Issue#102 - May 2014

ider Roadr ET M EL Y -H OG IN OL W HN NE TEC

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Contents #102 “No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”

— Lewis Carroll. In other words, just get on the bike and go!

4 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

66

NEWS FOR ROAD RIDERS

122 Mini Jumpstart: Charge your phone, start your bike and more!

10 The world in your helmet, Zero charges in, record CB, safety tubes and more.

SPECIAL FEATURE 40 Brough Superior: Celebrating the return of the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles.

FEATURES 104 Adventure-rider’s guide: Part one of a series that’ll make you an expert.

112 Fatigue: What you must know to understand it and deal with it.

YARNS AND LAUGHS 6

ON THE ROAD 78 Top 10 highways: The world’s best roads to adventure.

90 Ingenious Queensland: Nigel is back, searching for more great minds.

98 Inverell, NSW: Team Geriatric launches a successful escape a empt.

BIKES TO RIDE 50 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom: The biggest bargain is back … and so much be er!

60 Harley Street Glide: Project Rushmore bags a beauty.

66 Benelli TNT 899: Raw and as raunchy as a bike can be.

74 Piaggio Yourban: Three wheels are at least as good as two.

76 The Long List: Aprilia’s SRV 850 joins our Multistrada, but the CFMoto’s in trouble!

GEAR ON TEST

78

118 AGV AX-8 Dual Evo: The all-round helmet.

119 Draggin’s Twista: The verdict on the women’s cut.

120 Circle to Circle: Two Aussies going the long way up.

Mathochism: Japan’s long-awaited resurgence.

32 Boorman: GPS or map? Charley weighs in.

35 Seddo: Finding your motorcycling mojo.

37 McKinnon: 200 kays, one hour.

39 Gregor: Rock ’n’ roll ain’t noise pollution.

145 Question time: A revealing Q&A with Charley Boorman.

146 Last look: Show me a sign … and I’ll follow it.

MONTHLY MAIL 28 Big shot: Brough Superior’s glory days.

124 Whatz new: A bunch of things to tempt you.

128 Readers rite: Opinions, opinings and oppositions.

132 Price guide: New-bike prices and news.

138 Subscribe here: Get ARR delivered, cheap!

140 Bike supermarket: Products, services and other cool stuff.

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

90

112

104 AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 5

MATHOCHISM

THE GFC

RECOVERY Japanese manufacturers have been slow to recover from the GFC, but they’re coming!

e’re about to see a real resurgence in Japanese motorcycles.

Traditionally the strongest and dominant motorcycle manufacturers, the Japanese went back into their shell when the global economy lurched off the rails and they’ve been pre y quiet ever since. I don’t know about you, but I’ve missed their once dynamic effect on the market when familiar models kept ge ing be er by degrees, innovative new bikes arrived regularly and technology maintained its momentum. It’ll be great to see that back.

The Europeans, also hit hard in 2008, seemed to put their heads down and thrive on adversity. Look at what they’ve done while the money marketeers were we ing themselves over their financial futures.

Most have embraced and enhanced electronic excellence in that time, giving us incredible machines like the latest R1200GS, 1190 Adventure, Multistrada and

W

Caponord, just to name some standout adventure-touring bikes. Guzzi’s California, an all-new cruiser and tourer, absolutely trumped everything in its market.

For the Americans, it was at-face-value business as usual — at least in terms of what we were buying and riding. Victory moved ahead in a big way and Indian almost came out of nowhere with a great bike. Harley did li le until the Rushmore project came to fruition for 2014, though a bit of liquid cooling and a huge number of detail changes, as worthy as they were, didn’t really change the world. Thing is, a er the GFC, not a lot changed with American iron from the rider’s point of view. Cynics would say that’s been the case since about 1957…

I brought up the lack of electronic sophistication in American bikes with Victory’s Australian boss, Peter Harvey.

His reaction indicated he was keenly aware of it and he had no hesitation in saying things would change soon.

“Yamaha has made no bones about its intentions to burst back onto the field like the half-time break is over”

■ Yamaha looks very aggressive as it surges back into the post-GFC market

6 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

We won’t talk about the Chinese because there’s not much to say. A er all, they weren’t really here in any significant way before the GFC. But back to the Japanese. Yamaha has made no bones about its intentions to burst back onto the field like the half-time break is over and they’re psyched up to win the game. It will be exciting. There are scores of new models coming, though of course, not all to Australia. Some don’t concern us here at ARR, such as the Viking — a four-wheeled recreational off-highway vehicle that I have driven and have to say is really good. Others, such as the you-beaut MT-09 triple, highlight the innovation and imagination that’s heading our way. The fact that the MT-09 is so good and so cheap is just one reason to be excited.

“We launched products exhibiting concepts, technologies and designs that are uniquely Yamaha in both developed markets and some emerging markets,” Yamaha president Hiroyuki Yanagi says. “In addition, our efforts went into producing the best results possible with each launch — production commencement dates were brought forward, innovative sales initiatives were devised and cost reductions exceeded targets.”

He says Yamaha has two aims: “Highquality manufacturing that is uniquely Yamaha and innovative manufacturing that breaks out of current work norms in the aspects of planning, development concepts, design specs, environmental technology and cost.”

That’s a big turnaround from the cautiousness that has characterised most of the past six years or so. Yamaha looks like it’s coming out of the doldrums with renewed vigour — or, more pertinently, renewed business models, technologies, concepts and costings.

“For motorcycles, we will produce high performance, low weight, low fuel consumption and low-cost newgeneration engines, platforms/models and full-scale global models,” Hiroyuki says.

The Japanese industry needs to follow this lead. You get the feeling Honda is about to show its hand and you know the smaller factories of Suzuki and Kawasaki will be there too, albeit not on such a grand scale.

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Prema Perera Janice Williams Vicky Mahadeva Emma Perera Karen Day Mark Darton Kate Podger Anastasia Casey Lilian Ohanessian Ivan Fitz-Gerald Chelsea Peters

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NEWS

NEWS FOR ROADRIDERS

BY NEWS EDITOR MARK HINCHLIFFE (HINCHM@HOTMAIL.COM)

Images courtesy NUVIZ

HUD coming to your helmet Are you ready for life in the virtual world inside your helmet? It is now a reality The next wave of motorcycle technology will be right before your eyes with headup display (HUD) becoming the new frontier for helmet technology.

The first commercially available helmet with HUD looks like it’ll come from San Franciscan company Skully and includes video of the rear view.

Meanwhile, there are several other manufacturers lining up with fully ki ed helmets or add-on accessories that work like Google Glass to turn normal helmets into something out of the Hollywood Marvel Comics film Iron Man. These manufacturers include Russian company LiveMap and NUVIZ of San Diego, while the first company to offer 10 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

a rear-vision mirror, Britain’s Reevu, is holding back release until 2016 to iron out legal concerns, insurance issues and visibility in direct sunlight.

The technology is set to use Bluetooth, GPS and apps to transmit information to the rider via inboard speakers and a HUD projected on the helmet visor.

Reading information to the rider can already be done via a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone. Some Bluetooth devices such as Interphone’s new F5XT even tell you who is calling and you can have text and emails read to you and reply, all without having to take a hand off the bars or take your eyes off the road.

They utilise smartphone voiceactivation systems such as iPhone’s Siri, which can even answer questions about the weather or where to eat in your area, or they can access GPS advice such as how to avoid traffic snarls and bypass congested roadworks.

However, the new addition to this technology is the HUD system where an image, such as a GPS direction, speed, traffic report or even a rear-view camera screen, is focused on the visor so that it looks like it is projected on the road in front of the rider.

In the case of the Skully helmet, a small video screen in the bo om right or le of the visor displays a camera’s view

NEWS

“The image is focused on the visor so that it looks like it is projected on the road in front of the rider”

of the road behind you. Either way, it means the rider does not have to focus or avert their eyes from the road ahead.

Riders will be able to tailor exactly what sort of information they want displayed. Some systems even promise to link with the bike instruments so you can choose to show things such as gear indicators and rev counters. The Skully P-1 helmet is set to be released mid-year.

MAKING HEADWAY WITH HELMET SOUND Bluetooth streaming of music into your helmet can be hampered by tiny, lowquality speakers. There just isn’t any room to jam in bigger speakers without being uncomfortable.

Now German hardware company Headway has invented a system where “good vibrations” turn the whole helmet into a speaker system. It is a device that a aches to the outside of the helmet and uses a magnetic mechanism to produce surface transduction, which transmits vibrations through the helmet.

Music is streamed to the system from a smartphone and controlled using an app, so no cables are involved.

Headway founder, CEO and motorcycle fan, Sophie Willborn, says she was frustrated with the sound quality in her helmet and cumbersome cables and speakers. She says the new system turns the whole helmet into an acoustic resonating body with good audio quality.

“It’s like being in a soundbox,” she says. “The whole helmet is the acoustic resonance body so you can hear the music from everywhere around you.

“The best thing is you can feel the bass. The whole helmet vibrates when you hear music with strong bass.”

She hopes to have the system available from the middle of 2014 for about $365.

“It’s like being in a soundbox. The whole helmet is the acoustic resonance body”

■ Sophie Willborn: frustrated by poor sound quality and cumbersome cables

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 11

NEWS

ELECTRIC BIKES SPARK TO LIFE Electric motorcycles have taken a step closer to reality in Australia with a new importer for Californian Zero electric motorcycles.

The new company is Cento Per Cento (100 per cent), trading as Zero Motorcycles Australia, and it’s part of the group which imports MV Agusta.

“We will, of course, be continuing as the distributor for MV Agusta as well but had to form a new company for Zero,” says director, James Deutsher.

“Zero represents the next curve in technology and extreme performance delivered via a unique riding experience and low cost of ownership, coupled with social awareness,” adds Deutsher.

Sales manager, Kevin Beale, says the first shipment of Zero, which arrived in March, includes the SR, DS and FX models.

They all feature a new Z-Force Power Tank accessory, allowing riders to travel up to 276km in the city or 141km on the highway at 112km/h.

The new flagship Zero SR accelerates to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds with a top speed of ■ The SR is one of four models in Zero’s range

12 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Zero SR: 50kW and a solid 144Nm, and now with a range of up to 276km

164km/h, 50kW and an instant 144Nm. It may be a fast revolution but it will be a quiet one with near-silent electric engines and belt drive, plus there is no need to change gears.

Zero has also improved the suspension across the range with 43mm front forks, wider triple clamps and a reworked rear shock. It gets a new dash with a high-contrast blue-backlit LCD screen that indicates rider mode – Eco, Sport or Custom – which are selectable via a new

right-hand switch gear.

The new bikes also feature an aerodynamic chin fairing that funnels air into the powertrain to provide additional air-cooling.

The swing to electric bikes this year will also be aided by British sports car manufacturer Caterham, which plans to produce two electric bikes.

Web: www.zeromotorcycles.com/au/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/ zeromotorcycles

NEWS

HONDA CB750 SELLS FOR RECORD PRICE

with the press and fans. It was known as the first superbike and made quite an impression with its smooth and powerful transverse in-line four-cylinder 736cc engine, electric start and front disc brake.

The first 7000 CB750 production bikes became known as the Sandcast CB750s because the engine casing was cast in sand. Original-condition Sandcast models now sell for as much as $75,000.

This prototype also features sand-cast engine covers. Other quirky features of the prototype are unusual clutch and valve covers, wedge-shaped transmission cover, a billet cranksha , handhammered and welded exhaust pipes and no kill switch.

The seller, Vic World, of World Motorcycles, found the motorcycle through a friend some years ago. He says it did not need restoration, just a cleanup and reassembly. The original paint and overall condition was “quite nice”.

Web: www.worldmotorcycles.com

TOO FEW BIKES ON THE ROAD

40 adults using simulators and found that participants who were shown more motorcycles in a simulation saw them sooner than those shown a small number of bikes.

“The fact that motorcycles are less common than cars might make it harder for car drivers to see motorcycles,” says researcher Vanessa Beanland.

A Honda CB750 has sold on eBay for a record $US148,100 (AUD$163,844) a er a racting 102 bids.

The rare motorcycle is one of four prototypes of Honda’s famous first superbike that were built in 1968 to unveil at the annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Dealer Show and star in ads and promos.

Honda sent four handmade preproduction bikes to the US in red, gold, dark green and blue/green.

Sadly, only two remain. The red bike was taken to the crushers in Iowa back in the early 1990s, the gold bike went to Europe where it was pulled apart by its owner and still remains in pieces, the location of the dark-green bike is unknown and the blue/green bike was bought by an unknown bidder on eBay. The prototypes were an instant hit

We know car drivers who run into motorcycles o en claim they didn’t see them. It’s called SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You) and it could be caused by too few motorcycles on the roads.

The Australian National University in Canberra has conducted research with 14 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Participants who saw motorcycles more o en were able to detect them an average of 50m further away than those who saw motorcycles less o en.

At 60km/h, drivers would have an extra three seconds to respond.

So the solution, according to the research, is we need more motorcycles on the road, not fewer.

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NEWS

BMW GOES AKRA

BMW Motorrad Australia has eased the minds of a ermarket muffler fans with the announcement that from February 1 of this year, BMW genuine Akrapovič silencers fi ed with a homologation label are legal for road use in Australia.

The company has gone through the process of ensuring Akrapovič mufflers meet new ADR requirements for each of the bikes in its model range.

The lightweight, performance Akrapovič mufflers come in titanium, carbon fibre and stainless steel and are available for most current BMW models as

SAFETY FIRST FOR ITALIAN BIKES

well as many other motorcycle brands.

New legislation had riders largely in the dark about whether their a ermarket exhaust is legal or not, mainly because of confusion about the new requirements.

Australian Motorcycle Council’s Guy Stanford says riders can be confused because there are two noise regulations.

For bikes produced before 2005, the noise limit is 94dB but under the new rule, ADR 83/00, bikes made since 2005 are tested now for drive-by noise.

Since the drive-by test includes road noise, engine cla er, chain ra le etc, this means your otherwise compliant muffler could be illegal because of the rest of the

MV Agusta will make its bikes a li le safer for Australian customers this year with the introduction of ABS on all 2014 models. MV Agusta has reported that it will offer the Bosch 9MP ABS, which riders will be able to deactivate, while Normal and Race ABS modes will be available on the F3 675 and F3 800 supersports.

MV Agusta Australia sales manager, Kevin Beale, confirmed ABS will come as standard on all Australian production MV models as it becomes available.

“During the period of transition, we’re able to offer ABS and non-ABS while stocks of the la er remain,” he says.

ABS will add $1000 to the ride-away price of the B3 and F3 and will also be

16 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

noise coming from the bike.

So the stationary noise level of a muffler is no indication of compliance for your motorcycle. You need to know whether it is approved for use with your specific model.

Visit the Road Vehicle Certification System website (rvcs.dotars.gov.au) and check your make and model of bike and muffler to see if it is a legal combination.

Guy says he has made a submission to the Department of Transport and Regional Services to have the ma er simplified and standardised across all states.

“We want to get this whole affair sorted out,” he says.

included on coming bikes including the Dragster, Turismo Veloce and an as-yet unnamed bike expected later this year.

The Bosch 9MP ABS unit is the same as used by Ducati for its Hypermotard and has an internal pressure sensor and independent wheel sensors on each axle.

■ The Bosch ABS has three modes including the ability to switch it off

NEWS

ARNIE’S BIKE IN MUSEUM

Remember that famous Harley jump in Terminator 2: Judgement Day? Next to the jump in The Great Escape, it’s one of the most famous in cinema history.

In fact, the 3m jump into the storm drain was probably more difficult because Arnold Schwarzenegger (or at least his stunt double, Peter Kent) was riding a 300kg-plus Fat Boy, not a relatively nimble Triumph dirt bike.

However, Hollywood trickery did assist as the Fat Boy was supported

by 3cm cables, so they hit the ground with the force of 80kg rather than the full weight. The cables were later digitally erased.

Now the famous 1990 Fat Boy has been acquired for the HarleyDavidson Museum in Milwaukee.

It still shows significant production wear from filming and joins a collection of more than 450 motorcycles and thousands of other artefacts housed at the museum in the Harley-Davidson archives.

Details on when the bike will be on public display will be released in the coming months.

THE ULTIMATE LUCKY RIDER

CRAIG LOWNDES GOES RUFF RIDING

Five-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes will take part in his third annual Ruff Riders 500 to raise money for the RSPCA, his favourite charity.

Riders can join the Brisbane charity ride and get to meet and ride with the V8 Supercar star on May 3.

Craig says he has been passionate about motorcycles and animals since he was a young boy. Last year, he joined

18 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

the Ruff Riders on a cruiser so it will be interesting to see what he turns up on this year.

The Ruff Riders charity ride raises money for a children’s humane education facility at the Brisbane RSPCA. Craig has been an RSPCA ambassador since 2008 and, in 2012, hosted the inaugural Ruff Riders 500 event.

The past two events have raised about $50,000 each and a racted more than 50 riders.

Participants have to raise at least $250 in sponsorship to enter. Contact: jwriede@ rspcaqld.org.au

Victorian rider Adam Dawson has won the InsureMyRide The Ultimate Rider Competition run in conjunction with the eight-week Ultimate Rider TV series.

Dawson was one of more than 20,000 riders who entered the competition to win a $7912 gear and insurance pack.

“It is by far the best prize I’ve ever won,” he says.

Dawson won a 2013 Honda CBR500R motorcycle, 12 months’ comprehensive insurance with InsureMyRide, $2000 worth of riding gear cover, an Alpinestars leather road-riding jacket, Bell Corsa helmet and a merchandise pack.

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NEWS

TUBED TYRES A SAFETY CONCERN

Tubed tyres can be a safety issue for riders, according to a New Zealand coroner who investigated the death of well-known motorcyclist Bryan Wyness, 71, on July 20, 2012.

Bryan was riding his BMW F650GS on State Highway 1 when the tyre deflated causing him to lose control, fall and slide into a median barrier where he suffered a fatal spinal injury.

Coroner Gordon Matenga says the rider was travelling slowly at the time of the crash and blamed an old tube for

■ Failing to fit a new tube with a new tyre likely cost Bryan Wyness his life

the deflation. It was discovered that the front tyre tube was as old as the eightyear-old motorcycle and “may well have been the original”.

His report recommended that riders be warned to replace the tube when the tyre is replaced.

The manufacturer Pirelli has the warning “Neue Reifen, neue Röhre” wri en on the tyre, which translates to “New tyre, new tube”.

In Australia and New Zealand, it is not mandatory to change the tube when you change your tyre as it is in Germany, the United States and England.

Carlisle Tyres & Accessories product manager, Geoffrey Bonfield, says it could be a good idea to make it mandatory.

“I’ve been in this game for 25 years and a lot of guys baulk at the fact that they have to put a new $25 tube in when they put a new tyre on,” he says.

“Unfortunately, you can only advise people, you can’t enforce it.”

Bryan Wyness was one of six Silk Riders who rode the 20,000km Silk Road trip from Venice to Beijing in 2005, following the footsteps of 13th-century trader and explorer Marco Polo.

TYRES GO ROUND AGAIN

Ever wondered what happens to your old motorcycle tyres when you replace them?

Of the 48-million used tyres disposed of each year, two out of every three go to landfill, are illegally dumped, sent overseas or simply stockpiled. Only 16 per cent are recycled.

However, the tyre industry has announced recycling plans that include making the roads you ride on safer by using old tyres in road materials that make them stickier.

Federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, has announced the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme to explore the potential for new industries and products from recycled tyres.

It will also improve the collection and recycling processes and the reduction of unsustainable disposal practices.

Major tyre manufacturers Michelin, Yokohama, Continental, GoodyearDunlop, Toyo and Pirelli have financially backed the establishment and the initial

20 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

operation of the scheme.

The voluntary scheme, authorised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, will focus on promoting innovative use of tyre-derived products and development of new markets, as well as educating industry and the public about the benefits of

sustainable recycling.

Apart from old tyres being used to make safer, stickier road surfaces, they can also be used for so -fall playground surfacing, brake pads, industrial and commercial flooring, explosives, in civil engineering and for fuels for energy recovery.

NEWS ■ Charley Boorman: not just an ARR columnist!

r Ted Simon: an inspiration to generations

BIKER ICONS Which 48 riders rate as our all-time greats?

Australian Road Rider columnist Charley Boorman has made it into a shortlist of 48 motorcycling icons drawn up by the British National Motor Museum Trust Advisory Council and UK motorcycling focus groups.

The list includes riders from all eras and genres of motorcycling from Isle of Man TT legends Joey Dunlop and John McGuinness, to modern world champions Mike Hailwood and Valentino Rossi, as well as celebrity riders Steve McQueen and Boorman.

His partner in the Long Way Round TV series, Ewan McGregor, also gets a guernsey.

Surprisingly, five-time world champion Australian Mick Doohan isn’t on the list. If you think that’s because it’s a British poll and Aussies are not exactly

their favourites, you could be right.

The list includes many non-Brit riders including Italian Rossi, American McQueen, 11-time Dakar winner (six on a bike) Stéphane Peterhansel of France, American stuntman Evel Knievel, 10time world motocross champion Stefan Everts of Belgium and Hollywood actor Marlon Brando from The Wild One. Of course, no list would be complete without Italian Giacomo Agostini, considered one of the greatest riders of all time with 10 Isle of Man TT wins, 15 World Championships and 122 GP wins.

Other notable inclusions are Ted Simon who wrote the definitive

■ Always a legend: Steve McQueen

r Still a legend: Giacomo Agostini

22 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

motorcycle travelogue Jupiter’s Travels, four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, and famous Brough Superior fan T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia.

Four British women make the list: Britain’s most successful female motorcycle trials rider, Becky Cook; Beryl Swain who was the first solo female rider of the Isle of Man TT in 1962; and current TT racers Maria Costello and Jenny Tinmouth.

UK riders are voting online for the top 20, with the icons taking centre stage in the Motorcycle Story display opening at the National Motor Museum on May 14.

NEWS

HARLEY AND POLARIS PROFITS

Heavy motorcycles gained weight in the market last year with HarleyDavidson recording 4.4 per cent global sales growth and Polaris (maker of Victory and Indian motorcycles) earning a record $381.1 million, up 22 per cent.

Polaris Industries had be er-thanexpected earnings and revenue for the fourth quarter, boosted by strong

off-road vehicle sales and the relaunch of its Indian motorcycles.

The company’s motorcycle sales rose 94 per cent during the fourth quarter to $68.8 million, helped by the debut of the new Indian Chief models. Off-road vehicles rose 16 per cent to $659 million, while sales of snowmobiles dropped 13 per cent to $134 million.

Worldwide sales of Harley-Davidson motorbikes grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter and 4.4 per cent for the full year to 260,839, recording a net income of $734 million compared with

$623.9 million in 2012.

H-D chairman, Keith Wandell, says it was a big year for the company with its 110th anniversary celebrations, the Project Rushmore Touring bikes and the announcement of the new Street family of learner and mid-weight bikes.

This year should also be good for the iconic brand as the Street family starts rolling out of America and its new Indian plant. Australia gets the learnerapproved Street 500 this time next year.

Meanwhile, Polaris expects a 14 per cent growth in earnings this year.

GASOLINE ALLEY PARTIES HARD

It’s party time again at Gasoline Alley in Brisbane, which has won the HarleyDavidson Australia Dealer of the Year Award for the second year running.

The Harley-Davidson Asia Pacific Region awards were introduced in 2011 to recognise performance and best practice across 200 dealerships in 15 countries.

The first Australian winner was Harley City of Brunswick, Victoria.

Gasoline Alley was started in 2011 a er Canadian H-D dealers Grant and Cindy Price visited Australia and decided the south side of Brisbane would be a great place for a dealership.

Grant says that over the past year, the team has “continued an incredible level of hard work to proudly fly the HarleyDavidson banner.

“It is a remarkable achievement for this to be recognised for the second time 24 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Boss Hogs: Grant and Cindy Price have taken Harley’s top award for the second time

in as many years, and to be acknowledged amongst the global dealer network for our efforts,” he says.

The dealership will also be invited to a end a VIP function at this year’s Harley-Davidson dealer meeting in Nashville, Tennessee in the US.

Harley-Davidson Australia & New Zealand director of marketing, Adam Wright, congratulated Gasoline Alley on its “unparalleled standard of excellence” and commended all authorised dealers for “their continued contributions to the ongoing success of Harley-Davidson”.

NEWS

NEW TRACK FOR MOTORCYCLES Racing and track days to be held just north of Sydney

BIKERS PROTEST CURFEW

Courtesy Virtual Motorsport Design

“It’ll have everything you get at Wakefield Park but with a longer, wider and newer track surface and more modern facilities” Motorcycles will be catered for at a proposed race track located at Wyong, between Sydney and Newcastle.

The CASAR Park Community Motorsport Facility at Wyong has edged closer to reality with in-kind support from local businesses, North Constructions and Virtual Motorsport Design.

Park co-founder Brad Wilson says the Bushells Ridge track will be open equally to cars and bikes.

“We have a potential constraint with the design in that we may need to have bridges over the coal-rail line,” he says.

“But bridges exist in many facilities used by motorcycles and there are design parameters that can address the safety issues. It is only a potential constraint though.

“It’ll have everything you get at Wakefield Park but with a longer, wider and newer track surface and more modern facilities.

“The Bushells Ridge site is very interesting topographically and provides some good rise and fall, which is really

26 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

at the heart of any great motor-racing circuit,” says Brad.

“In that regard, we believe the track is going to prove very popular when it is built.”

He says the project is within $30,000 of their fundraising target. The motoring complex is only stage one of the CASAR Park project, with stage two to provide further infrastructure for tourism, training, recreation and leisure — a total investment of more than $25 million.

Once completed, it’s estimated CASAR Park will generate $17 million annually in economic benefit to the local economy with approximately 200 jobs as well as 200 training positions on-site once the facility is fully operational plus a further 150 indirect jobs.

