Issue#105 - August 2014

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Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

R E A L

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CONTENTS #105 “While we are postponing, life speeds by.”

— Seneca. While we are riding, we keep up with life.

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NEWS FOR ROAD RIDERS 10 Ulysses elects a female president: lots more on electric bikes; Matchless comeback; Brough’s Brough and more.

ON THE ROAD 76 Vietnam by Big Bike: Well, an Enfield, and it’s a unique trip.

84 Cambooya: Discover why this is one of Queensland’s top destinations.

92 HOG Rally: Road trip! We hit Far North Queensland to party.

100 Bonang Highway: A Victorian treat with too many corners to count.

BIKES TO RIDE 114

42 BMW R NineT: When the Germans get “cool” right, boy, do they get it right!

50 Triumph Thunderbird LT: The seat is awesome, and wait’ll you see the rest.

60 Harley Ultra Limited: Hi-tech/lotech luxo-burger with the lot.

66 KTM 390 Duke: The learner-legal ripper aiming for glory.

72 The Long List: Victory, Ducati, Aprilia and the Bolt.

GEAR ON TEST

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118 Interphone F5XT: A standout Bluetooth kit for your phone.

120 Bridgestone T30: Tyres that go further than any before.

121 Warm & Safe: Pure winter pleasure from the waist down.

122 Pirelli Scorpion: The right choice for all-road riding.

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FEATURES 58 Thunderbird To The Rescue: The LT as ambo?

106 Exotic Models: Finally, the right way to succeed with exclusive motorcycles?

114 Michelin Pilot 4: Why this new rubber promises standout performance.

YARNS AND LAUGHS 6 32 35 37 39 145 146

Mathochism: Why group rides are so good.

Boorman: The Isle of Man TT Seddo: The Postie challenge.

Zoe: Falling for pistons and cylinders.

Gregor: Last man standing?

Roadwork Crashes: Can you sue for damages?

Last Look: 200,000km on bevel-drive Ducati.

MONTHLY MAIL 28 Big Shot: Heavyweights on tour.

30 Route 66: Win a US trip!

89, 91 Stay With Us: Rider-friendly places.

124 Whatz New: Look at all this gear!

128 Readers Rite: Your comments, opinions and questions.

132 Price Guide: It’s all happening at the market.

138 Subscribe Here: Win a Yamaha Bolt!

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

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

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 5

MATHOCHISM

THE GREAT RIDES There’s nothing like saddling up for a group ride

here’s the Ulysses AGM, HOG Rally, BMW Safaris, Triumph’s RAT events, Ducati Turismo and all sorts of other excuses to get away with a large group of bikes.

These events are an annual holiday for thousands of Aussies and many riders do it year a er year. I can see why.

I’ve been lucky enough to go on lots of these big rides. Invariably, I have a fantastic time. I begin each event knowing a handful of other participants and come away with a bunch of new friends, some of whom I may never see again until the next rally or run. At this year’s HOG Rally, I met one person I hadn’t seen since the 1996 event!

That was a good one, the 1996 HOG Rally. Held in Perth, it dictated a ride across the Nullarbor, which I did with one of the HOG chapters. I’ll never forget riding that long road in a loose pack of rumbling Harleys, nor the parties and other unexpected experiences along the

T

way. I wish I’d had the time to ride all the way to Cairns this year, but time was tight and it wasn’t really a holiday.

I envied the riders who went from Cairns to Alice Springs for the Ulysses AGM. That’s a real ride! Imagine that: from home all the way up to Far North Queensland, out across those outback highways into the Northern Territory and down to Alice Springs. A short week there, then home on whatever route you like, taking as much time as you’ve got le .

The HOG members weren’t the only ones taking their time about the ride to the Red Centre. I know of a few others who took advantage of the remote location to turn it into a big holiday.

The pilgrimages to Phillip Island for the MotoGP or World Superbikes are mustdo annual rides for many too. For years I did it, o en catching both meetings in one year. We’d rent a house on the edge of Cowes — the same one every time — and fill it with mates. When the house

“Our rides to the Island were legendary (in our lunchtimes, anyway) and over the years we found just about every route you could take”

6 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

next door came up for rent, we took it too and filled it. Our rides to the island were legendary (in our lunchtimes, anyway) and over the years we found just about every route you could take, from the dreadful Hume to the dirt tracks up the ranges. I haven’t been to those races for five years.

Must be time to do it again, eh?

A BMW Safari I was on went via the Superbikes. That was a great one, taking the great riding roads down from Sydney, watching the races, then riding west via the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. They didn’t have a separate GS Safari then, just the one event with a choice of tar or dirt routes. A bunch of us took off on the GS route on our road bikes, only to find we’d picked the day of deep sand! We got through and sure earned our drinks that night.

Which reminds me: On the HOG ride to Perth we ended up racing Road Kings across desert tracks. Somehow you get up to more mischief on road trips…

These big bike events take a lot of effort to put on and they’re not cheap.

I owned an events company many years back and we ran the first few Ducati Turismos. Knowing firsthand how much went into them, I can tell you that they were a big investment for Ducati, and the other brands would be equally commi ed. There is, of course, a commercial agenda behind it all and it’s fair to say the bean counters would have fair sway over whether the events go ahead, but at all levels I’ve seen as much enthusiasm for the rides from the companies’ employees and bosses as I have from the participants.

For example, the long-term Multistrada I’m riding did its first 2000km or so with Ducati Australia boss Warren Lee, who has probably done every Turismo since day one. The smile on his face confirmed he’d had a ball when he talked about the ride while handing me the keys to the machine.

I’ve met few riders who don’t get a real buzz out of Turismos, Safaris and any of the other big rides. I keep telling myself I prefer to ride alone but keep going back for more group rides. And I can’t wait for the next one. ARR — MICK MATHESON

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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

We are a member of

NEWS

NEWS FOR ROADRIDERS

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

ALICE’S TREAT FOR ULYSSES ■ New Ulysses president Helena Gritton

The Red Centre is a hit for the Ulysses AGM, which saw the election of the club’s first female president

Helena Gri on has become the first Ulysses Club female president, with the club now looking to strike out in a fresh direction a er what had been a controversial and contentious period in the club’s history.

The Mt Gambier member was elected to the position at the 2014 Ulysses Club AGM, held in Alice Springs May 12-18.

Around 2500 members a ended the event, coming of course from all over 10 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Australia, with members also a ending from New Zealand and Great Britain.

Many members started the journey to Alice Springs in late April, enjoying the opportunity to travel across the land and to stop at all those well-known and indeed iconic places en route. Coober Pedy, Uluru, Woomera, Mt Isa and many other locations enjoyed an influx of visitors who were welcomed with typical country hospitality and good humour.

From Monday, when the members began arriving, the venue in Alice Springs at Blatherskite Park rapidly grew to be a bustling campground with all manner of motorcycles old and new, trailers, tents, swags, caravans and RVs on site. With solar panels set up, ice installed in eskies and the drinks cooling, the business of greeting old friends began. Drinks were shared and the sound of laughter rang out all around.

NEWS Rides were planned to the many great places close to Alice. The local commi ee had provided a good variety of organised rides to ensure everyone had places to go. Trader stands were well patronised, although because of the distance involved in travelling to Alice, many of the usual traders and motorcycle manufacturers chose not to a end.

With so many rides in which to partake, fewer traders hardly ma ered. HarleyDavidson came along and was well patronised as members were grateful for the effort to be there.

From the Friday night beach party complete with red sand (Alice is the city closest to all beaches in Australia, don’t you know?), Thursday evening at the Todd Mall Markets, the Road Safety Forum, the formal Saturday evening dinner, awarding of the Good Joint Award and the Jo Dearnley Award

in recognition of the efforts made by branches in fundraising for the Ulysses Club Arthritis Research Fund, meeting “Ulysses” the horse sponsored by the local branch of Riding for the Disabled, there was a lot to do. The Home Brew competition was completed a er much fun by the judges.

The local radios and newspapers leapt at the chance to interview and photograph this group of older riders and their huge variety of motorcycles.

Joshua Prior from WA was awarded the Motorcycle Apprentice of the Year at the Civic Welcome Ceremony, where mayor Damien Ryan spoke about the positive effect of holding such an event. Kumarlie, a Central Arrernte local traditional owner, welcomed all Ulysseans to the country. The business of the actual AGM was conducted and the new National Commi ee appointed.

Suddenly it was time to hold the closing ceremony and leave for home.

Promises to meet next year in Wodonga were made and the pack le , although many members stayed an extra few days to assist with dismantling the site.

The newly elected National Commi ee is enthusiastic and keen to a ract new members and encourage existing members to renew their memberships when due. A recent rise in member numbers has been encouraging and many ex-members have indicated they will re-join the club.

NATCOM President: Helena Gri on Vice president: Jen Woods Secretary: Noel Wilshire Treasurer: Mike Abberfield Commi ee: Rob White, Henry Rokx and Peter Baulch

TRENDY YAMAHA LEARNER CRUISER TIPPED “The Harley Street is a worry for us”

■ Tattoo style: does the new 1300cc Stryker give clues to the next LAMS-legal Star?

Yamaha could soon have two learner-legal 650cc cruisers ba ling it out for top sales success in Australia.

The Yamaha XVS650 has been the top seller for a few years, but that position could be abdicated when the tuning fork

company adds a Bolt-style 650cc cruiser to its line-up. It’s not been confirmed yet, but the hints are strong from Yamaha Motor Australia marketing guru Sean Goldhawk. He says Yamaha has “loads of new and fresh products coming” and

that there will be more of the “ta oostyle” cruiser, like the Bolt and the new Stryker, rather than the traditional or heritage-style like the XVS. When quizzed about a learner-legal model to challenge the Harley-Davidson Street 500, which is due to arrive in Australia early next year, he simply says “yes”. Then he nods and adds, “The Harley Street is a worry for us.”

Yamaha cruisers are now actually called Star cruisers as they have been in America for several years now. There are two different Yamaha or Star cruiser styles. The traditional models have loads of chrome, big fenders and the usual heritage styling touches.

The new breed of Star models began with the Bolt, which is a youth-oriented bike that has less chrome, more gun metal and ma surfaces, a more aggressive stance, shorter fenders and “ta oo”-style graphics. Sean likes to call them the Offspring.

He says we can look forward to more ta ooed motifs on Star cruisers in different capacities, “most likely a 650”.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 11

NEWS ■ The Sport model is more motard style

■ At first glance the Rapitán looks very normal, but it’s more than the front end that sets it apart

BULTACO’S ELECTRIC RETURN TO PRODUCTION Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Bultaco is back, but not as you would expect.

Instead of two-stroke off-road bikes for which the company was famous, it will initially produce electric road motorcycles developed with a train specialist.

The first will be the Rapitán and Rapitán Sport electrical “urbanmotard” with lithium-ion ba eries and ultra-condensers developed in collaboration with high-speed rail company, Viesca Engineering.

Bultaco isn’t giving away too many tech secrets at present, but says it is also working on “another kind of vehicle using the technology shown in the prototype, and on other future developments, as well as on other propulsion systems”. That could mean anything from direct-injection two-stroke to hydrogen power! The bikes will be produced in Barcelona this year for release next year. They have been developed since 2010 and tested in the first World Electrical

Motorcycle Championship in 2011, with the prototype coming third in the first Magny-Cours race and fourth in the overall rankings.

Bultaco will initially sell the bikes in Spain, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

There is no word yet of sales in Australia.

Bultaco is also contemplating supplying parts to other manufacturers. The return of Bultaco follows recent “revivals” such as Norton, Brough, Matchless and Hesketh.

Bultaco began in 1958 when Montessa director Franco Bulto created the company to continue road racing. Its first product was a 125cc Bultaco Tralla 101 road bike, but the company became famous for its two-stroke off-road machines. The company folded in 1983 and in 1998 became involved with Sherco for about three years. It is now owned by American HDW Enterprises, parent company of a parts and repair specialist for old Bultacos.

“Bultaco isn’t giving away too many tech secrets but says it is working on other propulsion systems” 12 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BULTACO RAPITÁN & RAPITÁN SPORT Motor: Bultaco PowerCore eMK1 aircooled induction brushless Power: 40kW Torque: 125Nm Vehicle controller: Bultaco IDS with regenerative braking Battery: Bultaco Li-Ion type ESS with integrated BMS Chassis: Tubular space ACS frame/ tubular swing-arm Suspension: Dual-Lever Evolution 100mm travel forks; asymmetric mono-shock absorber, 115mm travel Brakes: Floating two-piston caliper, 320mm disc; floating one-piston caliper, 240mm disc, 2-channel ABS Tyres: 120/70R17; 150/70R17 Seat height: 800mm Weight: 189kg Interior storage: Full-face helmet Maximum speed: 145km/h Range: City 200km, highway 110km, combined 140km Charging: 3.5-5 hours; quick charge 45-60min

BULTACO COMPETITION RECORD • Nine world championships • Four European championships • Eleven Spanish championships • Seven Six Days of Scotland • Five world records for longdistance speed

NEWS

WORLD’S FASTEST ELECTRIC BIKE UNVEILED ■ Streak of Lightning: this electric missile will charge to over 350km/h

DIM FUTURE FOR ELECTRIC

BIKES Growth looks flat, says report

“It beat all the fuel-powered vehicles by a whopping margin of 20 seconds” The world’s fastest electric bike can be yours for a $10,000 deposit. Lightning Motorcycles is now taking these deposits on its 150kW (200hp) Lightning LS-218 street-legal sportsbike.

Lightning Motorcycles marketing manager Jojo Chang says the total price of the race version is $US38,888 (about $41,500) plus freight and various import duties and on-road costs; no word yet on streetbike pricing. “We are looking for dealers in various countries, including Australia,” Jojo says.

The Lightning LS-218 is powered by a liquid-cooled 10,500rpm electric motor that produces 227Nm. Part of the performance arrives from Lightning’s proprietary Ultra High Power Density Drive system, which allows max power se ing without any concerns of overheating.

The San Carlos, California, manufacturer is no stranger to performance, with its electric superbike winning last year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb. It not only won its category, but also beat all the fuel-powered vehicles 14 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

by a whopping margin of 20 seconds.

They also hold the land speed record for fastest production electric motorcycle in the world at 215mph, with a fast run of 218mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The Lightning LS-218 is a direct streetlegal version of the same bike, with the company claiming range of 160km and a quick-charge time of 30 minutes. Its next project is a lower-powered electric bike called the Aion that is targeted to compete against 650cc twins.

“Since 2006 the Lightning team has been dedicated to developing electric motorcycles that meet and exceed the performance of the best ICE alternatives,” says Richard Hatfield, CEO of Lightning Motorcycles. “To have broad acceptance from the motorcyclist community we need to provide design, performance and value that competes head-to-head with the best gasoline motorcycles on the market.

Consumers are no longer required to pay more for less performance to support green technology.”

Visit lightningmotorcycle.com.

The news is not good for electric motorcycles, with a significant financial report forecasting limited growth. Authoritative industry researcher Navigant Research has released a report claiming current global sales of 1.2m this year will only increase to 1.4 million in the next 10 years, while electric scooters will only increase from 4.1 million to 4.6 million.

The Navigant Research study says powered two-wheelers, which also include electric motorcycles and scooters, have struggled through a tough economic period, with sales growing slowly over the past couple of years. “In the near term, sales volumes are likely to be low due to continued high costs for components and low levels of demand,” it says. “Yet the market seems poised for growth in many regions later this decade as consumer markets continue to increase, new competitors enter, and suppliers increase capabilities.”

It says the majority of electric motorcycles and scooters are sold in China, but government policies restricting vehicles will affect future sales. That means sales will have to come from other markets.

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NEWS

HORIZONS UNLIMITED TRAVEL MEETINGS Motorcycle travellers can get firsthand tips from other two-wheel travellers at the Horizons Unlimited meetings in October in four states.

Last year there were meetings in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria. This year they are expanding to four with a meeting in NSW. The meetings are: • Beaudesert, Qld: Oct 3-6, 2014 • Fairbridge Village, Perth, WA: Oct 10-12 2014 • Cavendish, Vic: Oct 24-26, 2014 • Riverwood Downs (near Barrington Tops), NSW: Oct 31Nov 2, 2014 Pre-registration at www. horizonsunlimited.com is recommended so you don’t miss out as the meetings are very popular. There will be camping and catering provided for the entire event, or you can just choose to go along on one of the days. Your questions won’t be answered by technicians or boffins but by the travellers themselves. There will also be slide shows of their trips, inspirational stories, tips, technical seminars and more.

16 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

IS IT A CAR OR A MOTORCYCLE? “Lit Motors doesn’t consider it a motorcycle, despite its ability to weave through traffic and use motorcycle parking spaces” Electric motorcycles are becoming more and more prevalent, with Zero Motorcycles now selling in Australia and Yamaha about to put a whole batch into production. But these are conventionallooking motorcycles and scooters that most riders would happily accept.

This latest creation by San Francisco company Lit Motors is more like a car than a motorcycle or scooter, with a steering wheel and a “cage” including doors and a roof. So even though it leans, you don’t countersteer or even balance it like a normal two-wheeler. That’s because it has a self-balancing gyro system used in satellites and spacecra but also in the Ryno one-wheeler.

Besides, even Lit Motors doesn’t consider it a motorcycle, despite its ability to weave through traffic and use motorcycle parking spaces. They call it

a C-1, but that’s just a project title at the moment. They can’t go to market with that name as it is too close to the BMW C1, which was, not surprisingly, a roofed scooter and has been resurrected as an electric vehicle.

The C-1 is powered by electric motors in the wheels and a modular proprietary Li-ion 10kWh ba ery pack which can be easily upgraded as new technology comes to market. Range is 320km, it takes six hours to charge the ba ery and top speed is over 160km/h.

Like most electric vehicles it uses regenerative braking to recover energy to charge the ba ery and extend range, so it gets be er range around town than on the open highway under constant drive.

While some motorcycle riders are receptive to electric power, we wonder how many would be interested in riding/ driving a C-1, or whatever they will call it when it comes to market at the end of the year. Price is about $US24,000 and it will be eligible for various tax incentives.

Lit Motors claims more than 200 people have already placed a deposit on the vehicle, which is about 85 per cent of the first production run. The company is concentrating on California and the US for now, but plans to expand and take the C-1 worldwide.

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NEWS

MATCHLESS ON DRAWING BOARD “It is highlighted by a mix of vintage and modern technologies”

Matchless is literally back on the drawing board, with these sketches being registered in European patents offices by owner Franco Maleno i. The Italian

has revitalised the Belstaff motorcycle clothing brand and now appears to be about to do the same with one of Britain’s oldest motorcycle brands.

These sketches show how a new Matchless could look. Unlike many of the British bikes at the time, some old Matchless models were powered by side-valve V-twins and it is believed a new bike would have an S&S heart. This one appears to be modelled along the lines of the old classic G80, Silver Hawk and Silver Arrow. It is highlighted by a mix of vintage and modern technologies.

BROUGH SUPERIOR SELLS FOR RECORD PRICE “It is not always the machine that fetches the price, but its history” A Brough Superior has sold at auction for a record $379,202. But it wasn’t just any old bike; it was owned by George Brough, who started the company. The SS100, which was known as the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles and tested to 100mph (160km/h) before each unit was sold, was part of a Bonhams auction of vintage motorcycles in Stafford.

It is further evidence that it is not always the machine that fetches the price, but its history. Previously, bikes owned by famous people, such as Hollywood’s King of Cool Steve McQueen, have also fetched top prices.

18 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

The star lot of the sale was first registered in 1939 and campaigned by George Brough in the London-Edinburgh Trial two days later. Bonhams spokesman Ben Walker says the SS100 received a record price at auction for a Matchlessengined example. “The owner was truly astounded with the result achieved,” he says.

The SS100 was originally a ached to a sidecar and George rode in the LondonEdinburgh endurance run with Motor Cycling journalist Henry Laird in the “chair”. Laird’s article about the event was published in Motor Cycling’s edition of June 14, 1939, a copy of which was supplied with the machine.

Brough put the motorcycle to arduous use throughout 1939, which included various road tests and the Tour of Ireland, as well as the London-Edinburgh. In April 1945, the Brough Superior was advertised

It has a solo tractor seat, naked tail, chain drive, twin headlights, spoked wheels, leading-link forks, fishtail twin exhausts, double-sided swingarm and an underslung mono rear shock.

If Matchless returns as tipped at the Milan motorcycle show in November, it will likely be as a bespoke limitededition model, much like the new Hesketh rather than the bigger volumes of the new Norton. But it certainly shows a continuing interest in the old British brands. What’s next? A BSA Gold Star revival? We’d like to see that!

for sale in Motor Cycling for £200 ($350).

The owner’s father bought it for £70 ($125) and registered it on August 14, 1961. Placed in storage in 1967, the motorcycle has been in sporadic use since then but has been well maintained over the years.

■ Record price: Brough Junior’s Brough Superior

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NEWS

BENELLI MUSEUM REFRESHED

There is a growing interest in the many motorcycle museums around Europe, so Benelli has renovated its museum in Pesaro, Italy, to tap into the lucrative tourist trade. The 1000m2 museum re-opened in May with a new roof, facade and exhibition spaces.

It features exhibits from the beginnings in 1911, the pre-war production models including some special 175cc, 250cc and 500cc of the ’30s, right through to today’s current range.

COMPASS’ BIGGEST EXPEDITION

“128 days and 33,000km is one hell of a tour”

Australian tour operator Compass Expeditions has launched its biggest tour yet. Its 128-day motorcycle tour will take riders on a 33,000km lap of the whole South American continent. The tour departs Santiago, Chile, on February 21, 2015, and returns to Santiago on June 28.

“This is one of the biggest rides on earth and covers an impossible diversity of landscapes, cultures and riding experiences,” says Compass Expeditions founder Jerry Cook. It’s not the longest-planned tour in the world. That honour seems to have been taken by the 2016 World Moto Rally, which is four days longer and starts and finishes in London, costing up to $30,000.

The Compass Expeditions South American tour will take riders through Patagonia to the world’s southernmost city of Ushuaia before turning northwards through Argentina to 20 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Iguazu Falls. From there it follows the coast of Brazil to the Amazon River for a boat trip to the former rubber export capital of Manaus. Riders then head north through Venezuela to Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall. Heading south, riders pass through Colombia, ■ Willing and able to spend four months touring South America? Go for it!

Ecuador, Peru, the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia and the Atacama Desert, which is the driest desert in the world.

Riders can rent a bike or take their own, with prices varying accordingly.

For further details contact Jerry Cook on jerry@compassexpeditions.com.

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NEWS

PUB FAREWELL

■ Fond farewell: Alf Wilson and wife Maija are selling the Tintaldra Hotel

At the time of writing, the owners of the famous Tintaldra Hotel over the back of the NSW Alps were in negotiations to sell up and retire. Alf and Maija Wilson have run the pub for 25 years and have forged many friends among the motorcycle community who have quenched their thirst there and stayed overnight.

Maija says they are planning several celebrations to thank the motorcycle fraternity for their support. “We have a bo le of Veuve Clicquot to pop,” she says. Maija says they will continue to run the pub for several months a er the sale and invite riders to drop in and say their farewells, as well as check out the photographs display, which could include many of visiting riders.

“The new owner is a very genial fellow and I can’t imagine he would turn away people who have been such a tremendous support to us over the years,” she says.

Alf and Maija will retire in the area and write a history of the pub.

EASY RIDER FOR A DAY Here’s one for the bucket list: Easy Rider fans are planning an annual ride to commemorate the cult film’s director and actor, Dennis Hopper, who died last year aged 77. Motorcyclists and movie fanatics from as far as Canada made the pilgrimage in May to Taos, New Mexico, for the first ride to celebrate Hopper and his iconic counterculture film.

■ Dennis Hopper will be remembered in the memorial ride

22 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

The Dennis Hopper Day rally and ride goes through some of the places made famous in the film. Hopper also lived in Taos for years and is buried there. Town manager Rick Bellis says the day is aimed at recognising Hopper’s contributions as a resident, a film maker, a supporter of the arts and for simply being a “colourful member” of the

community. “He was independent,” says Bellis, “slightly eccentric but incredibly talented. He sort of became a symbol for a whole new generation.”

Bellis says Hopper was able to get permission from the area’s Hispanic and Native American families to film at Taos Pueblo, an American Indian community dating to the late-13th and early-14th centuries, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. “He walked across the multicultural borders here. I think that really started with him and the movie and has continued,” Bellis says.

The annual Dennis Hopper Day will be held close to the director/actor’s May 29th birthday.

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NEWS

CRASH STATS ON HELMEt

Talk about rubbing your nose, ears, chin and whole head in it. Icon has released a new version of its Airframe helmet with crash statistics. The numbers you see on the helmet represent the

statistics for that part of the helmet to be damaged in an accident. Therefore, it’s the likelihood of your head suffering injury in that area if you don’t wear a helmet, or for your nose or chin to

RIDERS CATCH CRAB ■ Fundraisers: The Hermits are a very social group of riders

Are you a crabby rider? Maybe you should join the fast-growing CRAB bunch of social riders and raise money for a worthy cause along the way. CRAB, or Cancer Research Advocate Bikers, was formed in 2004 by Robbie Grimstone and his riding friends a er the loss of his

24 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

mother to cancer. It has now grown to having chapters in four states and even one in Switzerland.

However, fundraising chairman Merv Gillespie says it’s not enough and he is on a membership drive so they can start more chapters, go on more social runs

hit the deck if wearing an open-face helmet. Interestingly, Icon also makes open-faced helmets! However, that hasn’t stopped the company appealing to the safety conscious with this new design.

The stats come from the aptly named Hurt Report and show the most common area of impact is the chin, at 19.4 per cent, which spells “ouch” for open-face helmet wearers. The least vulnerable place is the very top of the head, at 0.4 per cent, which sort of makes a mockery of those li le Nazi-styled caps some riders wear.

Icon helmets are no longer imported into Australia, but it’s a good helmet for the American market, where some states still allow riders to choose not to wear a helmet and where the use of motorcycle helmets continues to decline to about half from 71 per cent in 2000.

and, most importantly, raise more money to research a cure for cancer.

“We’re eager to do much more than we’re doing,” says Merv of the newly formed Mornington Peninsula Chapter.

“We’ve been to events where we’ve raised $4000 in a day and that’s not bad, but our appetite is growing and we know we can do bigger things. However, we only have 35 members and that’s not enough manpower.”

CRAB is a fully licensed not-for-profit charitable organisation with the sole purpose of raising funds for cancer research. But Honda Shadow-riding Merv says there is also a social aspect as the members are riders with all sorts of bikes. Each chapter is named a er a crab in their local area so Mornington is called Hermits, while the Queensland chapter is Muddies, Brisbane is Sandies, South Australia has the Blueys, NSW is Kingies and Switzerland has the Hummers.

“We are always looking for new members at Hermit, but it would be a bonus if we had contact from regional areas who would like to start a new chapter,” says Merv. His chapter recently handed over its first donation of about $10,000 and the CRAB organisation has raised “hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past four years”. More information can be found at www.crabhermits.com.

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NEWS

POSTER PASSION “Gav’s technique involves pouring paint directly onto his sketch on a piece of paper. The lumpy paint gives the end product a 3D/2D effect” An artist and an animator with a passion for the Kawasaki Z900 have combined talents to produce some unique art posters that pay homage to the motorcycle. Gav Barbey and Mark Giblin have been working together for about seven years producing kids’ cartoons and then artworks of trucks and cars. Now they have formed a company called A to Z of Motorcycles to produce bike posters, greeting cards, t-shirts and other items featuring their rather unique artwork.

26 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Instead of painting the pictures with paint and a brush, Gav’s technique involves pouring paint directly onto his sketch on a piece of paper. The lumpy paint gives the end product a 3D/2D effect. “I get a picture of a bike and I pull it apart in my head,” says Gav of his art process. “I pour them separately and then we photograph them, deepetch them and put them together in a computer like a Meccano set.”

