped tank, short fenders, double one-sided

NEWS

■ The new R1200RT features BMW’s water-cooled flat twin engine with better performance and new electronic aids

megaphone exhausts, single-sided Paralever swingarm and gold anodised upside-down forks from the S1000RR instead of BMW’s ubiquitous Telelever.

BMW also stripped off the RR to produce the R roadster featuring much of the same technology. It has 118kW, weighs just 207kg and features Race ABS, ASC and a choice of two riding modes as standard, making it the most technological roadster on the market. Options include Pro mode with two additional modes, dynamic traction control and dynamic damping control.

The engineers have modified the S1000RR 999cc four-cylinder inline engine to provide “punchy response all the way through the rpm range”. Low and mid-range power and torque have been significantly increased and maximum revs have been reduced by 2000. Maximum power is now reached at 11,000rpm and peak torque of 112Nm at 9250rpm. Up to 7500rpm, this engine develops 10Nm more torque than the S1000RR. This was achieved by redesigning the cylinder head ducts, modified cam profiles and engine management modifications. The new BMS-X engine management system also supports an E-Gas “throttle-bywire” system.

The third new Beemer at Milan was the RT, which is the second partially watercooled boxer after the GS. Also, like the R1200GS, it features the exhaust and drive shaft switched around. The new engine produces the same peak outputs as the GS — 92kW at 7750rpm and 125Nm at 6500rpm — and the centrifugal masses of both the crankshaft and the alternator were increased for smoother running. It also uses a longer secondary transmission ratio to keep the revs lower.

The RT comes standard with stability control and two riding modes — Rain and Road — while the optional Pro

mode includes Dynamic mode and Hill Start Control. Together with optional Gear Shift Assistant Pro for clutchless shifts it makes riding almost foolproof. The RT also has optional Dynamic ESA and semi-active suspension to suit riding conditions, luggage load and a pillion.

BMW claims to have increased seating comfort and ergonomics with a 20mm lower riding position and a more aerodynamic windshield. The front headlight assembly is based on the headlight design featured on the K1600 but doesn’t have the turning feature of the big tourer. A safety-enhancing daytime running light can be fitted as an ex-works option. The RT’s new instrument cluster has a large 5.7in TFT colour display and the factory-fitted optional audio system uses the K1600’s multi-controller on the left handlebar.

CATERHAM British handmade sportscar makers Caterham are turning to motorcycles.

Earlier last year Lotus announced its intentions to make a limited edition of V-twin-powered Lotus C-01 sportsbikes and now Caterham has launched its first motorcycle division with three prototypes. Caterham Bikes unveiled the Brutus 750 adventure bike and two electric bikes — Classic E-Bike and the Carbon E-Bike in Milan. They promised the bikes would be “affordable” although their spartan sportscars cost between $50,000 and $90,000.

Production begins in the second quarter of this year, starting with the Brutus 750 adventure bike. They will target the European, North and South American markets, and Asia. There is no word about Australia, although the company does sell its sportscars here.

Caterham describes the fat-tyred Brutus 750 as the “SUV of motorcycles”. It will operate as a street bike, off-road machine or even a snowmobile with conversion in less than four hours. It features an automatic transmission and two-wheel drive. The retro-styled bicycle-inspired Classic E-Bike has a range of 40km-80km and does not require a licence to ride in Europe, while the modern-looking Carbon E-Bike is inspired by F1 technology. A limited edition version featuring exclusive F1 input and materials is being explored.

Caterham Group co-chairman Tony Fernandes said expanding interests into motorcycles is “another natural progression for us and is a good opportunity to showcase the breadth of knowledge, experience and creativity we have at our disposal across the group”. Although Caterham has made three-wheelers before, they have never made a two-wheeler. However, cochairman Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun says motorcycle production has been a key objective “since day one of Caterham Group”.

“We are establishing ourselves in markets where we can bring new thinking, innovative concepts and products that will be game-changers.

Caterham Bikes does exactly that.

Having launched our Moto2 team recently at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the launch of Caterham Bikes takes us from the track to the road — we have partnered with industry experts and we have long-terms plans for the business that are ambitious but achievable, the perfect mix for success.”

■ Caterham’s 750 Brutus could start a new trend

■ Caterham is doing innovative things in pushbikes, too

■ We’d like this one better if it was a real engine!

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 11

NEWS

■ The ultra-trick Superleggera gave Ducati management good reason to smile. They’re all sold already

■ The new Monster is an impressive evolution of the beast we’ve loved for so long

DUCATI In its home country, Ducati always tries to steal the show, but this time they released one of their showstoppers prior to its unveiling in Milan. The limited edition $85,000 1199 Superleggera was announced two weeks before the show where it was finally revealed for the public. Only 500 of the lightweight Panigales will be available and they are expected to be snapped up by collectors. It is made of exotic and expensive materials such as titanium, magnesium and carbon fibre and Ducati claims it will have the highest powerto-weight ratio of any production motorcycle with more than 200hp (149kW) and weighing just 155kg dry and 177kg wet.

■ Harley’s Street is aimed squarely at a younger, urban, international market. LAMS is almost an accident

HARLEY-DAVIDSON The new Street family of entry level Harleys are liquid-cooled V-twin powered with toothed belt drive and similar layout to the Sportsters. Australia will only get the learnerapproved Street 500 and it won’t be arriving 12 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

But Milan was really about the new Monster 1200 and 1200S which was voted Most Beautiful Bike of Show on the closing day of the EICMA. Powered by the 1198 Testastretta 11-degree DS engine with an enhanced set-up for mid-range power delivery and rideability, the new flagship of the family has a new chassis and muscular design plus many of their technologies, including eight-level traction control, threelevel ABS and three-level Ride-by-Wire. The Monster 1200 comes with high-spec brakes, suspension, single-sided swingarm, lightweight wheels and an adjustable seat height.

The S model produces an extra 7kW of power (106kW) and an extra 7Nm (124Nm) of torque in a lightweight chassis that tips the scales at just 182kg dry. You can tell them apart easily as the Monster 1200 has a red frame and black wheels, while the S has a red frame and glossy black wheels or white with bronze-coloured frame and glossy black wheels. Ducati also showed its new mini-Panigale, the 899.

Power is quoted at 109kW, torque is 98.9Nm and dry weight is just 169kg, so it should be quick.

We can expect to see the new Ducatis in Australia early this year.

■ One glance tells you the Street is all new for Harley

■ Customisation is being pushed right from the start

until January 2015. Price is not yet decided, but it will be between $10,000 and $12,000, ride away. Built in Kansas and India, it is yet to be confirmed where the bikes coming to Australia will be made. They are powered by the Revolution X, 60-degree V-twin, SOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder, precision-liquidcooled engine. The only difference in the 750cc is a bigger bore. No output figures have yet been released.

It weighs in at a lightweight (for Harley)

217kg, has a 645mm seat, mid-mount controls, single front brake disc with dual piston caliper, 17-inch front wheel, 15-inch rear wheel and dual shocks. Both Street models come with a 12.5L tank which is the same capacity as the 883 Iron and much larger than the H-D Forty Eight fuel capacity at a meagre 7.9L. It has a teardrop tank, premium paint, cafe racer screen, LED tail lights, locking fuel cap and forks, and metal tank and fenders. It comes in black or red.

NEWS

■ The Fireblade SP has all the good gear, including Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes

■ The faired CBR650F is slated to import but not the naked CB560F

HONDA Like most Japanese manufacturers, Honda normally holds back something special for the Tokyo Motor Show, but dazzled everyone with a host of new and updated models in Milan. Not the least of which is the CBR300R which will take on the marketleading Kawasaki Ninja 300 face-to-face, cube-for-cube. The new model looks like a mini-Fireblade, rather than the CBR250R which resembles the more sombre VFR1200. Honda Australia spokesman Glyn Griffiths says they expect the CBR300R to arrive in early in the second quarter of 2014 in black or red with optional ABS. Showing its continuing commitment to sportsbikes, Hondas unveiled an SP version of the Fireblade. This track-focused machine comes with Öhlins suspension, Brembo mono block front brake calipers, single seat and tricolour paint. Honda also showed the naked CB650F and faired CBR650F fourcylinder middleweight sportsbikes powered by a 649cc DOHC, 16-valve inline-four that produces 64kW of power and 63Nm at mid

■ Look out Ninja, here comes the CBR300R

14 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

revs. They have a twin-spar steel chassis, aluminium swingarm, 211kg kerb weight and standard ABS. Honda claims fuel economy better than 5L/100km with range of more than 350km from the 16.6L tank.

Glyn says they are “looking at bringing in the CBR650F” around the second quarter of 2014 but not the CB650F. No price as yet.

Not content with following rigid segment rules, Honda unveiled its crossover CTX1300, which is a cross between a tourer and cruiser. It is powered by the VFR1200 V4 engine with 62kW of power, 106Nm of torque, a five-speed transmission, shaft drive and a 19.5L under-seat fuel tank. It arrives in the second half of the year with traction control, linked ABS, 43mm USD forks, LED headlight and tail light and a Bluetooth audio system. Honda also ■ Honda isn’t afraid to break from the norm. The CTX1300 is due later in 2014

added dual-clutch transmissions to the Integra scooter, NC700S and NC700X and updated the VFR1200X Crosstourer with self-cancelling indicators, a new seat and improved traction control. There is also an army camouflage paint option.

The VFR800F gets an even bigger update with LED lights, a slimmer waist, 10kg drop in weight and a lighter singlesided muffler replacing the underseat exhaust. Honda has also made the bike more manageable with traction control and ABS, more bottom and mid-range power, and a softer VTEC transition.

Suspension has been modified with a Pro-Arm single-sided swingarm, new 43mm telescopic forks and new rear shock.

VFR800F will arrive in the second quarter of 2014 in black and red.

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NEWS

HUSQVARNA Husqvarna’s showstopper was a very svelte-looking supermoto concept. The 701 prototype features minimalist styling, smooth contours, miniature LED headlights and a rather uncomfortable

looking perch. It is powered by a 690cc single-cylinder engine with 55kW of power and features a lightweight chromoly steel trellis frame, WP fork and shock and Brembo radial brakes. Apart from the

supermoto, the rest of their bikes were off-road models. It seems that the future for Husqvarna will remain largely off-road, now that it has bought from BMW by a company owned by a KTM board member.

maxi scooter powered by a 299cc singlecylinder engine with CVT automatic transmission. Importantly the company

said it would release more lower-capacity models, saying that the Ninja 300 sports bike was “just the start”. But power is still big with Kawasaki, which also released the latest Z1000 supernaked. Kawasaki Australia spokesman Rudi Baker says they arrive early this year but price is not yet confirmed.

The Z1000 now comes with electronic traction control with three levels of adjustment and two engine maps which can be selected via a toggle on the left switchblock. The Kawasaki Z1000SX also gets a power boost from 138hp at 9600rpm to 142hp at 10,000rpm, with peak torque of 111Nm at 7300rpm, up just 1Nm, but at 500 fewer revs. The engine maps are F for full and L for low which cuts power by 30 per cent for riding in the rain or relaxed touring with a pillion.

Other updates include a handoperated preload adjustment knob for the shock, stiffer rear spring, monobloc brake calipers and shorter and lighter exhausts. But possibly the biggest change in the Kawasaki Z1000SX is in the bigger panniers. They are now 28L, yet they have been cleverly restyled so they are actually narrower and don’t look as bulky. Take the panniers off and they have “invisible” supports rather than ugly tubular steel frames, so they don’t spoil the look of the bike in its naked form.

■ Husky’s unique 701 prototype is built to be ridden

■ The Z1000SX puts sport into sports-touring

KAWASAKI The green machine only released two new motorcycles — at both ends of the spectrum. At the low end is the J300 16 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEWS

■ The 1290 SuperDuke might be where the excitement was, but much of KTM’s action is in the smaller-capacity roadbikes

KTM While everyone was waiting to get their first live view of the hotly anticipated SuperDuke 1290R, it was a trio of smallbore sportsbikes that stole a lot of attention. The RC390, RC200 and RC125 are natural extensions of the Austrian company’s dominant presence in Moto3.

They are all powered by liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, four-valve, singlecylinder engines and the bikes’ steel tube trellis frames have been optimised for street/track use. Differences from the 390/200/125 Duke series are a steeper steering head, less trail, shorter wheelbase and a more aggressive suspension set-up with firmer spring rates and reduced travel.

The race-replica bikes are fitted with high-end components such as a 43mm USD fork from WP, Brembo brakes, ABS and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 110/70 (front) and 150/60 (rear) tyres. KTM Australia marketing and communications manager Greg 18 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Chambers says they will import the RC390 only and it will arrive in November 2014. Price is not yet confirmed. KTM’s SuperDuke 1290R was almost an anticlimax after most of the information on the so-called “beast” had been previously released. It has a 134kW engine, making it the most powerful in KTM’s range. The sporty roadster has a total weight of just 189kg, with acceleration from 0kmh to 200kmh in 7.2 seconds.

The SuperDuke 1290R will also be equipped with antilock brakes and traction control. Greg says it will arrive in March at $23,495 plus on-road costs.

“The road side of our business is really gaining momentum,” he says.

MOTO GUZZI The retro range of V7 models gets a new, wet flywheel to replace the dry alternator, which slightly modifies the front of the 90-degree V-twin. The range also adds some new colours and trim.

The V7 racer looks even more retro with its new brown alcantara leather seat and leather strap across the tank. Moto Guzzi announced a range of factory accessories for the 2014 V7 range, including a slip-on racing exhaust kit from Arrow, single-seat exhaust brackets kit (which allows you to remove the passenger footrests and convert the V7 Stone and V7 Special into single-seat machines), high-performance Bitubo shock absorbers kit, brushed aluminium side fairings kit, touring windshield kit, side panniers kit, luggage rack kit, gel comfort seat and more.

The Mandello del Lario company also displayed their special edition Griso 8V Black Devil, which gets a matte-black paintjob with silver stripes and blackpainted frame, wheels, steering plates and handlebar. The Black Devil’s spoked wheels get a cool red Moto Guzzi logo. It comes with fully adjustable 43mm USD forks and adjustable Boge rear shock with progressive-rate spring.

NEWS

■ The triple-outlet exhaust is the hallmark of the new MV 800cc triples

■ We’ll have to wait till 2015 for MV’s sexy, light, fast and hi-tech tourer, the Veloce 800

MV AGUSTA The iconic sportsbike manufacturer showed a whopping six new bikes. The highlight is the “fast touring” hi-tech Turismo Veloce 800, but Australia will have to wait until 2015 for the bikes to arrive. Turismo Veloce has integrated panniers, LED headlamp and tail lamp, a compact triple exhaust and single-sided aluminium-alloy swingarm. It is powered 20 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ The Rivale 800 is due in January

by a 798cc three-cylinder engine with 93kW, dry weight of 207kg and a claimed top speed of 240km/h.

They feature the new MVCSC (MV Agusta Chassis Stability Control) electronic stability control system, electronically controlled semi-active suspension, MVICS 2.0 (Motor & Vehicle Integrated Control System), EAS 2.0 (electronically assisted shifting) gear change system that allows clutchless gear shifts, an engine immobiliser, ABS, an integrated GPS and even an antiwheelie system.

There is also a Turismo Veloce Lusso version with a host of extras. On the Lusso, the MVCSC 2.0 system controls the bike’s Sachs front fork and rear monoshock, with the ECU using MV’s ‘Skyhook’ algorithm to adjust the suspension’s compression and rebound damping on the fly, based on road conditions, speed and other variables.

MV Agusta also showed its Rivale 800, which is their belated entry into the hypermotard category dominated

by Italian rival Ducati with their Hypermotard 820.

MV Agusta imports spokesman Kevin Beale says they expect to receive their first consignment in January and plan to release it at $20,990. There is also a Rivale LT weekend tourer version planned production for late 2014. Pricing has not yet been confirmed. The Rivale 800 is based heavily on the Brutale 800,

but has a bored-out version of their 675cc triple with 92kW of power at the stratospheric revs of 12,000rpm and maximum torque of 84Nm at a more conservative 8600 revs.

There are three new engine maps and eight levels of traction control.

The Rivale 800 has a steel trellis frame, single-sided aluminium swingarm, Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock, and has a dry weight of just 178kg. It comes with a quickshifter and a new digital dashboard with a multi-function display.

Brakes are 320mm discs up front with twin four-piston Brembo radial calipers and a 220mm disc at the rear with a twin-piston caliper. The Rivale 800 will arrive in red and silver or black and red paintwork.

A limited edition B3 800 Dragster will be available here in May/June with pricing not yet confirmed. The very bobby dragster-style B3 has a short seat and Rivale bar-end mirrors. Although no prices are yet released, you can also expect to pay a lot for the very limited F3 800 Ago hand signed by racer Giacomo Agostina. Only 200 or 300 will be produced.

PEUGEOT The French manufacturer is going modern classic with its Django which resurrects the S55/S57 of the 1950s.

The “neo-retro” scooter sits on 12-inch wheels and comes in 50cc, 125cc and 150cc variants.

CROSS COUNTRY

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NEWS

SUZUKI The Japanese manufacturer held back its juicy turbo sportsbike for the Tokyo Motor Show. Instead, it unveiled its most advanced adventure model yet, the V-Strom 1000, which features a new 1037cc V-twin engine developed to deliver excellent low-mid-range power. They also unveiled the new Burgman 200 scooter.

Both were shown two weeks later at the Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show.

Suzuki’s showstopper turbo sportsbike was held back for the Tokyo Motor Show just a few weeks was later.

The Recursion is powered by a turbocharged 588cc parallel twin that pumps out 75kW of power at 8000rpm with a massive 100Nm of peak torque from just 4500rpm. It may not have a litre-capacity engine and may be 30kW shy of the naturally aspirated Gixxer, but it is only 10Nm short and looks to be way lighter. Suzuki also reserved its electric monkey bike concept, the Extrigger, for Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Suzuki unveiled its largely unchanged 2014 GSX-R1000. It is still

■ Suzuki’s new V-Strom 1000 is a big improvement on the old one

■ A range of accessories will turn the V-Strom into a better adventurer

■ Performance is stronger in the new Strom

powered by a 999cc inline-four with 130kW of power and a kerb weight of 203kg. New for 2014 are paint schemes

and a higher grip seat. However, it still has no traction control or ABS like many of its competitors.

■ The he Thunderbird LT takes on the Road King as a touring cruiser

■ The Commander is a tough new cruiser from Triumph

■ The Tiger XC LE is a styling exercise in red and black

TRIUMPH The Thunderbird range welcomes two new models both featuring the 1699cc engine from the Storm, which is the world’s largest parallel twin. Thunderbird LT features the world’s first white-walled radial tyres while the Commander has dual-layer foam seat with lumbar support.

Both models will be available in Australia in spring. The LT comes with ultra-wide wire-spoked wheels, shrouded Showa forks, twin five-way preload adjustable 22 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Showa rear shocks, quickly-detachable windshield, detachable leather saddlebags, custom-style mudguards and ABS. It will arrive in blue and white or red and black.

The Commander also has the 1699cc parallel twin with 151Nm of torque, plus ultra-wide wheels and tyres, shrouded forks, drainpipe exhausts, chrome highlights, wide footboards and Triumph’s signature twin headlamps. It features two-tone paint. Triumph also announced

minor cosmetic updates to the America and Speedmaster cruisers, plus a special edition Tiger 800XC. The Tiger arrives in Volcanic Black paintwork with a red main frame and cockpit infill, and black handlebars, heat shields and pillion grab rails. ABS is standard.

Triumph also announced at the show that it was developing a 250cc singlecylinder sportsbike to be made in India for their local market only.

NEWS

■ The MT concept expands with a parallel twin, the 700cc 07 model

VESPA The 45-year-old Vespa Primavera has been en redesigned to take in some of the design n cues from the uber-modern 946. It will arrive in n Australia in April. One of the longest-running ning Vespa models, the Primavera comes in 50cc, 0cc, 125cc and 150cc variants.

■ This styled-up MT-09 is the Street Rally version

YAMAHA The “Masters of Torque” range has increased eased with Yamaha unveiling the Street Rally version of the recently released MT-09 895cc triple ple and a new MT-07 689cc parallel twin. The Street et Rally is a cosmetic update with hand guards, a small beak, air filter covers, small side fairings, s, a flat and raised saddle and off-road-style footpegs. otpegs.

The MT-07’s engine pumps out 55kW and 68Nm nd 68 8Nm and features a steel monorail chassis with ith asymmetrical swingarm, conventional forks,, Monocross rear and full digital instrumentation. tion.

It weighs in at only 179kg.

Meanwhile, Yamaha is following Piaggio into three-wheeler scooters, and like their MP3, Yamaha’s Tricity will lean into corners.

The scooter has a liquid-cooled 125cc fourstroke engine and CVT automatic transmission. ion.

However, at just 150kg dry weight, it is lighter and more compact than other threewheeler scooters on the market. Yamaha also o points out that the Tricity’s underseat storage e accommodates a full-face helmet. Yamaha Australia communications manager Sean Goldhawk says they are trying to get all of the he new models but nothing is confirmed yet.

24 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Yamaha has taken the threewheel option with the Tricity

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You can’t design a pair of gloves like you design an item of clothing. When you’re on a motorbike, the glove isn’t just an accessory, it tells the bike how you’re feeling. Whether you’re overtaking, braking as you reach a bend or making sure you get every last bit of juice from the engine, it’s responsible for so many decisions that can influence performance and safety.

That’s why FIVE’s sole aim is to develop and produce the most advanced gloves, using cuttingedge technology and drawing on our wealth of racing experience. Your hands will feel the difference! Sam does!

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NEWS

■ The latest Zero has more power and torque as well as up to 275km on one charge

ZERO In a huge leap for the adoption of electricpowered two-wheelers, Californian company Zero Motorcycles announced at the show that it now achieves range of 275km. Zero Motorcycles Australia began selling non-registrable off-road bikes in 2009 and added the street-legal S and DS in November 2010. For 2014, Zero has ditched the MX off-roader and gone to an all road line-up, adding the Zero SR, which boosts power to 49kW and a hefty 143Nm of torque for electrifying (pun intended) acceleration to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds. The SR represents a quantum leap of 56 per cent in torque and 24 per cent in power over the S model, which takes five seconds to hit highway speed. Top speed of the S is a shade over 160km/h.

But the really good news is that range anxiety has been eased with an optional “Z-Force Power Tank” or extra battery that replaces the parcel container at the base of the bike. Zero claims it increases range to 275km in the city and 141km at highway speeds, although you might have to be conservative in your riding style and use the eco setting rather than 26 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

the sport setting. The power pack can be retrofitted to all new model Zero bikes.

There is also a quick-charge kit available.

Zero Motorcycles Australia director of sales for Asia/Pacific Phil Wilkinson says they are still discussing which models will come to Australia. Zero has also improved the suspension with 43mm front forks, wider triple clamps and a

reworked rear shock. The bikes get a new dash with a high-contrast blue backlit LCD screen that indicates rider mode — Eco, Sport or the new Custom mode — which are selectable via a new right hand switch gear. They also feature an aerodynamic chin fairing that funnels air into the powertrain to provide additional air-cooling.

Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

PHOTO: Ted Simon

28 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

R E A L

R I D E

THE THINGS YOU SEE

BIG SHOT Another time and another place? Ted Simon snapped this photo on a remote part of the Australian coast in the 1970s, during his now famous travels. It is one of many seeing the light of day in his new book, Jupiter’s Travels In Camera. It all looks so different … yet not.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 29

INTRODUCING THE NEW

Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

A D V E N T U R E

R E A L

R I D E

2 0 1 4

10-DAY SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE RIDE START

APRIL 2014

SYDNEY

1 GOULBURN

1 BRIGHT 1 ADELONG

1 CASTLEMAINE 1 ECHUCA

2 HALLS GAP 1 PORT CAMPBELL

FINISH

1 QUEENSCLIFF

MELBOURNE

This superb ride offers a great taste of all that Southern Australia has to offer. From the iconic Blue Mountains to the legendary High Country, Ancient landscapes, wild rivers and worldrenowned coastal roads — this ride has it all.

APRIL 2014

Day 1: Goulburn Today’s ride takes us into the Blue Mountains and the stunning views of the Three Sister’s lookout from Echo Point. From Katoomba, we ride onto Oberon and turn south through rolling country side and onto Australia’s first inland city of Goulburn — our overnight stay.

Day 2: Adelong We ride to Canberra today via the lonely Tarago road. In Canberra, we shall visit the amazing War Memorial before riding onto Yass then taking the dirt of the Wee Jasper Way toward Tumut and our overnight stay at the bikerfriendly The Royal Hotel.

Day 3: Bright An extraordinary ride today of winding mounta in roads and spectacular scenery into the high country of the Kosciusz ko National Park through Cabramurra and Khancoban and onto Corryon g. From Corryong, we ride onto one of the jewels in Victoria’s crown, Bright, spectacularly set at the foothills of the Alpine National Park.

Day 4: Castlemaine From Bright, we ride south along the Great Dividing Range to Lake Eildon before crossing the Hume Highway and riding into the trendy yet very scenic Macedon Ranges region before arriving at our destination: the old gold rush town of Castlemaine.

Day 5: Echuca Riding north, we cross the vast farmlands of Northern Victoria

IN COLLABORATION WITH..

country towns en-route to the historical townshi p of Echuca, located on the mighty Murray River. An afternoon and night is spent here allowing us time to explore what is known as the paddle-steamer capital of the world.

Day 6 & 7: Halls Gap Today’s ride travels south west through more tiny settlements and farmlands toward the 300-million-year-old Grampians National Park, where we spend the next two nights. A stunning (dirt) ride can be enjoyed through the Grampians or for the paved-road-only riders, numerous vantage points and lookouts can also be ridden to. Two nights are spent here allowing us time to really explore one of the most ancient landscapes in the world.

Day 8: Port Campbell We ride onto the legendary Great Ocean Road today, visiting the many superb lookouts that dot this spectacular coastline of towering cliffs that rise above pounding seas. A visit to the iconic 12 Apostles , Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge are all part of this stunning ride. Tonight is spent in the beautiful town of Port Campbell, where we can enjoy a beer and seafood meal at a pub overlooking the bay.

Day 9: Queenscliff Continuing along the Great Ocean Road, we shall visit the Cape Otway Lighthouse for guaranteed Koala sightings before riding onto the Bellarine Peninsula and staying overnight at the historic resort town of Queenscliff, a favourite for Melbournians since the 1880s with its classic hotels and wide streets.

Day 10: Melbourne A short ferry ride will see us on the Mornington Peninsula before riding to Phillip Island, home of the MotoGP, and onward tto o tth the e fa amous famous mou ous u Ree Reeft eeft efton fton a and n Black Bla ack ck Spur Spur u rides es through th hroug rou ugh h th he st the tun stunning unn unni ning Y ni Yarra arra rra r R Ran Ra Ranges ang gess Nationa Nati ati tio onal nal par p pa park. a k. T This hiss wond won wonder ond derfu fful ull 10 10-day -day d y day ride e termina ter te erminates mina min ina nates tes in in Melbour Melbo elb lb bou bo urne ne ne. e.

through small

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Charley and the boys from Auto Classic Motorcycles

A MONTH DOWN UNDER:

TOO EASY! Charley pens his thoughts on Perth as he sits in the airport waiting for the gate… arly 2013, Billy, who manages many of my projects, was working on an itinerary for a quick trip to Australia in my autumn — your summer. In cahoots with Peter Woods, the director of the Perth Motorcycle and Scooter Show, they planned out my Movember. October 2013, I’d only just returned from riding two months in Africa, 15,000 kilometres. Home for 10 days — not even enough time to wash my riding socks! I went shopping with my girls Doone and Kinvara, gave my beautiful wife Ollie a quick peck on the cheek and le dear old Blighty again, heading back to Oz … my third time this year!

E

32 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Billy’s plan was we fly to Perth for the bike show, do a few other bits and pieces and then head over to Sydney for more of the same. The Sydney bike show was just two weeks a er Perth, so it would be rude not to. Together with this, we thought it would be a good opportunity to try out our “Evening with Charley Boorman Live” show and see if it worked out here in this antipodean paradise.

Strangely, Billy was keen to make it a long trip — adding in all sorts of stuff plus various planning meetings for a national theatre tour across Australia. Odd, I thought, seeing as we’d both been away from home so long this year.

So this month’s column is a li le recap of my Movember in what can only be described as a home from home at the other side of the world. Whenever I’m here I do feel strangely at home. It’s like visiting old friends or even relatives, where you can relax in their house without feeling awkward or imposing. You can even feel comfortable on the loo. Having le the old country with sparrows, blackbirds and song thrushes, I’m then waking up to parrots, cockatoos and “great big galahs”.

I’ve been to Australia many times, but I’d never been to WA. Arriving in Perth was pre y cool. It’s got a real “New York” skyline — yet a er spending a short time in the city, it’s actually pre y compact and easy to

BOORMAN navigate around. The Perth bike show was at the Claremont Showground, a great bit of space that works well for an action show.

They’d imported rocks and hundreds of tonnes of earth to create a temporary offroad adventure track, as well as a cool area for trial riding and stunt displays. They even had a supermoto track — again all outside.

With the weather guaranteed, it was set for a great weekend.

On our arrival Billy announced that, “coincidently”, his brother had emigrated to Perth just a few months earlier — and wasn’t it great that he can spend some time with him — just coincidentally! Well, this brought a smile to my face and explained a lot of things. So our itinerary was speckled with “visit brother”, “invite brother” etc.

Joking aside, it was fantastic that Billy could connect with his brother like this. Both the Aussies and the Brits know how hard it can be leaving friends and families to venture to foreign climes.

The Perth bike show was fantastic and made me realise how lucky you are over here to have such reliable weather. The show was packed, there was something for everyone and it had a great carnival atmosphere. I watched one of the stunt riders do a full back flip, all from a 50cm kicker ramp — incredible. And then the supermoto guys flying into the corners and backing it in sideways — just a few feet from where we were watching. The smell of the hot engines, the roar of the bikes as they kicked them down the gears with the tyres squealing — it’s just marvellous. With motocross displays, quad bikes for the kids

and even scooter test rides, it was a brilliant family weekend.

The show opened with a massive ride in — headed by none other than Mick Doohan, your very own Australian biking legend. Five times World Champion no less! I’d only ever read about Mick — now I was riding alongside him (er, with about 1800 other riders). But still, it was such a privilege. We’d been loaned a couple of nice Beemers from Auto Classic BMW in Victoria Park. I was on my trusty 1200 GSA while Billy had the new 800 Adventure — a fantastic new offering from BMW, especially with its Enduro mode and extra fuel capacity; great travel bike.