Australia can certainly do with more race tracks a er some of our most famous, such as Oran Park and Surfers Paradise, have been closed down by urban encroachment.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ CASARpark Web: www.casarpark.org.au

Nearly 2000 motorcyclists took to the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, to protest against a proposed 7pm curfew on twowheelers as part of a government crackdown on crime.

The curfew was proposed a er the shooting death of a popular actress and former Miss Venezuela by hitmen riding on the back of motorcycles.

The bikers, many working as two-wheeled taxis, says they were being unfairly targeted.

They says poor communities where public transport is slim would be the most hurt by any curfew, which they also remarked is unconstitutional.

“There’s no need to punish everyone for the actions of a few black sheep,” says one motorcycle taxi rider.

TAKING IT WITH YOU

Billy Standley not only wanted to be buried with his beloved 1967 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, he also wanted it to be a visual display.

So his family fulfilled his dying wish by burying him dressed in black leathers and a white helmet, astride his bike inside a see-through casket in an extra-large cemetery plot in Dalton, Georgia in the US. It took five embalmers to set his body in the riding position, using a metal back brace and straps. Billy died of lung cancer aged 82.

BIG SHOT In the 1930s, Brough Superior’s guarantee of 100mph was extraordinary. Many planes still weren’t that quick. It must have felt blindingly fast for riders in a flat cap, goggles and long socks speeding on dirt roads and dodgy tyres

28 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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■ You’re lost, the vultures are circling, the sat-nav’s on the blink and your map’s turned to sludge.

Yay for adventure riding!

“If you’re trying to reassure your partner about the journey, just show them a small map”

RIDING BY NUMBERS I love my GPS, but folding out a big map and seeing your trip laid out before you has its charm too CHARLEY BOORMAN ’ve just arrived in Australia ready to do one of my adventure rides with about 24 other riders. We usually use the Garmin 660 on all my bike tours and the TV shows because it’s reliable, easy to use and incredibly robust. We

I

32 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

o en use it in extreme conditions, from the dusty heat of the Sahara to the icy cold tundra of Alaska, it’s always 100 per cent.

Using the Zumo also allows all the riders to go at their own pace – no big blocks of bikers in each other’s dirt – it’s a real asset to us. But this trip has no Zumo 660, which is a worry! Instead, we’ve got the latest replacement, the Zumo 390, and the new Garmin VIRB HD 1080p action camera to boot. And when I say “we”, I mean all of us - 24 bikes and a support truck all Zumo’d up!

But hey, why do we need or want a GPS? We just need a good old-fashioned map, right? Something we can touch, feel, write on and mark up. Something that can eventually find its way, post trip, to a shelf in my living room (with all the other maps) allowing me to browse back through the adventures and remember those amazing experiences.

I love to plan my journey with a nice fresh map, spreading it across a big table and ge ing the highlighter pens out.

Ewan and I have spent many an evening like this planning Long Way Round. It’s so cool as it contextualises the bigger view of the trip ahead.

A li le Boorman tip here: if you’re trying to persuade someone to come with you or trying to reassure your partner about the journey, just show them a small map – then the whole thing looks easy.

“Look, we’re just going from the UK, over to Europe, then into Russia, Canada and finish in New York!”

A paper map is a bit like that feeling you get with a book as opposed to say a Kindle or some other electronic book reader. You enjoy ge ing it out, unfolding it and just browsing the big picture. The electronic version has no soul. And, like your iPhone full of contact numbers and

BOORMAN

■ Let’s do this east coast! No, this east coast! Isn’t that west?

diary appointments, what do you do if you lose it – or it simply runs out of ba ery at the wrong time?

What we o en do is cut our map up and get the smaller pieces laminated. Cut them down to about tank bag size and, if you can, mark them up as “per day of travel”, number them and you’re ready for action.

They’ll last the journey and you’ll avoid the drama of unfolding a 1m² map (sometimes made of what appears to be tissue paper) at the side of the road in the wind and the rain as you angrily fail to find that obscure turn-off to the campsite.

You know the whole map-versus-GPS debate also links to the bigger discussions I o en read about in the adventure press: big bikes or small bikes, wild camping or hotels, organised trips or solo, expensive kit or homemade.

Some significant commentators in our world of adventure motorcycling will tell you that unless you’re riding a small bike, have leather panniers made from road kill, inner tubes made from sheep’s intestines and a theodolite as your primary navigational aid, you’re not doing it right, you’re not a true adventure motorcyclist, you’re just living a lie. Well, bollocks to that!

There is no right way or wrong way, just your way! The DIY purist doesn’t have any claim on the high ground. Whether your panniers are Touratech or your jacket is a St Vinnies parka, it’s irrelevant.

Just as the argument of whether your adventure is a trip to the coast or a trip to

■ Set and go get: Charley lets his GPS lead him on, but still loves his paper maps

Afghanistan, it’s your adventure.

My view is that you shouldn’t let yourself fall into these opposing groups. It even annoys me when I hear people taking a strong position on sports, adventure, cruisers or classics. We’re all into bikes, that’s what bonds us. From the young woman travelling on a postie bike from Sydney to London to the bloke on his brand new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure covered in Touratech goodies, we’re all out there doing our thing as bikers.

And the GPS? Well, actually, I love my Garmin. I have my maps in my tank bag, of course, but my GPS takes the stress out of lots of situations – particularly cities that

you’re only in to find the backpacker hotel or an embassy. As well as that, you can enjoy the ride more without stopping so many times to find that elusive side track – the GPS will just take you through.

I love both and there’s nothing wrong with that. The benefits of the electronic riding by numbers are brilliant while, at the same time, you have your trusty old map to gloat over in the bar or in the bath.

Next month, I’ll report back on the new Zumo 390 and its sidekick camera the VIRB. I hope it’s as good as my old friend the 660 – tune in next issue to find out.

Now, onto the Spirit of Tasmania we go…

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 33

SEDDO

RIDING THE ROAD GEOFF SEDDON

y motorcycling has been sporadic in recent years as my focus switched from V-twins to V8s, in line with my then day job as editor of Street Machine magazine. I’d still get away for the big bike trip once or twice a year, as well as Sunday and weekend blasts, but not o en enough to maintain match fitness. In guitar parlance, I was losing my chops. I was ge ing rusty.

It happens slowly, like air leaking from a tyre. Lose half a pound a week and you won’t notice the difference, until one day you drop it into a tight le -hander and the front tucks in like a bastard.

Toward the end of my days on the dark side, I started commuting on the bike again for the first time in a decade.

It wasn’t by choice; one of the kids had commandeered my ute for a month. Nor was it a burden. It was early summer, the roads were dry and my hours were flexible. The old girl had recently been serviced. And my 63km commute (each way) included a tasty 30km section of the Old Pacific Highway, north of Sydney. There are worse ways to start and finish your working day.

As you’d expect, the wallopers were about in the lead-up to Christmas, particularly in the mornings, but I’ve lived here a long time and know where and when to press my luck. I especially

M

Practice makes perfect, or at least makes for a better performance.

Just ask my missus love the climb up out of Brooklyn to Cowan, now that it’s been resurfaced.

It was the perfect opportunity to rediscover my motorcycling mojo.

For the first week, I was stiff and uncoordinated, fluffing apexes as I hung on too tight, trying too hard to ride too fast. One day I’d nail the le s but struggle on right-handers, the next day the reverse. And this on a road I’ve been riding my whole life. My arms pumped up from the stress and chicken strips a mile wide confirmed I was riding like my mum.

Things improved in week two, as I overcame performance anxiety by concentrating on the basics. I slowed

we were both 20 years younger and up for anything. Le -handers, righthanders, sweepers, hairpins, we took ’em all in our stride, not stopping for breath, scuffing tyres and scraping boots in an orgy of chest-pumping confidence.

I have no idea how fast I was going, not that I’d tell you. A gentleman never talks about such things, especially when discussing one’s longterm partner. But I did get the feeling the bike was steering itself, such was the ease with which we nailed corner a er corner, section a er section, with so li le discernible effort from me. It’s certainly done enough laps over the years to know the road as well as I do.

Before I got my motorcycle licence 40 years ago, I was a keen surfer. It was a time of great change.

Old-school surfing (walking the plank, hanging 10, all that) epitomised by champions such as Midget Farrelly was on the way out.

Big bad Nat Young had introduced power surfing to the world, closely followed by the shortboard revolution. No longer were surfers riding the boards, they were now riding the waves.

Much the same goes for motorcycling. When I was clunky and slow, I was riding the bike. But, as I got faster and smoother, I was riding the road. Big difference. As always, the trick now is to keep it up. ARR

“My arms pumped up from the stress and chicken strips a mile wide confirmed I was riding like my mum” down, looked through each corner as far as I could, then tipped in wide, allowing the profile of the tyres to do their thing. I made sure my head was level with the horizon. I stayed off the thro le and the brakes and tried to do the whole road with the minimum number of gear changes, just concentrating on corner speed and ge ing myself smooth.

By week three, the Viagra had kicked in and it was all good. Instead of thinking and worrying about it, I just let it happen. I relaxed my grip to give the Ducati its head and, suddenly,

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 35

MCKINNON

WIDE OPEN ON THE ROAD BILL MCKINNON

ne of many, many reasons why the Northern Territory is such a wonderful place is that it’s the last outpost in Australia still holding out against the forces of the nanny state.

While the rest of us seem as obedient as Pavlov’s dogs whenever “the authorities” pronounce, yet again, “You cannot go, do, say or think” whatever, Territorians tend to respond to such edicts with something along the lines of “Get lost” (and that’s being polite).

When you think about it, such a feisty riposte does indicate that democracy is in far be er shape in the Top End than it is in the rest of the country.

Why this is so is a mystery, but I think it’s got a bit to do with the fact that the state and its various agencies are spread pre y thin on the ground up there, so the locals are used to making their own arrangements and living by their own informal, but no less effective, selfregulatory codes of behaviour when it comes to ge ing around and ge ing along.

As I write, the Country Liberal Party NT government has reintroduced a nospeed-limit zone on the Stuart Highway between Alice and Barrow Creek. The entire highway was once unlimited but, when the NT installed a Labor government in 2001, the road safety industry, always more influential on that side of politics, eventually got its way and in 2007, the limit was restricted to 130km/h.

I did an NT job for Wheels magazine in 2003, in company with Snag “If you’ve got ’em, smoke ’em” Leech who then ran Motorcycle Trader.

It was a BMW speed fest, which involved riding the then-new K1200GT and K1200S, the last BMWs with the north-south, laidon-its-side four-cylinder engine, all the way from Darwin to Uluru. If we wanted to slide

O

With no nanny state to slow him down, Bill finds there’s no limits at all … except an empty tank into something more comfortable, BMW kindly laid on a few cars as well. And not just any cars, but the superb E39 M5, with a 294kW 5L V8, plus the equally splendiferous E46 M3, with a 252kW 3.2L straight-six.

Completing the weaponry was a nuclearpowered SUV, the X5M, which could inhale whole flocks of budgerigars from a distance of 500m.

I know you’ve heard it before, but somebody has to do the hard yards and I’m happy to oblige. Thank me later.

Unless your name’s Stoner, riding very fast isn’t something you do casually or without warming up first, so Snag and I took it easy on the first stretch from Darwin to Adelaide River. At the servo, a local who looked remarkably like a man-eating crocodile and had, I suspect, a similar level of intelligence, snarled at me, “Only faggots ride BMWs.” I was going to ask him what his boyfriend rode, but thought be er of it.

Out the front of the Adelaide River pub is a sign that says “Katherine 200”. Snag and I immediately decided that we would reach Katherine in less than one hour.

The bikes sat well on about 220km/h. At these speeds, aerodynamics come critically into play and the sleeker, slipperier fairing on the S saw it stay absolutely rock steady almost up to its indicated 235km/h top speed.

The GT, with its larger frontal area, started to weave around a bit beyond 220, so that was its safe upper limit.

Speed is a relative thing. If you’re used to 100km/h, 200km/h is, understandably, terrifying. So was 20km/h when the automobile was invented. However, if you are familiar with high speed, then 200 can feel not that much different to 100.

In Germany, you soon get used to riding anywhere between the two — and beyond if you’re on the right bike.

You still have to make the same decisions,

whatever speed you are doing, so as long as you give your brain time to adjust and you err always on the side of caution, high speeds in a clear road/fine-weather/light-traffic environment, such as the Territory, can be perfectly safe.

The big BMWs were humming along beautifully. Apart from the occasional caravanner and road train, there were only a few locals on the highway. Most were doing 130-140km/h, with a few on 160-plus and some cruising at 110 — which just goes to prove that people are smart enough to work out for themselves what “safe” feels like and will ride or drive accordingly. Take a drive in the NT and you’ll realise what a crock the Armageddon speed-kills scenario is.

Tracking to reach Katherine, with about seven minutes to spare, the GT I was riding gave a cough and died. Snag on the S disappeared into the distance. It was out of juice, the rear tyre was melting and the inside of the pipe was glowing like the surface of the sun.

I suppose it would be unfair to complain about fuel efficiency in this context but if you head to the Territory for a ride, you’ll be up for a fortune in juice and tyres should you wick it up for extended periods.

Still, it’s a fantastic experience and the freedom to do it once again is a rare gi . Be careful and enjoy. ARR

“Out the front of the Adelaide River pub is a sign that says ‘Katherine 200’.

We decided we would reach Katherine in less than one hour” AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

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AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION GREG REYNOLDS

“It’s hard for me to fathom vehicle noise as a form of pollution at all. To me, pollution is something that has a lasting or harmful effect” hen I was a teenager listening to the Rolling Stones, my mum used to say, “that’s not music, it’s just noise!” I thought “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was a gas, but she thought Jagger was the devil incarnate with his “unholy racket”.

We all have different tastes in music and we all have a different appreciation or tolerance for any sort of noise.

How obtrusive that noise can be is a very subjective issue.

A neighbour of mine lives on a hill and complains regularly about the noise of bikes revving through the corners. He can’t stand their noise, but happily tolerates trucks grinding up the hill or coming down using the exhaust brake. He drove trucks years ago and can identify with the driver and what his truck is doing.

I am the exact opposite. While no fan of the sudden blast and drone of an exhaust brake, I enjoy the sound of bikes going past. Whether it be the bark of a Ducati with Termis, the wail of a chambered twostroke or the blat of an old single, it’s all music to my ears.

How loud a bike is perceived to be depends on personal tolerance, the environment in which it is used and how it is used in that environment. There is no

W

One man’s music is another man’s noisy motorcycle doubt in my mind, a er 40 years on the road, that a loud bike is a safer bike. A quiet motorcycle is definitely less significant in heavy traffic, with cars regularly showing scant regard and invading your space.

A louder exhaust note establishes your presence in the traffic to anyone within earshot. They don’t have to see you to know you’re there and, generally, that imposing presence means they stay out of your way. For this reason, I would like to see the legal noise limit for bikes raised rather than lowered in the future as a positive concession to our safety.

As far as the noise pollution aspect goes, it’s hard for me to fathom vehicle noise as a form of pollution at all. To me, pollution is something that has a lasting or harmful effect on humans or the planet, like exhaust gases or toxic waste. A noisy vehicle may disturb your serenity for a short time but, when it is gone, there is no lasting ill effect at all.

This all leads me to an incident that happened in Gloucester recently.

A couple of Ducati riders from the Northern Tablelands were riding the Oxley Highway/Thunderbolts Way loop.

Both the Multistrada and ST4 were fi ed with performance pipes, but the riders weren’t revving them as they cruised into Gloucester for lunch before fuelling up for the run home. When they pulled up near a main street cafe, they noticed a couple of members of the local constabulary having coffee and doughnuts at an outside table.

One of the cops got up and wandered over smiling. He said, “I think your bikes are too loud boys,” and proceeded to take down their details. He then told them they would receive a notice from the EPA (Environment Protection Authority) to report for a noise test, before he

sauntered back to his doughnuts.

A few weeks later, the notices arrived requiring them to a end a noise-testing facility more than two hours’ ride away from where they live. These guys were ahead of the game and had refi ed the standard pipes, so they both scraped through right on the decibel limit. The end result was that they were forced to take a day off work, pay $45 for the test, plus fuel and expenses for a 450km ride. All this to prove what? They probably have the louder pipes back on already but I bet Gloucester is off their radar.

I’ll let you make your own judgements about the incident and the process, but I have a few questions and observations.

Firstly, how can the cop make a judgement on how loud a bike is when it is simply idling up to park? He’s not trained for that.

Secondly, if he is going to accuse someone of making excessive noise, why isn’t he taking a reading on the spot? He’s not equipped to do that. Thirdly, why would any local cop worth his salt be hassling motorcyclists in the main street when they are obviously bringing business to the town? Fourthly, who were the Dukes really disturbing? Like most sports riders, these guys keep the revs down in town so as not to draw a ention to themselves. They only open the taps out in the boonies where there is li le to disturb other than sheep and kangaroos.

Lastly, the obvious warning: beware the smiling assassin in Gloucester! He obviously enjoys his work and is developing a reputation for his over-zealous treatment of motorcyclists. Several of the local business people are complaining because they like the bikes and the business they bring. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us when Smiley is on the prowl. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 39

superior

complex So what’s all the fuss about? Geoff Seddon looks at the life and times of the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles

40 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BROUGH SUPERIOR STORY: GEOFF SEDDON hey say that rich people spend their money on exactly the same things as normal people — homes, food, holidays, cars — they just spend more money on each. Someone who knew this be er than anyone was George Brough.

In the years between the World Wars, England was still organised along distinct class lines and the gap between rich and poor was enormous.

Most numerous were the working

T

class, former serfs doing shit jobs for subsistence wages. Then came the be er-educated middle class, who could at least afford to own a home or start a business. Up in the stratosphere was the upper class, comprising the landed aristocracy and the big industrialists who between them ruled the joint. This last lot were seriously loaded and not afraid to flaunt it.

George was initially a partner in his father’s motorcycle works in No ingham. William E Brough

was a genuine motorcycle pioneer, building motorbikes from the turn of the century and establishing Brough Motorcycles with his sons William and George in 1908. The former colliery foreman built some innovative machines — including a rotary valve single — and enjoyed race success with his sons astride his favoured flattwins. But as he got older he became more conservative and was reluctant to move away from the slab-tanked style that these days we associate with veteran machines. ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 41

■ GB and staff outside the Nottingham works

It was the old man’s reluctance to build a more modern motorcycle and aim it at the upper class that led George to quit the firm and claim his patrimony; his one-third share in the business. It came to £1000, serious coin in 1919. He returned the shout by immediately establishing a rival motorcycle company in the same town. George was 29.

It was common to name one’s motorcycle a er oneself back then.

George was no different, but he had a problem. Displaying all the subtlety of Campbell Newman, he called his new bike the Brough Superior. The old fella was seriously pissed off, making the comment, “I suppose that makes mine the Brough Inferior.” Sadly, the market agreed and Brough Motorcycles was done and dusted by 1926.

To be fair, it was always George’s plan to build a machine that was clearly superior to any other, and then sell it to people for whom price didn’t ma er.

He’d already built his first prototype during the last years of the Great War. Powered by a 1000cc JAP in a lightweight frame, its most distinguishing feature was a beautiful plated saddle-style fuel tank.

42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

George used the £1000 to buy land and erect a factory. In the meantime, he built his first few machines in a garage owned by the old man, who was displaying the tolerance of a saint. Early production

■ TE Lawrence and George Brough

was dubbed the Mk1, and powered by your choice of overhead- or side-valve J A Prestwich V-twins, with just one example being sold in 1920 and three in 1921. Production started in earnest the following year when more than 100 machines were dispatched.

Most bikes were built to customer order within distinct model series. Each was hand-built, twice. First up, it was assembled (mostly from parts made by other firms) to the customer’s order, then disassembled for polishing, plating and painting, before final assembly and road testing. Quality control was strict, with all parts inspected and many rejected before acceptance by the factory.

The most desirable were the tuned SS80 and SS100 ho ies, constructed around a lower sportier chassis. SS stood for Super Sport, with the numbers signifying the guaranteed top speed of the bike in miles per hour, as personally certified by George Brough.

Development started on day one, with the first SS80 being sold in 1922 with a 988cc JAP side-valve and three-speed hand-operated gearbox. It was initially planned that it would be discontinued with the release of the SS100 two years later, but the model remained in the catalogue until stumps, albeit powered by a 982cc Matchless side-valve V-twin from 1935. Just over 1000 SS80s were built over 18 years, making it the marque’s most popular model.

BROUGH SUPERIOR The SS100 was the one to have.

Its £170 price tag — you could buy a house for £400 — made it the most expensive production motorcycle on the planet but there were no shortage of takers when it was released.

Initially powered by a 50hp twincam OHV JAP V-twin, the chassis was developed and tested by George Brough himself to ensure the handling matched the stick. The SS100 also remained on sale until WWII, by which time it was powered by an OHV Matchless and, like the SS80, enjoying something of a resurgence.

Other innovations introduced during its run included cantilevered rear suspension in 1928, a ho ed-up 75hp Alpine Grand Sport model in 1934 and foot-operated gear change in 1935. A special race model called the Pendine was also released in the early 30s. Even so, less than 400 SS100s were sold in all, or fewer than 25 bikes per year on average.

The SS100 was notorious for sporting

front forks straight out of Milwaukee, even if they were manufactured by English firm Castle. It’s said the only reason Harley didn’t sue is they’d nicked the design from FN in the first place.

“The old fella was seriously pissed off, making the comment, ‘I suppose that makes mine the Brough Inferior’” The only other models to sell in any volume were the SS680 (680cc OHV JAP) from 1926 and the side-car oriented 11.50, which chugged along to the tune of a 1096cc side-valve from 1933.

In total, just over 3000 Brough Superiors were shipped prior to

motorcycle production ceasing in 1940.

Unlike other marques, which faded with a whimper, Brough was untroubled by the Great Depression and its sales were as strong as ever when the factory switched its production to the war effort.

The firm succeeded for all the right reasons — design, performance and build quality — and George Brough was as good a marketer as he was a manufacturer and rider. A true showman, he knew all about winning on Sunday and selling on Monday, the power of the press and the value of celebrity endorsements.

Many early speed records were set on Brough Superiors, o en with GB (as he was known) twisting the thro le. In 1922, he set the first side-valve 100mph lap of the Brooklands circuit, crashing in the process. A decade later, Eric Fernihough set a long string of motorcycle land speed records, culminating in an astonishing 169.8mph (273km/h) for the flying kilometre on a streamlined supercharged ►

■ Brough Superior also set a number of sidecar speed records

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 43

■ 100mph, guaranteed, in 1924! Nothing came close

■ SS100 debuts in 1924

44 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

JAP-powered SS100 in 1937. There were many others.

Test bikes were made available to members of the British motorcycle press, one of whom (HD Teague of The Motor Cycle) described the Brough Superior as ‘the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles’.

The quote soon appeared in Brough’s advertising, carefully a ributed to the author to keep Rolls’s legal hounds at bay.

But it was certainly the perception at the time and the quote became synonymous with the brand. The connection was complete when motorcycle production stopped in 1940 to produce munitions and components for Rolls-Royce Merlin aircra engines.

GB also knew the value of a celebrity, with famous dudes such as TE Lawrence (of Arabia) and playwright George Bernard Shaw enthusiastic ambassadors for the brand. Lawrence owned seven, which he likened to ski ish thoroughbreds, before crashing fatally in 1935.

Surprisingly, George Brough wasn’t always right and not all his dreams were realised. Although passionate for V-twins, he saw the future in more cylinders. In the late 20s he developed a sha -driven straight four built around an Austin 7

BROUGH SUPERIOR

“The SS100 was the one to have. Its £170 price tag made it the most expensive production motorcycle on the planet” driveline, fi ed with dual rear wheels, which went on sale as the Straight Four in 1932. Since, be er known as the Austin Four, they did well to sell 10.

His other four was closer to the money but its timing sucked. The Golden Dream, unveiled in 1938, featured Brough’s own engine; a radical 1000cc H-pa ern power plant comprising two flat twins, one mounted above the other with the cranks joined by gears.

Carefully balanced, the unusual design was said to eliminate primary and secondary vibration, as you’d expect of a Rolls-Royce. It was more compact than you’d think and mounted in a new plunger-style chassis with the cylinders in the breeze like a BMW. Final drive was by sha .

Even be er, it looked like a Brough Superior and had only one rear wheel.

GB saw it as the future, but some bastard called Hitler got in the way.

Brough Superior emerged from the war as a precision-engineering firm, but the cost of retooling to produce the Dream and post-war materials shortages made it all too hard. Pushing 60, George Brough pulled the pin. Time had moved on, the world was a different place and he didn’t want to repeat the mistake his father made 30 years earlier.

George Brough stayed close to the bikes he built. Patron of the Brough Superior Club, he a ended events all over the UK until ill health forced him to curtail his activities prior to his passing in January 1970.

TERRAPLANE BLUES Brough Superior was also a long-time manufacturer of sidecars and also built a small number of very cool automobiles.

The sidecars were initially made by Montgomery to Brough specifications: chassis manufacture was later

brought in-house but the bodies were individually coach built throughout.

Unique to Brough, the sidecar frames of some later models doubled as reserve fuel tanks.

George Brough also built 85 cars from 1935, all but one based on the Hudson Terraplane chassis and powered by Hudson straight-eight or straight-six side-valves. The sixes were the big sellers, and were supercharged toward the end for a heady 140hp. Most were roadsters, the bodies finished to customer spec by specialist coachbuilders.

The final car, a rare saloon, was built in 1938 on an experimental chassis designed

by GB. It was powered by a LincolnZephyr V12 and was to go on sale for £1250 but only one was built before Great Britain tooled up for war. ►

■ TE Lawrence: warrior, writer, speed demon

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

■ George Brough (standing) with a racer on an early SS80

Thomas Edward Lawrence was a famous English army officer who enlisted the support of the Arabs to defeat the Ottoman forces in the Middle East during the First World War. He wrote a best-selling book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, about it, which was filmed in 1962 as Lawrence of Arabia.