Mark, who puts all of Gav’s pieces together to assemble the final product, has been a bike fanatic since the age of 12. “I ride and have an old Z9. I’ve even wri en a song about it,” says Mark. “We just thought motorbikes could look good so we did the Z9 and it came out looking incredible. We went from making trucks and cars, which are quite simple with big blocks of colour, but as soon as you start on a bike you have infinite detail. There is something about the way motorcycles are completely visible but at the same time people have made them look so fantastic.”

Gav says not every motorcycle is a work of art, but he admires their engineering form and function.

“They’ve got to work so there has to be a function, but there is also a multiple range of forms,” he says. So far they have composed 52 posters of various motorcycles including the Mike Hailwood Ducati, Harley Electra Glide, Norton Commando and Indian Scout, as well as an A to Z of classic motorcycles and an A to Z poster of modern bikes.

“I’m not a fan of new bikes,” says Gav, “but when I was pulling them apart, there is so much engineering research in the aerodynamics that people take for granted. Some have 30 pieces of fairing that direct air somewhere.”

Mark’s tastes are also prejudiced toward older bikes. “I’ve been doing the modern bike posters and I wasn’t really into them, but I’ve got a different feel for them now,” he says. “My mates ride Street Triples and stuff like that and I admit modern machinery is appealing. I could certainly do with some nice brakes on the Z9. I’m always thinking about buying another bike. If I could, I’d get an old Le Mans.”

In contrast, Gav doesn’t even ride. “I’m one of those guys who wants to build

them, but if I rode one they’d all laugh at me. I’d die in about two seconds,” he says.

“Bikes are really much more complicated than anything else. They are really small and detailed. What I fell in love with is the beautiful engineering design in there.

It’s form and function. I don’t really have any favourites. Everything will influence me and it changes day to day. The long wartime Zundapp bike is the one I’d have and I’d rebuild it and bastardise it. It’s a really interesting piece of engineering art.”

Their posters are available for sale on their website, www.atozuniverse.com, which links to an eBay store. Posters cost $35 and are produced in A2 size (420mm x 594mm), ma cello glazed on good-quality paper. A to Z managing director Tracy James says they also produce greeting cards and plan more products in coming months, from t-shirts to calendars. She says they are also seeking retail stockists and will be doing market stalls around Sydney every weekend.

Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

28 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

R E A L

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THE THINGS YOU SEE

BIG SHOT BLUE SKY, LOW SUN, A FEW MATES AND A BACK ROAD TO NOWHERE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MINOR ROAD TO SOMEWHERE, BUT SOMETIMES TAKING A WRONG TURN ENDS UP BEING THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP. AND IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING ELSE TO RIB THE NAVIGATOR ABOUT. PHOTO: MICK MATHESON

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 29

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On your itinerary, you will journey the real America, meeting the fair-dinkum folk that call the heartland of this amazing country home, eating in true American diners and staying in historic hotels and motels along the way. Beginning in one of the US’s premier cities, Chicago, you will venture across eight states (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California), encountering numerous cultures and tackling all sorts of geography, from the magnificence of the Great Lakes, to the Corn Belt of Illinois, the rolling hills of the Ozarks, the mesmerizing Llano Estacado and the Painted Desert. You’ll be crossing the High Plains, climbing through Alpine regions, the Grand Canyon and dropping into the blistering Mojave Desert, before we reach the Land of Milk and Honey and topping it all off in the light-spangled Las Vegas.

You will also visit iconic Route 66 sights such as the Wagon Wheel and Wigwam Motels (Pixars inspiration in the animated movie Cars), the 1929 Chain of Rocks Bridge, St Louis Gateway Arch, Devil’s Elbow Bridge, Gary’s Gay Parita gas station, 4 Women on the Route, 9-foot highway, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, 1933 Texaco Station, Big Texas Steak Ranch, Santa Fe, Cadillac Ranch, Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Apache Death Cave, Twin Arrows … and much, much more!

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■ Not only is the TT about racing in the streets, spectators can get right up close to the action

THE TOURIST TROPHY EXPERIENCE Riding through a leafy country village, past the post box, across the pedestrian crossing, kissing the kerb on the apex just by the telegraph pole — at 300km/h! Fancy it?

CHARLEY BOORMAN ave you ever ridden through a li le town or village and thought, wow, look at that neat chicane and that supergorgeous 45-degree double S-bend out through the tunnel of sycamore trees … wonder what it would be like riding fast through here? Maybe inadvertently, you’ve found yourself doing over the legal limit and just grabbed some brake and calmed it all down. But could you imagine a situation where the police beckon you through, the streets are brushed clean and the post office and sweetshops are closed, just to allow you

H

32 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

to scream through like a mad thing at speeds over 300km/h?

Welcome to the Isle of Man TT, the mecca of road racing where you can rub shoulders with legends and leg ends — all in the same day, from the paddock to the pub. Yes, the paddock is open to the public and you’ll bump into international riders (Cameron Donald, Bruce Anstey, Josh Brookes, Davo Johnson are regular antipodean racers) and local heroes all just ge ing on with their preparation, registration, scrutineering etc, and later in the fantastic pubs you can drink till your head hurts and be entertained till the wee hours.

The island is tiny, just 52km long and 22km wide, si ing in the middle of the Irish Sea just a few hours by ferry from Liverpool or Dublin. I always think of the Isle of Man as a mini Ireland, without the Irish. The people are incredibly friendly, especially to bikers — a er all, you’re

part of their economy. It’s a beautiful place, covered with a blanket of Emerald Green fields separated by winding narrow country lanes and pre y li le villages.

The TT must be one of the very few “no holds barred” road races le in the world.

It dates back to 1907 — which is amazing

BOORMAN Get set: Michael Dunlop embarks on one of his three winning races this year

r r Michael Dunlop: Following his legendary uncle Joey to the top of the TT and bringing BMW with him

“McGuinness revealed that as he hits 320km/h on the TT circuit, his eyeballs start to ‘vibrate’ in their sockets, giving him blurred vision” to think they were racing motorbikes there more than 100 years ago. To give you a flavour of the day, in 1911 the first, second and third places where taken by the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in America, Indian. Other classic names abound — AJS, Co on, Veloce e, Mondial, MV Agusta and Gilera — and of course some that are still racing today, including modern-day classics Triumph and Norton.

Back in the 1920s there were lap records of around 55mph (90km/h) — average speed over a lap that’s been pre y constant at 37.7 miles (60.7km) long.

By the ‘50s these had nearly doubled to 100mph (160km/h), a combination of improved roads and bikes. This year we saw lap records broken every day during race week, with John McGuiness losing his record of 131.671mph to Bruce Anstey with an incredibly scary average of 132.298mph (212.913km/h). Remember, these are average so can you imagine the kind of speeds they’re hi ing around the road circuit? Interestingly, the Kiwi, Bruce Anstey, also holds the unofficial top speed record of 206mph (332km/h) as far back as 2006, when the bike’s on-board data logging equipment recorded the speed.

I’m lucky enough to know some of the riders and in my opinion they are the modern equivalent of gladiators, with a combination of skill, speed and bravery.

The race is not very forgiving and unlike a circuit race, a fall at 200km/h is not going to end well. But these guys are born racers

and they thrive in this danger zone. John McGuinness, the King of the Mountain, currently has 21 TT wins to his credit. He’s the closest to the absolute record holder, Joey Dunlop, the road-racing icon from Northern Ireland whose career ended with 26 TT wins.

Recently I had a pint with John — yes, it was Guinness. He told me that he’s had a li le trouble with his eyes and as the explanation unfolded, he revealed that as he hits 320km/h on the TT circuit, his eyeballs start to “vibrate” in their sockets, thereby giving him blurred vision at the end of the straight. Apparently this is a physiological issue with any human being travelling at these speeds on a motorbike.

But he spoke about it so casually, so ma er of fact. All those listening in the bar had jaws down on the floor!

This year was even more special for me. This is the year when a nephew of the infamous Joey Dunlop gave BMW Motorrad its first TT victory in 75 years.

Yes, Michael Dunlop, that hard man from Northern Ireland who made a surprising decision to move to BMW this year really showed his me le and proved a few points to people. He won three races on the BMW S1000 and one on his own Honda. The last time a factory BMW won at the TT was 1939 and so it was a real gamble for Motorrad to put this unproven S1000 into the road race world.

Winning the Senior race, the last race of the week, was the icing on the cake and

must have been doubly hard as Michael rode past his brother’s crashed bike close to the end. William Dunlop had a massive high-speed crash on the mountain when he overcooked a bend and had to “put the bike down”, coming out with a broken leg — lucky, some would say. Michael was heard on camera in the refuelling stop quickly asking, “Is he OK?” Yet he still managed to keep that focus for a short time longer and reap the rewards.

I’m proud to be connected with BMW, grateful that fortuitously the company backed Ewan and me 10 years ago for Long Way Round and happy to see it continue to progress, develop and lead across the range of bikes. Well done to all the brave racers who took part in this year’s TT and a special heartfelt congratulations to Michael Dunlop, whose determination, dedication and sheer skill put BMW at the top of the road racing game in 2014.

If you ever get a chance to come and visit this spectacular and historic race I can only urge you to grab it with both hands. You’ll never regret it. In fact, the only regret you’ll have is that you’ve not been before.

See you at Phillip Island, Moto GP, October 2015. ARR

r The current thing: electric bikes are using the TT as a proving ground

GENERAL LINKS The official IoM TT website: www.iom .com TT tours and bike shipping: www.getrouted.com.au TT tours: www.eliteset.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 33

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SEDDO

THE POSTIE CHALLENGE Buying a postie bike ain’t as simple as it seems GEOFF SEDDON he young bloke moved down to inner-city Sydney and promptly put his Magna up for sale. He would buy himself a postie bike to get to work and uni, he said. I briefly tried talking him into something with a bigger engine but his heart was set and would I mind giving him a hand?

Mind? I love buying motorbikes, especially with other people’s money! We enjoy our father and son projects, and I was excited for him to be ge ing into motorcycling. We offloaded the car for $1500 and went shopping.

Postie bikes have always been cool and good ones hold their value well, especially in big cities. But a quick check on Gumtree showed there were bikes to be had for our kind of money. Game on!

We checked out one close by for $1600, a customised early girl, to give us a starting point. It had a lot of bling but one glance was enough to say no. I took it for a spin anyway, a er we’d push-started it, and it was all but unrideable. It had no compression, no power and rode as if the tyres were flat. They were! Unbelievably, the ad had invited potential buyers to test-ride it.

We chased another one but the owner was reluctant to even give us an address.

Very strange. Others didn’t return calls.

The rest were either sold, too far away, too expensive or needed work.

Time for Plan B, the monthly Aussie Post auction which was scheduled

T

for the following week. I’ve been to classic vehicle auctions but this was a whole new pair of underpants. Fi y-six unregistered, unwashed CT110s sat in three rows in a ginormous tin shed. They looked identical but were anything but.

They ranged from two to six years old, with somewhere between 20,000km and 40,000km on the clock. Most showed evidence of a hard life but appeared

“I’ve been to classic vehicle auctions but the monthly Aussie Post auction was a whole new pair of underpants” roadworthy. With more bikes than buyers, I decided to keep my powder dry while I got a feel for prices.

The auctioneer climbed up on the podium, plugged in his microphone and the hall was filled with an impenetrable din. He spoke so fast and the amplified sound was so distorted I couldn’t make out a single word. Every 20 or 30 seconds, he would bang his gavel and some bloke would hold up his buyer number while the auctioneer took a breath. By the time I worked out they were going for between $900 and $1400, more than half were gone, many to just a few buyers. An air of panic set in as the rest of us chased

a diminishing resource. I vowed to bring some be er ears and bid early next time.

Back on Gumtree, we spread our net wider and found a registered one up north for $1200, offers welcome. We looked for others in the area to make the trip worthwhile and found another modified older model for $1400. It had been for sale for a while and we’d ignored it up until now; we were wary of customs and you could barely tell it was a postie, so dark were the photos. What the hell, it was on the way.

It sold the moment we saw it. The 1993 model (one year older than my son) had been well restored by a former owner and professionally resprayed in royal blue metallic with subtle silver ghost flames. Apart from that, it was bog stock with long rego. Everything worked. It was clean and well maintained. Best of all, the engine had compression to burn.

It started first kick, sounded sharp and pulled 60km/h up a long hill. It steered well — air in the tyres will do that — and stopped on tuppence.

I was grinning like a hippy under my helmet and had to compose myself to do the deal. We were only the second respondents to the ad, the owner said.

The first guy offered her a thousand bucks, but she was losing too much money to sell it for that. We thought about suggesting she take some be er pictures but offered her $1200 instead.

Well, that was fun. Now how about one for Dad? ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 35

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MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: THE ENGINE ZOE NAYLOR

Can a girl love pistons as much as a pair of Jimmy Choos? ntil recently I’d never really understood how my partner could ogle for hours over photos of shiny car engines advertised on carsales.com. Give me Net-a-Porter any day! If I liked the way something looked, liked the way it felt and trusted the brand, then that was really my purchasing checklist done.

About six months ago we bought a fully restored 1988 Ford F150 four-wheel drive and the process we embarked on to find this car changed everything.

Rather than retreating to our own devices for some mindless internet news trawling and a numbing retail therapy hit a er dinner, we shared the experience of looking for this characterinfused vehicle together. We would share finds that tickled our fancy, then exchange our thoughts and feelings about each make and model. This allowed for a greater connection with my partner than I was ever going to have discussing the latest pair of Jimmy Choos from the Paris runway.

Throughout this process I also began to truly appreciate the artistry and skill required to rebuild an engine from the ground up. I suddenly found myself keen to look under the bonnet of similar vintage cars and peruse pictures of their rebuilt motors. The appeal of impulse online shopping not only began to pale in comparison, but was quickly superseded by this much more fulfilling process.

I mentioned in my last column that I was planning on ge ing a complete lowdown on the construction of a motorcycle engine so that I could have a full appreciation of everything that brings this piece of machinery to life.

Motorcycles are like pieces of art and

U

I’m sick of feeling like a total ignoramus when discussing this topic in a room full of motorcycle enthusiasts.

I popped over to my friend Jason Barre from Barre Exhausts for my layman’s lesson. Here goes: Like cars, all bikes have cylinders.

Inside each cylinder is a piston. I guess you could say the cylinder is the heart of the engine. The cubic centimetres (CCs) are aligned with the piston. The larger the piston, the more CCs. A bike can have anything from a single cylinder (one piston) to four and in some cases five or six cylinders. Japanese bikes generally have four cylinders whereas Ducatis are renowned for having two.

You can have a four-cylinder bike that is as powerful as a two-cylinder bike — it just depends on the size of the piston.

Have I lost you yet?

“I thought the process of educating myself about bike engines was going to be dead boring, but I have to say I really enjoyed it” Most single-cylinder bikes go up to around 690cc. If an engine has more CCs than that, you’re likely to have more cylinders. Last issue I was grappling with a V-twin versus parallel-twin design, the la er being a contributing factor for a tinny sounding engine. I now understand this has to do with layout of the cylinders and size of the pistons.

Nowadays most road bikes are

water-cooled by radiators and these are generally found at the front of the bike and don’t look dissimilar to car radiators, except they’re half the size. Smaller bikes or older bikes are air-cooled.

The exhaust then comes from the cylinders and is where the almighty engine sound comes from. Think about the sound of a Harley-Davidson approaching — this sound is emi ed from its exhaust. Some exhausts twist and turn around the engine and some are simple in their design. My mate Jason designs customised exhausts to not only change the aesthetic of your bike, but also the dulcet sound it makes. You can check out his website for more details at www.barre exhausts.com.au.

The muffler is how the tone of the sound is refined. I guess you could say that it tunes the sound of the engine and in most cases also quietens it.

The gearbox and clutch are also integral parts of an engine but most of us are probably already familiar with these parts as a result of he y carmechanic bills.

So there you have it — a beginner’s guide to a motorcycle engine! I thought the process of educating myself about this was going to be dead boring, but I have to say I really enjoyed it. My partner can’t believe that I’m actually having conversations with him about cylinders and engines! Perhaps most women roll their eyes at their partners when it comes to car/bike engines not because it’s boring, but because they don’t understand. If men could take a li le more interest in ladies’ fashion, and women in engine mechanics, maybe the world would be a happier place.

Happy travels. Till next time… ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

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GREGOR

TEST OF TIME GREG REYNOLDS

his year’s CHUMPS rally for bike journos was the usual rowdy celebration and it a racted several notable old boys. I was asked whether I was Australia’s longest-serving road tester! It had never occurred to me, but I started in 1981 and, with a few years off along the way, this is my 30th year testing.

The beer and yarns flowed freely as others chipped in and we reminisced about various bike testers. We talked about the early high-mileage guys like Kel Wearne and Geoff Hall and their influence on the road testing scene. Icons of the industry Roothy and Seddo were discussed, then roasted, largely because they were both present. When it came down to long service in road testing, we came up with four main rivals who are legends of the industry: Fraser Stronach, Ken Woo on, Peter “The Bear” Thoeming and our own Mick Matho.

Motorcycle testers usually fall into one of two categories: career journalists who can ride, or career motorcyclists who can write. I fall into the la er category but these four transcended those boundaries.

Fraser started in 1979 at REVS and later went to Two Wheels as managing editor. We figured his contribution to be somewhere around 25 years including his time freelancing. Fraser was my mentor at REVS when I started and is surely the doyen of all Australian testers. He was the most meticulous, dedicated and efficient tester I have ever come across and I learned a huge amount from him.

Fraser’s mechanical knowledge and

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Resolving the question of road-testing longevity over too many beers

suspension savvy were second to none, and his ability to ride fast and safe on the road was only a means to an end for him.

He needed to test every aspect of the bike to the nth degree! Nothing escaped his a ention. Stronach’s articles were similarly incisive and he called a spade a spade. He was famous for breaking the story of the 16in wheel when the small-diameter, high-profile tyres made some sports bikes of the day lethal.

He is definitely a hall of famer and he continues to test high-end four-wheel drives and cars to this day.

“Fraser was the most meticulous, dedicated and efficient tester I have ever come across” Ken Woo on started his Wobblers Lines column in AMCN in 1986. He became editor in 1990 and didn’t fully leave AMCN until 2010. He continued on with Motorcycle Trader until his untimely passing in 2011, giving him a solid 25 years. Ken was passionate about motorcycles, racing and his beloved AMCN. He has probably ridden more test bikes than all of us, such was his appetite, and he held the most influential position in the industry for 16 years.

The Bear is a wildcard here and even though his “Charlie and the Bear” stories were in Two Wheels at the start of the ’80s, none of us was sure when he started testing bikes. He wasn’t there

to defend himself so we decided that his time between magazines counted against him and figured that he had 25–28 years testing. Heaven help me if I am wrong! The Bear was editor of Two Wheels, started Bike Australia and Road Rider, and now has his new mag. He is the most recognisable road tester in history because his photo has appeared so many times in his magazines.

That leaves Matho, now editor of Australian Road Rider. Mick started at Two Wheels in 1988 and has tested bikes almost continuously until now, giving him a strong 26 years. Matho is the archetypal road tester and magazine man. He learned from the best and has absorbed all the best bits. He has edited Two Wheels, Streetbike and AMCN. A very quick and smooth rider, Matho has all the tools and is at the top of his game.

These men are icons of the industry who not only test bikes, but edit whole magazines. I take great pride in my road testing but I can’t hold a candle to these guys, achievement-wise. I have tested for REVS, Two Wheels, Streetbike and AMCN, before coming to Road Rider, but am I the longest-serving tester? Could I really be the last man standing?

STOP PRESS! This whole discussion was obviously conceived on a boozy night. We completely overlooked Guy Allen! I think Guido started at AMCN in 1982 and, if he has been testing continuously since then, he has us all by the short and curlies! I can’t wait for the phone calls. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 39

The iconic 4-bikes-in-1 Multistrada 1200 S Touring further evolves to take you wherever your heart desires with performance, comfort and safety, and now with the innovative Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS), to actively respond to any challenges thrown up by the terrain.

The second-generation Testastretta 11°, 150hp L-twin engine has reintroduced the Dual Spark concept for incredible engine smoothness and response, this increases torque to an impressive 124.5Nm. Equipped with electronic 48mm USD forks and rear mono-shock, both with the new DSS technology, the semi-active system constantly re-adjusts damping to maintain optimum vehicle equilibrium â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as if it

was suspended from the sky.

With a dry weight of just 206kg the Multistrada 1200 S Touring comes standard with 4 Riding Modes, 3 Power Modes, Ducati Safety Pack (ABS + Traction Control), Ride-by-Wire, Hands-Free, Quick detach 58 litre Side Luggage, Heated Grips, Centre Stand, new higher and wider screen and two 12v power outlets; it really is the ultimate bike to go wherever you want to go!

If you want to experience the Multistrada 1200 S Touring visit your local Authorised Ducati Dealer and ask about current special offers or to book a test ride.

42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BMW R NINET

DEUS EX

MOTORRAD BMW’s factory bobber is too cool for school

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 43

STORY: GEOFF SEDDON PHOTOS: GREG SMITH he all-new BMW R nineT is one sweet motorbike. It is physically small with a low seat, and is pre y easy to ride. It sounds good, goes hard and handles a treat.

For a company that has built some of the worldಬs best-looking cars, BMW has designed some ugly motorcycles, but this isnಬt one of them. It passes the 50m test, the 20m test and just gets be er the closer you look. Itಬs all engine and not much else, but what remains is stylish and well finished. Black rims and hubs with polished spokes evoke the feel of an oldschool special, which is exactly what BMW intended. The only bits I didnಬt go for were the dual mufflers, but I loved the note.

The R nineT feels small and light on the road. It is very well balanced at stall speeds and carries its weight low. I could get both feet on the ground without stretching. The reach to the handlebar is gently forward and the riderಬs foot pegs slightly rear-set, offering a riding position that easily outlasts the range of the thin standard seat.

The air-cooled 1170cc Boxer twin in GS Triple Black trim vibrates like a Harley at idle but rocks to the right when the thro le is blipped. There is no electro-

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44 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“Non-adjustable 46mm upside-down forks replace the Telelever set-up found on other BMW twins” trickery here, no engine modes, no traction control; with this style of bike, they arenಬt missed. The clutch is light and the engine smooth once it gets off the mark. At this point, the nineT feels like so many other friendly, practical BMW roadsters Iಬve ridden over the years, albeit louder and more powerful.

It might look radical and cool, but itಬs a pussy to ride. It would make a great bike for someone returning to motorcycling a er a break.

Shorter final-drive gearing also helps.

BMW has a habit of gearing its bikes for the autobahn, but this one is built for cruising the city and scratching tight mountain passes. At 100km/h, the analogue tacho is showing around 3500rpm in sixth gear and it will happily accommodate 80km/h without a downshi . Itಬs perfect for pu ing down

■ The R nineT loves this sort of road, with grunty engine and sweet handling

BMW R NINET a quiet country lane, taking in the smells.

The engine is making over 100Nm at 3500rpm, and close to 108Nm at 4000rpm, which is plenty on a bike weighing just 222kg wet. Maximum torque is 119Nm at 6000rpm, then it falls off steeply. Power rises only gradually a er that point to peak at 81kW at 7750rpm, or just shy of 110hp. It encourages a gear taller than you might otherwise choose, which is not such a bad thing; it all feels a bit less frantic and fewer gear changes allow more time to concentrate on important stuff like corners and scenery. Itಬs no slouch either. In smooth hands on tight roads, itಬs a surprisingly fast bike with grunt to burn. When the road opens up, itಬs an exhilarating engine to wind through the gears.

The new trellis-style steel chassis looks the part and incorporates the

engine as a stressed member. Up front, non-adjustable 46mm upside-down forks replace the Telelever set-up found on other BMW twins. Iಬm a big fan of the Telelever, but it would look clunky and out of place on such a stylish, minimalist bike. Finished in gold, the forks at least look like the electronically adjustable units fi ed to the S-series sports bikes and work well, although a steering damper is included for security.

Sha drive and Paralever suspension at the blunt end is more familiar and is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping.

The test loop comprised 300km of hinterland magic west of the Tweed and the R nineT handled it all. It loved the smooth stuff, as most bikes do, and made a good fist of the tighter, gnarlier sections, dodging potholes and stray ►

“There is no electro-trickery here, no engine modes, no traction control; with this style of bike, they aren’t missed” ■ Old-school style: the R nineT has more than a hint of the past in its nature

■ Telescopic forks look odd on the front of an R-Series these days!

r Tiny LED lights help keep the back end small and tidy, an important bit of the styling

r The Paralever rear end belies its size for a minimalist appearance to the back end

r Will this be the last new model to use the air/ oil-cooled boxer twin?

WHAT’S IN A NAME? You can always tell a joke’s no good when you have to explain it. R nineT is hard enough to spell with the odd letter spacing and all that upper- and lower-case stuff, and the BMW brass at the launch were always careful to pronounce nineT with the emphasis clearly on the T. It sounds affected but they don’t want it sounding like 90, in which case we’d all mistake it for a 900. Yet ask the significance of the model name and we’re told it’s to celebrate 90 years of motorcycle production.

More likely, BMW is leveraging the success of the uber-cool Concept Ninety show bike unveiled on the company’s actual anniversary in May last year. Designed by Roland Sands, the Ninety was a modern interpretation of the revered R90S, first released in 1973. The nineT has the same stripped-down look as the Ninety, but has otherwise shed those bits that resembled the souped-up 90 that spawned it.

So best be careful how you pronounce the name. We wouldn’t want anyone getting confused.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 45

■ You don’t miss the electronic aids that the R nineT lacks ■ Pure class? It’s definitely up there but so is the price

QUICKSPECS

“It would make an ideal commuter but not such a great tourer, although you’d be tempted to just to show it off” ca le and all the special surprises they leave in their wake. Suspension travel is 120mm each end and the se ings were well calibrated for my 75kg riding weight.

The bike has such an old-school feel Iಬd half-expected it to buck and wallow like a real bike if I went too fast, but the package proved to be at least as good as I was. Our ride finished at dusk on the dirt; Iಬm no great fan of unsealed surfaces but the bike made it easy for me.

Back on the tar, the steering is stable and precise; the 1476mm wheelbase is generous and 17in tyres in sports-like 130/180 widths dished up nice clean lines.

Cornering clearance is excellent. No 46 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

doubt someone will get the hero knobs down somewhere, but not even the fastest guys on the launch got anything to scrape on roads most of us were seeing for the first time.

Itಬs not shy of braking power, especially up front. BMW describes the brakes as ಯmore than a match for the dynamic performance abilities of the nineTರ and theyಬre right, they are more than a match. Brembo radial four-piston monoblock calipers on twin 320mm rotors are what we normally find on sports bikes and they o en seemed to come on stronger than I expected. Other riders described it slightly differently ಧ

Model: BMW R nineT Price: $20,950 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Any colour you like so long as itಬs black Warranty: Two years, unlimited km.

Third year at additional cost Servicing intervals: First at 1000km, then every 10,000km Engine: Air-cooled flat-twin, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101 x 33mm Displacement: 1170cc Compression: 12.0:1 Power: 81kW (110hp) @ 7750rpm Torque: 119Nm @ 6000rpm Transmission: Dry clutch, 6-speed gearbox, sha final drive Frame: Tubular-steel trellis-style mainframe, removable sub-frame Dimensions: Seat height 785mm, weight 222kg (wet), fuel capacity 17L, wheelbase 1476mm, steering head angle 64.5° Suspension: Front, non-adjustable 46mm upside-down fork, 120mm travel. Rear, single shock, preload & damping adjustment, 120mm travel Brakes: Front, 2 x 320mm discs with four-piston Brembo monoblock calipers. Rear, single 265mm disc, twin-piston Brembo caliper Tyres: Front, 120/70 ZR17.

Rear, 180/55 ZR17 Fuel consumption: 4.5-5.8L/100km (claimed) Theoretical range: 250-300km Verdict: Cool to look at, fun to ride

BMW R NINET not much initial bite, then a shedload.

