Issue#114 Jun 2015 by Australian Road Rider Official

Triumph Tiger 800XCx

Apex Predator! Is it the king of the jungle? INDIAN ROADMASTER High-plains dri er

KTM 1290 ADVENTURE High-road blaster

R 1200 RT & R NINE T High-class boxers

AVENUES OF HONOUR Anzac memorial rides

MEXICAN HOLIDAY From where you’d rather be

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JUN 2015 (No. 114) AUS $8.95* NZ $9.50 (BOTH INCL. GST)

SYDNEY OFF-ROAD Dirt roads on the fringes

HOG HOEDOWN Harleys in the country capital

RIDIN’ RETRO: YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING OLD GOLD PROJECT BOLT: THE FINAL CHAPTER

1190 ADVENTURE

SPORTY EXPLORATION Get some excitement on your road to adventure with the KTM 1190 ADVENTURE. Experience pure exhilaration as you power swiftly ahead on the sportiest Travel Enduro bike around. » More power - 150HP (110kw) » Long service intervals - 15,000kms » Full electronics assistance packages - (MSC, ABS and MTC) as standard » Motorcycle Stability Control - Lean-sensitive traction control » Managed Traction Control » Bosch 9ME C-ABS » Brembo brakes » Multi-function cockpit » Mode switch » Daytime LED » 212kg Dry weight » 21 Inch front wheel » Wire wheels standard » Adjustable ergonomics » Adjustable windshield » WP Steering damper » LED indicators » Large 23L tank

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CONTENTS#114 “KTM has made powerful and capable bikes before, but they always retained a raw edge and feel. Not so the Super Adventure. It’s a big, burly rugby player, tucked neatly into a tasteful tuxedo.” — Adventure machines don’t get much more super than this. Check out KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure on page 52.

NEWS FOR ROAD RIDERS 10

World’s most expensive motorcycle, Royal Enﬁeld comes home, Pope ﬂogs his Harley, Boss Hog steps down, shooters back riders’ laws and initiatives that will make you weep with joy.

BIKES TO RIDE 42

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Triumph Tiger 800XCx: Triumph’s middleweight adventure machine roars to the forefront of oﬀroad explorers. KTM 1290 Super Adventure: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but in the case of KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Indian Roadmaster: Big on style, opulence and function, the Roadmaster delivers a superb bigbike riding experience. BMW R nineT: Sometimes in life you just go a go with the unexpected … for everyone else anyway.

42 72 74

Yamaha Bolt farewell: Parting ways with our ambidextrous project bike. BMW R1200RT long-termer: The mile muncher just doesn’t give up.

TRAVEL FEATURES 76 88 98 104 112

Mexico: Tequila, tacos and some great riding. Avenues of Honour: Victoria’s great avenues of remembrance Sydney Oﬀ-Road: Get away from it all on the dirt just an hour and a bit out of Sydney. HOG Rally: Only 2320 people for the 24th anniversary event … Retro Buyer’s Guide: Buy old, buy gold.

GEAR ON TEST 120

Nice jacket, slick boots and racer gloves for the street: Finn Moto Riding Hoodie, Falco Maxx Shoe and BMW System 6 Evo Helmet.

YARNS AND LAUGHS 6 34 35 39 41 145 146

Mathochism: Electronic future. Boorman: African winter wonderland. Seddo: Pins and needles. Zoe: Star across the ditch. Gregor: The jump. In tune: Need a specialist? Last Look: Looking back, looking forward.

MONTHLY MAIL 28 30 32 76 124 128 132 138 140

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Big Shot: Like a Tiger. Big Shot: Old school. Route 66: Win a US trip! Stay With Us: Rider-friendly places. Whatz New: A mixed bag of new stuﬀ. Readers Rite: All about the ride. Price Guide: New-bike news and prices. Subscribe Here: And get ARR delivered to your door! Bike Supermarket: Products, services and other cool stuﬀ. Advertiser Listing: Where’d you see that ad again?

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 5

THO MATHOCHISM

SPORTS-TOURING ■ Honda’s ST1300: tourer, sports-tourer or specialist?

MICK MATHESON

ust before the Ulysses AGM in Wodonga, I headed north to join OzSTOC, the club for Australian owners of Honda ST motorcycles. OzSTOC is a relatively large and certainly passionate group of riders who’ve got a very clear idea of what constitutes a good motorcycle, and they know that ST stands for sports-touring. My challenge was to give a talk on the current sports-touring bike market. Strewth, I thought, where do I start? To begin with, what the hell is a sports-tourer in 2015? Traditionally, sports-tourers are all-rounders. They do sport, they do touring. If you take them by this definition — a bike that’s halfway between a race-replica and dinkum tourer — you find Honda VFRs, various Kawasaki Zs, Suzuki Bandits, the Yamaha Tracer, BMW’s F800GT, Triumph’s Sprint GT and a heap of similar motorcycles. Sounds perfect, eh? Trouble is, the sports-touring segment is stagnant as far as sales go. Experienced riders are steering more and more to adventuretourers and naked bikes. Cruiser sales are massive — the bestselling class of the lot, and underpinned by the fact that Harley-Davidson is only just behind Honda for overall road bike sales in Australia. Almost one in five road bikes sold is a Harley, and that’s before the impact of the new Street 500 rocks in the market. The touring segment has grown, and even though HarleyDavidson’s heavy tourers fill the top four places there, largely thanks to the introduction of the Project Rushmore models in 2013, the FJR1300 and R1200RT have increased their sales too. Even the

6 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

supersport market is a li le bigger in Australia from 2013 to 2014, contrasting with that segment’s plunging sales worldwide. What has happened to sportstourers? Why are they stagnant? I think it’s a number of factors. Chief among them is the shi to naked bikes and adventuretourers, and I reckon the advent of adventure-sports bikes (as the 17in-wheeled adventuretourers seem to be called now) will only increase the shi . The increasingly handy dynamics of bigger “tourers” like the R1200RT and electronically enhanced FJR1300 will take more people away from traditional sportstourers. Another reason is that many sports-touring models are not being given the R&D a ention they perhaps deserve. Where’s the high-tech stuﬀ ?

But ultimately, maybe it’s the ongoing specialisation of motorcycles that’s to blame. The all-round sports-tourer could be regarded as bland and uninspiring when surrounded by adventuretourers, today’s high-tech tourers, the brilliant naked bikes that do it all, the varied cruisers you see everywhere now, and so on. Indeed, it’s clear in hindsight that the Honda ST1100 was a specialised bike in its day — arguably the ﬁrst model to push full-faired touring bikes into the sports-touring ﬁeld (or vice versa, if you prefer). OzSTOC’s members don’t call their bikes tourers, they call them sports-tourers, but these are sports-tourers that some of them do Iron Bu rides on. It’s a loping, large and relaxed long-distance V4. OzSTOC’s members can only wonder what potential was lost because Honda

didn’t continue to develop it. My R1200RT knows the answer to that one. It out-handles any touring bike I’ve ever ridden, has sports bike technologies like the quick shi er which reduce fatigue, it feels small and manageable, yet it’s got all that fairing and baggage space. And more. It is a sports-tourer, just one that’s specialised for longdistance riding. So it’s true that the traditional sports-tourer is going nowhere in sales or development, but it’s equally true that if you look at the sports-touring class in the traditional way, you’re missing the truth of the ma er. The fact is we have more all-rounders in the market than ever before, but we’re calling them naked bikes, adventure-tourers, adventuresports bikes and tourers. And we’re buying lots of them. ARR

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8 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Australian Road Rider #114 is published by Australian Publishing, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9694 6444. Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed by Webstar Sydney, distributed by Network Services, Phone: (02) 9282 8777. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but they may change in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. * Recommended retail price ISSN 1329 – 1734 Copyright © Australian Publishing Pty Ltd MMXV ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au Please pass on or recycle this magazine.

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NEWS FOR ROADRIDERS

FASTER PUSSYCAT ■ She looks like one fast kitten

The world’s most expensive Swiss-built production motorcycle

eline Motorcycles claims its luxury Feline One is the most expensive bike in the world. The asking price is $US280,000 ($360,000) and they will be producing only 50 numbered models. The only new motorcycle costing more is the one-oﬀ gold-plated, diamondencrusted “Goldﬁnger” Lauge Jensen that sold for $850,000. It’s more than even the titaniumladen Ecosse Titanium RR at $320,000. So what do you get for the self-proclaimed “world’s most luxurious and expensive motorcycle”? One of the most notable features of the Feline One is that it has no visible means of fastening — no bolts and welds. It was designed by a guy simply called Yacouba who has raced motorcycles at Le Mans and designed several concept bikes. Another feature is the massive girderstyle, leading-link, anti-dive forks, something

10 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

it shares with the expensive return of the renowned UK brand, Matchless. The Feline One is made from high-quality materials such as carbon, titanium, aerospace aluminium and fine leathers. It weighs just 155kg and is powered by a 126kW three-cylinder engine of unknown origin. Agnes Galle of Feline Motorcycles says the engine “will be a highly reputed brand, with a specific preparation”, but won’t reveal the source. The company promises it will feature hi-tech innovations, but Agnes won’t say what they are. “For other technological aspects, we do not want to reveal everything at this stage of the project. ABS will be available. All usual devices will be available plus some new ones.” The first Feline models are planned for early 2016.

Feline One Price: $US280,000 Engine: 801cc 3-cylinder, 4-stroke Power: 126kW Transmission: 6-speed gearbox Exhaust: Titanium Frame: Titanium, carbon fibre and aerospace aluminium Fork: Dual carbon swingarms, two dampers with fibre spring Swingarm: Carbon fibre, mono damper with fibre spring Rims: Carbon fibre Brakes: 4 x 230mm discs, with 4-piston calipers (front); 220mm disc (rear) Tyres: 120/70-ZR 17; 200/50-ZR 17 Fairing: Carbon fibre Wheelbase: 1400mm Seat: 808mm Dry weight: 155kg

NEWS

ROYAL ENFIELD RETURNS HOME Former British motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield is back from India

ndian-owned Royal Enfield is planning to expand production and is building two new factories costing $80 million. One will be built in India and the other will be a “technology centre” for research, development and design in Leicestershire in England. It will be the first time any stage of Royal Enfield production has occurred in England since 1970. The company has also trademarked the name “Himalayan”, which is relevant since so many tour companies take Enfields to

the Himalayan region. It is expected to be either a 400cc scrambler or a 750cc paralleltwin model. Chief executive Siddhartha Lal says the company plans to become “the leader in the global mid-sized motorcycling market”. Lal says Royal Enﬁeld is growing at a “phenomenal pace”, selling 300,000 bikes last year for a record $482 million income and plans to build 450,000 this year. Enﬁeld of India began assembling Bullet motorcycles under licence from the British

company in 1956 and complete bikes by 1962. The British company went bust in 1971 and Enfield of India was bought by heavy vehicle and bus maker Eicher in 1995. Royal Enfield is now the oldest motorcycle brand in the world still in production while the Bullet model is the longest motorcycle production run of all time. The iconic bikes received a rousing endorsement from President Barack Obama during a diplomatic trip to New Delhi in January. The president watched a stunt display by India’s border security force officers including riding Royal Enfields on their heads. “The secret service doesn’t let me ride motorcycles, especially not on my head,” he said.

■ Sid Lal, the man behind the brand

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 11

NEWS

POPE HARLEY SELLS FOR A “BARGAIN”

Harley-Davidson owned by the Pope has sold at a Paris auction for the “bargain” price of $67,700. The Harley Heritage So ail was one of two Harleys gi ed to Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s

110th anniversary. When he resigned in 2013, Pope Benedict was replaced by Pope Francis, who decided to sell the bikes for homeless charities in Rome. The ﬁrst bike, a Dyna Super Glide, sold

for $364,476, while a Harley leather jacket also sold for an astounding $86,829 at the Bonhams auction at Les Grandes Marques du Monde in Paris in 2014. Ben Walker, head of motorcycles at Bonhams motorcycles, declared the result “a world record for a 21stcentury Harley-Davidson”. The second Harley, a 2013 Heritage So ail Classic, went to auction at the Les Grandes Marques du Monde, valued at €15-25,000 (about $A21-36,000). While it sold for double the estimate, it was still well short of the record price paid for the ﬁrst and therefore represents a bargain for the undisclosed buyer. Both bikes feature signatures on the tank of the Pope and Harley icon Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of Harley-Davidson’s founders and his son, Bill Davidson.

r “That’s where I want my 2016 HOG Rally badge”

BOSS HOG STEPS ASIDE T

he man who is credited with rescuing an ailing Harley-Davidson from the grips of the GFC is stepping down. Keith Wandell was appointed just as the GFC hit and had to make some immediate hard decisions about product, ownership of MV Agusta, Buell and staﬃng. He had been the chief operating oﬃcer of automotive component company Johnson Controls and was an unusual appointment as an outsider to the company. Harley owners can rest assured the company will remain in good hands, with 50-year-old COO Ma hew S Levatich taking over as president and CEO from May 1. Ma has been with the company since 1994 and a rider since the age of eight. At the Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary a couple of years ago, Keith said that, as an outsider, it was easier for him to see what was wrong with the company when he joined

“He streamlined production, dumped the other brands, cut about 1500 staff, saved more than $300 million a year, expanded the market to women, Hispanics and black Americans, and boosted overseas sales” 12 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“While it sold for double the estimate, it was still well short of the record price paid for the first and therefore represents a bargain for the undisclosed buyer”

in 2009. He streamlined production, dumped the other brands, cut about 1500 staﬀ, saved more than $300 million a year, expanded the market to women, Hispanics and black Americans, and boosted overseas sales. “Families protect their weak and teams get rid of the weak. We were a family and ■ Wandell has been CEO and chairman since 2009 and instigated a lot of good change on the brand

now we are a team,” he said back in 2012. In the next two years the company developed the Project Livewire electric motorcycle, the Street 500 and 750 novice bikes, which are the company’s ﬁrst new family in 14 years, and performed the biggest model overhaul in history with the Project Rushmore Touring range. Now 65, Keith won’t run for re-election to his board seat.

NEWS

COFFEE STAINS TURN INTO MOTORCYCLES

ext time you leave coﬀee rings on the table at your favourite cafe, get your pen out and turn it into a motorcycle. Californian artist and illustrator Carter Asmann has done just that with these great images of coﬀee-ring motorcycles, which he shares on his Instagram account: h p://instagram.com/cartercartier/ Most of his drawings are of motorcycles because of the exposed wheels, but he has also done cars. We’ll forgive him his indiscretion!

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HOW DO YOU MAKE THE ULTIMATE TOURING VEHICLE EVEN BETTER? WE FOUND THREE WAYS.

HIGHER TORQUE. SMOOTHER RIDE. FEWER FILL-UPS. Introducing the all-new 2014 Spyder® RT .

With a new Rotax® 1330 ACE™ high-torque engine and a new 6-speed transmission, the road has never been so inviting. The high-torque response of the ACE engine gives you 40% more low-end torque and now can go up to 405 kilometres at 100 km/h on one tank of gas. *While the new 6-speed transmission provides an incredibly smooth ride for you and your passenger. Add in a unique Y-frame design and 7 automotive technologies, and that rush you feel will be equal parts exhilaration and conﬁdence.