Despite rising to Colonel, Lawrence later re-enlisted in the RAF as aircraftman TE Shaw and bought the first of seven Brough Superiors.

By all accounts, he was a demon road rider, both speed and distance.

There is a fantastic chapter in his memoir, The Mint, of racing the first, the Boanerges, against an airborne bomber.

He was killed in 1935 when he crashed his SS100 avoiding two boys on pushbikes. His high-profile death was a catalyst in the development of crash helmets.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 45

brough reborn Seventy years after production ceased, the SS100 is reborn as a bespoke beauty

â– Design sketches for the reborn SS100

46 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BROUGH SUPERIOR STORY GEOFF SEDDON xpatriate Englishman Mark Upham is a longtime Pommy bike nut and the proprietor of British Only Austria, a significant European dealer of early UK bikes and parts.

He acquired the rights to the Brough Superior brand in 2008 and has adopted many of the strategies of George Brough in an audacious play at resurrecting one of the most iconic names in motorcycling.

Initially, he concentrated on building very limited numbers of brand-new replica vintage Brough Superiors at a factory in the Austrian Alps, albeit from more modern materials and priced at around $250,000 each. Or similar to what you

E

might pay for a good old one.

The Vintagent website (thevintagent.blogspot.com.au) test-rode one of the first off the production line in 2009, an SS101 Pendine powered by an OHV 1150cc V-twin. The reviewer reported on a machine with faster and be er handling than any of the four Broughs he owned(!), his only criticism being a general lack of front brakes, which he blamed on the design of the Castle forks. Just like the old ones, apparently. The rear brake was strong, as was the performance of the engine, clutch and gearbox. Suspension performance and cornering were exemplary, he added, which he put down to a new frame built on a fresh jig and perfectly matched springs.

Upham has proved to be as much a showman as George Brough, launching two successful wellpublicised a empts at vintage motorcycle land speed records on the Bonneville salt lakes in Utah, on an SS101 Pendine and a one-off 750cc Baby Pendine. The second a empt, in 2013, enlisted well-known motorcycle journo Alan Cathcart and pom TV presenter Henry Cole on the 750, both of whom managed around 105mph.

Eric Pa erson ran as fast as 126mph on the big fella. One of the great things about salt racing is that there are almost as many classes as entrants but, even so, Brough Superior set seven new FIM and AMA records and is making sure everyone knows about it. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 47

BROUGH SUPERIOR

“The original models were unbelievably well built, outrageously fast and impossibly good looking” Well, that’s the plan. Although there’s money to be made selling replica vintage bikes at a quarter mill a pop, Upham’s big play is an all-new Brough Superior SS100 (or S.S.100 as it reads on the side covers) which he hopes will evoke the spirit of the original No ingham fliers.

Styled by French firm Boxer Design with input from Akira, and built in Austria, it references the trademark SS100 tank style, is powered by a big V-twin and has funny forks. But otherwise it’s a world apart from its vintage namesake. In

■ It sure is a pretty thing with its clothes off. Well, what there is of it

common, at least, is the exclusivity that comes from making no more than 25 bikes per year.

It’s a bold gamble. The original models were not particularly innovative, just unbelievably well built, outrageously fast and impossibly good looking. There’s

r We’d own one just for the headlight

r Just about every part is a one-off

r Engine castings for the chain-driven DOHC 88-degree V-twin mimic pushrods of old

r Fresh take on old-school style

48 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

no reason to think the new ones will not be as well built, but performance is relatively modest and the appearance, well, it looks awesome from some angles.

The motor is a liquid-cooled fourstroke DOHC 88-degree V-twin, its longlimbed appearance belying oversquare dimensions of 94x72mm for 997cc. Power is to customer order at between 100 and 140hp at 10,000rpm, with claimed torque of 125Nm at 8000rpm.

Use of titanium in the subframe, aluminium-magnesium alloy for the forks and swingarm, and not very much in the way of a steel main frame has kept dry weight to 180kg. The chassis dips its lid to Vincent, with the rigid engine doing most of the work. Up front, an unusual Fior girder-style double-wishbone fork is said to divorce steering from braking, which is provided by no fewer than four small 230mm discs, two on each side. Increased braking power and reduced gyroscopic effect were the aims, a more traditional drum-like appearance the bonus.

Rear brake is a conventional single disc, all of which are machined from a ceramicalloy composite. Damping is by Ohlins.

Wheelbase is 1550mm, the wheels oldschool 18s front and back; I’d love to have a punt on one for those reasons alone.

No doubt it would be an exhilarating ride. A lusty V-twin and not much else is always a recipe for fun times. But the SS100 is fantasy. The factory is coy on pricing: there were suggestions early they’d a empt to keep it less than 100,000 Euros, or $150,000. Who knows? Its value lies solely in the eye of the beholder. It’s not like you’d ride it much.

I suspect Mark Upham probably knows the tastes of wealthy motorcycle connoisseurs just as well as George Brough did. ARR

instro

50 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM

ment

of success It’s time to rediscover the mighty 1000cc V-Strom now that Suzuki has reinvented its biggest adventure tourer

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 51

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM

STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: GEOFF OSBORNE & SUZUKI he best thing the Kiwis have done recently is seal the road from Napier to Taihape, over Gentle Annie on the North Island. It’s about 150km of motorcycling rapture. How they fi ed this long, almost uninterrupted road into such a small country is one of the great mysteries of the universe. If and when you go riding in the shaky isles, you must ride this road.

The best thing Suzuki has done recently is revamp the DL1000 V-Strom, the larger of its two V-twin adventuretourers. It’s about 1000cc of all-roading delight. Why it was le so long is now a moot point, but this new model shows every day of 12 years’ worth of technological advances since the first one came out. If you like a good allrounder, you must ride this bike.

I’ll remember riding the V-Strom over Gentle Annie for a long, long time.

Whole sets of bends rose and fell as they followed a circuitous way around the hills, and the corner radii were rarely consistent as the spurs swelled and the gullies ebbed. You wouldn’t call it a road that flowed. Its rhythm constantly changed.

T

The ease of the speed was a remarkable bit of proof that Suzuki had taken a great leap with the 2014 V-Strom.

I knew the original DL1000, released way back in 2002, wouldn’t have been nearly as good — and a subsequent stint on one proved it beyond doubt. The new one is miles ahead.

Even in the showroom, the new one’s far be er. The V-Strom 1000 cost $15,490 when it was introduced in 2002. The new V-Strom 1000 costs $15,490. That’s a serious price drop in real terms. Compared against the average wages of then and now, the 2014 V-Strom costs about two-thirds of what the 2002 model did.

Even with its duck face on, the new DL1000 is also that much be er looking than the chunky old original. Suzuki went back to its 1988 DR750S (Aussies will remember the 1990 DR800 or DR-BIG) for its styling inspiration in an effort to highlight the history the company has in this market. You can see it in a number of details and the use of colours, but there’s nothing dated in the 2014 model.

The loose and cartoonish interpretation of the 750’s front end has drawn whistles from the gallery but, overall, this bike looks trick, with strong hints of the cobbly, functional construction pioneered

by BMW’s GS series.

“Compared against the average wages of then and now, the 2014 V-Strom costs about two-thirds of what the 2002 model did” 52 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ It’s an excellent bike for long rides on less-thanperfect roads

■ Single muffler replaces the old pair and is 4.7kg lighter

■ Long swing arm and wheelbase, plus adjustable traction control, make short work of gravel roads

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM ■ Not everyone likes the duck face, but this bike looks good

■ Stacked headlight is distinctive and includes a high beam claimed to be 28 per cent brighter

■ New brakes are miles better and very effective.

ABS cannot be switched off

Roaring over the hills between Napier and Taihape, I was enjoying the way the Bridgestone tyres tipped aggressively into every corner, countering the slightly slow steering of the Suzuki. The foot pegs skimmed in some of the tighter bends but there was ample clearance in the faster stuff and on standard suspension se ings, the V-Strom felt firmly controlled and very stable. Once or twice, I thought about dialling up the rear a li le but it simply wasn’t necessary.

With my 80kg and no luggage on board, the DL tracked fast and true and was never unse led by the lumps and bumps

that ensure the road surface could never be taken for granted.

The V-Strom’s stability and roadholding are both helped by the wheelbase being 20mm longer and the swing arm 33mm longer. Rake and trail have been pulled back by a degree and 2mm, but front-end stability is still excellent.

The new Tokico brakes are great.

Radial mounted with twice as many pistons, they’re one of the improvements that opens a yawning gap between the new and old V-Stroms. At first, I was hi ing the front anchors too hard and they reacted by grabbing tight and

pitching the bike forward. Once I learned to get on the lever with a caress, the strong brakes happily obliged and gave me whatever force I required as quickly as I needed it. For a bike with long-travel forks, the chassis’s balance coped well with the braking power.

The back brake added to the stopping power without defaulting to the ABS all the time. The DL’s ABS is a one-sizefits-all system, not variable for tar or dirt roads, nor can you switch it off. That’s the result of an accord signed by the Japanese manufacturers — personally, ► I’d like to see that agreement go the

■ The bigger 1037cc engine is a flexible thing full of torque

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53

CHANGES AT A GLANCE After 12 years, you’d expect a lot would change in creating a new DL1000. The new bike is still obviously a V-Strom but it shares almost nothing with the original. Here’s a guide to the major upgrades: • Traction control with three modes • Despite appearances, most of the engine is new • More power and torque everywhere, but especially in the bottom end • Pistons are 2mm wider, no heavier, and use thinner rings creating less friction • Twin-plug heads with a separate coil

for each iridium spark plug • Ten-hole injectors give better fuel atomisation than the four-hole units • Increased flywheel effect (by 15 per cent) from a heavier magneto, which, in turn, has been made more efficient • More effective radiator and removal of the oil cooler, all saving 1.5kg • Slipper clutch, which also has mechanical assist to lighten level weight • Sixth-gear ratio now 1.000:1 from 0.913:1 (ie lower gearing) • One muffler instead of two, saving 4.7kg. An exhaust valve has been added • New dash with trip computer

• Twelve-volt outlet on dash • New frame (stiffer, lighter), USD forks, longer swing arm, new rear shock • Wheelbase 20mm longer, shorter steering geometry (rake by 1°, trail by 2mm) • Two litres less fuel capacity, but claimed 16 per cent improved economy • Radial-mount four-piston front brakes with ABS • Lightweight 10-spoke wheels • Claimed 18 per cent brighter high-beam light • Rake adjustment added to screen’s height adjustment • Purpose-designed optional luggage system and other accessories.

r The entire chassis is new — and better for it

r Yellow indicates all the parts that have changed from the first-generation DL1000 engine

“Even with its duck face on, the new DL1000 is also that much better looking than the chunky old original”

way of the dodo because, to my mind, it limits the V-Strom’s potential as a true adventure bike. Still, the ABS seems to work well enough and, when later I tried them on gravel roads, the brakes came on good and strong without the ABS kicking in too early.

While we’re talking limitations, the low front mudguard precludes the use of knobby tyres. I’m sure people will come

54 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

up with ways to raise it, though. The V-Strom would definitely suit knobbyequipped adventures.

The traction control gives you security if you’re hi ing the dirt with street-biased tyres. Unlike the ABS, it is variable: there’s nanny mode by default, an intermediate mode for loose surfaces, or off for anyone who wants it all their own way. You can switch modes on the go

and each works as it should. As is o en the case, the middle se ing is still rather conservative but, if you’re subtle with the thro le and keep the wheelspin down to a certain level, you can hold a power slide for a while before the engine’s drive is limited.

Thro le control is a cinch. For starters, the fuelling feels good. Secondly, the extensively revised powerplant has a heavier flywheel and some serious bo om-end grunt that you can tractor along with, rather than dealing with the more on-off nature of high-revving progress. The new motor signals vast improvement with many reasons to like it, chief among them is its low-rev power.

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM ■ The rack is now more practical and the seat extends luggage capacity

■ Bright LED tail light cluster won’t go unnoticed

Remember when V-twins were renowned for low-rev loveliness?

Suzuki realised adventure bikes aren’t superbikes and has endowed the new 1037cc V-Strom with lots of lazy torque.

No, the top end is nothing to write home about but when this 1000cc tourer can whip up to 180km/h quick enough to be exciting, are you really going to complain about it? I’m not.

Instead, I’m going to sing the praises of the way the DL1000 flies in top gear.

Following a few other guys on this ride, I quickly realised that stomping up and down the gearbox was only making progress a bit erratic. I started holding momentum and higher gears until I was barrelling along exclusively in top unless the corner speed dropped below 80. I was

faster and doing it easier. The bike was happier and more stable. This is the way V-twins were always meant to be.

I noticed the guys hammering the gears had to work harder to maintain the pace. More to the point, when I jumped on the old-model V-Strom, I was appalled.

The first sweeper I rolled through in top brought failure the moment I tried to power on. The drivetrain snatched and the engine complained and the guy in front of me pulled away. There was nothing there at all!

Two things have changed this.

First, more than a decade’s worth of mechanical and electronic advances, along with a 2mm-larger bore that adds 41cc of engine capacity, have wrought significant goodness on this heavily

revised donk, which shares only its valve train and a handful of other components with the 2002 engine. This has dramatically increased power and torque at low revs, as well as adding a li le more right through to the top end. Peak power is up from 72kW to 74, not a massive change, and the torque figure gives few clues about how much be er the new motor is because it’s up only 2Nm to 103. However, the key number is where that torque peaks: way up at 6400rpm in the original model, and way down at 4000rpm in this one, less than halfway to redline. It has basically made the entire rev range one broad power band.

The second aspect of the newfound grunt is a lower sixth gear. In 2002, they figured a relaxed overdrive gear ►

■ Firmer padding but greater comfort, with grippy material

■ Dash is a beauty, full of info and easy to read

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 55

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM

■ Steering is slow but tip-in aggressive on the Bridgestone tyres

COOKING UP A STROM Suzuki realised it’s let down its previous customers by not giving them a ready supply of good accessories for their V-Stroms, but the company is making up for it. The new model comes with a decent range of bits and pieces you can buy and Suzuki Australia has tried to get the pricing sharp so that you can ride away on a heavily accessorised V-Strom for just under $20,000.

The obvious things to suss out first are the panniers, which were designed alongside the bike. As such, they fit nice and close to the bike’s body and can be quickly removed and replaced using the ignition key and a handle. The panniers give you 26 and 29L of storage respectively, and the top box holds 35L. You can also buy a tank bag.

You can alter the ergonomics with a higher or lower seat and a larger screen, which is 40mm higher and 20mm wider. If you live somewhere cold, the heated hand grips will be tempting.

Practical considerations are taken care of by things such as hand guards, a centre stand, fog lights, crash bars, aluminium chain guard, and plastic or aluminium sump guards. You can even trick up your V-Strom with a pretty stylish sticker kit and LED indicators.

was the way to go but in 2014, they’ve ditched it. You cruise at slightly higher revs, but it means you’re in plum torque territory (that 4000rpm peak equates to about 110km/h). Reduced engine vibration hides the feeling of higher revs, and the new motor is so much more efficient that fuel economy, according to Worldwide Motorcycle Test Cycle figures, has dropped from 5.6L/100km to 4.8. I averaged about 1.2L higher than that, but I suspect I was riding a bit more enthusiastically than the official test takes into account.

Its 20L fuel tank should give the V-Strom a range of 300-400km, depending upon how you ride. It’s a more comfortable bike to sit on for the long haul too. The screen’s angle can be quickly adjusted with one hand. With tools, you can set it 15 or 30mm higher than standard; the older model moved 25 or

50mm. Changing the angle makes more of a difference as speeds increase, but I didn’t get to sample the different heights.

The riding position is more compact, the bars moved back 34mm and the foot pegs back by 15mm. Funnily enough, jumping from old to new, it feels like the bars are higher. Whatever, I found it heaps more comfortable. The seat has firmer padding, which helps because it allows you to move around more.

Another thing that makes you more comfortable is the feeling of being on a lighter bike than before. The 2014 model is only about 8kg lighter (4.7kg shed from the exhaust alone) but all the changes in balance and body make it more manageable and responsive. The bike’s slender waist will help shorter riders reach the ground more easily.

The dash is a lot easier to read. It still has a big dial for the tacho, now with ►

■ Given the choice of the new road or the old, the V-Strom takes the old one

56 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

MICHELIN PILOT ROAD 4

R.C.S. 352 321 285 - 13080423 - MICHELIN - R.C.S. 855 200 507 - Photos credits: Michelin

Feel more secure, whatever the conditions*.

tyres tyres tyres

tyre

tyre tyre.

www.michelin.com.au/motorcycle 1300 72 78 78

SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM

more a contrasting design, but the speedo is an LCD numeric display. Next to that is an equally large gear-position indicator, and below it are things such as odo/trips, time, engine and air temperatures, fuel level, traction mode, fuel consumption, range etc. Immediately below the cluster is a 12-volt outlet.

There are numerous other worthwhile improvements. The rear rack is a li le more practical in design, the vulnerable oil cooler has gone (coolant circulates around the oil filter’s base instead) and there’s more space between rider and passenger foot pegs. While the oil filter still hangs ■ Clever ratchet system lets you adjust the screen’s angle with a quick push from one hand

58 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

low out the front, you have a choice of plastic or aluminium protection to bolt on. Other bits of good design remain, such as the way the pillion seat is an extension of the luggage rack and the knob that provides easy rear preload adjustment.

Those things add to what’s already a great package. The new V-Strom’s grunty motor, variable traction control, ABS, adjustable screen and dedicated range of accessories cover the major bases. At this price, there aren’t many rivals that offer quite the same specification level so if you do demand more, you’ll have to pay for it.

The road to Taihape reaches a T-junction a few kays before town. We stopped to regroup. I was yet to ride the gravel roads so at this stage, hadn’t discovered the V-Strom’s good off-tar credentials, nor confirmed it was as comfortable as I suspected, but I had plenty to praise all the same. It hadn’t put a foot wrong on a long, fast ride along a road that could suck you in as you chased its thrills. I always liked the old V-Strom, even as it dated, but it was never like this.

In the silence a er I shut down the engine to wait for the others, I heard the rise and fall of the next bike, still on the gas through the corners leading to the junction. There was no mistaking the roar and rumble of a V-twin shaking New Zealand’s clear air. Yep, the V-Strom even sounds great. ARR

QUICKSPECS Model: Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom Price: $15,490 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Candy Daring Red, Pearl Glacier White Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 12,000km Engine: Liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder. 3-mode traction control Bore x stroke: 100 x 66mm Displacement: 1037cc Compression: 11.3:1 Power: 74kW @ 8000rpm Torque: 103Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission: Wet clutch, 6-speed gearbox, chain drive Frame: Aluminium twin-spar Dimensions: Seat height 850mm, weight 228kg (kerb), fuel capacity 20L, wheelbase 1555mm, rake 25.5º, trail 109mm Suspension: Front, 43mm USD forks, fully adjustable, 160mm travel. Rear, monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable, 160mm travel Brakes: Front, 2 x 310mm discs, 4-piston calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, 1-piston caliper. ABS Tyres: Front, 110/80R19 (59V). Rear, 150/70R17 (69V) Fuel consumption: 6.0L/100km Theoretical range: 330km Verdict: Vastly improved and good value with all the essentials

TALK. ROCK. RIDE!

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE

STRIKING

GOLD The Street Glide gives us our first long stint with one of Harley’s Rushmore tourers, and it’s not just the paint that shines bright

STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: TIM MUNRO y first ride on one of Harley’s Project Rushmore tourers showed they’d got it right.

Like a typical bloke, I didn’t read the instructions, just took a look at the new bu ons and joysticks on the switch blocks, sussed out the dashboard’s colour display and made sense of it all. Well, most of it. A few things took a couple of goes to get right and se le into memory but if HarleyDavidson wanted to make an intuitive system out of something that handles AM, FM, music player, phone and more, it’s done it.

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Hell, I still struggle to fly my smartphone yet I managed to understand the Boom Box infotainment system all by myself. It must be obvious.

That was a good start to testing the new 2014 Street Glide, Harley’s stripped tourer. These so-called baggers are gaining ground in the market and just about every manufacturer of heavyweight cruisers has come to the party with one over the past few years. The Street Glide is the original and now it comes with its hard-hi ing sound and communications gizmos, a bigger engine, refined aerodynamics and a host of other li le bits and pieces to try to keep it at the pointy end.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE

Appropriately, this test started with a long ride. I picked up the Glide in Sydney and headed north into wine country, but with no intention of stopping and smelling the rosés. I intended to begin by subjecting it to 150km on the motorway, figuring I’d get the chores out of the way early but, before then, the Harley was as bored as I was. Cruise control on, music turned up, motor gently rumbling away and bum cosseted in the deep, wide and plush seat — all that luxury wasn’t enough to ward off the need for sweeping corners and changing conditions.

We took the Freemans Waterhole exit, a road I’ve only ridden once or twice since the freeway bulldozed its way further north. This was more like it.

At first, the lower 80km/h speed limit confirmed that the lack of tall screen keeps a lid on the stereo’s ability to entertain you above 100km/h. The sound quality is excellent, with great tone all the way through, but the wind whips the sound away once you reach Aussie touring speeds. The Street Glide is a bit be er than any other similar bike I’ve tested, but none of the low-screen baggers are really up to it. I reverted to my Earmold plugs, wired straight into my smartphone’s music collection, instead of having the phone plugged into the bike and si ing in the very convenient dashboard pocket designed specifically for the job. If I owned a Street Glide, I’d be very tempted to fit a Bluetooth headset inside my helmet.

As the country roads cleared and the Hunter’s mines receded in the ni y 62 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

mirrors mounted inside the fairing, I reactivated the cruise control. It’s a very smooth system. The loping six-speed transmission’s top gear felt good behind the 103 engine’s 1690cc and 138Nm. There’s definitely more go than with the smaller engine the Glide used to have, and you don’t tap the gear pedal nearly as o en.

Harley says the new 103 engine gives the tourers faster mid-range acceleration than any Harley before them, and I believe it. On these quiet roads, I didn’t once change down to overtake unless the traffic was doing less than 80km/h.

Like all Harley Big Twins, this one revs out nicely for such a big old donk. Take off hard in first and you’re quickly going

for second to beat the rev limiter. When you want to get the best out of it, you’ll ignore the two top gears and then se le back into sixth for the straights.

Not only does the 103 push this 372kg bike plus its load at a very respectable pace, it does it economically. Admi edly, I wasn’t rushing but I knocked over this first 370km stint at an average of 4.6L/100km. And it’s not as if I didn’t have some fun on the good roads either.

That’s impressive economy for most bikes, let alone a heavyweight, and you’d have to be pushing hard (or never leaving town) to get much less than 400km from a tankful.

The fun came on the country roads

■ This engine boasts faster mid-range acceleration than ever before on a Harley

HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE ■ Sink into this seat and your bum will love you. Your pillion may not, though…

“The sound quality is excellent, with great tone all the way through, but the wind whips the sound away once you reach Aussie touring speeds” that followed the rivers and ridges.

The Harley’s good steering and reasonable cornering clearance flowed with it, the engine pushing firmly away from the apexes. The new electronically controlled brakes, linked at speeds above about 50km/h, were strong, smooth and intuitive, such that they never flashed onto my testing radar. Only the rear suspension’s firm reactions to bumps took the edge off the grace. The rear shocks on H-D tourers were once among the best of the breed but others have li ed the standard.

Perhaps it’s time the motor company revised the rear end as fastidiously as it has the Street Glide’s appointments.

One thing the Harley does be er than the rest is make the most of the cut-down screen. The new vented fairing, one of Project Rushmore’s major achievements, works well and if you close the vent, the buffeting increases.

With it open, there’s minimal disturbance compared with other low-screen, wide-fairing bikes, and it’s about the ■ That has to be one of the bestlooking rear ends in motorcycling

same whether you’re in a full-face or open-face helmet. The wide fairing protects your hands from the cold and your body from the wind blast, while your legs are still out in the breeze. Close them against the tank and you’ll feel the engine’s warmth; open them a bit and cool air wicks the heat away.

Hours into the ride, my lower back started to feel a bit of strain from the laid-back riding position, which is otherwise ideal for long rides. There’s no unpleasant vibration, your legs have lots of room and the handlebars are right where they should be. The superlow 695mm seat, with its narrow front, will let almost anyone reach the ground with ease, but shi back into its embrace and it could be your favourite recliner.

Pillions don’t get it so good, though. Their

seat forms part of the rearward slope of the tail end’s styling, engendering a rather precarious feeling for passengers.

If that hints that this is a solo machine, so does the luggage capacity.

There’s about 64L of space in the narrow panniers, space that seems to fill up very quickly. H-D’s new opening mechanism, a one-handed affair using a neat li le lever, is brilliant and the seals resisted the efforts of some heavy showers. Adding a rack would obviously expand the storage capacity, but would you want to do that to such a beautifully smooth and clean machine? There’s not even a tail light to spoil the lovely look at the rear; the indicators house the tail and stop lights.

The clean lines are further enhanced by the lack of chrome trim on the Street ► Glide. The three subtle lines of chrome

■ The riding position’s very relaxed and comfortable

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE RUSHMORE REMINDER As we detailed in the November issue, Harley’s Project Rushmore has enhanced the touring line-up with hundreds of changes running through engines, frames and ancillaries. If you glance through Harley’s specifications sheets, you’ll see where the priorities are in the fact that the huge list of infotainment system features is second only to the bikes’ basic dimensions and weights.

Engine specs and the rest come later.

The major upgrades include:  Infotainment system with all the mod cons such as voice activation, sat-nav, Bluetooth, touch screen, phone functionality and lots more. The Street Glide doesn’t get every feature  Be er audio quality  Well-designed switchgear to handle the usual functions as well as the infotainment  Daymaker LED/halogen headlights  Revised aerodynamics for the batwing fairing  Improved riding positions, heat control etc  One-handed pannier opening  More power from a bigger 1690cc engine (with partial liquid cooling on the higher-spec tourers, but not the Street Glide or Road King)  Electronically linked ABS braking

running the length of the footboards are the only “blingy” bits — and they’re somehow just right. The great so -edged slabs of chrome on the tank, engine, forks etc are perfect for complementing the acres of painted surfaces. The wheels, though? Nah, not to me eye. That hollow, low-profile style doesn’t sit well with the Glide’s classic appearance. Give me wire spokes and fat white walls.