But be er to have too much than not enough, especially with ABS in your corner. The rear brake, a twin-piston Brembo on a single 265mm rotor, is so er and more predictable. Overall the brakes work together well and will only get be er with familiarity.

It would make an ideal commuter but not such a great tourer, although youಬd be tempted to just to show it off.

Factory luggage options are a tank bag and rear so bag for the pillion seat at $1000 for the pair. I didnಬt get a chance to record fuel consumption but you could expect a range of at least 250km from the 17L tank. The standard seat is good for around 100km and the separate pillionಬs perch doesnಬt look much be er.

There is a comfort seat option ($585 ►

“It loved the smooth stuff, as most bikes do, and made a good fist of the tighter, gnarlier sections”

DYO STYLE

r BMW kicked its addiction to the excellent Telelever front suspension for the sake of the nineT’s fashion sense

r Brakes are top-notch items that work well on even faster bikes

Not only does BMW offer a big range of options for the R nineT, including different tail-pipes to change the position and angle of the mufflers, it has gone to some lengths to encourage owners and customising shops to get stuck in. Even more amazingly, the company is telling us about it.

The main frame consists of a front section containing the steering head and a rear section to mount the swingarm and support the rider. The subframes that support the pillion and tail assembly can be unbolted without affecting the bike’s dynamic integrity.

Nothing new there — lots of BMWs have bolt-on sub-frames, but this is the first one that was designed from scratch to be ditched.

But what about the taillight and number plate? Glad you asked. The housing for the rear axle drive is off a GS; BMW points out that the three mounting points for what would have been the mudguard would make a good start for attaching a low bracket

to hold what’s missing. You’d want to build it well given it’ll be bouncing around on the end of a swingarm, and the plate would be all but unreadable for the same reason. But it would look tres chic. The factory advises that there’s room for a wider rim and tyre down back if that’s your thing, but adds that you’ll need engineering approval to legally ride bikes with these kinds of mods on the road.

The nineT’s other nod to customisers is the separation of the engine wiring harness from everything else electrical. The idea is to keep the amount of work involved in rewiring for major mods manageable.

BMW is very keen to get into the urban custom bobber phenomenon that has blossomed all around the world. I don’t think a real hipster would be seen dead on a new R nineT, but it sure is a great platform for the rest of us to build something distinctive and personal while retaining all the benefits of a modern, fast, good-handling motorbike.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 47

BMW R NINET ■ BMW has successfully taken historic cues and made them look contemporary and attractive

for the rider, $256 for the pillion) which I didnಬt get a chance to try, and a very cool-looking aluminium tail cover ($660) to fit in place of the pillion seat for that solo cafe racer look. The options list is a long one, from carbon engine covers ($443) to heated grips ($853) and around $1200 for an Akrapovic sports can. BMW has put as much effort into tuning the note as the engine via an electronically controlled muffler valve ಧ I suspect even the pops and farts on the overrun are engineered ಧ and it all sounds so good the only reason Iಬd change the exhaust would be its appearance.

At $20,950 plus on-road costs, the R nineT is no bargain, especially once you option it up a bit. Thatಬs two grand more than the new high-tech S 1000 R, and itಬs confidently pitched above prices for similar bikes from Harley-Davidson, Triumph and Moto Guzzi. Itಬs a be er, faster package but most importantly offers a fresh new take on retro cool. If you think it looks good, wait till you ride it. ARR 48 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r The BMW feels small and light on the road, adding to its likeability

r Twin pipes aren’t to everyone’s taste but they’re sleek and small

r Twin dials look traditional, as does the dash layout with its modern insets

SEAT OF You’d be tempted to sit on Triumph’s two-bikes-in-one Thunderbird LT in your living room purely for the comfort

STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: JEFF CROW riumph says it built this bike around its seat. I’d do the same thing. It’s the most comfortable motorcycle seat I’ve ever sat in — I’d bet my bum on it.

For more than 2000km during this test, my cheeks were more content than a fat man in a recliner. I’ve done a lot of miles on a lot of bikes over the years but never have I sat so luxuriantly.

Triumph has scored big with the new

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50 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Thunderbird seat and if they went into the business of manufacturing seats for other brands they’d make a killing. I can’t think of a single cruiser or tourer that wouldn’t be be er for it. If you want a bagger to do long rides on, the seat alone is reason enough to buy the Thunderbird LT. There are also many other reasons that would justify the purchase.

However, let’s first get one thing out of the way: this is not a V-twin. That’s why some people can’t come at the Triumph,

so stuck are they in the look and lines of the ubiquitous cruiser engine. It’s also why other people will put the T-bird at the top of their wish list, so tired are they of having to toe the line because there wasn’t much choice. Whichever camp you’re in, you have to admit that this parallel twin — the largest of its kind ever made — is a handsome lump of a powerplant, standing upright and unencumbered in the frame like the barrel chest on a sergeant-major.

I shall leave the fashion choice to ►

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

POWER

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 51

“For more than 2000km during this test, my cheeks were more content than a fat man in a recliner” you, though I will say this: while the parallel-twin didn’t tickle my eye at first it wasn’t long before I was nursed out of my pro-vee prejudices by the majestic lines of the rest of the bike and the gorgeous way the 1700cc engine pounds away at its tasks. The motor is as sweet yet powerful as a tamed tiger. When you’re si ing on the bike’s back you can’t see the engine but you can feel the beat of its 270° cranksha , which mimics the uneven cadence of a 90° V-twin.

Triumph tells us the engine makes pre y much the same power and torque as a CVO Harley’s bigger 1800cc donk, and that feels about right. The claimed figures for the CVO Road King tell us there’s a li le less torque (160Nm for the H-D, 151 for this), and though Harley doesn’t quote a figure to compare against the Triumph’s 69kW, the power would be ballpark. However, a more relevant comparison would be with Harley’s 1690cc engine such as the one that powers the Heritage So ail — a bike that happens to have leather saddlebags and a screen. The Triumph feels a lot stronger, everywhere, and is helped

by excellent fuelling and even power delivery all the way.

There’s enough power in the twin to push this big bird from 100km/h up through 140 in the space it takes to overtake a car on a country road, without budging out of overdrive sixth gear. It’s a lot of fun off the line, roaring straight through the revs to the very so rev limiter if you’re not quick into second, while second and third gears blast you rapidly up to highway speed and beyond. I’d say the Triumph has a bit more grunt than most of its equivalents. This is an engine that likes to rev by big-twin standards, while never demanding you do it. It lopes beautifully

■ The LT has no ugly bits hidden under saddlebags so it looks great undressed

52 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

if you want to be lazy on the gear lever but delivers thrills when you play the thro le and gearbox.

The gears are helically cut, except for first, and it’s the first time Triumph has done a box like this. The stiffness I felt initially had almost disappeared as the transmission bedded in during the test of this fresh machine, and I was happy with the shi action by the time 2000km rolled by.

The heavy-duty chassis is worthy of the engine’s performance. Steering’s very good and you wouldn’t know the bike weighed so much — 380kg fuelled up.

You can whack it on a line and hold it or adjust it easily, with no question about

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT THAT AWESOME SEAT The seat is the Thunderbird LT’s pièce de résistance. Triumph already had the 1600/1700cc Thunderbirds designed and committed before the seat came along but they were so impressed that they went back to the drawing board and redesigned the frame for the LT and Commander models, just so they could fit the magic seat.

The seat’s excellence is rooted in a number of things. Shape is one. It is relatively wide, though not as broad as some. At the same time it’s narrow up front so it doesn’t put pressure on your inner thighs. It slopes backwards into a big dish before ramping up a few inches behind your tail bone, where there’s a separate lumbar support pad built in. It’s kept separate so that it doesn’t get distorted by your weight settling on the main part of the seat, apparently. The leading edge of the pillion pad provides the bulk of the back-end support though, and if you remove the pillion seat your seat feels flatter at the back.

Three different densities of foam are layered inside it and they’re covered in an elastic material that will stretch a little around your bum, rather than offering resistance. The different foams work together to put what feels like a much more even pressure on you, reducing pressure points and spreading the load. The foam goes quite deep, but the increasing densities of foam offer progressively greater support so you don’t just sink to the bottom and sit on the frame.

This concept started with the seat on Triumph’s Trophy tourer and now it’s even better. It really is a remarkable seat.

“There’s enough power in the twin to overtake a car on a country road without budging out of overdrive sixth gear” the stability. The Thunderbird is average for clearance so it gets by, but this is one cruiser you’d sometimes like a bit more on, just because the rest of it is up to it. Triumph has done good work on the suspension, which holds its own at speed.

It also offers good comfort until the roads get crook.

You o en forget it’s a twin-shock setup at the rear. Triumph has canted the units forward, allowing them more room to move and therefore increasing their travel to 109mm, well above the average for baggers. They’re progressively wound too, so there’s plushness at the top of the stroke and firmness as they get closer to bo oming out. It works be er than some of the monoshock cruisers out there.

Another great thing is the use of radial tyres — radial whitewalls at that, the first of their kind. Their grip and stability, especially in the wet, leaves most rivals for dead. These Avons, developed specifically for the Thunderbird, add huge amounts of confidence to any ride.

They enhance the bike’s braking ability too. The proper triple-disc set-up with serious calipers is good, the rear being very strong in true heavy-cruiser style.

With all this underneath you, and that wonderful seat as the major point

of contact, you’re right to have high expectations about the rest of the LT experience. You sit in a classic cruiser/ tourer riding position, which in my case at 183cm means a relaxed posture with a li le pressure on my lower back that eventually becomes a slight ache. I get that a lot on many of these bikes though. There’s no stretch or reach to the handlebars or footboards, but without the screen in place I’d have preferred the bars further forward so I was leaning into the wind a bit more; that’s easily fixed, of course.

The initial delivery of LTs had high screens fi ed, along with the small deflectors below it. I also tried the shorter screen and none at all (with no screen the steering feels lighter, a small bonus). Both screens produce a bit of buffeting around your helmet, but the amount seemed to vary with the weather more than I’ve noticed before. I was happy to have the tall one on the long days I did, but by choice I’d take the shorter one because you can see over it, a big deal in rain or at night.

The biggest day was a solid 700km and then some, with no mucking about.

I sat through it in relative tranquillity, the smoothness of the engine and ride offset only slightly by a li le buffeting, ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53

r 1700cc of parallel-twin — the biggest of its kind, with grunt to spare

r Chrome, curves and pinstripes — the LT is beautiful down to the details

“When you’re sick of the full package, the LT strips bare into a solo-seat cruiser in only a few minutes” and the joy of music playing through my Earmold plugs. I’d given up on hearing the exhaust note, which you can hear if you’re following the Thunderbird but not if you’re riding it. There was just one fuel stop on the way, the 22L tank promising over 300km even at a hard pace and well over 400 at a restrained cruise. Consumption ranged from 4.9 to 7.0L/100km.

My brief ride with a pillion confirmed the passenger’s footboards are welcome 54 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

and the seat spreads the same kind of love as the rider’s one. The backrest is a standard feature that rounds out a great two-up package, though I think if you’re a heavy couple you’ll feel the suspension bo om out a bit.

When you’re sick of the full package, the LT strips bare into a solo-seat cruiser in only a few minutes. The screen comes off with a sharp tug, no tools required.

The saddlebags come off to leave very li le sign of mounting points, and the

r The reinforced saddlebags are quality leather and hold a fair volume

bodywork underneath them is obviously made to be shown off. Unbolt the pillion’s stuff and you’ve transformed your T-bird into a different bike. Clever.

The saddlebags are a good size and close down with hidden quick-release buckles and Velcro around the top edges.

They’re leather and will keep most water out, but the accessory inner bags, which are light but strong, would be worth buying. The rack you see here is normally another accessory, though the ►

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

THOSE AWESOME AVONS

Cruisers often have low-rent tyres.

It’s an area where makers can cut costs without too many complaints from customers who, whether by stereotype or in truth, are fair-weather riders who couldn’t ride out of sight even if they dared go out on a dark night.

That’s not always the case, for both riders and manufacturers, and there are a few good tyres out there as OEM equipment. Even some radials.

For all sorts of reasons, radials are usually going to perform better but if you want whitewalls on your bike, you have to go with bias-ply or cross-ply.

Any tyre maker will tell that whitewall radials just can’t be done. Unless you ask the guys at Avon.

“Triumph stated they had tested our 150/80R16 and 180/70R16 Cobra blackwall tyres and were impressed with their performance, but they wanted them to be whitewall,” says Ash Vowles, a motorcycle design engineer at Avon.

“Cross-ply and radial tyres are built very differently. Cross-ply tyres are built as a tube/cylinder and shaped

up in the curing process, whereas radials are shaped up as part of the building process. The main construction challenges were adhesion, crosscontamination/staining and component placement. These had to be spot-on while still maintaining the outstanding performance of the Cobra tyre.”

“Cross-ply and radial tyres are built very differently” Avon managed it, but they did it blind because Triumph wouldn’t let them anywhere near their top-secret cruiser project. “The road testing was initially done by Triumph as this prototype bike was a closely guarded secret and it was tested around Europe in very different climates and riding conditions,” says Doug Ross, head of global motorcycle tyre sales for Avon.

“Avon did not get to test the bike until it was a finished article. When

we produced a test tyre, we worked alongside Triumph to meet their rather stringent quality standards and that included riding the tyres to worn out so that the mileage could be realistically checked. We developed a good dialogue with Triumph and as a result we ended up with a product exactly to their specification.”

Doug describes the whitewall radial as a “valuable addition” to the project, something I have to agree with. They’d be an improvement on almost any cruiser that deserves whitewalls.

The whitewall Cobras will soon come out in a range of sizes to suit other cruisers and heavy tourers but don’t get too excited if your current bike uses cross-plies or bias-plies because you can’t switch from non-radials to radials. The very different behaviour and performance attributes demand different suspension calibration and sometimes even chassis changes.

However, if your bike runs blackwall radials and you reckon it’s time to pretty it up, you’re now in luck.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 55

QUICKSPECS Model: Triumph Thunderbird LT Price: $23,490 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Caspian Blue/Crystal White, Lava Red/Phantom Black Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km Engine: Liquid-cooled parallel-twin with DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, 270° crank phase Bore x stroke: 107.1 x 94.3mm Displacement: 1699cc Power: 69kW @ 5400rpm Torque: 151Nm @ 3550rpm Transmission: Wet multiplate clutch, 6-speed gearbox, belt final drive Frame: Tubular-steel double cradle Dimensions: Seat height 700mm, weight 380kg (wet), fuel capacity 22L, wheelbase 1665mm, rake 29.9º, trail 133mm Suspension: Front, 47mm forks, 120mm travel. Rear, twin shocks, progressive springs, preload adjustable, 109mm travel Brakes: Front, 2 x 310mm discs, 4-piston calipers. Rear, 310mm disc, 2-piston caliper. ABS Tyres: Front, 150/80R16. Rear, 180/70R16 Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km (av) Theoretical range: 360km Verdict: Two classy, gorgeous, good bikes in one

■ The blue version is an eye-catching stunner set off by its whitewalls

“Many of its rivals do their jobs well but I reckon the Thunderbird LT ticks more boxes than most” first LTs sold here had them as standard.

The rack is good and adds valuable storage space, though for solo touring you’d get by without it.

The crash bars and highway pegs were also first-shipment accessories that you won’t find on subsequent ones.

Two-tone paint is part of the package.

In the photos, you’d swear the black and red one was the only way to go but in the flesh, the blue-and-white model is gorgeous, really standing out as a classy, classic motorcycle. Those colours highlight the sweeping mudguard and large tank, set off the chrome and make the most of the whitewall tyres.

It’s bold, while the dark one ends up looking like just another bike.

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I didn’t regret asking for the blue one to test, just as I didn’t regret taking the scenic route to do the bulk of this test. There were a couple of days riding the roads east of Melbourne, another meandering along the Murray River, and then that 700km haul home on country roads. It provided a bit of everything, from heavy city traffic (yeah, it can, but it’s a bit big) through fanging on winding roads (yes, as baggers go it’s a fun one that deserves a bit more lean angle) to touring (loves it).

Many of its rivals do their jobs well but I reckon the Thunderbird LT ticks more boxes than most.

The excellent seat is the first one, and that’s a bigger tick than any seat gets.

Steering: tick. Handling: tick. Ride quality: tick. Quality tyres: tick. Overall comfort: tick. Luggage: tick. Pillion: tick. Engine performance: tick. Range: Tick. Looks: tick (or not if you’re a V-twin die-hard).

Wiring hidden inside the handlebars: tick. Conversion from bagger to cruiser: tick. And so on. Being picky, I’d diss it for lacking cruise control, a decent trip computer and traction control, but many other baggers lack them too.

Before the LT and its Commander cousin came along, Triumph Australia had sold over 400 1600cc Thunderbirds and 1700cc Storms, making them heroes of Triumph sales figures. These big twins are clearly hi ing their marks in a big way, and this makes the LT another very important model with great potential.

From what I’ve seen, it will live up to that potential without any difficulty. It’s every bit the bagger it sets out to be and more, li ing a few standards as it goes. ARR

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■ No, this is not Chris and Rick, but we reckon it may be close to some of Chris’s LT daydreams

THUNDERBIRD

TO THE RESCUE 2GB radio host Chris Smith found a unique angle when he tested the Thunderbird LT

STORY & PHOTOS: CHRIS SMITH hat a day! What superb riding weather. It was a summer start to an autumn morning.

Just perfect for the Balmain chapter of the Sons of Glory (SOG) to reunite. The motorcycling gods were on our side. The eight of us were almost panting to hit the road, but we were acting too cool to show it. Riders tend to do that, despite their horsey gait.

We’d a ack the M1 from Balmain, taking the Mt White turnoff before tacking westward to Wiseman’s Ferry.

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We’d head south-east to Berowra for lunch, criss-crossing the Hawkesbury River on both legs, then home, proud as punch. This was the Five Ferry Ride that most of the SOG had conquered before.

Most, not including me.

We were primed for the journey and made our way rather aggressively in single file up the M1, and once off the freeway took the challenge through winding bends on super surfaces all the way to li le ol’ Spencer, on the north bank of the Hawkesbury River, and under the Gosford Council area.

All good thus far. Time for a coffee, a chat with a few other weekend leather

warriors and a survey of the latest landmark at Spencer, the Big Ghe o Blaster. Yes, we’ve got another Big Thing on the long gaudy list of Big Things — the former Triple M outside-broadcast rig, shaped like a giant ghe o blaster. It pumps out a mean sound to the chagrin of sleepy locals on the hill opposite.

All caffeined up now, the SOG set forth to Wiseman’s Ferry, the troupe appearing very confident, very cocky, and a tad above the speed zones. But yours truly was having none of that boundary pushing. Only because I was test riding the new Triumph Thunderbird LT — the 1700cc cruiser

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT with those classic whitewalled tyres, backrest and sissy bar, magnificently cushioned seat and smooth gear change. I was impressed. Having just experienced the Harley Road King Classic, this was a step above.

I tried to keep pace with the rider in front. As most riders would a est, it’s far easier to follow the route of the road and its camber if the rider in front remains in sight. And to keep in tow, it sometimes requires a bit of catching up.

And that’s when the most pictureperfect day went awry. My very enthusiastic mate Rick, on the very willing red Buell sports bike, was leading our second pack along a link road between Wiseman’s Ferry Road and Ca ai Ridge Road. He wasn’t keen on losing sight of the first pack and decided it was time to reduce the gap. Oops.

I crested a rise and realised the chain was broken. Rick was pulling himself out from under the mangled Buell like a dusty grub from its cocoon, and staggering away in shock. He had flown over the rise, wasn’t certain of what direction the road was snaking in and had to make a right-hand correction, which was way too late. With a bit of over-reactionary front braking added to the mix, he twisted the bike right, then le , before arrowing it straight into the metre-deep ditch on the roadside. He narrowly avoided head-bu ing the hard side of the ditch.

The three of us still travelling in

that second group pulled up. Rick was immediately apologetic. It was an odd first reaction but possibly due to the fact that he was our convenor, and he may have felt he’d lost face in front of his mates, or because he knew we were 30 minutes away from a waterside lunch at Berowra. We didn’t care at that point.

“Rick was pulling himself out from under the mangled Buell like a dusty grub from its cocoon” Was he OK? It’s easy to see what bark a rider loses in a bingle, but bike crashes can hide internal injuries.

It was clear that Rick had broken his collarbone and maybe even a rib or two. Once the adrenaline had washed from his bloodstream, he was starting to feel the pain. If he apologised once, he apologised a hundred times. His next concern was that we right his treasured red motorcycle. It’s strange how concerned we become for the bike, then the body. What’s wrong with us?

We prioritise our two-wheelers like they were our children.

I made arrangements on the phone to have the bike collected. Meanwhile, Rick had to be taken to hospital, broken

collarbone or not. And that’s when the Thunderbird came to the rescue. A er all, it had the best pillion seat, backrest and sissy bar. And they thought the bike was too big for the journey at hand!

Rick was helped onto the cushy pillion seat and le the rest to me. I didn’t need the gutsy 1700cc power, just the Thunderbird’s great cruiser comfort, the sturdy balance of a 380kg bike, its smooth six-speed gear change and incredible dual-disc front-braking system. No American clunkiness, and that lumbar support and extra padding are superb.

I couldn’t avoid a couple of pot holes, which had Rick writhing behind me, but all in all he was real glad that the Thunderbird LT was part of his posse that a ernoon. I didn’t tell him, but at times I even forgot he was on the back.

That’s the best part of riding really — forge ing everything you can’t see and enjoying the freedom and power of motorcycling.

As we walked into the emergency room of the Sydney Adventist Hospital in Hornsby, the parent of one sick boy looked us up and down in our leathers and helmets. She could see Rick shaking and nursing his right arm. All she could say was: “Bloody motorcycles!”

We all may have thought something similar that day but didn’t dare mouth the words. We just made plans for the next outing of the Balmain Chapter of the Sons of Glory. ARR

■ A pair of gloves hog the pillion seat at Spencer, never suspecting they will be replaced by a patient

r Chris at ProCycles, where he picked up the bike, never suspecting the LT can double as an ambo

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WORKS BURGER When it comes to sensory overload, HarleyDavidson’s Ultra Limited is a burger with the lot

STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: ANNE BAKER, MM he words that get most reviews rolling don’t always come easily, but the angle usually does because something about the bike or the experience of testing it will stand out.

You’d think the Ultra Limited, being the height of luxury and the most glamorous of full-dress tourers, would throw up a yarn that’d be simple to catch and run with. But no. I don’t really know where to start because I want to tell you about everything, right away, and there’s so much to tell.

The Ultra Limited is 414kg of selfpropelled sensory delight. You don’t enjoy it piece by piece like a slowlyserved degustation menu, you take it like a country-made burger with the lot. In a single mouthful, the toasty bun crackles and drops crumbs on your shirt; you taste runny egg yolk mixed with beetroot and fried beef and sweet onion and crisp le uce and cold tomato that’s such a pleasure a er the red-hot bacon has hit the roof of your mouth;

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the warm wetness of barbecue sauce, melted cheese and burger juices spreads out on your cheeks and runs down your wrists; and your stomach pleads impatiently to be filled with all that unwholesome goodness.

Maybe I’ve spent too much time eating in roadside diners. However, a er having just had dinner at a beaut new Japanese restaurant in town, I’ll tell you one thing: the Harley is no bento box. Classy, delicious and artistically presented, perhaps, but it tends to glu ony rather than delicacy.

One of my most vivid memories of the miles I did on it was sweeping through a big arc on a steep climb, the road just rough enough to be lively as the deep exhaust note roared against the workload of the ascent. The motor pulled vigorously in overdrive and I steered with my le hand as my right beat time on my thigh and the surroundsound effect of four quality speakers pumped music I couldn’t sit still to. I was warm and thinking about the poor bloke I’d just le shivering at a rest area as he tried to thaw out in the morning sun. ►

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ULTRA LIMITED

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r Grip warmer control is a simple, clever dial on the left handlebar

r Switches are comprehensive but so easy to use

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Heated handgrips and excellent fairings are worth their weight in gold, eh?

The Harley came upright as we crested the hill and the road banked the other way into the descent. We danced down the mountain and onto the flats below, laughing and wondering how life delivers moments of perfection like this. I didn’t want the ride to end. A lot of it was down to the Harley.

Now let’s break the Ultra burger down a bit, starting with the outer crust. The new aerodynamics of the batwing fairing are superb. Wind blast is heavily tamed but the air fluffs around you to remind you you’re on a bike, not cocooned in a car, and your pillion is equally well catered for. No, the screen’s not adjustable but the deflectors below the bat’s wings and in the leg guards can be twiddled to direct air in different directions — and enough to be a hit on hot or cold days.

Above about 30°C you feel the heat, including the residual engine heat that the new bodywork manages to reduce but not kill.

I could spend all day in this neutral riding position, though if I was much taller than 183cm I reckon I’d begin to feel cramped. My two pillions of varying leg

lengths loved the back seat. They liked its wrap-around back/armrest and its elevation, too — the view’s be er from up there. The fact that they have speakers back there dramatically increases their enjoyment of the music. The sheltered cockpit makes earplugs optional, such is the relative quiet, and it encourages the joyful sound of the V-twin’s exhaust as a background noise.

Harley’s new Boom Box sound system is the best audio on any bike. It’s also a navigation and communication system, with phone and intercom functions as well as voice control which I didn’t have the gear to test. Loud, clear, resonant — you can’t complain about the sound quality. Connect your phone or music player by Bluetooth or cable, the choice is yours, but I’d recommend a cable as it simplifies the operations and speeds them up. It doesn’t take long to learn how to navigate the system and the touchscreen and switchblock controls are very well laid out and easy to use. In fact, the switchblocks look complex and confusing but are exactly the opposite in use. I still wish Harley had a normal indicator switch though.

All this sits in a gloss-black dashboard

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ULTRA LIMITED

■ Long rides, open country, two-up — the Ultra in its element

SUPER TOURERS The Ultra Limited is one of several big touring bikes in a surprisingly busy part of the market. It costs $1000 more than the Ultra Classic Electra Glide, which is hardly less wellequipped for $37,250 ride-away.

BMW has its two K1600GTL models in there, one costing a little more than the Ultra by the time you get it on the road, the other another few grand higher at $42,500+orc. The six-cylinder Beemers are without doubt the most dynamic rides in the class and chock full of technology.

There’s Can-Am’s new threecylinder Spyder, the RTS and RT Limited models being the two that bring higher levels of luxury to the deal. These two up-spec threewheeled roadsters top the 40 grand mark once registered and on the road, though the base RT is $31,490+orc.

There’s Honda’s great Goldwing, of course, the longest-standing rival to Harley’s tourers. It’s the king of smooth with its flat-six 1800cc engine.

At $35,799+orc, it’s pretty close to the Ultra Limited on price.

Kawasaki’s V-twin Voyager, Triumph’s three-cylinder Trophy and Victory’s wild-looking Vision Tour are comparative bargains at respective prices of $25,999+orc, $27,490+orc and $30,495ra.

Or you could splash out on the high-performance, brightly blinged version of the Ultra Glide, the CVO, if you’re wondering what to do with that spare 51 grand you’ve got.

r Heat shielding and water cooling are very subtle, leaving the traditional engine on show

with retro-look gauges. My only gripe is that the graduations on the white-faced speedo are hard to see and in this day of near-zero tolerance of our zealous speed regime, that can be a hassle. At night it all lights up clear as crystal.

The engine is almost perfectly isolated from the chassis on vibration-damping mounts. That hasn’t quite sterilised the feel of the V-twin, fortunately. It’s pulling less than 2500rpm at 100km/h, purring along in top gear, and there’s enough shaking going on to let you know you’re on a machine that has two mighty pistons thumping away at its heart. If the silkiness of six-cylinder engines is too close to whitegoods for your liking, the Harley is the type of tourer you’re

probably looking for. The additional power from the new, partially watercooled engine is very welcome. While it’s no K1600, the Hog stomps along with the strength of 138Nm beneath it and more grunt than any standard-issue Harley before it. It never felt under-done during the test, even overtaking long trucks.