Another special guest at the show was Jeremy McWilliams, a MotoGP veteran and a real hard core road racer from Northern Ireland. Jeremy is a good friend of mine, so it was great to meet up over here. As well as appearing at the Perth show, Jeremy was leading a master class at the Barbagallo Raceway, just up the road, with TrakDayz. We tagged along, borrowed some bits and pieces and had a glorious day on the track with Jeremy. He’s a true pro and a superb teacher. Second by second, minute by minute we wiped off my lap time as his comments, advice and riding tips got me right up there with the fast boys.

The whole time I was in Oz, the news was constantly jabbering on about the new “anti-bikie laws” from Queensland.

This arcane and somewhat drastic new legislation I believe is quite worrying.

It’s not for me to delve into Australia’s legal system, but looking at this law as

an outsider, it basically tars everyone with the same brush. Ordinary bikers, going about their legal business, are being seen as gangsters. I’m no way supporting the baddies here, I’m just suggesting that knee-jerk, short-sighted laws o en have unintended consequences. Maybe Queensland should rethink what they’re doing and take on board the impact on civil liberties. It’s bikies now, maybe the Rotary club next?

Right, they’ve just called my flight, so I’m off to Sydney now. Thanks Perth, it was a pleasure. ARR

USEFUL LINKS Perth BMW: www.autoclassicmotorcycles. bmw.com.au Trakdayz Wanneroo: www.trakdayz.com.au Movember: www.movember.com.au

AFRICA OR OZ? Charley is running tours of both Africa and Australia in 2014.

Each year Charley takes a group of people across Southern Africa. Riding BMW’s from Cape Town up into Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho before returning to Cape Town. Riders can do the whole adventure or a section of it.

Or you can head off to the outback or Tasmania with Charley in February/March, in partnership with Compass Expeditions.

The Tassie trip also takes in the Snowies.

Get all the details at www. charleyboorman.com

Addressing the crowd at the Perth show. It’s a great event

WA’S LONG WAY ROUND Charley took some time from a hectic schedule to open a new bike trail in Pinjar, WA — and one section of it has been named Long Way Round. The work was a result of the Recreational Trail Bike Riders Association, the state government and Lotterywest. “It’s

fantastic that local authorities can join in to get facilities like this for bikers to enjoy their machines — I hope this is one of many to come,” Charley said. Oh, and he rode his 1200GSA around the trail, much to everyone’s surprise! Wasn’t slow, either…

Visit rtra.asn.au for details.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 33

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SEDDO

LEADER OF THE PACK GEOFF SEDDON

here are few things in life I like more than riding in a pack of motorbikes — the bigger, louder and faster the better. It’s just as well I don’t live in Queensland. Most of the time, it’s in a small nimble posse of just three or four lifelong friends who have been riding together for the best part of 30 years. We ride tight and close, almost as a single unit, each totally familiar with the others’ riding styles and abilities. Sometimes we latch onto a wilder bunch from out west and our numbers swell to double figures.

For a bloke who loves his clip-ons and rear-sets, I’m not a particularly quick rider, at least compared with my mates. So it’s rare I’ll lead the pack on other than a transport section. The quicker guys are generally respectful of those less gifted and allow us our time in the sun, until the first sign of a challenging mountain section anyway. Then it tends to be on for young and old as they roar past like a superbike field jostling for position into the first corner. Better to watch it unfold from behind and pick up a tow, I reckon.

All my riding buddies are younger than me and ride newer and more powerful bikes, which offers up all sorts of convenient excuses for not keeping up. Returning from the Phillip Island MotoGP a couple of

T

Sometimes it’s getting a faster bike, sometimes it’s just getting a tow from a faster rider years ago, my mate Boggo offered to swap his then new 1198S for my well-worn 20-year-old 900SS along the Mansfield-Whitfield Road in the Victorian high country. I thought he was having a lend of me but the offer was as genuine as it was generous — he was new to Ducati and he wanted to sample an older one. He didn’t have to ask me twice.

The 1198S was a revelation. The power, almost three times that of my old dunger, had us jumping out of corners like a cannonball.

Instead of bouncing off the bumps, the suspension absorbed all that was thrown at it, allowing me to

is maybe seven inches taller than me, and more than 30kg heavier? And I still couldn’t shake the bastard!

What I enjoy most about riding with faster guys is getting that tow in the twisty stuff, especially when the surface is smooth and the corners are tight. The snake forms and we become dancers in a ballet, all perfectly choreographed as the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Throw in a soundtrack that would rattle the lid off John Bonham’s coffin and suddenly you’re part of a living, breathing performance that money can’t buy.

Fast guys are smooth and pick the best lines, and I always learn a lot from following them when I get the chance. The only formal training I’ve ever had in riding motorcycles is what I picked up from the pages of motorcycle magazines; the rest I have learned from my mates. But once I lose the tow, the lesson is all over red rover and my pace drops off as if I’d hit a wall.

When the rider in front of me is out of sight, I’m out of the race.

It’s no big deal. I know they’ll be waiting for me on the other side of the mountain. The pack will reform, we’ll resume our starting positions and off we’ll go again. Riding motorcycles is a bit like sex; even when it’s bad, it’s good. Group sex is even better. ARR

“What I enjoy most about riding with faster guys is ge ing that tow in the twisty stuff, especially when the surface is smooth and the corners are tight” concentrate on my lines. The steering was peerless. The brakes were nothing short of eye-popping and the tyres stuck like well-warmed slicks. The bike was so easy to ride fast, I started to wonder what I’d been missing out on all these years as I went from leading the back third of a 10-bike pack to chasing the fast guys up the front! I was chuffed, thinking the old fella’s still got it, until I noticed bloody Boggo in my mirrors, right up my clacker, riding the rings off my old Supersport! Did I mention that Boggo

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 35

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MCKINNON

LAURA NORDER’S

NEW MAN BILL MCKINNON

hings have become decidedly weird in Queensland, but then again, any state that can produce politicians of the … err … calibre of Joh Bjelke Petersen, Pauline Hanson, Kevin Rudd, Bob Ka er and Clive Palmer is always going to present certain challenges to those of us who prefer our politics calm, considered and, most importantly, played by the rules.

Queensland’s latest shining example of statesmanship, Campbell Newman, was badly on the nose with the punters earlier last year and in desperate need of an issue on which he could demonstrate leadership.

In September, a bunch of moron patch wearers gave him the perfect platform to grandstand to the public — good old Laura Norder — when they decided to slug it out at some bar on the Gold Coast. As with that other bunch of moron patch wearers who ripped into each other in the arrivals hall at Sydney Airport in 2011, these blokes don’t deserve to be called bikies. That’s far too noble a term for a pack of knuckle dragging cretins. They must surely consume most of the crystal meth they make, because their progress through life seems to be one spectacular piece of idiocy a er another.

Real bikies are far too smart to give opportunistic politicians and the police an excuse to go a er them. That’s exactly what Newman has done in Queensland, where the new Criminal Organisation Disruption Act makes it an offence to belong to any organisation deemed by the authorities as such. The Queensland government, indeed the A orney General alone, can declare an organisation “criminal” under the act, which then gives the police a license to harass, arrest and imprison individuals based solely upon their membership or

T

200 years of legal principle disappears in a demonstration of leadership even a casual association with others from that organisation.

As Michael Cope, the president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, wrote in the Guardian on November 6, “The fundamental principle underlying our legal system for the last 200 years has been that people should be imprisoned for their conduct or behaviour, not for what they might do, or because of the people with whom they associate.”

We can argue all day about whether the moron patch wearers have had this sort of treatment coming to them for a long time.

As I wrote in an earlier column last year, these guys have let their own once-tightlyrun organisations get out of control, for a whole bunch of reasons, chiefly to do with ethnic rivalry, a preference for se ling disputes with guns rather than fists and, of course, the big bucks in brown sugar, so they can hardly expect the cops to go easy.

I couldn’t really give a rat’s arse if they’re all locked up, because they have trashed our great larrikin bikie traditions.

However, as is now becoming obvious, these laws are dangerous for everybody, especially those of us who like to ride our motorcycles with a bunch of mates once in a while. It’s inevitable, because it’s human nature, that when you give police greater powers, they will abuse them. That’s exactly what’s happening now, as the Queensland police have been stopping and searching riders on the fanciful pretext that they may be patch wearers trying to get around incognito, or to interrogate them about their supposed knowledge of gangs, or simply because they can, with impunity.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Bre Ponting helpfully suggested that law abiding riders could

avoid unwanted police a ention if they contacted the police and registered their intention to go for a ride beforehand. You know, just like a bloke on parole has to report to the cops on a regular basis. Bre , you are a citizen of a free, liberal democracy.

So are we. You can shove that idea into a deep, dark place, where it belongs. With your truncheon.

So, what to do? Newman and his cabal of clowns will one day self-immolate in a conflagration of corruption and incompetence. That’s politics, Queensland style. It’s bloody hilarious if you can observe it from afar, but you couldn’t pay me to live in such a crooked, hillbilly joint. In the meantime, we have a few options. The first is to leave them to it. Tourism is vital to Queensland. If motorcyclists react to this hostility by refusing to go there, it will hurt their economy.

Active protest is an option, of course, and here organisations such as the Ulysses Club, our most powerful, wellconnected rider group, could take a leading role. So could the trade, which has been conspicuously quiet thus far. We support the motorcycle industry with our custom and our money. They should stop hiding, support us on this issue and start making some noise.

Here’s an idea. What if as many riders as possible from the rest of Australia could gather in groups along the Queensland border, then at a prearranged time cross it and start heading for Brisbane, there to all meet up outside Parliament and tell Newman and his cronies what we think of their a ack on our freedom to ride with whoever we choose.

Ah, Queensland. Beautiful one day, intolerable the next. ARR

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

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GREGOR

A TRUE MATE GREG REYNOLDS his is a story of mateship and what life can be like for the mech on the pit wall. My good mate Robbo was my race mechanic during the 80s when I was racing a TT2 replica Ducati Pantah in the local Marzocchi Series. We heard about a BEARS-only, two-day race meeting at Lakeside Raceway in Queensland so we decided to head north and race the Queenslanders on their home turf.

A er a crazy car trip where Robbo had to fix a collapsed trailer wheel bearing, we arrived at the track Saturday morning. With racing starting at noon I only had time for 10 laps of practice but I was second fastest behind Rob Slaytor.

I was in race one and got into the first corner in fi h spot. I passed two guys in the next few corners, then picked off a third going into Hungry Corner. I caught the leader through the Carousel and into the final turn I slipped up the inside into the lead. Then everything went black!

Apparently I had lost the front and dived into the tar head first at over 180km/h. I slid across the track, just missed the last air ma ress and smashed into the bare Armco. The bike then caught up with me, punching into me heavily as I lay there.

Robbo was the second person on the scene, stopping a panicking first-time track marshal from trying to rip my helmet off without undoing the chin strap! I was barely conscious when the ambos arrived and I said to Robbo, “Help me sit up”. As he put his hands down low on my back I felt a weird feeling like something moving around in my guts.

Robbo said to the ambo, “You might want to look at this”, and his hand appeared over my shoulder covered in blood and

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When the chips are down, it’s your true mates who keep you going gore! The foot peg had apparently gone through my leathers and into me before tearing its way out.

Robbo came with me in the old HZ Holden ambulance. I was too long for the back of it so I had to li my knees so the ambos could close the door!

Then they got lost and finished up on a bumpy, windy back road. When we got to the hospital and the staff found out I had hurt myself motorcycle racing they called it “self-inflicted” and put me at the end of the queue!

Robbo made his way back to the track and returned a couple of hours later towing the remains of the bike. Ten hours a er arrival, a nurse finally appeared. I had a badly broken collarbone, six broken ribs and two broken and mashed fingers. She went straight for the fingers with her li le wire brush and scrubbed away happily until every last bit of bitumen was off the bone. There were bits of flesh flying everywhere!

They put me in the “head” ward overnight with a dragon nurse and when Robbo arrived next morning I told him to ask her when I could leave.

The dragon barked, “He can get out when he can walk”. I said to Robbo, “Help me up,” and I struggled into some clothes. There was no one at the admissions desk so we simply walked out. We picked up the trailer and soon Robbo was piloting the Valiant home with me propped up with pillows.

Every bump was hell so we decided to stay overnight with Earl Grey in Armidale. When we lobbed at Earl’s place I was buggered and in a fair amount of pain. He organised some lounge space for the night and soon I lapsed into a restless sleep. Sometime in the early hours I woke up feeling like throwing up but when I went to get up hot daggers of pain stopped me. I woke Robbo who dutifully found a saucepan for me to spew in.

When I was finished he flushed it away and gave the saucepan a quick rinse.

The Earl was up early cooking porridge for brekky. When I got to the kitchen and saw what saucepan the porridge was bubbling away in I immediately lost my appetite! Strangely enough Robbo wasn’t hungry either so we hit the road a er a quick cuppa.

It took years before we told Earl Grey!

We finally got home from the trip from hell and Robbo took the bike back to his place to assess the damage. We found out a few days later that liquid tar had oozed out of hastily repaired cracks in the bitumen on that corner in the heat, bringing me and several others down.

A couple of months later when I was fully healed Robbo turned up at home towing my bike trailer. On it was my race bike now fully repaired, restored, repainted and ready to race! His first words were, “Got your entry in for Bathurst yet?” He had done everything himself and just wanted to go racing.

Now that’s a mate! ARR

“When the hospital staff found out I had hurt myself motorcycle racing they called it self-inflicted” AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 39

40 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Ted Simon

JOURNEYS

AND

A LIFETIME OF INTERRUPTIONS

On the 40th anniversary of the start of the journey that spawned Jupiter’s Travels, author Ted Simon talks about the book that’s made him a cult hero and his new book, Jupiter’s Travels In Camera STORY: SAM MANICOM PHOTOS: SM, TED SIMON hen Ted Simon took a step back from motorcycle travelling, he se led on a small farm in Round Valley in northern California — the “Wild West” as he jokingly calls it. A er being surrounded for four years by the delights and challenges of the world’s roads, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he wanted a place such as this to come to halt in for a while. The idea was to become an organic farmer. His 103,000km journey around the world had brought to life a lesser-known side of his make-up.

A recent trip to California gave me the chance to meet Ted at his home. I arrived at his farm in the magical glow that the end-of-day October light can throw. The first things I saw were the giant shade trees festooned with long tendrils of silvery beard moss. The next, surrounded by a red, gold and orange carpet of autumn leaves, was the single-storey house that Ted built himself. The darkstained and time-worn wooden walls and verandas still stand strong and I found myself wishing they could tell-tale on Ted. As he showed me around, I realised that actually, in many ways, he hasn’t changed a bit over recent years. I’d love to have the head of hair he’s managed to hang onto; he’s still pre y lithe and his gentle ►

W

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 41

Ted Simon

■ On the road … an amazing road.

From Jupiter’s Travels in Camera

manner hasn’t changed a jot from the first time I met him. Almost a decade ago, I was a very-wet-behind-the-ears writer for Motorcycle Voyager magazine in the UK and I’d been tasked to link up with Ted at the Tesch Treffen overlanding event in the Ardennes area of Belgium. He’d be my first interview! I admit to have been decidedly in awe of the man but he soon put me at ease and, with that gentle manner, he carefully ignored my gaffs and the interview worked.

I’d started off by asking him to summarise the background to his book, Jupiter’s Travels. “In October 1973, sponsored by The Sunday Times, I began riding around the world on a 500cc Triumph Tiger 100 motorcycle. For four years I travelled through 45 countries, submi ing articles as I went and I subsequently wrote Jupiter’s Travels.”

If he wasn’t bashful and still so understated in a decidedly English way, Ted Simon could easily claim to be something unique: The man who has influenced modern-day motorcycle 42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“I am very proud that even now people in their late teens are reading Jupiter’s Travels. It's crossed three generations now and it's still selling. It seems to have touched some universal chord” overlanding more than any other man in the past 40 years. It fits, doesn’t it? I’d lay odds on the point that there are few motorcycle travellers whose lives have not been affected, even inspired, by this man. Certainly, a great number of people know who he is and most will have read at least one of his books.

In fact, because of Jupiter’s Travels, he could easily be considered to be a parental nightmare; he’s a recognisably bad influence. His very distinctive, honest and graphic writing style has led many a dreamer to think, “If Ted can do it, then so perhaps can I”. He is very proud to have encouraged people to try something

different in life. It’s important to him that his books have opened a new world to many who have never even remotely considered travelling by bike.

Bearing in mind that Ted is now 82, he is amazingly energetic. Not only does he continue to travel around the world for book signings, shows and for the opportunity to ride a bike in interesting pre y places, but he does much of the work on the farm himself. Need a new building for the water pump? Ted will do it, but he did admit that, “Li ing the heavier beams to the roof has been hard going this time around.” Though he’s now sold much of his original land, Ted still grows all their

vegetables — organically. You won’t find manicured lawns but his veggie gardens show that green fingers have been at work.

As you’d expect, Ted has found an energetic, a ractive and very intelligent partner to team up with. His wife, Lida, is a darned good cook too. Later on in the evening, she got busy in the kitchen and to go alongside rib eye steaks — barbecued by Ted — she treated me to Ukrainian home cooking. I could get too enthusiastic here!

When you do get the chance to nail Ted in one place for a while you soon find out that he has a real penchant for good red wine. Ted was particularly animated as we talked, but it wasn’t the wine! He started by telling us that he is at an exciting time in his life, but then carried on to say something that perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise. He told us that over the years he’d become a li le jaded at being Ted Simon — Jupiter’s Travels. With ups and downs in public interest, he’s been that for much of the past 40 years.

“It’s been an inspiring time in many ways with plenty of surprises but sometimes I felt that I’d lost a bit of Ted

Simon the individual. Once I’d moved to California, to begin with my time was very much taken up with writing, organic gardening and sadly an acrimonious divorce. Then Jupiter’s Travels suddenly became a cult book in the USA. A tour of BMW rallies with a cocked-up slideshow followed and I became a minor celebrity — that was the big watershed moment.

But, even so, a er a while I started to get a bit tired of it. It’s as if being that Jupiter’s Travels guy was the only thing of any significance in my life — rather a two dimensional me.”

But he kept busy with a real mix of projects during those years and not all of his work has been on his motorcycle travel books. He wrote Riding High (some editions were called Riding Home), which filled in many of the gaps from his Jupiter’s Travels ride — a er all, how do you fit four years’ worth of adventures into just one book?

Then, aged 69 and nearly 30 years a er his first journey he retraced his original route and subsequently wrote a new book.

Dreaming of Jupiter focuses on how the

JUPITER’S TRAVELS IN CAMERA

Pages: 256 ISBN: 978 0 85733 357 5 Price: Around $35 online Publisher: Haynes Publishing Available from: Amazon and bookshops

world and people had changed over the years between the two rides. More recently, he wrote Rolling Through The Isles, which is very much to his usual entertaining and informative standard. However, he’s also been very active with articles for newspapers and magazines that have had li le to do with motorcycling.

As he explained more, he went on to say, “One of my early books, The Gypsy in Me, is out of print but I’m ge ing a lot of requests to bring the book back to life again. It’s a favourite of mine. I may not put it into print again but I’m seriously looking at releasing it as an e-book.” The book details Ted’s search for his mother’s and, particularly, his father’s roots in Eastern Europe. He mainly walked and caught public transport on his route between Kaliningrad and Romania. He said, “This was a particularly interesting time to be there as it wasn’t long a er the communist regimes in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania had crumbled.” ►

TED’S TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS

■ Ted built the timber house he lives in

r A fresh-faced Ted early in his life’s journey, 1973

r Timeless forms of transport

Want some short, sharp advice from Ted when you’re planning to set out on a long ride?

“Scale down expectations. Carry as little as possible. Go slowly. Have faith and a sunny disposition. It’ll work out. Just take reasonable care and don’t talk too much. Dignified reticence works well.”

What does Ted think are the biggest obstacles to modern day travellers?

“Being called away from the journey by interruptions from the web and emails. I also think that one of the hardest things today is simply moving the motorcycle around — surcharges — shipping, carnets, etc.”

I asked Ted if there was anywhere in the world he would avoid going back to.

“Actually, the places you ‘should’ avoid are often the most interesting places.”

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 43

Ted Simon

r Ted, the inspiration, poses with Sam and his own extremely well-travelled motorcycle

r Some of Ted’s hardships are brought to life in Jupiter’s Travels In Camera

r Ted with Nathan Millward, who wrote of his 35,000 journey from Australia to England on a postie bike

44 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Sa’ad, one of the characters given a face by Jupiter’s Travels In Camera

Ted has a passion for looking into life as a whole and at how the things that we humans do affects so much — o en to the detriment of our environment. As always, he’s a very challenging writer and he treads on toes with intent. If you have read his book The River Stops Here, the story of how water is used in California and natural resources are exploited in general, then you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Si ing in his kitchen, the two main reasons behind Ted’s current animation came to light. To begin with, 2013 was the 40th anniversary of se ing off on his Jupiter’s Travels ride and he’s celebrated that by publishing a new book. He admits to being both awed by and proud of it.

While he was travelling, Ted took what he calls photographic snaps — he felt that he should — but he quickly admits that he is

Ted Simon

no photographer. “At the time I really didn’t know what I was doing.” Apparently, the more cynical of his newspaper colleagues were quite blunt about his abilities.

Ted’s new book, Jupiter’s Travels In Camera, is a sleek, coffee table-sized book and as soon as you see it you know why he’s so proud of it. “Technological advances have allowed something quite special to be produced from my old Kodachrome slides.” However, having heard his comments about his ability with his Pentax cameras, I was keen to see inside it. The quality is spot on and the 300-plus photographs aren’t so over engineered that the sensation of time has been lost.

These shots have been languishing in dark corners for four decades, never expecting to see the light of day. What a waste that would have been. There

are some simply stunning pictures that any highly trained photographer would be proud of. When you hunt out a copy, you’ll see what I mean. I think my favourite is of the Turkana women in Kenya. However, this is just the visual side of things, what about the words to go with the images?

Originally Ted had thought he’d be able to copy and paste sections out of Jupiter’s Travels, but he soon realised something important. “Simply trying to match the words would be a missed opportunity.” It was at this stage that the project really came to life for him. The photos were going to allow Ted the chance to write about things that have never been published.

Jupiter’s Travels In Camera gives a whole new layer to the journey recounted in Jupiter’s Travels and Riding High.

“Ted Simon could easily claim to be something unique: The man who has influenced modernday motorcycle overlanding more than any other man in the past 40 years” As I read the new book the first time around, I became very conscious of how his early editions of Jupiter’s Travels relied on the graphic word pictures to help him ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 45

photography

■ Ted with a first-edition copy of Jupiter’s Travels

■ Signing copies of Jupiter’s Travels In Camera, which is already selling very well

“He's a recognisably bad influence. His very distinctive, honest and graphic writing style has led many a dreamer to think, 'If Ted can do it, then so perhaps can I'” o An energetic octogenarian, Ted still rides internationally

46 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

tell the tale. Of course he’s a past master at transporting the reader to the road but the photographs in this new book, with their accompanying script, enhance the tale with a brand new dimension. You’ll find shots including the camel drivers from Egypt and the deserts of Sudan, gauchos from Argentina, a special girl, truckies from Australia, temples and gurus of India and what Ted calls “the hippy trail home”.

I asked him what he was going to do with the money he earns from the books.

His pension plan? “Not likely!” he replied, and so the other reason for the twinkle in his eyes came to light. The next project he has in hand is the Ted Simon Foundation.

When I asked him to explain what it’s all about he pointedly replied, “It’s a way of saving journalism from journalists.”

Ted is concerned about the fact that it’s too easy to travel the world doing li le more than skimming across the surface of the countries along the way. “There’s nothing wrong with a person heading out to explore the world on a motorcycle, or any form of transport, with no greater aim than to see some of the world and to be out of the places they know well. But it’s a missed opportunity if the traveller doesn’t look deeper. Deeper within the countries and cultures they are travelling through, and within themselves.”

He’s a philosopher and it’s very difficult to ignore the depth and reality of his thoughts. Ted is a passionate observer and he’s become very much aware that most people don’t realise their own potential. His biggest angst comes from the damage done by the mainstream media and uninformed politicians. Ted said, “What I would like is to make it obligatory for every politician

JUPITER’S TRAVELLERS “The Foundation is going to be making a limited number of special editions of Jupiter’s Travels in Camera,” Ted told us.

“This is aimed at boosting the funds of the Foundation.”

Find out more about the Ted Simon Foundation online at jupiterstravellers. org. If you intend to travel with the Foundation’s aims in mind and will have something special to offer, get in touch. Apply to become a Jupiter’s Traveller. If you agree with the Ted Simon Foundation’s principals you can support either by joining as a Jupiter’s Companion or as a Jupiter’s Angel.

to travel alone across India or Africa, preferably on foot. They’d come back with a more useful perspective on life.” Now there’s a thought…

He went on to tell me, “One of the aims of the Ted Simon Foundation is to encourage overlanders to travel with the ambition to learn about the places they are travelling through. There is no be er way to get to know people and their culture than to live and perhaps even work with them for a while. Most overlanders stumble ►

Ted Simon

■ Sam interviews Ted during the Horizons Unlimited meeting in Cambria

o On stage at Horizons Unlimited, where world travellers are common

across opportunities but I want to encourage them to travel with intent.”

He rounded that comment off with this: “The dumbest question I get asked is ‘Why did you do your four-year journey?’

Why would you not want to know what’s going on in the world?”

“The main aim of the Foundation is to go some way towards countering the misleading generalisations and sensationalism of the mainstream media.

We want to encourage people to return from journeys with sufficient material to write a quality book or make an exciting and insightful film that will shed light on what’s really going on in the world.

This is the chance to show that people aren’t all the pack of terrorists and fundamentalists that the media and too many politicians would have us believe.

“I’m delighted that the Foundation has such a bank of highly qualified advisors who give their time and expertise freely to new authors and film-makers.

I hope that travellers will come back 48 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

o Ted has written more than just Jupiter’s Travels and is well regarded as an author

STILL OUT THERE ON THE ROAD “I rode single-cylinder BMW Funduro 650 from Germany to the Greek Islands. I’ve had the bike since 1999 and it’s stored in Duisburg in the Ruhr Valley by a friend. Why the Greek islands? I wanted to see what it’s like to sit by the ocean, eat fish and simply be in Greece.

But, more than that, I wanted to see where it all began. The ride wasn’t without its adventures either, but as I’ve said before the interruptions are the journey. On a Sunday morning in Zagreb, half a pint of oil fell out the bike and I had no idea what was going on with it. Still don’t know how the petrol got into the oil. I got it fixed the next day but then a thunderstorm arrived and I ended up staying in this very interesting city for four days.

“As I was heading into Serbia I did what was my first — and I hope last — ever wheelie.

Of course it was in a petrol station with an audience and actually I did a lot of damage to the bike but the local people helped me sort things out. Thankfully I didn’t damage myself very much. Greece lived up to my expectations in many ways and the islands were a really good introduction into Greek culture. I’d always wanted to visit the Acropolis in Athens; I felt that it was important to do it. This was also an intense time politically for Greece. There was a frenzy going on around the fascist Golden Dawn party murder and MPs being arrested.”

with perspective based on reality.

It’s about sharing their experiences.

Modern life narrows people’s lives so much they don’t realise that the coin has another side. If we as a world are going to survive, we must all get out of

our home environments with our eyes, ears and minds wide open and with a social conscience. It’s vital to find ways to conquer racial prejudice, xenophobia and all the other things that make the world a difficult place in which to live.” ARR

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AUSTRALIA TWIN: THE FINAL LEG Massimiliano tackles the long straights of the Nullarbor and the Great Ocean Road to get to Phillip Island and then ďŹ nish his epic journey from Italy in Melbourne.

50 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 51

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA Back on the tar. Hooray!

A big, loaded bike can be hard work on some dirt roads

STORY AND PHOTOS: MASSIMILIANO PERRELLA er seven-and-a-half months of travelling across the world on my beloved Africa Twin, I finally have some time to spend in the same place. I’m in Perth now, working to save some money and living in a very special house. Living here means having a new family composed of people from all over the world, sharing food, laughs, cockroaches, beers, music, true friendship and love. In the backyard are tents and vans to host up to 27 people but there is just one toilet!

But a er nine months I feel like I have to get to Victoria and Melbourne —

A

52 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

my goal since I le Italy. First I head to Esperance to salute WA. It takes me two days on some roads where the asphalt sometimes gives way to colourful dirt roads. I’d already ridden in the south of WA and places such as Margaret River, Cape Leeuwin and Albany conquered me with their natural beauties, as did the northern part of the state, so I’m sad to leave these beautiful surroundings.

I camp near Cranbrook in the wild, between trees and skeletons of kangaroos. In the morning many “friendly” flies force me to load the bike, roll up the bags and close the tent while wearing the helmet! A er 160km in which the tires are worn only in the middle section, I decide to make a

detour, reaching the coast in order to get closer to the sea. I end up on a gravel road not marked on my navigator but I can’t complain about this unexpected path. I stand on the footrests, lightening the front wheel to make it float on the corrugations, but a er 60km of gravel my body asks for some mercy and welcomes back the comfortable tarmac.

Sometimes I forget I’m travelling with 370kg of bike and luggage.

In Esperance I find the wonderful beaches of Twilight and Blue Haven.

A er three days I’m back on the road, pointing to Norseman and then straight to the Eyre Highway. Today it’s really hot and seems I’m riding in a wood oven. I proceed in fi h gear with my

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA

■ Yeah, but just wait’ll it pees on you!

■ Enjoying the views on a ride out along the Great Ocean Road

helmet filled with thoughts of every kind, in order to divert a ention from the tedious route. I can’t believe the incredible flatness of this road. I could sit a glass full of water on top of the tank and not spill a drop.

When stopping to drink I have to keep the balaclava on otherwise the unpleasant flies around me would become even more annoying. I pass Belladonia but not before leaving a huge donation in fuel which is $1.95 per litre. Just before the sunset I reach the famous 90 Miles Straight sign. I set up the tent in a parking area surrounded by nothing and next morning I keep the bike straight until the next petrol station with only a strong cross wind

“I start talking with everyone: mechanics, journalists and team managers. Most of them are Italian and I tell them of my trip before meeting Marco Melandri” providing any variation to give me an excuse to change my body position on the bike. I also have to avoid an echidna but that’s the only excitement until Cocklebiddy.

Here there are few accommodations for the travellers, a petrol station, a bar and a couple of houses in containers.

Eight people and a dog surrounded by thousands of square miles of nothing.

I hope that people who work here are married or at least have satellite television. I proceed further to Madura: the road goes down reaching the sea level, with fewer trees but with much more wind. But seeing a few lines of blue is a welcomed change to the monotonous landscape of the last days.