I love the Amber Whiskey paint on the test bike. Gorgeous. It’s one of seven colours and definitely the one I’d take, though if you’d asked me that before the test, I’d have answered quite differently.

Late on that first day’s ride, I pulled up to where a major community function was being set up, complete with flag pole, mayoral platform, band and sausage sizzle. Band members, dignitaries, even the council’s GM came over to check out

■ Low stance and broad body are distinguishing styling points

“There’s definitely more go than with the smaller engine the Glide used to have, and you don’t tap the gear pedal nearly as often” the Hog. It makes an impact.

I couldn’t sneak away early. Everyone would’ve known. By the time I le , it was dark. The new dual-halogen headlight cast a brighter, broader beam into the gloom ahead. It didn’t quite make day, but it is another worthy upgrade that Aussie tourers will welcome.

I felt relaxed a er a full day in the saddle and had enjoyed the Street Glide’s character, luxury and grace, even though the rear suspension wasn’t as impressive as it’d once seemed. I really enjoy the bagger bikes, which aren’t as encumbered as the full-dress tourers, feel a lot sportier and still have most of the comforts. The Street Glide’s no longer the lone star of the class but it shines bright, and Project Rushmore’s upgrades have added a lot more sparkle. ARR

QUICKSPECS Model: Harley-Davidson Street Glide Price: From $33,995 (ride away) Colours: Daytona Blue Pearl, Denim Black, Vivid Black, Charcoal Pearl, Amber Whiskey, Brilliant Silver Pearl, Big Blue Pearl Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km Engine: Air/oil cooled, OHV, 45° V-twin with 2 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1690cc Compression: 9.7:1 Power: Not quoted Torque: 138Nm @ 3500rpm Transmission: Chain primary drive, wet clutch, 6-speed gearbox, belt final drive Frame: Double-cradle steel Dimensions: Seat height 695mm, weight 372kg (kerb), fuel capacity 22.7L, wheelbase 1625mm, rake 26º, trail 170mm Suspension: Front, 43mm forks. Rear, twin shocks with air preload adjustment Brakes: Three x disc brakes with 4-piston calipers. Electronically linked. ABS Tyres: Front, 130/70B18 (63H). Rear, 180/65B16 (81H) Fuel consumption: 4.9L/100km Theoretical range: 460km Verdict: The original bagger, made so much be er for 2014

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TRIPLE THREAT STORY: NIGEL CROWLEY PHOTOS: HEATHER WARE haven’t ridden a Benelli since a frenzied couple of days back in 2008 on an 1130 Tre-K and Tre-K Amazonas. Both were loud, a ention-grabbing stunt bikes that spent as much time on one wheel as they did on two, exhilarating machines marred by woeful engine management that made them difficult bikes to ride.

But it’s now 2014 and things have changed. Benelli has been owned by the Chinese motor group Qianjiang for almost nine years and even though production is still based in Pesaro, Italy — the original location of the Benelli factory — it’s obvious a fair degree of cash has been splashed on R&D (research and development), especially the raunchy triple’s engine management. The beast

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has been tamed and it’s all good.

Visually, the TNT (or Tornado Naked Tre) hasn’t changed much in recent years, allowing other manufacturers to catch up in the looks department (the Husky Nuda, for example), but it was always so far ahead of its competitors in this respect that it remains an extremely eye-catching and slightly wacky-looking bit of kit.

The more you stare, the more cool shapes, angles and components you find. Take the elaborately sculpted rear sub-frame for instance, which flows seamlessly into the twin rear lights, which, in turn, are wrapped around the single end-can (one of my favourite bits on the whole bike). Or the optional carbon rear-seat cover featuring fake air intakes, for no reason other than they look cool. ►

A user-friendly Benelli that’s as happy on the daily commute as it is cruising the highway or tearing up the twisties

BENELLI TNT 899

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■ Styling hasn’t changed, nor has it dated.

The TNT is a stunning bike in the flesh

Now move on to the unique triangular end to the gear lever, mimicking the shape of the footrests, the liberal application of raw carbon in the shape of the front mudguard, belly-pan and generator cover and those massive fourpot radial Brembos biting on 320mm Braking wave discs. And, of course, you can’t miss the striking tubular frame and heavily braced swingarm. I could go on. There’s so much to look at that some might find it a bit overdone and flashy.

But then, as the sort of tart who likes flouro rim-tape and colouring-in the le ers on my tyres, I love it. Well, most of it.

The plastic-looking cooling fans mounted in the side panels flanking the tank look cheap compared to the rest of the bike and, even with the optional crash protection fi ed, I’d be surprised if they didn’t take a pasting in the event of an off. Also, a few people commented on the position of the headlight binnacle, which does look oddly detached by being too far forward and quite low: very evident in the flesh if less so in the photos. And, while we’re up the pointy end, the dashboard also looks unfinished with the analogue tacho and inset digital speedo mounted in the middle of an uninspiring and flimsy-looking bit 68 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

of plastic. A carbon or alloy plate here would have been much be er.

Starting the bike for the first time, I fumbled slightly with gloved hands trying to get the key into the lock, which is well hidden down a tunnel formed by the front of the tank and the back of the headstock. Be aware that if you use the integrated steering lock, it’s easy to accidentally turn the key to Park (thus potentially leaving your lights on all day) simply because you can’t see past your fingers when doing so.

Heeding the big warning sticker on the tank commanding that the thro le be totally closed, I prodded the starter and waited a second or so as the engine turned over slowly before cla ering into life.

I’d forgo en how loud the engine is on one of these things; it makes a substantial mechanical din on its own.

Add in the optional carbon pipe, as fi ed to our test bike, and the combined noise verges on embarrassing. It’s still as spinetingling as any motorcycle can sound but, for me, it’s too loud. Admi edly, ours didn’t have the dB-killer installed but, a er a 350km-odd ride through the Blue Mountains, wearing good-quality earplugs the whole way, I was as deaf as if I’d been front row at a Motörhead gig by the time I got home.

■ Dash is underdone on an otherwise very well-finished machine

NEED MORE BLING? There are a lot of extras you can throw at the 899. Here are just a few. Go to benelli. com.au/accessories-2 for the full range.

Crash knobs

$250

Carbon seat cowling

$890

Carbon rear guard

$399

Carbon front guard

Std

Carbon silencer

$1099

Titanium silencer

$1050

Carbon belly pan

Std

Carbon chain guard

$280

Carbon generator cover

Std

Rear stand pick-ups

$240

Tank bra

$240

Tank bag

$339

BENELLI TNT 899

“The fuelling is faultless, with no dithering at low speeds and a supersmooth pick-up from a closed or trailing throttle” However, the one thing you can’t complain about on this new bike is the superb fuelling. It’s pre y much faultless, with no dithering whatsoever at low speeds and a super-smooth pick-up from a closed or trailing thro le.

Those 2008 models could frighten the willies out of you as you tried to feather open the thro le at the apex of a fast corner, whereupon the on-again, off-again fuelling — which had all the finesse of a slap in the face — would do its best to send you off into the nearest field or wall.

The new model could not be more different. You can happily ride round at legal urban speeds in fi h gear without drama if you’re in a relaxed mood.

Combine that with the instant drive available just about everywhere in the rev range — thanks to an incredibly flat torque curve, which sees the engine producing pre y much the same number of Nm at 4500rpm as it does at its 8000rpm torque peak — a light clutch and a precise, sweet shi ing gearbox, and you have the recipe for a wicked urban tool. Throw in the excellent

forward vision, courtesy of the upright riding position, the surprising slimness of the whole plot and mirrors, which are that rare combination of style and function, and you have, dare I say it, an unexpectedly capable bike for the cut and thrust of your daily commute.

Even the suspension is now plush enough — in marked contrast to its granite-like predecessors — to give you an easy time of things. Honestly, the TNT is every bit as much fun to ride in heavy traffic as it is belting along your favourite country road, said no-one ever … until now.

In general, the steering is excellent, being both light and totally neutral, allowing you to negotiate slowerspeed urban corners with accuracy and confidence. The nicely rounded profile of the Michelin Pilot Powers

helps considerably with this, le ing the bike roll from upright to cranked over at a slightly slow, but constant and predictable, rate. There’s no dropping off the side of a pointy race tyre here.

However, I have to say there’s a very slight lack of feel somewhere. It’s as if the front wheel is further away than you expect: like you’re si ing nearer the rear of the bike than the front, or as if the forks are raked out at a lazy angle (they aren’t, at 24°). I never really got to the bo om of it and maybe it was magnified by the fact that I’d spent the previous few weeks riding a motard, where I was practically si ing on the headstock.

Whatever the reason, there was never any question of it compromising grip and, in fact, you can take some liberties with the front tyre, which sticks like glue.

But it does add-up to a bike that ►

■ Much improved fuelling allows the rider to concentrate on the road, not the throttle

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BENELLI TNT 899

■ The TNT is comfortable enough to see off a tank of fuel no worries

“The Benelli has superb low-speed balance, allowing you to trickle along between lines of stationary cars without putting a foot down” MORE NEW MODELS With a host of exciting new models, two of which are learner legal, Benelli is broadening its appeal, making the brand more accessible and, hopefully, attracting a loyal customer base early in their biking careers.

BN600R BN600S (LAMS)

$9990 +ORC $8990 +ORC

BN600GT BN302

$TBA $TBA

■ Crowley loved the look of the aftermarket exhaust can but it was too loud for his sensitive ears

prefers to be set up early for corners, taking wide smooth lines rather than flicking it in at the last second and firing it out the other side.

The Benelli does have superb lowspeed balance — even with 16L of fuel and in spite of the weight of those highmounted radiators — allowing you to trickle along between lines of stationary cars without ever having to put down a steadying foot, no ma er how tight the space. Beware of the slightly limited steering lock though, as it can catch you out when you least expect it if you’re really weaving through the gaps.

The only slightly frustrating issue in traffic is finding neutral. You have to pull the clutch lever right in, hard against the ‘bar for your best chance, and even then you’ll have to have a few stabs at it: usually being successful just as the traffic light turns green. Our test bike also pulsed the front lever very slightly when trailing a brake at walking speed, suggesting a misaligned or partially warped rotor — when used harder and at higher speeds, this wasn’t apparent and overall the brakes have excellent power and feel, as you’d expect from these components.

On the freeway, the TNT is easily comfortable enough to see off a tank of fuel, especially with the typical lack of vibration from a three-cylinder engine, and the ergonomics allow you room to move around and change positions easily. The ‘bars aren’t too wide either so you’re not doing an impression of a human parachute and if you hunker down slightly, the headlight and minimalist screen will deflect the majority of the breeze over your head.

There’s plenty of power for brisk overtaking, although you might be tempted to cog it down one or even ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 71

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BENELLI TNT 899

“When you get bored of the freeway, take this thing by the scruff of the neck and sling it at some corners. You won’t be disappointed” two gears if you’re in a rush, as 120km/h comes up at 5000rpm and acceleration doesn’t get really exciting until about eight. Top speed is well over 240km/h (theoretically, Your Honour), so you’re not likely to run out of puff this side of jail or the Northern Territory. But, then again, on a bike with no fairing, is top speed even relevant anymore?

Fuel consumption varied considerably: from 6.6l/100km for gentle town use to 8.0l/100km on an enthusiastic backcountry blast and over the length of the test, suggested an average range of 220km

QUICKSPECS Model: Benelli TNT 899 Price: $15,590 + ORC Colours: White Warranty: 2 years, unlimited km; 2 years roadside assist Servicing intervals: At 1000km, thence every 10,000km Engine: Liquid-cooled inline triple, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 88 x 49mm Displacement: 899cc

if you’re prepared to run it bone dry.

Generally, the fuel gauge started to blink at me at about the 190km mark.

When you get bored of the freeway, take this thing by the scruff of the neck and sling it at some corners. You won’t be disappointed. The front wheel stays well planted with the help of the macholooking polished, 50mm USD Marzocchi forks, although the rear Sachs unit does begin to show its deficiencies in terms of damping as the speed goes up and bumps arrive harder and more o en. Overall, the bike handles very well and as long as you respect its desire to carve through the bends using lots of lean angle, you can get from A to B in a very respectable fashion indeed. And then turn around and go back to A again just for the hell of it!

Acceleration is entertaining rather than intimidating and, with the help of the light gearbox, it’s pre y easy to keep the thing spinning near the top of the rev range, making the most of the 899cc Compression: 12.5:1 Power: 92kW @ 9500rpm Torque: 88Nm @ 8000rpm Transmission: Six speed Frame: Steel trellis front, aluminium alloy rear Dimensions: Seat height 830mm, weight 215kg (wet), fuel capacity 16L, wheelbase 1443mm, rake 24°, trail 95mm Suspension: Front, non-adjustable 50mm USD Marzocchi. Rear, Sachs,

Benelli’s claimed 121hp or 92kW. Benelli hasn’t made sweeping changes to the 899, but the refinements the factory has made add up to a bike that’s a whole lot easier and more fun to ride.

The revised fuelling has made it a more accomplished back-road scratcher; you can now concentrate on where you’re going rather than how carefully you can open the thro le, and it’s not averse to a bit of motorway cruising either.

The real surprise, though, is that this is now every bit as suited to the daily commute as any of its Japanese or European rivals, and yet has managed to retain plenty of that raw-edged TNT character, which sets it apart and makes it a hoot to own. Who’d have thought you could now use the words Benelli and versatile in the same sentence? With this quality of product and a host of new models coming, including a LAMS 600, it looks like Benelli might be sowing the seeds of a rosy future. ARR

120mm travel Brakes: Front, dual floating 320mm Braking wave rotors with four-piston Brembo radial calipers. Rear, single 240mm wave rotor with twin-piston Brembo caliper Tyres: Michelin Pilot Power. Front, 120/70-17. Rear, 190/50B17 Fuel consumption: 7.3l/100km Theoretical range: 220km Verdict: The most versatile Benelli yet. Well priced for the specs

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■ The two front wheels steer well on the open road making it a sensible touring option

EASY AS 1, 2, 3 It’s feet up all the way with Piaggio’s three-wheeled urban wonder, the Yourban TEST: MATT SHIELDS PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF CROWE f there’s ever been a scooter that is going to grab everyone’s a ention, it’s the three-wheeled Piaggio MP3, with its unique two-wheeled front-end.

The MP3 was first released in 2006 and aimed directly at the congested and tricky city streets of Europe with 125, 250, 300, 400 and 500cc variants. The 500cc was released under the Gilera brand name as the Fuocco — a sportier-looking variant of the MP3, in line with Gilera’s motorcycle racing/production history. There was a hybrid version a few years ago too.

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This new generation of 300cc MP3 is dubbed the Yourban — the new name a nod to the scooter’s use in cities and surrounds. The Yourban is clearly intended to be simpler to ride than a scooter, and thus it is an a ractive proposition for people who want the practicality of a scooter without the intimidation of riding a two-wheeler.

The key changes to the Yourban from the previous MP3 300 have all been aimed at improving handling, braking, fuel economy and engine performance.

There has also been a sharpening up and modernisation of the styling that has included rolling in neat touches such as fold-out pillion ’pegs, a flick-out carry hook and slick pillion grab rails.

The updates to the engine’s fuelling have come from ditching the ride-bywire set-up run previously and adopting a Magneti Marelli EFI system. While the main gain is improved emissions,

the change coincides with a small improvement to torque with a touch more grunt available slightly lower in the rev range.

This has made for a marked improvement at how quickly the Yourban gets off the line, but this is more so a factor of the loss of 18kg from the machine’s redesigned front end.

The other big change to the chassis is the adoption of larger 13in wheels, compared to the 12in wheels of the previous MP3 300. The handling of the now-bigger-wheeled and lighter frontend is a more controlled and stable ride than before, while still retaining delightfully fast handling at slow speeds.

The extra front wheel makes a big difference in tricky situations. Slick roundabouts, slow-speed manoeuvring, wet weather riding and dusty back roads are where most riders will get the benefits from the design.

PIAGGIO YOURBAN 300

■ A lot of the 212kg mass is in the CVT rear end

■ The front tilt mechanism locks when stationary so there’s no need for a side or centre stand

“The handling of the now-bigger-wheeled and lighter front-end is a more controlled and stable ride” In fact, the Yourban makes a lot of things easy that you want in a machine made for monotonous day in, day out riding. Its easy handling, great brakes and deliberate performance make it the ideal choice for an around-town and cityoutskirts machine. Equally so, its riderfriendliness makes it the perfect machine for everyday riding . ARR

QUICKSPECS

■ Tidy bum with nicely styled grab rails

Out on the open roads, where most of my time was spent riding, the Yourban can be ridden with the same amount of sure-footedness. It has a slightly different feel to its handling dynamic than a scooter in the way it rolls from side to side but, in every way, it is as compliant and comfortable at high-speed as it is light and manoeuvrable at low-speed.

One of the best parts of the threewheel design is the three brakes it can carry on those wheels. With the Yourban weighing in at 212kg, the brakes have plenty of power to stop the bike.

There’s also a park brake so you don’t need to use the centre stand (there’s no side stand, obviously). The way it works is the front suspension system can be locked so the bike won’t tilt under 10km/h or when stationary. This means, when you park, the bike sits upright with the park brake holding it in place.

■ Looks a bit like a Transformer

The system also means you don’t have to put your feet down until you get off the bike, which is great for negotiating stop-start city traffic, especially shorter people perched on the reasonably tall seat height of 780mm.

The seating position is of the smaller size, and there’s not much variation to be had if you like moving around in the saddle or moving your feet back and forth on the footboards. This is only something you’ll want a er some hours in the saddle but most riders won’t use the Yourban as a touring bike.

As for the niceties, there’s a good deal of under-seat storage, but no more than any other 250/300cc scooter. There is a comprehensive display panel and no less than 15 things displayed on the dash and surrounds, yet it doesn’t at all look clu ered and is very simple to read and understand at a glance.

Model: Piaggio Yourban Price: $9990 plus on-road costs Colours: Rosso Ibis, Nero Cosmo, Bianco Perla, Grigio Orione Warranty: 2 year, unlimited km Servicing intervals: 5000km Engine: Single-cylinder, 4-valve four-stroke Bore x stroke: 75 x 63mm Displacement: 278cc Compression: 11:1 Power: 16.6kW @ 7500rpm Torque: 24Nm @ 6000rpm Transmission: CVT Frame: Tubular and sheet steel Dimensions: Seat height 780mm, weight 212kg, fuel capacity 11L, wheelbase 1440mm Suspension: Front, twin steering tubes with dual-effect damping linked quadrilaterally by articulating arms. Rear, twin shocks, four-step preload adjustment Brakes: Front, 2 x 240mm discs. Rear, 240mm disc Tyres: Front, Metzeler Feelfree, 110/70 13 48P, 13 x 3.00. Rear, Metzeler Feelfree, 140/60-14 64P, 14 x 3.75 Theoretical range: 280km Verdict: Ideal commuter solution

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 75

The instructions come in very handy as you get to know the Multistrada

Fun on the Oxley in Sport mode before the rain set in and Urban mode was enlisted

THE LONG LIST We get cracking with the Multistrada, stew over the CFMoto and welcome the world’s biggest scooter, Aprilia’s SRV850, to the fun DUCATI MULTISTRADA: LESSON 1 When I picked up the Multistrada, I received the obligatory run-through of the apparently complex electronic adjustments and functions on the hightech bit of kit. As soon as I got home, I sat down and studied the owner’s manual, trying to imprint the pages and pages of instructions in my mind. I went out and played around with all the se ings.

A er a while, I wrapped my head around the logic of it; how the engine modes relate to the ABS and traction control se ings and all the rest. The fact that almost everything has some effect on everything else is not that easy to understand at first but it does come to you.

If you don’t make the effort to understand the electronic gymnastics 76 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

of the Multistrada, you’ll never make the most of it. Once I had it sorted out in my mind, I began trying different things. I won’t say what I’ve found out yet, because I’ve got a lot to learn about which se ings will suit me best. I do know that I prefer a firmer damping set-up in Touring mode than Ducati Australia’s Warren Lee had programmed into the suspension, but that’s easily altered. I just have to work out how much I want to alter it.

The other thing I did soon a er bringing the Ducati home was hardwire my GPS and my Warm & Safe heated jacket and gloves. I know, winter was months away, but you might as well do these things early.

I strapped my old sheepskin seat cover onto the perch before clicking the seat back down over the ba ery.

The MTS’s first big run was a 1200km round trip that took in the awesome Oxley Highway. I was glad for the sheepskin and decided I’d maybe like the pegs an inch forward but, overall, I was seriously impressed by the way the Granturismo not only ate miles so effortlessly, but also carried my gear plus laptop and cameras without bulging at the seams. The accessory bags are really good, especially as the top-box one has a compartment that seems made for a laptop.

The bike blitzed the trip, including feeling great in the rain on the Oxley (I could have cried when the weather turned!) and on the dodgy roadworks in places. It was ideal on the lonely back roads and a hoot in the twisties.

One month and a couple of thousand kays into the Ducati’s year here, I’m beginning to wonder where this bike has been all my life.

— MICK MATHESON

LONG-TERM TESTS APRILIA SRV850: BIGGEST AND BADDEST Having ridden every other maxi scooter on the market in the past year, it seems fi ing that the biggest and baddest of them all has been saved for last! Best of all, I’ll get six issues worth of time in the saddle.

Using the engine from Aprilia’s shortlived, seldom-loved Mana, Aprilia has done what it should have done in 2008 and slo ed the V-twin with CVT – sans gearbox – into a scooter chassis.

Aprilia pegs this machine as the new meeting point of motorcycle and scooter – and, a er my first ride, this isn’t wrong. The talking point of the machine is the engine and on the road it doesn’t disappoint. It has instant drive as you’d expect of a scooter, and power is delivered fluidly from a

standstill. The only inkling you get of the 55kW of power on tap is when it just keeps on driving past the highest of legal speed limits!

The traction control is a must. It is something I’ve only experienced firsthand on Aprilia’s parent company’s — Piaggio — X10, and it had nowhere near the power hit the SRV has. You can switch the traction control off, but you’d never want to.

Exploring the full potential of the SRV’s engine is possible through the dynamic-handling package. There’s plenty of power to use from the 839cc engine and the chassis, on first impression, feels well up to the task of coping with it. It’s tight, nimble and super-stable. Pushing this scooter to its sporting limits is going to be a lot of fun and may take a bit of work ge ing my head around!

Aside from testing the full sporting potential of the SRV, there’s a few pertinent questions that will be answered in my long-term test of the SRV: just how well does the SRV stand up to wear and tear; what is the reliability like of the big V-twin; how economical is it; and is that engine really too much?!

The first job for the SRV, though, is to put it through its paces as you would any other maxi scooter – a weekend away, at least 1000km on the clock, two up. A long weekend ride through the Snowies just before summer starts to cool off should do the trick! Seeing how much of a sports machine it is can wait. First, I want to see how much of a compromise, if any, creating the “world’s fastest scooter” has taken away from its maxi scooter roots.

— MATTHEW SHIELDS

The true point where bike meets scooter? Aprilia’s SRV850

BROKEN CHINA We’re not happy! Our CFMoto 650TK has been pranged and the prognosis is touch and go. We’re waiting to hear if the bike is repairable or not. For the record, we didn’t do it. All going well, we’ll either get this one fixed or start fresh with another, because we’re very keen to see how the CFMoto goes.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 77

TOP 10

MOTOR HIGHW There are highways to hell and there are highways you never want to end. Here’s ARR’s list of the world’s 10 best highways for adventurous motorcyclists

78 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

DESTINATIONS

CYCLE WAYS AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 79

DESTINATIONS ■ The 3000km-long Route 5 is the world’s longest motorable road

STORY: IAN NEUBAUER

1) ROUTE 5, CHILE he lower flank of the PanAmerican Highway — the longest motorable road in the world — Chile’s “Ruta 5” runs from Arica near the Peruvian border, through the capital, Santiago, and all the way south to Puerto Mon where it

T

THE FERRIS LIST Over the last decade, adventure couple Mike and Denise Ferris have journeyed more than half-a-million kilometres in search of the ultimate ride. Their search is for a road fit for motorbiking that delivers as much in exotic culture as it does in breathtaking scenery, and as adrenalin-pumping as it is historical. This short list of roads is at the top of their experiences and they’ve included tour

80 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

connects by ferry to Chiloé Island. The sheer diversity of the landscape covered in this 3000km highway is unparalleled.

From the moonlike plateaus of the Atacama Desert and the fertile central valleys that lie between the coast and the Andes Mountains, to the colossal ords, icy lakes and snow-capped mountains of the Chilean Patagonia, you’ll be awed every step of the way.

details so you can follow their tyre tracks. Check out www.ferriswheels.com.au 10. Cappadocia, Turkey It is simply not possible to adequately describe the surrealistic landscapes of Cappadocia. The unique geographical phenomenon is unlike anywhere else in the world with its spectacular topography of “fairy chimneys”, troglodyte dwellings and subterranean cities — making this an adventure like no other on the Turkish Treasures motorcycle safari.

To learn more about Route 5, pick up a copy of The Motorcycle Diaries, a memoir that traces the journey of Communist revolutionary Che Guevera, who, in 1952, rode from Argentina all the way to Venezuela on a Norton 500cc.

Detour: From Santiago, sprint west along Ruta 68 to Valparaiso, a seaside retreat built upon a series of steep hills overlooking the Pacific.

■ The high road from Leh to Lamayuru

2) THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, FLORIDA If you’ve seen the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger film True Lies, you’ll recognise this one-of-a-kind road.