See offers at canamspyder.com

FOR PRICING & TEST RIDE CALL 1300 725 949 © 2015 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its afﬁliates. Products are distributed by BRP Australia Pty Ltd. *Tested at a constant speed of 100 km/h. Fuel mileage may vary depending on the following: Spyder RT models, personal riding habits, weather conditions, trip length, vehicle condition, vehicle conﬁguration and other conditions. Up to 325 kilometres tested at a constant speed of 120 km/h. Break-in mileage may also vary. See an authorised BRP dealer for details. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.

NEWS

SHOOTERS SUPPORT RIDERS M

otorcycle branches of the Shooters & Fishers Party are being planned across the nation in an effort to be relevant to riders. The first is the Shooters & Fishers (S&F) Party NSW Motorcycle Branch, which has formulated several policies. Branch secretary/ treasurer Sam Cannuli says the idea of the branch started in 2013. “I had a group of friends who rode together and went away for riding weekends and we were sick of all the constant harassment from police and the authorities and the high costs of enjoying a motorcycle,” says Sam, who owns a Ducati 1198S and 900SS, an enduro and adventure bike. “We’re just seen as a cash cow.” He says they approached incumbent NSW S&F Party MPs Robert Borsak and Robert Brown for permission to form a motorcycle branch. Now, Sam says they are looking to expand into other states and only missed standing a candidate in the Queensland elections because it was called with short notice. The NSW branch is circulating a flier which explains some of their motorcycle issues: recreational registration and insurance for off-road motorcycles; installation of motorcycle-friendly crash barriers; cheaper tolls for motorcyclists; and stop the closure of off-road tracks. Sam says there are many other motorcycling issues that they support, such as free footpath parking, use of bus lanes and multiple bikes on one CTP/rego. “I can’t see why you can’t a ach

“I can’t see why you can’t attach the CTP to a licence, not the bike,” he says. “You can only ride one bike at a time.” the CTP to a licence, not the bike,” he says. “You can only ride one bike at a time.” He says they also support standardised national road rules and helmet laws. “When we have the MotoGP and WSBK in Melbourne, we have riders crossing borders

and running into all sorts of problems with road rules, visor tints, helmet cameras and approved helmet laws,” he says. The party currently has two elected members in NSW, two in Victoria and one in WA. Visit: h p://www.shootersandﬁshers.org.au/

Electric Boys in Blue T

he world’s first fleet of electric BMW scooters has been delivered to the Barcelona police. The scooters will be able to patrol the cobblestoned streets silently and sneak up on those pesky purse snatchers. BMW Motorrad has handed over 30 BMW C evolution scooters at a ceremony at Barcelona City Hall. Electric scooters and bikes are becoming quite common around the US, Canada and Hong Kong where their stealth abilities and zero pollution emissions are considered ideal for city work. BMW Motorrad Australia says we are not ready for the electric scooters yet, claiming our range requirements are too big and infrastructure is not yet suitable. The BMW C evolution powered by a motor with continuous output of 11KW and a maximum output of 35KW. The Barcelona models have been modified for police use with a raised screen, public address system and signals.

16 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Monster Instinct The unmistakeable Monster design is truly iconic and means there is no limit to your enjoyment. The performance and fluidity of the new 1200cc second generation Testastretta 11째 DS engine, the versatility of the three Riding Modes, the comfort of the adjustable seat and passenger

handles make the Monster 1200 a bike that is capable of adapting to any occasion, so that you can follow your instincts in every situation. To experience the unmistakeable Monster 1200, visit your local Authorised Ducati Dealer and book a test ride today.

NEWS

CALIFORNIA EXPANDS Three new Moto Guzzi California models to come

■ Eldorado

■ Audace

he Audace, Eldorado and limited-edition Touring SE will bring the California cruiser family up to ﬁve models, with the Custom ($23,000 ride away) and Touring ($26,000) already available. John Sample Automotive marketing executive Alana Bara o says the ride-away prices for the new models will be announced closer to their arrival in the second half of this year. The new models were unveiled late last year at the EICMA show in Milan, along

18 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Touring SE

with the ultra-mean MGX-21 concept model which could point to even more California model variants in future. The Moto Guzzi California Audace is a dark model with blacked-out colour scheme, forward-mounted footpegs and rocker gearshi , ﬂat-style drag bars, bold round headlamp, carbon mudguards and shortened exhaust system. The Moto Guzzi California Eldorado is a retro model with spoked wheels, white

wall tyres, wrap-around mudguards, bull horn handlebars, chrome fuel tank accents, oversized saddle, passenger grab handles, covered shock absorbers, a gem-shaped rear light cluster and round turn signal indicators. It comes in black and red. The limited-edition Moto Guzzi California Touring SE adds 35L panniers, built-in passenger grab handle and back rest, and a two-tone colour scheme called Marrone Executive.

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NEWS

LAW TO PREVENT BLINDNESS “We’ve often heard motorists say, ‘I hit him but I didn’t see him,’” he says. “We’d like to get a little more focus on that.”

n American politician has dra ed a bill to force driver trainers to spend more time warning learner drivers to watch out for motorcycles. Illinois politician Tom Benne , who admits to having ridden a motorcycle only once, has dra ed the legislation so learners understand their surroundings. “We’ve o en heard motorists say, ‘I hit him but I didn’t see him,’” he says. “We’d like to get a li le more focus on that.” His bill comes in the wake of a 20 per cent rise in motorcycle deaths in his state.

r Sorry mate, didn’t see you …

A TRUE ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVE A government motorcycle safety approach with a carrot rather than a big stick

r Ready for a licence check 20 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

he Welsh government has launched a competition with an a ractive “prize” to find innovative projects that can reduce the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured on Welsh roads. It has called on businesses with innovative ideas to make proposals for a share of almost $1 million in funding. “The challenge is to develop an effective intervention or technological feature that provides demonstrable improvements in the safety of motorcyclists, by either reducing the likelihood of a collision occurring or lessening the impact of a collision,” a government release says. It is such a far cry from most government road safety “initiatives” aimed at motorcyclists which consist either of “shock” ad campaigns, punitive and discriminative fines or zero-tolerance police patrols. In one example last year, a West Australian police district stopped every single motorcycle rider for licence checks. The police state move was criticised for eroding the innocent and law-abiding rider’s confidence in and respect for police and authority.

NEWS

YAMAHA SQUARE ROOT Y

amaha Square Root is the unfortunate name for the company’s latest concept motorcycle. But that’s what you get when you let musicians loose on a motorcycle design! The Japanese company has only released one photo of the design concept, which shows an MT-07 with a suspended seat right along the length of the bike like some sort of roof. Weird, huh? Not only that, but it prevents the rider from seeing the instruments. The design concept is the result of an internal design contest called AH A MAY, which is Yamaha in reverse. It pits the designers from the Yamaha Corporation, who make musical instruments and sound systems, against the Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, who make motorcycles, ATVs and watercra . The company is not commi ed to making any of the resulting products, but it is a great way to probe the minds of designers and get them to think outside the box.

“The design concept is the result of an internal design contest that pits the designers from the Yamaha Corporation, who make musical instruments and sound systems, against the Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, who make motorcycles, ATVs and watercraft” ■ You can see the inspiration, can’t you?

FISHY FUTURE Your next motorcycle jacket could be fitted with lightweight armour designed like fish scales

r It doesn’t look like much, but it will work 22 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

team of Boston University engineering researchers believe fish, snake and even bu erfly scales hold the key to creating strong and lightweight armour. While there is no talk yet of including the armour in motorcycle gear, it would be ideally suited for this purpose as it needs to be both tough and light. Think about it. Fish scales protect fish and make them watertight while also allowing them to flex and bend to swim. The same goes for snakes. We had no idea bu erflies have scales, but they would no doubt be light! The researchers have constructed scales with a 3D printer and added them to a so impact-resistant material to create the armour which has extra structural stiffening. They claim they can make lightweight armour that has greater protection than current armour. It will be made on 3D printers and with nano-fabrics.

Offer available on new model, while stocks last at participating dealers, for a limited time up until 31st May, 2015. Free 12 months Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance is to be issued at the point of purchase only. Triumph Motorcycle Insurances Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance is underwritten by Swann Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 80 000 886 680 AFSL no. 238295 (Swann). You can obtain a PDS for this product from Swann or your Triumph dealer. Purchaser must be eligible for Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance and approved by Swann. Offer cannot be redeemed for cash. Refer to www.triumphmotorcycles. com.au for any variations to the promotion period or the terms and conditions of the offer.

facebook.com/triumph.australia

Official Triumph

triumphmotorcycles.com.au

NEWS

HI-TECH HELMET Nand Logic Smart Helmet takes heads-up display to the next level

lthough this helmet is not yet designed for motorcycling, Nand Logic has announced it will also make a version for motorcycles on the same platform. At the moment, it is only intended for cycling, skateboarding and snowboarding. The prototype Smart Helmet includes HD video cameras facing front and rear, an accelerometer, gyroscope, thermometer, ambient light sensor, humidity sensor, Bluetooth and GPS. All electronics are run by an onboard multicore SoC (system on a chip). The GPS and Bluetooth system work in the usual way, but there is so much more. The thermometer and humidity sensors activate an internal fan when the going gets too hot. The ambient microphones monitor wind noise and produce a reverse sound wave to cancel out background noise, like Bose noise-cancelling headphones. That would protect riders’ hearing. It also alerts the rider if it detects an emergency siren or horn. All of these features would be very handy in any motorcycle helmet as long as they don’t add too much weight or compromise the structural integrity in a crash. But not all features would be suitable on a motorcycle helmet. For example, it has an ambient light sensor that determines when it’s time to switch on the built-in LED

24 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

headlights. Not really necessary on a bike with a hard-wired headlight! And we’re not so sure about the alternative use for the GPS that — together with the accelerometer and gyroscope — automatically

activates built-in indicators for turns and a brake light when slowing down. Nand Logic has a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for production mid-2015 with the target price under $500.

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NEWS

RIDE THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL Cambodia’s Ride Expeditions is starting trips into neighbouring Laos to ride the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail for the first time

he historic Ho Chi Minh Trail was a covert military supply route for North Vietnamese troops and supplies into South Vietnam via the neighbouring countries of Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam War. The US National Security Agency’s Oﬃcial History of War called it “one of the greatest achievements of military engineering of the 20th century”. Fi y years later, the trail still exists as a network of trails, paths and roads over rugged mountains and through triple-canopy jungle. Now adventure riders can venture along its length thanks to the guys at Ride Expeditions

r Looks like fun, eh? 26 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

based in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Ride Expeditions managing director Toby Jacobs says old army bases and war remnants are still present on the trail. He says the trail oﬀers amazing trail riding, authentic Cambodian and Laos culture and a unique insight into the history of the brutal Vietnam War. Ride Expeditions has recruited experienced and knowledgeable guides to travel with the riders and explain the historical relevance of every location they visit. The journey starts in Cambodia and ends in northern Laos. “We’re very excited to be expanding our operations into Laos,” Toby says. “This is a

country we’ve been very eager to explore for a long time and we’re thrilled to have found expert guides who can join our team and help us create these new adventures. In a similar way to Cambodia, the history of Laos makes it an incredibly interesting place to travel and the dirt bikes enable us to reach those places that are inaccessible to other tourists.” The ride will be supported with a western medic, a team of mechanics, a support vehicle carrying a full stock of spare parts and a spare bike. Riders can choose between a Honda XR 250/400 or a Yamaha WR250. Visit: h p://rideexpeditions.com/

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BIGSHOT “All you have to do to get it out of the showroom and oﬀ into whatever adventure grabs you is to ﬁt your choice of tyres, load your luggage and go. Triumph has taken care of the rest.” Triumph’s new Tiger 800 XCx is the adventure bike we have been waiting for. Check out the test on page 42. Photo: Danny Wilkinson

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Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

T H E

R E A L

R I D E

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 29

BIGSHOT Any excuse to buy a motorbike is a good one, and choosing the right early girl is much the same as buying a modern bike — that same seductive mix of want and opportunity — even if the rose-tinted goggles are of a deeper shade. Check out our retro bike buyer’s guide on page 112 and convince yourself the past really was that good. Photo: John Fretten

30 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

THE THINGS YOU SEE

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On your itinerary you will journey the real America, meeting the fair-dinkum folk who 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 mesmerising 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 (Pixar’s 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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AFRICAN WINTER WONDERLAND Charley recently led a group of international adventure riders across Morocco. But with extreme weather not experienced there for 40 years, they got more than they bargained for. Holed up for two days with 3m snow drifts and black ice, it was a chilly trip to the Kasbah

MAIN PHOTO: Wayne Blanch ’ve done Morocco a few times, not to mention my 2006 Dakar which took the traditional rally route down the eastern side through Errachidia, Merzouga and over south west to Tan Tan. I’m familiar with the cold nights and the touch of snow on top of the Atlas Mountains. But this? No, this was not expected. Riders from all corners of the globe met in Malaga, the southern-most city of character in Europe, an ancient jewel of Andalusia and a place that acts as an access hub for North Africa. Some riders ﬂew in early to savour the delights of southern Spain. We had Yanks, Aussies, Pommes, Swiss, Portuguese and Germans to name a few and three solo female riders — all on the big Beemers. Our ﬁrst day of riding was a li le formal as we had a time deadline. We just shot along one of Spain’s busiest roads, the A7, till we got to the ferry in Tarifa. Believe it or not, the North African city of Tangiers is just a 35-minute ferry crossing from Spain. Our crossing was a li le bouncy and I was concerned about the bikes —

34 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

23 of them. The ferry crew insisted on the bikes being on their centrestands, while I always feel that the triangulation of the side stand and the touch points of the two wheels, while slipping the bike into 1st gear, is the safest way to strap them down. All arrived safely however and we spent the next 1½ hours going through the complexity of Moroccan border controls. Tangiers is a busy, crazy town. It’s probably what you’d imagine it to be. All the bikes were using Garmin Zumo GPS, so we easily snaked our way through the mad streets heading east along the coast to Tetouan, before turning south to the famous blue city of Chefchaouen. We were in the Rif Mountains here — the biggest producer of cannabis in the world. Yep, it’s sort of their informal economic powerhouse, but quite laid back — very laid back indeed! So far the weather was sort of as expected. The region is renowned for rain at this time of year and we certainly got that. One Aussie biker managed to throw his GS 1200 into a drainage ditch (it only had delivery mileage on it!) and was now downgraded to riding the spare ‘fun’ KTM 450. Yes, day one! You know who you are, Wayne! However, as we got down to Fez we were warned that a severe weather front was following us. We met three Portuguese riders who told us they were on the 35-minute ferry from Spain for eight hours, in high seas. Fez

is the old capital of Morocco and the Medina (walled centre) is a World Heritage site. It’s a place of biblical sights and smells and although it lost its title of capital to Rabat, many see it as Morocco’s real cultural capital. A few riders