Back on the road, under the sun and pushed by the wind. Again thousands ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA

Wave Rock, WA

r Had any road eater from Termoli ever come this far before?

“Margaret River, Cape Leeuwin and Albany conquered me with their natural beauties, as did the northern part of the state, so I’m sad to leave these beautiful surroundings” of thoughts. What am I doing here?

Who was I and who I am now? Where am I going? Simple questions, difficult answers. I proceed towards the horizon with a bike full of dreams. The scenery finally changes once I reach Eucla and it’s a never-ending horizon. I move off the road and go down to the sea, where there are four walls filled with sand, which was the old telegraph station. The sea is further on and there are magnificent dunes but my heavy luggage stops me riding on this beautiful beach.

It’s hard to explain what it feels like riding 200km without seeing anything, now I finally feel like a child in a candy store. At Border Village a funny road sign reminds me I’m more than 15,000km away from home. My old ‘tricolore’ life is along the line marked by that arrow and the numbers represent how far my family is. Finally, the Bunda Cliffs where I can hear the 54 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. I can’t resist riding off-road and skirting the edge of the cliffs, lean over and looking down with 50m of nothing between myself and the foaming waves pounding the coast, it’s simply magnificent! Only later I realise that the rock I’m standing on is surrounded by deep cracks, ready to fall down.

Thankfully, not today.

A challenge of the ride is the wind, especially when the road trains pass in the opposite direction. For few seconds I almost lose my helmet, pulled off by the fury of the wind. Streaky Bay is my next stop and I stay to explore this beautiful area, cray fishing, jet skiing and meeting some wild seals. Finally at peace, I can update my website and describe all my experiences so far.

The bike is fine, except for excessive and abnormal rear tyre wear. I miscalculated between Bar and PSI — the measure I’m used to.

r Not Turkey, just Sydney Road, Melbourne

The road to Port Lincoln gives the bike a chance to experience something new. In Port Kenney I feel her swinging like a rollercoaster, this has never happened in my whole journey from Italy to here. I realise I got a front flat tyre, luckily it happens in front of a service station, so I have shade to work under. I raise the front wheel and rest of the bike with the engine guard on top of a bump. I have all the tools and, even if not done ever before, I watched on YouTube how to fix it! I’m halfway through fixing the tyre when an apprentice mechanic decides to help me out so I can share a few words while we work with four hands. Unfortunately, we pierce the new tyre tube and now have to fix the previous tube.

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA It was thiiiiis long!

Two hours go by and finally the wheel is back in place, working but not balanced. Nothing will stop her to go off-road to miss the fantastic cliffs around Elliston and the tube lasts enough to bring me (with huge vibration) to Port Lincoln. I feel this Another day dawns on the long trek to the eastern states

place is so similar to my home town Termoli, a small port next to beautiful sea. I finally have the chance to fix the front wheel properly but I’m on edge to visit the fantastic Lincoln and Coffin Bay National Parks.

I head to Port Augusta where I

change the bearings of the front wheel (probably damaged by the shakings before Port Lincoln) and proceed to the Flinders Rangers National Park where I meet an Argentinian rider and we hit the road together. Hours of strong heat and lonely roads bring us to this amazing beauty protected by hills, like a pearl is protected by the shell. This place completely blows my mind and rewards me for my efforts to arrive here. In the night, the most beautiful starry sky I’ve ever seen tries to keep me awake and, in the morning, the scenographer of Wolf Creek 2 takes shots of us, looking for inspiration to re-create a backpacker’s morning breakfast.

Adelaide, here I come! From the beautiful beach of Glenelg to McLaren Vale, there is so much to see, as well as rounding off the tyres on an amazing ride in the Adelaide Hills, where I touch the tarmac with the engine guard. On my way to Mount Gambier, right a er the ferry in Wellington, I experience another flat tyre from a nasty fence pin off of a tractor which explored the ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 55

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA

■ Compulsory Aussie activity #6: learn to surf

■ Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

■ Massimiliano experiences big-sky country in the outback

“I pass Belladonia, but not before leaving a huge donation in fuel which is $1.95 per litre, and just before the sunset I reach the famous 90 Miles Straight sign” cavity of my rear rim. No trees and no shade, I have to work under the sun and on the side of the road. Litres of water, sunscreen and a lot of sweat. Only three people stop to help me a er hundreds of careless cars pass by.

Two hours later I’m again back on the road and come across the Coorong National Park, a small twister starts spinning at my le , far enough to let me ride, not enough to allow me to do it straight. I have to lean all my body to the le and drive across the middle of the road, desperately trying to go straight even with the strongest wind I’ve ever experienced. I eventually escape the strong wind and decide to stop for the night under a birdwatching shed. So I reach it a er some off-road on the sand, conscious that I can be heavily fined if the rangers catch me here.

Once under the small roof, some scary and oversized spiders suggest I proceed further but on the way back, I 56 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

bury the rear tyre in the sand and have to unload the motorbike, free her from the fine sand and li her up, trying desperately not to get stuck. A couple of Germans who come to shoot the sunset help bring all my heavy luggage to the parking area, while I have to face some steep rocks to descend on the sand again, speeding up not to get stuck one more time.

Another day, another place. Mount Gambier and its beautiful lakes, Browns Beach (where I try surfing for the first time ever), another interview by a local radio (I feel famous now!) and then meeting with an Italian rider and his girlfriend. We proceed together to Cape Bridgewater, Port Fairy and Warrnambool where we start the famous Great Ocean Road. Amazing from the very start, this road is hypnotising but difficult to ride as the scenery is a distraction. I really don’t mind stopping every few kilometres to fix this beautiful landscape in the

memory of my camera. We see the Twelve Apostles before camping safely in Johanna.

At one stop on the way, a group of bikers stare at our dusty and heavily loaded vehicles and the leader of the group invites us to the superbike round at Phillip Island! I ride into Melbourne then farewell my travelling companions before ge ing up early the next day to get to Phillip Island for Saturday qualifying. I used to know this place since I played SBK on videogames but now I’m here with my motorbike.

Although we’re surrounded by 30,000 motorbikes the most admired one seems to be mine! I do a full lap around the track and many people greet me.

AN ITALIAN IN AUSTRALIA

I’m welcomed in one of the VIP areas right on top of the Pit Lane. Fantastic!

Going down to the paddock, I start talking with everyone: mechanics, journalists and team managers. Most of them are Italian and I tell them of my trip before meeting Marco Melandri.

“Ciao Marco! Picture?”

“Ah, you’re Italian!”

“Yes, I’ve just arrived with my bike.”

“So, you’re the one who came here with the motorbike?!”

“Oh yes!”

“Holy shit!”

“Yeah, I have to say it was a nice trip.”

“Holy shit!”

I enjoy the race inside the Kawasaki box of Pedercini’s team and take

pictures of all the pilots directly on the starting grid. Today’s one of the best days of my life, no doubt about it! I leave Phillip Island and my friends to reach Melbourne where I can finally say “mission accomplished!” I’m here — the place that I’ve been thinking about for so long. The exaggerated wear of the rear tyre is due to my suspension.

It’s completely done and I need to recondition it. Also, I spent more than I expected during this last trip and it’s time, now, to se le down again and look for a job.

My visa will expire in March 2014 and the future has never been so unknown and hopeful. I can’t ask for anything be er! ARR

r Now that’s a sunset! Down on the Coorong o A world away from its home, the mighty Africa Twin has reliably carried a heavy load

► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 57

BMW GS Safari 2013

MOUNTA

58 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

AIN HIGH

Taking on the Victorian Alps via the roads less travelled was this year’s BMW GS Safari. James Maloney took along his camera STORY: JAMES MALONEY PHOTOS: JPM PHOTOGRAPHY

“W

ell, it was nice knowing you.”

This was the reaction I had from a friend of mine when I told him I was attending this year’s BMW GS Safari for the first time. As a road rider of several years, he had heard reports of the event, most of which were not completely accurate. Stories of guys trashing themselves and their bikes in the middle of nowhere, needing care flight to come to the rescue seem to be a common misconception. I don’t think anything could be further from the truth.

The GS Safari is an annual five-day off-road event taking in a different part of Australia each year and riders who have completed the event say it’s a well organised and well supported ride. Having a support crew, tyre truck, medical experts and bike technicians on hand may not be everyone’s idea of “hard-core adventure riding”, but that’s not what this event is all about.

For me, it was the opportunity to test my skills as a rider, with the added security and peace of mind of having a helping hand available should the need arise. All of the tedious, yet most important jobs are taken care of by the organisers so the only thing left for me to do was ride my GS. Perfect.

This is the 19th year that BMW Motorrad has run its annual GS Safari in Australia and the 200 rider positions were sold out in less than 48 hours, surprising both the organisers and the unfortunate riders that missed out. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 59

■ Emergency accommodation in the High Country — they didn’t quite need it

THE GUTS OF IT Each day is broken down into a daily route varying between 200km and 300km. Riders are given as much information about the route as possible.

This includes a nightly briefing of the conditions for the next day including route, road conditions, hazards, fuel stops, lunch spots and cafes and sights to see along the way.

There is no official start time, but all riders must be ahead of the support vehicle, which usually leaves by 9.45am. As no hard luggage is permitted to be carried on your bike during the day, the luggage truck swings into action every morning, transporting everyone's panniers, roll bags, etc, to a predetermined pick-up point in the next town.

GPS files are used for those with a bike mounted unit but a map with turn points and directions is given to each rider daily. Add to this the multiple arrows sign posting the way and it’s almost impossible to get lost. Almost.

60 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

This was due to the fact that previous events have been incredibly successful and extremely well organised, and that the route for this year’s event would take in the best that Victoria’s High Country — an absolute Mecca for motorcyclists — has to offer.

With my highly recommended twoday rider training course completed in late August, I was hoping that at least some of the boxes were ticked on my list of to dos prior to the event.

Fitness plays a big part in being able to ride long distances in an off-road environment and the decision to do some regular exercise in the months leading up to the event proved to be invaluable. A few dollars were needed to get my GS ready as well. Nothing major, but basics like new engine oil and filter, replace gearbox oil, service the final drive unit, check brake pads and discs and a good once over. The fact that there would be two fully qualified BMW technicians riding in the group did give me some peace of mind.

I arrived at the starting point of Merrijig early Sunday afternoon. This gave me plenty of time to complete the registration process without feeling like I was being rushed. Many riders were already there and the tyre truck was in full swing, fitting a variety of off-road tyres to the bikes that needed fresh rubber. This was a great time to take a look at some of the other bikes attending the event, which included a surprising high number of new watercooled GSs. With five days of riding ahead of me, an early night after Sunday night’s welcome function and rider briefing was a good plan. But good plans don’t always work; one too many beers and a late night had me feeling a bit ordinary on Monday morning. That’s the price you pay for a lack of self-control.

The Victorian High Country is an experience all of its own and gives you a feeling of being a part of something very special. I have ridden through this part of Victoria many

BMW GS Safari 2013 COMING UNSTUCK

■ GS riders doing their happy-asa-pig-in-mud impersonations

One day I saw more than 10 riders come unstuck as the conditions changed from hard compact trails to rocky slopes and slippery muddy sections. A broken leg, pelvis and collar bones were some of the injuries, but all were quickly treated by the professionals and Safari organisers.

The way that these incidents were treated was first-class and given the number of riders at the event the crash rate was very low. I would hate to be in that situation in this environment without having help nearby. Both technicians and medics carry sat phones and can be on the spot in no time, which is nice to know.

r The wild weather had caused its share of damage

“With five days of riding ahead of me, an early night after Sunday night’s welcome function and rider briefing was a good plan, but good plans don’t always work”

r Riders head into the hills on the climb to Australia’s highest peaks

times in the past few years, but only on the road. Heading up into the mountains on the dirt for the first time gives you a whole new appreciation of the diversity of the area. Mountains, valleys, green fields and the amount of wildlife in the area are amazing. The road surface, loose gravel, my least favourite surface due to the feeling that the front wheel feels like it could just slide out from under you without a moment’s notice,

leads into twisty switchbacks that keep you on your toes.

Around the next corner, the surface changes to soft sand in patches that can catch you out in no time. On more than one occasion I stopped to help a rider who’d fallen victim to the sand. The benefit of riding behind another bike gives you a bit of a clue as to what lies ahead, which can really be of benefit, especially to the less experienced rider. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 61

■ The updated styling looks more finished than the first F-GS

“The trail drops you into a postcard and it’s hard, for me at least, to concentrate on riding when I am in a place so magnificent”

r Jamieson overrun with GSs o Is it just us or is Rawson always in cloud?

62 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Up over the next mountain and the landscape changes yet again into a huge open valley of lush green farmland scattered with cows. The trail drops you into a postcard and it’s hard, for me at least, to concentrate on riding when I am in a place so magnificent. Just pulling off to the side of the track and enjoying the whole experience creates a tricky situation because the other riders stop to make sure you’re okay. Just pulling over to take a quick photo had a group of four riders come to a stop, asking if I needed help. A quick thumbs up and off they go.

Some of these guys are quick. Many times I would be cruising along at a

pace I thought was reasonable, only to have someone zip past, slide the rear end into the approaching corner, power slide out and disappear into the distance. Trying to keep up with these guys is bloody dangerous. Some of the spills I saw were the result of a slower rider trying to keep up with the fast guys.

As with all motorcycle trips, weather plays a big part and riding in the High Country in late October can be, well, uncomfortable. Temperatures can drop into the sub zeros at night making the first few hours of the day extremely cold. Add the wind chill-factor and it’s time to make sure those vents in your riding gear are zipped shut.

BMW GS Safari 2013

r Tyre time! Riders queue to have their rubber refreshed

r The GS Safari brings a lot of business to small towns along its way

Luckily we had pretty good weather for most of the five days, but heavy rain one night meant our planned route through Dargo the following day had to be cancelled. Sections of Dargo High Plains Road had been recently top-dressed and the more than healthy amount of rain in the area meant 200 adventure bikes and support crew would have turned it into a battle zone in no time. That day saw the ride head up over Falls Creek with the final destination being the beautiful alpine town of Bright. The ride itself, which was now on sealed roads for the day, was awesome. I have ridden most of these roads previously but not in the conditions we experienced.

The weather had a nice surprise for us when we reached the top of Falls Creek. Rain, freezing cold winds and fog so thick it brought visibility down to 50ft in some sections. I actually missed the entrance to the car park at our agreed meeting point

at the cafe on top of the mountain because I could not see it in the fog.

A very slow crawl, with the regular stop to demist my visor meant the

SAFETY TIPS As with all large group rides, safety is paramount — not only yours but the other 200 bikes around you.

Basic common sense is the key to a successful ride. Keep to the left at all times, unless you are navigating through one of the numerous hazards encountered on the trip. Pot holes, deep ruts and loose gravel on the road edges can bring you unstuck in a heartbeat, otherwise general road rules apply.

It’s up to the faster bikes to pass you in a safe manner and for the most part this works extremely well. It is frustrating to come up behind a slower

r Pausing in charming Walhalla, gateway to real adventure

trip down to Mount Beauty took a lot longer than expected. Funnily enough, I did not get passed by another bike on my way down. ►

rider who seems to be riding a totally different line to the rest of the group, weaving from one side to the other with no regard for other bikes on his tail. This only leads to frustration for the faster bike rider, who usually runs out of patience and passes in a not-sosafe manner.

One thing I always kept reminding myself of is that these tracks we are riding on are two-way. It was quite common in some areas to have a white LandCruiser with a bull bar come around one of the thousands of blind corners you encounter, so you really have to be on your toes.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 63

BMW GS Safari 2013

■ And this is what your GS face looks like

■ Road funding cuts have become so crook that road users have to find their own innovative ways to roll the surface smooth...

The weather in general was near perfect for this time of the year. It could have been a week of howling wind and rain, with the odd snow shower thrown in for good measure, but thankfully this was not the case.

One wet day out of five was a good week in the High Country. For me, one of the best things about the safari is meeting so many other people who all have a common thread, from as young as 19 to as experienced as 83. Lunch stop, coffee breaks and the nightly ritual of a few beers before dinner and the riders briefing for the following day, striking up a conversation with the guy standing next to you was easy.

“How did you go today?” was the question I heard most and the 64 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

answer, usually with a big smile was “awesome”, “fantastic” or “I can’t wait for tomorrow”. I can’t recall ever hearing a negative comment about the day’s ride. It was just too good. Some riders had travelled only a few hours to get to the starting point, while others came from the other side of the country just to participate in the event. While most entrants rode to the start, there were quite a lot of bikes turning up on trailers. I can see why.

Riding your GS across the Nullarbor is not what you would call an adventure ride, as Ian from Perth explained.

“There are no real mountains in WA and I’ve always wanted to ride through the alps, but not across the bloody country!” Guys like Ian had a ton of

“For me, one of the best things about the safari is meeting so many other people who all have a common thread, from as young as 19 to as experienced as 83” experience, having been a dirt bike rider most of his life, and many other riders had obviously been around dirt bikes for a long time. The ease with which these guys handle the varying conditions is pretty impressive, especially to us slower riders, of which there were plenty.

That’s one lesson I learned about the Safari: it’s not a race, it’s not a competition and there’s no pressure.

All riders are encouraged to go at a pace that suits them; not to ride out of your comfort zone. This event is all about having fun, meeting like-minded individuals who enjoy riding their bike in the conditions they were designed to do and making new friends along the way. ARR

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We offer custom motorcycle adventures throughout the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland & Victoria. We use new BMW F700GS motorbikes with purpose built support vehicles or use your own bikes and we’ll provide the support.

phone. 08 8985 16 1681 681 I fax. 08 8985 6402 email. info@southerncrossmotorbiketours.com.au

www.southerncrossmotorbiketours.com.au

UNITED STATES

In the Badlands of South Dakota

66 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

HAP

PY TRAILS Elite Products owner Steve Melchior loaded up his Harley and Elite Camper and with partner Shelley set off to visit Sturgis before taking in 14,000km of US magic

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 67

UNITED STATES STORY & PHOTOS: STEVE MELCHIOR y idea to tour the US came with the idea to expand my business, Elite Products, into the US market with a six-week trip towing an Elite Camper trailer behind my 2010 Harley Electra Glide, bringing my partner Shelley. We planned to attend Sturgis bike week and demonstrate my trailer to as many people as I could. I had to crate both the trailer and bike for shipping and got quotes that were getting up to the $1000 mark for both.

I was able to make them for under $300 each. I also had to get a vehicle import permit from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport to bring my bike and trailer back to Australia.

This costs $50.

Insurance for the bike and trailer was obtained after many phone calls.

One of the criteria was to have a US address, which a friend of mine offered and all went smoothly after that. The total policy cost US$629 and covered my bike and trailer, while travel insurance that specified riding a motorcycle covered us. Even though I shipped the bike and trailer one month before my intended arrival in Los Angeles, there was still a five-day delay with customs clearing the shipment.

Once that happened we left Los Angeles and headed east to Las Vegas for an overnight stop.

We headed toward Utah the next day with the temperature just on 43 degrees Celsius. We made the mistake of leaving at 11am where the heat was at its worst, making it a horrendous ride through the desert. Then, to make it worse, at about 4.30pm we went through the first of many desert storms. The rain was so heavy you could not see and we were completely drenched within minutes, although it did cool us down.

I took the easy way out and pulled into a motel and spent the night drying everything out. This was the last night we used a motel and from here we stayed in our Elite Camper.

We spent two days visiting Moab in Utah and its surrounding desert sights, including Canyonland, which is a must-see. From here we travelled north towards Salt Lake City using a minor road rather than the interstate, which is thoroughly recommended as the scenery is breathtaking.

M

â– Bikers explore the unique Needles Highway, cut through the giant rock formations

â– Camping in Cody, Wyoming. Is there an Elite tepee trailer in the works?

68 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

UNITED STATES

r Utah’s Canyonlands National Park o Steve and Shelley’s rig in all its glory. Touring was a cinch

“We went through the first of many desert storms. The rain was so heavy you could not see and we were completely drenched within minutes, although it did cool us down” We stayed overnight at Bear Lake but crossed the border into Idaho where we could buy liquor from the local supermarket. You can’t buy wine at any normal outlet in Utah and you must go to a State liquor store and

I was made to feel like a teenager because you must show ID no matter what age to buy alcohol.

We got to Yellowstone National Park in the late afternoon but because we had not made a reservation for a

campsite there were none available in the busy school-holiday period.

We had to travel another 200km to get a site in an RV park for the night but retraced our steps back into Yellowstone the next morning. The park is immense and to do it justice you need two to three days to see it all.

We only had one so we made a point of seeing Old Faithful blow its top and many of the hot springs and geysers.

We headed off to Cody, Wyoming to visit the home of Buffalo Bill. The museum dedicated to him is a mustsee. From there we were going to do a long ride to Sturgis but only reached a small town by the name of Gillette where we checked into an RV park.

We were sitting outside our camper having a quiet drink when sirens and a loudspeaker started and we were hit by a severe rain storm, which we waited out in the camper. After the storm passed I went to the local shop to buy supplies and was told it was a tornado alert and I should have found a solid building to hide in. Luckily the storm went around the city because my Elite Camper would not have stood up to a full blown tornado.

Next morning was an easy ride into Sturgis and we set up for the week at the campsite before checking out all the sites. I was told between 450,000 to 600,000 were in attendance with the 2015 75th anniversary expected to attract a million people. Some of the must-dos are to visit the Full Throttle AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 69

UNITED STATES Saloon and the Buffalo Chip Saloon, while in town there are hundreds of dealers showing their products. The place is unbelievable.

After a full week we packed up camp and headed to the Badlands of South Dakota where we saw spectacular rock formations and deep valleys. We stayed the night at Wall where the massive Wall Drug Shop sells all types of memorabilia and displays hundreds of photos of the area covering the last hundred years. The area has a strong history that includes problems between the settlers and the natives, and we headed south into some of the most desolate land I had seen. This was the Sioux reservation and I was told that over 300,000 natives live there.

I am not sure how the natives survive there.

We stopped the next night in Nebraska at a small town called Chardrom. I had a problem with my bike tow bar here and the local mechanic gave me access to all his tools and workshop, charging just $10.

I was able to get it all fixed and ready

■ Ominous light as Steve and Shelley head into a desert storm

70 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

to continue in a couple of hours and did not mind tipping making sure he was suitably compensated.

From here we headed to Cheyenne

COSTS The Elite Camper was well received at Sturgis where I had it on display and paid for itself with the amount of gear I could carry plus the 37-litre Waeco fridge in the front pod to keep my food and refreshments cold. It saved me thousands of dollars in accommodation cost.

Including shipping, fuel, food, accommodation and a few drinks I spent less than $5000 plus airfares. RV parks were priced between US$35 down to nothing in some national parks and I

in Wyoming through Nebraska, which is very flat and there’s not a lot to see, before heading up to Colorado, which is more than 1500m in elevation. I don’t

could fill my bike up for under $20.

We usually ate at our campsite but we always had good food that we bought locally. Wine and beer were better priced there. Most of the wine we saw was produced in Australia.

I would recommend Foytt Marine and Auto for all shipping requirements.

The owner in Los Angeles is from New Zealand and is a one-stop-shop for shipping requirements. The website is www.foytt.com. The owner is Pete Tate, pete@foytt.com.

“We headed south into some of the most desolate land I had seen. This was the Sioux reservation and I was told that over 300,000 natives live there”

UNITED STATES

r An all-American scene... except the Harley, trailer and riders are all imports and the bison are largely domesticated herds!

o Donkeys make themselves at home in Oatman.

Visitors are warned they will bite and kick

think we went lower than this for the next week. We stopped for a few days at Estes Park, a beautiful town in the Rocky Mountain National Park, where we were woken up each morning with deer outside the door of our camper. From here we did a few day tours including a trip over a pass that was over 3300m above sea level that took us to Grand Lake and the highest yacht club in the world. Sir Thomas Lipton who was involved in the initial America’s Cup was based at this yacht club.

We had heard about a Vets Memorial Day to be held in Cripple

Creek and made our way there to be among 30,000 others. It was a fantastic day, although I did lose a bit of money at the many casinos in the town. The show went late into the night so we stayed at the Lost Burro Campground in a picturesque valley about 10km out of town. But we were still at 3300m where the air is thin and I woke up the next morning with breathing problems.

We headed down to Manitou Springs, which is located just outside Colorado Springs, and spent two days enjoying the many touristy things in

the area highlighted by a ride up to Pikes Peak. This is a mountain that is 4300m high and it takes over an hour to get to the top and within 10 minutes of getting to the shop there, it started to hail then snow. I was thinking I would never get down on the bike but after an hour and a half the sun came out again and all went well on the return journey.

We then travelled south again to Pueblo and stayed a night in a RV park that only charged $3 for the site which included showers and toilets.

The owner was a biker and that was the price for anyone arriving on a bike. From here we headed west over the 3300m high Wolf Pass to Durango, Colorado. This is a winter sports town but it also has many places to see in summer and the next day was an 800km ride to Kingman. On the way we passed through a site where you could be in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah all at once with corners of each state meeting at that point.

We were also hit by a huge but thankfully brief hail storm that left hail banked three inches high on the side of the road that was now awash with dirt and water, but we made it to our next campsite at Kingman in Arizona on the old Route 66. Next day we travelled about 200km of the original Route 66 which is as it was in the 1940s. Oatman in Arizona is a late-1800s gold mining town and has donkeys walking down the main street. We had morning tea at the Oatman Hotel where an entire wall is lined with $1 bills people have signed and stapled there. The owner estimated there was $95,000 stapled to the wall.

We spent five hours checking out the town that was named after a family massacred by Indians there in 1850. The only survivors were a son who had been left for dead and two daughters kept as slaves. One daughter passed away from starvation and the other was rescued after 12 months and reunited with her brother. With two days of our tour left, we headed to Las Vegas where we celebrated Shelley’s birthday with a night at a casino. While there we heard about an old ghost town not far from Las Vegas called Goodsprings and there we discovered a town as it was 100 AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 71

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■ Rock formations of the Needles National Park, South Dakota

“The Lost Burro campground is in a picturesque valley about 10km out of town, but we were still at 3300m where the air is thin and I woke up the next morning with breathing problems” years ago with bullet holes in the hotel wall. This is where Clarke Gable waited for information on the nearby plane crash that killed his wife Carol Lombard.

We headed off to Los Angeles for the final journey home, avoided a 16km traffic queue after a truck smash by riding down the breakdown lane.

I dropped the bike off at my shipper, filled in the applicable paperwork and headed to the airport to end a sixweek tour covering 14,000km through nine US states. ARR

■ Steve stands atop famous Pikes Peak, all 4302m (14,110ft) of it

STURGIS 2014 Steve Melchior is thinking about putting a container together from Australia to visit Sturgis. Pete Tate of Foytt Marine and Auto is offering a good rate and will also take bikes and trailers without a crate, which is a big

saving. The Australian contact for this is Andy on 0423 223 912 or andy@foytt.com. If you want to take an Elite Trailer, Steve is offering a special sale price. For more information send Steve an email at steve@eliteproducts.com.au.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 73

Bali BALI

STORY & PHOTOS: IAN NEUBAUER fter finishing high school back in the early ’90s, a group of us flew to Bali for schoolies week.

Standards of decency and libel laws prevent me from sharing the details of what we got up to but let’s just say they were the seven most debauched days of my life. So when my old

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lady suggested we hit Bali over the Christmas break, I was happy to oblige — on one condition: after spending a week (and a month’s salary) treating her to enough fancy meals, spa treatments and shopping sprees to sink the Love Boat, I’d get to go off and explore the rest of Bali on a bike.

The first half of day one of my freedom ride was spent getting my

hands on a moto. I had my heart set on an Indonesian-made Kawasaki KLX 150S I’d spotted a few of the locals riding around but when I tested one at a rental place at Kuta, I discovered the donk lacked anything resembling grunt so I opted for a Suzuki Thunder.

With roadie suspension and fairings it was totally unsuitable for driving off-road but at 250cc, its engine had a

■ Fat clouds hang around lush growth in this amazingly productive food bowl

Best known for Bintang singlets, hair braids and corny package holidays, Bali is also a great place for two-wheel adventures

lot more guts than the Kwaka’s and most of the roads I intend to travel are sealed.

KUTA TO UBUD Bali’s tourism hotspots are congregated on the island’s southern isthmus — a bottleneck around which traffic flows at a crawl. But on the Saturday morning I made

my escape from Kuta, the traffic moved so slowly at times it felt like it was going backwards. Back home, I would’ve made short work of it by sneaking along the gutter or between lanes of stalled cars. But over here there are so many people on scooters that I’m hard-pressed to find even a square foot of empty road. It takes me an hour to get around the capital,

Denpasar, on the Jalan Ngurah Rai Bypass: a distance of some 10km.

The traffic starts to thin when I exit the bypass — as does the road, reduced to one-and-a-half lanes — and I have no choice but to sit behind trucks and buses breathing in diesel fumes. But the locals are far less patient, risking their lives to overtake larger vehicles as oncoming traffic ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 75

BALI

r In Bali, they can build roads without knocking down all the trees, especially sacred banyan trees

o The thatched offices outside one of the many attractions along the way, Gangga Waterfall

roars towards them. I imagine the road fatalities here must be appalling, especially considering riders don’t wear helmets and aren’t adverse to talking on their mobiles or smoking cigarettes at the same time.

It’s early in the afternoon when I finally reach Ubud — a temple town set in the lush rainforest in southcentral Bali. After checking into a hotel I go for a walk, checking out the many arts and crafts shops and shrines on the main drag. I’m just getting into it when rain starts bucketing down, so I run for cover at a restaurant called Murni’s Warung. Set on the banks of a raging river among thick green jungle, Murni’s is a warm three-storey haunt wallpapered with relics and antiques.

The most interesting is an old codger from Victoria called Peter who Murni left in charge while overseas. From the second I sit down he has me in stitches, regaling me with stories of encounters with dodgy Balinese police.

“The other day a cop pulled me over and demanded to see my driver’s license but, like most people in Bali, I don’t have one. So I told him in Indonesian I don’t speak English.

When he replied in Indonesian, I told him I didn’t speak English. It went on like this for a few minutes until he threw his arms up in despair and walked away. The moral of the story is that if you do get stopped, the easiest way out of it is through humour. The last thing you want to do is get angry.

Then they’ll really screw you.”

I also ask Peter about the road stats.

How bad is it? “Put it this way: I go to a funeral each week and I live in a small village.”