Leapfrogging its way through the Florida Keys – a coral archipelago dividing the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico – the 205km Overseas Highway travels from island to island across 42 interconnecting bridges. Starting at Key Largo, where it meets US Route 1, the Overseas Highway rises out of a flat blue sea speckled with reefs, mangroves, sandbanks, marinas and islands carpeted with suburbs. Interestingly, the Overseas Highway was built over the remains of the Overseas Railroad of 1912, which was destroyed during the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. It was rebuilt and extended a dozen times over the decades; the current incarnation dates back to 1980. In some areas, new segments of the road run alongside many of the bridges and trusses of the former railway.

Rest stop: At mile marker 81.6, Manny and Isa’s Kitchen serves hearty Cuban food and Key lime pie – a US version of Pavlova.

at Paxson, a se lement of 40 persons 400km north of Anchorage, the Denali ambles west along an old migration route following the base of the Alaskan Ranges where native Alaskans mined flint. It careers around the great lakes of Denali National Park before coming to the Maclaren River. Toward the end of the route, riders are rewarded with frontrow views of Mount McKinley, which, at 6200m, is North America’s highest peak.

The Denali is best suited for adventuretouring bikes and requires a fair bit of planning, or MotoQuest in Anchorage offers a range of guided tours.

Side trip: Take an extended wilderness canoe trip in the upper Tangle Lakes system from the boat launch at Denali National Park. ►

■ Skip over the coral atolls on the Overseas Highway, Florida

■ One for the adventure riders, the Denali Highway in Alaska is rewarding

3) DENALI HIGHWAY, ALASKA On the opposite end of America, the 217km Denali Highway is a remote, mostly gravel highway in the northern state of Alaska. This is a stark wilderness where bears catch salmon in raging rivers and glaciers carve U-shaped valleys through solid rock. Starting at the roadhouse

9. Leh to Lamayuru, India This road leads to a 1000-year-old Buddhist gompa (monastery) built in the traditionally accepted manner and clinging to an impossible hillside. It travels through stunning mountain hues and breathtaking vistas described as otherworldly. The atmosphere, culture and history of this road are unique and the journey is one that is not easily forgo en. Ride the road to Lamayuru as part of the Himalayan Heights motorbike tour.

■ Westfjords, Iceland

8. West ords, Iceland Listed as one of the world’s best-kept secrets, the West ords is comprised of untouched and largely uninhabited peninsulas, waterfalls, rugged cliffs and rolling green hills and mountains of exquisite natural beauty. Go on the Inspiring Iceland tour ride through this area in the Icelandic summertime to capture a glimpse of the awe-inspiring midnight sun.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 81

■ This escape route from the former Soviet Union is now a magnificent ride

4) TRANSFAGARASAN HIGHWAY, ROMANIA It’s only 90km end to end, but the stretch of tarmac connecting the Romanian regions of Wallachia and Transylvania has enough long S-bends, steep climbs and hairpins to satisfy the most insatiable rider. The Transfăgărășan Highway was designed in the early 1970s as an escape route across the Carpathian Mountains lest the former Soviet Union invade, as they did Czechoslovakia in 1968. Starting in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, the Transfăgărășan Highway ascends for a few kilometres to the south until it reaches its high point of 2034m. Riders are then spat out of the 884m-long Balea tunnel to behold jaw-dropping views of the Capra Valley. The road flows down a glacial valley then green rolling hills before terminating at Pitesti on the banks of the Arges River. Note: heavy snowfall closes the highway every year from late October to late June.

Check out: Poenari Fortress close to Pitesti, the one-time home of Vlad the Impaler who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

5) HIGHWAY 63, NORWAY If you’re looking for a technical challenge, look no further than Norway’s Highway 63, aka Trollstigen Road or the Trolls Path in English. Connecting the fishing villages of Andalsnes and Valldal in Norway’s western ords, this ridiculously steep mountain road is so spectacular that it was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2005. Rising from an ancient valley, the 55km thoroughfare climaxes

■ The quintessential Dades Gorge

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7. Thrumsing La, Bhutan The highest pass of Bhutan, the Thrumsing La is considered one of the most beautiful in the Himalayas. This superb road leads into a national park, through pine forests and rhododendron trees, weaving up, down and around, past small villages, terraced mountain landscapes and verdant valleys. Explore Thrumsing La as part of the Shining Shangri-La motorbike tour of Nepal and Bhutan.

6. Moquegua to Copacabana, Peru This ride leads up the steep

incline of the Andes and right to the shores of Lake Titicaca, which borders Bolivia and is renowned as the highest navigable lake in the world.

Crossing several 4000m passes, this road is a fusion of culture, history and stunning scenery.

Journey to the heartland of the Incas as part of the Awesome Andes motorbike tour.

5. Zoji La, India Riding from Drass, apparently the second-coldest town on the face of the Earth, the Zoji La is a 3529m steep and narrow pass descending into Sonamarg, the Switzerland

DESTINATIONS ■ This 2000km run takes you through South Africa’s many wonders

■ Watch out for trolls on Norway’s Trollstigen Road!

at an 800m-high pass where 11 hairpin bends pile into one another like cooked spaghe i. Pull over at one of the viewing platforms on the plateau for a view of the Stigfossen Falls, which cascades 320m down the mountainside. The Trolls Path a racts more than 150,000 vehicles every year and, like Romania’s Transfăgărășan, it becomes impassable in the winter. Not surprisingly, there are few opportunities to overtake on this road so to avoid ge ing stuck behind a tour bus, set out at the crack of dawn.

Did you know? The Trollstigen Road is the only place in the world where official road signs warn of trolls.

of India. Snow-capped peaks, raging torrents, stark vistas and lush green meadows make this road a scenic and extremely memorable path to ride. Explore the Zoji La as part of the Himalayan Heights motorbike tour.

4. Dades Gorge, Morocco The spectacular peaks and magical gorge that this road runs through were formed by melting water from the snowfields of the Atlas Mountains. Ride through diverse landscape, from lush palm groves (palmeraies) to sheer mountain walls, unique

6) N1 FREEWAY, SOUTH AFRICA The final leg of the London to Cairo Road, South Africa’s N1 is a 2000km run from Western Cape through South Africa’s geographic heart and north to Beitbridge on the Zimbabwean border. Starting at the golden shores of Cape Town, the N1 passes the steppelike plains surrounding the city and Du Toitskloof Pass, and a road that might very well have been made for motorcycles. A er Worcester riders enter the Karoo Desert, they are met with a vast and seemingly empty landscape do ed with Afrikaner towns,

rock formations and nomadic villages. Experience the beauty of Morocco and the Dades Gorge on the Moroccan Magic tour.

3. Great Dolomite Road, Northern Italy The dramatic rocks, grey spires, snow-flecked Alps and green meadows of the Dolomites make this a treasured mountain travel experience.

A twisting journey through historic Alpine villages and ski fields on a superb riding surface, the Great Dolomite is a must-do ride for all adventurous motorcyclists.

vineyard oases and luxury hunting lodges. Continuing north-east, the N1 detours through the mega polis of Johannesburg and onto the beautiful mountain terrain of the small Kingdom of Swaziland. From there, it’s a short ride to world-famous Kruger National Park and a chance to see Africa’s Big five: the lion, elephant, cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros.

Something different: Join a slum tour of Soweto, the all-black township on Johannesburg whose student-led revolts in the 1970s triggered international mobilisation against apartheid. ►

■ Up in the mighty Dolomites of Northern Italy

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 83

DESTINATIONS 7) KARAKORAM HIGHWAY, CHINA An incredible feat of engineering that took 20 years to build, the 1300km Karakoram Highway is regarded the Ninth Wonder of the World for the heights of its passes and challenges of its terrain. Starting in the ancient city of Kashgar where it’s called the Friendship Highway or Highway 314, the Karakoram

travels south along the old Silk Road into the deserts of far-west China. A er passing Yellow Lake Valley, River Canyon and Kulma Pass, it meanders along the border with Tajikistan before turning west to the Pakistani border at Khunjerab Pass. At 4693m, this is the highest paved international border crossing in the world. Glaciers, raging rivers and sawtooth ridges pockmark the road south

to Juglot, meeting place of the Himalaya, Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges. From there, the Karakoram descends into the plains of Punjab, reaching its zenith at an intersection with Grand Trunk Road in the city of Hasan Abdal.

Tourist a raction: Snow leopards, Siberian ibex, Marco Polo sheep and other rare species at Khunjerab National Park in northern Pakistan. ►

■ The Karakoram Highway in China is regarded as the Ninth Wonder of the World

■ The Khardung La (K Top) road, India

84 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Travel through the Dolomites as part of the Dalmatian Delights motorcycle safari.

2. Sinop to Amasra, Turkey With more corners and curves than most riders will do in a year, this day’s ride leads along the lush green hills and high cliff faces of Turkey’s Black Sea. The combination of the azure sea and bright-green foliage makes this journey one of the most delectable in the world.

It ends in the small town of Amasra with its old cobbled streets, Byzantine gateways and historical castles.

Visit Turkey as part of the

Turkish Treasures motorcycle tour.

1. Khardung La, India Acknowledged as the highest motorable road in the world, reaching a dizzying elevation of 5600m and made primarily of loose rock, dirt and snow, the pass is located in the Ladakh region of India and is the gateway into the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The 40km stretch of road offers jaw-dropping views of the deep valleys and narrow twisting paths below. Explore Khardung La as part of the Himalayan Heights motorcycle safari.

Motorcycle Safaris!

H Himalayan Heights Turkish Treasures T Shining Shangri-La S Awesome Andes A Moroccan Magic M Dalmatian Delights D IInspiring Iceland

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DESTINATIONS

8) BANDAI-AZUMA ROADWAY, JAPAN A short 29km tollway running from Fukushima City’s Takayu Hot Springs to Tsuchiya Pass some 300km north of Tokyo, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline, as it’s known in these parts, is consistently rated as the most spectacular road for motorbiking in Japan. Constructed in 1959 to open up the Bandai-Asahi

National Park to tourism, the road weaves and bobs like a black snake through the Azuma Mountain Range before descending into the marshlands of the Ura-bandai region. On a clear day, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline provides breathtaking views of the brilliant turquoise ponds and lakes pockmarking the route’s stark volcanic landscape.

The best time to ride it is early October,

when Japan’s autumn hues are at their most brilliant, or at the start of the snow season in December, when, with the aid of studded motorbike tyres, you can drive through a freshly ploughed 4m-high corridor of vertical snow walls!

Take a hike: To the rim of the AzumaKofuji crater, a perfectly shaped miniature of Japan’s famous Mount Fuji.

9) GLACIER HIGHWAY, NEW ZEALAND From the land that provided the backdrop for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, New Zealand’s South Island is arguably the best motorcycling destination in the world. Among its most gobsmacking routes is the Glacier Highway – aka the Ice Run – a ceaselessly twisting 400km-long road that takes in the most accessible and lowest-lying glaciers on the planet. Starting at the historic gold rush town of Hokitika on the west coast, the road travels south along a windswept coast before cu ing inland through vast tracts of farmland. It’s here where riders first see New Zealand’s fabled Southern Alps, a wilderness area with 60 glaciers. The highway then shoots into Mount Aspiring National Park and crosses the Haast Pass before reaching a climax at The Neck – a land saddle dividing the reflective waters of Lakes Hawea and Wanaka.

While you’re there: Ice-climb on the fluorescent blue walls on the lower section of Fox Glacier. ► 86 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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DESTINATIONS

10) MURCHISON HIGHWAY, TASMANIA There are few places wilder and more beautiful than Tasmania’s west coast.

Back in the colonial days, dozens of ships were wrecked trying to access the forests and gold mines hidden behind the jagged, rocky coast. Fortunately, we now have unnecessarily fast motorbikes and a road to Tassie’s west coast that 88 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

puts those excessive cubic centimetres to work. Starting on the Bass Strait town of Burnie, the 147km Murchison Highway winds south through quaint country towns and rolling green hills that slowly ascend into Tasmania’s mighty Central Highlands. At the 100km mark, detour east to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park to see what the Swiss Alps look like, or continue west along this

sex-bomb of a road hugging the banks of Tasmania’s inner lakes. At Zeehan, the Zeehan-Strahan Road snakes into a range before dropping toward the coast, where a final exhilarating 20km coastal sprint leads to the fishing village of Strahan.

Don’t miss: At Strahan, park your bike and board a passenger catamaran for a cruise down the World Heritage-listed Gordon River. ARR

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TRAVELLING NORTH

Not everyone in Queensland is a raving-loony redneck politician.

The place is full of interesting people living interesting lives

90 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

INGENIOUS QUEENSLAND

►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 91

■ Nigel’s Beemer went like a train

r Longreach is also the home of QANTAS — and the QANTAS Museum

STORY & PHOTOS: NIGEL COLLIN t was one of those wonderful motorcycling moments. A er being on the road for nearly two weeks, I arrived at Magnetic Island, off the coast of Queensland. I found a dirt road and followed it as far as I could. I took off my boots to enjoy the sand between my toes, the sea breeze and a well-earned break. Heaven.

The next day, I was due to meet and interview an extraordinary person named Dr Rick Braley, a marine biologist who came up with a very cool idea called Snorkel Trails. But I’m ge ing ahead of myself, so let me go back to the start.

I was near the end of a 12-day road trip, which would take me through

I

92 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r On the road from Winton to Hughendon

remote central Queensland, up to Cairns and then back down the coast. Along the way, I was hoping to meet some clever Aussies and visit some unique places. I have a fetish for ingenious ideas and the more I travel throughout Australia, the more I reckon we’re a clever bunch.

The great thing about riding a bike is that it opens the door to discovering places you might never have found if travelling by car. A bike immerses you in the world. It’s also a great conversation starter. I had a few interviews lined up and hoped to discover more places as I went. It’s o en the unplanned moments that are the best.

So, with only a rough plan in mind, I loaded the bike with way too much gear,

le Sydney and headed north. Now I have a rule when touring, which is to always be off the road by dusk because that’s when feeding time starts and your chances of meeting an animal head-on dramatically increase. It’s important to know your limits. I met a rider on the ferry to Magnetic Island who had another good rule: if someone overtakes you without you realising anyone was behind, it’s time to stop. I’ve since adopted that one too.

But it was dusk that had me overnighting in Mungindi, where I slept in my first donger. Yes, you read that right. A donger is a small room in a portable shed, usually out the back of a roadhouse, with li le more than a bed,

INGENIOUS QUEENSLAND

“So, with only a rough plan in mind, I loaded the bike with way too much gear, left Sydney and headed north” a table, some cobwebs and a chair. They ain’t luxurious, but they are cheap at about $45 a night.

The next morning, I set off early and headed for Blackall, which I discovered is the home of the original black stump.

I didn’t think the black stump actually existed so to learn that it did was a bit of a coup! The story goes that the early surveyors in the region used the stump to hold their instruments because it was steadier than their flimsy stands. I later found out that several other towns around Australia also claim to own the original black stump. D’oh!

From there it was a short run to Longreach, where I was to catch up with Cameron Mace, general manager of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre. He’s a downto-earth, easy-going bloke, with a great love for remote Australia, particularly Longreach.

Cameron picked me up in a buggy at the front gate to show me around, and the centre was hosting Australia’s largest-ever campdra at the time.

Now, if, like me, you’re not sure what a campdra is, it’s a sport where horses

r Queenslanders build fences out of anything

r Sampling an outback drum kit in Winton

and riders work ca le in competitive events. Think of the Sydney Royal Easter Show but take out the show bags, the rides and the urban influence. Add in real country folk and ca lemen and you’ve got yourself a campdra .

The size of the event was staggering.

Only in its first year, it drew more than 1500 competitors with a total prize pool of $120,000, and a racted some 5000 visitors to Longreach over the four days. It goes to show the hospitality of regional people that Cameron still had time to meet with me.

When I le , he was also good enough to suggest I watch my speed on the way to Winton as the road is o en patrolled.

It’s roughly 180km, straight, sparse, mostly flat and you can see for miles,

which is why I was extremely annoyed to see the red and blue flashing lights coming towards me over a rise. Probably not the best thing to tell in a touring story, but it’s just so easy to let the speed creep up on those remote roads. It was my first speeding ticket in more than 20 years and the officer was quite a nice bloke. A er he looked at my license, he wished me a happy 50th birthday for a few days before. Good present!

Winton is the dinosaur capital of Australia, with the famous dinosaurstampede tracks just 70km out of town.

But its real claim to fame is that it is home to the world’s first, and possibly only, musical fence, designed as a community instrument by Melbourne percussionist and composer Graeme ►

r What will they think of next?

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 93

INGENIOUS QUEENSLAND

r Plenty of horsepower at the Longreach campdraft

Leak in 2003. By hi ing five tensioned fencing wires housed under an acoustic shelter, you get a cacophony of sounds!

Next to the fence is a drum kit made from various bits of scrap metal. As a former drummer, I couldn’t help but jump on the kit to see if I still didn’t have it. School concerts have been held there and, in 2008, Grammy-awardwinner Gotye stumbled upon the fence and recorded some samples, which he included in his song Eyes Wide Open.

One of the many things I love about motorcycle touring is the freedom you have to explore and stumble upon quirky places you may never have found otherwise. O en those stumbles become highlights, which is what happened on my way to Cairns. I was checking out of a hotel one morning and was asked if I was going to Paronella Park. I’d never heard of it but it sounded interesting.

Back in the 1930s, Spanish immigrant José Paronella bought a plot of land at a place called Mena Creek where he built a beautiful home with elegant

r Winton is the musical-fence capital of Australia

gardens for his wife. The property had its own waterfall, so José decided to build Queensland’s first hydroelectricity plant. The rest of Mena Creek didn’t get electricity until the 1960s, but Jose shared his around by building a ballroom on his property, complete with electric lighting and a mirrorball, where he served ice cream to his guests. He also created Australia’s first outdoor cinema. Amazingly, José wasn’t an engineer, he was a baker. It is an amazing story of ingenuity.

Jose died in the 1940s and the place slowly deteriorated, until Mark and Judy Evans took it over 50 years later to create what is now a major far-north Queensland tourist a raction. Mark and Judy are amazing people, full of energy and love for the place. Accommodation is in well-appointed cabins (not dongers) surrounded by gardens.

The couple also owns the Mena Creek Hotel up the road, a popular haunt for bikers cruising the Atherton Tableland.

From there, it was a short haul to

Cairns where I was to catch up with Andi Mether, someone I’d known virtually for many years but never met face to face. In 2005, she started Australia’s only festival of chalk art, which has been held every year since. No doubt, we’ve all been amazed by chalk paintings on footpaths, especially when they create 3D illusions, but few would know an Australian, Jenny McCracken, won the world championship of street art in Italy in 2012.

Spending the a ernoon with Andi at her beautiful home, what was clear was her love of supporting and nurturing creative talent. Her company, Zest Events, provides paid work for chalk artists at public festivals and corporate events. She also has a documentary ►

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66

r Outback take on Santa’s sleigh

94 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

It’s not just interesting people that you meet on meandering motorcycle trips, you’ll also stumble across some interesting roads too. On my way south along the Bruce Highway, I managed to find a bit of the old road and couldn’t help but head off and try it out. Sadly, it was only a short stretch but well worth the effort.

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INGENIOUS QUEENSLAND

THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM A jewel in the Aussie motorcycling crown is the National Motorcycle Museum in Nabiac, 300km north of Sydney. It houses some 700 bikes, mostly owned by owners, Brian and Margaret Kelleher, with the balance on loan. Former motorcycle dealers, the Kellehers were motivated to start the museum by the exodus of Aussie bikes overseas when the dollar was low in the late 1980s — kind of the opposite to what is happening now. All the exhibits were purchased in Australia to keep them in Australia.

coming up on SBS about the Chalk Urban Art Festival.

It was then time to head back down the coast to Magnetic Island, which is where this story began, to meet marine biologist Rick Braley, who runs the Aquasearch research centre.

I really like Rick. In his Hawaiian shirt, shorts and baseball cap, the US expat is a genuinely cool guy completely into what he does. I wanted to meet him because of

r Great name for a cool pub in Winton

96 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Mark and Judy Evans

“One thing I love about motorcycle touring is the freedom to explore and stumble upon quirky places you may never have found” his ingenious idea a few years back for Snorkel Trails.

You know when you go for a snorkel and you see nothing at all and then you find something amazing? You rush back to your mates who then head into the water but can’t find a thing? Well, Snorkel Trails is a series of markers above and below the water, supported by a laminated underwater map, to show you the way to all the good spots.

It’s sustainable tourism, which works really well.

It’s amazing what’s out there when you look. My short trip through Queensland was a great way of seeing some clever ideas and meeting some clever people. If there was a theme to it, it’s all around the passion some people have when it comes to what they do and the difference they make.

Happy travels! ARR

r Australia’s first outdoor movie projector in Mena Creek

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FREEDOM RIDE Queensland’s Team Geriatric launches an audacious and ultimately successful escape bid for northern NSW

STORY & PHOTOS: MARK HINCHLIFFE ighto you lot, line up. I want to see your Seniors Cards,” says the Queensland police officer dressed in full storm trooper gear. He and his two colleagues laugh and we boys nervously join in.

When I say boys, I mean our riding group of nine, aged 44 to 73.

We’re in the middle of the Queensland bikie wars a er the government hastily introduced the Orwellian-named Vicious Lawless Associations Disestablishment (VLAD) Act. Tensions are high on Sunshine State roads. Many recreational

“R

98 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

riders are on edge. Stories abound of innocent riders being grilled on the roadside by police who want them to take off their jackets, show their ta oos and be photographed for police records.

But our bunch of geriatric riders is in good spirits as we convene at a servo on the southern side of Ipswich. We’ve all managed a couple of days off midweek and we figure we won’t be harassed by police or confused with outlaw motorcycle gang members because of our age, our riding gear and our mounts, which include four GoldWings, a Ducati Multistrada, Honda Deauville and a Triumph Explorer.

The only bikes that may cause concern are a Harley-Davidson Fat

Bob and the Suzuki Bandit I’m riding.

A er all, Bandit is fairly close to Bandido, which could confuse some coppers. But not these boys in blue.

As they chat with our group, a siren can be heard in the distance and an officer quips, “There’s our backup now.” Then we hear a chopper from the nearby Amberley RAAF Base and there’s more guffawing about SWAT teams coming to rescue the cops from the big bad bikies. Hilarious.

Time to escape the Gestapo state and head for Mexico! Our plan is to ride to Inverell on the Macintyre River in the New England region of NSW, where we’ve heard they have a transport museum with some interesting machinery, including a collection of motorcycles. ►

ROAD TRAIN TO INVERELL

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 99

“Tensions are high on Sunshine State roads.

Stories abound of innocent riders being grilled on the roadside by police” But, really, who needs an excuse to go for a midweek blast?

As we saddle up, we take an inventory of our posse: four tourers, two sports tourers, two adventure bikes and a cruiser. There are two Johns, a Bryan, Alastair, Dave, Glenn, Lee, Noel and me.

Four hail from the Sunshine Coast, three from Ipswich and two from Brisbane.

One of the Johns on a GoldWing leads the way onto the Cunningham Highway through the crispy and dry Fassifern Valley, which hasn’t seen a shower in months.

I’ve scored a new 1250 Bandit S for this trip. It’s the perfect bike for the occasion with plenty of power, a comfortable riding position and a metal tank on which to plonk my magnetic DriRider tank bag.

I’ve ridden several Bandits over the years and am addicted to the pouringcream smoothness of the lusty and torquey engines. Cruising along at 3200rpm and 100km/h in sixth gear, you can simply wind the thro le and feel it 100 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

rGlen Innes paramedic Penelope Little refused to be intimidated by the marauding Queensland bikies

surge all the way to instant jail-time in just a few seconds.

Bandits have notoriously hard seats, so I’ve added my trusty Airhawk and am quite comfortable. There’s a steady wind blast off the sporty windscreen but no tiring buffeting, so I’m set to tour.

We se le into a legal canter, picking our way past the trucks until we come to the first of several roadworks stoppages.

We’re expecting a top of around 30°C, but the morning air is fresh for us banana benders. At least the inline four is providing some warmth to my legs.

It’s an uneventful trip up Cunninghams Gap, where the temperature drops further into single digits as we pass between the peaks of Mounts Cordeaux and Mitchell. We sneak a peek to the right, back toward

Brisbane, and it’s as clear as a bell this bright spring day.

Once over the Scenic Rim, the valley yawns ahead of us into the sprawling Darling Downs, a fertile rolling landscape of pastures and happy livestock.

This part of the highway is heavily patrolled, so we’re careful not to a ract any a ention as we pick our way through Warwick and south toward Stanthorpe on the New England Highway.

We’ve covered 150km and so far, so good.

No strip searches, no anal probes, not even a cop car.

We discuss our route from here, with suggestions of interesting back roads, mindful that the museum closes at 4pm. Very doable, even with some detours, until we remember Mexico (Queenslander speak for NSW) is on

ROAD TRAIN TO INVERELL

rMassed Wings at the Oxford, Inverell

rThis here’s a Reliable Dayton, built in Chicago in 1906

daylight saving, instantly losing an hour.

We decide to stick to the highway and take a more interesting route home.

John has increased the pulse of the ride as the pull of the border draws us closer. The Bandit is just purring, with no need to downshi . Then, as we approach a string of traffic, John suddenly slows.

One of the cars is highway patrol.

Well spo ed, mate. We hold back in the knowledge that the border town of Wallangarra is looming.

We are relieved when we see the cop pull over in town. But it’s short-lived as he jumps out, pulls on his fluoro vest and walks purposefully onto the road.

Brake lights flash and heart rates rise.

Thankfully, it’s only the lowered Bomb-

rFamiliar logo? Until 1936, Triumph motorcycles and cars were built by the same company

adore in front of us that he’s a er.

We pause at the “Welcome to NSW” sign to commemorate our successful escape with a photo before continuing.

The kays roll steadily by as the craggygranite scenery continues to provide a visual feast. It’s pre y country and it doesn’t seem to be as dry as Queensland.

Yet the Ming-blue skies are gradually becoming a brownish grey with the haze of distant bushfires.