■ The world heritage site of Medina is a must see

CHARLEY BOORMAN nipped into town for a look around while others just took in the views from the hotel, which overlooked the Medina. We were a li le uneasy that night as we learned that tomorrow’s route through Ifrane was closed with 3m snowdri s. Our aim was to get down to the famous Dakar town of Errachidia and on south to the dunes in Merzouga. To do this we had to cross over the Middle Atlas Mountains. Rain turned to snow as our altitude increased every few metres or so. Goggles and visors were useless and the snow stung your eyes as you followed the shape of the track through the whiteout. At about 1800m we aborted this a empt. We were on good off-road biased tyres (a mix of Karoo 3s and Heidenhaus) but the snow was treacherously slippery, the surroundings bleak and severe. As we headed back down I could sense the feeling of relief from the riders. We regrouped at the bo om for a hot coffee and then got the call. “You’ve got to come back up now! The snow has stopped and the plough is here clearing. It’s our only chance to get south and the window may only be brief. Charley, you’ve got to get them all back up the mountain now!” Coffees were le untouched, still steaming, mint teas were paid for but not sipped. With grim faces we marched back up the hill. A er the 1800m mark we were at the point of no return. To be frank, it was scary. We pressed on only to find abandoned vehicles on the track. Wagons sideways, cars in ditches. Billy was, as usual, at the back of the group picking up stragglers and encouraging people on. A couple wanted to pack it in, but even though our support trucks could pick them up, we’d have to abandon the bikes — a logistical nightmare. We snaked our way through deep snow and queues of stuck vehicles and made progress to Midelt, one of Morocco’s highest towns. That ■ Sitting on top of the clouds

■ Sights and snow in Morocco!

was that — we were stuck. We managed to get to an emergency hotel, Kasbah Asmaa. Holed up for two days, the hotel was surrounded by deep snow. A French classic rally tour was also stuck there. We decided that the best thing to do was to drink and eat. Having drunk all the hotel’s wine, we had to send out for emergency alcohol provisions — not easy in an Islamic dry country. Playing board games and ﬁghting for the best spot in front of the ﬁre kept everyone entertained — as did the Moroccan musicians who we trucked in through the snow via 4x4s. Day two, we made a break for it. The team had spirit and we all knew our options were slim. As usual in Morocco, local reports of road closures, weather conditions etc were

■ Everywhere we went we got surrounded by kids — polite, cheeky and fascinated

conflicting. We hired in a couple more 4x4s as back up and successfully made our way south, finishing in the beautiful Xaluca Hotel in Dades, just a er the famous Todra Gorge — and back on track. Relief. From here on, we were out of the weather and looking at temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius some days. Now we were west, we could criss-cross the High Atlas and visit another World Heritage site of Ait-BenHaddou in Ouarzazate. Marrakesh was of course a winner with everyone. We continued west to the Atlantic coastal town of Essaouira, renowned for its history, art and its old medina. As we headed north, homeward bound through Casablanca for Tangiers, I sensed that the group were reflecting on what they had achieved. A ride that turned out to be extremely challenging in severe conditions had tightened up this group of individuals into a team that I suspect will remain in contact with each other for many years to come. Well done all — it was a pleasure riding with you and sharing the pain and the joy. ARR If you’d like to find out more about my adventure bike tours in Morocco, Southern Africa or Australia, check out my website at www.charleyboorman.com

FANCY AFRICA? Each year, Charley takes a group of people across Southern Africa riding BMWs from Cape Town up into Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho before returning back to Cape Town. Riders can do the whole adventure or a section of it. Check out the details and learn more at Charley’s website, www.charleyboorman.com

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 35

SEDDO

PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE GEOFF SEDDON

he prognosis was all bad; no riding for two months, with a test bike in the shed. An old war wound had resurfaced, spectacularly, when a metal screw holding a titanium nail in my right leg bundied off and worked its way through my skin. The inevitable infection required intravenous antibiotics, the infrastructure for which would keep me off bikes for the duration. Blast! It was all Honda’s fault. If the VFR800 was a dog, I wouldn’t have scampered off to Walcha for the day. The screw in my ankle felt really tight against my boot when I zipped it up that morning, and it was all downhill from there. When I took it off 700km later, the screw had rubbed its way clean through! If ever you’ve wondered, orthopaedic screws have Torx heads; I’d always wondered whether they were flat blade or Phillips head. I went to my doctor the next day and didn’t come home for a week. I was a minor celebrity in hospital, the motorcyclist with the screw sticking out of his ankle. Lots of doctors and nurses came by to have a look. I told them my story and they all asked, didn’t it hurt? Not along Thunderbolt’s Way, I said. Didn’t feel a thing. I must have been kissed on the arse by a fairy because two weeks later I was unexpectedly switched to oral medication, and the stitches came out a week a er that. It was like ge ing parole; instead of eight weeks, I was out in four. The Honda was long gone but not my Ducati. The engine took some turning before it backfired and warmed up on the choke. Man, that sounds good! It sounded even be er when I gave it a big handful in fourth on my way to cruising altitude. We locked in 4000rpm in

It doesn’t take much to remind us why we ride motorbikes, although a short enforced absence often helps sixth for 120km/h and I felt like riding to Perth. The VFR800F and 900SS are classic sports tourers, equal parts distance and speed. I’m a big fan. They are comfortable in an endurance racing sense and handle well. The Honda is more powerful and the Ducati much lighter. Short people can ride them and both are red. The skin on my knee was stretched from the rear-sets and the big scar the surgeons le when they removed the 12in-long nail that ran from there to my ankle. I’m still kicking myself for not asking for it as a shed ornament. Apart from that, all was good as I motored north-west

to Kulnura for a rendezvous with the Central Coast Classic Motor Cycle Club, in particular Col who I’d been told knew more about Nortons than Bert Hopwood. While I was laid up, I’d got my motorcycling ﬁx by working on my 1970 Commando and had reached a point where I needed some good advice. Col turned out to be the man but it was a hoot to hang out with all the other CCCMCC fellas too, even if they didn’t know what to make of my Ducati. Most were of a certain age, riding everything from BSA side-valve singles to Honda Gold Wings and Col’s immaculate ’62 Atlas. I asked Mark how long he’d owned his pre-unit Triumph

“I was a minor celebrity in hospital, the motorcyclist with the screw sticking out of his ankle”

Thunderbird. Forty years, he said. I then compared notes with Stuart, who’d just completed a 1974 Norton Roadster. ’74s came in every colour except Stuart’s green, Col said. 1970 models didn’t come in black either. Sometimes it’s best not to know too much. Turned out Col was a good mate of Jack Taylor, who I’d recently interviewed for Retrobike. Jack is 89 years old, and I was thinking about him and his Vincent Rapide as I made my way home; I’d chased them both along the Old Road a month earlier on the VFR. Jack has been riding for 70 years and kept many of his bikes, including matching pairs of Triumph Thruxtons, Veloce e Thruxtons and Suzuki Titans. He also owns a Kawasaki GPz750 and Ducati F1 750, and rides them all. Yes, at 89. ARR

■ As Seddo walked away, the VFR wept as she knew that was the last time they would spend together … AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

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ZOE

LIFE IN MOTION ZOE NAYLOR

ith two ﬁlms recently screening at the Sundance Film Festival and some stellar directing work to his name, whether as an actor or director this Kiwi is making waves. On a recent trip to my second-favourite country in the world, I caught up with Edwin, who introduced me to his most reliable and sturdy riding companion on this global artistic pursuit — his hand-built café racer.

What is a café racer? Café racers are the bikes that the rockers used to build a er World War II when the Brits came back from war. They would get their Triumphs, Bonnevilles and Nortons and they would customise them, ‘fe le’ with them to improve their performance, handling and speed. The café racer got its name because the only place they could listen to rock ’n roll — they couldn’t listen to rock ’n roll on the radio — was in the

You may not have heard of actor/director Edwin Wright … but you soon will diners. They would meet at these diners — or cafés as we now call them — and they would have races from café to café or out to different destinations and these bikes were radical experiments. Café racer now pre y much refers to a style of bike, which is basically a pared back bike — more retro if you will. So did you build your bike from the ground up? Yes – I bought the base model — a Kawasaki W650 2001 — it was all I could afford at the time and then I customised it. So you find retro pieces from old second hand dealers and stuff? No — it’s just what I had around. The side covers and the tank are the originals but I painted them. The front guard I chopped down. I chopped the rear guard right off and re-mounted the indicators, headlight and tail light. Put on my clip-ons — different speedo. Basically the angle grinder became my friend. I took the seat pan ■ Edwin and his Kawasaki W650 2001. All he could afford at the time and then customised

that was on the bike already and just ground off the edges so it sat flush with the frame. I got a customised exhaust done and upgraded the suspension. There is an old army side cover down near the back wheel — it’s an old WWII magazine pouch that I found and decided to mount there. I put stuff like tools and swim shorts in there. So it’s a total labour of love really. Oh yeah! That’s so cool — so rather than having no bike and using money as an excuse, you’ve got creative and made something that’s really unique, rare and totally awesome. That’s such a testament to the more of your heart you put into something the more rewarding it will be. Yes, absolutely. I also like how utilitarian it is — I don’t have to clean it. I don’t have to worry if I drop it or if it gets dented. And there is nothing else like it. Let’s now talk briefly about your other labours of love — working as an actor and director. Congrats on your recent success in films Turbo Kid and Slow West by the way ... Thanks. In Turbo Kid — you played a part that a lot of people would’ve dismissed as a role that wouldn’t have garnered them any reward — because it’s a non speaking role, it wasn’t really wri en in depth and you wear a mask the whole time. Yet you saw that as an opportunity and you turned him into a living, breathing character with depth and range and soul. He’s now one of the most memorable characters in the film. I’m so intrigued by this. In life people so o en dismiss something if it doesn’t have the shiny bells, if

it’s not the latest thing … the jobs not got the biggest reward or the most money a ached to it…etc… it’s such a testament to how we seize opportunities and make the most of life. Yes, I always remind myself of a motorcycling metaphor — ‘use the whole lane’. Like when you’re riding use the whole width of the lane. Find the best line that gives you the best performance. So in life, use the breadth of what you have available to you — use the full extent of what opportunities you have.

“I always remind myself of a motorcycling metaphor — ‘use the whole lane’. Like when you’re riding use the whole width of the lane. Find the best line that gives you the best performance. So in life, use the breadth of what you have available to you — use the full extent of what opportunities you have” Even when they feel like they’re small or mundane or insigniﬁcant… Yes, exactly — because by using everything that’s available to you, you allow the path to unfold. When I started doing my bike I didn’t know how it was going to end up. I bought the base model and just got started. The actor Joseph Gordon Levi from the US actually started a company called the red bu on. Just start. Let it unfold. That’s so true! I have so many ideas for things I’d like to do. This conversation is reminding me just to start. You don’t have to have all the bits lined up … just start and the rest will follow. Creation comes from the doing, not just thinking about it. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 39

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GREGOR

THE FAULKNER STREET LEAP Sometimes you just gotta break all the rules … GREGOR REYNOLDS hen I first developed an interest in motorcycles as a young teenager there were no Australian bike magazines freely available. Luckily my local newsagent used to stock an English, newspaper size, publication simply called Motor Cycle. The issues were more than two months old when I got my hands on them, because they came by sea back in the day, but I devoured them cover to cover. There was extensive coverage of both their domestic racing and international Grands Prix, and it was these stories and photos which really fired my young imagination. The grainy colour posters they used to print adorned my wall for several years. My favourite two posters were both of bikes in mid air at the Isle of Man: Agostini on the MV Agusta flying through Union Mills, and Hailwood on the Honda soaring

through the air off Ago’s Leap on Bray Hill. Many idle hours were spent staring at these posters just imagining what it might feel like to jump a bike at speed. I got my bike licence as soon as I was old enough but I was short on ability, self-confidence, and power, so jumping had to wait. When I finally got my first big bike, that all changed. The addition of power and speed made several humps and bumps into small jumps or wheelie opportunities. The back roads around our li le country town were nearly deserted so I soon worked out a 20km loop which included three decent jumps. Two of them could be jumped either way so I regularly did a lap before heading back the other way. As I ventured further afield I discovered many different spots where a jump was possible given the right circumstances. Finding great sets of corners remained the priority of course, but the odd jump added the spice I was a er. I just loved the tingle of anticipation before take-off,

“Because I wasn’t a total maniac, I always made sure my jumping antics were restricted to back roads where traffic was minimal. There was however one notable exception.”

followed by that weightless feeling as you descend to earth. My favourite was the drop-off style jump where the road just drops away to a downhill landing and your speed determines how high and far you go. Because I wasn’t a total maniac, I always made sure my jumping antics were restricted to back roads where traffic was minimal. There was however one notable exception. I was 19 when I moved to Armidale, and the day I arrived I discovered the ‘Faulkner Street Leap’. The ‘Leap’ was a great li le jump in either direction, but was unfortunately situated near the middle of town, and two blocks from the cop shop. Even at the 60km/h speed limit the wheels would go light, and if you cracked the thro le you could really get some air. Heading north on Faulkner Street you go over a low level bridge before a sharp uphill climb. The climb is interrupted by a flat cross street (Kirkwood Street) before continuing up the hill. If you hit the hill with enough speed ■ It might have looked a little different in the day, but you get the gist…

you could clear Kirkwood Street completely and land against the upslope. Coming down the hill, you would hit Kirkwood Street and load up the suspension before dropping onto the downslope near the bridge. If you timed it right it was an easy, safe jump and the only danger was being seen by the law. I tried to stay away but an invisible magnet seemed to drag me down Faulkner Street at regular intervals. I had some great fun there and I obviously wasn’t alone because almost every rider in town had their own story about the ‘Faulkner Street Leap’. Some of the deeds were legendary among the locals and Egg’s effort was one of the best. Egg was well named because he rode a yellow Benelli 650 Tornado, and he was handy with the thro le. A acking the uphill jump, he mistimed the arrival of a Mini on the cross street. The end result was a massive black tyre mark on the bonnet of the Mini, and Egg miraculously making the jump, and a clean getaway! Jumping bikes on the road became popular briefly in the ‘70s thanks to iconic Two Wheels road tester Kel Wearne. For several years Kel appeared in photos jumping the latest test bikes, thereby inspiring other like-minded riders to share in the fun. Contrast this to today’s vastly different motorcycling landscape, where road testers would barely dare to mention jumping a bike on the road, much less risk being photographed doing it! What we considered harmless fun back in the day, would be front page news today. This yarn has a happy ending because I’ve had a ball over the years doing countless jumps on different bikes, without ever crashing or endangering others. I even realised my teenage fantasy of jumping a bike on the racetrack like my boyhood heroes, but that’s another story. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 41

Burning Bright With changes aplenty, Triumph’s middleweight adventure machine roars to the forefront of oﬀ-road explorers STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: DANNY WILKINSON ou don’t have to try to convince me the Tiger 800 is a fantastic motorcycle. I’ve been a fan since completing the inaugural APC Rally on one, covering 7500km of rough tracks and long roads on a course that included single-track and sand dunes. I dropped it once when a cross-track rut stopped the front end before I could stop the back end, but otherwise the Triumph triumphed in a tough event.