UBUD TO CANDIDASA It’s the middle of the wet season and the rain beats down relentlessly through the night. By morning most of it is over so I head out early before the downpour returns. My first destination is the Gunung Kawi Archaeological Park, 20km to the north near the village of Tampaksiring. From the car park, a steep staircase leads to a small valley where I find 10 mammoth tombs chiselled into a cliff face.

They’re thought to be at least 1000 years old and I would’ve been happy to sit there for hours taking it all in but when it starts spitting rain I decide to hit the road.

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BALI

“With roadie suspension and fairings it was totally unsuitable for driving off-road. But at 250cc, its engine had a lot more guts”

r Bali promises of tropical warmth, clear water, fun times and looming wet-season downpours

o Ian’s riding gear got a laugh from thong-clad tourists but factored in the very high road toll

that reduces my visibility to a five metres or so. The dream road becomes a nightmare and my average speed is reduced to about 10km/h.

By the time I reach Sideman I’m shivering from the cold and feel like my shoulders are about to fall off, but after a hot shower the pain and all memory of the discomfort I suffered getting here fade. Set on the foothills of mighty Mount Agung — a 3000m-high stratovolcano that claimed about 2000 lives when it last blew its top in 1963 — Sideman has got to be the most lush, the greenest and most fertile place on the planet.

Late in the afternoon, when the sun peers over the clouds for a brief moment, a double rainbow appears making the waterlogged rice paddies sparkle. Adventure riding is not always easy but the rewards are sensational.

SIDEMAN TO AMED

My next destination is Sideman, a peaceful little town in the Selat Valley that Google Maps tells me is 45 minutes from Tampaksiring. Yet, with the rain starting and stopping like a broken record, my progress is reduced to a crawl. The good part is that whenever I pull over and seek shelter in a shop, bus shelter or home, I’m greeted with open arms. The Balinese are super-hospitable people; they love trying on my helmet, posing for shots and making me cups of potent black coffee.

I pass the towns of Gianuar, Samplangan and Semarapura then

turn off from what passes for a highway here to a small road that winds its way up into the hills. I read somewhere that this is one of the most stunning drives in all of Bali and it is, ebbing and flowing through pockets of rainforests, emerald-green rice paddies and quaint little villages lined with brightly coloured storefronts, Hindu temples and shrines.

The traffic is minimal but the road is ripped to bits. Every time I hit a pothole the front shocks on my roadie bottom out and jar me right to the core. Then the rain returns but this time in sheets, coupled with thick fog

The rain returns in the morning and within a minute of setting out from Sideman I’m soaked to the bone. I consider heading back to Kuta and calling it a day, but I hit the apex of the range of hills overlooking the south coast and see nothing but clear skies ahead and ominous dark clouds to the rear. I decide instead to recalibrate my route so as to avoid the interior.

The new strategy bears fruit in a matter of minutes and I find myself coasting down a long windy road leading to a wide open plain where warm tropical winds leave me dry and high. An hour later I arrive at the beach town of Candidasa, where a billboard tells me it’s like “Kuta in the 70s”. With a single beachside strip lined with cheap restaurants and whitewashed resorts and bars, and none of the hawkers that make Kuta unbearable, it seems whoever came up with the term is right on the money. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 77

BALI

■ The mighty Suzuki Thunder, whose 250cc won out over the KLX125S when it came to Ian’s choice of rental bike

creatures that call it home, then cruise up to a small warung (restaurant) where I stuff myself stupid on barbecued snapper with rice and spicy Balinese sauce, washed down with a couple of Bintangs, the local lager of choice.

Dark clouds return in the afternoon, but the rain holds off and my drive to Amed — a small dive resort on the Bali’s easternmost headland — is a dream. There’s close to no traffic, the roads are pretty well sealed and lined with quaint villages and towns. With stellar views of Mount Agung, absolute beachfront access and only a few dozen vehicles and scooters, Amed is even more chilled than Candidasa. It’s the perfect place to sit back, relax and put aside all the trivial crap I worry about back home — and sink beers with the locals and backpackers. Two days pass before I even contemplate leaving. And when I finally do depart, it’s with a heavy heart, a pickled liver and the email addresses of a half dozen new good friends.

AMED TO KUTA

■ Bali’s shrines and temples are amazing places to visit

“The moral of the story is that if you do get stopped, the easiest way out of it is through humour. The last thing you want to do is get angry. Then they’ll really screw you.”

With the sun now bearing down on me, I decide it’s time for a swim.

Enquiries lead me to a spot 5km to the east, where a fire trail that cuts through dense coconut groves ends at the aptly named White Sand Beach.

78 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

About a kilometre in length and fronted by sugar-white sand and a coral reef, it has to one of Bali’s bestkept secrets. I rip out my snorkel and fins and spend a good hour checking out the coral and all the marine

I’m still grinning as I roar out of Amed and up Bali’s north coast.

Traffic is non-existent and the road is smooth and wide, curling past pristine stretches of rocky coastline interspersed with half-moon bays.

After three hours of uninterrupted, motorised bliss I hit Singaraja, the old colonial capital and Bali’s second largest city. The traffic returns with a vengeance and there’s nothing I can do but sit and steam in it.

I’m about halfway through it when I see three Westerners touring around on scooters. Their gear consists of thongs, shorts and Bintang singlets with chin-strapped ice-cream containers for helmets.

Even more ludicrous, their backpacks are wrapped in plastic sheets that would surely flap in the wind and lodge between the seats and steering columns of their bikes — a dumb little trick that reduces steerability but may just protect their knees should they have a front-on collision.

They take one look at my outfit — an elaborate array of safety gear that includes Draggin Jeans, body armour, leather gloves, boots, a real helmet and goggles — then share a joke, I assume, about how over-the-top it all is. ►

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BALI

■ The tombs carved into solid rock at Gunung Kawi Archaeological Park are estimated to be 1000 years old

“I also ask Peter about the road stats.

How bad is it? ‘Put it this way: I go to a funeral each week and I live in a small village’.”

And while I wish them well, the joke will surely be on them should they come flying off at speed or even at a near standstill for that matter.

From Singaraja, I cut south straight through the centre of the island — a beautiful, winding road laced with enough hairpin turns and knockout views to last a lifetime. I stop for the night at the village of Munduk, then continue in the morning towards the south coast.

I’m about 10km from the ocean when I encounter the most unique and unusual things I’ve seen in Bali, or the world for the matter: a Banyan tree so wide that the road actually cuts through the middle of it.

Passing through it, I feel like I’m 80 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ The Balinese were invariably friendly, whether it was kids coming for a look or families offering a coffee

entering a magical world and can’t help but turn around and relive the moment over and over, much to the amusement of a bunch of kids on the side of the road. I later learn that Banyan trees are holy to the Balinese as they are thought to protect the land from evil spirits, which is why a road gang went to all the trouble of tunnelling a hole through this one instead of chopping it down.

When the road ends I reconnect with the coastal highway and make my way back down to Kuta to hand back the Suzuki. It’s been a fantastic trip — one I can recommend to riders of all levels of experience, so long as you have the right safety gear, are willing to be extra patient when overtaking and aren’t fussed by the rain.

Thanks Bali. See you next time. ARR

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HUMOUR

JERRY AND THE ENGINE MAKERS It’s a race to the bottom between amateur and professional as they vie to do the world’s worst rebuild STORY: MICK MATHESON ILUSTRATION: ANNE BAKER he engine I rebuilt died but at least I could say I was an amateur. Jerry was being paid to rebuild engines, so his should have lived for years. I had no idea who Jerry was when the big four’s gearbox stopped shi ing beyond third gear. The problem surely couldn’t have been too complicated. If Ian Irving could hand-make a piston in the wilds of Canada when his bike stopped firing, surely I could

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troubleshoot my bike’s shi mechanism in the security of my parents’ shed. What could possibly go wrong?

When the shi mechanism checked out all right, with no bends or breaks, I knew I’d have to delve into the gearbox. Now, though, the workshop manual read more like a horror story. Step one: remove engine.

Next: start by removing the rocker cover and working your way down to split the cases.

You know how when you get into a good horror story you can’t stop until you find out what happens at the end?

Any sane and knowledgeable rider would farm out the work to a qualified mechanic.

Any broke 19-year-old male, fresh into his first low-paying job and riding a motorcycle beyond his means, would joyfully accept the challenge. The whole process took the best part of two weeks. I was on holidays anyway and being back in Sydney for the duration I spent a lot of time discussing the details with wide-eyed mates over beers in the pub.

“Nah, it’s easy,” I’d slur. “It’s just like Lego but with real tools, and nuts and bolts instead of those li le lumpy bits on the AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 82

“The cylinder block had a conrod poking out of it and I had no idea a valve could embed itself so deeply and permanently into a piston crown”

top of the blocks.” I knew everything. I’d even bought a puller. A few brand-new rings snapped while I tried to manoeuvre the block back over the pistons, but the counter jockey in the shop was used to me coming back for replacement bits by then.

In hindsight, I think he expected me because he had another set in stock that day.

When the last rocker cover bolt was torqued up, there were less than half a dozen odd bolts, spring clips and thingamabobs le over. Back in the bike, the engine fired up easily. The fact that I hadn’t found anything wrong with the gearbox miffed me, but I must have done something right because it all worked perfectly again now. I was still on holidays and the new four-into-one pipe sounded bloody awesome so I loaded up the big beast and took it for a 7000km ride.

A few months later I braked for a tight le -hander, heard a sharp crack from the front of the engine then failed to take the bend. The front tyre wanted to go le but

the back refused and I pulled up on the other side of the road just before the tar ran out. A long line of oil ran from my tip-in a empt up to a gaping hole in the front of the sump from which the last of the engine’s lifeblood dripped onto the ground, having already richly coated the back tyre. Friends brought a new sump and oil, and we tried to fix it by the side of the road. “Must have dropped that during the rebuild,” I surmised when I found a small bolt lying in the broken sump but a er that roadside repair the bike kept going. For a while.

Call me slow, but the penny dropped (among other more expensive things) about the significance of that bolt when I found the other, which had once held in place the exhaust cam sprocket, among pieces of broken hy-vo chain, piston skirt, cylinder lining and gawd knows what else. The first had been thrown with enormous velocity down the camchain well — lack of Loctite will do that. When the second let go, it caused the camchain to sha er at about 5000rpm — it’s amazing how much carnage can be wrought when that happens. The cylinder block had a conrod poking out of it and I had no idea a valve could embed itself so deeply and permanently into a piston crown. Even the massive primary drive chain was wrecked.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I went to the professionals. “How much for a reconditioned engine?” I asked the dealer. The cost put me into debt. I hadn’t learnt not to go into debt to fix things but I hadn’t learnt a lot of things at this stage. I certainly hadn’t learnt to ask them to fit and tune the engine. Had I done that, I would have saved more than time and effort, because the dealer would have discovered the reconditioned engine from the local wrecker wasn’t.

The dealer would have quickly noticed the numerous oil leaks, the cobbled-together, mismatched carbs, the broken rocker cover gasket, the missing bolts and stripped threads that weren’t holding the rocker cover in place, the rusty, grabbed-from-anybucket bolts holding the rest of the engine together. He’d have probably rung the

wrecker about it at this point and spoken a few choice words.

If he’d bothered to get it running — which I eventually did — he’d have gone off. Oil spewed out but the smokescreen obscured most of it. The carbs were so badly mismatched that it was a miracle they fed anything into the cylinders. The valves were so appallingly adjusted that only a second miracle allowed the bike to start at all. The clutch slipped like an eel on a waterslide. Instead, the horror story that started with the instructions “remove engine” some six months ago was only just ge ing into its evil stride.

The dealer told me to bring it back so he could have a look. I’d run out of uteborrowing favours by then so I had to spend a few hundred bucks on heli-coils and things to make the bloody machine rideable. By the time it wheezed into the dealer’s workshop, exhaust valves were beginning to burn away. “Nah, you’ll have to take it back to the wrecker that supplied it,” the dealer said. He knew how naive I was. (I celebrated a few years later when he went bust.) The wrecker was a five-minute ride away. It took 10 on my heap of junk.

“So whaddaya want me to do about it?” he asked. “I just supplied a reconditioned engine to another shop. We don’t know what he did to it. You say you fi ed it yourself?” He looked me up and down with disdain. “And you say you did other work to it? Mate, you’re not a qualified mechanic. Got receipts from someone who is? Mate, there’s nothing I can do under the circumstances. I’m pre y busy, so…”

“At least have a look at it,” I pleaded.

Reluctantly, he walked outside to check it out. A sad looking bike sat there dripping oil, smoke still wa ing around it. The wrecker shrugged. “Like I said, not my problem.”

He turned and walked away, making it abundantly clear that the visit was over, but he did throw me one last comment.

“I know that engine. It’s Jerry-built.”

“What do you mean, Jerry-built?” I asked.

“Jerry built it. He was useless. We sacked him.” ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 83

BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE

MIDDLE OFF THE ROAD STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE PHOTOS: GREG SMITH ur hearts beat a li le faster when we see images of far-off desert dunes or dense forest single track but, rather than long adventures traversing the Dark Continent, we usually content ourselves with a weekend with mates in a country pub down the end of a dusty road. A er all, the people who can afford the big adventure bikes for those big trips are ge ing a bit old, a li le too thick around the

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middle and have gained a li le too much lead in the feet for that type of nonsense.

BMW long ago tapped into the adventure trend with their GS models and have owned the segment in the past decade, but they noted that many of these less-adventurous buyers of their GS models choose to fit dual-sport tyres, rather than knobbies. So now the king of big-bore adventure bikes has widened the gap between the GS and GS Adventure with a slightly more roadoriented R1200GS.

Long-time adversary KTM has done the same thing with its KTM 1190 Adventure now geared for 90 per cent tar and occasional dirt as well, morphing from hard-core adventure bikes to join the multipurpose so roaders. So rather than strapping on some knobbies and loading topographic maps on the GPS, we’ve taken the new water-cooled GS and bored/stroked 1190 into their natural habitat — country touring. We’ve recently reviewed both bikes in recent issues, but to recap, BMW has confronted the coming stringent emissions

BMW’s R1200GS wasser boxer and KTM’s 1190 Adventure cater for those of us who spend more time on the road than off. We put them head to head to determine which is the king of the all-roaders.

laws by water-cooling the famous boxer engine, now affectionately known as the “wasser boxer” or water boxer.

It’s still largely air-cooled with water only cooling the heads, which are the ho est part, while the barrels are still air-cooled and retain their traditional fins. The result is a cleaner, more economical and powerful engine. The new GS also gets a lot more rider aid options with systems that link the semiactive suspension, engine mode, thro le, ABS and traction control into five easily selectable modes, including an Enduro Pro

mode that switches ABS off on the back and leaves it on at the front.

All very clever stuff, but there are some less technical changes that will also delight GS fans such as a windscreen that has far less buffeting and now has a knob so you can quickly raise and lower the screen on the fly. Other changes and options include the world’s first motorcycle with LED main headlight and LED daytime running lights, cruise control, a narrower seat at the front, more seat height choices and the muffler and sha switched around so you don’t burn

yourself on the exhaust when mounting.

The base model comes in at $21,250, but this test bike has the full electronics package of stability control, electronic suspension, LED headlights, on-board computer pro, wiring for GPS and daytime riding light ($3150), wire wheels ($580), cruise ($500) and alarm ($505) bringing it up to $25,985.

Meanwhile, KTM hasn’t been backward in coming forward with a massive increase in engine capacity from 990 to 1190cc and subsequent power and torque increases, plus a ra of modern electronic ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 85

BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE

■ We could have sat here and argued the merits of each bike all day

rider aids as standard. There are four engine modes, electronic suspension with three damping modes, electronic spring rate adjustment, traction control, switchable ABS with rear-off/front-on mode and tyre pressure monitors.

Even the notoriously simple KTM instruments have undergone somewhat of a revolution for the road with much more sophisticated instrumentation, two LCD screens, a programmable favourites menu and such a comprehensive list of onboard computer information that even the ambient temperature includes changes by .1 of a degree. It’s also become slightly more genteel with suspension lowered by 30mm to 190mm, the 21-inch front wheel replaced 86 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

with a 19-inch hoop and 120/170mm tyres like the GS. Prices have understandably jumped substantially along with the bigger engine and technological advancements from $21,995 for the previous 990 Adventure to $24,995. They come standard with all the electronics. Cruise control is not available but a ermarket factory heated handgrips are available for $254.99.

While these so roaders are hardly glamorous street bikes, they won’t draw undue a ention from the fashion police, and few could argue that KTM has created the more cohesive and tidy design. Gone is the Transformers look, the sharp and jagged panel angles and the slab sides. It now flows

from front to back with a very tidy front end, smooth panels and a handsome face with a charming LED grin.

On the other hand, well let’s face it, the Germans have never been fashionconscious. The previous GS was a brutish affair, but with a noble stature. In an effort to modernise the look, the style gurus at BMW have created a very disjointed mishmash of panel shapes that make it appear like an abstract Picasso painting. The beak looks like it’s broken, the cowls holding the small radiators appear as a erthoughts and the lopsided face is now even more loony with boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights so that it seems like it’s suffered a stroke.

■ Traction control keeps everything safe on both bikes, but can be adjusted or switched off to suit your skills and style

PILLIONS AND LUGGAGE Two-up touring is becoming more popular and KTM and BMW have identified this with comfortable pillion accommodation, especially considering these bikes are destined to step off onto the dirt on occasions. Both feature electronic suspension that takes account of a pillion or luggage load at the back. The presence of Comfort or Soft damping settings adds to the ride comfort for the pillion, although I found the Beemer worked better in Normal damping mode, as Comfort was too bouncy with a pillion.

As for luggage, both have optional panniers which go straight on without the need for extra mounts. Shame both don’t have top boxes that fit on the supplied racks. Instead, you have to fork out more of your hard-earned dollar for another rack.

Touring usually means long stints in the seat, so importantly there needs to be a generous reach to the foot pegs so your pillion doesn’t get leg cramp. Reach to the foot pegs from the rear seat of the Kato is 450mm while the GS offers a very generous 550mm.

Both bikes also feature ample pillion pads with deep foam stuffing. KTM now has the new 3D foam which is not only comfortable but doesn’t heat up like gel seats. The GS rear seat is wider and squarer, measuring 300x300mm, while the KTM seat is more arrow-shaped and is 200x260mm at its widest point.

If your significant other has wide hips, they may be better off on the KTM, despite its narrower seat, because the grab handles are wider from the seat and set 400mm apart. The BMW’s grab handles are similarly very thick and comfortable for a good, firm grip, but they are set much closer to the seat and won’t accommodate wide hips.

Yet BMW has also tidied up a lot of the junk hanging off the airhead boxer so you don’t bang your shins on them when ge ing on and off or walking the bike around. And by swapping the drive sha and muffler you now get a clearer view of the rear wheel when the bike is on its side stand. The BMW muffler also now has a narrower profile, while the KTM muffler is a bit of a monstrosity. Both echo rather thin and raspy soundtracks for such big, brawny bikes.

Mufflers and panels on both bikes are also quite vulnerable, even if dropped in the driveway at home. Yes, they have plastic hand guards but the panels and, in particular the boxer heads, are exposed to

“Rather than strapping on some knobbies and loading topographic maps on the GPS, we’ve taken the new water-cooled GS and bored/ stroked 1190 into their natural habitat — country touring” damage in even the smallest of offs. The KTM seems to have the best panel and engine protection while the BMW has added a thick tank pad to avoid scratching.

There are a couple of functional niggles in the styling on both. The KTM has located the ignition key in a recess between the steering head and the instruments where

it is difficult to access, especially with a GPS fi ed. It also has a side stand which is too short, too vertical, the footprint is too small and it doesn’t stick out far enough.

On several occasions, the bike almost toppled over.

BMW has also moved its kicker for the side stand from behind the foot peg to in ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 87

BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE ■ The two-dimensional view of the BMW makes it appear more chunky and bitty than it is in the metal

“While these soft roaders are hardly glamorous street bikes, they won’t draw undue attention from the fashion police and few could argue that KTM has created the more cohesive and tidy design” front of it where it is difficult to access with thick touring boots. The BMW comes with an easy-to-use cruise control and heated grips as standard, something sorely missing from the KTM and somewhat of a setback in the touring stakes. KTM has increased its service intervals to 15,000km compared with the BMW’s 10,000km and comes with a decently comprehensive tool kit, although removal of the fairing and body panels on both bikes is a nightmare.

From the fashion stakes we go straight to the engine room where these bikes have made quantum leaps. On paper, it appears the Austrians have the upper hand over 88 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

their Bavarian neighbours. The bored-out, longer-stroked 1195cc engine jumps from 82kW in the 990 Adventure to 110kW with an extra 3000 revs to boot. On the torque side, it’s leapt from 100Nm to 125Nm with an extra 750 revs. Water cooling the iconic boxer has resulted in a power boost from 79kW to 92kW at around the same revs while torque has marginally risen from 120-125Nm at an extra 500 revolutions. That’s on paper. In the real world, the boxer is a gruntier engine with more immediate response, linear power and an effortless feel.

The KTM’s V-twin has a more urgent throb but is slower off the mark, has peakier

power delivery from around 5000rpm and needs to be worked through the gears.

When you hit that sweet spot, though, it is simply electrifying. Touring comes more naturally and with less stress on the Beemer, which se les into a gentle rhythm, its gear indicator on the instrument screen even suggesting with an arrow indicator to shi up a gear, usually much earlier than you would imagine.

It dares you to ride the tsunami of available torque, quick-shi to sixth and run it like an automatic. Come up behind a truck and trailer or a conga line of cars and simply roll on the thro le for safe and swi passing. Roll-on acceleration from 100km/h to 120km/h takes three seconds in sixth, while the KTM takes almost 50 per cent longer and you feel it wants you to drop a cog. Gears are fairly tall in both bikes, which suits their touring abilities. However, those who want more dirty fun can easily shorten the gearing in the KTM by replacing cogs.

Not so with the sha -driven Beemer.

The Kato has a lighter clutch pull and gear

ktm 1190 adventure r ■ The KTM now looks positively conservative and “normal” after the aggro styling of the old 990 model

r The new boxer engine has top response and a fat power spread

r KTM’s 1190 prefers to rev and its superiority comes at high rpm

selector while neutral is easier to find while both gearboxes feel clunky and purposeful, rather than slick, although the engines don’t require slick changes. Instead, they demand drive trains that can safely and reliably transmit the huge dollops of torque from the crank to the road. Along with the higher

output from these engine comes heat.

Surprisingly, the water-cooled engine seems to run ho er than its air-cooled predecessor, pouring hot air over your lower right leg. It’s not uncomfortable except on a hot day if you are wearing short boots.

The KTM radiates hot air up through

the front of the seat to the inside of your knees, although a shorter riding companion, who we will meet later on in this article, didn’t notice it. Both engines also have a fair amount of mechanical noise, while the KTM has an almost agricultural V-twin sound as it revs up, but it smooths out and doesn’t blur the mirrors. However, if you sit on high revs for too long it can feel a bit buzzy.

Again it comes as a surprise that the water-cooled Beemer has more mechanical noise than its air-cooled forebear. It cla ers with noisy valve li at idle and even on the run. However, the balanced boxer and sha drive are so smooth these days my orange-blooded riding companion was amazed at the lack of sha lash and boxer vibration. With a plethora of engine modes available on both bikes, there is something for every occasion. For touring duties I found the Street mode on the KTM and the Dyna mode on the Beemer were the best, the Beemer’s being more adaptive to the changing conditions of a tour of duty than the Kato.

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BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE

Over a variety of riding conditions on test, the BMW recorded the be er fuel economy figures, returning 5.1L/100km, blowing out to 5.4 with a pillion and luggage and running as low as 4.8. By comparison, the KTM seemed to require more revs and lower gears, subsequently returning average fuel economy of 5.5L/100km and 5.7 with a pillion. While both engines felt like they wanted to effortlessly run all day and cross the Nullarbor, the KTM has three extra litres in its fuel tank but will probably pull up dry around the same mark as the Beemer, close to 400km.

I toured these bikes mainly on the tarmac, with and without luggage and a pillion, but when I grabbed KTM devotee and 1190 Adventure owner Guy Basile to accompany me for the photo shoot, we couldn’t resist ge ing down and dirty as well. Nothing too demanding, but we wicked up the thro les 90 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

as soon as the road-biased rubber met the gravel. To our surprise, both bikes handled the conditions with aplomb. That is, when we’d dialled in the right electronic modes and se ings.

Logical thinking dictated that Enduro Pro would be the be er option on the BMW than Enduro, but we were proved wrong.

It was almost unrideable on road rubber in that mode, so if the cross-country tour does require some dirt and gravel, just select Enduro and carry on. The KTM transitioned more easily to the dirt, even if we forgot to change out of Street mode, while the Off Road se ing made it more comfortable and confidence-inspiring. We both appreciated the se ings that switch the ABS off at the back and leave it on the front, but with the Beemer you can only get that in Enduro Pro. Back on the tar, the Beemer feels more composed, inspiring more confidence to

throw it into a corner and throw you must, as the wider ’bars and slower steering require a fair amount of purposeful effort.

However, with that new wider-section front tyre, there is rail-like grip. This is even more evident when you have a pillion. This usually lightens the front steering feel, even when you adjust for the load. Not so with the 120mm tyre (previously 110mm).

Strangely, there were some occasions when the front felt quite flighty, especially under acceleration while you still had some turn on the bars. We suspect it has something to do with the Metzler Tourance tyres.

The KTM has a similar 120mm front contact patch on its Continental A ack 2 rubber for dependable turn-in and grip.

Select the Street or Sport mode and it also runs on rails through the twisties. However, both bikes tended to understeer or skate into gravel corners thanks to the wider front

■ The BMW and KTM could be the two best all-round touring bikes for Australia

“Back on the tar, the Beemer feels more composed, inspiring more confidence to throw it into a corner, and throw you must as the wider ’bars and slower steering require purposeful effort”

rubber. The KTM has narrower handlebars, which are closer and more comfortable for touring duties but the test bike must have had loose steering head bearings as it shimmied under deceleration. Guy says the condition is not present on his steed.

Despite this setback with the test bike, the KTM felt very stable at highway speeds, much like the BMW. I’ve ridden GS bikes with standard suspension, electronic suspension, with shocks by Sachs, Ohlins and Wilbers and nothing can match the WP for off-road plushness and feel. While there is simply no equal for the KTM’s WP suspension on the dirt and gnarly pock-marked back roads, it doesn’t quite seem as composed on the tar as the BMW’s Sachs shock. One can only imagine how good the GS would be as a tar warrior if you could fit an Ohlins or Wilburs shock to the electronic suspension.

Even before throwing a leg over the seat, li ing the bikes off the side stand, the KTM feels so much lighter, even though the BMW holds its weight low. Wheeling the bikes around the garage the KTM almost feels like a dirt bike. But once under way, both bikes felt light and lithe, the BMW cleverly disguising the extra 9kg from the new watercooled engine. Seating position on these

bikes is very different. You ride “on” the Kato and “in” the Beemer. You can vary seat heights on both and also go for optional lower seats but still the KTM feels more like a dirt bike that you sit on top of, rather than se ling in behind the bars like you do on the GS. The handlebars are also further away on the GS, but you can roll them back if they are too uncomfortable. When it comes to standing up for gravel roads, the BMW feels more comfortable. Just roll the ’bars forward and their bend brings them up higher and they are at just the right position. It’s a shame they can’t think of some simple and safe quick-release mechanical system to roll the ’bars back and forward like they’ve done with the screen adjuster knob. The KTM ’bars need risers and a relocator to move them further forward for standing duties.

The bar bend is too low to make much difference if you roll them forward.

On those rare occasions when you do hit dirt and need to stand up, both have very narrow seats where they meet the tank so you don’t feel like you are riding bow-legged. Once underway, the first thing you notice on the new GS is how well the aero engineers have developed the windscreen. Not only is it adjustable

r BMW provides a zero-maintenance shaft drive with Paralever design to negate torque reaction

r KTM’s chain drive is claimed to be lighter and allows you to alter the gearing, unlike the GS

r BMW’s single-sided shaft drive makes for easy rear wheel removal

r Both bikes run wire-spoked wheels set up for tubeless tyres

r Both screens are adjustable and both dashboards have comprehensive info displays

■ Gnarly back roads are the playground of the GS and 1190

MOTORCYCLE STABILITY SYSTEM Car stability control kings Bosch have developed a Motorcycle Stability System (MSC) for next year’s KTM 1190 Adventure and Adventure R featuring linked anti-lock brakes and traction control. Bosch claims it will prevent side slipping when leaned over in corners, prevent the bike standing up abruptly if you hit the brakes during cornering, prevent rolling over in emergency stops, minimise wheelies and spin-outs under heavy acceleration and stop wheels from locking. If this sounds like a “buzz killer”, you can switch it off, but KTM also points out that it is designed to “work in the background” without being overly intrusive.

The system constantly monitors data including wheel speed, lean angle, pitch angle, acceleration, braking pressure and other parameters. If it recognises anomalies, it will automatically intervene. MSC can be retrofitted to the current 1190 Adventure and Adventure R and will only add a few hundred grams.

Prices and availability have not been announced for Australia but production of the new models with MSC begins in December. As a guide, the new 1190 Adventure is listed in Europe at €13,995 (AUD$20,100) which is only an extra €5 on the current model.

Check out Bosch’s video explaining the new MSC: youtu.be/n1CDN6el4zM

for height and slope, but in almost any position it has far less buffeting than its predecessor. It’s also way be er than the KTM’s windscreen, which is not adjustable on the fly. Instead, you have to stop, flip two levers, then use both hands to li it or push it down. And the buffeting is more substantial around the head and shoulders.

The BMW’s radiator shrouds and boxer heads also provide much be er weather protection than the KTM. Every KTM 950 and 990 Adventure owner I have ever known has that wild 1000m stare and white-knuckle fever. They have usually grown up on dirt bikes and now want a familiar feel in a touring all-road bike. By contrast, most GS owners I’ve known have come to adventure touring via road bikes and are a more sedate and genteel group. On the rare occasions they hit the dirt, the Beemer fla ers their novice skills.

BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE

“The KTM’s V-twin has a more urgent throb, has peakier power delivery and needs to be worked through the gears.

When you hit that sweet spot, though, it is simply electrifying”

SECOND OPINION First thing I noticed about the GS was the size of the bike. It is big and not having had much to do with boxer-engined bikes previously, it took a while to get my head around the protruding cylinders. The bike feels heavy to pick up off the side stand while the 1190 feels like a small-bore dirt bike, but once underway all that mass and size of the GS somehow disappears.

The ’bars are much wider on the GS and took a li le ge ing used to as did the array of switches on the le switchblock. The multifunction switch of the KTM is much easier to use. A nice touch on the BMW is the electronic cruise control. A bit of an oversight on this model, KTM considering its intended purpose as a long-distance all-road tourer.