You don’t use the clunky but positive and direct gearbox a lot. Fuelling is well sorted, but the abrupt thro le response is at odds with the otherwise smooth and seductive nature of the Ultra.

Despite the revisions to the forks, they’re still a li le harsh over sharp bumps, mostly in corners. In contrast to my comments about the Street Glide, the Ultra’s rear suspension was a comfortable ►

“My right hand beat time on my thigh and the surround-sound effect of four quality speakers pumped music I couldn’t sit still to”

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 63

“I could spend all day in this neutral riding position, though if I was much taller I reckon I’d begin to feel cramped” set-up, even two-up. Maybe there was more air pressure in it — I have no gauge that fits it to find out. Pour the Ultra hard into fast corners and it will hint at being unse led, but not badly. Clearance is quite good for this kind of bike and you can play reliably on the edge of it thanks to the handling and nice steering.

That steering isn’t so good at low speeds due to the weight of the handlebarmounted fairing. Remember, too, that the electronically linked brakes, if you get on the rear at over 40km/h, will activate some front brake and hang onto it as you come to a stop — a sometimes ungraceful stop. It’s easy to see why many Electra Glide riders look like ducks landing in a gusty wind, feet flailing as they wobble in.

I got into the habit of ge ing off the rear brake briefly once speeds were right down so that only the rear would be activated.

Overall, low speeds don’t suit the Ultra but its handling, braking and steering are all fine once you have a li le speed up. It doesn’t have the perfect combination of ride comfort and precision but there are few heavyweight tourers like it that are much be er.

■ Pumped for comfort: the Road Zeppelin’s air cushion is adjustable

ZEPPELIN’S CHAIRWAY TO HEAVEN The seat you see here is not the standard one, but the latest rendition of Harley’s adjustable air-filled Road Zeppelin seats. I spent some time on a standard seat and reckon it isn’t bad at all, but the Road Zep, in spite of being narrower, is miles ahead and something you should consider if you start squirming around before you get to the end of a typical touring day.

Both rider and passenger seats have a small pump attached to the left side, which you work manually with a finger or two, and a release valve beside it.

You can pump air in any time you want, lifting you off the firm base of the seat, through the pillowy pleasure of increasing air pressure until it’s pretty firm again. Pumped too far? Just press the valve to let a bit of air out again.

Not only does this spread the load more evenly and softly over your bum, it offers extra relief every time you alter the pressure. Once I found a good setting, I’d tweak it only once or twice a day and get off the bike feeling fine.

It’s brilliant, if not quite a match for the Thunderbird LT’s amazing saddle. At $756, it’s also a little cheaper than the Road Zeppelin that was made for 200613 model tourers.

r Panniers are better for the one-handed opening system

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON ULTRA LIMITED

“The Ultra Limited is most impressive when you realise how well its extensive list of inclusions work together”

QUICKSPECS Model: H–D Ultra Limited Price: $38,250 (ride-away) Colours: Many!

Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km Engine: Liquid/air-cooled, two-cam, OHV, 45º V-twin Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1690cc Compression: 10:1 Power: Not stated Torque: 138Nm @ 3750rpm Transmission: Wet multiplate clutch, 6-speed gearbox, belt final drive Frame: Steel cradle Suspension: Front, 49mm telescopic fork. Rear, air-adjustable twin shocks Dimensions: Seat height 740mm, weight 397/414kg (dry/wet), fuel capacity 22.7L, wheelbase 1625mm, rake 26º, trail 170mm Tyres: Front, 130/80B17 65H. Rear, 180/65B16 81H Brakes: 3 x 320mm discs, 4-piston calipers, electronically linked frontrear. ABS Fuel economy: 5.6L/100km Theoretical range: 405km Verdict: A big, fat, delicious burger with the lot, made by a master chef

The new top box gets top marks.

Lower in profile, it’s larger in volume than before. The lid opens sideways to a gaping width and you can pour an amazing amount of stuff into it. A rack on the lid allows you to strap on a bit more lightweight gear outside. The panniers, with their new one-handed opening, are slightly narrow as they’ve always been, but total storage volume on the Ultra is 132L so I’m not complaining at all.

The luggage system completes the Ultra’s styling, which depends heavily on the whole package for identity. It’s a magnificent-looking bike with more presence than size alone can impart. The voluptuous curves, two-tone paint, chrome and on-show engine draw admiration.

Harley’s full-dressers are among the best mile-eaters on the road, their place held even more solidly a er the significant improvements of the 2014 models. The Ultra Limited is at the top of the H-D range, though you can count the Ultra Classic into this review for all practical

r Four-pot brakes are now electronically linked to the rear and backed by ABS

purposes. It costs a lot of money, but it’s not outrageous by the values of the luxurytouring class. Rather than see it as an expensive bike, perhaps it’s more important to acknowledge that it’s an excellently equipped and indulgent treat for those lucky enough to be able to afford it.

The Ultra Limited is most impressive when you realise how well its extensive list of inclusions work as a complete unit. It’s not only a motorcycle with a great luggage system, supreme comfort, fantastic audio, smooth cruise control, lovely engine and myriad other li le bits of appeal. It’s a sumptuous motorcycle experience for those who demand lavish travel on the open road. This goes right down to the li le details like the ergonomics of the switches, up through the ever-so-slightly gu ural feel of the powerplant to the sheer joy of piloting the machine.

Some luxury tourers do it differently but none does it be er than this highclass burger with the lot. ARR

r Loading is a cinch with that gaping lid

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KTM 390 DUKE

DUKE OF

LAMS KTM hits the entry-level market with its exciting, low-cost 390 Duke

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■ Big wide bars.

Very comfortable riding position

STORY: MATT SHIELDS PHOTOS: TIM MUNRO he KTM 390 Duke marks the second phase in KTM’s expanding on-road model range that started with the LC4-engined 620 Duke in 1994. Built by Bajaj Auto in India, the 390 is a light and wonderfully appointed entry-level bike and despite its origins, doesn’t look unlike any other KTM that has come out of the Ma ighoffen factory in Austria.

While it may be small, and for that ma er not of the biggest capacity possible within most learner markets, KTM has drawn on its experience in producing light-weight, high-performance singles and worked magic on the 390 Duke.

The Duke’s deficit in power to the bigger, learner-approved machines is cancelled by a power-to-weight ratio that isn’t matched. At 139kg dry and with 32kW at hand, the Duke comes out trumps against the bigger-capacity heavier LAMs-approved machines: Honda CB500F (35kW/179kg), Hyosung GT650 (40kW/196kg), Ducati 659 Monster (38kW/169kg), Kawasaki ER6N (38kW/195kg) and Yamaha FZ-6R (36kW/198kg).

Weighing in at 35kg, the dry-sump, four-valve, six-speed single is just like any other small-capacity engine except for the fact that it is a dead-ringer for the highly evolved LC4 690 motor. It’s just smaller.

But delve a bit deeper and the engine’s spec sheet reads like that of a high-

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■ Distinctly KTM, the styling makes the 390 an attractive LAMS option

THE RISE OF KTM KTM has experienced consistent growth in sales since 2008 as its model lineup has expanded. So strong has the growth been that it is now Europe’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and that doesn’t hinge purely on its dirt bike sales, with a nearly even split of on- and offroad bike sales.

Since the company’s rebirth in the '90s, it played around with the early single-cylinder Duke but got serious with the introduction of the LC4- and LC8-engined road bikes at the start of the last decade. From the 690 Enduro and 1200 Adventure through to the 690 SM-C

motard and RC8R superbike, there have been all manner of road-going variants.

The smaller capacities have been neglected until this new 390 Duke and following in its wheel tracks will be the RC8R superbike-inspired RC390. It will share its engine with the 390 Duke but will be more sportsbike focussed, with a full fairing, more aggressive (steeper rake, shorter trail) front-end, higher seat height and shorter wheelbase.

It is due to arrive in Australia in November and though the retail price is yet to be confirmed, KTM Australia has assured us that it will be “competitive with the current fully faired LAMS market”.

KTM 390 DUKE

r Single rear shock is adjustable for preload only

“The dry-sump, four-valve, six-speed single is a dead-ringer for the highly evolved LC4 690 motor. It’s just smaller” performance nakedbike and not an entry-level motorcycle. Just like the LC4, there’s a four-valve cylinder head, double overhead camsha , DiamondLike Carbon (DLC) finger followers and a forged piston running in Nikasil liner.

You can see quite clearly it’s a precise firing engine with a lot of effort going into reducing reciprocating mass and rolling resistance.

The measures taken to get as much performance out of the engine have worked: the 390 Duke comes up just shy of the brand’s 350 EXC-F enduro machine with 33kW (44hp) on tap!

At idle, it sounds like your typical massproduction small-capacity single-cylinder commuter but there is a bit of beef in the exhaust note as the engine thumps over. Crack the thro le and it takes a bit of a twist to get the piston working at its optimum, which is right up near redline.

The thro le progression is deliberately slow, with a long twist to make the power delivery more forgiving, the way that entry-level riders need it to be.

In any gear in the six-speed gearbox the tacho reads 5500rpm before the Duke starts really building momentum. Below this, the gear ratios have been selected to give a mild, manageable response that

will have experienced riders itching to get to redline and learning riders revelling in the adequate response for slow-speed situations as they fine-tune their skills.

That said, the transition from shut to open thro le at slow speeds could be less abrupt. It needs more revs for a fluid transition and when the engine gets spinning it is a lot be er.

When the engine is revving, it has a good response at higher speeds and is a lot of fun on a tight, twisty road. You need to keep the revs right near redline to get the most out of it and on the open road the Duke has no trouble keeping up with freeway traffic, though you aren’t going to get much more speed out of it.

Another aspect less-experienced riders will find comforting is the Duke’s size.

The entire bike is compact: it is slim in the seat, slender from one end to the other and short in overall length. The handlebars are the widest part of the bike, of course, and the handgrips start wider than any other part of the bike.

Bigger riders will find nothing gets in their way: the ’pegs sit low, the tank isn’t too low at the knees, and the ’bar doesn’t turn to lock your thumbs or sit too close to the seat. The only hindrance for bigger riders is the backstop on the seat restricts

rThe Bybre brakes work well, with stopping power promoted by the excellent Metzeler Sportec M5 tyres

GLOBAL PRODUCTION The KTM 390 Duke is the first collaboration between the Austrian brand, which has built motorcycles for the past 63 years, and its major shareholder Bajaj Auto. This Indianbased manufacturer is the world’s thirdlargest motorcycle producer, churning out small-capacity motorcycles since the '70s.

This partnership sees Bajaj get technological expertise and KTM a costeffective mass-production platform in what is becoming more commonplace for many brands. The big four and KTM notably build some of their machines outside Japan and Austria. Triumph (Thailand), Husqvarna (Austria), and now Harley-Davidson with its new Street models (India) also produce outside of their traditional “homes”.

But building motorcycles outside a brand’s country of origin isn’t a new thing. Back in the '60s and '70s, some Ducatis were produced under license

by Moto Trans, Spain, and HarleyDavidson rebadged the Sprint from Aermacchi, Italy.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 69

■ With a bike as small and light as this, why bother using the cafe car park?

“Learning riders will be revelling in the adequate response for slow-speed situations as they finetune their skills” how far back you can slide. Shorter riders will enjoy the KTM’s very short standover height, wide handlebar at easy reach, and neutrally set footpeg position.

Not forge ing a dry weight just more than an off-road bike, there’s no doubt a lot of riders will feel instantly at home and comfortable with the KTM’s size and ergonomics.

The handling is, perhaps, the finest point of the 390 Duke. With the sweet, sharp handling Dukes are known for, plus a stable and predictable chassis that learner riders need, the 390 is the complete package. The engine never stresses the chassis and the entire package is tight, nimble and confidence-inspiring.

And so it should be. Every part on this chassis has the same top-notch kit as the bigger KTMs: WP suspension, Bosch ABS, top-quality brakes, steel trellis frame, diecast aluminium swingarm and Metzeler Sportec M5 rubber.

The four-piston front, single-piston rear brakes are ByBre (“By Brembo”).

Put simply, they are a brand of brake

by Brembo that is made specifically for small- to medium-capacity scooters and motorcycles produced in Brazil, Russia, India, China and south-east Asia. They are exceptional on the Duke and the ABS system is brilliant too.

r The 810mm-high seat is designed to be most comfortable for shorter riders

70 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r The KTM maintains clean lines thanks to the compact, three-chamber, low-slung exhaust

KTM 390 DUKE

r The die-cast aluminium swingarm helps to save weight

QUICKSPECS Model: KTM 390 Duke Price: $6995 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Black or white (orange wheels and frame) Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres Servicing intervals: 7500km Engine: Single-cylinder, DOHC, fourvalve, four-stroke Bore x stroke: 89 x 60mm Displacement: 375cc Compression: 12.9:1 Power: 32kW @ 9500rpm Torque: 35Nm @ 7250rpm Transmission: Six-speed Frame: Steel trellis Dimensions: Seat height 800mm, weight 139kg (without fuel), fuel capacity 11L, wheelbase 1367mm, rake 25º, trail 94mm Suspension: 43mm WP USD front forks, no adjustment, 150mm travel.

WP shock, preload adjustment, 150mm travel Brakes: Bybre, with ABS. Front, fourpiston radial-mounted, 300mm disc.

Rear, single-piston, floating caliper, 230mm disc Tyres: Metzeler M5 Sportec.

Front, 110/70ZR17 (54W).

Rear, 150/60ZR17 (66W) Fuel consumption: 4.1L/100km (average) Theoretical range: 268km Verdict: Great bang-for-your-buck entry-level motorcycle

r The multifunction digital display welcomes you with Ready To Race when you turn on the ignition. It also warns you when the side stand is down

In developing an inexpensive, greatperforming, entry-level motorcycle, KTM hasn’t cut any corners in quality and performance and delivered a great allround package. It also looks great and the quality of finish and componentry is beyond its price point.

The new direction of KTM set by the Duke looks to have been a good move as the 390 is selling very well the world over, and exceptionally well in Australia. It is the first KTM that has appeared in the top 20 on road sales, and while KTM had initially launched the 125 and 200 Dukes last year, the 390 will be the only model in the range going forward.

With regard to performance and handling, the 390 Duke is a worthy

competitor for everything up to single and parallel-twin learner legal motorcycles. Sure, it misses a bit of the punch down low of the bigger-capacity learner legal twins, but it isn’t that far off in the scheme of things.

All in all, the KTM has the perfect handling and engine characteristics for new riders, but will also keep more experienced riders happy with what it has on offer.

Service scheduling sees services every 7500km and, thanks to the relative simplicity of the engine, the servicing costs are very favourable. Add to the mix the exceptional build quality and quality of components and there’s a lot of bike for your buck, with the Duke retailing for $6995. ARR

■ Light and nimble, the Duke corners beautifully

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 71

THE LONG LIST This month Matt bids farewell to Aprilia’s maxi-scooter, Gregor gets right into the Victory, and Matho reflects on the Ducati after a quiet month.

Meanwhile, our Bolt build gathers momentum ■ Farewell to this most sporty of maxi-scooters, which really is halfway to being a motorcycle

“It definitely is, as Aprilia claims it to be, the meeting point between scooter and motorcycle worlds” APRILIA SRV 850 Having spent a good amount of time on the SRV 850 over the past few months, the time has come to say goodbye. It’s been fun to ride, and purely so because of the engine. You can blow off bikes and cars from the lights, do speeds on the road you shouldn’t. Never have I ridden a scooter and had to shut off the thro le for fear of running into a corner too hot or ge ing out of shape out of a corner. Happily, the SRV has the chassis and engine control package to help you regather things very easily.

The other sporty scooters on the market all seem to have just enough power to make sure you don’t get into trouble. But not the SRV — it has all the power you could ever need and more.

r The Aprilia’s big engine has made it a hoot to ride

72 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

The traction control and ABS are neat additions to the riding package so that the SRV feels to be very much a compromise between scooter practicality and motorcycle function. It definitely is, as Aprilia claims it to be, the meeting point between scooter and motorcycle worlds.

It handles well, but it doesn’t have the

razor-sharp handling that the sort of performance it throws out deserves. The SRV certainly has the engine performance, but also has a narrow-focused ergonomic set-up for rider and pillion and not enough storage space, so you miss out on some of those scooter conveniences.

The SRV is a scooter that makes a lot of sense in high-speed, urban environments like you find in much of Europe. But for Australia, we don’t have the freedom to ride like that and small-capacity scooters will do the job of urban assault vehicle perfectly well. At a fraction of the price, too.

As far as an exciting, sporty riding experience goes, the SRV should appeal to the same group of riders that have ensured the likes of the Suzuki Burgman have succeeded in the sales charts but thought that it wasn’t exciting or sporty enough. Unfortunately I don’t think that there are too many people around who are looking for a machine along these lines here, regardless of how good a machine it is.

— MATT SHIELDS

LONG-TERM TESTS ■ Standing there looking pretty: Gregor has put 4000km on the Victory now

VICTORY CROSS COUNTRY TOUR With well over 4000km on the odometer, I am finally feeling at home on the Victory Cross Country Tour. Coming from a sportsbike and sports tourer background, it took me the first couple of thousand kays to come to terms with the weight and feel of the bike at low speeds.

A er spending the last 2000km in the wide-open spaces, however, the Victory and I are now firm friends.

On a recent run down the Snowies, the Victory handled all the back roads and varied surfaces I could throw at it.

A er one storm, we hit a kilometre of muddy road works. There was about 100mm of sludge on top of a slimy hardpack base. We hit it at 60km/h and were immediately sliding around. That’s when the long wheelbase came to the rescue, and the slides felt like slow motion. I kept gently accelerating and pointing the front and the Victory responded, despite leaving a few wriggly lines behind. It came out the other side at 90km/h, spla ered with mud but ready for more!

On the return run I had a few very accomplished riders for company on a variety of machinery. When our intrepid leader Pete (1098S Ducati) upped the ante, the Victory could basically stay with him on all but the tightest sections,

while some of the others dropped back.

Pete could have wasted me of course, but at sensible road speeds the Victory is capable of keeping up in most company if ridden smoothly. Very impressive for a heavy tourer!

The steering is surprisingly light and responsive for a bike of this bulk, allowing you to throw it around with relative ease. You just have to be precise with the front wheel if you want to punt it hard. I have given the running boards a bit of a touch up occasionally, but generally the clearance and handling are ample for a relaxed tourer.

The tyres are a hard compound and, while adequate on dry roads, it’s a whole different story in the wet. Lean angles are vastly reduced and the Victory loses its solid feel on the road. The tall screen is also a double-edged sword. It protects the rider and pillion from the weather very efficiently, but if it rains at night your vision is severely impaired.

When headlights are beaming in your eyes through a wet screen and visor, it becomes a ma er of survival.

The heart of the Cross Country Tour is the 1731cc (106ci) 50-degree V-twin engine.

Redlining at 5200rpm, it provides useable torquey power which is well matched to the bike. It is happiest over 2000rpm and really gets stomping over 3000rpm. The

gearing is very tall at 37km/h/1000rpm in fi h and 42km/h/1000rpm in sixth, so legal running is at 3000rpm or less.

Doing a couple of long runs has highlighted one area that the Tour absolutely excels in. The comfort level is off the charts, especially with winter biting hard! The seat is plush and supportive and never bo oms out. You can move your feet around on the long running boards so the ride position is comfy. The fairing is protective and there are two se ings for the heated hand grips.

The crowning glory is the heated seat!

Rider and pillion seats are independently heated and have two se ings accessed by an easy-to-reach toggle switch. I have used it down to zero degrees and the high se ing worked really well, even through leathers. You could never freeze your arse off on this beast! Seeya out there.

— GREGOR. ►

“On a recent run down the Snowies, the Victory handled all the back roads and varied surfaces I could throw at it” AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 73

LONG-TERM TESTS DUCATI MULTISTRADA GRANTURISMO This past month has been depressing for the long-legged Ducati. Instead of striding out all over the place as it has been since day one, it has spent the past four weeks doing bugger all. It ran those few hundred kays to Sydney that I mentioned last month, sat for almost three weeks while I flew out first to the HOG rally in FNQ, then back to the Hunter Valley for another event and immediately down to Victoria for a bike launch. Then the Ducati sparked up for the 300km ride home and hasn’t turned a wheel since — I’ve been too busy playing catch-up at the desk to go for a ride.

No, I don’t feel good about that. I feel worse because Peter Colwell, a Multistrada owner, has been sending me photos of his S model as he and his wife have been riding out to Alice Springs and back. This evening’s email, sent from sunny Townsville about the same time I was out fetching another armful of wood for the fire, read: “Four days and 2100km from Alice has found no issues with the Multi. No complaints from my much-travelled permanent pillion, and

“Peter Colwell, a Multistrada owner, has been sending me photos of his S model as he and his wife have been riding out to Alice Springs and back” nothing but smiles for me. From full to empty with no gear changes is not in its design parameter, but it thrives on it. The Skyhook (suspension) really works well too, especially on the wavy roads east of Isa. I love it.”

My mate Ross McGlade also loves his Multistrada S, a pre-Skyhook model that he’s made as black as black can be with a number of factory and a ermarket accessories. When he heard I’d got a Granturismo, he said flatly, “That’s ugly.”

My hackles rose but I stood mute, unable to hit back with a worthwhile remark because his stunner stood sleek and proud beside me. A former BMW man, Ross hasn’t looked back since buying his Ducati and he’s not the only Multistrada owner I’ve met with the same story about making the switch. If conquest sales were Ducati’s aim, the MTS must be a winner.

I’ve reflected on this a lot during the many hours I’ve sat on the Ducati. The

high level of technology is obvious, with the variable power output, easily varied ABS and traction control, semi-active suspension with electronic adjustment, heated grips and all those other you-beaut things. It’s four bikes in one, all at the touch of a bu on (and maybe the yank of a handle to remove panniers and top box): respectable sportsbike, good tourer, swi commuter and so -roading adventurer.

On top of that, it’s easy, every day. In 10,000km I’ve learned that a modern Ducati is far from the stereotypical Italian bike that still suffers from the maladies of the ’70s. It’s been reliable, even when I le it parked for those few weeks — it started first hit and, like a good electronically managed bike, ran perfectly. And it’s still not due for a service.

With a bit of luck that time will come next month. I’ve go a get out of here for a ride!

— MICK MATHESON

■ Sitting there looking pretty: the Multi has had a quiet month

74 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PROJECT BOLT

r The full-size touring bag looks good

r Ventura’s sports bag is neat

r The Ventura mounting brackets are held on with four bolts — easy! The grab handle is fitted here

VENTURA HIGHWAY The Bolt gets its first bolt-ons

e’re into it! The first few bits and pieces have arrived to begin the Bolt’s transformation into the coolest machine this planet has ever seen. Or at least one of the coolest.

Since last month, some sense has come back into the thinking. The towering sissy bar of the Captain America chopper in Easy Rider has been ditched and we’ve gone back to the original concept: a Ventura rack and pack system. We’re giving the whole shebang a go, from the basic grab rail through the sports rack to the full touring rack.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Ventura system to use and I have to say I’m impressed. For starters, the two mounting bars bolted on without hassle in about three minutes flat. It really is that easy and that fits our concept perfectly because it’ll be so easy to convert the Bolt from stripped-down city cruiser to openroad packhorse and back. That no-fuss conversion is essential if we’re going to give this bike two distinct characters. Besides, if you win the Bolt and you’re too lazy to

W

undo four bolts to detach the mounts, they are still relatively discreet.

If you’ve got the pillion seat fi ed, any of the three racks makes a good grab handle.

Right now the pillion seat isn’t in place so I’ve photographed the luggage racks turned forwards — the be er way to carry luggage because it keeps the weight closer to the centre of the bike rather than dangling out behind the rear wheel. The small sports bag and large touring bag are excellent quality, but I’ll be writing more about the

“The controls and switches won’t go back on until we lengthen all the lines and wires” Ventura’s specifics in a future issue. One of the pleasant surprises was to see that these thoroughly modern bags don’t look out of place on the retro-ish Bolt.

When I rode the Bolt a while ago I was glad we’d ordered a taller shock for the rear, something I’ll tell you about next month. I also thought the standard narrow handlebars made for a pre y comfortable

riding position over four hours. However, we’ve now got a set of Ventura Midwest bars that are almost a metre wide from tip to tip and will transform the riding possie.

The bars bolted straight on but of course the controls and switches won’t go back on until we lengthen all the lines and wires. We’ve got Venhill braided brake lines to fit, and the beauty of them is that while Venhill has standard kits for both ends of the Bolt, it’s a cinch to order a custom length for the front end. I’m yet to suss out a clutch cable and before I lengthen the wiring I want to see if there are some custom switchblocks that might tidy up the handlebars a li le. The Ventura bars are drilled to allow the wires to be hidden too.

So that’s a start. There’s much more to do, which normally wouldn’t concern me, except that I’ve just commi ed to building a brand-new workshop, a six- to eight-week project. Working on the Bolt will be like trying to live in a tent. Joy. — MICK MATHESON

DETAILS Ventura and Venhill: www.kenma.com.au, 02 9484 0777

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 75

HOTDOGGING IN HANOI 76 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a thrilling sense of riding adventure when you step into the chaos of Vietnam

TOURING VIETNAM STORY: IAN NEUBAUER PHOTOS: IAN NEUBAUER, QUYEN DO HUU AND NGUYEN NGOC LINH ermit me to introduce an extreme form of motorcycle sport most of you will never have heard of. It takes place not at a racetrack on superbikes with ridiculous lashings of horsepower, but on vintage Vespas at speeds averaging 30km/h. However, what makes riding one of these antiquated milkshake makers so extreme is the se ing: the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, a churning, vibrant, fast-paced mega city in the country’s north that’s home to seven million people and an estimated three million scooters.

Walking around Hanoi, whether on a footpath, along an alleyway or in a park, one is constantly forced to step aside as locals pu er around on their bikes. Crossing the road, meanwhile, is a real-life version of the 1980s video

P

game Frogger that takes nerves of steel. Now an intrepid tour company has introduced an exciting new way to not only see Hanoi’s many fascinating sights but to feel its very pulse.

My guide meets me outside my hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter — a mazelike warren of dingy alleyways and side streets lined with yellow stucco buildings, restaurants, bars, galleries, fashion outlets and cra stores of all kinds. His name is Linh, a courteous and well-spoken Hanoian who spends most of his time taking tourists on off-road adventure tours into the mountainous region bracing the Chinese border, but is just as happy showing off his hometown.

Our first stop is West Lake, a freshwater lake with a 17km-long shoreline said to contain wreckage of downed B-52s from the “American War” — that’s what the Vietnam War is called here. The lake is only a 3km ride from ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 77

the Old Quarter, but first I’ll need to get used to my, ahem, “restored” Vespa.

I’m not sure what parts of this machine have been restored or if it’s even been serviced in the half century that’s elapsed since its manufacture. Starting the engine with the kick-start is no easy chore. Fixed on the le -hand side of the handlebar, the twist-grip gear change has plenty of twist but no grip to speak of. Once I manage to get the damn thing started, I have no idea what gear it’s in at any given time. What’s more, the bike has no indicators and the speedometer died eons ago, as did the headlight. But these are small idiosyncrasies that actually add to the charm.

Then there’s the traffic. Thick as a hornet’s nest, it comprises not only scooters, but incalculable numbers of rickshaws, bicycles, taxis, big belching buses that take up entire streets, army jeeps and the odd luxury SUV. Adding fuel to the fire are petrified tourists trying to cross roads, street hawkers selling everything from fresh fruit to T-shirts to computer parts, stray dogs, 78 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

wandering blind men and the odd police checkpoint. Traffic lights, stop signs, road markings and even one-way zones are purely suggestive, with the rule of thumb being if your scooter fits, take it there.

But there’s method in the madness and the traffic seems to flow in rhythmic, concentric streams sans the road rage that’s commonplace in Australian cities.

In no time at all I’m buzzing around like a native Hanoian, hooting the Vespa’s li le horn, the cool spring wind rushing through my hair.