Tenterfield rolls by and then we’re into Glen Innes for lunch. We’re making a goodly pace so I suggest we call into the ambos to say hello to Georgia Melville, who I met on the Compass Expeditions Charley Boorman outback tour. She’s not on duty, but we con her colleague Penelope Li le into posing for a photo in her place. It li s our spirits for the final leg over the low ranges west to Inverell.

This part of the Gwydir Highway is not as entertaining as the portion to the east of Glen Innes, but it’s pre y smooth and there are some good high-speed sweepers as the tar runs up and over the ridges.

There’s a point-to-point safety camera gantry as you leave Glen Innes and another just outside Inverell. We figure they’re looking at front number plates so we’re not worried, but we keep things ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 101

r Unlike some country towns, Inverell is a thriving centre with beef cattle at the core of its wealth

sensible as there’s no rush.

Inverell is a tidy and still-thriving town with big banks, some sturdy buildings in the CBD and very few vacant stores.

We continue on to its western side to the National Transport Museum, which may have moved by the time you read this.

According to administrator, Tanya Short, it was about to move to a 4000m² purposebuilt facility on Rifle Range Road.

The museum started in 1997 a er the Business Enterprise Centre held a competition to decide on a use for a vacant snack-food factory. The community’s resounding response was a transport museum, reflecting the number of historic cars and bikes owned by local rev heads.

Admission is $10 but without asking to see any Seniors Cards, they charge us all the senior rate of $8. Our youngest member is upset he wasn’t charged the children’s rate of $5.

It’s open every day except Christmas and a racts 20,000 visitors a year. The museum is non-profit and mainly staffed with enthusiastic volunteers, some of whom have their vehicles on display.

Volunteer staffer Gil Robson proudly shows us around, providing interesting background on the machines and their colourful owners. One was a Honda CB500 that has been converted into a big chookie for a local double amputee. There are only a few-dozen bikes on display, but there’s a good mix of ages and types to make it interesting.

Despite being fanatical bikers, our group shows equal interest in the four-wheeled exhibits, some of the guys 102 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

ge ing a li le misty-eyed over H-series Holdens and GT Falcons.

Tanya says the rarest exhibit is a 1906 Reliable Dayton made in Chicago. It was once owned by a local doctor who sold it because it didn’t know the way home, like his horses, a er he’d had a few drinks.

Too soon, it’s time to close the doors and we head for our digs at the Oxford Hotel. Owner-manager, Colin Thompson, directs us around the corner into the

back alley and then into the lock-up beer garden where we park the bikes. Only a small portion is undercover but the machines are safe.

Colin is a bike nut who eagerly shows us his Ducati GT 750 and some other bikes stored in back rooms of the hotel.

He’s trying to promote the pub as a biker haunt. It’s the meeting place for the local Ulysses branch and tonight they’re holding a meeting with the local Salvos

ROAD TRAIN TO INVERELL

“It turns into a hilarious evening chatting with the locals about bikes, Viagra and various bodily functions” to organise the annual toy run.

The rooms are Spartan but the sheets are clean, the beds so and it’s only $20 a head, most of the guys scoring rooms to themselves.

We reconvene in the public bar for drinks and massive steaks; this is beef country, a er all. It’s only 5.30pm — 4.30 Queensland time — but the boys are famished. It turns into a hilarious evening cha ing with the locals about bikes, Viagra and various bodily functions. We turn in at 10.30pm, well past our bedtime!

Despite the locals warning us about roos on the road north toward Ashford, we’re gassed up and rolling by 7am, a er monster brekkie wraps all round from the Australia Cafe.

The locals were right about the roos. We don’t see any live ones, but the air is ripe with the smell of the recently departed.

Our eyes are wide in wonder as we scan the tall dead grass for any roos the trucks may have missed. It’s a lonely road that

rolls over gentle contours and is a suitably subtle start to the day, as we nurse thick heads from the evening’s revelry.

The smoke is also thicker this morning and the temperature is chilly, but by Ashford it’s warmed up and we wheel right toward Bonshaw. Here the road gets a li le bumpier, and the Bandit takes all but the hardest hits in its stride.

The Bruxner Highway looms up quickly. We head le through Bonshaw on to the turn-off to Texas where we cross the border and wind back our clocks an hour. That means we’re too early for the local coffee shop. It’s a shame because Texas is the first town on the Australian mainland to declare itself biker friendly and we wanted to return the shout. Instead, we press on toward Stanthorpe.

The next section of road is an absolute delight as it loops over the ridges and ranges heading east. It’s the perfect match for the Bandit’s exhilarating performance.

It’s smooth tar with plenty of

challenging corners, panoramic vistas on the many crests and no traffic. However, the smell of ro ing roos is heavy and their bodies are li ered so thick we have to spread out for fear of running over a carcass obscured by the rider in front.

I ease back to the end of the queue as I’ve already hit one decayed lump. Then, over one of those crests, a big grey body leaps across the road not 10m in front of my bike! And this, despite a train of eight bikes having just passed by. I jump hard on the brakes and am glad this Bandit is fi ed with ABS. It’s the only live Skippy we would see all trip, thankfully.

The other species we didn’t want to see were the police and we were equally lucky on that score, especially during a rather spirited Warwick shortcut and a lively back roads blast through the Fassifern Valley. ARR

WHERE TO STAY Oxford Hotel, 61 Otho Street, Inverell.

Phone (02) 6721 0077

WHAT TO SEE National Transport Museum, (02) 6721 2270, www.nationaltransportmuseum.info

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 103

ADVENTURE PACKED STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE hen we dream about adventure riding, we tend to think of behemoths fi ed with every gadget and gizmo imaginable, but we don’t necessarily need such bikes or all that kit to satisfy our two-wheeled wanderlust.

We’ll assume you have already chosen your bike, which determines the potential for extending your adventurous boundaries, whether it’s following your Dakar heroes across the Atacama Desert or picnicking in the country just 50km from your suburban doorstep.

The top-selling adventure bike is the humble Kawasaki KLR650 single and there are several other great 650s that are simple, light and rugged and will go into the more technical types of terrain with less trouble. They’re easier to ride when the going gets tough but if you kit them out just right, you could easily ride around the world on one.

At the other end of the scale are the Charley and Ewan BMW R1200GSs — the heavyweights of the pack. They are be er for comfort, carrying lots of gear and covering big distances fast. But even though many of them come with a host of electronic aids and gadgets, there are still accessories that you need to consider. ►

W

104 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

In this first of a three-part series, we’ll look at getting your bike kitted out right for your next adventure

ADVENTURE RIDING PART 1: BIKE SET-UP

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 105

ADVENTURE RIDING PART 1: BIKE SET-UP In recent years, a new breed of bikes around 800cc has emerged that fit somewhere in between the two but, regardless of what you have, the first thing to focus on is bike set-up.

Forget about luggage and gizmos for the moment — we’ll deal with those in the next two series. Let’s just concentrate on how you can make your bike go be er, last longer, survive the inevitable tumbles and make the riding experience a li le safer and more comfortable for you, the adventurer.

We’ve gone to several experts in the field to ask their opinions and every one said the first thing they would look at is protection of the vital parts of the bike.

The very nature of adventure travelling is remote and harsh. So if a stone holes your oil filter in the middle of nowhere, you are in deep … oil! Touratech expert Robin Box says even riding on tar roads, your bike’s front wheel can flick up a small stone that can pierce the core of a radiator or oil cooler.

So look at all the vulnerable parts of the bike and ensure they are protected from stones and crashes.

“There is nearly a story behind every order,” says Paul Voglsinger of Rad Guard.

“They usually get the guard once the horse has bolted. It costs a lot of money — up to $1200 — for a new radiator and then there is the cost of ge ing stranded as well. It can cost a small fortune to get your bike back home.”

He says their aircra -grade aluminium guards are mounted by bolts not cable ties and cost from about $99 to $295. “It’s cheap insurance and you only have to

106 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

pay it once, not every year,” he says.

Mark Chaplain, owner of MC Performance, says a substantial bash plate is the first thing on his list, no ma er what the bike. “My (Yamaha) 1200 Tenere has an oil filter right behind the front wheel, which makes no sense at all, so I put a bash plate on it,” he says.

Lance Turnley of Adventure Moto warns that riders should check how the bash plate a aches to their bike. “Make sure it mounts to the frame and not the engine as there have been cases where some bash plates have hit something and it’s punched a hole through the

crankcase,” he says. “That will end your trip right there.”

Wayne also points out that even expensive bikes, such as the venerable GS, may come standard with some level of protection, such as a bash plate, but says it may not cut the mustard.

You may also need engine bars and any protectors that guard fluids, levers and other vulnerable mechanical parts.

Robin says it depends on the type of riding you are doing, but he would suggest crash bars, radiator/oil cooler and headlight protection first.

Wayne Francis of Adventure Bike Protection says a headlight protector should have aluminium side braces and the Perspex raised about an inch from the glass. This is so the Perspex doesn’t get hot and for it to act as an impact buffer when a road train throws that large rock at you.

However, he says the first thing he would buy for a BMW R1200GS/GSA air head would be a protector for the fuel injection potentiometer that sits out in the breeze. “If disturbed or knocked, it can ruin your day big time and the only way to move the bike once this happens is to call for a trailer or roadside assistance with a new potentiometer,” says Wayne.

Andy White of Andy Things agrees about bash plates and engine protection but also lists hand guards or Barkbusters as essential kit. “I’d have crash bars, bash

r Wayne Francis with his kitted out BMW R1200GS Adventure

“If a stone holes your oil filter in the middle of nowhere, you are in deep … oil!”

■ A BMW R1200GS fitted with a lot of Touratech’s catalogue

plate and Barkbusters waiting in the shed to be fi ed straight away,” he says.

“I dropped mine on the dirt crest between my drive and the gravel road, but I live on.”

While Mark says he is happy with the plastic guards that come on most adventure bikes, I’ve dropped my KTM 640 Adventure off its stand while stationary. It hit a rock and broke off the clutch lever because the standard plastic guards weren’t strong enough.

Ma hew Phillpo of Barkbusters says incidents like this drove the company to design a range of hand guards to fit most adventure bikes. “We manufacture a two-point-mount hardware kit that includes the aluminium backbone and all mounting hardware,” he says.

Hand guards aren’t just about protection but also comfort, keeping stones, rain and cold weather off your precious pinkies. Robin says hand guards and grip warmers are a high priority and almost a safety issue in cold weather.

“As your fingers get colder, they get less responsive,” he says. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 107

Mark agrees and confesses: “I’m a bit of a girl and I don’t mind heated grips if you get up into the mountains.”

However, Robin warns that some cheap grip warmers only heat the aluminium bar, not the grips. He suggests a plastic sheath underneath them or the Oxford system. There is also an Oxford Velcro system, which is a temporary measure that is easy to take off.

In the seat department, Mark says many people use an Airhawk air seat or lamb’s wool seat covers, but he prefers to have the seat customised so that he can wash the bike without having to take seat covers off first.

For Lance, rider comfort is the first priority in long-distance adventure bike set-up. “I’d always be looking first at the seat comfort and height,” he says. “We have Seat Concepts, which have priority foam formula that is firmer and doesn’t collapse under your weight and is wider where you sit.”

“I’d also look at handlebar raisers and the screen. A lack of a screen causes fatigue on any bike.”

Wayne agrees that handlebar raisers are a must for any adventurer bike rider, 108 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r KTM’s 1190R with radiator guard and crash bar combo

especially for the R1200GSA. “I have, on occasion, travelled some 700 to 800km in a day and just been so tired and fatigued at the end of the day that I thought I couldn’t bring myself to ride the next day,” he says. “But a er fi ing a set of our handlebar raisers, that fatigue was reduced significantly.”

Experts suggest original-equipment

handlebars on some cheaper bikes may not be tough enough to withstand a fall or may not have the right bend to suit your wrists. An a ermarket handlebar will not only be stronger and more able to resist impact, but also make the ride more comfortable on your wrists.

Rider comfort will also be improved by addressing any handling issues. If

ADVENTURE RIDING PART 1: BIKE SET-UP

“I’d also look at handlebar raisers and the screen. A lack of a screen causes fatigue on any bike” your bike handles well, you will be less fatigued at the end of a long day.

Some big, expensive bikes now have electronic suspension adjustment that compensates for riding style, terrain, luggage and load, so you won’t have to touch the suspension. However, most bikes are made to a price point and the suspension is usually the first area targeted by the bean counters, something that’s very obvious on some bikes.

Robin says most of the 800s and 1200s have more than adequate suspension, but says the DR650 definitely needs suspension work.

Mark owns a 2008 DR650 and agrees that it needs a suspension upgrade because it is “a li le so on the front and the damping on the back end doesn’t cut it”.

“A lot of guys are happy with the bike as standard, but it’s very bouncy. I’ve had mine re-valved as it bo omed out and didn’t soak up the bumps like it should. If you screw the spring right down, you are just defeating the purpose.”

Even if you don’t replace the rear shock or fork springs, you should have someone look at the suspension, determine your weight, riding ability, terrain and amount of load you will carry.

It may just need re-valving or heavier fork oil. Or it may need a whole new set-up. It will depend on individual circumstances and usage, says Robin.

Another important handling aspect is a steering damper. These are almost mandatory if you are going to be riding through a lot of sand, says Wayne.

However, they can also assist in a lot of other terrain and adaptable dampers will cater for a variety of situations. Even BMWs are now coming standard with stabilisers on all 2014 R1200GS models.

Power and engine performance isn’t rated as a high priority by most of our experts.

“Of all the modern adventure bikes, from the 650s through to the big 1200s, none of them are wanting for

r A rock in the oil cooler will slow you down very quickly

performance. That is a given on a modern bike,” says Robin.

While most riders address any perceived performance deficit with an upgraded exhaust, Robin says it is not a priority. “Any exhaust upgrade is more about saving weight or making more noise and doesn’t do much more for performance,” he says. “The exceptions are the DR650 and KLR650, which very much benefit from a full exhaust system.”

Mark, who sells a ermarket pipes, says they can give slightly be er midrange torque, which is important for adventure riders.

Although he says carbon-fibre mufflers look great, he recommends stainlesssteel for adventure bikes because they are more durable. “Stainless is a good material and if it cops a rock, it will only dent and won’t crack like carbon fibre.”

Wayne says Mark’s exhaust teamed ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 109

ADVENTURE RIDING PART 1: BIKE SET-UP

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110 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“If you are only doing a long trip now and then and don’t want a 30L tank all the time, soft bladders are a good solution” with a K&N filter will not only make the bike more powerful, but also more fuel efficient. This brings us to another point: fuel range.

Big distances require big tanks and Safari Tanks has been making them for a range of bikes for years. But be aware, they put a lot of weight on the front and may not be suitable for riding in so sand. And, even though these are made of hardy plastic, you can still rupture one in a big off, spill all your fuel everywhere and be stranded.

Some suggest you look at separate auxiliary tanks that feed into the main tank, jerry cans or so bladders. The la er are easier to accommodate in your luggage than bulky jerry cans and Lance recommends RotopaX, which can store water or fuel. They will mount on the rear rack or panniers and can stack on top of each other.

“If you are only doing a long trip now and then and don’t want a 30L tank all the time, they are a good solution,” he says.

Wayne points out that short people may place a high priority on their side stand. “An elevated side stand gives those that are a li le shorter in the legs a be er chance of not le ing the bike lean over too far, especially on uneven ground,” he says.

“It makes it much easier to raise the bike off the side stand on uneven ground. This was a great addition to my

ride. It also gives the side stand a bigger footprint when the ground is less than stable and so .”

Finally, tyres. The multipurpose tyres fi ed as standard are ideal for tarmac road use but on the dirt, gravel and sand, they have less grip and are more vulnerable to punctures.

Tyre choice will therefore depend on where you want to go, the load you carry and how far you need them to last.

But they will always be a compromise because, unless you are crossing the Simpson Desert, the terrain over longdistance adventure travel will vary.

There are tyres for sand, gravel, rock, mileage, low noise and tar grip. But, so far, no one has invented a tyre that will do all these things. The best you can get is a compromise tyre such as the Metzeler Karoo adventure-style knobby on Mark’s heavily customised DR. “This style of tyre is suitable for gravel/rock surfaces and also handles well on sealed roads, although it is not designed for muddy terrain. Therefore, care is needed when riding on wet bitumen,” he says.

It’s all a compromise and it’s all dependent on where you want to ride, your load (two-up or luggage) and how far you want to go. * Next month: taking it all with you.

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RIDER FATIGUE

112 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

silent killer Rider fatigue isn’t fun and can be downright dangerous. So how do you recognise the signs and avoid becoming a statistic?

REPORT: DEAN MELLOR PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED, ARR ARCHIVE DIGITAL MONTAGE: ANNE BAKER e’ve all been there before.

You’re nearing the end of a long ride, having spent several hours in the saddle, you have a pain in your neck, your face feels dry and burnt, you’re thirsty and you start to li your feet off the ’pegs more and more o en to stretch your aching legs. Chances are, you’re suffering the effects of fatigue or, in other words, you’re just plain tired.

There’s a reason “they” say most crashes happen just prior to reaching one’s destination, or in the last session at a track day. It’s because you’re knackered and, with the end in sight, you start to let your concentration lapse. Oh, and 2–4pm is also one of the low points in the circadian cycle.

To avoid the perils of rider fatigue, it helps to understand exactly what it is, what causes it, what the recognisable symptoms are and what steps you can take to minimise your chances of becoming a statistic.

Speaking of statistics, according to the NSW Centre for Road Safety, eight per cent of all fatal motorcycle crashes in NSW involve a fatigued motorcycle rider. But, unlike speed and alcohol, measuring fatigue is not an exact science so, in the case of this stat, it helps to know what the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS, previously the RTA) defines as fatigue in road crashes:

W

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 113

“The range of physical demands placed on motorcyclists contribute to fatigue” “A motor vehicle controller is assessed as having been fatigued if… (a) The vehicle’s controller was described by police as being asleep, drowsy or fatigued; and/or (b) The vehicle performed a manoeuvre, which suggested loss of concentration of the controller due to fatigue, that is: the vehicle travelled onto the incorrect side of a straight road and was involved in a head-on collision (and was not overtaking another vehicle and no other relevant factor was identified); or the vehicle ran off a straight road or off the road to the outside of a curve and the vehicle was not directly identified as travelling at excessive speed and there was no other relevant factor identified for the manoeuvre.”

Considering (a) is purely subjective and that (b) only takes into account the identifiable factors at the scene, the statistics a ributing fatalities to fatigue must be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that fatigue can be a killer.

CAUSES The causes of fatigue are pre y straightforward: lack of sleep, circadian low points, performing monotonous tasks, the effects of physical exertion, dehydration and as a result of consuming inappropriate things prior to a ride such as alcohol and certain drugs.

While there have been many studies on fatigue in drivers of cars and trucks, there have been very few studies on motorcyclists. One such study, however, titled Fatigue in Motorcycle Crashes: Is There an Issue? (Professor Narelle Haworth & Peter Rowden, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland University of Technology), questions whether the level of physical exertion, the impact of environmental factors and the increased mental effort required to ride a motorcycle can lead to greater fatigue among motorcyclists than car drivers.

Whereas being too comfortable and cosy in a car can lead to fatigue in 114 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ A big night or a beer for lunch — neither is good if you want to be on your game. Not that we can talk…

RIDER FATIGUE FARRIDERS One group of motorcyclists that know a thing or two about fatigue management is FarRiders — the Iron Butt Association in Australia.

“FarRiders’ basic ride is covering 1000km in 24 hours,” says the group’s Clint Lovell. “It’s an overall average of around 46km/h, so it’s not very high.

“In those 24 hours, to do 1000 kays, you can still have eight hours’ sleep, so it’s not a problem, it’s just a matter of managing the fatigue. Every time we run a ride, we direct our riders to a couple of good articles on fatigue management, the signs of fatigue and things like that.

“One of the main things is we make sure everyone understands that the ride is not all that important. Our motto is: it’s just a road, so don’t get too excited about it and if you miss out, then too bad. And it’s actually encouraged to pull up if you’re starting to feel [the effects of fatigue].

“On our forums, we get people saying, ‘I was going to do a ride but I had to pull up.’ The responses are usually, ‘Good

drivers, the QUT study suggests it’s the range of physical demands placed on motorcyclists that may contribute to fatigue. These physical demands are categorised as dynamic (exhausting the muscle through exercise beyond its

on you.’ You rarely get ‘you wuss’ or something like that from our group because these sort of people know what it’s like and know that motorcycling is a dangerous pastime.

“FarRiders is all about getting together and sharing all our knowledge and I think it helps a lot.”

Clint says a couple of excellent online resources about fatigue and long-trip preparation can be found at www. farriders.com/files/Fatigue.pdf and www. ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm.

■ A FarRiders gathering at Urbenville, NSW

■ FarRiders Clint and Charleen Lovell ■ Long-distance riding has many fans

capacity to recover) and static (where the body has assumed a fixed position for an extended period) and, unless you’re pulling wheelies and stoppies all day long, it is the la er that’s associated with riding a motorcycle on the road for

extended periods of time.

Static-muscle fatigue means the design of the motorcycle itself can have an impact on fatigue. For example, you’re more likely to suffer static-muscle fatigue while travelling long distances on a sportsbike than a touring bike, as you’re hunched over the handlebars and your legs are tucked up, restricting your movement. The problem with staticmuscle fatigue, according to the QUT report, is that it “may distract operators from the cognitive demands of the required task”.

As well as the physical effort required to ride a motorcycle, a rider’s exposure to the elements — wind, rain, heat, cold, noise and vibration — is likely to also have an impact on the onset of fatigue.

Most riders in Australia will have experienced this in a blindingly obvious way, either at the end of a long ride on a hot summer’s day while wearing heavy protective riding gear or a er slogging through a miserable stint on a rainy winter’s day, shivering as the rain makes its way through your wet-weather gear and your boots fill with water.

In The Good Gear Guide, the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development clearly outlines the effects ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 115

of the environment on motorcyclists.

The Good Gear Guide states: “Being cold is stressful and tiring; you become less alert and your reaction times slow. A drop in your body’s core temperature can even affect your brain’s function, impacting on decision-making and reactions. A cold rider can become anxious, irritable or detached from the task at hand…

“Wet or damp clothes are uncomfortable and distracting. You will also get cold much more quickly if your clothes are wet, because water conducts heat away from your body. This is a particular safety issue for riders, as cooling is accelerated by the wind. Even in warm weather, you can become chilled if your gear is damp from perspiration.

“Heat is probably the most difficult comfort issue for riders to resolve. Many riders do not wear adequate protection in very hot weather. This may be one way to avoid overheating, but you risk dehydration, sunburn and windburn, in addition to substantial injuries if you crash.”

As well as wind, rain, heat and cold, the other less obvious environmental factors that can make you feel tired are noise and vibration. The incessant sound of wind noise and buffeting at high speeds, a constantly droning engine and the vibrations through the bike’s ’bars, ’pegs and seat on long highway stretches can 116 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

just as easily lead to the onset of fatigue as feeling too hot or too cold.

Exposure to the environment can also lead to dehydration, which, in turn, brings on fatigue.

It’s not just the physical aspects of motorcycling that can lead to fatigue.

Cognitive demands placed on the rider of a motorcycle are arguably more than those placed on the driver of a car that, according to the QUT report, “may result in energy expenditure and an increased potential for fatigue”.

In other words, riding a motorcycle is a whole body and mind experience, where you not only use every muscle in your body to manoeuvre the bike, but you also need to work the grey ma er pre y hard as well. A er all, you’re not protected by a steel cage, so you have to be doubly aware of other motorists, potential animal strikes, the condition of the road and so on.

r A meal like this in the middle of the day can increase the urge for a nanna nap

FIGHTING FATIGUE The best way to prevent the onset of fatigue is by ge ing a good night’s sleep prior to a ride. On average, a person needs eight hours’ sleep per night but this can vary between individuals, some of whom can function well on as li le as six hours and others who need as much as 10 hours.

Be aware of the circadian low points which, if you have a fairly standard sleep

r Caffeine provides only a short-term boost and can make things worse in the longer term

RIDER FATIGUE HARRY’S TIPS Name: Harry Stephens Age: 61 Bike: BMW K1600GT Australian Road Rider reader Harry Stephens does a lot of big trips on his BMW K1600GT and has a few tips on how to manage fatigue.

“I plan the ride if I’m doing a big one,” says Harry. “I might do 400-600km a day over three or four days and then, due to time restrictions, I invariably do an 800km day on the way back. So the day before the big stint, I make sure that I have an easy day as much as possible.

“I change my diet and don’t eat heavily the night before. I also get everything ready with the bike the night before, so I don’t have to think about it the next morning, and then I get an early start.

“I keep the first part of the trip short now. I used to do as many kays as possible in the morning because later on in the day you might be feeling a bit tired. I do about 160km, have a break, top the bike up, have a drink, maybe have a banana or something, just keep

“Eight per cent of all fatal motorcycle crashes in NSW involve a fatigued motorcycle rider”

it light all the time, and then I’ll do two stints of close to 300km.

“Around the middle of the day, I have a long stop. No ma er what distance I’m doing, I have a 40-minute stop in the middle of the day. Just have a rest and assess yourself. You know when you’re not feeling right.

“While the bike I’ve got now can do 500 kays, I don’t do that myself [in one stint].

“On long days, I pull it back to around 120km/h. When you’re doing 900 kays in a day, I pull it right back.

“I’ve got cruise control and you can chew up the kays easily. I o en tag a car and sit in behind, le ing them do all the hard work.

“I’m 61 now. Of course you’re bulletproof when your 20, but I’ve been out on trips with blokes and said, ‘I’m feeling it today’ [fatigued] and they will be too, so we’ll just change our plan.

Never set a plan in concrete.

“Riding in small groups, another trick is to swap the lead every 50km, because it is harder [for the rider] in front. We did this on a ride on the way back from

pa ern, are between midnight and 6am, and around 2–4pm. Yep, you’re likely to be at a circadian low-point right a er lunch, so take care when jumping back on the bike for an a ernoon stint because you’re brain isn’t likely to be functioning at its peak efficiency.