Power delivery on the GS is smooth and almost too linear, but it has plenty of

power while acceleration is surprisingly brisk. The KTM power delivery comes on with a much stronger rush, there is a noticeable spike at around 5000rpm and in sport mode when all 150 horses are released you need to hang on tight.

It was on the dirt and rougher roads where the KTM showed its heritage.

The WP suspension is much be er than the GS, soaking up all the bumps and corrugations with ease, and while standing up for these conditions the BMW was more comfortable. However, I would change the skinny foot pegs for something a bit larger.

Both bikes are comfortable over long distances and the height-adjustable seats make it easy for shorties like me to touch the ground. Engine and road noise on the Bee Em was surprising.

The KTM was much quieter. However,

the buffeting from the adjustable screen is a bit annoying. There was no buffeting from the BMW at all. Both bikes are fun to ride and I’m sure each will fulfil its intended role. The Bee Em is probably a gentleman’s express while the hooligans will enjoy the KTM more.

GUY BASILE About Guy: Guy Basile recently bought a 1190 Adventure and turned 50. He says he’s a shorty and weighs 90kg (“but I’m trying to drop some off”). He’s been riding since 1972 when his dad bought him a Gemini 50 and rode MX and flat track as a kid, enduros in his early teens and then tried 250 proddy racing. He’s owned too many bikes to list over the years but mainly dirt/adventure.

There are seven bikes in his shed, ranging from postie bikes to the 1190, but his all-time favourite is his KTM 640 Adventure.

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BMW R1200GS VS KTM 1190 ADVENTURE ■ When KTM put a 19-inch front wheel on its Adventure, the rivalry between these two intensified, but BMW has answered the challenge

QUICKSPECS Model: 2013 BMW R1200GS Price: $21,700 (plus on-road charges and options) Colours: Racing Red, Alpine White, Blue Fire, Thunder Grey metallic Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance, Roadside Assist Servicing intervals: 10,000km Engine: Liquid-cooled 180° twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder. Ride-by-wire. Cruise control. Optional variable mapping, TC Bore x stroke: 101mm x 73mm Displacement: 1170cc Compression: 12.5:1 Power: 92kW @ 7700rpm, Torque: 125Nm @ 6500rpm Transmission: Six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, sha final drive Frame: Tubular steel bridge Suspension: Front, Telelever with Sachs shock. Rear, EVO Paralever with Sachs shock. Optional semi-active Dynamic ESA Dimensions: Seat height 850/870mm, weight 238kg (wet), fuel capacity 20L, wheelbase 1507mm, rake 25.5º, trail 100mm Tyres: Front, 120/70ZR19. Rear, 170/60ZR17.

Optional TPMS Brakes: Front, 305mm twin discs with fourpiston calipers. Rear, 276mm single disc.

Switchable ABS (option: variable ABS) Fuel consumption: 5.1L/100km Theoretical range: 380km Verdict: Sets new standards for adventuretouring bikes. Still the best

94 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

QUICKSPECS Model: KTM 1190 Adventure Price: $20,995 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Orange, Grey Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 15,000km or 12 months Engine: Liquid-cooled 75º V-twin, four-stroke, DOHC, four valves per cylinder. Variable engine mapping. Variable traction control Bore x stroke: 105mm x 69mm Displacement: 1195cc Compression: 12.5:1 Power: 110kW @ 9500rpm Torque: 125Nm @ 7500rpm Transmission: Six-speed gearbox, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive Frame: Steel trellis Suspension: Front, 48mm WP USD fork, 190mm travel. Rear, single WP shock, 190mm travel. Electronic preload and damping adjustment (EDS).

Dimension: Seat height 860/875mm, weight 200kg (dry)/230kg (kerb), fuel capacity 23L, wheelbase 1560mm, rake 26º, trail 120mm, clearance 220mm.

Tyres: Front, 120/70R19. Rear 170/60R17. TPMS Brakes: Front, twin 320mm discs with four-piston calipers. Rear, single 267mm disc with twin-piston caliper. Multi-se ing combined ABS Fuel consumption: 5.5L/100km Theoretical range: 410km Verdict: More reasons than ever to go KTM and giving you more for less money

■ To get you to the places where you’d rather be…

However, KTM’s new 1190 Adventure has changed the game. I can see road bike owners feeling quite comfortable switching to the orange brigade. Yet the new wasser boxer has set a new benchmark for refinement among touring adventure bikes. ARR

RAT PACK In this test of three naked ratbags, we throw the headbanger Brutale and powerful yet practical K13R up against the Speed Triple — the bike that defined the nakedbike genre

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naked comparo

STORY: MATT SHIELDS PHOTOS: KEITH MUIR AND HEATHER WARE he two sides of the great naked divide are clear. On one side you have your straight-cut, shirt tucked in, socks up, shoes polished crew. Detuned superbike engines, basic suspension, room for luggage, comfortably able to accommodate a pillion. And the retro nakedbikes too, of course. On the other side are the ratbags — scruffy, irritable and hardnosed. These are nakedbikes that are truly superbikes, out the factory door and on to the showroom floor without fairings because the factory didn’t order enough.

A lower first gear maybe, and last year’s superbike engine, but it’s nearly the same bike at the end of the day. No detuning, no suspension downgrading, no added niceties.

Though there are noticeable omissions from this group with Ducati’s Streetfighter (see sidebar), and the yet-to-be-released KTM 1290 Super Duke R, here’s a look at the three ratbags of the big-capacity nakedbike class: BMW’s K1300R, MV’s Brutale and the Triumph Speed Triple.

Brawly, brawny and beautifully individual, the Speed Triple has always had a face only a mother could love, but upon its release in 1994, it defined what a nakedbike was. Some

T

manufacturers tried to follow in the Speed Triple’s raucous, gnarly and fun footsteps while others took the tried and tested route of the universal Japanese motorcycle (UJM) so that now we have two very different styles of nakedbike — the sensible choice and the I-could-be-dead-tomorrow choice.

The MV Brutale is beautiful — curvaceous, luscious, lithe and nimble. Whatever angle you look at it from, it is delectable.

But once you learn about its personality, you find it lives up to its name. Well, stretch the definition of brutal to ferocious and you have this machine summed up. The Brutale has a wickedly high-revving engine, its chassis is the closest in this bunch to a superbike and, in every sense, it takes the practically out of a nakedbike, adds in excitement and makes it pure excitement.

At the other end of the spectrum in terms of practicality is the BMW K13R. While it’s noticeably not as nimble and lithe as the MV, it is a superb handling and performing package.

You want power? No one beats it. Torque? Same. Electronic wizardry? Hands down the best package on the road. The BMW packs a fistful of punch but at the same time makes it all entirely useable on the road. The K13R is much more than a nakedbike through its versatility, its performance and handling, and economy and comfort. ►

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naked comparo ■ The BMW’s unique suspension systems give it a very different feel but it works exceptionally well

BMW K1300R A er many years building “flying bricks”, BMW’s then new 1157cc inclined transverse-four signalled a new age and direction for a brand that was all too o en associated with the pipe and slippers crew. Featuring in the K1200S sportsbike and K1200R nakedbike, the 55-degree forward-inclined engine produced some astonishing figures such as a whopping 123kW at the rear wheel. It was mated with some radical styling not too different from BMWs before, but definitely aimed at a younger generation of owner.

BMW also used the new K-series range to run a Hossack designed front-end system they label the Duolever. The K12R evolved into the K13R in 2008 with the engine ge ing a few more cubes — up to 1293cc — and with that more power and torque. Today, the K13S and K13R aren’t too far removed from each other — aside from a different sized rear wheel, the main differences are weight and ergonomics.

So in relation to the other two nakedbikes here, the BMW is more of a stripped down variant of a hyperbike. Think a naked 98 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

TWIN PEAKS There’s one more nakedbike missing from this bunch that fits the tag of “wild, not mild” — Ducati’s Streetfighter S. At its heart is a 1099cc V-twin engine out of the 1099 superbike of a few years ago. With a dry weight of 167kg, Öhlins suspensions, chassis geometry akin to the superbike, and with 114kW at the rear wheel, the Streetfighter S would have been a valid challenger to this trio of bikes.

These days though the Streetfighter is by customer-order only and there wasn’t one available for the test. Throw your $30,990 down at a dealer and you’d have one. But I reckon the 848 Streetfighter is a much better mannered machine on the road, with plenty of performance, and a bargain at $18,990.

Hayabusa, Blackbird or ZX-14 rather than a paired back superbike.

As a result, you can feel that the BMW is a lot heavier than the other bikes here, most of all when pushing it around, but on the road things are very different.

It’s also the most comfortable bike and best suited to riding varying roads and conditions. The BMW has torque by the bucketload. It delivers power to the rear wheel smoothly and forcefully and it is all too easy to start doubling speed limits at the flick of your wrist. All the time you work the thro le, you are in total control

— no dips, surges or peaks, just an easily moderated package.

But where the K13R comes into its own is with the optional Traction Package — ABS, traction control and tyre pressure monitoring along with standard fitment quick-shi er to boot. By far, BMW’s traction control and ABS is one of the least noticeable, most effective electronic aids on a road bike today. The interference of the ABS at speed — like on the racetrack — can be negated by switching the system off. But most riders won’t want to. The system works so well riding fast.

naked comparo

“The K13R is a long, firm, solid ride and you have power by the bucketload. There’s less reward to be had in a flowing from corner-to-corner style on the 13R” And the same too is to be said of the traction control. Most riders won’t feel it, but consider being ham-fisted on anything else with 130kW at the rear wheel and ge ing away with it. The only telltale that the electronics are working are o en the black lines that riders behind you will see. In standard trim, you get electronic suspension adjustment, heated grips and power shi er, but you’ll need to pay an extra $2235 for the traction package.

On the road the combination of the Duolever and Telelever give a different feel to a conventional chassis set-up, but one that suits the engine characteristics of the bike. The K13R is a long, firm, solid ride and you have power by the bucketload. There’s less reward to be had in a flowing from corner-to-corner style on the 13R. The separation of steering and suspension feedback up front make the stop-point-squirt style of riding so much more enjoyable. On the road it’s a style that would get you into a lot of trouble on any other machine, but that’s without the superb electronics the K13R has. Mated with the ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment), there is a pronounced difference in the handling dynamic in each of the three modes. You can dial

in more preload off the same bu on at a standstill, or flick between the so , medium and hard (labelled Comfort, Touring, Sport) on the fly.

Even though it is a fair deal heavier than the other two bikes here, with the most power and torque, BMW has still managed to give it a fuel consumption of 6.1L/100km. The seating position is the most comfortable of the lot and though the screen looks like a novelty,

it takes a bit of the brunt out of the air on the open road.

The K13R really needs to be considered in this group at the retail price plus the traction package. But at the moment, with the 90th anniversary being celebrated, the K13R is retailing for $21,990 rideaway — on top of a standard bike it includes the traction package ($2235) and luggage rack ($200). That’s an absolute bargain for so much motorcycle. ►

o All engines are on show, though it seems to us the MV’s is the prettiest

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naked comparo

■ The Brutale handles with all the joyful precision of a superbike without a fairing

o The BMW and Triumph can’t match the MV’s beautiful details, all the way down to the footpegs and pedals

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 1098RR If any nakedbike was to epitomise the genre, you’d have to say the Brutale is right up there. Short, sharp, sexy and stupidly fast, the Brutale truly is a superbike without a fairing.

Uncompromising in so many ways, if you are looking for a raw and unruly nakedbike, this is it. From the second you thumb the starter, you can tell the MV is going to be different than the other nakedbikes as the radial valve organisation gives a slightly different sound to a typical four-valve head. The engine is the same 1078cc in-line four 100 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

across the Brutale range, though the RR has an extra 10kW of power at the expense of 10Nm of torque over the base model.

With a cassette-type gearbox, slipper clutch and eight-stage traction control, it’s clear to see that although there is a higher-spec Corsa in the range, the RR has a clear intention of doing the business at speed. The engine delivers most of its performance in the upper realms of the rev range. The power is flat down low but get it revving and it is a hoot. When the BMW and Triumph are done with delivering their power and torque, the MV wakes from its

slumber and starts to do its job. It’s a screamer, and keeping the throttle open and the tacho needle spun around towards the 11,500rpm redline is the most productive way to ride this thing.

Around town you are constantly on the throttle and clutch to move around. The gorgeous induction roar and throttle note make this extra work worthwhile, though other motorists might see you as being obnoxious. And all these revs come at an expense, fuel.

The MV went through a litre more every 100km than the Triumph and the BMW, and it’s the lightest bike of the bunch. You may think that the extra

naked comparo

“The Brutale has a wickedly high-revving engine, its chassis is the closest in this bunch to a superbike and, in every sense, it takes the practically out of a nakedbike” fuel cost and the lack of manners at slow speed may start to annoy you over time but it won’t. All is forgiven when you ride the RR the way it was intended to be — at speed, because at speed is where the MV really comes into its own.

The new fuelling for the Brutale 1090RR is one of the standout improvements over the models before it. It’s an indication of the production improvements happening at the

factory and goes hand in hand with the new 675 and 800cc model platforms — big things are happening in Varese. The riding position gives a hint of what’s to come. The ride triangle is compact though there is a hint of added comfort in the low and forward set ’pegs, while the handlebar is narrower than the others in this group. Both the foot peg and foot levers can be adjusted and it’s a very simple job tailoring their position to suit you.

The steering is delightfully light and sharp, a feeling that is as much true on the racetrack as it is on the road. The suspension, like the Triumph, was dialled in for a balance of road and racetrack, and couldn’t be flawed on the road. The 50mm Marzocchi forks run compression adjustment in one leg and rebound in the other. The rear shock is a step up from the base model in that it has high and low-speed compression damping in addition to preload and rebound adjustment.

The Brembo Monoblocs up front are, like on every other motorcycle that carries them, superb. They are aided by MV’s Race ABS system, made

by Bosch, which has two modes: Normal and Race. It can also be turned off too. The quality of finish on the MV isn’t beaten by the company it keeps here: the paint is deeper, the finishes cleaner, the attention to detail more meticulous. But it comes at a price that is higher than the other two. What do you miss out on? Civility at slower speeds and the comfort and ease with which the other two bikes cover big distances.

But the RR doesn’t want to, nor is it meant to, do that. If that’s what you want, look at the 1090 Brutale or Brutale R. This is a machine for the nakedbike rider that wants the purist form of a nakedbike — no concessions, no bullshit, just a superbike without a fairing. ►

o Triumph goes with Öhlins forks, MV with Marzocchi and BMW with its unique Duolever design

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naked comparo TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE R The Speed Triple needs no introduction.

By far the bestselling Triumph during its 19-year model run, it is perhaps the bike that the reborn marque owes its current-day success. It’s no wonder when given the job of updating this model a few years ago, the man who saved the company from bankruptcy in 1983, Triumph owner John Bloor had one simple instruction for his design team — “Don’t f*** it up.” And mess it up they didn’t. Aside from opinions varying on the styling move from round to more angled bug-eyed headlights, the Speed Triple is one of those bikes with a long model run that has never had a model you wouldn’t own. And this latest update is be er handling, more powerful and be er looking than ever before.

This R version is a first for Triumph’s Speed Triple. There have been Daytona Rs and true to the R denomination, that so many manufacturers have built in

■ Upgraded suspension makes the R far better than the stock Speed Triple

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varying degrees over the years, this R version is a modern-day interpretation.

With the engine le alone, it’s down to forged wheels, Öhlins suspension, Brembo monobloc brakes and switchable ABS to make all the difference to the handling, brakes and also a drop in weight of around two kilograms.

The heart of the beast is the same as the standard Speed Triple with 99kW and a sizeable 111Nm on tap. The engine is clearly focused towards ge ing the most performance to the rider on the road.

Low-end response is superb from the Triple and things continue to get be er into the midrange where the Speed Triple comes into its own. Easy to manage in the lower rev range, the more you twist the thro le the more exciting things are.

Around town, the Triple can be ridden docilely. The low-speed, low-rpm fuelling is superb — no clutching and revs to get moving as the four-cylinder nakeds, especially the Brutale, require.

The thro le response is superb right

the way through the rev range and you’ll never be le wanting the likes of traction control to get you out of trouble. In slick conditions, or bumpy roads, the power goes to ground just as you ask it to with your right hand. The fact that the Speed Triple was running more racetrackorientated Dunlop D212GPs and not a more road-focused tyre would only make this aspect of the bike’s performance be er again. Geared a li le higher than the other bikes here, the Speed Triple is made to quench the intoxicating desire for fast engine speeds that translate directly to fast road speeds. And like any junkie would say, that’s a great thing. At the same time, it’s not unexpected from an R model and the extra bling hanging off the chassis is testament to that.

The Öhlins NIX forks and TTX shock make a huge difference to the tune-ability of the chassis. Throw in a 700g lighter front and 1kg lighter rear wheel and there is enough cause for the Speed Triple to be vastly different

o BMW gives you plenty of convenient control at your fingertips for quick and easy adjustment

are all there, but everything works a bit quicker — suspension actuation, turning, brakes — and the suspension is a tad stiffer.

With such high-quality suspension, you are able to dial it in how you like, and our ride on the road was with a se ing provided for a mix of road and track work. It was a compromise in neither condition, though if you were to do a bit of touring, it’d need a couple of clicks at both ends to make it more relaxed. The combination of be er brakes and suspension and lighter wheels makes the Speed Triple R a lot sharper tool on the road, and all the while remaining ever so predictable.

The riding position is best described as being halfway between the Brutale’s knees-up one and the BMW’s stretched out one, but nonetheless closer in comfort to the BMW than the Brutale.

Pillions may argue the contrary with the small perch on the back. It’s good for tying on a small bag and not much more with the exhaust up under the tailpiece.

The retail price for the Speed Triple R is $20,990 plus on-roads. While you don’t get traction control and electronic suspension like the BMW, you do get top-notch Öhlins, Brembo and PVM

(wheels) kit, tapered ’bars and splashes of carbon-fibre. It may be $5000 more than the base model ($4000 more than the ABS version), but has an extras list that is worth twice that. ►

THE NAKED AND THE DEAD When did the nakedbike genre come to being? Was it the late 60s and the advent of Honda’s CB750? Or in the 70s with Ducati’s 750GT, Kawasaki’s Z1 or Suzuki’s GT750? There weren’t really fairings on bikes until the 70s, when the race-replica thing started to bleed into production bikes. Think the 750 green frame, 750 Sport America and R90S. There’s no doubt that prior to the early 90s the nakedbike was never popularly called such. It used to carry the tag UJM — universal Japanese motorcycle. Good at everything, the UJM was the sensible choice of motorcycle.

It was the perfect option for touring, commuting and thrashing.

But in the early 90s, all sense in the world was lost — from motorcycles to music. And just as music got a “style” for every misguided attempt at aural art, so too did motorcycles for anything outside of being a tourer, cruiser, sports-tourer or off-roader. Quite rightly too, as it makes grouping easier for motorcycle magazines and consumers alike. So from the 90s, we have the nakedbike. You can mark the point in time by a handful of bikes: the Ducati Monster, Triumph Speed Triple and Suzuki Bandit. Twenty something years on, and primarily the Speed Triple stands to be, in essence, the bike that it was back then — class defining.

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naked comparo THE VERDICT The MV Brutale epitomises everything the hard-nosed end of the nakedbike market is — light, fast, raw, beautiful and uncompromising. The seating position is the least comfortable and the bo omend engine response doesn’t punch as hard as it should. These are two things that are an improvement from the f4 superbike, but they will challenge you daily and on every ride.

The BMW is at the other end of the ease-of-usability scale. With all its electronic gadgetry, anyone can ride this bike with utmost confidence in the fact that it won’t let you get into trouble with the mountains of power and torque it has on tap. It’s comfortable, economical and strangely good looking. But it’s heavy and too clinical in how it performs most tasks. You want excitement and character in a nakedbike, and the BMW

is a behind on that in the presence of the MV and Triumph.

None of these bikes do anything wrong, they just do things differently.

Thrills and practicality are the name of the game in this market and where the Triumph has it over these other two bikes is that it delivers both. The Speed Triple is almost as easy and foolproof to ride as the BMW, while at the same time being as exciting to ride and sharp as the MV.

QUICKSPECS Make

BMW

MV agusta

Triumph

Model

K1300R

Brutale 1090RR

Speed Triple R

Price

$21,990 (Traction Package: $2235)

$21,490 (ABS:$23,490)

$20,990

Colours

Sapphire Black Metallic, Racing Red

Red/Silver, White/Gold, White/Blue

Phantom Black or Crystal White

Warranty

24 months/unlimited kilometres

24 months/unlimited kilometres

24 months/unlimited kilometres

Servicing intervals

10,000km

6000km

10,000km

Engine

DOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder

DOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder

DOHC, 12-valve, in-line three-cylinder

Bore x stroke

80mm x 64.3mm

79mm x 55mm

79mm x 71.4mm

Displacement

1293cc

1078cc

1050cc

Compression

13:1

13:1

12:1

Power

127kW @ 9250rpm

116kW @ 11,900rpm

99kW @ 9400rpm

Torque

140Nm @ 8250rpm

100Nm @ 10,100rpm

111Nm @ 7750rpm

Transmission

Six-speed

Six-speed

Six-speed

Frame

Cast aluminium, twin-spar

Chrome molybdenum, steel trellis

Cast aluminium, twin-spar

Seat height

820mm

830mm

825mm

Weight (dry, claimed)

217kg

183kg

199kg

Fuel capacity

19L

23L

17.5L

Wheelbase

1585mm

1438mm

1435mm

Rake

29.6in

25in

22.8in

Trail

104.4mm

103.5mm

90.9mm

Front

Duolever with single spring strut

50mm Marzocchi forks, fully adjustable

Öhlins 43mm NIX30 forks, fully adjustable

Rear

Paralever. Single shock with preload and rebound adjustment

Sachs shock, fully adjustable

Öhlins TTX36 shock, fully adjustable

Front

Twin 320mm discs, four-piston calipers

Twin 320mm disc, four-piston Brembo Monobloc caliper

Twin 320mm disc, four-piston Brembo Monobloc caliper

Rear

265mm disc, two-piston caliper

210mm disc, Nissin four-piston caliper

255mm disc, Nissin two-piston caliper

Front

120/70ZR17(58W)

120/70ZR17(58W)

120/70ZR17(58W)

Rear

180/55ZR17(75W)

190/55ZR17(75W)

190/55ZR17(75W)

Fuel consumption

6.1L/100km

7.2L/100km

6.1L/100km

Theoretical range

312km

319km

287km

Verdict

Smart and sophisticated electronics, but you can feel disconnected from the ride for the same reason. Switch off electronics and let the thrills begin!

A bike that needs to be ridden fast all the time. Uncompromising in terms of compact riding position and lack of bottom-end punch. But by god it is beautiful.

Excellent engine for the road, great on the track too. Ergonomics are brilliant, and R-spec chassis is a step up from the base model. Most will settle for a saving and not notice lower-spec chassis.

Suspension

Brakes All with switchable ABS

Tyres

104 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

P.O. Box 612, Sunbury 3429

Check out this Tripper Fastback™ and other seat styles for the Bolt online.

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PIAGGIO X10 500 EXECUTIVE The X10 is a very elegantlooking machine with lovely curves

EXTENDED REACH It might be small for a maxi-scooter but the new Piaggio goes further in so many other ways STORY: MATT SHIELDS PHOTOS: JEFF CROW he Piaggio X10 500 Executive joins Piaggio’s concentrated new model line-up for 2013.

Following on from the X7, X8 and X9 variants, the X10 is the biggest capacity machine in the brand’s range and the only maxi-scooter. All maxi models in the Piaggio line-up over the years have been X models and this latest one is the second generation of 500cc X models a er the X9 500 was discontinued in 2008.

Like the X9 did at the time with its hydraulic centrestand, communication system and phone charger, the X10 brings a swag of technologically advanced concepts to market, such as electronic suspension adjustment, backlit switchgear, Piaggio’s optional multimedia platform (see sidebar) and traction control. As far as the engine goes, the X10’s 500cc capacity is at the smaller end of what is becoming a 650cc market. The engine is the same as the one

T

106 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

used in the Gilera Fuocco three-wheeler (a sportier, rebadged MP3 under Piaggio’s sister brand) and the smaller X10 makes great use of its dollops of torque.

On the open road the X10 is never stretched, responsive at high speeds and not at all noisy or vibey. In comparison with the likes of the 650cc maxis, the X10 doesn’t have the speed off the line or the responsiveness that they do, but it has all you’ll ever need.

The flip side of the smaller capacity hauling a comparatively much lighter X10 has a be er fuel economy than the bigger maxis and a decent 15.5L of fuel capacity, meaning 250km stints in the saddle are possible.

The most noticeable update of the X10 over the X9 is the styling. The styling cues still hint at this bike being an evolution of the X9, but gone is the awkward-looking, rangy front-end with bodywork now enveloping more of the machine and a low, longer, wider look all-round. Contrasting paint colours on body trim, the sleekly integrated fairing screen and improved fit

r Very cleanly styled cockpit adds to the classy nature of the Piaggio

r Modern, hi-tech headlights emit an adequate beam

PIAGGIO X10 500 EXECUTIVE Get your motor running, head out of the driveway…

o Seat lifts to uncover a large storage space

and finish of all the panels are a marked improvement of Piaggio’s flagship maxi.

The redesigned dash is unclu ered and incorporates an LCD display. The bu ons on the dash operate the shock, traction control, boot lock and fuel cap, while there is trick-looking backlit switchgear on the handlebars. As is becoming typical with maxis, there’s a side-stand-actuated park brake. There is also a USB accessory socket and 12-volt socket fi ed close to handy compartments and, of course, there is a cavernous under-seat storage area.

There’s a cleverly adjustable seat hump on the X10 that will shorten or lengthen the rider’s space on the seat. This, combined with the room on the footboards, makes for a good deal of variation in the seating position. The seat height is a manageable 760mm and feels lower thanks to a narrow body shape in the regions where you want to put your legs down. At 183cm, I found it to be a bit too cramped and I would have liked a taller seat or lower footboards.

The electronically adjustable preload on the Sachs rear shock is a great addition to the X10. It provides a huge variation in the

o Linked braking system is strong and dependable

handling dynamic depending on where you have it set. It ranges from all the way off for solo riding, through to all the way in for twoup riding with luggage, in seconds, at the touch of a bu on. It is in no way a gimmick.

The same should be said for the traction control that is just as useful on slippery city streets as it is on bumpy back roads.

QUICKSPECS Model: Piaggio X10 500 Executive Price: $11,990 (plus on-road costs) Colours: Nero Cosmo, Bianco Perla, Marrone Mercurio, Grigio Orione, Blue Midnight Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres Servicing intervals: 10,000km Engine: Single-cylinder, four-valve four-stroke Bore x stroke: 94mm x 71mm Displacement: 493cc Compression: 10.5:1 Power: 30kW at 7250rpm Torque: 46Nm at 5250rpm

PIAGGIO MULTIMEDIA PLATFORM Currently only fitted to the Vespa 946 and Piaggio X10 500, and soon to arrive on other models in the range, the Piaggio Multimedia Platform (PMP) is a connection between the bike’s CAN, analogue and K line data and any 3G or 4G digital network via iPhone and Android devices.

Basically, the PMP allows you to use an app and all the available information your bike has available for you to utilise an additional trip computer, access 11 different dashboard readings, track servicing, navigate or even read your owner’s manual! It’ll also manage phone calls using Bluetooth.

Check out the app in the App Store, on Google Play or at www. multimediaplatform.piaggio.com.

The handling hasn’t been forgo en in the improvements and the 15in front and 13in rear wheels make it light and easy. The suspension is tuned on the firm side of plush and high-speed touring is where it is in its prime.

Throw in the superbly powerful linkedbraking package with ABS and you’ve got every safety feature a premium-specced model should have and a bunch of trick technological features in a classy looking package. But with the X10 it comes in under the price of the other maxis at $11,990.

Keeping in mind a more manageable seat height and weight, high-end standard spec level and quality of finish, there’s a lot of value to be had here for a lot of riders at that price tag. ARR

Transmission: CVT, dry automatic clutch Frame: Steel tube, double cradle Dimensions: Seat height 760mm, weight 198kg, fuel capacity 15.5L, wheelbase 1640mm Suspension: Front, 41mm fork. Rear, monoshock with electrical preload adjustment Brakes: Front, two x 280mm discs, two-piston calipers. Rear, 240mm disc, two-piston caliper. Linked, ABS Tyres: Front, 120/70-15 (56S). Rear, 150/70-13 (64S) Verdict: Big on value, quality, features and class

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 107

TO THE

FUTURE

Who said motorcycles had to be sensible?

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STORY: STEVIE JORDAN PHOTOS: MICK MATHESON, ANNE BAKER, ALEX JURIS nyone who’s picked up one of those glossy mags usually found at ladies’ hair salons will know there’s a growing trend among the rich and famous to christen their children with very contemporary but rather ridiculous names. Apple, Blanket and North are just a few examples to have come out of Hollywood recently. The

A

once invincibly cool Sylvester Stallone — Rocky/Rambo himself — even named his kid Sage Moonblood. A “cool” name is everything, it seems.

It’s the same with bikes. The general rule has always been fairly simple: highbred European pedigrees are baptised with exotic sounding names, like the Ducati Penigale for instance. Muscle bikes need to sound as aggressive as their exhausts, hence why the VMAX isn’t called the VMIN. Similarly, the clue is in the name when it comes to MV

Agusta’s Brutale. Sportsbikes on the other hand need to portray speed and suggest they will go really quickly. And what could be quicker than a Ninja?

It’s an important marketing aspect for any new model but over the years there have been some idiotic a empts at ge ing this right. Personally I’ve always found the Honda Shadow to sound a bit, well, shady. And the Royal Enfield Bullet is perhaps the most unrealistically named bike on the road, loveable though it may be to some. Call me a snob but it ►

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200V SEVENTY-TWO ■ A bike from the wrong side of the tracks? It’s certainly not for everyone

was just downright silly for Piaggio to call a 50cc moped a Typhoon.

No doubt, these names probably sounded like a good idea when they were originally brainstormed around the kitchen table. Lost in the moment, champagne corks were popped as the new arrival was celebrated and welcomed into the family. Somewhere down the line, however, I imagine the question may have been whispered behind closed doors: “Why the hell did we do that?” It’s quite feasible that just out of ear shot of li le baby Blue Ivy, Beyonce and Jay Z are asking each other exactly the same thing at this precise moment.