PAGODAS, CITADELS AND MUSEUMS A er reaching West Lake, we park our Vespas on a road bridge and wander into the Tran Quoc Pagoda — the city’s oldest temple built in the sixth century.

Originally set on Hanoi’s Red River, the pagoda was dismantled brick by brick and reassembled on a small island on West Lake’s southern shore in 1615. Its centrepiece is a bodhi tree grown from a cu ing of the original tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment.

TOURING VIETNAM A er paying our respects, Linh and I hop across the road to visit the 800-yearold Quan Thanh Temple. Built in four directions to protect the city from evil, it features an impressive four-tonne statue of the si ing Buddha considered one of the world’s greatest examples of bronze casting and sculpture.

Back on our li le Vespas, we whizz down a wide leafy boulevard lined with colonial-era châteaux dating back to Vietnam’s short but turbulent French colonial occupation. It leads to Ba Dinh Square, a massive park and walkway fronting the Pantheon-style Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. For non-party members like myself, the sight of the stuffed corpse of the founding president of the state of Vietnam is nothing to write home about.

However, the Ho Chi Minh Museum certainly is.

Among thousands of pieces of memorabilia, photographs and writings, I take special interest in an old red bicycle a 60-year-old Ho Chi Minh used to pedal 1782km from Hanoi to Saigon, a city later renamed in his honour.

Our next point of call is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. A carbon copy of the Forbidden City of Beijing that was mostly destroyed by the cantankerous French, it’s one of the world’s richest archaeological sites: more than one

“For non-party members like myself, the sight of the stuffed corpse of the founding president is nothing to write home about” million artefacts have been unearthed here. I get a gander at a few of them — stone dragons, monster masks and vases — at a small on-site museum and examine a command bunker replete with Art Deco dial-up phones, period typewriters and glass-encased ba lefield maps that served as military headquarters during the American War. Before the tour wraps up, Linh takes me for a late lunch to Cha Ca La Vong, Hanoi’s most famous restaurant. There’s

only one dish on the menu — tender chunks of mudfish marinated with turmeric and fried with spring onions by waiters on hot plates at your table, and served with noodles, coriander, fresh mint, basil, toasted peanuts and a secret shrimp sauce.

“We concentrate on only one dish,” says manager Trinh Thu Huong, who was raised in a small apartment upstairs, “because we want to get it perfect every time.” ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 79

TOURING VIETNAM THE HIGHWAY OF IMMINENT DEATH Sixty kilometres west of Hanoi on the banks of the Red River, Duong Lam is another one of Vietnam’s world-class heritage sites. It was recently awarded a UNESCO conservation award for efforts made to preserve its houses, walls, gates, wells and temples, some of which date back 400 years. And what be er way to get there than on another vestige of the past: on a Royal Enfield Bullet.

Boasting the longest manufacturing run of any motorbike in history, the Bullet first hit British showrooms in 1948 as a single-cylinder four-stroke with an exposed valve gear. Today the Bullet is manufactured entirely in India and features an all-alloy EFI engine, though its timeless post-war styling remains unchanged.

My ride — a 1999 five-speed Royal Enfield Classic 499cc in Classic Ba le Green with an air-cooled pushrod engine and buffed engine components — turned

“Traffic lights, stop signs, road markings and even one-way zones are purely suggestive” out to be a real head-turner in Nam, especially among kids who yell out “Hello!” My guide Quyen explains they know I’m a foreigner even though they can’t see my face because of my high-tech helmet. Well, high-tech compared to the ice-cream containers that pass for lids in this part of the world.

To reach Duong Lam, we first have to get out of the city on a jam-packed highway where the gentle speeds commuters observe within the city are cast aside in a crazy free-for-all I can only describe as a race to the grave. In the first half-hour I suffer three near-death experiences, two involving mammoth ex-army trucks overloaded with rubble that merge onto the highway without the smallest notion of giving way, and another when a scooter that can barely be seen under a cargo of hundreds of blue and green jerry cans stacks it right in front of me.

The madness reaches its apex at a roundabout, where I nudge bars with two other scooters and come within half the length of a beer bo le to being taken out by a third carrying three teenagers, two of whom, including the pilot, are yelling into their mobiles phones.

STEP BACK IN TIME We turn off the roundabout onto a dirt road and are instantly transported to another century: a rural idyll where 80 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

farmers in conical hats labour in waterlogged rice paddies, where children herd goats and water buffalo and where old women strain under the weight of stoneage yolks.

The road meanders along the Red River, past sleepy li le villages, roadside wedding tents and a concrete cockfighting ring around which hundreds of sadists yelp and holler for their favourite chook.

The sky is overcast and there’s a light drizzle in the air, but it doesn’t take away from the simple pleasure of riding through this strange and exotic part of the world. I really enjoy the rippedup off-road sections, where the other scooters have to slow to a crawl but Quyen and I stand on our pegs, load the front shocks and gun the crap out of our bikes. Enfields are versatile like that and they can take a fair beating. Throw knobby tyres onto one of these babies and I bet you could drive one across the Simpson.

“Enfields are easy to break but also easy to fix,” Quyen says. “They’re a solid, reliable bike with lots of low-end power.”

An hour a er leaving the highway we join it again, follow it for two minutes and then take a le onto another dirt road that finishes at Duong Lam. Normally only locals (the village has been continually inhabited for 1200 years) are allowed to ride in and tourists ►

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TOURING VIETNAM

need to leave their bikes or cars near an ancient stone gate at the entrance. But a er Quyen explains to the doorman that I’m a journo from Australia, we’re

given a green light to ride on in. Duong Lam is picture-perfect, with cobblestone alleyways, Buddhist temples, a French cathedral topped by a bell tower, and market square where I make friends with a cool old dude who’s the spi ing image of Ho Chi Minh. We have lunch in an old wooden house — a feast of barbecue chicken, spring rolls, rice, fried fish, rice noodles, pickled vegetables, bananas — followed by a nanna nap under a tree to work off all the calories.

All in all it’s been a rip-snorting day, topped off by a magical moment late in the a ernoon when we’re tearing along the Red River road and the sun pokes out through the clouds for maybe 10 or 15 seconds. In that moment, the entire river, which is caramel-coloured in the shade, lights up with the electric hew of its namesake. It’s a beautiful, bizarre sight and a memory I’ll take with me to the grave. ARR

“The gentle speeds commuters observe within the city are cast aside in what I can only describe as a race to the grave”

82 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

D.I.Y. Getting there: Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com; 13 10 11) flies from Sydney to Hanoi from $896 return.

Visas: Thirty-day tourist visas take at least four days to obtain from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate and cost $95. Download an application form at vietnamembassy. org.au. Beware of fake online visa services. There are tons of them.

Two-wheeled tours: Dirtbike Travel (dirtbiketravel.com; +84 4 2212 6886) offers Hanoi day tours by vintage Vespa with lunch included for $80 for groups of two or more. MotoTours Asia (mototoursasia.com; +84 979 900 800) offers day tours to Duong Lam ancient village on Royal Enfield Bullet 500s for $95 per person and $70 for pillions. Both these companies also offer a range of adventure rides into the mountainous north-east and north-west regions.

Bike shipping: Anh Tuan can arrange temporary import permits for up to four bikes for $1100, while freight will set you back $1000 per square metre return from Vietnam to Australia.

Allow two weeks for the paperwork and four weeks for shipping.

When to go: The best times to visit Vietnam’s north are spring (MarchMay) and after the rainy season (September-November).

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CRUISING

84 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

CAMBOOYA, QUEENSLAND

CAMBOOYA

We grab our pillions and take a tour of Dad and Dave country near Toowoomba

WORDS AND PHOTOS: MARK HINCHLIFFE id you grow up on Dad and Dave jokes and listening to On Our Selection on the radio? Those were sepiatinged days playing footy barefoot, riding our Malvern Star dragsters and sneaking fags behind the girls’ toots. They were the best of times.

We recently relived those memories

D

with a couples ride from BrisVegas, through the salad bowl of the Lockyer Valley, up the Great Dividing Range and on to the rich alluvial plains of the Darling Downs. It is here that the tales of our youth were forged in the pages of On Our Selection, wri en by Steele Rudd.

The area south of Drayton to Cli on is known as Rudd country even today.

It’s a picturesque tableau of rolling plains, knobby hills, patchwork grain

fields, tall silos and lazy ca le and sheep do ed throughout the flaxen landscape.

It’s only a couple of hours’ ride up from the capital and there’s a great loop up Flagstone Creek and back down via Ma Ma Creek. Our trip included our longsuffering pillion wives, who found the 300-odd-km trip a comfortable length for a day’s excursion with a couple of rest stops along the way.

We headed west along the Warrego ►

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Highway a short distance before tucking in the back of Ipswich and tagging the townships of Rosewood, Grandchester and Laidley, finally pulling in for a cuppa at the inappropriately named Forest Hill — there is no forest and no hill. As we park up our BMW R 1200 RT and GS in the main street, it seems impossible that more than a metre of water rushed through this dead-flat area in the January 2011 floods.

There are several cafes and a couple of pubs in the main street and our favourite is the Caffe Sorella, owned by a couple of biker women. Our wives also enjoy browsing through the various knickknacks on sale as the boys munch down a pecan pie and a gingerbread man.

The ride then heads behind the Ga on College into town and down the Ga onHelidon Road past Grantham, a town wiped out in the floods and relocated to nearby hills. Out of town we turn le on Flagstone Road, which winds gently through the low-lying plains, following the creek up into the ever-tightening valley. Look up into the hills and you can 86 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

still see the scarring of massive landslips from the disastrous deluge. Meanwhile, our senses are assaulted with the smells of soon-to-be-harvested cabbages, onions and carrots.

As the valley tightens further, our a ention is diverted by a large “Indian”

motorcycle logo painted on a massive tin shed to the le . It’s in the shady grounds of The Barn, which is exactly what it is — a barn where they serve lunches and bo omless $2.50 cuppas from the urn (they also serve real coffee) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or ■ The lamb shanks are a real treat at the Bull & Barley

CAMBOOYA, QUEENSLAND ■ The Bull & Barley is a grand old hotel that celebrates the halcyon days of the Queensland agricultural boom

“It’s a picturesque tableau of rolling plains, knobby hills, patchwork grain fields, tall silos and lazy cattle” ■ The war memorial in Cambooya is a relatively recent addition to this historic town

by appointment. Next to it is Sco y’s Garage, a nostalgic treat for $10 entry. It is chock-full of service station memorabilia plus a few of old cars, a 1960s BSA and a 1948 Indian Chief. Owner Sco Wright says he loves the style of the old Indians and will provide interesting tales on all the exhibits. Out the back of the garage is a '50s-stye cafeteria just right for a Ulysses Club function.

A er a short stop to view the collection and get our nostalgic juices flowing for the trip ahead, we continue up Flagstone Creek Road, deeper into the valley, crossing the creek on several occasions with big dips and recently constructed concrete causeways that flood quickly in a storm.

A hairpin sign indicates the start of the tight and winding climb up the range into Toowoomba. However, there is an alternate route to the le just before the hairpin called Upper Flagstone Creek Road, which used to have a short section of dirt but is now bitumen all the way with a very steep climb at the end. It’s a riotous romp of small crests and “S” bends over single-lane concrete causeways. It’s all over too soon so we dip back down and do it all over again, much to the confusion of our wives. “Didn’t you just do that?”

At the top of the range, we turn le onto the New England Highway and continue to follow the rolling road south-west into Rudd’s country, where the clouds and sun create wonderful chequered pa erns on the open land.

Rolling out before you is the Southern Downs. Take some photos before the urban sprawl of Toowoomba ruins this a ractive vista.

Five minutes down the highway, we turn right at the sign pointing to Cambooya just a few kilometres off the main road. We ride into town under a massive canopy of deciduous trees into a charming li le se lement dominated by two large silos, a train line and the recently renovated Bull & Barley Inn. This is a popular lunch spot seven days a week for Toowoomba, Brisbane and Gold Coast daytrippers and on weekends the parking bays out in front are dominated by motorcycles. Licensee Bruce Dell says they get quite a few bikers coming up from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with their eight rooms upstairs o en booked out. Prices range from a reasonable $60 for a king single to $100 for a family room.

“We don’t have big groups, but we get a ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 87

CAMBOOYA, QUEENSLAND

r Bull & Barley licensee Bruce Dell says many motorcyclists drop in for a night

■ Flagstone Creek is a hoot of a run and worth doing twice

lot of them coming in for lunch. Some stay over and park their bikes in the backyard where we can lock them up … but it’s a safe country town,” he hastens to add.

Bruce came from Gympie about six years ago and fell in love with the lonely li le town nestled on the rolling downs and bought the pub built in 1902. It had been renovated, but Bruce spent more money to bring it up to its current grandeur. The rooms look more like museum displays than country pub accommodation, while the meals are hearty and capital city restaurant standard. We choose lamb shanks at $16.50 off the specials board and aren’t disappointed with a massive lunch we can barely finish. Our wives sample a couple of wines and we grab a cold so drink from the original cedar chiller box.

From here you can explore the Downs

■ There are also other places to visit, making Nobby a worthwhile day trip

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roads south to Warwick and west, although most of the travelling is open country and fairly straight roads. Some years ago I set myself a world land-speed record on a Honda Blackbird on these roads but today I’m thinking just how stupid that was, given the lumps and bumps and the occasional tractor driver that blindly wanders on to the road in front of you.

Cambooya is also a good place to stay if you are visiting the Leyburn Sprints in August, Pi sworth Sprints or Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in September, or the Cambooya campdra in April and November. But we’re more intent on heading down to Nobby, which also calls itself the home of Dad and Dave.

The ride down through Greenmount to Nobby is a pleasant romp through the grainfields on lonely roads that urge you ►

“There are several cafes and a couple of pubs and our favourite is the Caffe Sorella owned by a couple of biker women” ON OUR SELECTION It was Arthur Hoey Davis who penned the On Our Selection series under the pseudonym of Steele Rudd in the 1890s. He was born at Drayton, which is now a part of Toowoomba, Australia’s biggest inland city, but in those days it was all rich, rolling rural land. In the late 19th century his Welsh father took up a selection at nearby Cambooya, a process of encouraging food-producing agriculture closer to settlements.

Davis’s On Our Selection was a series of short stories which portrayed the tough life of the Downs pioneers, but he actually detested the comic way his characters — Dad, Dave, Mum and Mabel — were depicted in the 1920 movie of the same name and the radio shows from 1932 to 1952; this was often repeated during my youth when bawdy “Dad and Dave” jokes proliferated.

It was remade in 1995 with a cast that included Leo McKern, Joan Sutherland and Geoffrey Rush, but fizzled at the box office. Still, On Our Selection remains an important part of Australia’s folklore.

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The newly renovated Mitta Pub is situated on the Omeo highway which we are glad to say is finally fully sealed. The historic pub is nestled on the banks of the snowy creek and provides the perfect place to relax and explore the stunning Mitta Valley.

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CAMBOOYA, QUEENSLAND ■ You can also get a bang-up meal for lunch

“It’s a riotous romp of small crests and “S” bends over single-lane concrete causeways” on. Nobby’s biggest a raction is Rudd’s Pub, where the author is said to have sat at the bar to scribble down his yarns. It’s a humble single-storey country pub built in 1893 as the Davenporter Hotel and renamed in the 1980s in honour of the author. It now shades under a massive camphor laurel tree and is clu ered inside with pioneering furniture, farming implements, posters, pictures and other memorabilia. When we arrive, the local school students are touching up the pioneering murals on the front walls.

We sidle up to the bar and order wines for the girls, ginger beers for the boys and strike up an interesting conversation with the locals about the history of the place. This is a pub where you could chat nostalgically for hours, and if you linger too long there are cabins out the back to stay overnight. They include rainwater showers, an old-fashioned claw-foot bath to soak in and beer tap fixtures in the bathroom — although only water comes out. It might seem a bit rich at $120, but the room tariff includes a full-cooked country brekky. The pub also does lunches and dinners seven days a week.

If you’re a tightwad, across the road is a free camping site with two power outlets at $3 a day on a first-come basis.

Today we don’t have time to sample the massive Rudd’s burger and chips or chook burger and chips for $13.50,

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but we’ve had them before and they’re filling, to say the least. Other gut-busting culinary delights include Dad’s Mighty Mixed Grill or Dave’s Terrific T-Bone.

A er a drink, a quick chat and a browse through the photographic collection it’s time to mount up again as threatening clouds begin to form to the south-west, set to chase us all the way home. You could stay longer and also learn about Nobby’s other famous inhabitant, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who pioneered the treatment of infantile paralysis. Her memorial at the cemetery is at least worth a quick look and pic before heading off again.

We charge out of town the way we came in, turn right to the highway and le back toward Toowoomba. Just a few kays up the road we take another right on the Greenmount-Hurstville Road, a fairly straight road that runs downhill into the crisp Pilton Valley and becomes the Ga on-Cli on Road. This is a bit of a shortcut for truckies avoiding Toowoomba and it’s become busier in recent months thanks to major disruptive roadworks on the Toowoomba range road.

However, it’s also been upgraded and the huge craters and truck lumps have been removed, although there is one short roadworks stop for a section of road which has fallen into the creek. It’s a challenging and winding ride down and along Ma

Ma Creek with granite walls on one side, gullies full of golden wa les in spring, and fresh streams of water where you can stop on a summer’s day to cool off.

You finally pass through a major cu ing and spill out into another long finger of the Lockyer Valley salad bowl.

You can stop at Ma Ma Creek Village Store for an ice-cream or a last coffee before winding back through Ga on to join the Warrego Highway, but we press on with the storm clawing at our backs.

Despite the major roadworks going on, we choose the highway as it’s still the quickest way home for the fidgeting pillions now growing restless and in need of an a ernoon nap a er several glasses of wine. ARR

RUDD’S PUB Address: 45 Tooth St, Nobby Phone: (07) 4696 3211 Email: info@ruddspub.com.au Web: www.ruddspub.com.au

THE BARN Address: 1709 Flagstone Creek Rd, Flagstone Phone: (07) 4697 5334 Email: thebarn1887@yahoo.com.au Web: www.thebarnandscottysgarage. com.au

BULL & BARLEY INN Address: 61 Eton St, Cambooya Phone: (07) 4696 1235 Email: info@bullandbarleyinn.com.au Web: www.bullandbarleyinn.com.au

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HAPPY AS PIGS IN MUD Hundreds of HOGs had fun rooting around in FNQ’s tropical paradise, and getting there was half the fun

STORY & PHOTOS: MICK MATHESON ou’re already in love with Cairns before you glimpse the tropical city’s outskirts.

The Gillies Highway is Cairns’ welcome mat for motorcyclists, weaving more than a hundred corners into 19km and pumping you so full of endorphins your ecstasy would make new lovers blush. You’re still buzzing half an hour or so later when you hit the slow zones into town and you’re

Y

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convinced it’s time to change your life and shi up here.

A new image is imprinted in my memory a er riding the Gillies on my way to the 2014 Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally. A conga-line of HarleyDavidson tourers swept like a sea snake through bends without straights to divide them. Ultra Limiteds, Electra Glides, Street Glides and Road Kings look awesome from behind when they’re cranked right over, their fat

bums hugging the ground. We were nose to tail, peeling in one a er the a er in a rolling roadshow that was at once graceful and as mad as a monster millipede at full pelt. I was riding its tail.

First I’d see brake lights come on in succession. The lead bike would crank in and I could o en hear the long scratch of metal on tar. The following bikes leaned in too and the grinding rose in volume. Then the exhaust notes joined in, a meaty rumble that stepped ►

HOG RALLY 2014

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 93

“The workshop was prepared to go 24 hours a day so HOG members could complete their pilgrimage to the rally” up to another level every fraction of a second as the next rider opened the gas and roared upright. It went on and on without respite. What an experience.

Then the millipede began to come apart as we each found our own pace.

I had the only Road King in the group, with less weight and lighter steering than the dressers, so I worked my way up front and broke free of the pack. I gave the King its head and remembered again why I love them. There’s something very special about Road Kings.

The ride began three days earlier in Rockhampton. We’d flown in from various places, caught up on the Monday evening over beer at the grand old Criterion Hotel, then had Tuesday’s brekkie at Rocky Harley-Davidson. Here’s where we got our first clues about what a unique experience Harley ownership is.

Tuesday morning and there were bikes everywhere, half of them loaded with gear and on the way to Cairns, the rest there to see us off in a show of support from the locals.

Geoff Trewin, the dealer principal, has set up his shop in the remains of

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a 100-year-old workshop but inside it’s a typical modern H-D dealership.

The showroom is well ordered and the workshop well equipped, but the business features a cafe and, out the back, a clubhouse and bar for the local HOG chapter. Through the week, the cafe is a major part of the workload and income and it’s not bikers who fill most of the seats. We hooked into a cooked

breakfast and good coffee until it was time to saddle up.

A huge convoy le Rocky H-D and rumbled north. Somewhere outside town, the locals peeled off; we’d see many of them again on the weekend in Cairns. The small convoy that kept going split into smaller groups of travelling companions and on we went. My mob was filled with the euphoria of a new

HOG RALLY 2014 A MODEL DEALER

adventure but I know some of the others were well into the groove already. One bloke I’d seen at the shop was wearing Geelong chapter badges.

The Townsville dealership was pumping when we swung by there. They had tents on the vacant block next door, the HOG club room open and happening, the showroom chockas with customers and the workshop going full tilt with

no official closing time. If necessary, they were prepared to go 24 hours a day doing services, tyres changes and repairs so HOG members could complete their pilgrimage to the rally.

We continued ours. The closer we got to Cairns, the be er the riding became as the long straights and timbered plains transformed into rolling hills and sweeping roads. The warmth of Far North Queensland’s autumn air made for perfect riding conditions and the countryside was green, lush and varied.

We rode through forests, past army exercises and between farms full of droughtmaster ca le. And then finally down the glorious Gillies Highway and on into Cairns.

Cairns is a motorcycle city but in the days before the HOG Rally the two-wheeler population boomed — in numbers and volume as hundreds of Harleys came to town. You couldn’t miss the HOG members, the vast majority of them decked out in the leather-jacketed uniform and decorated with badges and patches denoting branches, achievements, adventures and memories. There’s honour in having a ended lots of annual rallies and some jackets or vests had their backs covered

Townsville Harley-Davidson sets a great example of what’s possible if you take a different, customer-focused attitude to business. Owned by Marc and Kerry Storey along with their son Brent, the dealership does things you rarely see elsewhere.

Marc reckons his workshop is the “centre of the universe” and that everything else takes second place to it. From the showroom, you can see everything that’s happening in the service area through a huge glass wall.

The workshop manager is banned from saying no to a customer. If there’s an excess of work on, Marc swings the tools as well. Because of the lack of overnight delivery to remote Townsville, the Storeys keep a larger inventory of parts than most shops.

The workshop takes up more than half of the shop’s 800 square metres and Marc has included just one small office in the otherwise open plan. Like many Harley shops, there’s a HOG clubhouse out the back. The Storeys have installed toilets and showers accessible from outside the shop so Hoggies can use them any time.

Riders travelling through Townsville will sometimes camp by the shop.

“It’s not unusual to see 10 to 12 camping on a weekend,” Marc says.

Marc’s service-centric approach is rooted in his background in the trucking industry, where downtime is lost money for a driver. That’s backed by real enthusiasm for bikes: the Storeys all ride, Marc with a leaning to older bikes and touring, Brent with a penchant for drag racing.

“It’s not about getting a dollar every time,” Marc says, but by the look of this two-year-old shop, built brand new, the overall plan is bringing in the dollars as surely as it’s bringing in customers.

by a dozen or even a score of rockers gleaned from past events.

At the pubs, cafes and beachside walks, we looked very different to the tourists wandering around Cairns in their boardies and bikinis. But as is the way of things these days, we all got along brilliantly as they admired our bikes and we tried not to be too unsubtle about admiring their bodies. There’s no doubt ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 95

HOG RALLY 2014

THE HOG HORDES There are 25,000 Hoggies in Australia, and the worldwide figure has just surpassed the million mark. Everyone who buys a new Harley is given HOG membership and about a third of them later sign up for the second year; once in, about two-thirds of HOG members carry on each year.

Australia’s HOG membership grew faster last year than anywhere else in the Asia-Pacific region.

HOG has a high proportion of female riders compared with motorcycling as a whole, and HOG has long been a family-oriented club. It’s not unusual to see two or three generations of a family riding together.

Harley-Davidson reckons its next challenge is to entice younger members, something the new Street 500 may encourage.

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“Where else would you see grown men with unruly beards shopping like girls?” some of them were as polished and “on show” as the best of the bikes.

There was love in the air too. Two HOG couples were married over the weekend, one on Friday and the other a er the rally’s pinnacle on Sunday, the Thunder Run. That people would marry among

their HOG buddies is a sign of how passionately HOG members feel about this community, which might be based in one brand but encapsulates a lifestyle that has few equals anywhere else. For many of them, especially those who rode so far to party in Cairns, there’s a depth and sincerity to belonging to HOG that transcends any implied commercialism on the part of the Motor Company.

Indeed, you can see how the brand has been led by the bikers, who have refused to let the machinery stray far from the image we all have of Harley-Davidson.

The lifestyle does have its ironies.

Where else but a Harley shop or HOG Rally stall would you see grown men with unruly beards, leather vests and big bellies shopping like girls? They weren’t just shopping. Organised rides took them ►

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HOG RALLY 2014

“There was love in the air. Two HOG couples were married over the weekend” all over the region and along some of the many good roads outside town. Hundreds of them wound up the range towards Kuranda, along the coast up to Port Douglas, down to the Gillies and elsewhere.

They were all over town, spending an estimated $4-$5 million between them. The town must’ve been happy.

Adam Wright, of H-D Australia, pointed out the irony that HOG is o en not wanted when the rally organisers approach a town about hosting a rally, but a erwards the town’s officials beg them to come back. “Councils and chambers of commerce think ‘bikies’

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when they hear Harley,” he says, “but a erwards they want us back. It’s a positive, fun and profitable event.”

The rally’s focus was at the Cairns Showground, with meals, stalls, camping, live music, stunt shows and bike games. Some of the music was awesome, particularly Lisa Hunt on Friday night. The piglet racing was hilarious. Some of the most fun, though, were the bike games — slow races, barrel pushes and all sorts of other challenges that separated the skilled from the hopeful. It is rider versus rider, with the pride of chapters made or broken by

their performances. A cheering audience filled the grandstand.

Sunday was the big day, though. More than 1500 bikes assembled for the mass ride to Port Douglas and back. Two police on cop-spec Harley-Davidsons led the parade. Senior constable Russ Parker and senior sergeant Richard Tro er, both recreational riders who work as motorcycle liaison officers for the police, said they’d jumped at the chance to lead the HOG hordes. The Harleys weren’t quite the sleek Yamaha FJRs their colleagues were on, but Russ was impressed. “I wish we could keep them,” he said.

It took almost 20 minutes for so many bikes to file out onto the highway for the green-light run north. The roadsides filled with onlookers. If you’ve never ridden in a mass of bikes, you’ve missed out on one of the great experiences. The noise, the movement, the camaraderie … it’s a magnificent spectacle which in HOG’s case has become a trademark event and the highlight of a rally.

A few hours later the bikes were back in town, crowding into the Esplanade on the Cairns waterfront for the bike show and lunch. The juxtaposition of bikers and beachgoers made for a funny scene, but the concourse bikes were the centre of a ention for everyone.

It wound down slowly from there. The live music carried on at the showground into the evening but the crowds thinned as Hoggies hit the road for the long ride home. Some were heading to Alice Springs for the Ulysses AGM, others continuing their holiday with a ride to somewhere further out. It was obvious the rally had been a hit and they’d all take home great memories. There’s something special about a big rally like this, but it stands out even more when you’ve come so far for it.