Take regular breaks to split up your journey. Just because your bike has a longrange fuel tank, doesn’t mean that you do.

Regular breaks minimise the monotony of long and sometimes boring highway stints. And you should snack throughout the day rather than have three big meals.

Stay hydrated. You’re out there in the elements and becoming dehydrated is a sure way to become tired. A hydration pack is an excellent way to keep your fluids up, and fill it with water, not sugary drinks with caffeine in them, and certainly not alcohol.

Avoid caffeine and other stimulants.

While they offer a short-term pick-me-up, when they wear off, you’re going to be even more tired than before.

Don’t have a big night on the piss the night before a long ride. This one’s easier said than done, especially if you’re in the company of Road Rider editor Mick Matheson. Despite what you might

Broken Hill. We got to Dubbo and the three of us gave [this method] a big thumbs-up. “[Finally], a lot of blokes just sit on the bike all day, but I take advantage of all the small towns you go through. In 5060km/h zones, I just get up on the ’pegs and wiggle around. I’ve found that does make a big difference and it lets you know, when you get towards the end of the day, just how tired you are by how hard it is to stand up.”

■ If you wish to worship at the altar of long-distance riding, read the gospel according to Harry

think, passing out a er 17 beers does not constitute a restful night’s sleep and it’ll leave you badly dehydrated the next day.

Trust me, I know.

Wear appropriate gear for the ride and make sure it fits well. Earplugs are the best way of reducing the effects of wind and bike noise. And make sure you’re comfortable on your bike; ensure the seat, foot peg and handlebar triangle is set to suit your frame, check that all levers and controls are in the optimal positions and consider fi ing a taller screen for long-distance touring (but make sure it doesn’t impede your vision).

Finally, be flexible. If you start to feel the effects of fatigue, it’s far be er to pull over for a rest than to try to push on.

The statistics on fatigue-related motorcycle crashes aren’t accurate enough to suggest whether one age group is more susceptible than another but if you’re in an upper age bracket, use your wise old head to call it quits when you start to feel tired, and if you’re a whippersnapper, listen to your elders.

Motorcycling should be fun, and the last thing you want is for fatigue to turn a ride into a chore. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 117

product reviews

TESTING,TESTING Comfy dual-sport lid, a flash pair of women’s jeans, a great read and a handy get-you-out-of-the-poo device

AGV AX-8 DUAL EVO A comfortable off-road helmet was an oxymoron not so long ago because when it came to covering big distances on off-roaders or dual sports, the choices for headwear were limited to unforgiving motocross or unsuitable road helmets.

These days, the range is more extensive with purpose-built adventure helmets and at the top of any adventure tourer’s shopping list should be the AGV AX-8 Dual Evo. The Dual Evo is a helmet that has all the features you want in an off-road helmet but with all the conveniences and luxuries of a touring helmet at a 118 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

reasonable price.

Derived from the AX-8 Evo motocross lid, the main difference is that the Dual Evo features a visor and extra ventilation. On a dual sport, over a couple of days, there’s nothing more annoying than the dirt and insects sucked in around your goggles in a motocross lid. I’ve seen people make up their own devices to do the job of the AX-8’s visor in motocross lids with goggles, but nothing comes close. A proper visor keeps the crap out and the noise down.

If you want to run goggles, you can simply remove the visor and comfortably slide in a pair, as long as

they are a basic style and not one of the elaborate designs you get these days.

With the visor up, there’s good peripheral vision but it does cut into your view up high. It stays open in three positions with the highest up out of the way and the lowest enough to take most of the windblast off your eyes. I’d like one position slightly lower than the lowest to allow a smidge of air in and no blast on my eyes. The middle position puts the bo om of the visor in your line of sight, so isn’t much chop at all.

Visor down and the Dual Evo is delightfully quiet – just like a road helmet. The peak doesn’t grab the wind like a sail and flick your head about – something common with peaked lids at speed. It has been designed to cut the air very nicely and takes a load of pressure off your neck as a result. In fact, the entire helmet is quieter than a lot of cheaper road helmets I’ve had. It’s also at the most comfortable end of the scale as far as motocross lids go.

The removable and washable liner is very cushy and light on the cheeks, you’ve got plenty of room in front of your chin to slide up a drink tube or even a bo le, and the chinstrap is cushioned, a nicety o en overlooked on motocross lids.

The venting is excellent. You expect an off-road helmet to breathe well and this one does so superbly and the vents regulate airflow through a range rather than just on or off.

There’s ducting in the helmet that cooled parts of my head that have never been touched before, also serving as a way to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the lid.

And if the standard ducting isn’t enough, you can pop off the front of the chin piece and leave it open — great as long as you aren’t following anyone in the dirt!

Made from a fibreglass, aramid and carbon-fibre mix, the AX-8 weighs in at 1500g and isn’t at all cumbersome on your neck and shoulders. The three shell sizes mean the helmet will fit proportionately to any rider of any size from XXS through to XXXL. — MATTHEW SHIELDS Price: $449.95 for solid colours, $499.95 for graphics Info: www.cassons.com.au, (02) 8882 1900

WOMEN’S TWISTA JEANS Draggin’ Jeans new Twista pants not only look cool, but my wife reckons they also feel cool. They are a skinny design in stretch denim and they have no seams on the outside, so avoid the “panel” look of most Kevlar-lined jeans.

So they definitely look cool, but a lot of Kevlar jeans don’t feel cool.

First-generation Kevlar linings were hot and prickly.

Today’s “next-gen” lining is a lot smoother and less prickly. It’s a kni ed blend of military-grade Kevlar and Dyneema, which is a lightweight, high-strength, oriented-strand gel spun through a spinneret. It’s the world’s strongest fibre.

Draggin’ Jeans is the only manufacturer with CE-approved jeans and Draggin’ guarantee they will withstand a minimum of 4.4 seconds sliding down the road.

However, the protective material still doesn’t breathe too well. So Draggin’

Jeans has added a silky, perforated, breathable “sport” liner.

It prevents the Kevlar clinging to your legs, wicks away sweat and prevents what is referred to as “Kevlar burns”, which is a friction burn you can get in a crash, much like carpet burns.

While the protective Kevlar/Dyneema lining is in the impact areas of the seat of the pants and down the front past the knees, the silky black lining covers the entire interior of the jeans. The lining also has pockets for armour in the knees.

Although Twista jeans are fashionably skinny, they are made of an elastic material and my wife tells me they’re very comfortable.

The jeans have six wide belt loops and four fashionably small pockets. It’s not a good idea to carry bulky objects in your pockets, anyway, as they can increase abrasion wear and injury if you do happen to have a fall.

So now it’s possible to not only look fashionable and feel protected, but also feel comfortable and cool.

— MARK HINCHLIFFE Price: $299 Info: www.dragginjeans.net, (03) 9646 0377

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 119

product reviews

CIRCLE TO CIRCLE It’s one thing to ride from point to point and quite another to ride from the bo om of the world to the top, but Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix did just that. Their Antarctic to Arctic Circle ride covered more than 83,000km and took in a bit of Europe, the UK and Africa with a cross-Australia leg as well. A er all, there’s no point restricting yourself to just one ride…

Circle to Circle documents the 16-month journey, which was the couple’s second overlander a er riding from

120 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

London to Sydney in 2003/04. Shirley and Brian tell the story together, taking turns to describe what’s happening in a style that works well to ensure you get insights into what both are thinking, feeling and experiencing.

Any book that’s easy to read is a good book. Shirley is a journalist and it shows in the conversational and engaging style

of Circle to Circle.

Photographs interspersed through the 352-page book add more to the story: everything from beautiful vistas to more subtle evidence of time spent on the road as Brian’s beard gets longer and more unkempt.

Their story is a great one. They obviously had a great time, even for the hard times. If you like motorcycle travel, here or overseas, you’ll get a kick out of what these riders got up to. If you’re an aspiring overlander yourself, you’ll also learn a lot as you follow Shirley and Brian’s adventures. They had it all.

There are the obligatory insights into border crossings, which are generally fairly straightforward but sometimes very frustrating. There are the language issues, which, as always, lead to some difficult moments but somehow don’t make life that difficult once the pair get used to stilted communications and their rough Spanish slowly improves. There are the friendships — Shirley and Brian know quite a few people around the world, some being fellow travellers and others waiting to host them in different cities and countries.

But, mostly, Circle to Circle is about them and their ever-changing world as their journey progresses. They get right down to Antarctica (not on the bike, of ►

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product reviews course) and up to the Arctic Circle, again not on the bike — they experience their share of mechanical issues too. In fact, the mammoth trip ends rather ignominiously with the bikes in the back of a van from Eucla to Melbourne. As bad as this is, though, Shirley and Brian have learned to take it all in their stride. It’s just one of those things that happen on the road.

“On the road on a motorcycle isn’t always easy,” says Brian, “but, to me, the adversities are far outweighed by the sights, sounds and smells.”

MINI JUMPSTART Besides the obvious flat tyre, what’s the worst thing a rider wants to find returning to his or her trusty steed? In my case, a completely flat ba ery. Yes, it happened to me recently.

I had parked my bike for three days to a end the Sydney Motorcycle Show only to return and find I’d switched the ignition to park, which is something I’ve usually been very careful not to do but with rushing to get things done, I stuffed up and a completely flat ba ery was the result.

Luckily for me, I had met Ben from Mini Jumpstart a few weeks earlier in

122 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Circle to Circle reveals more than the sights, sounds and smells. You’ll discover a lot about an Aussie couple on an epic ride, learn plenty about making the most of your own grand tours and get inspired to pack the bike and head off yourself.

— MICK MATHESON Circle to Circle

By Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix Publisher: High Horse Books Price: So back $32.95, eBook $14.99 From: Bookshops, eBook sellers, www.aussiesoverland.com.au

Perth and had briefly spoken about this unique and small product he imports and distributes. I went straight to his stand, bought one of his starters and was back on the road in minutes.

The Mini Jumpstart is a power pack that lets out a massive 400 cranking amps, which is enough to jump start four and in some cases eight cylinder engines. Once fully charged, it can stay charged for up to a year if not used.

The Mini Jumpstart has other uses, such as charging your phone and computer tablet, and it comes with all the a achments for a number of other devices.

It can also run a small TV depending on the wa age drawn.

It also doubles as a torch, a strobe light for safety, if you’re ever stranded on the side of the road, and it’s also an SOS signalling device but, best of all, it’ll kick start your engine.

The Mini Jumpstart comes in a smartlooking zipped wallet and is approximately 20x15x5cm so it’s not too bulky to carry in a pannier or, in some cases, even under the seat.

— JOHN ARENS Price: $199.95 Info: www.minijumpstarter.com, (02) 4297 5156

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• Custom made shocks a speciality.

www.ikonsuspension.com 81 Boronia Street Northh Al Albury NSW 2640 Phone 02 6040 9955 | Fax 02 6040 9911 | sales@ikonsuspension.com

Sweaty palms .. uncertainty about the day ahead .. 285km of dirt ... no telephone signal .. remote roads .. 450km today! and water crossings.

Oops, soft sand! .. a joke with a new friend .. small towns, alternate roads and landscapes I have never seen before - the road less travelled .. giving to those in need .. tall stories at dinner time .. memories and friendships for a lifetime. $5950(AUD): Incl bike, accom, meals, fuel, mechanics, spares, support vehicles and the very special feeling from having conquered a challenge and helped those in the community less fortunate through your donation.

6 - 16 September 2014 www.postiebikechallenge.org

Ph. +61 7 3264 7727

Whatz new BAGSTER YAMAHA MT-09 TANK BAG

KEYPORT SLIDE Here’s a neat alternative to carrying a bunch of keys around or having them scratch the top triple clamp. It’s the Keyport Slide 2.0, which not only provides a beaut way to carry your bike key, but features a bunch of other useful stuff.

It was designed by a sportsbike rider who understands the hassles of leg-stabbing, jeans-holing, metalworkscratching keys on key rings.

Basically, it’s a metal box about the size of a packet of Tic Tacs with a bunch of sliders onto which a specialist locksmith can put keys, a USB flash drive, mini

light, bottle opener, barcode holder etc.

High-security keys and chipped automotive keys will fit on it along with the majority of other types, and the Keyport itself comes in a variety of styles and colours.

It fits into the coin pocket of most pants and comes with a unique serial number, which, when registered, can be used to reunite you with your recovered Keyport.

Price ranges from $105 with six cut keys, and varies depending on the accessories you choose to fill its six slots.

Price: $135 (with 8GB USB drive, LED mini light, bottle opener and three cut keys) Visit: www.mykeyport.com

Popular motorbike-luggage maker Bagster has released a new custom tank cover to suit the brand-new Yamaha MT-09 2014.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the tank on the new MT-09 that you would want to hide it but with a tank cover, you can preserve the duco and provide a spot to attach a tank bag.

Bagster takes a tank from each new model and carefully designs a cover to perfectly fit, and that’s what the company’s done here with four different — some colourfully named — colour options: black/ carbon, espace/carbon, anthracite/carbon and orange/carbon.

Price: $249 Visit: www.ctaaustralia.com.au

BITUBO TWIN SHOCKS Cruisers and cafe racers are all about getting all jazzed up and Bitubo has created a set of twin shocks to suit. The anodised black shocks are designed to not only look flash, but also provide excellent suspension with spring preload and rebound adjustment in its up-spec WMB model.

Both the WMB and WME are equipped with upper- and lower-attachment heads in aluminium billet alloy, the body and shaft are made of high-strength alloy steel, while the springs are made of Cr-Si alloy steel and are available in chrome or black.

Each shock absorber is pressurised with nitrogen and equipped with oil/gas-separating aluminium piston. But, best of all, they look cool.

Price: From $528 a pair Visit: www.motorcycle-parts.com.au

124 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF ARLEN NESS JACKETS Arlen Ness is a beaut US brand that makes, among other things, jackets like this Cross Country leather jacket for cruiser types.

The Cross-Country Leather Jacket is made with 1.1-1.3 premium full-grain washable cow leather, making it pretty comfortable, and it has a polyester breathable internal fix mesh lining, and a thermo vest liner for cold conditions.

Other key features include a front metal zip with leather puller for convenience, a waist adjuster with a metal snap, and an anti-EM wave series phone pocket.

And if you were worried that nobody would suspect you’re wearing an Arlen Ness jacket, they’ve obligingly printed the name in large white letters across the front.

Price: $599.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com.au

SUNSTAR SPROCKETS If the PR bloke for Sunstar Sprockets is to be believed, this new Works Aluminium sprocket is a “masterstroke”. Now we know that PR blokes can get a bit carried away, so perhaps what he was trying to say was the new sprocket offers some benefits in weightsaving and durability.

Constructed from aerospace-grade, heat-treated aluminium, the sprocket has

computer-designed weight-reduction holes and a tooth-valley design that increases the chain contact area by a claimed 24 per cent.

That means better power transfer they tell us — and who are we to argue?

Overall, you get a pretty-good lightweight sprocket that lasts a bit longer than other aluminium sprockets and can be fitted to road and trail bikes.

Price: $83.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com.au

TOURATECH CATALOGUE Adventure touring is all about the accessories. From must-have safety and protection bits to stuff that looks kinda cool, you will find it all in Touratech’s 2014/15 Catalogue.

It’s an 1860-page treasure trove of all things adventure, from the latest bits for new-model adventure and touring bikes to gear and wear, such as the new Compañero Boreal adventure suit, and even camping equipment.

There is the biggest-ever range of proprietary seats, the latest GPSs and a whole stack more to put pressure on your bank balance.

The best thing is the catalogue’s free, although there is a $13 postage cost — 1860 pages weigh a fair bit — or you can get it loaded on a memory stick for $10.

Price: Free ($13 postage) Visit: www.touratech.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 125

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE RAD GUARD Those rad dudes at Rad Guard have been at it again, this time producing a radiator guard for the new KTM 1290 Super Duke.

With the Duke’s radiator out there in the breeze, it’s a good idea to protect it properly from rocks, sticks and marsupials — it’s a lot more expensive to replace the radiator.

Rad Guard is always about convenience and this guard mounts up quickly and easily on the existing mount points without restricting airflow.

Price: $175 Visit: www.radguard.com.au

PANNIER FRAMEZ FOR NEW BMW R1200GS We like the cut of Andy Strapz’s jib so we’ll let him introduce his new pannier frame for the water-cooled BMW R1200GS. “Testing and development is always a much longer process than the design and prototyping. Half arsed is not an option at Strapz HQ. My gear has to work, period.

“These pannier frames allow

owners to use my Expedition Pannierz on the new 1200GS. We have developed neat brackets that fit neatly into the frame cut outs at the rear, allowing them to be removed in minutes if the owners aren’t keen on them being on the bike all the time.

“Supplied with stainless-steel fittings and weighing only 2.3kg (bags weigh 2kg), they can be used with or without pillion peg brackets.”

Price: $375 Visit: www.andystrapz.com

INDIAN CHIEFTAIN TRUNK BOX When you get to be the chief, you need a good box and Corbin has crafted this stylish top box for the equally tops Indian Chieftain.

In the US, they call them a trunk box and you can fit 47 litres of trunk in this one that’s fully lockable and has a lined interior and colourmatched exterior.

It also includes a passenger backrest pad and armrests covered in genuine leather and uses the same comfort cell foam as Corbin’s world-famous saddles to provide firm, resilient support. Ergonomic design gives a sculpted fit to the body for maximum contact area and good weight distribution, and a tasteful diamond stitch pattern adds a nice custom touch.

Corbin will also co-ordinate the trunk components to your existing Corbin saddle (if equipped).

It’s designed to be fitted by anyone with a rudimentary understanding of spanners with a four-piece, machined aluminium rack system that mounts up to existing points.

Price: US$1963 (painted) Visit: www.vpw.com.au

126 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF HIL’S PLACE B&B It’s all about the ride, but don’t forget about the destination. It’s only natural that when you get where you’re going, you want somewhere nice to stay.

If your road is to Bellingen on NSW’s north coast, then Hil’s Place is a beaut spot to pull off the riding boots and relax for a day, or several.

It’s got secure undercover parking, is a short walk from Bellingen’s many coffee shops, pubs and restaurants, and has two adjoining rooms, so is suitable for couples or for a couple of friends travelling the coast together.

Best of all, it’s at the end of the great motorcycle ride down the Waterfall Way from Armidale via Dorrigo (home of the smallest motorcycle museum/coffee shop in Australia).

Price: From $160 per night per couple Visit: www.hilsplacebellingen.com

BMC AIR FILTER FOR CBR500R We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — improving bike performance is all about letting it breathe and an aftermarket air filter is the place to start.

Air filter manufacturer BMC understands this and produces filters for most makes and models as well as high-performance applications such as MotoGP and World Superbikes.

If you’re the humble rider of one of Honda’s CB500 series, then you also get to enjoy the benefits with a BMC filter for the CBR500F, CB500X and CBR500R. They’re easy to fit and easy to maintain using BMC’s separately available service kit, which includes detergent for cleaning the filter and a bottle of spray-on oil for re-oiling.

Price: $119 Visit: www.linkint.com.au/bmc

GRYYP PUNCTUREREPAIR KITS Emergency accessories mob Gryyp has produced four different puncture-repair kits to help get you back on the road after an unscheduled deflation.

Three of the kits feature the Cargol Turn & Go plugs that are basically plastic spikes designed to snap off in the hole in a tyre to be the simplest puncture-repair system around at the moment.

The fourth has the traditional rope-

style repair system with fabric strips you poke into the hole, so it’s a matter of choosing which method you prefer or you can plump for the upper-range kits that include both systems, such as this large combo kit.

You also get CO2 cartridges, needle nose pliers, a 90° valve extension, reaming and insertion tools and a trimming blade, all in a padded pouch.

Price: From $74.95 Visit: www.kenma.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 127

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

longer). The only catch is: you break it, you replace it, and you write an article explaining why you made such a ridiculous and glaring omission! Feedback would be appreciated as a basic courtesy.

Graeme Blore Email We’re in so much trouble for the bikes we didn’t include. We did include the Tiger, albeit the 1050, and even then we had our arguments about it. Personally, I love the Tiger 800 XC, having done some serious travelling on it including an APC Rally, which included a run up Big Red (see the opening spread of the 100 Destinations story). I don’t need to borrow yours to know what you mean! — Matho

r Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” didn’t make our top 100 songs. What else did we miss?

TOP 100 SONGS INVALID I don’t know how else to say this, so I’ll just get straight to the point. Great list, but seeing as you forgot to include “Freebird”

by Lynyrd Skynyrd, I can’t help but declare the entire list invalid.

Hoping you’ll correct this by the 200th edition (at the latest!)

Ma Cremorne, NSW I dragged out my Lynyrd Skynyrd CDs and have been playing the song since your le er arrived, Ma . Great stuff. — Matho

YOU’VE GOT MAIL It seems like you folks don’t check comments via your website, which is pre y poor. In my message, I commented on my disbelief that the Tiger Explorer XC didn’t even make the top 12 adventure bikes, despite a multitude of awards from right around the world. Has anyone at Road Rider even ridden the Explorer?

I am so incensed by this glaring omission that I am willing to put my money where my mouth is and offer you mine for five days (I can’t stand the thought of being apart from it any 1228 | AUS 12 128 AUSTRALIAN A TRALIA TRA LIA AN R ROAD OAD AD RI R RIDER DE DER 128 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Should the wire-wheeled 1200 Explorer have made the top 12? It might have, it’s just that we haven’t actually ridden that model

SPEED FREAKS I read with interest Bill McKinnon’s article More Speed, Less Haste in your January 2014 edition.

In it, he thought Aussie was the only country where the authorities were fixated on speed on roads as the one thing that does all things bad. Well, as much as it pains me to say it, my country’s authorities (New Zealand) also have a speed fetish.

We have an open-road speed limit, of 100km/h, with a tolerance of 10km/h. In other words, if you do a 111km/h, that is really dangerous and you will get treated as if a bodily function just let go on a corner (don’t ask).

We are currently going through a so-called road safety campaign here, dreamed up by corporate pointy heads and politicians, and are being inundated with adverts, YouTube clips, constant bleating in newspapers etc. It’s “don’t do this”, “don’t

LETTERS do that”, “don’t smile”, “don’t move”, “don’t fart”, “don’t look at the missus’ legs”. It’s enough to drive a sane person bonkers.

Their crowning glory has been to temporarily reduce the tolerance over long weekends, holidays etc, to 104km/h.

Apparently, then, if you do 105km/h, this is a horrible speed and is deadly dangerous. It doesn’t ma er that speedometers can have a tolerance of about 3km/h either way, oh no, a ticket will be promptly issued on any terrible speeds, like 105km/h.

During the Christmas period, they issued more than 58,000 speeding fines to folks exceeding the 104km/h, but not exceeding 110km/h. At 30 bucks a pop, I would love someone to try to convince me that this is not straight out revenue collecting.

It would, for a change, be real nice if someone in authority would use a wee bit of common sense and target the real issues on our roads but, unfortunately, I don’t see that happening anytime soon as common sense doesn’t make money.

Love the mag by the way, it’s great reading, cheers.

Rob Kehely Napier, New Zealand

COMPARATIVE INSIGNIFICANCE? Just recently, I’ve been liking ARR more than any other bike mag on the market, but I take umbrage at recent omissions and comments in issue #100.

OK, so you couldn’t include every great bike in your Best Bikes of 100 issue, but leaving out Suzuki’s Bandit is more than just an oversight, it’s just plain madness. If you haven’t tested a Bandit during the 100 issues (can’t remember if you have or not but if you haven’t you should), then you should’ve included the Suzuki GSX1250, which I know has been tested.

My current mount is a 2012 Suzuki GSX1250, basically a Bandit with a full fairing. Guess what I had before it? Yep, a 1999 Bandit. And, no, I’m not biased.

As if that wasn’t enough, Austin Rymer, in his test of the MTS1200S Granturismo, refers to my bike as “comparatively insignificant”.

Ha! I test rode a new MTS1200S in December 2013, both with and without my wife on the back, and it was a relief to get back on the GSX. Sure, the MTS was a hoot to ride (I took it on freeways, back roads, twisties, in traffic) but there’s no way I’d prefer it to the GSX. For one thing, my wife sat too high on the back and for another, it was like riding a hairy goat compared to the turbinelike smoothness of the Suzuki.

And read this: also in December last year, I did my first ever track day on, yep, the GSX. And guess what? I was the fastest in my group even though I was 20 years older than the other 10 blokes in the group and they were all riding sports bikes, including Japanese and Italian weaponry.

Maybe because I’ve been riding for more than 40 years, I was able to adapt to race track conditions quicker than the young blokes. Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. Maybe being blind in one eye and deaf in one ear helps. I dunno. Maybe. But I reckon the GSX did a mighty fine job of more than holding its own against a horde of much more powerful machinery all probably much be er suited to the track.

“Comparatively insignificant”? I don’t think so. I’ve clocked up more than 30,000 kays since August 2012 on the GSX, including solo and two-up trips that have included not only tar but a few significant dirt stretches as well. I cut my teeth on dirt bikes so

maybe that helps.

Think twice, Mr Rymer, before you denigrate a machine that will probably still be going strong long a er the MTS and its $30K-plus worth of trickery has bought the farm. And maybe, it just goes to show, it’s not only what’s between your legs, it’s what’s between your ears as well Brad Downs Bairnsdale, Vic Ah, it’s all relative. Or comparative… Wish I could have seen the scowls on the faces of the sportsbike riders at the track day! — Matho

NO DRINKING-MAN’S BIKE On Sundays, Deb and I o en jump on the Voyager and go for a ride down Bells Line. We have set a target to ride to the end of every side road that runs off Bells Line by the end of two years.

I don’t think we will make it. There are more of them then you think when you get started.