42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Now four years later it turns out the APC experience, among other feedback, has directly influenced the upgrades for the secondgeneration Tiger. The 2015 800XCx you see here represents the Tiger at its peak. There’ve been at least 48 changes from the original Tiger 800XC to this new XCx. Many of those are li le things like colours and finishes, but some are highly significant — the switch to quality WP suspension being right up there. The Tiger at last has electronic riding modes, too. Those two updates are worth the entry

price, and others add to the value. Knowing how complicated it was to get to the air filter of the original Tiger, Triumph Australia’s tech man, Cliff Stovall, made a pre-filter system for the APC Rally bikes; that Aussie innovation is now a standard feature of the model, meaning riders can now quite easily clean the dust from the intake system while touring the outback. Customer feedback has featured highly in the changes, which include 14.5mm higher handlebars, less chain cla er, grippier and more robust seat material, cruise control for the ►

TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 43

TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX

r Despite its more off-road bias, the Tiger is excellent on the tar … even in the wet

x-spec models and much more. Underneath it all, though, the basic and brilliant Tiger 800 is still the same solid, satisfying and fun allrounder it was. If you’ve ridden one before, you’ll feel immediately familiar with it as you take oﬀ. The new ride-by-wire thro le feels a li le lighter and the WP suspension is ﬁrmer and more sensitive to li le bumps, but it’s that same lovely three-cylinder whir, the same comfort, the same easy control as you get going. The improved fuel injection, revised camsha s and re-ported cylinder head help it meet the fourth generation of European

emissions laws and haven’t done any harm to the quality of the output. The torque and power curves are about as flat and smooth as ironed silk. If you want flexible power delivery, how does it sound to have top-gear pulling power from below 2000rpm all the way to redline in one consistent surge? I rode a mountain fire trail, including its rocky uphill hairpins, in top gear for more than half an hour, only resorting to clutch-slipping twice when I had to trickle around fallen trees. It’s really that good. It’s almost ironic that this fat powerband is

r Tidy dash features the M-for-mode button, but we’d rather it was on the handlebar 44 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

backed by one of the sweetest gearboxes in all of motorcycling. The shi action is short, precise, light and quiet, and the clutch is o en optional. Yes, compared with the 1200cc big guns of adventure-touring, the Tiger’s sub-100hp output sounds unexciting and its 79Nm torque isn’t as macho but I guarantee there’s plenty of grunt for even two-up riding. On a hardrevving fang up the Oxley Highway I didn’t feel the need for more, particularly when I activated the Sport thro le mapping which gives instant response to your right wrist. The Road map (see sidebar for the details

r Stock bar mounts can be rotated to move the bar forward or replaced with risers

TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX

r The WP suspension is a big advantage, especially when the ruts and rocks get in the way

r The bike with no fear?

“If you want flexible power delivery, how does it sound to have top-gear pulling power from below 2000rpm all the way to redline in one consistent surge?” about the electronics) was more comfortable for tooling along, and like the other maps it only varies the speed of the bu erflies as they open; power isn’t held back. Going to Rain mapping, the response is intentionally slow, the thro le feeling dull. You’re less likely to lose traction this way, but I can’t imagine using it much because of the traction control backing you up. Be er safe than sorry, perhaps? It might be good in muddy off-roading when you’re forced to deactivate TC just to get drive. The Off Road

thro le map comes on a li le more gently than the Road se ing and it’s fine in that role, but I really enjoyed using Sport mode at times on dirt roads for its more precise control and quick reaction. Horses for courses, I guess, and the key point is the choice you get; se ing the thro le is another tuning aid you can use to fit the bike to your riding style. I spent most of my first day on the 800XCx in Off Road mode whenever we were on dirt, which was most of the time. The TC was good, permi ing enough power sliding to finish off turns or flick the back out briefly, and I almost didn’t bother trying anything else. But with the traction aid off, I discovered that your right wrist is usually the only aid you need because the power delivery and feedback from the chassis are very good. It’s only the greasiest or gravelliest roads that tempt you to revert to electronic control. Without it, the Tiger is capable of lovely, long dri s out of sweeping bends and neat li le sideways flicks out of low-speed corners. The feedback provided by the WP rear suspension is much clearer than it was on the old model, helping greatly.

Up front, the combo of WP fork, good brakes, well-calibrated ABS and the Karoo’s knobs was dynamite. The Tiger screams into dirt-road corners, perfectly happy for you to push it hard. Again, feedback and precision are fantastic. The Off Road ABS se ing encourages you to lock up the rear brakes and slide in (it’s not hard; feedback from the rear brake isn’t great) while you point the front wherever it needs to be. On tar roads the skinny front tyre — especially the Karoo — feels less comfortable and won’t pull you up like a 19or 17-inch tyre would, but them’s the breaks. It’s still good enough, and a compromise you happily make in return for the adventureriding brilliance. The forks have rebound and compression damping adjustments in individual legs with adjusters on top. You can tweak them on the go with your fingers. I upped the compression for a while by two clicks but it was too firm for my taste and I went back to standard se ings, which seemed ideal for my 75kg. Road or not, the Tiger’s chassis balance and steering precision cooperate on an almost ►

r Rebound and compression damping are adjustable by hand using knobs on top of the forks r Info button and toggle switch let you scroll trip info and alter settings AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 45

r Cruise control buttons are on the right switchblock. It’s a good thing to have

IN THE MODE

r Secure handling takes the worry out of rocky water crossings

“As it comes, the Tiger XCx is ready to take on a fair bit of luggage. The pillion seat is by default an extension of the rear rack and you’ll find no end of tie-down points.” intuitive level. For a bike weighing 221kg fuelled up, it’s astonishingly willing to hit the exact piece of road you aim it at. On sealed surfaces it responds best to taking graceful rather than aggressive lines but on unsealed roads you can virtually do what you like. It’ll plug along on wide arcs if you’re cruising or act like a wannabe enduro bike when you’re in the mood to play. The suspension backs you up here, too, absorbing big hits without much

bo oming out — miles less than with the original suspension. And it keeps its cool for much longer. The extra height on the bars is more comfortable for taller riders when standing, and by rotating the bar forward a li le I was able to get pre y close to having it just right for my 183cm frame. Triumph oﬀers a 30cm riser as an accessory but I’d probably se le for Touratech’s 20mm version. The mounts can be ►

Ride-by-wire technology has allowed Triumph to endow the Tiger with the kind of electronic rider aids that are now de rigueur for every good adventure bike. The system on the XCx and XRx varies throttle action, traction control (TC) and anti-lock brakes (ABS) depending upon what mode you select. There are three modes: Road, Off Road and Rider. The first, as you’d expect, is the default mode that’s activated each time you turn on the ignition, and it gives you the most sensitive TC and ABS along with a reasonably quick-acting throttle action. Off Road mode features TC that permits some wheelspin before it cuts in, and ABS that not only reduces sensitivity at the front but is deactivated at the rear; it also has an everso-slightly more gentle throttle action. The Rider mode is programmable to do anything you want. You can select any one of four throttle maps: Sport, Road, Off Road and Rain. TC settings are Road, Off Road and Off, and it’s the same for the ABS. Chose any combination you want, for example, Sport throttle with no traction control and off-road ABS.

■ Sand’s definitely not easy but we didn’t get into trouble once during a morning at NSW’s Stockton Beach

r Hand guards and crash bars are part of the XC package but the headlight cover is extra 46 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX QUICKSPECS Model: Triumph Tiger 800XCx Price: $17,690 (plus on-road charges) Colours: Crystal White, Phantom Black, Caspian Blue Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 12-valve, inline triple. Variable TC and throttle maps Bore x stroke: 74 x 61.9mm Displacement: 800cc

Compression: 11.1:1 Power: 70kW @ 9250rpm Torque: 79Nm @ 7850rpm Transmission: Wet multiplate clutch, 6-speed gearbox, chain final drive Frame: Steel-tube perimeter Dimensions: Seat height 840-860mm, weight 221kg (wet), fuel capacity 19L, wheelbase 1545mm, rake 24.3ยบ, trail 95.3mm Suspension: Front, WP 43mm USD fork with adjustable rebound and compression

damping, 220mm travel. Rear, WP monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping, 215mm travel Brakes: Front, 2 x 308mm discs, 2-piston calipers. Rear, 225mm disc with 1-piston caliper. Variable ABS Tyres: Front, 90/90-21. Rear, 150/70-R17 Fuel consumption: 5.8L/100km Theoretical range: 325km Verdict: Supremely capable adventure bike and tourer

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 47

TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX ■ First past the post? Matho plays gatekeeper for a streak of Tigers

Road or not, the Tiger’s chassis balance and steering precision cooperate on an almost intuitive level reversed to shi the handlebars forward, and the seat is adjustable between 840 and 860mm — heights that aren’t too bad because the standover height at the narrow front of the seat is modest. The new footpegs have lowerprofile rubbers that you might be tempted to leave in place for most rides, but if you’re going to stand up much I’d take them out for the extra grip you get. For long days in the saddle, the seat is quite comfortable and the screen, though not adjustable, is effective with a minimum of messy air disturbing your helmet. Heated grips are an accessory only but the hand guards deflect a lot of the air’s chill. Leg room is adequate, and the pillion accommodation is good — in fact, in this mid-weight adventure-

tourer class it’s probably the pick of them for two-up use, with great grab handles. As it comes, the Tiger XCx is ready to take on a fair bit of luggage. The pillion seat is by default an extension of the rear rack and you’ll ﬁnd no end of tie-down points. The range of accessories includes both plastic and aluminium panniers and top boxes. The plastic radiator guard and aluminium bash plate increase the overall robustness of the Tiger, whose bodywork has been redesigned so it’s a li le less vulnerable too. The steel-tube frame is repairable to a point, more so than an alloy frame, but it still lacks a bolt-on subframe or even bolt-on pillion-peg hangers. This means a bit too much damage at the back can dictate ﬁ ing a whole new frame. The wire-spoked ►

r Among other detail changes, Triumph has added a shroud r WP suspension: the underlying reason why the new to cover the rear shock Tiger is so much improved 48 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

A TIGER’S RANGE The Tiger 800 range has expanded from two to four models. The base-model 800 has been renamed the 800XR, and the 800XC is still the 800XC. The Showasuspended XR is the more road-oriented version, with alloy wheels, a 19-inch front wheel and lower seat heights. The XC is the more adventurous one, sporting WP suspension with longer travel, spoked wheels, a 21-inch front wheel and a taller seat, among other things. Both have traction control and switchable ABS. Then there’s the XRx and XCx, the little ‘x’ designating their ‘extras’. For the XCx, these include the multiple riding modes, auto-cancelling blinkers, better protection, handguards, centre stand, cruise control and an additional 12-volt outlet. For the XRx, instead of the higher level of protection, you get more comfortable seats and an adjustable screen.

YEARS

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TRIUMPH TIGER 800XCX

wheels are tougher than alloys. Triumph claims a 17 per cent improvement in fuel economy from this new model, most of it being down to the ride-by-wire thro le which damps your uneconomical wrist actions. It certainly can be a frugal bike, using 4.5L/100km at a steady 90-100km/h, but if you raise it to 120 the consumption goes up to around 6.0L/100km. If I was excited enough I could make it swallow well over 6.5L/100km on trail sections, and my overall average on what was o en a pre y hard-riding test was

50 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

5.8L/100km. That still gives a range of just over 300km, which isn’t bad. One area where the Triumph falls behind is in changing riding modes on the move. In general, you can’t unless you’re going from Road to Oﬀ Road, because if the ABS or TC need re-activating you must stop to let the wheels ‘sync’. Even then I found the dashmount bu on was in an awkward place and frequently didn’t respond. Triumph needs to get this system working smoothly on the ﬂy via a handlebar-mounted control. While

they’re at it, it’d be nice to have two or three programmable Rider modes so you can have several pre-set and ready to go at any time. I wouldn’t let this stop me buying the XCx. In this class of adventure-touring bike with a mid-sized motor and 21-inch front wheel, there’s three other bikes to consider, and one of them’s the 800XC. I’d pay the extra grand for the XCx’s extras, no doubts at all. The other two are BMW’s F800GS and F800GS Adventure, which are separated by $2000 with the XCx almost bang in between. You do the maths, factoring in what you think of the electronics packages (and their added cost in BMW’s case), tank sizes and so on. It’s a competitive fight, for sure. The things that unarguably weigh in Triumph’s favour are its smoother engine with broader power delivery, its overall comfort and the genius of its WP suspension. That last one is what would get me — it li s the Tiger’s handling onto another level. The Tiger 800 has been a hit for Triumph, which has sold over 35,000 worldwide. This new one will go gangbusters because it takes everything good about the first one and adds more. It’s almost spot-on, let down only by the fiddly way of changing riding modes. All you have to do to get it out of the showroom and off into whatever adventure grabs you is to fit your choice of tyres, load your luggage and go. Triumph has taken care of the rest. ARR

Total Control Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but in the case of KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure it couldn’t be farther from the truth

STORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE PHOTOS: KTM s the KTM 1290 Super Adventure pierces the Canary Islands mountain fog on treacherously narrow roads with precipitous, unguarded cliﬀ plunges, I experience an overwhelming sense of calm and satisfaction. The 1290 Super Adventure is about more than just power. It’s about more than hitech electronics. It’s about more than exotic components. It’s about more than luxury features. It’s about complete control. When all of its many features combine to deliver the perfect riding experience for every road and weather condition imaginable, the rider becomes king or queen of his/ her domain. And that’s exactly what KTM has done as it ﬁnally produces the bike that will have Munich shaking in its adventure boots. ►

52 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53

The KTM 1290 Super Adventure has arrived at $26,995 plus on-road costs, making it their most expensive bike; more so than even the RC8R. Yet, with almost all the electronic goodies as standard, it’s a highly competitive price with the big Beemer oﬀ-roaders. KTM’s ebullient global PR guru, Thomas Ku ruf, is expectedly eﬀusive about the uniquely white Super Adventure saying that,

54 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

in this case, “more is more”. “It’s the peak of the peak in this segment, designed to showcase what our R&D is capable of doing,” he says. The big white Austrian combines power, safety, technology, all-road abilities, two-up comfort and luxury, he says, admi ing that “luxury is new for KTM”. It certainly is. KTM has made powerful and capable bikes before, but they always retained a raw edge and feel. Not

so the Super Adventure. It’s a big, burly rugby player, tucked neatly into a tasteful tuxedo. “We can make bikes go fast, but now you can enjoy a KTM at a more relaxed speed,” Kutruff says as he unleashes the world media on the twisting, torturous mountain roads of Gran Canaria, just off the coast of Morocco. Here the roads vary from wide, smooth and grand to tight, twisty and granular. And the margin for error in many cases is nil. Miss an apex, hit a bump or run wide and the result could be disastrous. One wrong move and you could be tumbling hundreds of metres over the cliff to your inglorious demise. And all this with a bike that has 1301cc of LC8 from the radical Super Duke, albeit slightly “detuned” from the donor’s 134kW. Its 75-degree V-twin heart still pumps out a veinthrobbing 118kW of power and peak torque of 140Nm with 105Nm available at just 2500rpm. It’s a highly flexible engine that doesn’t mind lumbering lazily along in too high a gear, but also enjoys some buzz fed into it. Rollon acceleration is easy in high gears, while dropping a cog or two unleashes dizzying amounts of delicious power. The engine is perfectly matched to a gearbox with none of the usual void between first and second of most big adventure tourers. It’s also a civilised engine with li le mechanical noise, a polite exhaust gargle at idle and a macho roar at full noise. There is an Akrapovic exhaust available and a cheaper Remus option coming that are