The 2015 HOG Rally will be held in Tamworth, NSW. ARR

via Birdsville Track 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

www.roadrider.com.au

Brisbane - Adelaide

THE ROAD OF 1000 CORNERS

100 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BONANG HIGHWAY

Hit the Bonang Highway if you want to give the sides of your tyres a jolly good workout STORY & PHOTOS: JUSTIN LAW sing the Princes Highway from Melbourne to home on the Far South Coast is a sensible, time-effective method to ensure prompt arrival. And long parts of it are boring as batshit.

Heading up the Monaro Highway to Bombala is a less dull alternative, and then there is the Barry Way, with its loose dirt hairpins, for those who want to give

U

their 19in-wheeled adventure bikes a good workout.

In between those routes is the Bonang Highway, a golden stretch of road that will satisfy anyone with a lust for corners and ensure by the end of it the chicken strips on your tyres are reduced all the way to the edge. Sweepers, hairpins, busy sections of fast direction changes, dense forest, open valleys and, heading north, opening up to where the ribbon

of tar that falls along the high plains invites you to crack on — if you can avoid slowing to take in the impressive vastness of it all. “Road of a thousand corners,” said R1 pilot and Bonang resident Russell Collins. “My brother tried to count all the corners one time but gave up a er a couple of hundred.”

I’ll skip ahead here to introduce Russell, who gave me a cheery wave as I rode through the small Bonang ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 101

■ Another short section of dirt, but how’s the scenery

community. He was cha ing with Santa, who was si ing on the tailgate of a ute having a fag waiting for his big entrance in the community hall, so I figured I’d seize the opportunity to put in my wish list for Christmas (I mustn’t have been a good boy — all I got was underpants).

Russell and Santa (Lee Jones) told me quite a few bikes go through there, especially when there’s something international on at Phillip Island, but the two dirt sections totalling about 20km make the route tricky enough to keep the caravans and less confident riders away, although confidence isn’t always a good thing on this road.

“It wears you down,” warned Russell, who says he’s helped recover more than a few victims of the road. “All that concentrating makes you tired so it’s good to have a break.” He was echoing what Mick Cole — the 1970s racing legend who now operates a bike shop in Bega — told me about what he says is one of his favourite bits of road a er I sheepishly admi ed I’d not ridden it before.

“Take a drink with you and stop half way for a while to have a rest,” he said.

“It’s hard work!”

I’d stopped in at Mick’s briefly a few days before to get the headlight on the 102 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“My brother tried to count all the corners one time but gave up after a couple of hundred” Benelli Tre K I was riding to Melbourne adjusted — I didn’t have the tools for it. Mick cast an appreciative eye over the race-bred equipment on the Italian and suggested it would be ideal for the Bonang Highway, but sadly I was too time poor for that experience and had to plump for a return ride up it on the BMW K1600GT Sport. While that bike handled this magic carpet ride magnificently, I’m still regre ing the one that got away on the Benelli.

Anyway, heading north on this late December a ernoon, I turned off the Princes Highway at Orbost and followed the signs to Bonang and Delegate before stopping at the information centre on the T-section, where the C612 starts.

The friendly woman there warned me to look out for logging trucks and the Greens fringe making a nuisance of themselves in the state forest adjacent

■ The gravel is pretty good so negotiating it shouldn’t be a problem for most people

BONANG HIGHWAY

“I only overtook one car and passed perhaps four or five going the other way on this late Monday afternoon” to the Errinundra National Park. That prospect didn’t bother me as much as the thought of ge ing stuck in conga lines of traffic behind caravan-towing Prados, but I encountered neither. In fact, I only overtook one car and passed perhaps four or five going the other way on this late Monday a ernoon. Expect much more traffic during the World Supers and MotoGP times.

A few kays out of Orbost and the fun begins, starting with some nice sweepers and then some quick direction changes that will get the endorphins flowing.

You’re climbing up the side of the Great Dividing Range here and accordingly the road snakes up along the path of least resistance.

Then you come across a warning sign that will bring a smile to any motorcyclist’s face — a squiggly line with “Next 100km” printed underneath.

You get them nearly every 10km a er that just to keep that smile wide, if you aren’t already smiling by then. The only thing tempering my mood was the time of day and knowledge that I was riding through wildlife-rich forest areas. I was conscious of potential thrill-seeker marsupials keen to play chicken with the traffic, although happily the couple of wallabies and echidna I saw weren’t up for the challenge.

Had such an encounter occurred, the road surface is so well maintained, emergency manoeuvres would not have been an issue. There is also a clear centreline on the bitumen so you don’t have to worry about finding yourself in disputes about road ownership with oncoming traffic. Even the gravel was in good nick, with few corrugations or slippery sections, although watch out when you get back on the tar as dust

■ The information centre at Orbost is a quaint building in itself. There’s much to do around here so check it out

HARD FACTS It’s 126km from Orbost to Delegate on this road and Google Maps suggests it’s a 2hr 19min ride. I got into Delegate at around 7.30 after stopping several times for photographs and to chat with Russell and Lee, so you could feasibly do it in under two hours on a motorcycle.

It’s best to fuel up in Orbost as this is the last of the premium you’ll get until Bombala, which is 160km away. There is fuel at Delegate, but not at the time I went through and only standard unleaded. I didn’t see any fuel at Bonang and there are no other towns along the road, just a few farming localities, and there’s not a lot of phone reception so if you run out of fuel you’ll be waiting by the side of the road until someone else comes past.

If you’re heading north on the Princes Highway, taking this side route adds just 20km to the trip but adds about an hour and a half with the tight Bonang and then the Brown Mountain descent. Well, that’s an extra hour and a half of motorcycling bliss so it’s well worth the detour if you have the time.

tracked onto it makes it a bit slick and can catch out the unwary.

A er the first 10 or so kays, I found myself falling into an easy rhythm, the big Beemer flowing wonderfully through the corners, powering through without having to row the gearbox too much. The pace was brisk and I completely enjoyed the bike at that speed, the traction control a reassurance that I thankfully only had to rely on once on the dirt.

I hit the first stretch of dirt about 80km out of Orbost and about 10km past the small Goongerah community, which has a school where I’d imagine they’d struggle to get enough kids for a decent game of footy. Importantly, there is a public telephone so if you do get into strife, it’s a point along the way where you can phone a friend. I tried to remember the last place I’d seen a public telephone.

They seem to have become quite rare in this age of mobiles.

Anyway, the dirt section goes for about 12km and takes you through The Gap Scenic Reserve, where you can stop and ponder nature if that is your thing. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 103

BONANG HIGHWAY Coming up this way, it’s probably not a bad idea to stop for a rest before taking on the dirt, which has no shortage of 25km/h corners and will test those not comfortable on a loose surface. However, it’s not so difficult to make you want to avoid all the other treasures this road has to offer, even though I did muck it up once.

While I enjoy riding on dirt, I’m no Chad Reed, so when a tight, down-hill le -hander presented itself, the brain quickly analysed that I was going faster than my ability and I threw out the anchor. ABS is a wonderful thing on bitumen, but not so on dirt, where it won’t slow you down as much as you’d like so I had to rely on the traction control to power out a er sort of half standing on the pegs with the weight on the inside.

Happily, I’d set the engine mapping to grandma for this bit, so I was able to power out without fear of highside. It certainly wasn’t pre y but I had road to spare thanks to the bike’s electrickery and in hindsight the incident was so innocuous I don’t even know why I bother to mention it, other than to point out that caution is required.

If you love the dirt or want to give your adventure bike a good workout, you can explore a bunch of options that branch out from around this spot, such as the road to Bendoc or the McKillops Bridge run further on that will take you out along the range before descending into Buchan.

Ignoring those, you arrive back on the bitumen just a few kays out of Bonang and ride out into a broad expanse of open farmland, which is almost a relief a er

■ Ah, bliss!

“The dirt is not so difficult to make you want to avoid all the other treasures this road has to offer” the last 100km of close forest. There are now long sweepers and straights as you pass remnants of a busier era — an old BP service station is now a derelict shed with faded signwriting.

Through Bonang, there’s another 30 kays before you get into Delegate, the road a mix of open country, young forest and then a run down across the NSW border where the Bonang Highway stops and Delegate Road begins. You soon encounter the next section of dirt in open farmland and I was lucky enough to do this bit at just the right time of day, the evening sun casting long shadows and giving the rolling hills a golden hue.

That sense of connection I get from

■ Heading over the border where the road changes name to Delegate Road

104 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

motorcycling is magnified in these encounters with remote majesty. The bike falls and rises along the seemingly endless thread of road across the open plain with just the faint thrum of the engine behind the wind noise about my helmet.

The few kays of dirt are well made and mostly straight with the odd tight corner thrown in, and it's over before you realise. You’re then back on tar and charging towards Delegate — at least I was in a race to hopefully fuel up at Bombala (I failed but got home okay thanks to the long-range Beemer). I stopped for photos at the Old Se lers Hut, which is an historic building on the side of the road just before town, and had I got there earlier I could have enjoyed some of the other historic features of one of Australia’s oldest se lements in the High Country.

Pressing on, the last 35km to Bombala was a fast run and I arrived at 8pm, the service stations closed, meals finished for the night and not much for me to do but nurse the big Beemer the last 155km to Bermagui.

The Bonang Highway has its challenges with the short dirt sections and lack of facilities, but the excellent road surface, clear road markings and sheer number of corners make it a mustdo for every motorcyclist. For me it had been a fantastic run, the highlight of a long day, and has shuffled its way into my top five favourite roads. ARR

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EXOTIC IMPORTS

MARQUE

Australians love exotic bikes, but how do you persuade us to buy them?

WORDS: JUSTIN LAW PHOTOS: JUSTIN LAW, UMI t takes courage to take on a business venture against the odds and if you were to put odds on succeeding with expensive niche motorcycles in Australia a few years ago, you would have struggled to find backers.

The Global Financial Crisis and the demise of well-established Bimota and Benelli importer Stoney Creek Power Sports in 2008 put it into the general bike business psyche that the length of a barge pole was a comfortable distance from involvement in anything other than well-established brands.

But Allan and Joseph Elasmar didn’t see it that way. Their Melbourne-based FX Motorsports was a retail outlet for Stoney Creek’s brands and they saw firsthand the reaction among the faithful who feared those bikes and support for them may not be available in Australia again. It got the Elasmar brothers thinking that there might actually be something in these quirky marques that hadn’t been thoroughly explored before. ►

I

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 107

EXOTIC IMPORTS

“I can tell you the names of customers who have bought from us — where they live, what they bought, when, which dealership, how many ride days they do” Three years later, they set up Urban Moto Imports (UMI) and have continued to exceed their expectations on a wave of success powered by not only those two iconic Italians, but new US brand Eric Buell Racing (EBR), and top-shelf

BIMOTA These magnificent motorcycles are hand-built around the best available sportsbike engines, such as Ducati’s 1198 Testastre a, for supreme handling and racetrack performance. They are also made to fit the customer, with each bike fe led to suit its new owner’s dimensions. That is what a racted the Elasmar brothers to the brand and

■ Bimota’s DB8 Oro Nero. All yours for $84,990!

108 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Also satisfying the burgeoning LAMs market is the Benelli BN600R at under $10k

compatriots Confederate and Viper.

“It’s not big numbers, but we’ve smashed every target we’ve set,” Allan says. “We’re out of stock for nearly every brand at the moment.”

So they’ve succeeded beyond their

gave them confidence that there was demand for bespoke motorcycles.

Allan says: “You’ve got the new Bimota BB3 with the BMW engine that went to third in the Evo class in its debut, so we’ve got race teams contacting us wanting the bike. It’s at the high end of the market, around the 70 mark [$70,000], but it’s a handmade bike again.”

perhaps conservative pass marks and also proved to the local industry that there is a future for these bikes in Australia, although it has only been through careful planning while also making it clear to the manufacturers what the retail market wants.

“Many people told us we were crazy and would go broke, the GFC was looming and Europe was the way it was so it was suicide. But we’ve dealt with these manufacturers (Benelli and Bimota) before, we’ve had six or seven years with them dealing with the bikes and seen where they’ve made errors.

“We worked differently with the factories and didn’t just buy a product that they gave us. We re-engineered some of the products, we helped them build a be er product, we dealt with other importers to get them on our side to help the factory change things, and that is the difference between us surviving or not.”

It might sound like arrogance that an importer, particularly one in a globally small market such as Australia, could influence a manufacturer but Allan says that they had earned their trust a er delivering on a promise.

“We started as a distributor for Bimota, which make expensive low-volume motorcycles, and we told them we would be one of their biggest customers,” he says. “They said Australia was a small market, but a er six months of dealing Bimota we got a call from one of their head guys to say we were among their biggest distributors in the world. That started a good relationship for us and we’ve continued to grow.”

Good relationships again are the key and they’ve made some handy friends.

The launch of EBR’s 1190RX in Melbourne earlier in the year a racted the services of Isle of Man TT winner Cameron Donald and motorcycle journalism royalty in Alan Cathcart. However, the secret of their success, according to Allan, isn’t based on impressing the media.

“It’s the individuality. Looking a er our customers,” Allan says. “I can tell you the names of customers who have bought from us — where they live, what they bought, when, which dealership, how many ride days they do. We keep our ear to the ground and listen to the customer and that’s how we’re growing dramatically year on year.”

So personalised service is a big factor, but in this motorcycle marketplace with its demand in a variety of categories, unless you’ve got the products, it doesn’t ma er how many hands you shake. UMI has shown it is aware of that and ticks nearly all the boxes. Hypersports? Bimota and EBR. Naked street fighters? Benelli and Confederate. Adventure bikes?

Benelli again with their Tre K. Cruisers?

Viper. LAMs? Benelli for the third time, the Chinese-manufactured brand under close Italian supervision providing the bread-and-bu er volume sellers.

Benelli is a handy brand to have because while it supplies affordable bikes in a number of categories, it satisfies one major criterion UMI had set for themselves: “Our mo o

BENELLI This is the volume selling brand for UMI with the LAMs 600s and 300s falling into the sub-$10k category, thanks to the partnership with Chinese motor group Quiangjiang.

However, it still has good hero models in its TnT as well as hi ing the adventure market with its Tre K Amazonas, so it broadens the model

base and allows UMI to hit nearly all the food groups.

Allan says: “Benelli is producing mid-sized bikes on top of the TT range, which is very good for us, so the new 1200 superbike with new electronics is coming and the new 600s, which is our biggest selling class, and the 300 is being released. So Benelli is very exciting for us.”

■ While Benelli also provides cheap LAMs, it still makes wolves like this TnT R

“Many people told us we were crazy and would go broke, the GFC was looming and Europe was the way it was so it was suicide”

r Joe Elasmar introduces the new Benelli 302 that hits the LAMs market at under $6000

is ‘uncompromised motorcycle individuality’,” Allan says, and while Benelli is at the affordable end, the others in the UMI stable satisfy the individualism the Elsamars are banking on for success. “We wanted bikes that weren’t mainstream, that weren’t runof-the-mill but a li le more niche, a li le bit more special and bikes that are higher quality. That comes with a slightly higher price tag sometimes, but it was catering for riders who wanted something ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 109

EXOTIC IMPORTS

“We’ve had dealers and wholesalers say to us, ‘We thought you were crazy but now we think you are the smartest’”

r Allan (left) and Joseph Elasmar have beaten the odds to succeed with expensive niche marques in a fickle Australian market

ERIK BUELL RACING It makes perfect sense that this brand would fall under the UMI banner. It represents a resurgent Erik Buell creating a completely new bike without the constraints of a parent company such as HarleyDavidson. Like Benelli, this brand is taking advantage of China’s proactive approach to manufacturing and that helps to make it cost effective in a competitive market.

■ New to the world is this EBR 1190RX and UMI offers them to Australian customers

110 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Allan says: “It’s a brand-new bike, it’s a superbike and that nobody’s seen before with a lot of revolutionary engineering on it. That’s very exciting and will keep us busy for the next three or four years. There’s also a streetfighter, a café racer and a tourer that are coming on the same platform — they’re American-built bikes that are priced right to take on the Japanese market and the Italian superbike market.”

different and something special. That’s what the company is based on.”

A “slightly higher” price tag, yes. We’re talking a cool $95,000 for a Confederate X132 Hellcat Combat or $85,000 for a Bimota DB8 Oro Nero or $55,000 for a Viper Black Diamond. EBR’s 1190RS comes in at $57,000. These are aspirational bikes and the toys of the rich and famous — Confederate lists Hollywood superstars among its customers. These are also bikes satisfying a growing demand in Australia for something a bit out of le field.

“I think that if you can give the customer what they want and show them the value, you will sell them motorcycles,” he says. “For Bimota to have one of its biggest distributors in Australia says that Aussies want quality and they’re happy to pay for it if you can show them where the money is. Per capita in Australia we are spending more money on motorcycles than any other country, because we are lucky to have money in this country.”

UMI has also focussed on the future of the brands in its range of bikes and that’s important for that range to expand. Allan says they’re not looking for stale models, but manufacturers prepared to move forward and bring the cu ing edge to the table.

“It has to be different, it has to have four or five years of future ahead,” he says. “Every brand we deal with has massive R&D going on now — we visit the factories regularly and where you see the factory’s future or the future of the brand is in the R&D. A lot of brands, particularly the Japanese, aren’t doing that because money is tight. An example, and no disrespect to the brand, is the Yamaha R1 — it’s an ’08 bike that’s been rebirthed and rebirthed.”

While that may be true of an R1, you can’t deny its reliability, which is something not all the UMI brands can boast, if history is anything to go by.

“The reliability on a lot of our brands — I’m not going to say it’s flawless, but because we supply a high-end product,

r Alan Cathcart unveils the EBR 1190RX. He and Isle of Man TT winner Cameron Donald (right) are among the motorcycling royalty UMI calls friends

CONFEDERATE Absolute wow factor is what you get with this completely unique motorcycle.

There is nothing quite like a Confederate in its look and performance and that is what has made them something of a must-have for the rich and famous with a discerning eye for motorcycle cra . For UMI, this is an aspirational brand, one that adds cred to their business.

■ Just gorgeous. The Confederate Hellcat X132 is the choice of movie stars

Allan says: “You don’t do Confederate to make money. Confederate is the love. It is one of the most amazing motorcycles in the world. We hope to have one in every dealership. They’re not big numbers, they’re completely handmade and you’ve got your Tom Cruise, your Brad Pi [who each own one]. The whole shipment we got is completely sold out.”

we take a lot of time with each of the bikes in pre-delivery,” Allan says.

“They’re worked on, tested, set up for the customers in some cases. We don’t do big numbers, we don’t send out crates all over the place to dealerships. Each bike is unwrapped and checked and if there’s a problem we fix it before the dealer delivers the bike key-turn ready.

“With the Bimota, the bike is built for the customer whose dimensions are taken and the suspension is set up for them. It’s more expensive, it’s a lot more labour intensive, and we’ve built a very expensive warranty and spare parts unit, but that’s been a waste of money because we’ve barely used it.

“We get feedback from around the world so if there’s an issue, the factory moves to fix it before the shipment comes. So it’s been nearly 95 per cent [reliability] across the whole range and the new Benelli has been nearly 100 per cent, which has not been achieved before, so we’ve been really lucky.”

Dealer support is another area that can be an issue for smaller marques.

They’re not like Honda or Yamaha with a bike shop in every electorate. Instead, Allan says they’ve concentrated on keeping it small.

“We want one good dealership in each ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 111

EXOTIC IMPORTS

“Bimota said Australia was a small market, but after six months we were among their biggest distributors in the world” state,” he says. “We want to have the right dealer and give them support to make it work. One thing you’ll find is that we’ll help the dealer set up the store as a lifestyle, a place you can have a cup of coffee, and a place that reflects the Urban Moto vision.

“Long-term I think we’re building a be er business with a be er group of riders who we get a lot more involved with and we get a lot more involved with our retailers. A lot of wholesalers don’t do that or get involved at all. But we like to bring our dealers and our retailers together as a big family, and I think that’s the difference in us succeeding in this market and growing as well, where others haven’t.”

Allan also talks about the reputation they’ve built through not only providing personalised service to their customers, but by being accessible and pu ing themselves out there. “We do the World Supers here and the MotoGP and we’re at race days and expos and at ride days with our dealers, so we’re very exposed to our customers and people see us as involved.

That’s playing a lot of a role now.

112 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

VIPER While Viper is obviously there to satisfy the popular cruiser market, it also very much falls within UMI’s mo o of ‘uncompromised motorcycle individuality’. It represents another magnificently hand-cra ed range of motorcycles as well as boasting the most powerful V-twin engines — they make no

bones about flaunting their power figures, something more popular cruiser brands are reluctant to do.

“This is a cruiser with the most powerful V-twin in the world and absolutely embodies what we want to achieve with Urban Moto Imports — hand-built works of art that not only look fantastic but will blow the competition away on the road.”

■ In the cruiser segment, Viper’s Black Diamond holds a power advantage over the competition

“As a director, and Joe as well, we’re happy to talk to the man on the street.

One customer approached Joe a er he’d scratched the lever and Joe organised a replacement for him — you have to be humble and you have to be a rider for people to believe in you.”

Allan rides a DB8. “I’ve got dibs on an 1190RX — can’t wait to get an 1190RX,”

he adds. “We all ride — I think everyone in our company rides except maybe one or two admin people — but we wanted to keep it personal and special, and we wanted to bring in a bike that could be customised at the factory and then get the bike airfreighted to the customer. It’s a very personalised service.”

That’s all well and good, but surely the more the company grows, the less personalised service they’d be able to provide. Allan disagrees and points out that they’re realistic about their targets with these niche brands and can only hope for minimal market share, so UMI would never get too big. Besides, he says, they still want to maintain a sense of individualism for the customer.

“Now that the years have passed we’ve had dealers and wholesalers say to us, ‘We thought you were crazy but now we think you are the smartest because you deal with unique products and people are looking for unique brands’.”

He adds, “A lot of people who ride don’t want to be followers.” A lot of people who import motorcycles might be now that Urban Moto Imports has shown the way. ARR

P.O. Box 612, Sunbury 3429

LONG-HAUL FLYER

A new Pilot flies in with significant new technology and a wad of patents as it seeks longer life and better grip

STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE here are 1300-odd (probably very odd!) chemistry nerds playing with beakers and test tubes in a laboratory somewhere in the middle of France’s Clermont-Ferrand volcano region. These nerds are at the heart of what makes Michelin motorcycle tyres something a li le special, says Christophe Duc, Michelin marketing director for motorcycle tyres.

He admits he only learnt to ride when he landed the position about three years

T

114 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

ago. “I don’t even own a bike but I’m negotiating with my wife,” he says. But he is so commi ed to the motorcycle product, he recently flew to Australia just to launch the Michelin Pilot 4 range, the fourth iteration of their most popular road tyre. In his thickest ’Allo ’Allo accent, Christophe says their dualcompound technology is at the heart of their success.

“It was suggested way back in 1989 by one of our workers who rode a cruiser each day on the highway to work and was complaining about wearing out

the centre of his tyre,” Christophe says over a la e at the hipster Gasolina motorcycle restaurant on Melbourne’s trendy Southbank.

The idea of a hard compound on the centre of the tyre for longer wear and a so er compound on the edges for improved grip was thrown into a lab full of chemistry nerds and the result didn’t surface until 1994. “We spend a lot of time and money on compound technology,” says Christophe. “It’s absolutely critical.

We’ve been learning and improving the compound all the time.” ►

MICHELIN PILOT 4

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 115

■ Independent tests indicate the Pilot 4 has superior braking effect

The technology ensures that Michelin tyres wear evenly and don’t change their profile as they wear out, providing riders with a consistent feel and confidence throughout the life of their tyres. Michelin’s continual improvement in technology such as this has resulted in the total renewal in the past two years of every one of their road-going motorcycle tyres, including the Pilot. In fact, the renewal is so quick, Michelin is still making and selling Pilot 2 and 3 tyres.

But the Pilot 4 is more than just dualcompound technology. That is only one of the technologies that will make this tyre very marketable. Another is called “sipes”. Sipes are the thin cuts across the tyre that pump water away from the contact patch to provide maximum wetroad grip. The world’s first motorcycle tyre with sipes was the Pilot 3, launched in 2011. Since then, the Michelin nerds have been studying what happens with the sipes over the tyre's life.

116 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

They found that the leading edge of the tyre just behind the sipe was wearing away quickly and distorting the rubber between each sipe. To keep that part of the tyre from distorting and staying in contact with the road, they chamfered the leading edge. It’s a simple adaptation, but Michelin claims it works and helps improve braking distance and tyre wear.

The French company says independent tester DEKRA Z (the German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association) found that the tyre has 17 per cent shorter braking distances on wet roads compared with its nearest rival. At the same time, Michelin says the tyre has 20 per cent longer life, but won’t say how many kilometres you can expect from the tyres. Obviously that is up to the rider’s behaviour, the type of roads they ride, the load they carry and the type of motorcycle. However, it should

“The Pilot 4 has 17 per cent shorter braking distances on wet roads compared with its nearest rival”

MICHELIN PILOT 4 ■ You can’t see it, but the rubber is made of two compounds for better life and performance

MICHELIN PILOT 4 SIZES ROAD 4 STANDARD Front: 120/60ZR17, 120R70ZR17 Rear: 150/70ZR17, 160/60ZR17, 180/55ZR17, 190/50ZR17, 190/55ZR17 ROAD 4 GT Front: 120/70ZR17, 120/70ZR18 Rear: 170/60ZR17, 180/55ZR17, 190/50ZR17, 190/55ZR17 ROAD 4 TRAIL Front: 110/80ZR19, 120/70ZR19 Rear: 150/70ZR17, 170/60ZR17

“It should mean an extra couple of thousand kilometres of tyre life” mean an extra couple of thousand kilometres of tyre life.

Another new technology is the clever and unique process of combining radial and bias plies in the tyre structure, laying them down at different angles.

Bias ply increases the load-carrying capacity of the tyre but makes the ride harsh, so the radial play takes care of that. Christophe says the dual-angle technology was one of the main reasons BMW has chosen it as one of their tyres of choice for the R1200RT. It is also one of six patents registered during the development of the Pilot 4.

Is it any wonder, given the resources involved? Michelin has 111,200 employees worldwide. The research and development department has a whopping annual budget of $885 million

and employs 6000 people, of which 1300 are chemistry nerds!

All this technology comes at a price.

Justin Siebert, Michelin’s Oceania regional manager, says prices will be about five per cent higher than the Pilot 3, but he points out that the rider’s cost per kilometre will be lower due to the longer tyre life. And he says the sports-touring tyre should be available just about everywhere across this wide brown land of ours. “There shouldn’t be a pocket where it isn’t available,” he says.

That’s comforting for riders who are likely to take this tyre on a profound lap of the country.

Christophe says the tyre hasn’t been tested in Australia, but they have obtained a lot of feedback from Australian riders. He says the tyre has

been tested on 60 bikes over two million kilometres in cold and hot temperatures in other parts of the world. He claims the Pilot 4 has a “50-degree thermal amplitude” from -5°C to 45°C, which basically means they work effectively in that range of temperatures. “That makes it very competent for touring riders who take their bikes from the hot plains up into the Alps,” he says.

The front and rear tyres come in 19 different sizes and will be suitable for a wide range of sports and touring motorcycles, from naked bikes right up to heavy tourers such as the Yamaha FJR1300 and BMW K1600. However, Christophe says they do not have any suitable tyres in their range for the biggest and heaviest tourer of them all, the Goldwing. “That’s a very heavy bike that makes a lot of demands on a tyre, but it will be our next frontier.”

The Pilot 4 is available now in three varieties: Road 4 Standard, Road 4 GT and Road 4 Trail.

“We are already working on the fi h generation of Pilot,” says Christophe. ARR

■ Combination of radial and bias plies is said to boost performance and comfort, even on heavy bikes

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 117

product reviews

TESTING,TESTING We’ve been trying to wear out tyres, talking in our helmets and feeling warmer than ever in winter INTERPHONE BLUETOOTH KIT

■ A boom microphone is used for open-face helmets

■ The unit fits snugly on the outside of your helmet

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The Interphone F5XT has possibly the clearest, distortion-free sound of all helmet Bluetooth and intercom systems I have yet tested. That makes it easier to hold phone conversations even at highway speeds and it means your music doesn’t fatigue your ears with distorted mush. And that’s one of the most important aspects of a Bluetooth system as far as I’m concerned.