We purchased a new 2012 Kawasaki Voyager last year because Deb’s worsening disability meant she could no longer deal with foot pegs. I wasn’t all that happy with the idea of a cruiserstyle bike. In this country, we tend to use the word “cruiser” as a derogatory term, meaning coffee-shop bike or drinking-man’s bike, as in si ing looking at it and drinking.

But, a er a bit over a year with the Voyager and 20,000km, I wish I had taken the step years ago. It has blown my perceptions away. It just deals with everything you throw at it, 50km of dirt road, 100kg of luggage, whatever. It deals with it in style and comfort.

There are a few of the this type of bike around now, including the Victory Cross Country that you tested in the latest ARR and we should really refer to them as they do in the USA — heavy tourers. The Voyager, GoldWings, Harley Electra Glides and Road Kings and the others all get sold short of what they really are when they’re referred to as cruisers.

Keep up the good work. A few overseas stories are great but let us get to the guts of this country as well. If I have a week to waste on a motorbike, it will be spent at Broken Hill or North Bourke, not the south of France.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 129

LETTERS This may seem a bit odd to some, but my special bit of road is Cobar to Broken Hill — a love affair that started with leaving the pub in Bathurst at the old 10pm close and being in Broken Hill for breakfast on a near-new ’76 Z9 but that, as they say, is another story.

Regards P Dwyer Oberon, NSW

circumstances and share a cuppa, drink, meal or yarn. Wouldn’t you?

We’re our own responsibility out there, but we’re o en a big part of somebody else’s reason for living too. Stay upright.

John Hayton Email

CONGRATS! Congratulations to everyone at ARR on reaching the ton. You’ve all built it into a great read and I look forward to more bikes, more rides, more stories and just good information about motorcycling.

Now get back to work on the next issue.

Harry Stephens Pi Town, NSW

Ooadģider

Australian Road Rider THE REAL RIDE

r Calling a heavy tourer like the Victory Cross Country a cruiser is selling it short

S ER S! ST NU E PO BOOM ES W 8A

A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

R E A L

R I D E

CROSSING THE LINE BRILLIANT: DUCATI MTS GRANTURISMO BERSERK: YAMAHA MT-09 BARGAIN: CFMOTO 650

TASTY TOURS I WILSONS PROMONTORY I NZ’S COROMANDEL CHARITY RIDES RIDING FOR GOOD CAUSES

TOUR WITH ARR!

JOIN THE ADVENTURE — SEE P34

CentenaryEdition FO R T H E LOV E MARCH 2014 (NO. 100)

130 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

TO THE TEST! SPECIAL 100TH ISSUE: HOTTEST 100 BIKES, DESTINATIONS, TOURING TIPS, MUSIC

Last Friday, Princes Highway, half way between Berry and Broughton Hill. It’s a fine sunny a ernoon and I’m heading up to Sydney in the car enjoying the drive and at peace with the world.

Up ahead of me is a sweeping le hander and then a hill. The very nice Buell with the flat bars that came over the hill and into the (for him) right hander wasn’t really pushing it, but somehow managed to go from the le of his lane at the entry point until everything above his axles was across the double lines well before the apex, especially his head!

By that time, I was pre y much fully on the le shoulder, just in case. If you’re wondering, I’m nearly 60, not a wowser and usually unlikely to ride or drive like a granny. Hey, I stuff things up on bikes too, whether it’s a roadbike or just my postie, and I’m still here. That goes for a lot of us.

Ge ing your head a metre over the centreline for no apparent reason though? It’s like the group riders doing manic passing manoeuvres on double lines heading into blind corners that I see round here every weekend. There’s just no reason.

Of course, I’d ring 000 and/or do first aid if the need arose, but I’d much rather be able to meet you somewhere else, in be er

O F THE ROA D

MARCH 2014 (No. 100) AUS $7.95* NZ $9.10 (BOTH INCL. GST)

100 HOTTEST RIDING DESTINATIONS 100 GREAT TOURING TIPS 100 BEST BIKES WE’VE RIDDEN 100 SONGS TO RIDE WITH BUYING A BIKE? CHECK OUT OUR PRICE GUIDE

WHEELIE WHEELIE GOOD DEALS.

VISIT WWW.UNIVERSALSHOP.COM.AU TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR FAVOURITE BIKE TITLES — FOR YOU, YA MATE OR THE BLOKE NEXT DOOR.

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

BN600i....................................... Base-model mid-sized four.....$8990+orc BN600S LAMS ......................... New LAMS model ...................$8990+orc BN600R ..................................... New sporty naked bike ...........$9990+orc BN600RS LAMS ....................... Another new LAMS model.....$9990+orc BN600GT .................................. Available early 2014 .................$TBA Century Racer 899.................... Mid-sized entertainer...............$15,590+orc TNT 1130 ................................... Naked dynamite.......................$19,990+orc TNT 1130R ................................. More explosive ........................$22,690+orc Tre-K 1130.................................. Out of the ordinary ..................$18,490+orc Adv Touring TRE-K Amazonas ..................... Be an individual .......................$19,690+orc

APRILIA

WE SAY

PRICE www.aprilia.com.au

Road Shiver Sport 750 ABS.............. Oh so good ...............................$13,990+orc Dorsoduro 750 ABS ................. With ABS ...................................$11,990+orc Tuono V4R APRC ...................... Upright sportsbike ...................$21,990+orc RSV4 R APRC............................ High tech, high spec ................$23,490+orc RSV4 R Factory APRC ABS ..... Racing black ..............................$29,990+orc Dorsoduro 1200 ATC/ABS ...... Insane in the brain ...................$16,990+orc Adv Touring Caponord 1200 ATC/ABS ........ Truly great all-rounder ............$23,390+orc Scooters SR50R Carb SBK ...................... Biaggi replica............................$3990+orc SR MT 50 2T ............................. Entry point ................................$2450+orc SR MT 125 4T ........................... Cheap commuting ...................$3290+orc Scarabeo 200 ie........................ Crisp performer........................$4990+orc Scarabeo 300 ie........................ Unmistakable ...........................$6490+orc SR Max 300 .............................. Do it all ......................................$6490+orc SR Max 300 .............................. New 2014 Model ......................$7290+orc SRV 850 ATC ABS .................... Large with the lot .....................$14,990+orc

■ Aprilia has released its 2014 price list and with most of the prices going up, the most notable change is the Dorsoduro, which has had a significant price drop from $13,690+orc to $11,990+orc

BENELLI

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road BB3 ............................................ 1000cc BMW, Italian flair ........$TBA DB8 Bi Posto ............................. Sleek and powerful..................$47,990+orc DB8 SP ...................................... The sweetest candy .................$47,990+orc DB8 Oro Nero ........................... Expensive excitement .............$84,990+orc Tesi 3D Evo ............................... Exotica erotica ..........................$50,890+orc Tesi 3D Naked........................... The full skeleton on show.......$55,990+orc DB9 ............................................ Muscle streetfighter ................$44,990+orc DB9S.......................................... Sharper on the street ..............$46,990+orc DB10 .......................................... Sharp style ................................$37,290+orc DB11........................................... Testastretta 11 at last ...............$56,990+orc

BMW

Road BN302 ........................................ Available early 2014 .................$TBA

132 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BIMOTA

www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

Road F 800 R....................................... Naked Bavarian — mmm! ......$13,100+orc S 1000 R .................................... Available April 2014 .................$18,990+orc S 1000 RR.................................. Still the one to beat .................$22,400+orc HP4 ............................................ Hyper RR ...................................$27,990+orc HP4 Competition...................... For serious sports riders .........$32,450+orc R 1200 R .................................... Ever reliable ..............................$20,800+orc R 1200 RT Water Cooled ......... Have your cake and eat it .......$29,990+orc K 1300 R .................................... Evil Wulf ....................................$21,990+orc K 1300 S .................................... Autobahn eater ........................$23,990+orc 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 K 1600 GTL Exclusive.............. VIP ..............................................$42,500+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 Water Cooled......... All-road master ........................$21,700+orc R 1200 GSA Water Cooled ...... All-new and awesome ............$24,300+orc R 1200 GSA Triple Black .......... Black, black & black ..................$25,770+orc

PRICE GUIDE

■ Bimota’s new Tesi 3D Naked has been released with a price tag of $55,990+orc

Scooter C 600 Sport ............................... Sporty maxi ..............................$13,990+orc C 650 GT.................................... Let’s tour! ..................................$14,890+orc

BOLLINI

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.cfmoto.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

CONFEDERATE

www.daelim.com.au

Road VJF250....................................... Adequate style .........................$3990+orc Cruiser Daystar 250 EFI ........................ Fat, feet-forward cruiser ..........$4920+orc Scooter Bbone ........................................ Its clothes are off......................$3490+orc Besbi .......................................... Small and cute .........................$2190+orc S1 ............................................... Nice style...................................$2990+orc

DUCATI

We’ve just come back from the launch of the new watercooled R1200GS Adventure, BMW’s all-road supertanker which you can buy now for $24,300+orc. The price, of course, doesn’t include the many options that most riders will take, such as the traction pack and luggage. We’ll detail all of that in our full report next issue. The new GSA is brilliant, and apart from having 50% more fuel capacity than the standard R1200GS, it has extra suspension travel and much be er wind protection. Other changes go deeper, such as the heavier cranksha that makes this one feel so much more tractable.

All in all, despite a slight weight penalty, this one’s a be er bike than the GS when off-road conditions are tough, and I was amazed at the liberties I take with it on dirt roads and forest trails. And still it was great fun on the tar. Come back next issue for the all the goss on it. — MM

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser X132 Hellcat.............................. Badass .......................................$79,990+orc X132 Hellcat Combat............... American war machine ...........$94,990+orc X135 Wraith .............................. Available early 2014 .................$TBA

DAELIM

ADVENTURE-MEISTER

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.................... 2014 model available mid-year $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

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 133

PRICE GUIDE 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

ERIK BUELL RACING

■ Harley-Davidson has released a trio of new bikes this month. We really like the Super Low 1200T. It’s a bit of a tourer and as it’s a little smaller we think many women might enjoy this one. You can pick it up for $19,250ra

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road 1190RS Carbon ......................... 175hp, 176kg of joy..................$56,990+orc 1190RX ....................................... Sporting masterpiece ..............$26,490+orc 1190SX ....................................... Superbike basis........................$TBA 1190AX....................................... The adventurous one ..............$TBA

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 XL1200T Super Low ................ Cool little tourer .......................$19,250ra VRSCDX Night Rod Special.... Drag bike ...................................$26,995ra VRSCF Muscle .......................... Muscle me ................................$26,750ra FXDB Street Bob ...................... Versatile.....................................$22,495ra FXDBB Street Bob Special...... Street smarts ............................$23,495ra FXDL Low Rider ....................... Not laying low ..........................$23,250ra 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 El. Glide.......Comfy .................................$37,250ra FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra Ltd Works burger ............................$38,250ra FLHTCKSE CVO Ultra Ltd........ 110ci mega-tourer ....................$50,995ra

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 .......................$4999+orc CBR250R ABS Repsol .............. With ABS ...................................$5499+orc 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 ABS.............................. Sweet as....................................$7799+orc CB650F ABS.............................. New naked four........................$9999+orc CBR600RR................................. Versatile supersport.................$14,390+orc CBR650F ABS ........................... Mid-ranger with torque...........$10,599+orc NC700SA ABS (2013)............... Mr Practical ...............................$8550+orc NC750SA ABS .......................... A little boosted for 2014 ..........$8799+orc CTX700A ................................... A fairing for the open road ....$9849+orc CTX700DA ................................ Dual Clutch Transmission ........$10,849+orc VFR800 ...................................... Tried and true package ............$14,050+orc CBR1000RR............................... Ride what Casey rides.............$16,899+orc CBR1000RR Repsol.................. MotoGP replica ........................$16,890+orc 134 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

CBR1000RR ABS ...................... Blade with braking backup .....$17,899+orc VFR1200F ABS ......................... For the tech heads ...................$16,999+orc GL1800B F6B ............................ Stripped Wing...........................$25,199+orc GL1800 Goldwing Luxury....... The ultimate luxury tourer......$35,799+orc Cruiser VT400 ........................................ Classic-styled LAM ..................$9299+orc CTX700N ABS .......................... A bike for everything ...............$9049+orc VT750S ...................................... Streetwise appeal ....................$8099+orc VT750C Shadow ...................... Classic appeal...........................$11,749+orc CTX1300.................................... V4, due by winter .....................$TBA VT1300CXA Fury...................... Chopped dragster ....................$15,599+orc GL1800C F6C ............................ New, coming soon! .................$TBA Adv Touring CB500X ABS ............................. Adventure sports .....................$7999+orc VFR1200X Crosstourer ABS ... Smooth and comfy all-roader $17,499+orc Scooter Today 50 .................................... Do it, Today! ..............................$1849+orc Dio 110 ....................................... New kid in town .......................$2510+orc PCX125 ...................................... Honest commuter ....................$3990+orc PCX150 ...................................... Stylish and practical ................$4,099+orc NSS300 Forza ........................... Sporty and flexible ..................$6,549+orc NC700D Integra........................ Motorcycle or scooter? ...........$11,149+orc

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

KAWASAKI

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 Z1000 Sugomi .......................... 2014 model ...............................$16,799+orc Ninja 1000 ABS ....................... A sword with soul ....................$16,999+orc

PRICE GUIDE Ninja 1000 ABS ........................ 2014 Model ...............................$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 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 Versys 650L ABS ...................... LAMS model ............................$9,999+orc Versys 1000 .................................Bitumen burner.......................... $15,999+orc

V7 Special ................................. 2014 model ...............................$14,790+orc V7 Racer SE .............................. Limited edition marvel ............$16,490+orc 1200 Sport 4V SE ..................... Grunter ......................................$19,990+orc Griso 1200 8V ........................... Grand slam ...............................$21,990+orc Cruiser California 1400 Custom........... Kalifornia attitude ....................$23,490+orc California 1400 Touring............ All a Cali should be ..................$26,490+orc Adv Touring Stelvio 1200 8V NTX ABS ....... Big brute....................................$20,990+orc Stelvio 1200 8V NTX ABS ....... 2014 model ...............................$23,390+orc

KTM

MV AGUSTA

www.ktm.com.au

Road 390 Duke ................................... Ninja beater? ............................$6995+orc 390 RC ....................................... All new available soon ............$TBA 690 Duke ................................... Sharp and bright ......................$11,495+orc 690 Duke R ................................ The sportier motard.................$13,495+orc 1190 RC8 R ................................ The orange flash ......................$25,495+orc 1290 Super Duke R .................. Ballsy streetfighter...................$23,495+orc Adv Touring 690 Enduro R ............................ Extreme riders only .................$14,395+orc 1190 Adventure......................... High-tech adventurer...............$19,995+orc 1190 Adventure......................... With EDS ...................................$22,995+orc 1190 Adventure R ..................... Add more adventure ...............$22,995+orc ■ KTM is releasing the new RC390 later this year, at a price to be confirmed

CHEAPER COFFEE Kymco has provided its 2014 pricing. We noticed a dramatic $1200 price decrease on the Espresso 150. Well worth mentioning. It’s now available for $2799+orc.

www.mvagustaimports.com.au

All MV Agusta prices are ride-away.

Road F3 675 ........................................ Sweet.........................................$18,490ra F3 800 ........................................ Track performance ...................$20,490ra Brutale 675 EAS ....................... Bit of oomph at a good price .$15,990ra Brutale 800 EAS ....................... More power ..............................$17,490ra Brutale 800 Dragster ............... Nanananana Batman! .............$TBA Rivale 800 ................................. Available early 2014 .................$20,990ra Brutale 1090 .............................. More charm ..............................$19,990ra Brutale R 1090 .......................... Raw, yet refined .......................$20,490ra Brutale RR 1090 ........................ Unleash the brute within ........$23,990ra Brutale 1090 Corsa................... Top jock .....................................$28,990ra F4 1000 ...................................... Beauty and the beast within...$24,490ra F4 1000 RR ................................ Exotic weapon ..........................$34,990ra

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

PIAGGIO KYMCO

www.kymco.com.au

Road CK 125 ....................................... No nonsense ............................$1955+orc Cruiser Venox 250 ................................. Value and looks ........................$5195+orc Scooter Like 125 ..................................... Fall in love .................................$2799+orc Super 8 125............................... Cool jigger ................................$2499+orc Espresso 150 ............................ I’ll take a double shot ..............$2799+orc Like 200 ..................................... Classic performer.....................$3290+orc Downtown 300i ABS ............... All-rounder with ABS ..............$7399+orc

LARO

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...............................$11,990+orc

www.laro.com.au

Road V Retro 250 ............................... DT250 clone ..............................$2990+orc 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

www.motoguzzi.com.au

Road V7 Stone.................................... Minimalist retro........................$13,990+orc V7 Special ................................. Faithful to the original V7 ........$12,990+orc

■ Moto Guzzi’s V7 Stone, V7 Special, Griso 1200, Stelvio 1200 and both Californias have been replaced with new 2014 models but you can still pick up the 2013 V7 Special for $1800 less than the new one, at $12,990+orc as opposed to $14,790+orc

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 135

PRICE GUIDE

MV’S EVIL DRAGSTER MV Agusta is jumping on an emerging trend of ‘dragster’ or powercruiser motorcycles entering the scene. Until recently Ducati was the only European manufacturer doing this style of bike with its Diavel, which came onto the market a few years ago. Now, making its debut in Europe this month, the Brutale 800 Dragster is here. With its new technology, MVICS (Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System), you can configure the torque se ings to suit yourself. Three engine modes have been set by MV —sport, normal and rain — with a fourth le for you to customise yourself.

With plenty of other new features this is looking very exciting and we can’t wait for its Aussie debut later this year. And let’s face it, it looks like something Batman would be seen cruising around on. Price and Australian arrival date are to be comfirmed.

■ Last year TGB released the Bellavita 300i, a chic commuter priced at $5490+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 VZR1800Z14.............................. Special edition..........................$19,490+orc Adv Touring DL650 V-Strom/LAMS ............. Deservedly a big seller ............$11,290+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

www.scoota.com.au

Scooter Classic 150 ................................ Noble ride .................................$2799+orc VS 150 ....................................... Branch away .............................$3199+orc Symphony 150 ......................... Sporty big wheeler ..................$2999+orc HD Evo 200 ............................... Whacko! ....................................$4599+orc Firenze 300................................ Full of features..........................$5999+orc MaxSym 400i ........................... Ride-away price........................$7999ra

TGB

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 GS500F...................................... Nice and simple .......................$6490+orc SFV650/LAMS .......................... Commuting and fun duties ....$10,490+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 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 ............................$12,990+orc VZ800 M50................................ Neat bobber..............................$10,990+orc 136 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

www.tgbscooters.com.au

Scooter Bellavita 125 ............................. Very chic ....................................$3990+orc X-Race 150 ................................ You’ll need knee sliders ..........$2590+orc Bullet 150 .................................. Small-calibre projectile ...........$3390+orc Xmotion 300 ............................. Smooth mover .........................$4990+orc Bellavita 300i ............................ Very chic, and bigger ...............$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

www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Road Street Triple ABS ...................... Streets ahead ...........................$12,990+orc Street Triple R ABS ................... Even further ahead ..................$13,990+orc Daytona 675.............................. Supersport winner...................$14,240+orc Daytona 675 ABS ..................... Supersport with ABS...............$14,990+orc Daytona 675R ABS................... 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 Scrambler ................................. Dirt track racer ..........................$13,990+orc Thruxton ................................... To the café! ...............................$13,990+orc

PRICE GUIDE 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

VIPER

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser Black Diamond ......................... 2500cc of raw grunt.................$54,990+orc Diamondback ........................... Cruising superpower...............$54,990+orc

YAMAHA

■ Triumph’s new Thunderbird LT (above) is now here at $23,490+orc, and the Commander is days away from being on sale

Speed Triple ABS...................... It’s a gem ...................................$16,990+orc Speed Triple R ABS .................. Sex on wheels .........................$20,990+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 Thunderbird Commander ...... 2014’s tough new T-bird ...........$22,490+orc Thunderbird LT......................... T-bird goes touring ..................$23,490+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 .......................$18,500+orc Adv Touring Tourist........................................ WWII replica .............................$20,400+orc Bondi Tourist ............................. Beach to bush tourer ...............$20,400+orc Ranger ....................................... Even tougher ............................$21,600+orc Bondi Ranger............................ New 2014 model ......................$21,600+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.yamaha-motor.com.au

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■ A special-edition Yamaha YZF-15R V2.0 is now available for $4399+orc, only $100 more than the standard 2014 model

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 137

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QUESTION TIME

CHARLEY’S SHORT ANSWERS A QUICK Q&A SESSION REVEALS MUCH ABOUT CHARLEY BOORMAN STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE ustralia has long been a favourite destination for adventurer and ARR columnist Charley Boorman. He lived here for six months a couple of decades ago, prepared for his Long Way Round adventure with Ewan McGregor here and has visited on many occasions. Road Rider sat down with him and fired off a few quick questions.

A

What’s your favourite bike?

All of them.

What’s your favourite destination?

All of them.

Where else would you like to go?

Everywhere. I’ve only seen a small part of the world. I’d love to do South America, particularly the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia. More people have climbed Everest than have gone across the Darien Gap. I’d like to take a bike across there. Apparently it’s possible.

What do you think of Australia?

I love Australia. I stalked my wife here 26 years ago and lived for six months in Sydney and Far North Queensland.

I’ve been back many times for work and it’s a beautiful country. There is a lot in common with the British. A similar kind of humour and it’s easy to get on with people. They are friendly and nice. The roads are good. The police are s***, but your nanny state is awful. Twenty-six years ago it was an amazing and very free place where you could do whatever

you wanted to, within reason. You were your own responsibility, but I think that has changed. It has become very nanny state, but so is Britain and a lot of Europe. One of the reasons I love Africa is that the responsibility is on you.

Will there be another Ewan McGregor adventure?

No, I’m too good a rider now [laughs].

You never know. Ewan’s huge love is making movies and he’s in a sweet spot right now, so I’m waiting for him to fail. But there’s always one more in it for us and we’re both still young and there is plenty of time. I’d like to do South and North America and call it the Long Way Up. Your wife, Olivia, rides. Will she join you on a trip?

Ollie just wants me out of the house.

No, seriously, I’d love to take Ollie and the kids and get them to ride. That would be lovely.

What do you listen to on your iPod when you’re riding?

Everything. I listen to Stereophonics to Mozart to Spice Girls. Also a lot of story tapes. I just finished a Stephen King book today and started another one.

I’m very dyslexic and I find reading very hard.

Do you get tired of being recognised?

If people can be bothered to come and meet you, you have a responsibility to be nice. Jon Voight [actor] told me once — just thought I’d throw that in — he has all the time in the world for people.

When you walk with him on the street he gets stopped and I asked him if he got bored by it and he said, “No, Charley, those are the people that are the reason why I’m here. If they can be bothered, you should be bothered.” Most of the time people are nice with lovely stories about what they’ve done and why they’ve come to meet you.

What’s the toughest part of your “job”?

Talking to you. No, it’s leaving my wife and family behind. I spend seven months a year away from home and I miss birthdays, graduations, first parties, my wife’s 50th. But that’s what you do. That’s how I make my money and I have two children in private education, so I have no choice.

What are your plans for a bike store in London?

I want to do the Deus thing. I like customising bikes. I like that whole retro thing that is going on at the moment with flat-track bikes. I also like their approach to bike clothing. Not all bike gear has to be black.

Who has been the most interesting person you’ve met?

My dad. I love my dad. I’ve been lucky enough to work with him. It wasn’t till I was much older that I realised people don’t have the same relationship with their father. So I’m very lucky. Most people can’t work with their father.

What inspires you to keep riding?

I’ve just always ridden motorcycles and I’ve never thought of a time without motorcycles. You can’t explain why you just want to do it; whatever it is that you are passionate about.

Do you have any regrets?

No. You can’t live on regrets. If you have a crash you can’t say I should have done this or that; it’s a bit lame. Just don’t do it again. ARR

“I want to do the Deus thing. I like customising bikes.

I like that whole retro thing” AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 145

LAST LOOK he roads are full of bloody signs. Do this, don’t do that, keep here, stay off there, stop, start, do as you’re told, demerits apply. We here at ARR are now so indoctrinated into it that we obey. Without thinking.

So when we rocked up at Corinna in the wilds of Tassie’s wilderness and found a wide stretch of the Pieman River without a bridge where our GPS said we should continue on, we rode up and down looking for the bridge. We parked at the info centre but thought be er of it and went back to the car park, off to the kiosk, asked the appropriate questions and, finally, went to wait at the stop sign.

A bargeman appeared at our sides and the world was right again.

Actually, this isn’t quite true. Between steps four and five, we went to the pub for a beer, having noticed our mates on the verandah were already ge ing into theirs and laughing at our expense…

T

COMING UP It’s one of the biggest things to happen to adventure riding all year … literally!

The new water-cooled BMW R1200GS Adventure is here and we’ll have a full review next issue. Meanwhile, if you want a hint, check out this issue’s Price Guide.

Amazing machine.

But we cannot fill an entire issue with just one bike, no ma er how big it is. We will also tell you all about the funky Yamaha XJ6, Triumph’s glossiest Thunderbird, Piaggio’s oddly named but fun Beverly.

We’ve been doing some travelling too.

As you know, many people celebrate the summer solstice, not least because there are more hours of daylight to go riding in.

Well, not us! We set out to see how far we could ride in daylight on the winter solstice.

We hit the Oxley Highway, we continue our series on adventure riding, we finally get a look at those ancient bikes we’ve promised you, we go back to school (behaving this time) and, well, do lots more.

All in next issue. See you then.

146 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

ISSUE 103 OF ARR GOES ON SALE ON 14 MAY.

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

“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 GT’s. To demonstrate that on such a heavy, powerful bike is super impressive. I think Pirelli is on a winner”...

Greg Reynolds - Australian Road rider Magazine

AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY, HE KEPT RIDING. G. Introducing the new Pirelli Angel GT tyre. Perfect for never-ending trips or just 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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