On the contrary, many of the retrostyled, neo-classic bikes which are proving ever more popular here in Australia have, by and large, been named perfectly. The Moto Guzzi Bellagio just makes you want to ride it around Lake Como while the Triumph Bonneville and Thruxton both doff their hat to significant locations, evoking the brand’s legendary history.

Likewise, its name rightfully suggests the Norton Commando is a bike not to be messed with.

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“Pulling away at lights guarantees you’ll smile every time but, strangely, it’s a similar story at idle as the Evolution gurgles and vibrates” The Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two is no exception either. This stripped down, classically styled chopper honours the famous east Los Angeles Route 72 which inspired the model’s design. It was this highway on which the Californian playboys would parade their highly polished machines throughout the 1960s and ’70s, an era when making a bold statement was key. It was a pivotal time in shaping Harley-Davidson’s history of customisation culture.

To understand further you have to consider the Latin American influence in LA at the time. Flush with the green that had come from chasing the American Dream, the local Hispanic contingent were finding ways to show off their newfound fortunes. Their ethos was to be seen — an idea which became very fashionable. For the most part, this is an a itude Harley-Davidson has adopted throughout the years in

■ Everything mechanical?

Nothing but mechanical!

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200V SEVENTY-TWO RISE OF THE NEW-FANGLED HIPSTER MOTORCYCLE The word “hipster” recently entered the Oxford Dictionary to describe a person who follows the latest trends and fashions. Typically in their 20s and 30s, hipsters value individuality and nonmainstream alternative lifestyles. The Seventy-Two was undoubtedly designed to allure hipsters. Harley has identified these “cool kids” as the next generation of potential Harley owners. As a result, the brand is consciously moving away from the stereotype of leather tassels and flamboyant flames in a bid to appeal to a younger demographic while crucially retaining an appeal with its more traditional audience.

Harley isn’t the only brand trying to tap into the philosophy, with the likes of

Triumph, Yamaha and those customising geniuses at Deus ex Machina making concerted efforts to engage a market of fashionable hipster circles inspired by all things retro and chic. Subsequent newfangled, hipsterinspired motorcycles are becoming ever more prominent throughout Australia, with many new models aiming to appeal to cashed-up hipsters looking for a bike to fit the retro image. Models in the class include others from HarleyDavidson’s Sportster range (Forty Eight and Iron 883), the Moto Guzzi V7 family, Piaggio’s eternally classic Vespa, the über vintage Kawasaki W800, all variations of the Triumph Bonneville and the new Yamaha Bolt.

■ The riding position is actually quite comfy up to 100km/h or so ■ The Seventy-Two is bare bones, no denying it.

The tiny tank and solo seat really make it

■ Long, skinny and cut down, just like an old chopper

the bikes it manufactures. Being “seen” is half of what Harley ownership is all about, and I mean that as a compliment.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see some Harley riders go the whole hog (so to speak) and strap Christmas tree lights to their leathers…

While not necessarily aimed at the traditional Harley customer, the Seventy-Two embraces this and comes with the unmissable option of Hard Candy — big flake metallic paint which gives the bike’s appearance a real custom look. If subtlety is more appealing there are solid colours available too, including a Black Denim ma e finish as standard.

One thing Harley-Davidson hasn’t compromised on though is the chrome, spanning the whole length of the bike like the world’s most expensive vanity mirror. A colossal but skinny 21in front wheel and white-wall tyres, front and rear, bookend the bling and complete the old-school look.

At the heart of all this is Harley’s air-cooled, fuel-injected 1200cc V-twin Evolution block, which pumps out a generous 97Nm at 3250rpm. The ample torque on offer at the lower end of the gearing leaves you clinging on to the mini ape-hanger bars through fear of ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 111

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200V SEVENTY-TWO ■ Modern tech has breathed worthwhile performance into the stock 1200 motor, which is fun and responsive

being parachuted backwards at the slightest loosening of your grip.

Pulling away at lights guarantees you’ll smile every time but, strangely, it’s a similar story at idle as the Evolution gurgles and vibrates to offer a distinct reminder that you’re on a Harley. It’s a trait which connects you with the bike; in a similar way, the fivespeed gearbox is purposefully clunky so that changing up or down fuses you to the riding experience.

All this helps the Seventy-Two hark back to an unadulterated time when men donned moustaches because it was fashionable, not charitable, and social media was a term given to flicking through the Sunday papers while your girlfriend read the pages over your shoulder. What HarleyDavidson has done then is rather cleverly create a bike which taps into the retro nostalgia vogue proving so prominent nowadays thanks to great bikes like the Triumph Bonneville, Kawasaki W800 and Moto Guzzi V7.

Like this very select group of models, the Seventy-Two takes its rider back to an age of innocence where it’s not all about speed or modern gizmos.

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LONG DISTANCE: MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE! A friend of mine once rode from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast on a Honda CT110 Postie to prove that travelling longer distances is possible on every sort of two wheeled machine — no matter what its comfort rating and luggage capabilities are. He took a toothbrush and a set of spare underwear stored in his jacket pocket along with a second T-shirt which he would wash by hand each night. He claimed that anything other than the bare essentials was unnecessary, which is certainly something you would have to consider if attempting a longer jaunt on the Seventy-Two. While not exactly the most suitable bike for a lap around Australia, longer

Admi edly the Seventy-Two does have its flaws. The eight-litre “peanut” tank, cute and stylish though it is, holds about as much petrol as a teacup and I’d personally rather drink the li le fuel it does store than willingly take this bike on the highway for longer than a few hundred kilometres thanks to the ergonomics. The minimalistic solo seat

rides on the Seventy-Two are possible thanks to the durability of Harley’s 1200cc Evolution engine. However, measly fuel tank capacity means range is by far the biggest hindrance so careful planning and refuelling stops will need to be well thought out. The vibration isn’t helpful, either.

Harley also offers an extensive range of parts and accessories which include touring-style bolt-on screens and more comfortable saddle options to consider. The addition of a fuel gauge, as well as a set of saddlebags, could go a long way (literally) in helping to make the Seventy-Two an adequate weekender.

sums this up as you’ll end up walking like a cowboy with haemorrhoids a er a couple of hours in the saddle, more so if the short, hard suspension found some bumps. Prospective owners will also need to learn to live without a fuel gauge or tachometer.

Nonetheless, the Seventy-Two is a bit like that movie that doesn’t make

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200V SEVENTY-TWO

r A little stylistic striping adds a subtle bit of extra impact to the unsubtle paint

r The peanut fuel tank is as cool as Wyatt but you’ll spend lots of time in servos

r The short-travel suspension is the price you pay, and you will pay…

“The Seventy-Two is a bit like that movie that doesn’t make sense, but you love anyway”

r It’s pretty cool to look down and see an engine between your legs

sense, but you love anyway. It’s because, though speed and tech are good, they’re not everything. Instead, the SeventyTwo offers something different because Harley-Davidson has gone back to basics in order to bring out the best of biking in the modern world.

How so? Well, it’s very much a case of less is more. As an example, the Seventy-Two is a bike that can be enjoyed at very legal speeds — meaning anyone with more than a few points on their license can ride safe in the knowledge that their next bike won’t be the bus. Likewise, the outstretched riding position and forward controls are remarkably comfortable for urban cruising, which the bike is predominantly designed for (if you hadn’t already guessed from the size of the fuel tank). The low ride height of just 710mm means the bike’s weight is easily manageable too, while the inevitable scraping of pegs on roundabouts never gets boring.

Harley has also introduced ABS as standard across its full Sportster range for 2014 along with uprated keyless ignition, so there’s a li le bit of 21st Century tech in there too. It’s also very pre y but the stack of product in H-D’s Parts & Accessories catalogue — ranging from pillion seats and luggage options to various bolt-on blingy bits — means the Seventy-Two can be customised to suit your needs and, likewise, made even pre ier still.

Perhaps the Seventy-Two’s best quality though is that it is what it is.

This isn’t a bike trying to masquerade as something else, rather, the SeventyTwo offers the chance to own a good, old-fashioned chopper which is very contemporary at the same time. In other words, a stylishly retro motorcycle which won’t leave oil stains on the garage floor...

QUICKSPECS Model: Harley-Davidson XL1200V Seventy-Two Price: $17,995 (ride away) Colours: Black Denim, Amber Whiskey, Hard Candy Chrome Flake, HC Voodoo Purple Flake, HC Volcanic Orange Flake Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres Engine: Air-cooled, two-valve, OHC V-twin Bore x stroke: 88.9mm x 96.8mm Displacement: 1202cc Compression: 10.0:1 Power: Not stated Torque: 97Nm @ 3250rpm Transmission: Chain primary drive, wet clutch, five-speed

Needless to say, the Seventy-Two appeals to a new, younger demographic of riders who are looking for a modern throwback to the Easy Rider era.

Wearing a pair of rose-tinted specs, listening to Born to be Wild, it’s easy to imagine yourself cruising California on the Seventy-Two. Because of this, the Seventy-Two, along with other Sportster family models like the Iron 883 and Forty Eight, will help take HarleyDavidson to a new generation. Anything that helps the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer continue to flourish is a good thing by me. At $17,995 it’ll probably appeal to quite a few others too.

I suppose it also helps that it’s got a good name. With all due respect, I dare say it wouldn’t work so well if Harley had named the bike in tribute to Cockburn Street in Perth. I’m just saying; it doesn’t have the same ring… ARR

gearbox, belt final drive Frame: Steel double-cradle Dimensions: Seat height 710mm, weight 245/255kg (dry/wet), fuel capacity 7.9L, wheelbase 1525mm, rake 30.1º, trail 135mm Suspension: Front, 39 forks, 145mm travel. Rear, twin shocks, preload adjustment, 54mm travel Brakes: Front, 300mm disc, two-piston caliper. Rear, 260mm disc, two-piston caliper. ABS Tyres: Front, MH90-21 (54H). Rear, 150/80B16 (71H) Fuel consumption: 5.1L/100km Theoretical range: 150km Verdict: The closest you’ll get to a real 70s chopper

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THE LONG LIST TimetofarewelltheYamahaFJ1300whichhasheld itsownagainstGregor’slunacyandevenearned praisedfromthemanwhosethrottlegoesupto11 YAMAHA FJR1300A FAREWELL A GREAT ALL-ROUNDER I reckon there are five key elements for a successful touring bike in Australian conditions: a strong, reliable engine, an excellent fairing, good suspension, great fuel range and sha drive. The Yamaha FJR1300 has all five qualities well covered and I soon learned to appreciate them in my six months with the bike. I covered 15,000km including plenty of great riders’ roads. A couple of winter days in the Snowies, Thunderbolts Way, Oxley Highway, Waterfall Way, Pu y Road, Gra on Road and Bruxner Highway were all enjoyed aboard the big Yam and I became quite a ached to it over time.

What a mighty engine Yamaha’s FJ series has been over the years. From the first FJ1100, through the FJ1200, to the current 114 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

FJR1300 they have built a reputation for under-stressed strength and reliability.

The current FJR engine is so flexible and tractable that it can be ridden down to walking pace in top gear and still pull away cleanly. Mid-range power is incredibly strong and you rarely need to rev it over 6000rpm. When you do it turns into a serious open-road blaster very rapidly.

Redline is at 9000rpm.

You can ride it like a gentleman tourer or challenge your point-to-point times and do it all in extreme comfort. Both seat height and handle bar position are adjustable and the fairing is excellent, providing good all-round protection including knees.

Obviously the electronically adjustable screen is a huge bonus. The FJR feels lower and sportier with the screen right down and that’s ideal for summer days and city riding. About 70 per cent up suited me on

the open road and fully up is for cold or rain. Very neat and effective.

Heated grips and some hot air ducting to the knees are handy in winter and the ride position and ergonomics are very good. The seat feels a bit hard at first but it moulds to your shape as the ride goes on and stays comfortable for hours. Spacious panniers complete the touring package and their ni y mounting system means they can be a ached or removed in seconds.

Fuel economy was excellent and I achieved a best figure of 5.2l/100km on the highway and a worst of 7.2l/100km on one particularly hard ride. Average consumption for the entire test was 5.8l/100km which is my lowest ever. Not bad for a 290kg bike! With 25L of board that gives a range in excess of 400km.

The FJR does feel its weight when manoeuvring at slow speed, particularly when the tank is full. But once underway it belies its weight and is relatively light to steer in traffic. Its 1545mm wheelbase makes it ultra-stable on the open road and long sweepers are its forte. Even in the

LONG-TERM TESTS

“The engine feels unburstable and the bike does everything in a relaxed and competent manner.

The electronics are up there with the very best” tighter twisties it is nimble enough to have big fun and keep the sports bikes in sight.

The suspension was good enough to provide a well-controlled ride over the wide range of surfaces I encountered. I played with different se ings but finished up with very close to standard. I went two clicks

harder on rear rebound, two clicks harder on front rebound and one click harder on front compression damping. Unfortunately the rear spring only has two se ings. So for solo and hard for pillioning. My 85kg needed something in between, so more adjustability would have been nice. The

brakes provide strong, progressive stopping power with enough feel to trail them into corners if required. The rear brake ‘pulses’ a bit too heavily for my liking when the ABS is activated but stability is generally good.

You would hardly know you are riding a sha drive bike on the road. Any torque affect from the sha is negligible and the gear changes are slick. Even changing mid corner is fine on the FJR. The five-speed gearbox is all you need on a bike of this power and torque and it is quite tall geared showing 32km/h at 1000rpm in top. The twin headlights are exceptional with enough penetration and spread for rapid progress or serious roo spo ing.

The digital speedo is easy to read day and night and the dash is easy to use.

Accessing and changing functions can be completed in seconds.

I think the Yamaha FJR1300 would be a great long-term ownership proposition.

The engine feels unburstable and the bike does everything in a relaxed and competent manner. The electronics are up there with the very best. If you are looking for a serious open road tourer to munch up the kays and deliver you in good condition then check out the FJR. It’s no sportsbike but it’s a damned quick and comfortable conveyance on any road. I would have one in my shed anytime. ARR GREG REYNOLDS AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 115

product reviews

TESTING,TESTING This month we fly on angel’s wings, smoke a performance pipe and go smoothly where no man has gone before…

PIRELLI ANGEL GT TYRES FROM HEAVEN The addition of the Pirelli Angel GT tyres to our long-term Yamaha FJR 1300 virtually transformed the bike.

This was not only because the earlier tyres were worn and inferior but because it allowed the FJR to unlock its potential as a serious open-road weapon. Apparently it has a lot to do with sidewall stiffness and carcass rigidity when building a tyre to suit heavier bikes like the Yamaha (289kg).

There must be something in it because I know that the police FJRs, which are a bit heavier, all change tyres as soon as possible to a special issue Pirelli Angel Demon with a super-stiff sidewall. The cops all love them but, of course, they only have to worry about performance and not tyre life.

Following our initial story on the new Pirellis in issue 94, we were determined to check out the performance of the Angel GTs and see how long they would last in the real world. I expected them to be “compromise” tyres: touring tyres with little in the way of sporting ability.

How wrong I was. After 7000km on the road in a variety of weather and surface conditions I am frankly amazed at the level of grip and traction available compared to the wear rate. The Pirellis look about half worn but have retained their profile, so there are thousands of kays of life left in them yet. About 3000km of my riding has been gentle highway running but the balance has been fairly spirited back road punting.

On a recent 1500km loop of my favourite rider’s roads I threw 116 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

everything I had at the Angel GTs. There was some high speed involved and in the tighter sections I was grinding away at the hero knobs on the pegs and gassing it hard and early exiting the turns. There was plenty of hard breaking and I steered the front heavily, demanding quick direction

changes and precise lines. The Pirellis rewarded me by responding to every challenge. They were stable under brakes and showed incredible side grip on such a heavy bike at full lean.

I was really impressed by the front tyre, which responded readily to my strong input despite the FJR’s slowish

r The front is well up to handling the heavy FJR’s demands

steering. This allowed me to place the bike exactly where I wanted in each corner for maximum control.

Near the end of that ride I was pumped after ripping through a long, tight stretch of corners that I know well. I stopped to check how hot the tyres were and how much I had feathered the edges under power.

They were warm but not hot, and even the rear showed no signs of the amount of power that had been going through it moments earlier. I was very impressed!

I was 5500km into the test before we got any rain and normally this

r Well into a hard life, the rear tyre is hanging onto its profile and tread definition

would ring alarm bells. It’s hard to push on in the wet when the sharp edges are gone from the tread and the groves are running out of depth. A quick inspection showed the Pirellis were still in quite good nick but I was still cautious at first. I finished up doing 300km in the wet that day and by the end I was as confident as I’ve ever been in such conditions.

I gradually increased the lean angel millimetre by millimetre without protest from the tyres until I was cornering at about 80 per cent of dry road speed. Then I started feeding in small increments of extra power on

“I have never come across tyres with the allround abilities and life expectancy of the Pirelli Angel GTs”

the exit to see how far I could push it.

I did find the limits eventually where the FJR started to get untidy and the traction control kicked in, but the wet weather grip and predictability of the Angel GTs was way beyond anything I thought possible. I reckon I was riding faster than most people do in the dry. There was even some heavy rain and deep drifts of water along the way but the Pirellis still pumped the water out efficiently enough to maintain traction.

I really couldn’t have asked for more from the Angel GTs. I tried to give them a normal life some of the time but ended up pushing the limits to see how good they were and to accelerate their wear. All I succeeded in doing was having a ball on a set of wellbalanced, high-performance, long-lived tyres. I would probably get more than 10,000km out of these tyres the way I ride, so many riders would get double that. This is unheard of mileage for me riding a porky beast like the FJR! I have tested sports tyres, touring tyres and dual-compound tyres in the past but I have never come across tyres with the all-round abilities and life expectancy of the Pirelli Angel GTs. To demonstrate that on such a heavy, powerful bike is super impressive. I think Pirelli is on a winner.

— GREGOR

DETAILS Prices: Front, $199 (ranging from $179-$205). Rear, $279 ($259-$289) Info: www.linkint.com.au, (07) 3382 5000

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 117

product reviews

“Response from anywhere in the rev range, or any throttle position, was crisp and I couldn’t find a flat spot”

■ The MC Performance system includes muffler, mid-pipe and clamp

■ It’s much more compact and lighter than the stock muffler

MC PERFORMANCE EXHAUST PERFORMANCE READY The DR650 keeps evolving into a be er big-trip weapon. From such humble beginnings, it has come a long way in development so it can go a long way in any country. MC Performance has been developing its own products for DRs, among other models, and a er ARR tested their luggage rack we got talking about some of the other bits, including mufflers.

MC Performance offers a few options.

We were going to have a look at MCP’s modified standard exhaust system — the original Suzuki set-up with some free-flowing internal tweaks to unlock a bit of potential. Mark Chaplain at MCP was sure I’d feel the 118 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

difference but when I mentioned the fact that there’s now a flat-slide carb on feeding fuel to the engine, he got even more excited. “You’ll have to try the sport muffler, then,” he said. He was obviously keen to show what his system could do when matched to the DR’s vastly improved intake set-up.

The MCP muffler utilises the OEM header pipe. A mid-pipe provides the link between header and slip-on muffler, and all the mounting hardware is provided — though that amounts to just a couple of clamps, which is what’s required. I’ve struggled before to get a ermarket exhausts to line up but the

MC Performance parts went on with absolute precision. The mid pipe slid into the header and aligned with the mounting bolt through the frame. The muffler slid onto the mid pipe and sat nice and close to the bike, slightly angled in at the rear. It saves a lot of space which can now be be er used to carry luggage and, while I didn’t weigh the parts, it’s obviously a few kilos difference between the MCP and OEM mufflers.

That on its own is worthwhile.

The bike was already tuned to run with the Mikuni carb and a full a ermarket exhaust with slightly larger header diameter. As it was, the MC Performance system seemed to suit the je ing fine. Starting, idling and running were perfect. Response from anywhere in the rev range, or any thro le position, was crisp and I couldn’t find a flat spot no ma er how hard I tried to fool it.

Mark says the pipe also suits DRs with the standard carbure or, without the need to re-jet, though I’d suggest you might benefit from richening the mixture li le, based on my previous experience with the DR and bolt-on performance mods.

And the performance itself? Tops!

I’d already brought the DR to the point where it pops wheelies in first without effort and even in second when things are right. With more than 20 litres in the Safari tank, it’d still do that with the MCP pipe. In other words, the exhaust seems to perfectly complement the altered intake system. The MC Performance system looks good, fits right, works the way it should and is good quality. MC Performance has similar systems for other bikes, too.

— MICK MATHESON

DETAILS Price: $590 Info: www.mcperformance.com.au, (03) 5633 1845

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product reviews

■ You can adjust it up and down on the lower section’s slide

WUNDERLICH SCREEN EXTENSION SMOOTH FLOW Despite some modern bikes looking very aerodynamic, very few are designed in a wind tunnel. It’s too expensive. Instead, I think the designers just guess at the aerodynamics of the windscreen. The problem with windscreens is they are subjective. It depends on how tall you are and how you position your body on the bike. Two people of the same height may experience different buffeting behind the same windscreen because one might slouch forward while the other sits upright. It can be an expensive gamble buying an a ermarket screen only to find it doesn’t suit.

What is needed is an aerodynamic screen that is adjustable for riders’ heights. It also needs to be adjustable on the run as there are different aerodynamic forces at play at different speeds. In the absence of a factory adjustable screen, the Wunderlich screen extension is a good accessory and only costs $129, which is far cheaper than an a ermarket replacement screen. It fits on the top of almost any windscreen (but not the BMW F800GS with the dip in the middle) via a couple of Allen bolts that grip onto a piece of rubber, so there is no drilling required.

That means the extension can be quickly moved from bike to bike. It can also be adjusted up, down, forward, back and tilted via more bolts.

There is no perfect position and everyone will have a preference. For me, the best position was slightly forward and high of the existing windscreen on 120 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

my R1200GS, which creates a laminar flow or streamline that reduces aerodynamic back pressure. In this position, it is great on the highway, though at lower speeds there can be some turbulence. So I keep the tilt screws slightly loose so I can just reach forward and adjust it on the run.

At idle the boxer engine makes the screen vibrate thanks to the screen extension placing extra weight on the end of the screen. However, that vibration goes away with engine revs. At the ideal height, I’m looking over the top of the screen, but with fine rain or mist, I duck down a li le and look through the gap between the screen and the extension. Here my visor cops no mist and I have a perfectly clear view.

Wunderlich suggests securing the fixing and adjustment screws with thread-locking fluid, but I haven’t found it necessary despite taking my bike over some rough off-road tracks. The screen extension never shi ed, even though I had the adjustment bolts — but not the fastening bolts — slightly loose for onthe-fly adjustment. However, it would pay to regularly check the bolts haven’t come loose. If you don’t lock the bolts on, then you can use the fi ing on any other bikes you may have.

I have also tried it on other bikes with equally good results. My only grouch about the product is that it has two different bolt sizes, which is just plain annoying.

— MARK HINCHLIFFE

■ We tried it on a range of bikes, including Suzuki’s cruiser, and it improved them all

“It can also be adjusted up, down, forward, back and tilted”

■ Upper part can swivel to change the angle of the deflector

DETAILS Price: $129 Info: www.motorcycleadventure.com. au, (07) 3139 0387

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Whatz new SHOEI NXR Shoooooei! Sounds like calling in the pigs, or a tops brand of helmet, whichever you’re more familiar with. We don’t know much about pigs but we do know that Shoei has had a pretty good rep through the years and has come up with a new lid aimed at those who like their sports untainted, according to the blurb. “The incredible new Shoei NXR is the latest pure-sports helmet from the Japanese master craftsmen at Shoei,” writes the company’s PR dude. Just what makes it incredible is unclear — we think it’s got tons of cred, with its neat new shape that’s designed to make it more aerodynamic and appealing graphics (it also comes in solid and metallic colours).

The 3D liner is said to be comfortable and quiet and it features emergency quick-release cheek pads, which is a safety feature rather than some super brown-eye system. It has a stiffer visor and new base-plate system for a better visor seal, pinlock anti-fog film, a breath guard and chin curtain.

Price: $699-$799 Visit: www.mcleodaccessories.com.au

KTM 1190 ADVENTURE HANDLEBAR RISER If you find yourself bent over like an old man trying to touch his toes when standing on the pegs of your KTM 1190, this set of Touratech handlebar risers will help. They add another 25mm to the handlebar height which will also give you a more relaxed seating position if you’re on the tall side and increase the adjustment range.

Price: $110.20 Visit: www.touratech.com.au

AKRAPOVIC SLIPONS FOR H-D SPORTSTERS A nice way to tart up the Sporty is a set of Akrapovic slip-ons with a new muffler design that’s available in “traditional brilliant chromium plating and an incredibly tough black finish”.

Wow, this stuff just writes itself. Apparently the black isn’t just a quick going-over with spray paint. We’ll let the company blurb writer explain: “The black coating is silicone-based with epoxy, acrylic and polyester stabilisers, combined with appropriate hardeners in order to achieve desired coating stability. This coating is then cured at 200-230°C and is resistant to colour and gloss fade for over 500hrs at temperatures up to 350°C — and stable even up to 550°C.” Should survive long traffic queues on Parramatta Road in summer then, and if black ain’t your thang, then there’s a chrome finished stainless-steel version. They’re also lighter than the original mufflers, improve torque and sound great.

Price: $899 Visit: www.gasimports.com 122 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF

KAOKO CRUISE CONTROL Don’t have a bike with all that electronic gadgetry that enables electronic cruise control? You can still give your right hand a rest with this friction-nut-based cruise control unit from Kaoko. All you do is replace the OEM bar end weight with the cruise control unit and voila!

A simple way to hold the throttle in place with an easy-to-operate tightening wheel. They’re available for a vast range of bikes and can be fitted to bikes with hand guards, Barkbusters and heated grips.

Price: From $129 Visit: www.cruisingbikers.com.au

ATKA ULTRA FASTDRY TOWEL

MUSTANG PEREWITZ SIGNATURE SEAT The seat is part of the design for custom bike builders and Mustang seats have latched onto that idea by providing a Signature Series of perches to purchase.

Among them is a design provided by legendary New England bike builder Dave Perewitz. Mustang’s product manager Matt Kulman says, “There is no mistaking a bike built by Perewitz…

just as there is no mistaking this seat.

Perewitz knows style, Mustang knows comfort and together we make a pretty good team!” So far there’s nothing on the website about price or availability but keep an eye out for this pretty cool concept.

Price: TBA Visit: www.mustangseats.com

“It’s like wet never existed!” Fair dinkum? Well, that’s what they say about this compact and lightweight towel that’s a cool thing to have when you don’t want to take up too much beer room in your bike luggage. The best thing about this polyester towel is that after it dries you, it dries itself “within minutes”. So, if you’re in a hurry to get back on the bike after a quick dip or much-needed shower, you don’t have to worry about packing a soggy towel. It comes in four sizes from small (33cm x 25cm) for giving yourself a quick once over to large (86cm x 147cm) for lounging about the campfire.

Price: $27.95-$64.95 Visit: www.zenimports.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 123

LYNX HOOKS Now, who hasn’t lost a tooth from a flying occy strap hook when trying to reach that last anchor point over your overstuffed bag? Only us, eh? Well, negate that risk completely with Lynx Hooks, which is an interlocking system of adjustable tie-downs that you can attach loosely and then tighten up with a stout stretch section to keep the load secure over the bumps. They adjust to less than half their length and if you need to go the other way you can lock two together or even create a cargo net. They come in different colours and are UV- and marine-resistant, which is great if you want to ride underwater.

Price: US$19.95 Visit: www.lynxhooks.com

RIDING SHIRTZ R BACK! After a Bex and a lie-down Riding Shirtz have been pressed back into service as an alternative to T-shirts that aren’t always comfy under bike jackets. If your modern jacket’s armour is chaffing away at the elbows, then a long-sleeved heavy weight cotton T-shirt such as this riding shirt is the way to go. A cheeky faux dictionary definition of a motorcyclist is printed on the back for a bit of fun.

Terrific as a base layer on cool mornings, offers some sun protection and who doesn’t love cotton?

Price: $28 Visit: www.andystrapz.com 124 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

UNIFILTER KTM 1190 ADVENTURE Here’s another beaut product for your KTM 1190 Adventure, especially if you’re using the bike as the manufacturer intended.

Unifilter Australia has developed an air filter kit for the bike that includes everything you need to

tackle tough Australian conditions.

You get a replacement two-stage panel filter, two intake snorkels, pre-cleaners and a soft foam air box seal.

Price: $69.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF

HELMET BRAKE AND INDICATOR LIGHTS As bike riders, we often have to do car drivers’ thinking for them or at least make it as easy for them as possible, which is what makes this safety device perfect for those who want some added security.

This helmet-mounted brake and indicator light system operates via a transmitter attached to your bike’s electrics that sends a signal to the unit attached to your lid.

So when you brake or turn, you get an extra light high on your helmet, and there’s a flashing red mode for bad weather as well.

Price: $24.75 Visit: www.kickstartcomponents. com.au

STAINLESS-STEEL RADIATOR GUARDS Your bike’s radiator is its soft underbelly and can easily cop a rock or worse, especially when you’re in adventure mode. Cut that risk right out of the equation with a radiator guard and these R&G items do the job nicely with solid stainless steel protecting your delicate cooling fins. R&G also make lighter aluminium guards, but when you’re smashing the road less travelled,

going whole hog on something a bit tougher makes sense. Laser cut and CNC finished, the 1mm thick guard is designed to maximise airflow and doesn’t require modification to the bike for them to be fitted to a sizeable range of makes and models.

Price: $123 (pictured Multistrada 1200) Visit: www.amcmotorcycles.com

COMPASS EXPEDITIONS FIFA WORLD CUP TOUR Like riding bikes and watching a bit of round ball action? Combine both with a Best of Brazil tour to coincide with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in June-July.

US-based tour organiser Compass Expeditions has a couple of 14-day tours that place you in South America at the time so you can ride a late model BMW F700GS around this magnificent part of the world and with any luck, catch Australia’s efforts in the cup. The company offers a bunch of other tours as well, so if soccer doesn’t do it for you but the idea of touring South America does, check out the other options, including the 128-day odyssey South America 360.

Price: US$6290 Visit: www.compassexpeditions.com AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 125

LETTERS LE ETT T ER ERS

READERS RITE on’t forget to write! We mean it. We love to hear from you and everyone else does too; these pages are among the most popular in the magazine. Preferably, keep le ers under 300 words so we can fit more in, though we will allow the odd exception without taking to it with the editorial knife. Yes, we will chop ’em when we have to. Do include your real name and some contact details, just in case we need to clarify something. Please write to roadrider@ universalmagazines.com.au or send mail to Road Rider, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113 — Matho

D

WHO ARE THEY KIDDING? I have just done the run from Gloucester to Walcha and back, regrettably in my tin top, though I have done it many times on two wheels. It distresses me greatly to report that I have some difficulty in accepting the sincerity of those who look after our safety. Along with incredibly useful signs relating to “motorcycle danger zone” and “plan your corners” they have placed lots of lovely wire rope barriers, some of which seem to be quite new.