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE expected to add even more ponies. But there is far more to this bike than just raw power. In fact, even the power is delivered in a more reasonable, refined and controllable manner. The LC8 engine, introduced in 2002, has always been a great engine for enduro travel with its thin profile between your legs and great ground clearance. Now, the 1190 engine has been bored and stroked with optimised head flow and combustion chamber for more efficient combustion, more weight on the cranksha flywheel and rotor for smoother acceleration, an anti-backlash gear on the permanent drive to reduce engine noise and vibration, plus a longer sixth gear. The result is a drivetrain that feels more relaxed even when it’s working hard. It’s an engine that doesn’t feel like a motocrosser revving on the starting line, an engine that feels willing in any gear at any revs and an engine that won’t ra le the gold fillings out of your head. At 100km/h in sixth gear the 1190 Adventure is revving at more than 4000 revs while the Super Adventure is registering a more mild-mannered 3700rpm. It’s a faultless gearbox too, with no clunk or cla er, confusion or false neutrals. There’s a perfect spread of gears and a light clutch that makes rapid changing effortless. With 15,000km service intervals and acclaimed reliability, the LC8 is the perfect engine for longer-distance all-road touring, as well as a stick of dynamite for blasting steep canyon passes like

“KTM has made powerful and capable bikes before, but they always retained a raw edge and feel. Not so the Super Adventure. It’s a big, burly rugby player, tucked neatly into a tasteful tuxedo” we tackle on the Gran Canaria. Taming the spine-tingling power peaks and creamy dollops of torque is KTM’s breakthrough Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC), introduced in the 1190 Adventure. It r Cylinder head gets twin-plug ignition, flow-optimised ports and a slick, low-friction valve train with cams driving includes four engine modes and the BoschDLC-coated cam followers derived cornering ABS. Now the system has been reﬁned to give the rider a li le more independent control over the engine modes and associated damping controls. It’s a development derived from customer feedback. The Super Adventure takes the electronic controls even further with an innovative semi-active suspension system that monitors rider behaviour, terrain and traction to automatically and continually adjust the suspension. It consists of stroke sensors in the right fork and rear shock and accelerometers front and back, connected by a CAN-bus system. Electro-magnetic adjustments to the shims are made according to complex algorithms calculated using information from ► r Rack is a solid design, doubling as a pillion grab rail. Seat is super comfy for rider and pillion

r Smooth shape of the crank webs results in low-loss running of the crank drive and optimises the load change behaviour and running smoothness

r The tank, at 30 litres, is proper big AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 55

the sensors and accelerometers. Riders can select from four damping se ings — Comfort, Street, Sport and Offroad — separately from the four drive mode se ings — Sport, Street, Rain and Offroad — which control the fly-by-wire thro le response and traction systems. The standout feature in this most impressive array of electronic wizardry is the anti-dive function that regulates the amount of dive in the forks under braking as well as squat in the rear under heavy

56 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

acceleration. It also senses pillion and luggage load and adjusts the suspension accordingly. There is also a “load” se ing were you can specify single rider, pillion and luggage. The most anti-dive activity occurs in Street and Comfort se ings and the least in Sport and Offroad. The result is that it prevents that pitching effect which can be tiring on technical roads such as these where there are more hairpins and wiggles than a Lady Gaga concert. Other benefits are that the rider can

concentrate on their line rather than stabilising the bike for corners; pillions don’t get thrown around as much and ram the back of the rider’s helmet; and the headlight always remains at an optimal position. As usual, WP provides the suspension which consists of 48mm forks with the spring in the le and rebound and compression damping in the right and a monoshock with front and back travel of a very generous 200mm. It’s the perfect combination of agility, ﬁnesse and ride comfort. The WP forks are particularly good with no cha er over corrugations or potholes. They inspire conﬁdence to a ack corners, sight unseen. WP also supplies a sensitive hydraulic steering damper, which seems to work in conjunction with the anti-dive function and wheelie traction control so that you keep the front wheel on the ground when you need it — such as over small crests when changing direction. My eyes are like saucer plates as I gas the KTM from a le lean to a right lean just as it crests a small hump in the road. It reminds me of a similar piece of road on Mt Glorious at the back of Brisbane. It’s a technical wiggle that has to be tackled with a judicious dab of rear brake and rider weight over the triple clamp otherwise the bike wheelies just when you need grip and turn from the front wheel, resulting in a dangerous high-speed tank slapper. Not so, on the Super Adventure. I gulp air as I hit the crest without any forethought or planning. Yet the bike tackles it without any dramatics: no wheelie, no wiggle, just a quick

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE QUICKSPECS

“The Super Adventure takes the electronic controls even further with an innovative semi-active suspension system that monitors rider behaviour, terrain and traction to automatically and continually adjust the suspension” change of direction. I don’t have to back off the thro le, dab the rear brake or weight the front wheel. Magic! Kutruff heralds this bike as the “safest motorcycle in the world”. And while the wild world below blurs by in my peripheral vision, I’m beginning to agree with his superlative claim. These are among the most dangerous roads I’ve ever ridden. As we climb from the coastal plains lined with hundreds of varieties of cactus, past stately date palms and haciendas with KTMcoloured terraco a roofs, we carve into bald mountains through numerous tunnels dodging cyclists and slow-moving trucks and tourist vehicles on the impossibly narrow roads. We rise and rise 1400m above the clouds, into the mist and even above a rainbow where houses are built into the cliffs and at times

we have to duck rock shelves overhanging the road as we pass other vehicles with millimetres to spare. But somehow these roads aren’t alarming. Instead, I find them challenging, fun, dramatic, interesting and picturesque, all because this bike and I seem to have total control. Mind you, there is still the ability to switch off the traction control for some hooligan wheelies and super fun. A er all, it’s got the heart of the Super Duke. It’s a tall and big bike, yet thanks to the light and stiff steel trellis frame, it feels light and nimble. On the technical point-and-shoot mountain climbs resembling a mini Stelvio Pass, the bike changes direction quickly and easily without the need to muscle the bars. Thanks to the optional Motor Slip Regulation on my test bike there is also no need to finesse

r No fiddly knobs to be found

KTM 1290 Super Adventure Price: $26,995 plus on-road costs Warranty: 2 years, unlimited km Service: 15,000km Engine: liquid-cooled, 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, V 75° 1301cc Power: 118kW @ 8750rpm Torque: 140Nm @ 6750rpm Bore/stroke: 108/71mm Compression: 13.1:1 Transmission: 6 gears, chain drive, PASCTM slipper clutch, hydraulically operated Chassis: Chromium-molybdenum-steel trellis frame, powder-coated aluminium subframe Handlebar: Aluminium, tapered, 28/22mm Suspension: WP Semi-active Suspension USD 48mm, 200mm travel; WP Semi-active Suspension PDS Monoshock, 200mm travel Brakes: 2 x Brembo four-piston, radially bolted caliper, 320mm disc (front); Brembo two-piston, fixed caliper, 267mm disc; Bosch 9ME Combined-ABS (Cornering-ABS and offroad mode, switchable) Wheels: 3.50 x 19”; 5.00 x 17” spoked with aluminium tubeless rims Tyres: 120/70 R 19; 170/60 R Steering angle: 64° Trail: 120mm Wheelbase: 1560mm Clearance: 220mm Seat: 860/875mm adjustable Tank: 30 litres (4L res) Dry weight: 229kg Colour: White Verdict: My first choice for a long, two-up adventure.

my downshi s to avoid rear-wheel lock-up. Riders also don’t have to ﬁnesse the Brembo brakes. They are big and powerful, with a subtly linked system and a light and sensitive feel through the lever and peg. If you have selected a se ing with substantial antidive, it feels like the brakes are under-done, but it’s just the suspension compensating and you really don’t have to give the brakes any more pressure. The Conti A ack 2 tyres are the same as on the 1190 Adventure and they have plenty of grip over tar and some loose gravel. Despite the obvious dirt-road abilities of the bike and these multi-purpose tyres, the test route doesn’t include any gravel roads, only tightly twisting tarmac. A er hours of this sort of demanding riding, you would usually be looking for the respite of a long straight stretch, but we just keep at these relentless wiggles all day long without tiring. At the same time, I’m also lulled by the creature features and luxury of the all-road, super sports tourer. Rider ergonomics feel just right as soon as you throw our leg over the two-level adjustable seat (+/- 15mm), put ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 57

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

r Suspension movement is monitored off the swingarm pivot

your foot down on the two-level adjustable footpegs (+/-10mm) and grip the two-level adjustable handlebars. The two-part seat has a suede-like poly covering that is both luxurious to the touch and grippy, while the pillion seat is now thicker with lower hand grips so there is more room for wide berths and girths. There are also three-position heated grips and separate seat heating controls, adding to the winter comfort and luxury. For the ﬁrst time, the adventure bike has been taken to a university wind tunnel to assess the aerodynamics of the larger 30-litre tank and massive windscreen. Global product marketing manager Diego Arioli says they’ve “never devoted so much time to a windscreen”. It’s wider and taller than the 1190 Adventure screen and has a V shape at the top so you

r Simplicity of the switchgear doesn’t allude to the capabilities of the KTM’s electronics 58 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

can have it on the tallest se ing and still see through the “V”. The windscreen is also easily adjustable on the ﬂy. There is a latch on the right that locks it in place and knobs on the le and right to wind it up and down. The mounting bracket can also be switched around to make it even higher or lower. All the test bikes had the screen brackets on the highest se ing and one short rider in our group said he couldn’t see over the top even in the lowest position. The windscreen also has a vent near the top to reduce backpressure like the new Project Rushmore Harley-Davidson tourers and the Honda Goldwing. The eﬀect is a comfortable bubble of smooth air behind the windscreen that provides touring comfort up to speeds of 160km/h on the Gran Canaria freeways. Our long day of riding in the mountains

r Up close and personal with the cornering lights

continues on into the early winter evening when we test the world’s first LED cornering lights on a motorcycle. The three LEDs are positioned on either side of the leading edge of the tank and illuminate according to lean angle sensors. At 10 degrees, one LED illuminates the inside of the turn, at 20 degrees two LEDs illuminate and at 30 degrees the three lights illuminate. It’s interesting watching the bike approach a series of flip-flop corners with the LEDs winking. It’s certainly unique and a great li le showpiece. However, it’s one piece of technology in this complex and comprehensive suite of hi-tech that doesn’t seem to work. For a start, they aren’t focused correctly. They point down at the ground immediately on the inside of the turn, rather than a li le further up the road where you are looking. While the headlights provide a very uniform ►

r Cruise control for the open road

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE ■ Twin 320mm discs and radialmounted, four-piston Brembos run Bosch’s 9ME C-ABS

r KTM-patented wire-spoked wheels with airtight rim beds mean easy fitting, no inner tube and a robust wheel

r Standard pipe looks like an aftermarket job

r Wires coming off the top of the fork legs are the only indicators to semi-active

“I gulp air as I hit the crest without any forethought or planning. Yet the bike tackles it without any dramatics: no wheelie, no wiggle, just a quick change of direction. I don’t have to back off the throttle, dab the rear brake or weight the front wheel. Magic!” spread of light, the LEDs are a whiter light and tend to divert your a ention to them which is a li le distracting as you don’t want to be looking where they are pointing. However, if you are closely following someone on a Super Adventure, then the LEDs are perfectly positioned to illuminate corners for you. Until they focus the lights 60 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

properly, they are really just a gimmick. KTM is gradually improving the quality of the instruments and controls from what used to feel like bicycle or motocross standard to acceptable for a road bike of this price. Like the 1190 Adventure, it comes with daytime running lights with 12 LEDs that give it a distinctive look from the front, accentuated

by the unique white paintwork with minimal KTM orange touches. It’s a high-class look from a quality bike designed, as usual, by Kiska. It also features cruise control which, on my test bike, had a delay in the se ing allowing the bike to slow up to 10km/h before gradually accelerating to the set speed. Other riders didn’t experience this on their bikes, so it could have been a minor glitch only on my bike. Cruise control works from 40-200km/h and only in fourth to sixth gears. Its easy to use, but the controls are on the right grip rather than the le . Riders can ﬁnd this a li le tricky for se ing while holding the thro le position. Harley learnt that lesson and switched the control to the le where it should be. ARR

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INDIAN ROADMASTER

62 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Life on the road Big on style, opulence and function, the Roadmaster delivers a superb big-bike riding experience

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 63

STORY: MICK MATHESON PHOTOS: ANNE BAKER, MM ne thing I particularly enjoy about the Roadmaster is that you’re in touch with its engine. Indian’s heavy tourer shares the same basic mechanical package as the other big twins it joins in the rejuvenated American brand’s range but its cosseting bodywork envelops you in the pleasure of the supersized V-twin more than all the rest. The broad fairing and bulky leg guards close you into a cockpit of still air that you share with the motor, so rather than

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detaching you from the visceral experience of biking, this luxury motorcycle doles out a good dose of sensory delight. Half-way home on the Roadmaster, I’d already fallen in love with it. I knew it for sure when we hit a long hill and the engine hunkered down with a deeper, louder note to make the climb. Vibration rose to a stronger staccato, as if each spark was hi ing its piston more vigorously to get the work done. This is all standard stuﬀ on a low-revving twin but on the Roadmaster there was more of it. It mixed with the sun’s warmth on this beautiful

a ernoon, the dry wind ﬂicking my face and the fast-paced road music coming clear as crystal from the stereo’s four big speakers. I wondered how much the music inﬂuenced the mood. Probably a lot. Music does that. On some bikes the tunes don’t work as well, though, because the sound quality isn’t so good and the wind whips away so many of the tones. But the Roadmaster is a bandstand and you’re in the middle of it. With the front and rear speakers balanced and the screen raised a li le it was like the music was coming from a headset in my helmet. I’m not kidding — I

INDIAN ROADMASTER really did have to check that I was listening to the bike’s stereo and not the one in the helmet I was wearing at the time. The volume wasn’t even up high, yet the songs played straight into my ears with almost no loss of detail. And all the while the gorgeous thump of the engine and its Stage 1 exhaust played that distinct V-twin rhythm. Indian’s new range-topper, which sells for a mighty $38,995 ride-away, is a big, brash experience. The Roadmaster name is another one they’re plucked from the brand’s history. Now, as then, the Roadmaster comes with as much fruit and bling as Indian can conjure. It is intent upon living up to its name, and you merely have to look at the bike and the brochure to know it’s got a good chance of doing it. The Chie ain on which it’s built is a great bagger, so you’d expect a more dressed-up version to nail the touring class. It does. The first words wri en in my notebook, a er I’d le Sydney’s inner west, sat patiently through Parrama a Road’s slow parade, cruised out on the motorway, crossed the mountains and ridden another hour out, were “seriously impressed”. It’s no commuter, of course, and lane filtering was impossible on Parrama a Rd where I learned that there’s a fair bit of engine heat to put up with but balance in stop-start traffic was reasonable. It was only much later, struggling to push the gargantuan machine around the shed, that I realised the Indian feels every gram of its 400kg-plus. Out on the motorway it lightened up in every sense of the word. As speed rose to 90, 100 and then 110 the Roadmaster revealed its love of the open road. The traffic thinned, I felt the cool air coming through the open vents in the leg guards and I experimented with the electric screen adjustment, se ling for a slight elevation just below my eye line where it reduced air disturbance to almost nothing. I had the music coming via my phone, which was cableconnected to the bike in the purpose-built ►

■ The Roadmaster is made for the open road and right at home in Australia’s wide spaces

r Heated seats can be set to warm or hot, each on its own circuit

THE ORIGINAL The original Roadmaster didn’t stand a chance. It was the biggest, most up-spec Chief of them all, released just as the brand’s new post-war owner was steering Indian into cheap 125 and 250cc commuters. Admittedly the idea of lumbering 1200cc side-valves in big, heavy frames seemed as relevant as the pre-war world was to the future, but what a shame history went that way. The Roadmaster debuted in 1947 with a screen, dual spotlights, two-up saddle, saddlebags, lots of chrome and big price tag. In 1949 the last Chief rolled off the production line and the Roadmaster was gone. Meanwhile, Buick continued to call its flagship car the Roadmaster, and that’s how the name is most popularly remembered.