The Interphone F5XT has a host of features that should keep riders entertained and in contact with the outside world and other riders. There are spoken status announcements, speedrelated volume control, an FM radio, music streaming, phone functionality and an intercom that will connect with up to five other riders.

It comes with either a boom microphone a achment for open-face and flip-up helmets or a stick-on bud for full-face helmets. And if you don’t want the outside world to contact you, go without the mic and just listen to GPS directions, the radio or your music either via Bluetooth or a plug-in.

The unit fits to your helmet via a stickon a achment or a bolt-on clasp and it’s fairly small and low-profile. However, the unit plugs in via a cable and the boom mic a aches via a Velcro spot so it can be a bit messy with wires. There are five pointed bu ons with a central round bu on which are difficult to use with anything but summer gloves. However, there is also an optional remote unit that

■ Mic wiring plugs into the back

■ Controls are easy enough with lightweight gloves but not bulky ones

MOUNTING KITS Interphone has handlebar mounting kits for most phones and even tablets.

It allows you to access the phone’s functions such as GPS, music, calls and even the weather forecast, although we recommend you pull over for anything more complex than pressing a bu on.

The housings are claimed to be “knock-proof” and waterproof and allow access to touch-screens, bu ons, functions, earphone jacks and charging ports. They are quick to release and can pivot a full circle for ideal mounting options.

Prices range from $44.95 to $99.95 depending on the model. They suit the following devices: GPS 4.3in, 3.5in and 5.4in; iPhone 3, 4, 4S and 5; Galaxy S3 and S4; 7.0in tablet and iPad.

you can a ach to your handlebar which performs all the same functions. It says you can access these with your thumb, but there are few bikes where you can position the remote close enough to access without having to take your hand off the handlebars.

When you switch it on, a voice tells you how much ba ery you have — high, medium or low — which is very convenient. On first use you have to go

“I especially like the announcement of who is calling when the phone rings”

through quite a lengthy and confusing process of selecting the right language and then pairing your phone and remote.

Once that’s done, it always pairs up immediately when you turn it on. It also allows you to pair two phones to the headset simultaneously in case you have a work and personal phone.

The instruction manuals that come with the unit and remote aren’t very comprehensive, so I suggest you go to their website and download the full manual. Or you can just rely on the spoken instructions, which make the rather complex menu system a li le bit easier to follow. I especially like the announcement of who is calling when the phone rings. You can set it up to answer via your voice or a bu on. I tried voice recognition answering, but it didn’t work, so I swapped to the bu on and had no more problems.

Each time you turn it on it defaults to the intercom se ing, which is annoying if you always want it on phone, or music, or radio. I’d prefer it defaulted to the se ing you had it on when you turned it off. The speed-related volume control

is handy so you don’t blow your ears off when you come to a stop. But I found it jumped up and down in volume around 60km/h so I switched off that function.

I also thought it might run down the ba ery a bit quicker.

As for the ba ery life, I couldn’t run it out in a day of listening to Bluetooth and taking several calls. By the end of a ninehour day of riding it was telling me the ba ery was low when I powered it up a er a stop, but it never ran out. They say it has up to 700 hours of standby and 12 hours of talk time, which sounds about right.

While the sound is crisp and clean, it’s also shrill, with weak bass. I changed my iPhone se ings to “bass booster” or “small speakers” and found it was much be er.

The FM radio has eight station memories and the spoken announcements tell you exactly what number is on the dial.

I only had the one unit so I couldn’t test the intercom, but they say it has a range of 1.3km between two riders, reducing between riders as you add more intercoms. With six riders patched in they need to be less than 480m apart to hear each other, but that’s a whopping 2.4km in total from lead rider to tail-end Charlie! In the real world I’ve found that these distances may be reduced by roadside obstructions such as trees, as well as corners and hills.

— MARK HINCHLIFFE

DETAILS Prices: Single system, $299.95. Pair, $549.95. Remote, $80 Info: www.ficeda.com.au, (02) 9827 7561

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product reviews

■ The T30 front boasts a further update of Bridgestone’s NanoPro compound technology

■ Tread design is one of the unique aspects of the new T30s

BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX T30S The last time I rode on a set of Bridgestones was many long years ago and one that I would rather not relive at this time. It’s funny how things stay with you because of one bad experience and I haven’t touched a pair since! But that was then and I know we have to move on.

For decades Bridgestone motorcycle tyres were distributed by Eurotred, a company in Victoria, but they have now found a new home in sunny Queensland at McLeod Accessories. I’ve owned many bikes over the years and ridden on many different brands of tyres. Of all the bikes I’ve owned, my Buell Ulysses certainly takes out the prize when it comes to destroying tyres and this is especially the case when it comes to wearing out the rear. If I’m very careful I can get 11,000km out of a rear, but I never replace one tyre and not the other so I get no more mileage out of front tyres.

Yes, I know I can get more out of the front but I’d rather have a matching pair to start with. That’s how I began with this set of Bridgestone’s new Ba lax T30 sports-touring tyres as I set out to see how they cope with my long daily commute and playtime.

One of the first things I noticed with the T30s was how stiff the sidewalls felt on the road and this was the case for a 120 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

week till they started to so en, but at first it was like riding a race bike. Over the first few months, as with other parts of Australia, NSW has had its fair share of dry weather so for a long time I couldn’t comment much on how good the T30s handled in the wet except for a few damp days that didn’t really count. Then as if an alarm went off, the heavens opened up big time. Now I don’t mind riding in the wet; I think it’s good because it makes you appreciate dry days, but I ended up doing a 1500km ride of which 800km was in the wet — some of it torrential. However, I felt very confident on the T30s.

Most riders would rather ride in dry, of course, and you can rest assured that where grip is concerned the Bridgestones feel great. The new T30s have a positive feel and are very reassuring in and out of corners and under hard braking. I do have a favourite corner I call the 100 corner and it will either make me feel good about whatever tyres I am riding on or make me want to rethink why they were fi ed in the first place. For me, if I take it at 90km/h it’s good, and 100 is excellent. The T30s are at the 100 mark.

With just over 12,000km on the clock I’ve outdone my usual maximum mileage and am more than happy. I’m sure if you give them a go you will be too.

— JOHN ARENS

■ The T30 rear has set a new record for lifespan on the rear of John’s Ulysses

“With just over 12,000km on the clock I’ve outdone my usual maximum mileage and am more than happy” DETAILS Sizes: Front, various 17in, 18in, 19in.

Rear, various 17in and 160/60ZR18.

Some GT spec for heavyweight bikes Prices: Front, from $169.95.

Rear, from $245.99 Info: www.mcleodaccessories.com.au, 07 3621 9000

product reviews

■ Power comes in directly from the bike or via an outlet in the jacket

■ The form-fitting pants are similar to thermals but heated

WARM & SAFE HEATED GEAR Last year I bought a heated undershirt and riding gloves from Warm & Safe Australia, figuring they were by far the best ways to keep warm on the many frosty, sub-zero mornings I was out on the bike. They made a huge difference to my comfort and ability to safely handle the bike. The effect of severe cold on your body can be as bad as that of alcohol.

This winter I’ve been testing the rest of the outfit — the pants and socks — and my satisfaction is complete.

The pants and socks plug into the system just as the top and gloves do, all connecting by tailored plugs into one pair of wires connected to the bike’s ba ery via a fused link. Once you’re dressed and you’ve plugged in each item of clothing, the heat is finely adjusted by a wireless remote controller that, in my case, I’ve mounted to the handlebar clamp of the Multistrada.

The clothing’s carbon-based material conducts heat all over its surface, providing even heat. The only wires in the clothing are those that carry current to the heated panels. The Warm & Safe pants plug into an outlet wire in the shirt, and the socks each connect to wires routed out the bo om of the pants. I have Warm & Safe’s dual remote controller so I can run two circuits. I’ve always had the

■ When not in use, the wires tuck into zipped pockets, out of the way

“The pants warm your thighs, knees and the upper section of your bum — the bits that always get coldest” gloves on their own circuit and saw no reason to change this, so the pants and socks are plugged into the same circuit as the top, meaning all three are regulated together. You can change the combination to suit yourself, though.

The pants warm your thighs, knees and the upper section of your bum — the bits that always get coldest; those parts are windproof too. All other sections of the pants are made of Spandex so they stretch and are extremely comfortable.

The socks are the same cloths, the heated material wrapping around your toes.

That’s all you need from both; if they warmed other parts of you, there’d be too much heat there I think.

The effect is bliss. I wore them, for example, to the Alpine Rally and enjoyed warm knees and feet for a change.

Wearing the top and gloves too, I’m in my own li le summer on freezing mornings, all without the less comfortable, less effective bulk of thick layers under the riding gear. Unplugged and walking around during the day, the Warm & Safe gear doesn’t get too hot, as thermals tend to. The material wicks away moisture so doesn’t feel overly sweaty and it has antibacterial properties.

The full outfit draws a fair amount of power — the pants are 40W, for example — but any modern bike will run them without dramas as long as you don’t have

too many other powered items in use, especially spotlights.

If you do a lot of cold-weather riding, whether distance or commuting, you’ll be so much more comfortable with the full Warm & Safe outfit.

— MICK MATHESON

■ The only way to guarantee warm tootsies? It’s bliss

■ The connectors are good quality and should last

DETAILS Prices: Pants $220, socks $65. Plus controllers etc Info: www.warmandsafeaustralia.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 121

product reviews PIRELLI SCORPION TRAIL TYRES You’ll go a long way trying to wear out Pirelli’s Scorpion Trail tyres, even on a heavy 1200cc adventure bike on rough roads with luggage on board.

I know I have.

I’ve been meaning to write this review for months, but I simply haven’t been able to because the tyres have not worn out. I’ve had them on for about 6000km since last winter and done a fair bit of rough gravel tracks where I enjoy nothing more than sliding the back end out of corners. Our long-term Multistrada, meanwhile, did over 8000km on its Pirellis.

Have a look at the pictures of the condition of the tyres now. I reckon I could still get another few thousand out of them, which is pre y good going for a heavy BMW R1200GS Rallye, usually with a pillion on the back (on tar) and a bit of weekend luggage and a bad a itude on board over the rougher trails. For a short time I ran a mismatched set of tyres, including a Scorpion Trail front tyre. When I paired the Pirellis together, they opened my eyes to how important it is to match front and back tyres. Suddenly the bike gripped more consistently on the tar and all the way to the edge, even with a pillion and some luggage. They were confidenceinspiring in the wet, the tread pa ern pumping excess water to the tyre edge.

I’d been running knobbies for a while, but it hit me that I’d been running around on tyres designed for 75 per cent dirt and 25 per cent tar, yet my riding was 90 per cent bitumen and 10 per cent dirt, probably like most of the owners of these big “adventure” bikes. I had to find out how the Scorpions would handle that 10 per cent and thankfully my first foray was on decomposed granite tracks.

■ The Pirellis have dealt with lots of two-up riding as well as regular duties

“My riding was 90 per cent bitumen and 10 per cent dirt, probably like most of the owners of these big adventure bikes” When I hit the dirt I did so at full pelt, forge ing I wasn’t on knobbies. It was a few minutes before I remembered the tyres but by then I had realised that knobbies aren’t much use on these sorts of roads anyway. The surface is very slippery but thin and the knobbies simply can’t dig in and grip. However, the Pirellis provided plenty of predictable slide. At the end of the run, a colleague on another Rallye, but shod with knobbies, asked me how I managed to go so fast on “those tyres”. “Pure talent,” I told him.

But seriously, I wasn’t at all perturbed by the behaviour of the tyres. And when a few weeks later we hit some loose gravel roads, again I didn’t have too many dramas. In fact, here I found the tyres were actually be er when the bike had some lean as the tread pa ern has wider grooves toward the sides. However, they were quite ski ish in the centre when hi ing the brakes.

Obviously, they are no good in mud, damp clay or sand. For that you need specialist tyres. But for most of the dirt roads we do, these tyres fit the bill nicely. Unfortunately, too many owners of these big adventure juggernauts ride around on knobbies that are terrible in the wet, horrid two-up, loud on the highway and have a short lifespan.

They’d be far be er off bolting on a pair of these and enjoying 90 per cent of their ride … for longer.

— MARK HINCHLIFFE

■ Despite their mostly tar-oriented design, these work well on dirt roads

DETAILS ■ Scorpion rear is holding up well, with minimal damage from dirt-road use

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■ Big grooves front and rear pump water away for confident grip

Sizes: Front, various 17–21in sizes.

Rear, various 17–18in sizes Prices: Front, $105–$239.

Rear, $145–$365 Info: www.linkint.com.au, 07 3382 5000

Expedition Panniers

Waterproof Adventure boot from Forma

Waterproof Cape Horn boot from Forma

Andy Strapz approved gear is specially selected and tested for quality and motorcycle friendliness.

If it wears the Andy Strapz brand, it’s made to the highest standards here in Australia.

www.andystrapz.com

HAND-PAINTED POSTERS Own your favourite bike poster or the complete A-Z! See the collection at www.atozuniverse.com

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNED, LIMITED EDITION MOTORBIKE PRINT OF AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC!

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Whatz new AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE HEADLIGHT PROTECTORS Broken knuckles mend themselves after you’ve just been pelted with stones from a passing truck, but headlights don’t. Makes sense then to protect that expensive piece of equipment with a neat, modelspecific guard from Australian Motorcycle Headlight Protectors.

The company has just released three new additions to its expanding range with protection now for the 2014 BMW R1200GS, Yamaha MT-09 (pictured) and KTM 1190 Adventure.

Based in Gosford, AMHP designs, manufactures and supplies the good-value range of 3mm high-grade acrylic headlight protectors throughout Australia and internationally.

Price: from $44.80 Visit: www.amhp.com.au

HEPCO & BECKER TANK GUARDS Improve the crash protection on your BMW F800GS or KTM 1190 Adventure with Hepco & Becker from Motorcycle Adventure Products. Even though both of these adventure bikes come with engine guards already fitted as standard, the upper bodywork and radiator areas are still exposed in a fall.

To solve that issue, Hepco & Becker has produced two tough new tank guards designed to integrate with the fitted equipment so they look great as well.

They’re part of the Motorcycle Adventure Products range that includes headlight and 124 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

sump guards, and because you’re buying direct from the importer the prices aren’t too bad at all.

Price: $277 (BMW), $368 (KTM) Visit: www.motorcycleadventure.com.au

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF

BESTREST MOTORCYCLE RECOVERY SYSTEM Ever had your bike off the trail or stuck in the muck, then tried to bulldog it back where it belongs? Unless you’re built like the Lord Humungous, it’s no easy task. A simple solution to lifting, pulling or towing your dual-sport bike out of a situation like that is the BestRest Motorcycle Recovery System (MRS).

It’s basically a Z-pulley system that gives you a 3:1 lifting/pulling advantage (basic kit) or a 5:1 lifting/pulling advantage (heavy-duty kit). So a 70kg rider can lift a

EXTREME MONKEYING Take it away, Andy Strapz! “How does this sound? A rugged, waterproof charger system that charges almost any modern device and powers up off USB, solar and 240V (including international outlets).

Freakin’ amazing, did I hear you say?

That’s what I thought too.”

Yep, our mate Andy loves a good gadget and the Powermonkey Extreme from UK company Powertraveller tickles that gland nicely with its ability to charge a smart phone up to six times.

You can plug it into your bike’s 12V socket (if it has one) or leave it out in the sun where its solar cell will juice up the 9000mAh lithium polymer battery.

The Polysilicon solar panel will fully charge the battery in about 18 hours and is designed to be strapped to the outside of packs or tents. Hang it off the outside of a hydration pack while

200kg bike with the basic kit, or lift a 340kg bike with the heavy-duty kit. Anchor the main line to a fixed object, hook up the pulleys and straps and in minutes you’ll be winching your bike back to safety. You can also use the MRS to tow a disabled bike, as a camp rope, or to tie a bike in a truck or trailer. The MRS uses mountaineeringgrade American-made components and each kit comes with carry bag, 8mm main line, two pulleys, two anchor straps, two carabiners, two prusiks, an illustrated manual and knot-tying cheat sheets.

Price: US$180/$220 (basic/heavy duty) Visit: www.BestRestProducts.com

you ride and collect rays for the day. The kit comes with a clamshell carry case and an impressive array of adaptor tips to suit most modern devices.

Price: $239.95 (includes postage) Visit: www.andystrapz.com

32-LITRE VENTURA TOP-BOX One of the handiest luggage facilities is a top box. Just flip it open and right there is your stored helmet/camera gear/spare undies/ six-pack. Not all bikes have factory top boxes as an option, which is what makes this Ventura kit so appealing. They make kits that include the model-specific mounting L-brackets and all the other hardware to suit nearly 2000 models including the CB400F in the picture.

If you already have a Ventura rack on your bike, you can get the Astro-TBR (top box rack) cradle combo that will fit the existing hardware and save you about half the cost of a full kit. You can also buy the lockable top box separately, with the universal base plate and mounting hardware included, should you damage one.

Price: $339 (full kit), $159 (AstroTBR cradle combo) Visit: www.kenma.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 125

TYRES TO SUIT In his song “It’s Still Rock’n’Roll to Me”, Billy Joel asked “Should I get a set of white wall tyres?” The answer was “Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?” They could have just said “yes” or “up to you”, but that kinda kills the song.

Anyway, wherever your miracle mile may be, Shinko can supply the whitewalls with its new range of SR777 tyres made specifically for modern cruisers. They’re available in a multitude of sizes to fit many V-twin and metric cruiser models from Harley-Davidson to Suzuki, and if the whole concept of miracle miles and whitewalls isn’t your bag, they come in plain black too.

Price: $122-$239 Visit: www.bce.net.au

MUSTANG SEAT FOR BMW R1200GS Excellent US aftermarket seat maker Mustang has produced an alternative for the 2004-2012 BMW R1200GS that’s lower and narrower than the stock seat. More commonly known for crafting cruiser perches, Mustang has branched into this new market with a design that features a new base plate, controlled density polyurethane foam and expanded vinyl cover.

“The exact shape, angle and density had to be dialled in specifically for the demands of the serious adventure-type rider,” Mustang marketing director Marilyn

SIDI MAG-1 BOOTS We wear motorcycle boots to protect our feet from getting twisted off and stop our ankle bones drawing red and white lines on the tarmac should we find ourselves in less than ideal circumstances. Racing boots take that kind of protection to another level and this Mag-1 boot from Sidi is a good example of where that kinda technology is at.

The Mag-1 features an internal brace system constructed from carbon fibre that allows good flex movement front to back while being firm side to side. That means they don’t feel like snow-ski boots when you walk in them, but they’ll stop you spraining your ankle.

126 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Simmons said. She added Mustang’s seats are over-engineered with all seams sewn twice for extra strength and the bottom edge of the cover hemmed and then riveted to the baseplate for a secure fit.

Vertically challenged riders will appreciate the fact that the Mustang seat sits 38mm lower than stock and is also just 356mm wide, which means most riders will be able to plant their feet while in the saddle. Options include a 230mm-wide passenger seat and a fully adjustable, easily removable built-in driver backrest.

Price: US$629 Visit: www.mustangseats.com

The boot also has a new Micrometric Tecno 3 magnetic closure system for quick and easy adjustments, with the adjustable calf capable of accommodating up to a 15in calf diameter. Handy if you have legs like a pool table’s.

Other features are shaped shock-absorbing heel cup with smooth inside for greater adherence with the bike, shin, calf and ankle protectors, closable air intake system, and perforated Teflon-treated nylon lining.

They come in black in sizes US 7.5–12.5, or white and black US 8.5–12.5.

Price: $599.95 Visit: www.mcleodaccessories. com.au

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF PELICAN PROGEAR 2350 LED TORCH Fumbling about in the dark is only fun sometimes and never when you’re trying to sort out something on your motorbike. No reason not to have one of these small Pelican ProGear 2350 LED torches in your kit for such a situation.

The torch is powered by a single AA battery (included), weighs in at just 100g (with battery) and offers three modes (high/strobe/low). Its

super-bright LED provides clear bright light up to 100 lumens for as long as one-and-threequarter hours in high mode.

Its anodised aluminium construction makes it durable and the anti-slip knurled pattern allows for all-weather usage. Additionally, the Pelican ProGear 2350 LED features a removable clip for easy pocket storage and transport, which also discourages rolling.

Price: $44.95 Visit: www.pelicanprogear.com.au

JEWEL 2.0 LADIES JACKET

30IN OMEGA WHEEL Ever since we pedalled our Big Wheel trikes around in the ’70s and ’80s, some of us have wondered how to translate that look onto a motorcycle. Thanks to US wheel manufacturer Ridewright, that look is now achievable with the company’s massive 30in front wheel to support a growing sub-culture of bike modifiers going after this wild new bagger style.

The new 30in Omega wheel features a 6061-T6 aluminium hoop, three-piece billet aluminium hub for a relatively light 13kg,

BARKBUSTERS CARBON Here’s one carbon emission that won’t have environmental fanatics all hot and bothered. It’s Barkbusters’ new carbon handguards designed to add a bit of style to the company’s already excellent hand protection items.

It’s not only off-roaders who are seeing the benefits of this simple form of protection as they become more popular on naked street bikes. Those bikes are as much about style as practicality and that’s the approach Barkbusters has taken with these nicely designed handguards.

Using real carbon-fibre, Barkbusters has manufactured a product that protects the rider’s hands from flying stones and debris while helping to keep them dry

making it the lightest wheel on the market in this size. It’s available in 40, 50, 60 and 80 spokes with a variety of spoke styles, and you can choose the colour for the modular hubs, the styles and number of spokes, the spoke and rim finish as well as the colour of the nipples.

Ridewright Wheels also offers matching rotors and pulleys and can be ordered with a set of your choice of tyre computerbalanced and mounted.

Price: US$3200 Visit: www.ridewrightwheels.com

in the wet and much warmer in the cold.

They can be fitted in single-point bar-end mount, single-point inner-handlebar clamp mount, dual-point aluminium backbone for added protection, and will replace existing Storm, VPS or JET plastics.

Price: $159.95 Visit: www.barkbusters.net

Lady riders: you know the importance of a snug fit in a jacket for comfort and practicality, as well as a jacket that doesn’t look like a hand-me-down from a beerbellied bloke.

Gentleman riders: it’s not fair that your missus should wear your old jackets, especially if you think it’s important to consider her comfort and to make it clear that she actually is a woman.

Dririder has a cost-effective solution with its Jewel 2.0 ladies jacket. The 900D and 600D polyester shell is fitted with CE armour and a high-density foam back protector.

Inside are a detachable thermal liner and waterproof membrane to make it warmer in winter and keep out most of the rain. It also has aluminium-lined flaps to isolate the chest from the cold, a neopreneedged soft collar for comfort, arm and waist adjusters and expander zips for a comfortable fit. You also get two external pockets, three inner pockets and a mobile pocket, and it comes in black and pink or black and white in sizes 8–22.

Price: $299.95 Visit: www.dririder.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

■ Twice the price, 16 times the life. You work out the value…

STICKING IN THE BOOT A year ago, my well-used BMW boots finally had to be abandoned. They were no longer water-tight and a zip had jammed, so I bought a new pair of lookalikes for about $170. The BMW ones had cost $330 four years earlier.

Check the picture a er three months’ use. The four-year-old le boot is on the le and the $170 boot is on the right. The wear is due to the effect of taking the full weight on the le foot while ge ing off the bike and slightly pivoting while throwing the leg over. It had worn the BMW boot flat as can be seen and completely ruined the cheap boot, so the moral of the story is don’t buy cheap boots.

The retailer refused to replace them as I could not produce my receipt. Fair enough, but he told me three times “you could have bought these second hand from eBay” so he won’t see my custom again.

Alex Bowman Email

But I digress. While espousing great roads in Australia, let me say that the spectacular, mountainous and twisty run from Mansfield around Lake Eildon to Alexandra is probably the best I have been on and would love one of your correspondents to give a report on it. A dozen Tasmanian Ulysseans did a 4000km run through Victoria and NSW back in March and discovered this hidden motorcycle treasure on the way back to the Spirit of Tasmania. We found it to be fabulous. On the maps it looks to be unsealed but let me assure you it’s not.

Keep up the great work, particularly the stories on the great roads!

Tony Benneworth Launceston, Tasmania

■ “When I grow up I’m going riding!”

I’ve long taken the view that you are be er off buying quality gear at a higher price rather than buying cheaper stuff o en.

It’s the old “buy once, cry once” scenario. Of course, the budget doesn’t always permit me to live by that belief, but I’ve never regre ed spending the larger amounts when I could. — Matho

MORE ROAD TRIPS, PLEASE Matho, I enjoy the magazine thoroughly. And I agree with readers who voiced their opinion in edition 103 that it doesn’t ma er what you ride, so long as you ride the roads of this great country of ours.

Your mag is called Australian Road Rider so perhaps I would rather see reports on Australian roads rather than the bikes we ride on them. For instance, your report on the Oxley Highway, from Walcha to Wauchope, and the Chasing the Sun article from Cape Byron to wherever are more interesting to me than a fivepage story on a Triumph Thunderbird.

1228 | AUS 12 128 A AUSTRALIAN TRALIA TRA LIA AN R ROAD OAD AD RI R RIDER DE DER 128 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE I recently discovered Australian Road Rider at my local newsagent and have enjoyed the adventure slant and stories covered. Apparently my 20-month-old daughter has taken a liking to your mag too. Thanks from both of us for a great read.

Odin Perth, WA

LETTERS NOW THAT’S SERVICE! I have had a 2010 Kawasaki Nomad from new and have done nearly 50,000km on it. The only problem that came to light happened a few days before I was due to leave on the Black Dog Ride from Busselton, WA, to Alice Springs, a 9000km return trip. The front brake light switch failed. A quick ring around confirmed that there were none in stock anywhere in Australia.

As the switch also controls the cruise control, I was concerned, especially as I would be riding with so many bikes on this great fundraising ride.

Now, how is this for service? I made a call to Kawasaki Australia to see what they could do. “No problem,” was the reply. “We have a demo unit here and you can have the switch from that one.” With only an hour to spare that day, the switch came off the demo bike and was dispatched by express air freight, with late-night phone calls to ensure the switch was transferred from air freight to road transport to get it here in time for my departure. This exceptional service will definitely be a consideration when I buy my next bike.

Another rider with a bike of a different make that was still under warranty waited in vain for a radiator, which took days to arrive.

Roger Seeney Denmark, WA

WIN THIS, LOOK HOT!

Every issue we’re giving this beaut pack of Motul cleaning gear worth $49.95. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is write to us. We’ll pick what we think is the best le er every month and the top blokes at Motul will fire out this pack to whoever wrote it. Simple. Pack includes some of the best washing and detailing products on the market: • Wash & Wax, a waterless cleaner that leaves a wax coating • Moto Wash, good for all surfaces • Scratch Remover, a micro-abrasive cream for painted surfaces • Helmet & Visor Clean, to keep your lid and your view pristine.

Email roadrider@universalmagazines.com.au or mail to ARR at 5/6-8 Byfield St, North Ryde NSW 2113.

We’ll do the rest.

EYE CONTACT This ugly chestnut about hi-vis vests (editorial, ARR #104) just keeps popping up and I’ve registered on your Facebook petition.

I’ve had a red, silver, yellow, blue and now a black bike and have had near misses on all of them. Two on my very yellow R1100S. My most recent was during the double-demerit period this April. I was going north on the M1 and I normally ride by staying in the right lane and moving slightly quicker than the traffic so that I can concentrate on the cars ahead while checking my mirrors to see if anybody wants to go faster than me and moving over for them to do so.

Because of the double demerits, I had decided to ride in the middle lane at traffic speed and had about a three-car distance to the car in front. A car slowly started passing me in the right lane and then slowly moved over into my lane, forcing me to move le and brake relatively hard.