Philip Roberts Email

NO SHOPPING TROLLEY, YOUNG FELLA! Listen here, Matho old chap, what’s with this sneering at the “shopping trolley brigade” (ARR Dec 2013, p14)? SUV and soft-roader are marketing terms that are of no interest to the purchasers like myself who prefer such vehicles for their practicality — we call them cars.

The seat height means that one need not fall into them and then have to climb back out, particularly when parked on a sloping verge. The windscreen is not sloped back to the B-pillar as in so many cars giving sunburn on the back of the neck, and their high clearance contributes to the convenience of the seat height. The absence of a boot lip simplified loading and unloading.

You perhaps haven’t noticed the young (and not so young) trendies scraping the lower bodywork of their “modern” cars

■ Sunset on the highway, north-west coast of Australia and long way from Mackay for Anthony

1226 | AUS 12 126 A AUSTRALIAN TRALIA TRA LIA AN R ROAD OAD AD RI R RIDER DE DER

crossing the steep gutters so prevalent in some suburbs, but of course, the “look” is so much more important.

Do adventure riders peer with disdain when they see you on a BMW scooter, or perhaps a low slung cruiser?

Though some people are what they ride or drive, and some even look like their pets, your ungracious remarks regarding choice of car are most unseemly coming from a man of such varied interests (and behaviours).

Shame on you, you young whipper-snipper, just wait till your body ceases to respond in the way to which you are accustomed.

Consider yourself reprimanded!

Wayne Talbot Email Don’t look at me, Wayne. I call my old LandCruiser FJ45 ute a shopping trolley… Matho

THE LONG SURF Just been reading Bill McKinnon’s article in issue 96, where he compares surfing and motorcycling. I often remember riding from Newcastle to Cowra, and vice versa three months later, when the asparagus cutting had finished.

The route usually followed the Putty Road, Bells Line of Road and the Mid-Western Highway. It was like a 400km wave and I never had to paddle out the back for another.

Would just turn around and retrace my route.

Brendan O’Kane Darlinghurst, NSW

■ A very long way from both the north-west coast and Mackay, but still on Highway 1

LETTERS JUST DID IT Hello Editor, For many years I have ridden every workday from Mackay 35km south along Highway 1 to Sarina and very o en I would wonder what it would be like not to turn right to work but instead to just keep going along the highway.

Thanks in part to the encouragement of Australian Road Rider I now know what this is like. A er planning and preparation, one morning I set off on Highway 1 and just kept going, then 29 days later, still on Highway 1, I returned to where I had started.

The journey of nearly 16,000km took 23 driving days. This included a long detour via Mount Isa to avoid the dirt roads from Normanton through Burketown and Borroloola to Daly Water and a few side trips to see the stromatolites at Shark Bay, Wilson’s Promontory in Victoria, and Canberra.

Two additional days were spent having the motorcycle serviced, including one set of new tyres, one day waiting for the mechanic to return to work from jury duty and three rest and laundry days.

For the first time I saw areas that I had previously only heard of — the Gulf country, the Kimberley, the Pilbara, the Nullarbor.

I saw so many animals (too many of them on the road ahead in the early mornings) — roos and wallabies (of course), emus, dingoes, ca le, sheep, goats, wedge-tailed eagles, crows feeding on dead wombats and one buffalo. And hundreds of kilometres from the nearest towns I would still find cats.

The north was hot (uniformly 34°C) and full of grey nomads and road trains. The south was cold (freezing fog built up as ice on my helmet and visor as I le Canberra) and free of caravans.

At the Qld-NT, NT-WA borders I stopped for quarantine checks. Fair enough — quarantine is an important defence against pests. At the WA-SA border you are required to stop for quarantine and separately for police checks. Interesting.

You can see a selection of the images I (as Artorius Rex) captured at www.facebook.com/pages/HighwayOne/659219357423454. Access the 204 images by clicking on the toad.

Thanks again to Australian Road Rider for giving the information needed to tackle such a journey and the encouragement to do it. And thanks to my wife for le ing me go!

Anthony G Wheeler Email

NOT HAPPY, JAN! A recent trip over a week has once again taught me that you’re never too old to learn. The ride took in Cooma during the Snowy charity ride and a ride down the Snowy Mountains Highway, which crossed another ride off the bucket list, then to Merimbula and back up the Princes Highway, with a stopover in Batemans Bay and eventually home to Shellharbour.

We booked three nights in a self-contained apartment in Merimbula and asked if motorcycles would be an issue. We were advised that the owners rode and fully understood, and that we would be able to park directly outside the apartment.

If we arrived early we would be able to gain access to our room if only to stow our gear while we went for groceries.

Upon arrival in Merimbula we were told by a rather arrogant manager that the room was still being cleaned, although no cleaners were to be seen anywhere around the

POETRY IN MOTION Mick, I’ve been writing poetry for a bloody long time and trying to be poetic about motorcycling I find exceedingly hard, however poetic it might feel. But here’s a recent effort in case you dare risk frightening the readership.

Ken Rubeli Email NIGHTRIDER The dawn of spring, and dusk on the Golden Highway.

Rush of chill air, nostrils smart at every roadkill’s Wa of slow decay. Bucks on the roam, drunk on Doe-lust, mindless of substratum — bushdirt or bitumen — Procreative urge blindness to danger. Halogen dazzle, Thwack through fur to sha er bone, split flesh, spill blood; Body lumped on the white line, hazard dead or alive.

I fly by, two wheels, one small piston, eight thousand Sparks imploding every minute, as one brave beam Illuminates the way, my tired eyes tensed for threat of Kangaroo or wombat, I the interloper in their territory, They or me, each ripe to tumble broken down the road.

Five hours into darkness, Dubbo, Dunedoo, Merriwa, Sandy Hollow, Denman, Jerrys Plains; ride, ride on….

Past a surreal ocean liner in the landscape, lit up Like a celebration, coal into the furnace, power-pulse Of this our civilisation, as the cuts and pits and wells Drive deeper in the dream that it and us will last Forever. I the minimalist in the motorcade — B-doubles, Hatchbacks, four-wheel-drives and Winnebagos — In this moment while it’s all ours for the taking.

Steady breathing. Not a muscle moving. Wind-noise.

Pipe-drone. State of mindfulness. The price of Wandering thoughts an ever-insistent discipline, This transportation’s steady course meandered starry Through the night-black hills. Singleton, Gresford, Dungog, solitary cra in space, a light, a sound, a rush, A flash in human history, to safe arms of home’s embrace.

resort, and we would have to come back. Even leaving our bags was an issue.

When we returned we found the parking spot was behind the owner’s caravan and next to a box trailer full of rusty sheet metal and gu ering. During the night very strong winds blew up and spread the contents of the box trailer around the bike. Luckily, none actually struck the bike or any other tenants’ cars or tenants for that ma er.

What has all this taught me? When using the internet to check out different places to stay, check if there are any reviews, which we did when we arrived home. In all instances the reviews were very accurate. The Sovereign Inn at Cooma was so motorbike friendly, nothing was a problem, even allowing bikes to be parked directly outside the room door, undercover.

The Clyde River Motor Inn at Batemans Bay was also motorcycle friendly, allowing us to park undercover and a er AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 127

LETTERS

■ Dick Adey and his mates during three days of excellent riding and exploring

checkout the next day le ing us leave the bike on the motel grounds while we went for breakfast at a nearby cafe.

Even the reviews for the accommodation at Merimbula were accurate, which commented on the manager’s arrogance.

My advice: If the manager of a motel or resort says that they are prepared to do this or that if you book, ask them if they will email it to you so you have it in writing to avoid disappointment on arrival. If they’re not prepared to back what they say then look elsewhere.

By the way, love the mag.

Laurie Edwards Email

A BEAUT TRIP WITH MATES Just returned from three great days away riding with mates.

Started from the Sunshine Coast through Kilcoy, Somerset Dam, Fernvale, Rosewood and Warril View to Aratula to pick up the last of the group.

Then out to Rathdowney, Lions Road to Kyogle, Summerland Way to Casino and through to Gra on. Overnight at the Crown Hotel, right on the river — good clean hotel rooms in the old style, cold beer and great food (thanks Brad, we will be definitely be back). Oh, and secure off-street parking in the beer garden.

Thoroughly recommended if you are planning a stop in this area.

Grabbed breakfast at the cafe next to the bakery just up the road from the pub then out of town on the Armidale Road through Nymboida to Ebor and the Falls — still water coming 128 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

over them in late October. Great road with open stretches and very tight bits through the forest and up the range, so something for everyone — even a bit of dirt on the roadworks.

Then down the Waterfall Way through Dorrigo, coffee in Bellingen (magic road) and onto the Painful Highway to Coffs.

Then out of Coffs on the Coramba Road back to Gra on (another great ride). Fuel up here, then onto the Gwydir Highway. Lunch at Jackadgery (good food and huge burgers if you are really hungry), then up the magnificent Gibraltar Range to Glen Innes.

Onwards to Inverell (fuel up bikes and bodies) then through Ashford to Bonshaw and Texas for our overnight stop at the Stockman — another excellent hotel that really looks a er bikers. Twin-share air-conditioned rooms, off-street undercover parking for bikes, free first cold beer and the best steaks bar none (these are worth the ride out there alone and if you don’t feel like steak, try the pork loin chops — wow!) And if you want a base to explore the local area they have their own brochures/ maps to guide you.

Again, thoroughly recommended for a short or extended stay.

Thanks Steve. Every good thing we heard about the Stockman and Texas was true. Home next morning through Leyburn, Cli on, Ga on, Esk, Somerset Dam and Kilcoy (great bakery on the north side of town opposite the park).

Now to plan the next trip away.

Dick Adey Pomona, Qld

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PRICE GUIDE

ROAD BIKE & SCOOTER PRICE GUIDE N Can I afford it? Is there something better for the money?

ew bike prices can go up and down like the stock market, so in every issue we’ll bring you the sticker prices. To be completely up to date with things like factory discounts and incentives, check the Road Rider website (www.roadrider.com.au) where we will bring you all the special deals, bonus offers and cashback promotions we can find.

We have included the importers’ websites, which is the place to go if you’re looking for more information. You’ll see that we haven’t listed every bike on the market (yet) but we aim to get there with all of them. Sometimes even we struggle to find the details of the smaller, newer importers. Meanwhile, enjoy this most meaningful of Australian bike listings, covering the bikes you’re interested in.

The prices are the most up-to-date ones available from the distributors. They may change, of course, subject to specials coming and going. We’ve also made it abundantly clear which prices are ride-away and which don’t include on-road costs; the difference to your final payout can be significant, so don’t compare apples with oranges.

BRAND & MODEL APRILIA

WE SAY

PRICE www.aprilia.com.au

Road RS4 125 4T ................................ Sporty learner...........................$5100+orc Shiver Sport 750 ABS.............. Oh so good ...............................$12,990+orc Dorsoduro 750 ABS ................. With ABS ...................................$13,690+orc Tuono V4R APRC ...................... Upright sportsbike ...................$20,990+orc RSV4 R APRC............................ High tech, high spec ................$21,990+orc RSV4 R Factory APRC ABS ..... Racing black ..............................$27,990+orc Dorsoduro 1200 ATC/ABS ...... Insane in the brain ...................$16,990+orc Adv Touring Caponord 1200 ATC/ABS ........ Truly great all-rounder ............$21,990+orc Scooters SR50R Carb SBK ...................... Biaggi replica............................$3750+orc SR MT 50 2T ............................. Entry point ................................$2190+orc SR MT 125 4T ........................... Cheap commuting ...................$2990+orc Scarabeo 200 ie........................ Crisp performer........................$4650+orc Sportcity Street 300 ................. Sporty and more powerful .....$6290+orc Sportcity Cube 300 .................. Zip through the city .................$6290+orc Scarabeo 300 ie........................ Unmistakable ...........................$6490+orc SR Max 300 .............................. Do it all ......................................$6990+orc SRV 850 ATC ABS .................... Large with the lot .....................$15,990+orc

BENELLI

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

We were unable to contact Benelli to update details this month.

Road BN600........................................ Upcoming new four ................$TBA Century Racer 899.................... Mid-sized entertainer...............$15,590+orc TNT 1130 ................................... Naked dynamite.......................$19,990+orc TNT 1130R ................................. More explosive ........................$20,790+orc Tre-K 1130.................................. Out of the ordinary ..................$16,890+orc Adv Touring TRE-K Amazonas ..................... Be an individual .......................$17,790+orc

BIMOTA

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

We were unable to contact Bimota to update details this month.

Road DB8 ............................................ Eye candy..................................$47,990+orc DB8 SP ...................................... The sweetest candy .................$47,790+orc Tesi 3D ....................................... Exotica erotica ..........................$50,890+orc DB7 OroNero ............................ The ultimate exotic ..................$84,990+orc DB9 ............................................ Muscle streetfighter ................$44,990+orc DB9S.......................................... Sharper on the street ..............$46,990+orc DB10 .......................................... Sharp style ................................$37,290+orc DB10 R ....................................... And sharper again ...................$38,290+orc

BMW

www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

Road F 800 R....................................... Naked Bavarian — mmm! ......$13,100+orc S 1000 RR.................................. Still the one to beat .................$22,400+orc HP4 ............................................ Hyper RR ...................................$27,990+orc

130 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

HP4 Competition...................... For serious sports riders .........$32,450+orc R 1200 R .................................... Ever reliable ..............................$20,800+orc R 1200 RT .................................. Have your cake and eat it .......$28,790+orc K 1300 R .................................... Evil Wulf ....................................$21,990+orc K 1300 S .................................... Autobahn eater ........................$23,990+orc

BMW K1600GTL EXCLUSIVE Just as BMW 7 Series (and Mercedes S-Class) are the epitome of hi-tech in the car world, the new BMW K1600GTL Exclusive is a state-of-the-art motorcycle.

BMW Motorrad Australia product communications manager Scott Croaker says we will be getting the Exclusive late in the second quarter of 2014 with price yet to be finalised. The current GTL costs $36,990, but the Exclusive comes with new instruments, new colour scheme with matching seats, hill start control to get you moving even with a pillion on board and keyless start for the first time on a BMW. But wait, there’s more: The radio’s film antenna, embedded in the topbox lid, is a world first. The “invisible antenna” replaces the antenna that runs up beside the windscreen. Pillions will also find it more comfortable with a new seat, heated backrest and armrests to match the Honda Goldwing. Extra styling touches include aluminium molding on the fuel tank, fully chromed exhaust system, new instrumentation and a four-coat paintjob in silver and magnesium with matching upholstery.

It also comes standard with all the gear from the GTL such as central locking with anti-theft alarm system, electronic suspension adjustment, dynamic traction control, LED auxiliary headlights, adaptive xenon headlight, tyre pressure monitor, additional brake light, engine protection bar, floor lighting, three riding modes and LED daytime running light. It is still powered by the narrow, in-line, six-cylinder engine with 118kW at 7750rpm and maximum torque of 175Nm at 5250rpm with more than 70 per cent of maximum torque on tap from just 1500rpm. — MH

PRICE GUIDE

DUCATI

■ BMW has released low suspension models of the F700GS and F800GS, both at slight premiums over the standard models

K 1300 S ................................... 30 year anniversary edition ....$27,490+orc K 1600 GT ................................. Power touring...........................$34,990+orc K 1600 GT Sport ....................... Luxury but lighter, sportier .....$35,490+orc K 1600 GTL ............................... Euro luxury touring .................$36,990+orc Adv Touring G 650 GS ................................... You’ll be surprised ...................$9990+orc G 650 GS Sertao....................... Rough it or not .........................$10,990+orc F 700 GS.................................... Not really a 700 ........................$12,890+orc F 700 GS ................................... Low suspension model ...........$13,140+orc F 800 GS.................................... Great adv tourer.......................$16,690+orc F800 GS..................................... Low suspension model ...........$16,940+orc F 800 GSA ................................. Go further..................................$18,550+orc F 800 GT .................................... Dynamically designed.............$16,300+orc R 1200 GS ................................. All-road master ........................$21,700+orc R 1200 GSA............................... Charley’s favourite ...................$23,850+orc R 1200 GSA Triple Black .......... Black, black & black ..................$25,770+orc Scooter C 600 Sport ............................... Sporty maxi ..............................$13,990+orc C 650 GT.................................... Let’s tour! ..................................$14,890+orc

BOLLINI

www.ducati.com.au

Road Monster 659 ABS ..................... Monster the LAM .....................$12,990+orc Monster 696 ABS .................... Easy to handle ..........................$13,990+orc Monster 796 ABS ..................... Full sized, adequate power .....$15,990+orc Monster 696 ABS 20th ............ Red anniversary model ..........$14,490+orc Monster 796 ABS 20th ............ Red anniversary model...........$16,490+orc Streetfighter 848 ...................... Precision fighter .......................$18,990+orc 848 EVO..................................... Surprise the big boys ..............$19,990+orc 848 EVO Corse SE.................... Special edition..........................$21,490+orc Panigale 899 ............................. Smaller, sweeter superbike ....$19,990+orc Hypermotard ............................ Shiny and new .........................$16,990+orc Hypermotard SP ...................... Brand new ................................$20,490+orc Hyperstrada .............................. Manners & madness ...............$17,990+orc Monster 1100 EVO ABS ........... Grrrrr! ........................................$17,990+orc Monster 1100 EVO Diesel ........ Urban military ..........................$19,990+orc Monster 1100 EVO ABS 20th Red anniversary model .............$18,490+orc Monster 1200 ........................... The new generation is coming $TBA Monster 1200 S ........................ With better bits.........................$TBA Panigale 1199 ABS.................... Good for Troy ............................$26,990+orc Panigale S ABS......................... Electronic Öhlins! ....................$33,990+orc Panigale Tri Colour ................... Make you melt .........................$39,990+orc Panigale R ABS......................... Race passion ............................$42,990+orc Cruiser Diavel ........................................ Heart of darkness .....................$23,990+orc Diavel Carbon Red ................... Deal with the devil ...................$29,490+orc Diavel Stripes ........................... With stripy paint.......................$26,990+orc Diavel Strada ............................ Ducati Performance .................$26,990+orc Adv Touring Multistrada 1200 ABS.............. 4 in 1 with ABS .........................$22,990+orc Multistrada 1200 S Touring ..... See the world ...........................$28,490+orc Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Pk ... Flashy paint job ........................$31,990+orc Multistrada 1200 Granturismo ............................. Tour perfection .........................$30,490+orc

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

Road Speed 200 ................................. Economy ticket ........................$2290+orc Cruiser Retro 200................................... New release mid-year .............$TBA

CAN-AM (BRP)

www.brp.com

Road Spyder RS SM5........................ The “Spyder” experience .......$19,990+orc Spyder RSS SM5 ..................... Supersports manual ................$22,176+orc Spyder RSS SE5 ...................... Supersports auto .....................$23,990+orc Spyder RT SM5 ........................ Stand out from the crowd ......$30,490+orc Spyder RT Limited SE5 ........... Touring upspec ........................$39,990+orc

CF MOTO

www.cf-moto.com.au

Road VNight ....................................... Great learner ............................$2690+orc Jetmax 250 ............................... Freeway capable Scooter........$4190+orc Leader........................................ Not fussy ...................................$2190+orc 650NK ........................................ May ruffle some feathers .......$5990+orc 650TK......................................... Bargain touring ........................$6,990+orc Cruiser V5 ............................................... Where’s the engine? ................$4190+orc

DAELIM

www.daelim.com.au

Road VJF250....................................... Adequate style .........................$3990+orc Cruiser Daystar 250 EFI ........................ Fat, feet-forward cruiser ..........$4290+orc Scooter Bbone ........................................ Its clothes are off......................$3490+orc Besbi .......................................... Small and cute .........................$2190+orc S1 ............................................... Nice style...................................$2990+orc

■ Ducati has set the price of the brand new Panigale 899 at $19,990+orc.

Meanwhile, the 848 Evo and Corse SE will be dropped. So get in while you can

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

www.harley-davidson.com

All H-D prices are ride-away.

Cruiser XL883L SuperLow ................... For the shorties ........................$14,750ra XL883N Iron 883 ..................... Iron tough .................................$14,995ra XL1200C Custom ..................... Customary show off ................$18,750ra XL1200CA Custom A ............... Show off A ................................$19,250ra XL1200CB Custom B ............... Show off B ................................$18,750ra XL1200X Forty-Eight................ Retro cool..................................$18,995ra XL1200V Seventy-Two ............ Vintage muscle.........................$18,495ra VRSCDX Night Rod Special.... Drag bike ...................................$26,995ra VRSCF Muscle .......................... Muscle me ................................$26,750ra AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 131

PRICE GUIDE

FXDB Street Bob ...................... Versatile.....................................$22,495ra FXDC Super Glide Custom ..... A bike with attitude..................$23,495ra FXDWG Wide Glide ................. Let your hair hang down ........$24,995ra FXDF Fat Bob............................ Lay off the burgers, Bob! ........$25,495ra FLD Dyna Switchback .............. Dress up, dress down..............$26,250ra FLS Softail Slim........................ Slim, yet PH fat! .......................$26,250ra FXST Softail Standard............. The original ride .......................$27,250ra FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo................... Low bruiser...............................$28,750ra FLSTF Fat Boy .......................... Big bruiser ................................$28,995ra FLSTN Softail Deluxe .............. Classy dude ..............................$28,995ra FLSTNSE CVO Deluxe ............. 110ci, LEDs plus ........................$44,995ra FXSB Breakout ......................... Urban street styling .................$28,995ra FXSBSE CVO Softail ................ 110ci and more .........................$43,995ra FLSTC Heritage S’tail Classic . Visually beautiful .....................$29,995ra FLHRC Road King Classic ....... Be the king ................................$32,495ra FLHRSE CVO Road King ......... King bling, 110ci .......................$47,995ra FLHX Street Glide .................... Bad boy .....................................$33,995ra FLHTCU Ultra Classic Electra GlideComfy ................................$37,250ra FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra Ltd Works burger ............................$38,250ra FLHTCKSE CVO Ultra Ltd........ 110ci mega-tourer ....................$50,995ra

HONDA FIREBLADE SP

■ Honda is adding a third six-cylinder model to the line, the muscle-bound F6C. Price hasn’t been confirmed

HONDA

www.honda.com.au

Road CB125E ...................................... Cheap commuter .....................$2099+orc CBR125R ................................... The teacher ...............................$4049+orc CBR250R ................................... Fresh and fun ...........................$5510+orc CBR250R ABS........................... With ABS! .................................$6010+orc CBR250R Repsol ...................... Stoner racer rep .......................$4999ra CBR250R ABS Repsol .............. With ABS ...................................$5499ra CBR250R SE Mugen ................ Mugen race replica ..................$5710+orc CBR250R SE Mugen ABS ....... With ABS ...................................$6220+orc CBR250R SE Moriwaki ............ Moriwaki race replica ..............$5710+orc CBR250R SE Moriwaki ABS.... With ABS ...................................$6220+orc CBR300...................................... Coming rival for the Ninja 300 $TBA CB400 ....................................... Bulletproof ................................$10,099+orc CB400A ABS ............................. Foolproof...................................$11,099+orc CBR500R ................................... Sporty little twin .......................$7249+orc CBR500R ABS........................... ABS option ...............................$7749+orc CB500F ...................................... With ABS ...................................$7,549+orc CBR600RR................................. Versatile supersport.................$14,390+orc CBR600RR ABS ........................ Safety supersport.....................$16,590+orc NC700SA ABS .......................... Mr Practical ...............................$8550+orc VFR800 ...................................... Tried and true package ............$14,050+orc CBR1000RR............................... Ride what Casey rides.............$16,890+orc CBR1000RR Repsol.................. MotoGP replica ........................$16,890+orc VFR1200F .................................. For the tech heads ...................$15,390+orc VFR1200FD-DCT....................... Relaxing sports tourer ............$15,890+orc GL1800 Goldwing Luxury....... The ultimate luxury tourer......$35,749+orc Cruiser VT400 ........................................ Classic-styled LAM ..................$9299+orc CTX700N................................... A bike for everything ...............$9049+orc CTX700...................................... A fairing for the open road ....$9849+orc 132 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Honda has released Fireblade models in special livery before but never a oneoff special edition with so many performance as well as cosmetic upgrades.

The CBR1000RR SP Fireblade features special “factory engine internals” which surely means a boost in power and torque, although they are giving away few details and no power figures. It also gets Öhlins front and rear suspension, Brembo monoblock front brake calipers, a solo seat, Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP gold tyres and tricolour livery.

It will arrive in Australian early this year, but pricing has not yet been released. The scant engine upgrade details are factory-matched pistons and con-rods for optimum internal balance, improved inlet/exhaust gas flow and combustion efficiency. However, the 999.8cc inline, four-cylinder engine shares the same updated cylinder head as the standard 2014 CBR1000RR Fireblade.

Honda says the SP’s die-cast aluminium twin-spar frame has been slightly modified to suit the Öhlins suspension and “tuned” to increase rider feedback while the “rigidity balance” around the rear suspension mount has been revised to give “more flex and therefore feel, for traction”.

The Brembo monoblocks were chosen to match the increased performance of the Öhlins fork and while the caliper body is standard, Brembo made special pistons and used special pad material to provide “consistent and linear feel when braking hard from high speed,” says Honda. While they don’t give tech specs such as weight, Honda claims there is a weight saving by going to a solo seat. There is also no word on how many special edition models will be released, but it looks like a collector’s bike to us. — MH

CTX700D ................................... Dual Clutch Transmission .......$10,849+orc VT750S ...................................... Streetwise appeal ....................$8099+orc VT750C ...................................... Classic appeal...........................$11,749+orc CTX1300.................................... V4, due by winter .....................$TBA VT1300CXA Fury...................... Chopped dragster ....................$15,490+orc F6B ............................................. Stripped Wing...........................$25,149+orc F6C ............................................. New, coming soon! .................$TBA Adv Touring CB500X ..................................... Adventure sports .....................$7799+orc CB500XA .................................. ABS ............................................$7490+orc Scooter Today 50 .................................... Do it, Today! ..............................$1599+orc Dio 110 ....................................... New kid in town .......................$2510+orc PCX150 ...................................... Stylish and practical ................$4,099+orc SH150i ....................................... Versatile urbanite .....................$4720+orc NSS300 Forza ........................... Sporty and flexible ..................$6,549+orc Integra ....................................... Motorcycle or scooter? ...........$11,149+orc

HUSQVARNA

www.husqvarnamotorcycles.com.au

Road TR 650 Strada ........................... Masculine roadie .....................$7995+orc Nuda .......................................... Nude with flair..........................$10,495+orc Nuda ABS ................................. Flair and ABS ............................$10,495+orc Nuda R ...................................... Nude with muscle....................$12,495+orc Nuda R ABS .............................. Muscle and ABS.......................$12,495+orc Adv Touring TR 650 Terra .............................. Price and performance great..$8495+orc

PRICE GUIDE HYOSUNG

www.hyosung.com.au

Road GT250 ........................................ Great beginner .........................$4490+orc GT250R...................................... Get serious at day 1 .................$4990+orc GT650 ........................................ Naked value and style .............$6390+orc GT650R...................................... Easy, sporty, affordable ...........$6890+orc Cruiser GV250 Aquila............................ Little cutie..................................$4990+orc GV650 Aquila............................ Responsive rider ......................$7690+orc GV650C Aquila Classic ............ LAMS value ..............................$7690+orc

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

www.indianmotorcycle.com.au

Road Chief .......................................... Leading the tribe back!............$28,995ra Chief Vintage ............................ Signature heritage aesthetic ..$31,495ra Chieftain .................................... First Indian tourer/bagger .......$35,995ra

Versys 650L ABS ...................... LAMS model ............................$9,999+orc Versys 1000 .................................Bitumen burner.......................... $15,999+orc

KTM

KYMCO

KAWASAKI

kymco.com.au

We were unable to contact Kymco to update details this issue.

Road CK 125 ....................................... No nonsense ............................$1990+orc Naked 125 ................................. Modest naked...........................$3590+orc Quannan 125 ............................ Modest but popular .................$3590+orc Cruiser Venox 250 ................................. Value and looks ........................$5490+orc Scooter Agility RS 125 ........................... Agile runner..............................$2490+orc Like 125 ..................................... Fall in love .................................$2990+orc Super 8 125............................... Cool jigger ................................$3290+orc Espresso 150 ............................ I’ll take a double shot ..............$3990+orc Like 200 ..................................... Classic performer.....................$3490+orc Ego 250 ..................................... How big is yours? ....................$4990+orc Downtown 300i ........................ An all-rounder ..........................$6990+orc Downtown 300i ABS ............... All-rounder with ABS ..............$7490+orc Xciting 500 ................................ Get excited ................................$8990+orc

LARO ■ Want what must be the hottest hyperbike around? Kawasaki’s ZX-14R SE Öhlins comes with a TTX39 rear shock, pearl white and gold colours, rear seat cowl and more.

Speed, handling and good looks for $21,999+orc, but only in limited numbers

www.ktm.com.au

Road 390 Duke ................................... Ninja beater? ............................$6995+orc 690 Duke ................................... Sharp and bright ......................$12,495+orc 690 Duke R ................................ The sportier motard.................$13,495+orc 1190 RC8 R ................................ The orange flash ......................$25,495+orc Adv Touring 690 Enduro R ............................ Extreme riders only .................$14,395+orc 1190 Adventure......................... High-tech adventurer...............$19,995+orc 1190 Adventure R ..................... Add more adventure ...............$22,995+orc

www.laro.com.au

We were unable to contact Kymco to update details this issue.