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■ Top box, seat and leg guards are the major differences between the Roadmaster and Chieftain

fairing compartment that includes a neat phone-sized pouch. Meanwhile, I had my Nolan in open-face mode and Bluetoothed to the phone; that’s when I ﬁrst had to check if it was indeed the bike’s speakers creating such excellent sound. Then the bloody phone rang: when I answered, the music stopped, the helmet headset took over and I had a perfectly easy discussion on the phone thanks to the peace behind the Roadmaster’s fairing. A er, it was back to music through the speakers. Nice. Over the Blue Mountains, the weather was dreary, closing in on me at Blackheath. I shut the leg vents, turned on the heated seat and dialled in the heated handlebars. I preferred the lesser of the two seat se ings on this 11°C day, and only about the fourth of 10 grip-heat se ings despite my summer gloves. The fairing is so wide it protects your hands anyway. The fairing pulls a bit of rain in around you thanks to the low pressure it creates in the cockpit

but I didn’t get wet enough to wish I had wet weather gear on. I reckon this’d be a great winter touring machine. Out west it warmed up to just over 30 and I felt it even though I’d opened the leg vents again. High summer might be less comfortable, but you get warm on just about all big touring bikes. The Indian had plodded along in top gear most of the way, it prodigious torque le ing the revs drop below 2000rpm before it gave any hints of strain. Excellent fuelling underlined the easiness of the ride, though I suspect the low-rev response with the Stage 1 pipes could be improved further if you dynotuned it. The clutch was smooth and the gearbox had that typical heavy-duty feel of an American big twin with a few clunky changes that were always solid. The powerplant and drivetrain felt ﬂexible and cooperative, and now on country roads the Thunderstroke 111

r The Roadmaster is the Thunderstroke engine’s biggest job but it handles it in its stride 66 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

engine proved its abilities. It pulls more weight than any other Indian and has the muscle to handle it. The only times I changed down where if I wanted to overtake in a hurry. And occasionally when I was being a bit of a hoon … If you want to push the Roadmaster, you must do it gently. Or rather, gracefully. More than on the other Indians, this heavyweight with its large top box needs a bit more damping when you li the pace for long corners or on rough roads. Like the Chie ain, it has quickened steering geometry which takes some of the eﬀort out of it and endows it with a pleasing degree of accuracy, but while that may tempt you to crack on a bit, the suspension wants you to keep it smooth. The Roadmaster didn’t get all wallowy on me but most other heavy tourers feel tauter. Clearance is quite adequate, and the ABS-equipped braking package is smooth, balanced and quite strong for all moods, but

r The cockpit setup is simple and understated. Fairing is wiiide!

INDIAN ROADMASTER ■ The leg guards are big and give the Roadmaster a bulky look

■ Rider and pillion get plenty of space and support, and pillion’s raised to enjoy the view

by far the Roadmaster’s favourite mindset is when you’re doing the big miles at a relaxing pace. The ride is very comfortable and the engine’s in its sweet zone — loaded on torque yet not revving hard. You and your pillion — don’t doubt for a second that this bike’s purpose is to take two of you on tour — are wrapped in the bodywork’s embrace. I love the fact you can hear a bit of the engine’s mechanical cla er and feel its vibration in a way that’s obvious but not intrusive; so many other brands are trying to isolate us from all that, and maybe one day Indian will boast

that it too has discovered how to make the engine more remote but this character is one reason I rate the Roadmaster so highly. There’s more space for the rider on the Roadmaster than on the Chie ain, and it’s all because of the seat, which places you a bit further back and away from the wide handlebars and long footboards. It’s a big, ultra-comfy seat that they claim is 13mm higher than the Chie ain’s but it’s not high by any means. The textured leather looks and feels classy, and it’s now processed diﬀerently from those early Chief seats that faded in the

sun so it should hold up well. You’d hope so, seeing as the leather reaches right up around the pillion’s backrest. The supreme comfort is enhanced by a good cruise control system. The two passengers who came for a ride on the test raved about the sumptuous chair, commenting positively on the arm rests, the two-stage heat and the fact they could hear the music. They copped a bit more wind buﬀeting than I did, but not too much. Given more time, they might have beneﬁ ed from the adjustable footboards, which can be set to one of three heights. ►

r All lighting is done with LEDs

■ Steering is great but the suspension a little soft if you push it hard

r Left switchblock features most of the stereo’s functions AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 67

They were impressed by the remote central locking that’s part of the whole keyless ignition setup. They were blown away by the size, chrome and sensational style of the Roadmaster. They were most put out when I said that if they didn’t behave I’d leave them standing by the side of the road with the quick-release top box and panniers, which you can detach almost as quickly as you can say,

“I’m a wanderer and I don’t need you or your baggage”. Pu ing it all back in place is a million times quicker and easier than being forgiven … The top-opening, one-handed panniers are deep and the top box, which has courtesy lights, is roomy enough for two full-face helmets. A li le water can get into the panniers in heavy rain, but not so much it’s a big worry. Including the two large glove boxes in the leg

QUICKSPECS Model: Indian Roadmaster Price: From $38,995 (ride away) Colours: Indian Red, Thunder Black, Indian Red/Ivory Cream Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km Engine: Air- and oil-cooled, OHV, 3-cam, 2-valve per cylinder, 90° V-twin Bore x stroke: 101 x 113mm Displacement: 1811cc Compression: 9.5:1 Power: Not quoted Torque: 139Nm @ 2600rpm Transmission: Wet multiplate clutch, 6-speed gearbox, belt final drive Frame: Cast aluminium Dimensions: Seat height 673mm, weight 403/418kg (dry/wet), fuel capacity 20.8L, wheelbase 1668mm, rake 25º Suspension: Front, 46mm fork, 119mm travel. Rear, monoshock, air adjustment, 114mm travel Brakes: Front, 2 x 300mm discs with 4-piston calipers. Rear, 300mm disc with 2-piston caliper. ABS Tyres: Front, 130/70B16 (73H). Rear, 180/60R16 (80H) Fuel consumption: 5.9L/100km Theoretical range: 350km Verdict: Luxurious, visceral and glorious tourer for two

guards, you get 142 litres of storage capacity, plus space on the accessory rack available for the top box. The glove boxes are very handy. The Roadmaster comes with three 12-volt outlets. Its comprehensive dash displays odo, time, air temperature, gear, fuel level and music info all the time, and has a trip computer so you can scroll though info like fuel consumption, trip time and distance, tyre pressures, oil level, etc. The sound system uses Bluetooth or a USB cable to connect your device, and also features an AM/FM radio; its simple controls are on the le handlebar. The LED headlights are bright with a wide, well defined beam but the cut-off is a bit flat. The fog lamps are standard. So are dozens of Indian logos all over the bike. You’ll never forget what you’re riding. And you’ll always be proud of what you’re riding. The Roadmaster is what it says: a master of the road. It rumbles down the highway in stately style, pampering you and mixing its timeless elegance with a suitable amount of internal-combustion hoariness. You can’t deny it’s expensive but it’s competitive in its upmarket category. If its uniquely good looks don’t win you over, the Roadmaster has a lot more to offer, all the way from its raw torque through its quality sound system to the pleasure it’ll bring your pillion. It’s a big bike that delivers a big experience. ARR 68 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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Life Swap Sometimes in life you just gotta go with the unexpected … for everyone else anyway

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STORY AND PHOTOS: CHRIS SMITH ow could you do that to the Trumpy?” my astonished partner and pillion asks. “You’ve dumped the Trumpy?” she scowls. Only she could fully appreciate the gravity of abandoning my closest companion, my trusty Triumph Bonneville T100, for not a new model, but an entirely new brand. How do I explain my philandering? How do I explain my secret rendezvous? And the orgasmic discovery I’d made with a younger, more compatible companion? Never in my wildest riding dreams did I expect to change sides, to swap the proud English motorcycling tradition for a German showpiece and custom concept

“H

BMW R NINE T bike: the BMW R nineT! It’s simple really: I was seduced by a loaner, had the ride of my life, and couldn’t resist the temptation anymore. Once you taste the forbidden fruit … well, you know the parable. On my checklist score of 5, the R NineT got full points. On grunt, the responsive Boxer powered 1200cc engine beat the 875cc twin. And that perfectly tuned growl was the sound of motorcycling music. On concept, the fact that this was my window to a whole new custom building phase easily overshadowed the traditional conservative future I had in front of me with my Bonnie. On safety, no one outguns the Germans, especially with the reliance of ABS and those two Brembo stop monsters on both wheels.

On ride, what a knockout. The light 222kg, coupled with a more forward seating position and ﬂat bar, enabled me to ﬁnally feel at ease, zigging and zagging at 45 degrees to some of my favourite country surfaces. It was made to throw around. And on sex appeal, it was sadly no contest. The Roland Sands-inspired BMW with its shimmering brushed aluminium, rear seat cone, chunky rear wheel and slippery dip-shaped seat, had me drooling even before I put my leg over. There were a couple of negatives, like, um, um, well, I’m sure there were. But a er a few days “taste testing”, nothing could possibly dissuade me from making the switch ... not even the sad hangdog look the Bonnie kept giving me when the new naked machine was parading around at home.

Yes, it was time to cleanse myself of my past: the bike, the Triumph jacket, gloves, T-shirts, keyrings, cap, even the Trumpy belt buckle I’d picked up at a local market. Fond days of passion those. But it was now time to begin a new life, with a new more exciting comrade. The NineT’s custom parts makers, Rizoma, Roland Sands and Wunderlich among them, are already draining my bank balance as I pick up some serious add-ons, but such is the pa ern of new love. Showering one with gi s and trips away is just part of the transformation. Six weeks in and the lust remains; 1000km of it. The NineT has lived up to the hype of motorcycling reviews and magazine awards. It’s performed brilliantly and just keeps on giving. ARR

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The last

goodbye We say goodbye to Project Bolt as it gets a new home with one lucky reader

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PROJECT BOLT

roject bikes in my experience have typically been builds of personalisation. I had a project Honda Fireblade once and my idea for the build-up was simple: it’s got enough power, so why not tailor the handling and make it look and sound be er? A set of carbon ﬁbre wheels, some top-notch suspension work, trick brake lines and pads, a piggy back engine control unit, lightweight exhaust and lightweight bodywork later — I was told it was time to stop. This bike clearly had a purpose, and there wasn’t much outside of trackdays and blasting back roads that it could do well. That didn’t worry me much, it was what I liked at the time and a reader was going to win it anyway … That was the plan with Project Bolt: build it up and give it away. But this time, the intention for this project bike has always been to have a bike that, with the twirl of a few spanners you

can change the whole purpose of the machine. Essentially make it a cruiser that could suit anyone from the beachside poser on a Sunday a ernoon, to the couple two-up ge ing away for the weekend: and we did just that. From the low-slung, bobbed-looking cruiser to the faired, bagged and plush road king, the Bolt could be any cruiser you wanted through the removal or addition of the ancillary parts we provided. The wide and low Ventura handlebar didn’t constrict the style of the Bolt. It gave comfort on the open road, and cool on a coast-side cruise. A new set of cables and a re-route of the wiring loom is all it took to make it work. At the same time, a set of braided brake lines gave a more consistent lever feel and sharpened up the look of the overtly black front-end. With the new style of control in place we turned to the seats for two alternates in comfort and style. For the stripped-back look,

the Mustang Springer seat did the job. For the long-haul work, a set of Wide Vintage Touring seats made the Bolt a great bike for eating up the miles comfortably. Combined with a set of Ventura luggage, with a range of bag options, we could carry small, medium or large amounts of gear. A new muffler was a must for the Bolt and the Cobra slip-on shed 7.5kg of weight and gave it a superbly be er sound — changing the exhaust note from a stifled burble to a deep roar befi ing of a big V-twin. It also gave the Bolt a bit of a kick in low rpm performance. So now with all these bolt-ons, as well as the original parts that made way for them, there are a few very different styles of cruiser that Project Bolt can be: very easily. Just as well too. Its new owner wasn’t too sure what kind of bike he wanted, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy the many he’s got with this one. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 73

ON THE ROAD AGAIN There’s already love and bewilderment after a month in the saddle … y early days with the BMW R1200RT, which has only just lobbed in the ARR shed, have been a li le bit of a love/ hate thing. Or more love/frustration as my feeble mind tries to log and remember all the controls, functions and limitations of the infotainment system. I’ve almost got it, but it takes time and practice, neither of which I can yet boast about. So I will come back to all of that later, when I’ve got it down pat, and tell you this month about why I am already in love with the big Bavarian motorcycle. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I’m always dealing with inner conﬂict about my choice of motorcycles. The hardcore rider in me wants a stripped-down, light and responsive machine that I can push hard, a bike that’ll reward my eﬀorts with clear feedback and

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precision. The pragmatic me knows I need (well, want …) something comfortable and way more practical than I’d care to admit. When I opted for a BMW R1200RT, Mr Pragmatism was the one who popped champagne in anticipation while Mr Rider became decidedly concerned about whether he’d have much to celebrate at all. A month into it and they’re both beaming. Or Beemering. This eminently practical motorcycle, with all the creature comforts BMW could muster, is an absolute hoot to ride. For such a big and accommodating motorcycle, boy, does she ﬂy! Since riding her home, fuel consumption has gone up by more than a litre every hundred kays just because I’ve been unable to resist given her the berries. Perhaps I’d be er make judgments about fuel economy later in the long-term test. Then again, when I do it might be to report surprising ﬁgures, because even at my eager worst, measuring consumption over a 300km range in which I did have to behave a bit, it worked out to average 6.1L/100km, a pre y

respectable figure in my opinion. I’ve seen less than 5L/100km on conservative rides. But it’s too early to say, really. Instead, what I can say is I’m now a fan of the quick-shi gearbox set-up. I reckon this is the best chassis to grace any big touring bike, the serenity behind the raised screen is only broken by the glorious note of the boxer twin, and the new water-cooled engine is much more fun and satisfying than the donk it superseded. Overall, it adds up to a motorcycle that’s half the bike it appears to be — and I mean that in the most exciting possible way, the way Mr Rider appreciates because he doesn’t feel like he’s riding the massive 274kg, panniered and top-boxed tourer that everyone else sees him on. He feels like he’s riding a sports-tourer capable of giving a few sportsbikes a fright. He can’t wait to find out if he’s right … Meanwhile, Mr Pragmatic has been si ing back and listening to the footie, enjoying the security offered by panniers full of puncture repair kits and wet weather gear and spare

LONG-TERM TESTS / BMW R 1200 RT gloves, and re-raising the electric screen every time Mr Rider has finished showing off in the twisty bits. He’s looking forward to the cold weather to try out the heated grips and seat. Anne is looking forward to the heated pillion seat, if not the cold weather. She’s a bit of a reptilian: never happy until it’s hot and sunny. I have not yet had the chance to take her for a ride to see if she still feels as good about the RT as she did a year or so ago when we spent a wet and chilly couple of days on one. Before this 12-month test is over, we’ll have done a few long trips together and you’ll know whether or not the passenger has really been catered for by BMW. Years ago I rode an R100RT overnight from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast to meet my girlfriend, and we toured home the long way over five days. It was a sensational trip on a comfy and very willing motorcycle, though the old boxer was rather slow and ponderous.