I ended up at about 80km/h and was also concerned about the other traffic around me. So a er moving back into the right lane I tried to indicate to the driver my displeasure and went back to my safer method. I’d rather cop a fine than be in the right and in hospital.

My point is this. A vest would not have made any difference.

Riding to be seen is all about making eye contact. If there is no eye contact, that is what one needs to be wary of.

May I also refer to a le er I had printed in issue 84 (November, 2012): “From what I can understand the vests are so that we can be seen. So my point is that if you are stopped for not wearing a vest, then the purpose of the vest has been defeated as you had to be seen in order to be seen without a vest.”

Harry Stephens Pi Town, NSW

BIKE-FRIENDLY VENUE Just visited a really bike-friendly venue in South Gippsland: the Inline4cafe at Mirboo North. It’s a great riding area and now with a superb biker-themed cafe/bistro with Marcel and Sabine as hosts.

They have nice coffee, cold beers and really tasty Swiss food on offer as well as the regular stuff. My wife had a lovely fish and chips meal while I tried a curry wurst with a Peroni to wash it down. The cafe has bike mags on the tables to read or just check out the wall posters and memorabilia. There’s also an alfresco area out the front.

Let’s help this brilliant venue keep going with our patronage.

It’s online at www.inline4cafe.com.au and Facebook.

Pete “Shogun” Golding Email

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 129

LET’S GET NAKED!

■ Peter and Keith Jobson with their Tiger 800s after another successful APC Rally

WELCOME BACK G’day Mick. I picked up a January 2014 copy of Australian Road Rider at the recent Ulysses Club’s AGM in Alice Springs and was quite impressed with its content and format. I used to be a subscriber a few years back and became a bit tired of it for various reasons.

Now you seem to have embraced the current trends with adventure-type bikes and relative travel stories, as well as the normal roadie-type stories. Well done! And I have taken up the $50 offer for a 12-month subscription too. Thank you.

I did the ride solo this year, no wifey on the back or riding mates, and enjoyed the freedom of the journey. While up at Alice Springs I did a quick trip 20km north to take a photo of the speed derestriction sign which covers the road north for 200km towards Tennant Creek.

On the way back and south of Alice Springs, the speed zone is 130km/h for quite a long way down the Stuart Highway. This doesn’t mean one has to do 130 (wearing a roo or an emu at that speed would hurt!) but allows a comfortable touring ride at around the 115-120km/h mark. This suited me and the bike, and didn’t adversely affect fuel consumption. In fact, I averaged 5.3l/100km for the whole 4980km of the ride, there and back.

My bike, a Triumph Tiger 800 roadie (not the XC), has factory panniers, top box and tank bag, so was a reasonable load of 350kg all up. I sometimes tow a trailer with my Tiger but as I was by myself this year, decided to pack up the bike. The trailer is great for two of us as the bike tows the weight nice and low rather than having it hanging all over it. Trailers are really good and add another dimension to motorcycling. You should do a story on them one day.

By the way, two of my sons have the Tiger XC models and finished this year’s APC rally. It’s the second one they’ve done.

Peter on the le and Keith at right. They had a great time, a hard ride, but were very pleased with their effort. The XCs went really well; both are now missing front mudguards and fork covers, that’s it!

Well, I have waffled on a bit but thought it good to cover a few things with the resumption of my subscription. Keep up the excellent quality.

David Jobson Corowa, NSW I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying ARR again. Those Triumph 800s are great, aren’t they? I did the first APC rally on an XC and rode to the top of Big Red on it, fully loaded. Had a great time. Give your boys a slap on the back for me! — Matho 130 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

While out riding yesterday, I started to think about all this navel gazing concerning cruisers making a comeback in the magazine. Isn’t that what Cruiser magazine was published for?

But then again, sales might be down, causing a rethink towards continuing publication, could it not?

I also started considering what else didn’t get enough coverage, namely what I was riding, my Aprilia Shiver, and all the other mid-size naked bikes. OK, you did an article on the new Triumph Triple a couple of editions ago but let’s be fair, they don’t rank highly between your pages do they?

Is this because no one rides them or buys them, or even knows anything about them? I would much rather read about these machines than any latest Harley (can’t stand Harleys at the best of times).

Oh, and another thing, Europe produces more than just BMWs and Ducatis, something to consider for future editions.

Peter Glasson Email You’ll be pleased to know we’ve got plenty of mid-sized and naked bikes coming up. The balance is dictated by what’s available to us and what the market is pu ing out there. I wish we had a higher proportion of Japanese bikes in the mag, but right now there aren’t that many coming onto the market, though that’s changing now.

I’m also aware that Harley and BMW are ge ing a high amount of coverage this year, but that won’t stay the same once we’ve covered the models I feel we need to and their onslaught of new ones slows down.

In my mind the ideal issue contains an entry-level bike, a mid-sized bike, a larger road bike and an all-roader; if a cruiser, naked and tourer represent the first three categories, even be er. The real world doesn’t always have room for ideals, though, does it?

As for Cruiser & Trike, it’s going very nicely in its niche, covering those bikes and the associated lifestyle in a way ARR doesn’t. — Matho

■ Should we have more of this? Look out for the Benelli 600 next issue

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PRICE GUIDE

ROAD BIKE & SCOOTER PRICE GUIDE N Can I afford it? Is there something better for the money?

ew bike prices can go up and down like the stock market, so in every issue we’ll bring you the sticker prices. To be completely up to date with things like factory discounts and incentives, check the Road Rider website (www.roadrider.com.au) where we will bring you all the special deals, bonus offers and cashback promotions we can find.

We have included the importers’ websites, which is the place to go if you’re looking for more information. You’ll see that we haven’t listed every bike on the market (yet) but we aim to get there with

all of them. Sometimes even we struggle to find the details of the smaller, newer importers. Meanwhile, enjoy this most meaningful of Australian bike listings, covering the bikes you’re interested in.

The prices are the most up-to-date ones available from the distributors. They may change, of course, subject to specials coming and going. We’ve also made it abundantly clear which prices are ride-away and which don’t include on-road costs; the difference to your final payout can be significant, so don’t compare apples with oranges.

BRAND & MODEL

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 Tuono V4R APRC ABS SE........ Öhlins and more, worth $6000 $26,990+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 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 ■ This year’s Aprilia Caponord 1200 now comes in black, joining the current red and grey paint jobs, still for $23,390+orc. Aprilia has also released a special-edition Tuono with $6000 of extras, including Öhlins suspension.

BENELLI

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road BN302 ........................................ Expected sometime this year.$TBA 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.....$9990+orc BN600GT .................................. Available soon..........................$TBA TNT 899 ..................................... Mid-sized entertainer...............$16,990+orc TNT 1130 ................................... Naked dynamite.......................$19,990+orc TNT 1130R ................................. More explosive ........................$22,690+orc

132 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BIMOTA

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

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 nineT ...................................... Simplicity with maximum style $20,950+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 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

PRICE GUIDE Streetfighter 848 ...................... Precision fighter .......................$18,990+orc Panigale 899 ............................. Smaller, sweeter superbike ....$19,990+orc Hypermotard ............................ A hooligan on wheels .............$16,990+orc Hypermotard SP ...................... With tricked-up suspension ....$20,990+orc Hyperstrada .............................. Manners & madness ...............$17,990+orc Monster 1200 ........................... The new generation ................$19,990+orc Monster 1200 S ........................ With better bits.........................$23,990+orc Panigale 1199 ABS.................... Updated 2014 Model ...............$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 Dark................................ A true power-cruiser ................$23,990+orc Diavel Carbon........................... Deal with the devil ...................$29,990+orc Adv Touring Multistrada 1200 ABS.............. 4 in 1 with ABS .........................$22,990+orc Multistrada 1200 S Touring ..... See the world ...........................$28,490+orc Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Pk ... Flashy paint job ........................$31,990+orc Multistrada 1200 Granturismo ............................. Tour perfection .........................$30,490+orc

ERIK BUELL RACING

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

Indian Motorcycles Australia has launched a new website feature allowing you to kit out any of the models with genuine Indian accessories before heading into the dealership.

The tool will provide you with the genuine part numbers to take to the shop or to share with your mates.

CAN-AM (BRP)

www.brp.com

Road Spyder RS SM5........................ The “Spyder” experience .......$19,990+orc Spyder RSS SE5 ...................... Supersports auto .....................$23,990+orc Spyder ST SE5 ......................... The sports-touring Spyder .....$25,490+orc Spyder ST LTD SE5.................. The ST with more ....................$28,990+orc Spyder RT SM6 ........................ New 1330cc triple engine .......$31,490+orc Spyder RTS SE6 ....................... RT plus semi-auto and more ..$39,990+orc Spyder RT Limited SE6.. ......... The full touring triple...............$41,990+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 .......$6290+orc 650TK......................................... Bargain touring ........................$7749+orc Cruiser V5 ............................................... Where’s the engine? ................$4190+orc

CONFEDERATE

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

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

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

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 CBR300...................................... Big H attacks the Ninja 300 .....$5699+orc CBR300 ABS ............................. The anti-lock brake option ......$5999+orc CB400 ....................................... Bulletproof ................................$10,099+orc CB400A ABS ............................. Foolproof...................................$11,199+orc CBR500R ................................... Sporty little twin .......................$7499+orc CBR500R ABS........................... ABS option ...............................$7799+orc CB500F ABS.............................. Sweet as....................................$7799+orc

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 133

PRICE GUIDE

CFMOTO IS STYLIN’ UP The relationship between Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM and Chinese manufacturer CFMoto will reap several benefits, not the least being a styling update for CFMoto models.

The Chinese factory recently began making KTM 200 and 390 Dukes strictly for the Chinese market.

However, Australian importer Michael Poynton of Mojo Motorcycles believes the relationship will have a lot more benefits.

“Not only will a lot of ‘orange’ knowhow and expertise be transferred to China, the relationship with KTM has also opened up the door for CFMoto to

work with renowned Austrian motorcycle designers Kiska Design,” he says.

“Kiska has worked heavily with KTM since the early ’90s and more recently been involved in the design of highly acclaimed models such as the Super Duke and RC390.”

The first models we will see in Australia that are designed by Kiska and manufactured by CFMoto include the 150NK (sports-commuter) and 650MT (adventure-tourer).

Michael says there will be more engine varieties coming soon. “CFMoto have now completed their motorcycle engine series development consisting of 150cc, 250cc, 400cc and 650cc so expect to see more models released over the years ahead

utilising these engines, all models to comply with LAMS,” he says.

Meanwhile, Mojo Motorcycles has also announced it is partnering with French manufacturer Sherco, giving Michael more reason for optimism. “The addition of the Sherco brand has been something that we carefully considered since the end of last year and not only is it something we all at Mojo feel very passionately about, commercially we believe there is massive opportunity for their premium enduro range in Australia,” he says.

“Australian’s love their enduro bikes — so much so that Australia is the largest market for KTM outside the USA and also the largest market for Yamaha with the WR450F.” — MH

Scooter Today 50 .................................... Do it, Today! ..............................$1849+orc Dio 110 ....................................... New kid in town .......................$2549+orc PCX150 ...................................... Stylish and practical ................$4,099+orc NSS300 Forza ........................... Sporty and flexible ..................$6999+orc NC700D Integra........................ Motorcycle or scooter? ...........$11,199+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

■ EBR has released its third model, the 1190SX. The American-designed V-twin streetfighter will be available in red, black and white and is expected to be released in Australia towards the end of this year. We will bring you a price as soon as we know.

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 ....$7399+orc CTX700DA ................................ Dual Clutch Transmission ........$10,899+orc VFR800 ...................................... Tried and true package ............$14,599+orc CBR1000RR............................... Ride what Casey rides.............$16,899+orc CBR1000RR Repsol.................. MotoGP replica ........................$16,890+orc 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 ..................$9399+orc CTX700N ABS .......................... A bike for everything ...............$9099+orc VT750S ...................................... Streetwise appeal ....................$8099+orc VT750C Shadow ...................... Classic appeal...........................$11,749+orc CTX1300.................................... V4 cruiser with unique style ...$18,499+orc VT1300CX 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 134 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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 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

PRICE GUIDE 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

KTM

www.kymco.com.au

Road CK 125 ....................................... No nonsense ............................$2095+orc Cruiser Venox 250 ................................. Value and looks ........................$5295+orc Scooter Like 125 ..................................... Fall in love .................................$2995+orc Super 8 125............................... Cool jigger ................................$2595+orc Espresso 150 ............................ I’ll take a double shot ..............$2799+orc Like 200 ..................................... Classic performer.....................$3395+orc Downtown 300i ABS ............... All-rounder with ABS ..............$7495+orc

LARO

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 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....................................$19,990+orc Stelvio 1200 8V NTX ABS ....... 2014 model ...............................$23,390+orc

MV AGUSTA

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

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

KYMCO

PAGSTA

BOSCH WINS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARD Car stability control experts Bosch have won Australian road safety awards for the motorcycle versions of their anti-lock braking system (ABS) and motorcycle stability control (MSC) systems.

The first bikes to feature Bosch’s Motorcycle Stability System (MSC) are KTM’s 1190 Adventure and Adventure R. Bosch claims the systems prevent side slipping when leaned over in corners, prevent the bike standing up abruptly if you hit the brakes during cornering, prevent rolling over in emergency stops, minimise wheelies and spin-outs under heavy acceleration and stop wheels from locking.

The Bosch Motorcycle ABS and MSC systems took out top honours in the Safe Vehicle category of the Towards Zero Road Safety Awards this year.

Bosch ABS uses intelligent sensors on each wheel that detect the exact wheel speed and its rate of change and is particularly effective in an emergency braking situation.

These sensors compare the front and rear wheel speeds, throttle

position and other elements of the bike’s status. This allows the wheel to maintain its deceleration but stay on the safe side of the slip threshold. It also detects if the rear wheel is lifting and modulates the brake force to make sure the wheels stay in contact with the road.

Bosch’s MSC system was launched as a world’s first in September 2013 on the back of studies which indicate that a quarter of all motorcycle accidents occur when riders are accelerating or undertaking emergency braking on a bend.

The Bosch MSC System optimises braking and acceleration in these situations by constantly measuring all key motorcycle data including wheel speed, lean and pitch angles, acceleration and braking pressure.

This data allows the MSC to recognise critical situations and intervene, preventing the wheels from locking when braking, stopping the wheels spinning, mitigating the rear wheel from lifting during braking, as well as making sure that the front wheel stays on the ground during acceleration. — MH

www.mvagustaimports.com.au

All MV Agusta prices are ride-away.

Road F3 675 ........................................ Sweet.........................................$18,490ra F3 800 ........................................ Track performance ...................$20,490ra F3 800 Ago ................................ Available July ...........................$32,990ra 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

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 135

PRICE GUIDE

EXPANDED DEALER NETWORKS BMW has signed on two new dealers, Bikebiz in Sydney’s Granville and Motostar in Victoria’s Carrum Downs.

Bikebiz dealer principal Peter Condon says the dealership, which began in 1987, will build the brand’s profile in the fast-growing western suburbs. Motostar’s Gavin McDonald says his dealership will “aim to not only look after current BMW owners on the [Mornington] Peninsula, TwoBays and southern areas of Melbourne but also reach out and introduce BMW Motorrad to a new group of riders”.

MV Agusta Imports has added Moto Tecnica in Artarmon, NSW, to their dealer network. There are now 13 MV Agusta dealers in Australia with at least one dealer in each state. Moto Tecnica is an established and professional workshop familiar with European and luxury motorcycles and cars.

Over the next 12 months, it

will develop a dedicated MV Agusta retail and workshop premises and their mechanics will fly to the factory on the shores of Lake Varese, Italy, for training.

Meanwhile, EBR Australia has announced a sixdealer network. Dealers for Tasmania, Northern Territory and New Zealand, plus the service agent network are expected to be announced soon. EBR Australia says their dealership network will double by the end of the year.

All dealerships will stock the 1190RX and upcoming new models from EBR, including the SX and AX. EBR dealerships: FX Powersports, 55 Grantham St, Brunswick Victoria; Central Coast Motorcycles, Pacific Hwy, Gosford NSW; Northstar Motorcycles, 154 Abbotsford Rd, Bowen Hills Queensland; Garage Motocycles, 11 Sunter St, Strathalbyn, South Australia; Causeway Motorcycles, 115 Albany Hwy, Victoria Park, Western Australia. — MH

Beverly 350 ............................... Higher performance ................$7990+orc Yourban 300 ............................. Replacing the MP3 300 ...........$9990+orc X10 500 ..................................... Big features...............................$11,990+orc

ROYAL ENFIELD

www.royalenfieldaustralia.com

Road B5 Bullet 500 ............................ Fire your guns ..........................$6995+orc G5 Deluxe ................................. She’s deluxe..............................$7445+orc C5 Classic/Military ................... Individual style .........................$7995+orc C5 Chrome ................................ Lots of eye candy .....................$8495+orc

SUZUKI

www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au

Road Inazuma 250 ............................. Let your inner zoomer out ......$4990+orc TU250XL3 ................................. Retro learner .............................$5990ra DR-Z400SM .............................. Everyday motard .....................$8990+orc 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 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 .............$15,490+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

■ Peter Condon: Bikebiz has added BMW to its stable of brands

TGB

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

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

www.piaggio.com.au

Scooter Typhoon 125 ............................. Blow you away.........................$2990+orc Fly 150ie .................................... Buzz around the city ................$3090+orc Liberty 150ie ............................. Big wheel freedom ..................$3690+orc 136 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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 ABS ..................... Supersport gem .......................$14,990+orc Daytona 675R ABS................... Track day heaven .....................$16,990+orc

PRICE GUIDE Bonneville ................................. Tradition reborn .......................$11,990+orc Bonneville ................................. Two tone ...................................$12,490+orc Bonneville T100 Black .............. Livin’ in the ’70s .......................$12,490+orc Bonneville T100 A2................... Nostalgia rules .........................$13,990+orc Bonneville T100 SE .................. Special Edition .........................$14,990+orc Scrambler ................................. Dirt track racer ..........................$13,990+orc Thruxton ................................... To the café! ...............................$13,990+orc Street Triple 660 LAMS ............ Learner-legal thrills ..................$12,490+orc Speed Triple 675 ABS............... It’s a gem ...................................$16,990+orc Speed Triple R 675 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 ABS .......................... ABS option ...............................$13,890+orc Tiger 800XC ABS ..................... Bash it hardcore .......................$15,990+orc Tiger 800XC SE ........................ Special Edition .........................$16,990+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 ...........$5290+orc LX150 3-Valve ........................... With a bit more oomph...........$5990+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

YZF-R15 ..................................... Sporty and user friendly .........$3999ra YZF-R15 V2.0 ............................. New version 2.0 .......................$4299+orc YZF-R15 V2.0SP ........................ Special Edition .........................$4399+orc SR400 ........................................ The classic single is back!.......$8999+orc XJ6NL........................................ New 2014 model ......................$9799ra XJ6NL SP .................................. White Edition ............................$9999ra FZ6R........................................... Full fairing, LAM model ..........$9999ra FZ6R SP ..................................... Special Edition .........................$10,499+orc YZF-R6 ....................................... WSS champ ..............................$15,999+orc MT-03 ......................................... Torquey LAMS single ..............$9,999+orc FZ8N .......................................... Hot all-rounder .........................$12,990+orc FZ8S........................................... Enjoy the road and corners ....$13,990+orc MT-09 ......................................... Three-cylinder thriller ..............$10,999+orc TDM900..................................... Mixed-up marvel......................$13,599+orc FZ1N .......................................... Ready for anything ..................$15,699+orc FZ1S........................................... With protection ........................$16,499+orc YZF-R1 ....................................... Gimme traction ........................$19,999+orc XJR1300 .................................... Refined cool..............................$13,999+orc FJR1300A Touring Edition ....... Police-spec tourer ....................$23,999+orc FJR1300A .................................. Sophisticated, sporty tourer ...$24,999+orc FJR1300E ................................... Electronic suspension .............$TBA Cruiser XV250 Virago ............................ Great small package ................$6499+orc XVS650 Custom ....................... Popular custom ........................$10,499+orc XVS650A Classic...................... And as a classic ........................$10,990+orc XVS950A ................................... Mighty mid-ranger ..................$13,999+orc XVS950CU Bolt ........................ A younger, hipper cruiser .......$11,999+orc XVS950CUSP Bolt ................... R-Spec with better shocks ......$12,499+orc XVS1300A................................. The pick of the bunch ..............$15,999+orc XVS1300AT Tourer ................... With more features..................$18,299+orc XVS1300 Stryker...................... Mean looking chopper ............$TBA XV1900A Roadliner ................. Art Deco piece ..........................$21,499+orc XV1900AT Star Tourer ............. Art with flair ..............................$24,099+orc VMAX ........................................ Big, angry animal.....................$31,299+orc Adv Touring XT250R ...................................... New fuel-injected model.........$6299+orc XT660R ...................................... Seamlessly good .....................$11,499+orc XT660Z Ténéré .......................... Freedom machine ....................$13,999ra XT1200Z Super Ténéré ............ Leisurely rider...........................$19,990ra XT1200ZOE Super Ténéré ....... Outback edition ........................$21,890+orc Scooter XC125 Vity ................................. Your new friend........................$2699+orc YW125 ....................................... BW’s ...........................................$3399+orc YP400 Majesty ......................... Fit for royalty ............................$9499+orc TMAX 500 ................................. Scooterbike...............................$12,999+orc TMAX 530 ................................. Tougher, sportier, now ABS....$13,499+orc

www.victorymotorcycles.com.au

All Victory prices are ride-away.

Cruiser Vegas 8 Ball .............................. Sink the 8-ball...........................$19,995ra High-Ball ................................... Ol’ skool cool ............................$19,495ra Hammer 8 Ball ......................... Hammer that 8-ball..................$20,995ra Judge......................................... A younger Victory ....................$20,995ra Gunner ...................................... Very cool bobber......................$19,995ra Hammer S................................. Hammer it! ...............................$22,995ra Hammer LE............................... New limited edition .................$23,495ra Jackpot ...................................... Showroom custom..................$23,995ra Boardwalk Black ....................... Cool classic in black .................$22,495ra Boardwalk Two Tone ................ Cool classic in black and red ..$22,995ra Cross Roads Classic ................ Chromed-up cool .....................$24,995ra Cross Country ......................... Comfortable touring ................$26,495ra Cross Country Tour .................. Ultra-comfortable touring.......$28,495ra 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 Road

www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Ducati’s latest release, the Monster 821, has will be available in Australia in August.

The mid-sized nakedbike is powered by an 821 Testastretta 11° engine and weighs a light 180kg. The model will feature adjustable seat height, eight-level traction control, three-level ABS and three engine modes. You can get it in red, white or go dark with the all-black model. Price to come soon.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 137

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ADVERTISERS INDEX A TO Z OF MOTORCYCLES

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THE LAW

RIDERS CAN SUE FOR ROADWORKS

CRASHES STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE ow many times have you struggled to ride safely through roadworks where there is no suitable detour provided? Did you know that if you crash as a result you can sue the roadworks contractors?

I recently rode through several roadworks sites on the New England Highway where the workers had dug up both sides of the road and provided no safe alternate detour. Significant rain had turned the roadworks into a boggy, ru ed, corrugated mess unsuitable for many vehicles, let alone the heavy touring motorcycles that are popular on this main highway. It is not as if the contractors weren’t warned about the weather. The heavy falls had been predicted several days prior.

While our crew of touring motorcycles made it through safely, there were some very hairy moments as we were forced to paddle at walking speed to negotiate a 1.4km section of roadworks at Black Mountain near Armidale. Others may not have been so lucky.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers principal Malcolm Cummings, who works in the company’s motor vehicle accident injuries department in Melbourne, says roadworks contractors have an obligation to provide a safe alternate route for all road users.

“Obviously what may be safe for some road users may not be safe for motorcyclists,” says Malcolm, who is investigating a case of a rider who crashed his new Kawasaki 250 in clay le at a site where roadworks had

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recently been completed. “There is also a duty of care to clear up a roadworks site and make it safe for all road users, motorcyclists included,” says Malcolm.

“In this case they’d finished their works and done some clearing up, but they le some and he slipped. He suffered some significant orthopaedic injuries, including a nasty fracture of a bone in his shoulder which needed an operation and the insertion of plates and screws. As a result he has lost the ability to return to his trade.”

Malcolm says the rider’s bike was only slightly damaged in the low-speed crash.

In an email reply, a Roads and Maritime Services spokesman says the New England Highway roadworks included widening, stabilising and sealing the work area, “which would require about four to five days of fine weather to complete. Before the full section of road could be sealed, the region experienced significant wet weather, with more than 100mm of rain falling, leaving about 1.4km unsealed. Twenty-four hour traffic control has been in place, with workers carrying out repairs as required, with flashing lights, signage and a 40km/h limit in place. Roads and Maritime Services understands the unsealed section of road was rough as a result of the heavy rain combined with regular traffic, which is why crews were onsite 24 hours a day to monitor the road and make repairs as necessary.

“The posted speed of 40km/h was a maximum limit appropriate to the condition of the road and weather being experienced. Road users are not required

“There is a duty of care to clear up a roadworks site and make it safe for all road users, motorcyclists included”

to travel at the maximum limit if the conditions do not suit that speed. Road users should travel at a safe speed for their vehicle type and the conditions. No crashes were reported at the site during the weather event. Warning signals, flashing lights and signage were in place leading into the worksite to give road users adequate notice of approaching roadwork.”

But clearly they provided no alternate route for riders and dug up the entire road surface, despite ample warning of a significant looming weather event.

Whatever happened to detours or halfroad closures so traffic can negotiate suitable road surfaces?

“There is a general duty at common law to ensure that work that has been performed doesn’t put riders in a situation of danger,” says Malcolm. “As a general principle, where negligent road works or maintenance results in damage or injury, there has been a breach of common law. There may also be statutory provisions in various jurisdictions.

Without any detours, to have a road in a state that is not safe to be navigating is obviously problematic.”

A check of the RMS website for the roadworks showed this notice: “Reduced speed limit (40km/h). Allow extra travel time. 1 lane will be available under alternating conditions during road patching. Motorists can expect delays of up to 5 minutes.”

The one lane available was also dug up and not suitable for most motorcycles.

This roadworks debacle is typical of the lack of a ention paid by authorities to motorcycles and the growing incidence of digging up the whole road instead of one lane only. Even though we only represent about one per cent of traffic, motorcycle riders still pay taxes. We are the most vulnerable road users yet the most ignored. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 145

LAST LOOK Behold, ye unbelievers! This beveldrive Ducati, an early 750 GT, has just notched up 200,000km. Fair enough, that’s not really a huge distance for a bike that’s 40-odd years old, but it’s still something to crow about. We ran into owner Ramon at a rural petrol station somewhere north of Rockhampton a li le while ago. He was on his way down to NSW for the National Ducati Rally, just one of many long rides the old girl has been on. She’s a bit rough around the edges from use but still beautiful.

COMING UP ISSUE 106 OF ARR GOES ON SALE ON AUGUST 20TH

146 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

That’s all, folks! At least until next month, when we’ll be back with another ripper of an issue of ARR. Here’s a taste of what we’ve got planned: • We change pace from R nineT to S1000R, BMW’s ultra-quick and sporty naked bike with all the electronic fun.

• At the other end of the naked scale, we hook in to Benelli’s bargain BN600.

• We go touring on Indian’s Chief Vintage to find out what it’s most popular model is all about.

• For those who like it kneesup, we ride Suzuki’s latest

Burgman, the maxi-scooter billed as an automatic touring masterpiece.

• Who’s up for a good ride?

We’ve been to the Alpine Rally, doing day rides out of Perth and even exploring the amazing Natchez Trace in the USA. • Have electric bikes found their toe hold? We answer the question.

• How big a problem is motorcycle the in Australia? You’ll be surprised.

All this and more, including ARR’s famous columnists. See you then.

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