Road V Retro 250 ............................... DT250 clone ..............................$2990+orc

www.kawasaki.com.au

Road Ninja 300 ................................... Even better again!....................$6199+orc Ninja 300 ABS .......................... A LAM with ABS ......................$6699+orc Ninja 300 SE ............................. Tastes like lime .........................$6399+orc Ninja 300 SE ABS..................... Lime LAM with ABS ................$6899+orc ER-6n/nL ABS ........................... Quirky ........................................$9999+orc Ninja 650/L ABS ....................... Mid-sized gem ..........................$10,499+orc Ninja ZX-6R (599) ..................... Striking ......................................$14,999+orc Ninja ZX-6R .............................. The 650cc supersport ..............$15,499+orc Ninja ZX-6R ABS ...................... With ABS ...................................$16,499+orc Z800 ABS .................................. Sharper......................................$12,999+orc W800 ......................................... Nostalgic, relaxed cruising .....$11,999+orc W800SE..................................... Special Edition .........................$12,499+orc Z1000 ABS ................................ Let it seduce you ......................$16,499+orc Z1000 ABS SE........................... Special edition..........................$16,799+orc Ninja 1000 ABS ....................... A sword with soul ....................$16,999+orc Ninja ZX-10R ............................ Back with a vengeance............$18,999+orc Ninja ZX-10R ABS .................... Safety factor .............................$19,999+orc 1400GTR ABS ........................... Transcontinental ......................$24,999+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS .................... Power plus ................................$19,999+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS SE .............. Special edition..........................$20,299+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS SE Öhlins .. Öhlins, white, gold, scorching $21,999+orc Cruiser Vulcan 900 Custom SE ............ Thin-tyre tripping .....................$12,699+orc Vulcan 900 Classic ................... Classically glamorous .............$12,499+orc Vulcan 1700 Classic ABS......... Great blank canvas ..................$19,999+orc Vulcan 1700 Nomad ABS........ Add a bit of bling .....................$22,999+orc Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS ...... Go to the dark side ..................$24,499+orc Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS....... Plush ride ..................................$25,999+orc Adv Touring KLR650 ...................................... Bargain with a capital B ..........$7999+orc Versys 650 ABS ........................ Appealing all-rounder .............$9,999+orc AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 133

PRICE GUIDE

■ MV Agusta’s exciting and sexy new Rivale 800 is available in January and is being priced at $20,990

Cruiser Cruiser 250................................ Learner’s ride............................$3999+orc

MEGELLI

www.megelli.com

Road 250S ........................................... Nice looker................................$4250+orc 250R ........................................... Italian styling ............................$4850+orc 250SE......................................... Sportsbike handling ................$5650+orc

MOTO GUZZI

■ Megelli’s 250S has had a slight price reduction and is now available for $3990+orc

www.motoguzzi.com.au

Road V7 Stone.................................... Minimalist retro........................$13,290+orc V7 Special ................................. Faithful to the original V7 ........$14,290+orc V7 Racer SE .............................. Limited edition marvel ............$16,490+orc 1200 Sport 4V SE ..................... Grunter ......................................$19,990+orc Griso 1200 8V ........................... Grand slam ...............................$20,490+orc Griso 1200 8V SE ABS............. Let’s rumble ..............................$21,990+orc Norge GT 8V ABS .................... The one we wanted .................$20,990+orc Cruiser California 1400 Custom........... Kalifornia attitude ....................$21,990+orc California 1400 Touring............ All a Cali should be ..................$24,990+orc Adv Touring Stelvio 1200 8V ABS ................ Softer brute...............................$19,990+orc Stelvio 1200 8V NTX ABS ....... Big brute....................................$20,990+orc

MV AGUSTA

www.mvagusta.com.au

All MV Agusta prices are ride-away.

Road F3 675 ........................................ Sweet.........................................$17,990ra F3 800 ........................................ Track performance ...................$19,990ra Brutale 675 EAS ....................... Bit of oomph at a good price .$14,990ra Brutale 800 EAS ....................... More power ..............................$16,490ra Rivale 800 ................................. Available early 2014 .................$20,990ra Brutale 1090 .............................. More charm ..............................$18,990ra Brutale R 1090 .......................... Raw, yet refined .......................$20,490ra Brutale RR 1090 ........................ Unleash the brute within ........$21,990ra Brutale 1090 Corsa................... Top jock .....................................$27,490ra F4 1000 ...................................... Beauty and the beast within...$21,990ra F4 1000 RR ................................ Exotic weapon ..........................$33,990ra 134 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PAGSTA

www.pagsta.com.au

We were unable to contact Pagsta to update details this issue.

Road XP250 ........................................ Cheap learner ...........................$3990+orc Cruisa 250 Series Two.............. Nice appeal ...............................$3990+orc Scooter Pagsta Eagle 150 ...................... Commuter.................................$2795+orc

PGO

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

Scooter Ligero 50 ........................................................................................$1990+orc Ligero 150 ................................. Good, small package ...............$3290+orc X-Hot ......................................... It’s a hottie .................................$3990+orc Gmax ......................................... Go to the max...........................$4700+orc

PRICE GUIDE

PIAGGIO

www.piaggio.com.au

Scooter Typhoon 125 ............................. Blow you away.........................$2490+orc Fly 150 ....................................... Buzz around the city ................$2990+orc Fly 150ie .................................... With fuel injection....................$3090+orc Liberty 150ie ............................. Big wheel freedom ..................$3690+orc Beverly 350 ............................... Higher performance ................$7990+orc Yourban 300 ............................. Replacing the MP3 300 ...........$9990+orc X10 500 ..................................... Big features...............................$10,990+orc

ROYAL ENFIELD

www.royalenfieldaustralia.com

Road B5 Bullet 500 ............................ Fire your guns ..........................$6995+orc G5 Deluxe ................................. She’s deluxe..............................$7445+orc C5 Classic/Military ................... Individual style .........................$7995+orc C5 Chrome ................................ Lots of eye candy .....................$8495+orc

SUZUKI

www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au

Road Inazuma 250 ............................. Let your inner zoomer out ......$4990+orc TU250XL3 ................................. Retro learner .............................$5990ra DR-Z400SM .............................. Everyday motard .....................$8990+orc GS500........................................ Reliable classic .........................$5990+orc GS500F...................................... Nice and simple .......................$6490+orc SFV650/LAMS .......................... Commuting and fun duties ....$10,490+orc

DL1000 V-Strom ....................... Powerfully competent .............$13,490+orc Scooter AN400A Burgman ABS ........... A stylish maxi ...........................$10,090+orc AN650A Burgman ABS ........... Overhauled ...............................$13,590+orc

SYM

TGB

SV650S/ABS ............................. Tried and true ................$10,390/$10,890+orc GSX650F/LAMS ....................... Silky smooth ............................$10,490+orc GSX-R600 ................................. Angry bee .................................$14,990+orc GSR750 ..................................... Cracker of a motorcycle ..........$12,490+orc GSX-R750 ................................. The legend continues..............$15,990+orc GSX-R1000 ............................... Even lighter and faster ............$18,490+orc GSX-R1000 ............................... Commemorative Edition ........$18,490+orc GSF1250S Bandit ABS ............ Long-distance ease..................$12,990+orc GSX1250FA .............................. A little bit of everything...........$14,990+orc GSX1300R Hayabusa .............. Soar like an eagle ....................$19,290+orc Cruiser VL250 Intruder.......................... Bang that drum ........................$6690+orc VL800 C50 ................................. Traditional ................................$10,990+orc VL800 C50T............................... All-new class ............................$12,290+orc VZ800 M50................................ Neat bobber..............................$10,990+orc VZ1500 M90.............................. Sheep in wolf’s clothing..........$15,490+orc VL1500 C90T............................. Bad boy .....................................$17,490+orc VLR1800 C109R ........................ Classic looks .............................$18,690+orc VLR1800T C109RT.................... Now as a tourer .......................$18,990+orc VZR1800 M109R....................... Beaut and brutal ......................$18,990+orc VZR1800 M109R....................... Black edition .............................$19,490+orc VZR1800Z M109RZ ................. Monster energy........................$19,490+orc Adv Touring DL650 V-Strom ......................... Sure to be a big seller .............$11,290+orc

www.tgbScooters.com.au

Scooter X-Race 150 ................................ You’ll need knee sliders ..........$2590+orc Bullet 150 .................................. Small-calibre projectile ...........$3390+orc Xmotion 300 ............................. Smooth mover .........................$5490+orc

TORINO

www.torinomotorcycles.com.au

Torino ride-away prices are mostly Sydney-based and may vary elsewhere.

Cruiser Veloce 250 ................................. American styled .......................$4695ra La Bora ...................................... Bargain custom ........................$6995ra Scooter Galetta Retro............................. Plenty of features .....................$2195ra Aero Sport ................................ Cut the wind .............................$2195ra Famosa ..................................... City chic .....................................$2695ra Messina Classic........................ New retro (Vespa) beauty .......$3495ra

TRIUMPH

■ We have managed to get an update from SYM and there’s some good news. For example, they’ve dropped pricing on the Firenze 300i, which is now $5899+orc

www.scoota.com.au

Scooter Classic 150 ................................ Noble ride .................................$2699+orc VS 150 ....................................... Branch away .............................$2999+orc Symphony 150 ......................... Sporty big wheeler ..................$2899+orc HD Evo 200 ............................... Whacko! ....................................$4499+orc Firenze 300................................ Full of features..........................$5899+orc MaxSym 400i ........................... Ride away price ........................$7990ra

www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Road Street Triple ............................... Streets ahead ...........................$12,490+orc Street Triple ABS ...................... With ABS ...................................$12,990+orc Street Triple R ........................... Even further ahead ..................$13,490+orc Street Triple R ABS ................... With ABS ...................................$13,990+orc Daytona 675.............................. Supersport winner...................$14,240+orc Daytona 675 ABS ..................... Supersport with ABS...............$14,990+orc Daytona 675R ........................... Track day heaven .....................$16,990+orc Bonneville ................................. Tradition reborn .......................$11,990+orc Bonneville ................................. Two tone ...................................$12,490+orc Bonneville T100 Black .............. Livin’ in the ’70s .......................$12,490+orc Bonneville T100 A2................... Nostalgia rules .........................$13,990+orc Bonneville SE .......................... Special Edition .........................$12,990+orc Scrambler ................................. Dirt track racer ..........................$13,990+orc Thruxton ................................... To the café! ...............................$13,990+orc Speed Triple .............................. It’s a gem ...................................$15,990+orc Speed Triple ABS...................... With ABS ...................................$16,990+orc Speed Triple R ........................... Sex on wheels .........................$20,990+orc Speed Triple SE ........................ Special Edition .........................$18,190+orc Sprint GT................................... All world capabilities ...............$15,990ra Trophy SE.................................. Superb tourer ...........................$27,490+orc Cruiser America .................................... Easy urban rider.......................$13,090ra Speed Master ........................... All round goodness .................$13,090+orc Thunderbird ABS ..................... Aptly named flyer ....................$19,490+orc Thunderbird Storm ABS ......... Thunderous ..............................$20,990+orc Thunderbird ABS TT ................ Brand New ................................$19,990+orc Thunderbird ABS HAZE .......... Shiny and new ........................$21,990+orc Rocket III Roadster ABS........... What’s not to love about 2300cc? $21,490+orc Rocket III Touring ABS.............. Reasonably easy to ride..........$23,990+orc Adv Touring Tiger 800 ................................... As capable as a feral cat .........$13,490+orc Tiger 800 ABS .......................... ABS option ...............................$13,890+orc Tiger 800XC ABS ..................... Bash it hardcore .......................$15,990+orc Tiger Sport ABS ....................... More growl for the road .........$15,990+orc Tiger Explorer 1200 ................. True adventure-tourer .............$20,490+orc Tiger Explorer Wire Wheels .... The tougher version ................$20,990+orc

URAL

www.imz-ural.com.au

Road T ................................................. Cult status outfit .......................$15,752+orc Retro .......................................... Attention grabber.....................$17,600+orc Adv Touring Tourist........................................ WWII replica .............................$17,347+orc AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 135

PRICE GUIDE

■ The Vespa LX150 has had a very nice price reduction of $700 and is now only $5590+orc

Bondi Tourist ............................. Beach to bush tourer ...............$17,347+orc Ranger ....................................... Even tougher ............................$18,535+orc

VESPA

www.vespa.com.au

Scooter LX50FL ...................................... Inner city convenience ............$3990+orc LX125 3-Valve ........................... For the designer in you ...........$5190+orc LX150 3-Valve ........................... With a bit more oomph...........$5590+orc GTS250ie................................... Style in a great package ..........$7390+orc GTS300 Super .......................... Vroom vroom ...........................$8390+orc GTS300 Super Sport ............... Sportier Style............................$8690+orc GTV300ie .................................. Powerful Italian ........................$8990+orc PX150 ........................................ The purist’s ride........................$6290+orc Vespa 946 .................................. History in the making ..............$11,990+orc

VICTORY

www.victorymotorcycles.com.au

All Victory prices are ride-away.

Cruiser Vegas 8 Ball .............................. Sink the 8-ball...........................$19,995ra High-Ball ................................... Ol’ skool cool ............................$19,495ra Hammer 8 Ball ......................... Hammer that 8-ball..................$20,995ra Judge......................................... A younger Victory ....................$20,995ra Hammer S................................. Hammer it! ...............................$22,995ra Hammer LE............................... New limited edition .................$23,495ra Jackpot ...................................... Showroom custom..................$24,995ra Boardwalk Black ....................... Cool classic in black .................$22,495ra Boardwalk Two Tone ................ Cool classic in black and red ..$22,995ra Cross Roads Classic ................ Chromed-up cool .....................$24,995ra Cross Country ......................... Comfortable touring ................$26,495ra Cross Country Tour .................. Ultra-comfortable touring.......$28,495ra Zach Ness Cross Country ....... It’s got attitude ..........................$29,995ra Vision Tour................................. Space age looks .......................$30,495ra

YAMAHA

www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Road YZF-R15 ..................................... Sporty and user friendly .........$3999ra YZF-R15 V2.0 ............................. New version 2.0 .......................$4299+orc XJ6NL........................................ New 2014 model ......................$9799ra XJ6NL SP .................................. White Edition ............................$9999ra FZ6R........................................... Full fairing, LAM model ..........$9999ra FZ6R SP ..................................... Special Edition .........................$10,499+orc YZF-R6 ....................................... WSS champ ..............................$15,999+orc MT-03 ......................................... Torquey LAMS single ..............$9,999+orc FZ8N .......................................... Hot all-rounder .........................$12,990+orc FZ8S........................................... Enjoy the road and corners ....$13,990+orc MT-09 ......................................... Three-cylinder thriller ..............$10,999+orc TDM900..................................... Mixed-up marvel......................$13,599+orc FZ1N .......................................... Ready for anything ..................$15,699+orc FZ1S........................................... With protection ........................$16,499+orc YZF-R1 ....................................... Gimme traction ........................$19,999+orc XJR1300 .................................... Refined cool..............................$13,999+orc FJR1300A Touring Edition ....... Police-spec tourer ....................$23,999+orc FJR1300A .................................. Sophisticated, sporty tourer ...$24,999+orc MT-01 ......................................... V-twin sportsbike .....................$19,899+orc

136 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

VICTORY PRICES Victory motorcycles just keep getting more and more attractive. For 2014 they have optional factory custom paint, while prices are down as much as $1000 on some models. Special paint costs an extra $500 to $1000 depending on detailing, two-tone colour schemes and packaging with special wheels such as the High-Ball with flame paint and different wheels. Gone is the Hard-Ball, which was basically a High-Ball with bags. It was popular here, but the US chose to replace it with their more popular Cross Roads 8-Ball.

Victory Motorcycles marketing manager Adrian Givoye says we won’t be getting them. “We didn’t take the Cross Roads or Cross Country 8-Balls as they didn’t come with ABS or cruise and these are the key features that customers want from touring/baggers in our market,” he says. However, the rest of the fleet has been retained for 2014 with the addition of a special Ness Cross Country and a limited edition of 200 Hammer S LE. The cruisers consist of the High-Ball ($19,495), Hammer S ($22,995), Hammer S LE ($23,495), Judge ($20,995), Boardwalk ($22,495), Hammer 8-Ball ($20,995), Vegas 8-Ball ($19,995) and the Jackpot ($23,995) which is down $1000 yet adds a new headlight, cast wheels, colour-matched frame and a 250mm back tyre. All Victory prices are ride-away.

While the Judge has been restyled with a less aggressive riding position in the US and dropped the side-mounted “race plate”, Australia retains the racier version. In the baggers, there is the Ness Cross Country ($29,995), Cross Country ($26,495) and Cross Roads Classic ($24,995). The Ness Cross Country features Ness logos and graphics, a signature plate and custom seats. The touring line-up is Cross Country Tour ($28,495) and Vision Tour ($30,495) which now come with more standard features such as cruise control, heated seats and grips, ABS and adjustable floorboards. Victory is also adding new accessories and new apparel. — MH

Cruiser XV250 Virago ............................ Great small package ................$6499+orc XVS650 Custom ....................... Popular custom ........................$10,499+orc XVS650A Classic...................... And as a classic ........................$10,990+orc XVS950A ................................... Mighty mid-ranger ..................$13,999+orc XVS950CU Bolt ........................ A younger, hipper cruiser .......$11,999+orc XVS950CUSP Bolt ................... R-Spec with better shocks ......$12,499+orc XVS1300A................................. The pick of the bunch ..............$15,999+orc XVS1300AT Tourer ................... With more features..................$18,299+orc XV1900A Roadliner ................. Art deco piece...........................$21,499+orc XV1900AT Star Tourer ............. Art with flair ..............................$24,099+orc VMAX ........................................ Big, angry animal.....................$31,299+orc Adv Touring XT250R ...................................... New fuel-injected model.........$6299+orc XT660R ...................................... Seamlessly good .....................$11,499+orc XT660Z Ténéré .......................... Freedom machine ....................$13,999ra XT1200Z Super Ténéré ............ Leisurely rider...........................$19,990ra XT1200ZOE............................... Outback edition ........................$21,890 Scooter XC125 Vity ................................. Your new friend........................$2699+orc YW125 ....................................... BW’s ...........................................$3399+orc YP400 Majesty ......................... Fit for royalty ............................$9499+orc TMAX 500 ................................. Scooterbike...............................$12,999+orc TMAX 530 ................................. Tougher, sportier ......................$12,999+orc

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FACILITIES: GLOUCESTER ACCOMMODATION A short walk to the main Street Cafés, Restaurants, shops, Parks, Pubs & Clubs. Enjoy a scenic drive to visit 11 Church Street, GLOUCESTER the Barrington Tops NSW 2422 National Park. Go kayaking, fishing, P: 0427 588 205 E: coppershill1@bigpond.com horse riding or sample some fresh www.coppershill.com local produce.

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Restaurant Bar Bottle shop Motel/Hotel rooms Backpacker accommodation • Lock up area for bikes • Games/ recreation room

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with weekend entertainment.

Looking for somewhere to relax and unwind whilst on a day/ weekend ride? Bellbird Creek Cafe is the perfect spot! An easy ride from the Sunshine Coast/Brisbane through some of the most beautiful scenery the hinterland has to offer. Come and enjoy the country atmosphere surrounded by native birds and wildlife!

FACILITIES:

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The perfect place to stop for coffee or a bite to eat, between Sydney and the mid-west. Just off the highway at Medlow Bath, turn at the lights.

Helpful and friendly staff to all fellow riders.

• Parking at the door • Great food • Lots of Gluten Free options • The Best Coffee (Toby’s Estate) • Gifts • Hand-made chocolate • FREE Wi-Fi

3 Ensuite Rooms Air-conditioned Private Entrance Queen-sized bed Quiet Location Fridge, TV Tea, Coffee $110 Double/night $90 Single/night 1 minute walk to main Street

FACILITIES:

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LONG-TERM TESTS

THE LONG LIST Our big Yamaha shows the Dukes a thing or two while the BMW waves goodbye YAMAHA FJR1300 WHAT A SPORT! The FJR1300 recently had a belated 10,000km service. It’s called a minor service but it’s much more than an oil change and a quick check over. Without going into detail, there is an extensive list of things that must be checked, tuned, adjusted or lubricated to do the job properly. Rather than ge ing a dealer to service the FJR, Yamaha were kind enough to do it for us at their headquarters at Wetherill Park.

They did a very thorough job and replaced a few things like the air cleaner element and spark plugs, which would normally be cleaned and reinstalled at this stage.

Prices vary between shops and dealers for this service but it is generally in the $380 to $420 range. That’s good value for keeping your bike in top condition and the reassurance that provides. I’d like to say that I could feel the difference when I picked up the FJR, but it was running so well when I dropped it off that any discernible improvement was minute. It may be slightly crisper in thro le response but either way it is still running strong.

I have upped the ante a bit on the 100 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Pirelli Angel GT tyres, giving them a few thousand kays of hard running, most of it while fully laden. That makes 5000km since we fi ed them and, despite my abuse, the profile and tread depth are holding up surprisingly well. The dual compound and sidewall stiffness seem well matched to the weight and power of the big Yam and even the centre of the rear tyre shows no sign of fla ening out.

The edge grip of the Pirellis concedes very li le to a full sports tyre on the road. They may not ball up like a super-so tyre but they do hang on.

I recently headed up into the North Coast hinterland with a few quick mates on their Ducati eight-valvers. I was obviously the odd one out and doing one fuel stop to their two! At one stage we hit a 30km stretch of twisties with corners signposted from 25km/h to 65km/h.

Boggo pulled the pin early on his 1198S and I dialled the FJR up to try to stay with him. What followed could best be described as a very spirited ride through the mountains. Limits were regularly approached, but not exceeded, and we both pulled up in a lather of sweat with

big grins on our faces.

I was mighty impressed with the Yamaha’s performance and I wasn’t the only one. Boggo just couldn’t believe that the big tourer could stay with him and the Duke on a tight windy road like that. I didn’t like to mention the touring tyres to him at the time but that ride was a great recommendation for the Pirelli Angel GTs. Towards the end of that section of road the rear shock seemed to lose a bit of damping. It was a warm day and I think it just faded a li le under the duress of constant bumps and hard riding.

A er a stop it was back to its normal performance.

The FJR has to go back to Yamaha in a few weeks so my next instalment will be the final wrap up of my time with the big sha ie. Having a bike long-term spoils you and always makes it harder to give back. That will definitely be the case with the Yam. This bike is ready at any time to transport you in comfort to any destination. It will be hard to lose that type of mobility. See you out there.

GREGOR

“Boggo just couldn’t believe that the big tourer could stay with him and the Duke on a tight windy road like that”

BMW C650GT TIME FOR GOODBYE A er many kilometres and not enough months, it’s time to say goodbye to the C650GT. So, what have I got to say at the end of this six-month loan on BMW’s new luxury maxi-scooter? In terms of performance, it’s got the goods. The Kymco-sourced engine has loads of power, is extremely economical and the service intervals are very healthy. Riding the GT most days to get the mileage up as quick as possible didn’t uncover any problems here. The same goes for the handling. For the size of such a scooter, the handling was very impressive. Quick steering, plush suspension and brakes that are by far the best I’ve sampled on a maxi-scooter to date. The ABS was another highlight too, as it always is on BMWs. There were a couple of issues along the way. The liners on the running boards came up out of their mounts, the front le -hand panel where the ba ery is located didn’t fit quite right, the starter-motor switch packed it in, and the heated seat stopped working (so I am told; this was something the service team found when fixing the starter!).

Its weight and noisy exhaust note will be two of the bigger grievances some owners will have, but neither is anything I had a problem with.

All of these issues were quite minor and couldn’t be conclusively named as quality concerns as they may have been the result

of the last person touching it or, in the case of the seat and starter, just one of those things. Both these systems are the same on the rest of the BMW range and, if it were a regular issue, we would have heard about it by now. However, the tank cap was a bit flimsy and broke its locking lug and hinge mount too easily.

Like so many models in their firstyear run, there will be problems that air themselves as kilometres start to get higher and they are used more frequently.

With only 5000km on the clock, the issues that have occurred are more likely to be coincidental rather than a bike that was built on a Monday morning — BMW is too good for something like that to happen. But looking over the GT when I had to hand it back, I got the feeling that the C650 wasn’t quite up to the level of quality of the rest of the BMW range. It was starting to age and I would have liked a bit more time to see how it stood up to some more wear and tear.

I spent more time on the C650GT than I have on any scooter, let alone maxi-scooter, and concluded that this machine isn’t a scooter, more a luxury touring motorcycle.

It’ll eat up the miles, in comfort, at ease, two-up or solo, and you are all the while appointed a bunch of stuff that puts it on par with any of the boxer or in-line tourers in BMW’s range. For a lot of people, the a raction in this machine is its low seat, effortless power, luxury appointments and great handling. BMW is claiming its market share is great with the C-Series, with the

“I concluded that this machine isn’t a scooter, more a luxury touring motorcycle” luxury GT easily outselling the Sport. They are both outselling some of the competition two to one.

But at the end of the day, it all comes down to price. At $14,890, it’s too much money for a scooter, but not so when you are talking about a luxury tourer. And that’s what you need to keep in mind when considering this machine, because that’s what it really is. Compare it with any other smaller-capacity luxury motorcycle and you will see that it is actually quite good value for money. ARR MATT SHIELDS AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 101

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ORGAN DONATION

THE SECOND-CHANCE OPTION DON’T TAKE YOUR ORGANS TO HEAVEN. HEAVEN KNOWS WE NEED THEM HERE RON SPRIGGS otorcyclists are only too happy to lend a hand to people in need. And so they immediately came to mind when I first considered writing this article, the topic of which has been avoided or never even broached by many Australians. It’s difficult to imagine si ing around your family dining table having a roast dinner on a Sunday night and someone asking, “So what do you guys want us to do with your organs when you die?”

The inherent dangers of our sport make this an essential topic. None of us plan to be involved in any accidents but the reality is that some of us are.

It’s important that we discuss the possible outcomes with our families and loved ones.

More than 40 per cent of Australians do not know the donation wishes of their loved ones. Only 20 per cent have had a memorable discussion about their donation wishes and 31 per cent have never discussed what they want to do.

The amazing thing about these statistics is that, in Australia, the family has the final say on organ donation, despite the wishes of their loved one. The consent rate is less than 60 per cent.

Australia currently lags behind 20 other countries when it comes to organ donation, despite being a world leader for successful transplant outcomes.

Countries such as Spain and Croatia are twice as effective as Australia at obtaining organ donation, possibly because they have an opt-out or presumed consent system. People are presumed to be donors unless they specifically request otherwise.

Why do people need organ replacement? The main reasons include genetic disorder, disease, accident or severe trauma. It is amazing to think that one donor can save 10 or more people. As a recipient of a heart transplant, I know only too well how transplants can change the quality of people’s lives. Thanks to my donor and the team at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, I am now 18 months post-transplant, exercising daily

M

■ Ron Spriggs, enjoying a second lease on life

and, once again, back on my beloved FJR1300. I also spend a good deal of time with my six grandkids, three of whom have been born since my transplant.

Transplants are not a cure, as is o en believed. Recipients exchange one set of circumstances for another. However, the new circumstances certainly provide a be er quality of life. Perhaps the greatest realisation I took from my transplant is the fact that a person — a very generous person — and their family have given me a second chance by giving me the greatest gi of all — the gi of life. Not a day passes where I don’t think of that anonymous family.

How can you help? It’s simple! Find out as much as you can about organ and tissue donation from organisations such as DonateLife (www.donatelife. gov.au). You can then make an informed decision about becoming a donor. If you decide to become a donor, you can register by going to www.donorregister. gov.au, calling 1800 777 203 or visiting a Medicare centre.

Even if you have previously registered your decision elsewhere (for example, by ticking a box on your driver’s licence renewal), it is still important you register on the Australian Organ Donor Register. It is the only national register administered by Medicare. The final and most important step is to talk to your family and know their wishes. Perhaps the dinner table might not be such a crazy starting point a er all. ARR

“It is amazing to think that one donor can save or significantly change the lives of up to 10 people” FACTS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION ■ Most religions support organ donation as a charitable act towards your fellow man.

■ Families who have discussed and know the donation wishes of their loved ones in advance are much more likely to say yes to donation.

■ There are up to 1600 people Australiawide waiting to receive organ donation.

■ One donor can save the lives of 10 or more people.

■ In Australia in 2012, 354 people, who lost their lives, donated organs to 1052 recipients.

■ Organ donation is a rare event.

Only around one per cent of people die under the specific circumstances in hospital that enable the consideration of organ donation. The circumstances in which you can become a tissue donor are less limited.

■ Counselling is offered to the donor family prior to and after donation.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 145

LAST LOOK his is one of our favourite shots from Massimiliano Perrella’s story of his travels in Australia, though it didn’t make the final selection for his article in this issue (p50). Does the budgie population change almost constantly?

Who chases the quail to count them? Is the dog lonely? Does it chase the quail? We seriously admire the diligence of the person who counted the kangaroos!

And what a coincidence the end result was such a neat succession of digits…

T

ISSUE 100 OF ARR GOES ON SALE 19 FEBRUARY

COMING UP A hundred issues old! Woo hoo! ARR has cracked the ton and we’re holding the thro le wide open in celebration. As a special bonus, next issue includes eight big posters of images that’ll inspire you to get out there on your bike and travel. Meanwhile, we’ve put knee sliders on, not for the race track but simply to make it more comfortable as we beg the bean counters for extra pages.

Here’s what else we’ve got planned for the party: Australia’s top 100 riding destinations 100 invaluable tips for motorcycle travel ARR’s ho est 100 songs to pipe into your helmet as you ride A special look at the best 100 bikes we’ve ridden since issue #1 Life goes on even as we scoff mini pies, spike the punch and make idiots of ourselves in front of the boss, so you’ll also find some tests, tours and other tantalising reads: Ducati’s Multistrada Granturismo, an incredible touring bike Yamaha’s MT-09, three cylinders of fun and games CFMoto’s new 650 tourer and naked bike, machines that prove the Chinese brand is here to stay A trip to Wilson’s Promontory A look at the trend for charity rides And heaps more. See you next month! ARR

146 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

E

M CN

TY RE YE O AR F T ! H

N° 1 for Mileage “I am highly impressed with the new technology, feel and wear of this tyre. It is a game changer in the sports touring market” Stuart Woodbury , Australian Motorcyclist Magazine

“Riding comfort, precise cornering, secure stopping, high mileage – Pirelli’s Angel GT looks set to blaze a trail the others can only hope to follow” Rod Chapman Motorcycle Trader Magazine

“To say the Angel GT is impressive would be the understatement of the year... “... Pirelli have managed to keep their promise of increasing mileage and sports performance at the same time” Jeff Ware - Rapid Bikes

AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY, HE KEPT RIDING. NG. Introducing the new Pirelli Angel GT tyre. Perfect for never-ending trips or just ust a short weekend ride, it’s engineered to give you confidence and enhanced durability, even on wet roads. More than sport touring: this is 100% Italian Gran Turismo.

N° 1 for Mileage According to an independent test of Motorrad Test Center comparing Pirelli Angel GT with Michelin Pilot Road 3, Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart II, Bridgestone Battlax BT 023, Continental RoadAttack 2 and Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact M/O on 120/70 ZR17 and 180/55 ZR17 set. The test took place in Spain, Marbella in November and December 2012, using six Suzuki Bandit 1250 ABS .

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