I once owned a K100RT, which cemented my respect for BMW’s tourers and some of the excellence that goes into their design; the fairing on that bike was incredible in cold and wet weather, for example. One of the great rides of my life was in varied conditions on a K1100LT in company with an off-duty motorcycle cop on his personal LT, and man, did we ride those big mothers! Another top memory is of riding the very first R1100RT through deep sand where GSs feared to tread on an early BMW Safari. My history with RTs goes way back, and at this stage I’m certain this is the best BMW touring bike I’ve ever had the pleasure of travelling on. That includes the new K16s, but I say that as a man who loves his twins and will likely never be able to find the finance for one of those six-cylinder beauties … I’d be er leave it here for now and head back out to re-read the manual on the

infotainment set-up and scroll through those menus once again. I thought I’d figured out the combo of BMW System 6 helmet, R1200RT and iPhone 5 but suddenly it was apparent I hadn’t. The bike and helmet work great together, though, and all I have to do is get the bike’s menu options, the fairing-mounted bu ons, and the Bluetooth-equipped helmet’s controls clear in my mind. I’m close! It’s a long way from when you didn’t even have to read the owner’s book to know how your bike worked, but it’s all worth it. The levels of comfort, technology and sophistication in this BMW are phenomenal and they leave all past efforts wallowing in history. I suspect the R1200RT is going to confirm what I alluded to a er having the high-tech Ducati Multistrada for a year: Modern, electronic motorcycles are mind-blowing. — MICK MATHESON

r There are four buttons on the fairing that handle some audio controls

r These dials, buttons and switches keep your left thumb busier than the PM’s PR mob

■ The blue for 2015 looks much more attractive to Matho than the sombre greys of 2014

r Love that water-cooled boxer! The performance is effortless, the sound glorious

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MEXICO

Tacos& Tequila They run tours all over the world, so when Mike and Denise Ferris take a holiday, they ride somewhere else — in this case, Mexico STORY: MIKE FERRIS PHOTOS: MIKE & DENISE FERRIS remember as a kid seeing pictures in National Geographic of incredibly brave young men in ridiculously small speedos, diving oﬀ high cliﬀs into a raging sea apparently hundreds of metres below. My dad had an album of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass he played incessantly, although I was leaning more toward Thorpey and The Aztecs. José Feliciano sang Mexi-Spanish to us every Christmas with Feliz Navidad. Speedy Gonzales was a TV star, along with

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The Cisco Kid. And could any teenage boy ever forget The High Chapparal, with Big John’s stunning Mexican wife Victoria? José Feliciano actually turned out to be Puerto Rican of course, he was just masquerading as Mehican. But Mexico is dangerous, as we all know. Drug cartels rule the streets, nightly gunﬁghts terrorise local neighbourhoods, tourists get knifed and bludgeoned on a daily basis, mothers fear for their daughters each evening. Nobody in his or her right mind should consider going near the place. Just ask CNN.

So off we did go to explore this land of poncho and prickly pear, with a view to maybe adding it as a new destination to our portfolio of motorcycle tours. The first thing we needed was a couple of motorbikes and we found a bike supplier in Los Angeles readily enough, but he was not willing for us to take them beyond the Baja Peninsula. So with our new best friend Google we located a more central supplier in Mexico City. They checked out our bona fides online and were pre y keen to forge an on-going relationship. ►

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■ Kukulkan Pyramid, Chichen Itza

BIGGER THAN TEXAS Google also helped with other research and the first surprise was just how big the country is. At nearly two million square kilometres it’s bigger than Queensland, and has a population of 122 million. What should we go and see? Of course we had to include the significant cultural aspects of this ancient land, including the central Aztec and Mayan civilisations with their magnificent pyramids and accompanying structures of stone. Mexico also has stunning beaches on two oceans as well as the Gulf, so some coastal riding was also apparently in order. We spent two days in Mexico City and our second surprise was to find li le evidence of its legendary air pollution. Including surrounding suburbs, the population of the capital is estimated to be somewhere between 17 and 20 million, most of whom apparently own cars. We were greeted by clear blue skies. We had given ourselves 14 days to scout what would potentially become our preferred three-week tour itinerary, so we had to move it along a bit. With short notice from ourselves, our bike supplier didn’t have available any of the new BMWs described on their website so they managed to scrape together a couple of tough old 650cc workhorses for us; a Suzuki V-Strom and a Kawasaki KLR. 78 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

GOIN’ LOCO DOWN IN ACAPULCO Don’t bother going to Acapulco, everybody had advised us — even our bike supplier just shook his head and said don’t go there. Over developed, over crowded, over it. But I wanted to see the cliﬀ divers, so of course we pulled out of the capital and headed straight to Acapulco, 380km to the south. We had already noticed neither of the bikes had a working

r Rolling hills of the sierra

“Without even having to ask what the problem was, Cheech and Chong jumped out with huge grins and a 10-litre jerry can, and laughed, ‘Hey Gringo, you better learn how to read Mexican fool gauge!’”

MEXICO speedometer, but we had been assured they both had a full tank of gas. And we actually have a V-Strom si ing in our own garage at home, so we know a li le bit about its habits. When Denise’s fuel gauge started blinking we knew she had at least 60km le in the tank. She came to an abrupt stop 2km later. I hadn’t even switched the KLR over to reserve yet, so I had the fuel pipe off in a jiffy and was happily filling a plastic Coke bo le with go juice, spilling more than I was catching, when I noticed the fuel tap was already actually switched to reserve. Damn. A hasty reevaluation of our position was required. Just when I was wondering how far Denise could push a V-Strom down the highway, there was a loud ‘Whoop! Whoop!’ accompanied by flashing orange lights and the sound of a bigbore engine rapidly decelerating, and a Mexican Roadside Assistance truck pulled in behind us. Without even having to ask what the problem was, Cheech and Chong jumped out with huge

■ Temple of Eagle and Jaguar

r Not for consumption ...

r Local wildlife

grins and a 10-litre jerry can, and laughed, “Hey Gringo, you be er learn how to read Mexican fool gauge!” Or something to that effect. We were on our way again in minutes. But we still got to Acapulco in the dark. In peak-hour traffic. In the evening of the Fiesta de la Virgin. The entire population of Mexico was dancing on the beachside promenade where our hotel was located. We finally managed to weavel our way there (it’s a new word) and though it was dark. It was still only 7pm so we wandered onto the beach and embraced the local culture — bought a ginormous bo le of beer and two plastic cups, and slaked our thirst while standing waist-deep in the Pacific.

QUITE A DIVE

r Fantastic stonework, Chichen Itza

Perversely, the only dive we were to see in Acapulco was our hotel. We’d arrived too late in the day for the matinee session and apparently the cliﬀ divers don’t get out of bed early in the morning, particularly a er a ﬁesta involving virgins. And we had to move on to keep to our schedule. We visited the diving location and I took a few photos anyway, making a mental note to Photoshop myself in later doing an elegant swan dive. ► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 79

■ Lunchtime serenade

THE VITAL FACTS • Currency? The Mexican Peso, currently trading at around 12 to the AU$ or 15 to the US$ • Language? Spanish, but English is common in the hospitality industries • Would you go again? You bet • Will you run tours there? Already taken bookings for our inaugural Tacos & Tequila tour, Nov 2015 • Can I find out more? It’s already on our webpage, www.ferriswheels.com.au • Is it dangerous? Stay at home and watch TV • Do we have to drink tequila? Not mandatory unless you enjoy excellent tacos

As we headed southeast along the coast towards Peurto Escondido, distances and times required were already proving a li le diﬃcult to estimate. Mexico seems to oﬀer two options: the major highways are well maintained but usually have a toll system and are numbingly boring; the smaller roads are free and o en quite scenic but are poorly maintained. Our visit was in winter, when the days are short, and we o en started out on the smaller roads in the morning but found as the day progressed that we were running short on time and had to take to the motorways later in the day to reach our destination.

■ Cliff diving — without the divers

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We found another cheapie hotel on the beach in Peurto Escondido, opposite a li le cantina where we dined on local seafood. I tried a few diﬀerent Mexican beers while Denise remembered that the Marguerita is her favourite cocktail. We slept well that night.

INSTANT DIVORCE Huevos Divorciados was an interesting item on the menu at breakfast, which we simply had to try. With my limited knowledge of Spanish I could not imagine what divorced eggs might look like. We found out soon enough. An elliptical plate arrived with one fried egg

smothered in green sauce on one side, and another smothered in red sauce on the other, separated by a wall of twice-fried frijoles, onions and chillies in the middle. Suffice to say it’s a good thing it wasn’t an evening meal, or there might have been further divorciado in the bedroom at night. We had taken our divorced breakfast at the same li le cantina where we watched the local fishermen unloading an impressive overnight catch of yellowfin from their small rowboats. Ambitious pelicans hovered all around, and no doubt received reward for their patience when the catch was later cleaned but we couldn’t

MEXICO ■ Coconuts on the Gulf Coast

“Mexico seems to offer two options: the major highways are well maintained but usually have a toll system and are numbingly boring; the smaller roads are free and often quite scenic but are poorly maintained” hang around to watch. As I spray-lubed the chains in preparation for departure, I noticed that mine on the KLR was a li le stretched already and in need of adjustment. I pulled out the trusty tool kit, only to discover that I had every spanner except the 12mm required to do the job. Mental note to ﬁnd a workshop and/or buy a 12mm at earliest opportunity. We headed inland to the local district capital of Oaxaca, on a windy li le road weaving through green forests as it climbed up through beautiful hills. Here again we underestimated the length of time it would take and we arrived in town just on dusk, but found a hotel and a restaurant in the town square with no ►

r Filed worker picnicing

r A local ponsettia

r Big time street art AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 81

MEXICO problem. We ordered excellent tacos and when I asked the waiter which was the best Mexican beer to drink with excellent tacos, he gave me an injured look and disdainfully u ered “Tequila”. We slept well again; in fact, I’m pre y sure I fell asleep still wearing my full kit of DriRider gear and boots.

■ Reflecting on ancient life

BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG As we pulled away from the hotel in the morning, there was a cla er and a total loss of motion from my KLR. The chain had come off, making me pay for not fixing it yesterday. No huge deal of course; I was able to get it back on easily enough and I subsequently tried to nurse it through every gear change, which was quite an effort because today’s winding hill roads ensured there were 38,000 of those. We also struck roadworks today, which meant a few li le holdups. At each stop I would ask the

r Metallurgy art in hotel foyer

■ Overdeveloped real estate, Cancun

82 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

road workers if they happened to have a 12mm in their pocket, which might have led to some serious mis-interpretations if it hadn’t been for my masterful Spanish. And a bit of miming and pointing to the ever-more-sagging chain. We headed north to the Gulf of Mexico and hopped eastwards along the coastline. In places it is quite industrialised and not very a ractive but further east it becomes pristine and gorgeous. At lunchtime just beyond Ciudad del Carmen we found a li le restaurant serving the best grilled prawns we have had anywhere in the world, on a deserted beach with pure white sand, coconut palms and clean blue water. I ﬁnally found a workshop where José lent me a spanner and I got that pesky chain tightened up. All was sublime and good with the world. Campeche was our destination tonight, a lovely seaside resort with substantial remnants of a walled city. It was the most important 16th century port on the Yucatan Peninsula and the closest to Spain, and therefore o en came under ►

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MEXICO ■ Acapulco

a ack from foreign scoundrels like Walter Raleigh; hence the fortiﬁcations. The old city walls now enclose a most agreeable pedestrian district of bars and open-air restaurants.

OLD CRUMBLIES All this superb coastline and the good life were all very well, but I was in serious need of a culture hit from the ancient world. Striking further east across the top of the Yucatan brought us to Chichén Itza, probably the bestknown Mayan ruins on the planet. Stunning. No other word describes the place; it is simply stunning. What these people were able to create out of simple stone deﬁes belief. It was the centre of a civilisation which thrived between

■ Sunset over Campeche Boulevarde 84 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Metallurgy art

the fourth and eighth centuries but then declined and eventually disappeared. No one knows precisely why, as no wri en records exist. The central Kukulkan Pyramid was voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World — and here’s a bit of trivia for you — on 07/07/07 a er seven years’ consideration of contenders. Presumably the Gregorian calendar was used for this rather than the ancient Mayan calendar, which some scholars say predicted the end of the world would occur on 12/12/12. If you’re reading this, they were wrong. The pyramid, in any event, is spectacular and is built to very precise trigonometric speciﬁcations involving the positions of the sun, moon and stars on the day of the vernal equinox. So now you know.

CAN CAN ATTITUDE Because of initially underestimating road distances, we had long since abandoned our original plan to complete a loop and return to Mexico City. Fortunately we had a Plan B that involved ﬁnishing in the Caribbean coastal town of Cancun, where our bike supplier had a secondary depot and we could leave our weary steeds. Four decades ago Cancun was a narrow, 30km long mangrove-infested island with absolutely no facilities or infrastructure. The Mexican government, with astonishing foresight, then decided to develop it into a tourism resort in response to predictions of escalating demands for beach vacations ►

r Museum of Frida Kahlo

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86 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

known imaginatively as the Zona Hotelera, now rivals Miami for its shoulder-to-shoulder bristling monuments to commercialism. Quaint it ain’t, but if you can ﬁnd your way through the concrete jungle to the shore, it still has the most amazing blue water and dazzling white sands. Just as many Europeans as Americans now pay for the privilege of laying a towel on the beach and turning rapidly pink in the sun.

TEOTIHUACAN That’s easy for you to say. We ﬂew from Cancun back to Mexico City and we simply had to visit this, the other site of worship of sun and moon, on the outskirts of the capital. Even larger than Chichén Itza, it is

again a superb demonstration of pyramid stonemasonry by a sophisticated but illiterate civilisation. No records were le to describe the engineers, architects and workforce who created these masterpieces. As our trip came to a close, I found I le a small part of me in Mexico. It came about as the result of tackling a particularly challenging omele e on the ﬁnal day; there was a nasty li le crunch as a chunk of tooth parted company with the rest. It occurred to me that this was perhaps the most dangerous incident that had happened to either of us in the 15 days we spent in this fantastic, not-so-li le country. ARR

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88 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Avenues of Honour We take a ride on a selection of Australia’s living memorials on a day ride out of Melbourne

► AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 89

ROADSIDE MEMORIALS

■ The reason everyone smiles in Trentham has to do with the Macedon Ranges being so close!

STORY AND PHOTOS: ANDREW PERCY n 25 April, 1915, eight months into what would be known as The Great War, ANZAC troops landed at Gallipoli in Turkey and commenced a campaign that lasted until 20 December, when the last of the troops were withdrawn. There were 26,111 casualties, including 8141 deaths. It would be just a taste of what was to come during the following three years. By the war’s end on 11 November, 1918, approximately 60,000 Australians, one in ﬁve combatants, had died and a further 170,000 were wounded, missing or taken prisoner.

■ A cold autumn day in Trentham

90 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

This was a signiﬁcant cost to a nation of 4.95 million, but it didn’t end there. Twenty years later, 77,000 incapacitated soldiers and 180,000 dependents were still receiving pensions, 23,000 soldiers remained outpatients of repatriation hospitals and a further 60,000 had died of wounds or illness as a result of war service. Nearly every family had a “maiden aunt” including mine — both my paternal grandfather’s sisters were unmarried and lived together until each passed away in the 1980s. It is thought by some that the Romans commenced the practice of planting commemorative trees. Whatever the case,

it is known that by the late 19th century, Australians were planting trees on Arbor Days to commemorate signiﬁcant personal and historical events or visits by important people. Planting trees to commemorate those who died in a war began with the Boer War, though these of course were very much fewer in number. The Great War was another ma er

■ Breakfast menu at Cliffy’s, Daylesford

ROADSIDE MEMORIALS ■ Kingston Avenue memorial

■ Kingston Avenue of Honour in late spring

altogether and the casualty rate stunned our small nation, so much so the avenues began to appear as early as 1917. Their popularity was thought to stem from being a cheaper option than stone memorials or statues and in providing an opportunity for the community to take a hands-on involvement in the landscaping and planting. By 1921, at least 128 avenues were planted across Victoria, far more than in any other state. Certainly climatic conditions here in Victoria, particularly in the Central Highlands, were favourable to exotic (European) trees and played an important part in this imbalance. Unfortunately by 1987, 70 years a er the ﬁrst planting, a li le more than 50 avenues would remain signposted, while the others had died due to neglect or removal for road widening. To detail rides to all the remaining avenues

in Victoria is beyond the scope of this article, so I have conﬁned it to a good day’s motorcycling arcing through the Victorian Central Highlands, taking in eight avenues, both small and large. Autumn oﬀers mild motorcycling weather in these parts, further enhanced by the russet colours. To add to the enjoyment, some good cafes and pubs have been included for breaks.

BALLARAT Ballarat was the site of Australia’s only armed civil rebellion at the ‘Eureka Stockade’ on 3 December, 1854. They’re a Bolshie lot in Ballarat. Women employed at a local textile mill (E. Lucas & Co.) commenced planting on 3 June 1917, well before an end to The Great War was even in sight, and completed their task on 16 August, 1919. A total of 3771 trees were

A total of 3771 trees were planted in order of each soldier’s enlistment, extending over 22km along the Old Western Highway planted in order of each soldier’s enlistment, extending over 22km along what is now the Old Western Highway/Remembrance Drive [C805], thus making it not only the earliest but the longest Avenue of Honour in Australia. Once the Avenue of Honour was completed work began on a suitable grand entry — the Arch of Victory, located in Alfredton, 4km north of the city. It was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 3 June 1920. The Ballarat Avenue of Honour would have a flow-on effect throughout the Central Highlands and beyond. For breakfast or just a coffee try L’Espresso at 417 Sturt Street It’s a good idea to make a booking on weekends.

BACCHUS MARSH Halfway to Ballarat is Bacchus Marsh [C802 exit], site of a three-and-a-half-kilometre Avenue of Honour, containing 281 Dutch Elms. The Bacchus Marsh avenue is a wellmanaged ongoing project and the website is ►

BACK TO THE ROOT

■ A pre-1929 motorcycle club at Newstead outside the Crown Hotel

Following the withdrawal from Gallipoli in December, 1915, the first Australian divisions arrived on the Western Front in France in March 1916, where they would remain until the war’s end. For anyone with an interest in this and contemplating a motorcycling holiday in France, there is now a Remembrance Trail. www. ww1westernfront.gov.au.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 91

■ Williamstown MCC members outside the Villa Parma, Hepburn Springs

The entrance to this hamlet features a short Avenue of Honour followed by a much more recent one on the western side of town recommended viewing for its history. “On the a ernoon of the 10th August, 1918, a crowd of over 1000 people assembled to witness and participate in the planting ceremony. A bugle call was then sounded as the signal to commence the planting simultaneously. All two hundred and eighty one elms were planted within half an hour of the bugle call. The trees were planted and dedicated in a modiﬁed alphabetical order. No priority was given to order of enlistment, rank or to those who had paid the supreme sacriﬁce.” Check out the website h p://www. bacchusmarsh.avenueo onour.org.au/ Just as the Avenue of Honour [C802] reaches the edge of town, there is on the right, The Fruits of Life, a produce store and café. This

r View of Cliffy’s in autumn 92 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

■ Myrniong, aka The Bluestone Village

is an ideal spot for a coﬀee, or merely a safe place to pull over and take a photo. The road is narrow enough to allow the trees to form a canopy over the avenue’s entire length and it’s quite beautiful. Pass through Bacchus Marsh, return to the M8 and continue on towards Ballarat.

MYRNIONG Two kilometres a er returning to the M8, take the Pentlands Hills Road exit and turn right at the T-junction that quickly follows. A er passing under the M8, swing to the le at the junction. This road that was the old Western Highway oﬀers a pleasant sevenand-a-half-kilometre ride through rolling farmland to Myrniong. The entrance to this hamlet features a short Avenue of Honour followed by a much more recent one on the western side of town. Unfortunately, not many bluestone buildings remain today. Two-and-ahalf kilometres from Myrniong is the C318 and M8 junction; observe the signage carefully and re-join the M8 to continue on to Ballarat. It’s a further 42km or 25 minutes.

r “Former Foes!” Triumph tank and BMW top-box

CRESWICK AND THE KINGSTON AVENUE OF HONOUR In Ballarat Remembrance Drive [C805] terminates at the Western Highway [A8]. Join the A8 — direction Melbourne — and continue 16km to the Creswick and Midland Highway [A300] exit. From here it’s 18km through Creswick — direction Daylesford — to Kingston Road. There are 285 beautifully maintained Dutch Elms that line the wide 4km avenue to Kingston. This is such a pleasant experience I sometimes choose to go this way to Newstead. The trees were planted in 1918 by the families of those in the shire who enlisted. Of the 286 trees originally planted, only one has not survived, which is a great credit to the Friends of Avenue Kingston. This exceptionally beautiful avenue is listed by the National Trust.

DAYLESFORD Retrace the Kingston Road back to the Midland Highway [A300] and continue on for a further 22km to Daylesford. Hopefully a clear run ►

ROADSIDE MEMORIALS

r Arch of Victory, Ballarat

FIVE MORE FURTHER AFIELD Learmonth Learmonth is 22km north-west of Ballarat on the Sunraysia Highway [B220]. There is a significant avenue commencing 2km south of the town’s centre running right into its commercial heart. The avenue comprises 222 trees including English, Dutch, Scotch and Purple elms, and English oak, commemorating each soldier, nurse and chaplain from the district who went to the Great War.

Newstead In 1918, an Avenue of Honour comprising 83 Oriental Plane trees was planted along the Pyrenees Highway [B180] on the western approach to town. Over the years, replacement trees have been mostly elms with some planes. A war memorial was erected within the town at Railway Reserve and was officially opened on 12 November, 1921. If visiting during the last weekend in April, an additional bonus is the All British Rally.

r An ancient Maldon at Newstead outside the Crown Hotel

Guildford Guildford is 12km east of Newstead and on Arbor Day, 13 June, 1919, between the railway and Loddon River bridges on the Midland Highway [A300] 74 trees were planted. Trees on the west side have a greater girth than those on the east side and it is thought this is because many of those on the east side needed replacement, so the entire side of the street was replaced by Susso workers during the Great Depression. Today 63 trees remain. At the southern, or river end of the avenue there is a granite war memorial.

Romsey and Lancefield Avenue of Honour Turn onto the Melbourne-Lancefield Road [C325] and continue on for 9km to Romsey. The 9km avenue between Lancefield and Romsey was dedicated as an Avenue of Honour on the 25 April 2011, “honouring local residents who served in significant military events”. It is not dedicated specifically to the Great War or any war for that matter, and was a joint project by the Romsey

Lancefield RSL and the Rotary Club Inc. Of particular interest in Romsey is the ‘Lone Pine Memorial’ at the corner of Lancefield Road and Palmer Street. The tree was grown from seeds from the original Gallipoli Lone Pine. According to Robyn Miller, the archivist of the local historical society, planting along the road commenced in 1887, probably on Arbor Days as was the practice then.

Drummond (locality) According to Monument Australia, the Drummond Avenue of Honour was planted by local residents to commemorate 11 fallen soldiers in the Great War. However, there are 46 trees along the Malmsbury-Daylesford Road [C316] so perhaps it was expanded to include all those from the locality who enlisted, as was the common practice. This short avenue certainly continues to be well maintained. Coming from Daylesford is the village of Glenlyon, which has a magnificent avenue of trees planted in 1898. They are not related to any conflict.

■ Chris and Ivona entering Newstead, Pyrenees Highway [B180]

■ Trentham is a very popular haunt for motorcyclists in the Macedon Ranges. Here is the Williamstown MCC and Ulysses Club members AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 93

ROADSIDE MEMORIALS

through the sweeping descent into the town will be possible. Once in Daylesford, follow the A300 east across town until it becomes Raglan Street, where 80 Sycamore trees were planted in 1918. In all, over 218 trees line Raglan Street and further along the Midland Highway heading north. Like many towns in the Central Highlands, Daylesford is now making an eﬀort to rediscover its avenue. For a short break or lunch there is Cliﬀy’s at 30 Raglan Street [A300] and for lunch there is the Farmers Arms Hotel at 1 East Street (cnr Midland Hwy), open every day for lunch and dinner.

TRENTHAM Exit Daylesford to the east on the C317 and continue on for 22km to Trentham. This is one of the highest sealed roads in the Macedon Ranges and in autumn it is particularly beautiful. Along its length there is now an 80km/h speed limit which will ensure you enjoy this scenic road without frightening the moo-cows. I enjoyed it a lot more when the speed limit was 100km/h. Located 700m above sea level, Trentham can be chilly by late April if you’re there on the wrong day. Some 237 elm trees were planted during 1918 and 1919 in Bridge Street from Watson’s Bridge to Victoria Street, and in Cosmo Road from High Street to Drummond Street. However due to a lack of funds the intended project may not have been completed. Eventually the trees came under the protection of a Heritage Overlay, but they were not recognised as an Avenue of Honour. That changed in 94 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

February 2013 when the efforts of a group of citizens bore fruit and the trees were officially recognised as Avenues of Honour. Official recognition carries with it the entitlement to submit an application for funding under the ANZAC Centenary Local Grants Program. At the time of writing, metal detectors had been used at the base of each tree in the hope of finding plaques, but without luck. No doubt the grant will be used to good effect.

WOODEND From Trentham continue east via the C317 for a further 23km to Woodend (alt. 580m). Woodend has an extensive Avenue of Honour with 224 trees comprising English, Algerian and hybrid oaks, planted along a sweeping two-and-ahalf-kilometre stretch of High Street (the Old Calder Highway) [C792] to the north of the town. At the time of writing the plaques had been removed and placed in storage. Perhaps they will reappear for the ANZAC Centenary. In 2006 the avenue was placed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

MACEDON Having returned along the avenue into town, exit Woodend to the south along High Street that becomes the Black Forest Drive (the Old Calder Highway) [C792]. Be sure to observe the 90km/h speed limit — the police are fond of it. The turn-oﬀ to the village of Macedon (alt. 500m) will appear within 10km. Follow Nursery Road around to the junction with Carrington Street that becomes Honour Avenue. Along this avenue, 154 trees were

Trees destroyed by white ants in 1926 and by bush fire in 1984 were all replaced and the avenue rededicated in 1993 planted in an order that was decided by ballot. Trees destroyed by white ants in 1926 and by bush ﬁre in 1984 were all replaced and the avenue rededicated in 1993. At the junction of the avenue and Mount Macedon Road [C322] there are two small war memorials. Turn right into Macedon Road and this will lead directly to the Calder Freeway [M79] and Ring Road [M80]. Alternatively, Sitka Foodstore & Cafe at 23 Victoria Street provides an opportunity for good coﬀee and cake before the 60km ride to Melbourne. ARR

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• Perfect spot to stop for lunch and enjoy a cold one on the verandah overlooking the river • Accommodation in 2 bedroom self contained cabins • Choice of cooked or continental breakfast hamper available on request

WOMBEYAN CAVES ROAD

A Day A Out of

Want to escape Australia’s biggest city off-road and be back in time for dinner? Here’s where to go

STORY AND PHOTOS: MATT SHIELDS few years ago I wouldn’t have to even think before I disappeared for a week. But so o en is the case as you get older, responsibility grows as unexpectedly and regre ably as those once ﬁrm parts of your body seem to. The need for money will do that to you. So these days, my escapes are short and they need to be precise. A few days in a row free are a seemingly impossible event, but a day here or there can happen with a bit of planning. For me an escape requires dirt, a lot of bush and a splash of water. Living on the outskirts of Sydney you’d think it’d be a tough ask. But I’m now well practised at taking advantage of a window of opportunity like this. ►

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Sydney

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 99

WOMBEYAN CAVES ROAD Like a duck in the northern winter, I head south. It’s an instinctive reaction of escape for me like it is for most people to turn le when they are chased by the police. Being on the outskirts of Sydney makes my escape easy. Without a blink of an eye I am heading against the flow of traffic on a weekday morning down the Hume towards Melbourne. These days the tide of commuters flows out as far as the Mi agong turn-off, and the steady stream of headlights on my early morning run tells me I’ve made the right

decision to head this way. Now it’s time to turn oﬀ the freeway. Heading through Bowral and then on towards Mi agong itself, the temperature change makes you soon realise you are not in Sydney any more. The starting point of the real ride is the Wombeyan Caves Road, which starts just outside Mi agong itself on the Old Hume Highway towards Berrima. The entry to the road is loose and gravelly — just poor maintenance — and the “22km unsealed road” sign would have you think the

■ The end of the fun section after the river crossing looking east towards Mittagong

r Look out for kangawallabunnies and feral dogs … 100 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Inside, the caves are spectacular

fun starts now, but there is a fair stretch of tar out west towards where the hard stuff stops — nearly due south of the blue mountains “capital” of Katoomba, in fact. It’s here on the Wombeyan Caves Road that the riding gets enjoyable. It’s an easy, lightly gravelled road at this stage, with the first highlight, a 115-year-old, hand-carved tunnel that was created when the road was pushed through as a tourist road to Wombeyan Caves. Soon a er you find the Wollondilly Lookout that gives you a superb view north at the back

r Wombeyan Caves campground

r Fill up at Mittagong or you won’t make it!

“It’s an easy, lightly gravelled road at this stage, with the first highlight, a 115-year-old, hand-carved tunnel that was created when the road was pushed through as a tourist road to Wombeyan Caves” of the Blue Mountains. Get your bearings right and you can pick out where Sydney, Warragamba Dam and Jenolan Caves are over the top of the Kanangra-Boyd Wilderness area, but the view in itself, especially early in the morning, is a delight. From the lookout, the road appears to be set to wind out towards the southern tablelands and central west — the areas north of Goulburn stretching out to Bathurst, Orange, Cowra and Parkes. But it takes a turn down the escarpment in a series of tight gravelly corners that hug the side of the precipice as the road makes its way to the Wollondilly River. This is a perennial river and the main feeder river for Lake Burragorang — Sydney’s main

water supply. At this point on the Wombeyan Caves Road it’s a beautiful spot to pull up for morning tea if you leave as early as I do, or make it a lunch stop if you leave at a more reasonable hour. There are many leafy spots to hide by the roadside and admire the surrounding escarpments or dip your toes in the water everyone will be drinking soon enough. Wollondilly River Station is your best spot for camping at this point of the ride. There’s proper camping kinda stuﬀ available here — hiking, canoeing, four-wheel-driving, mountain biking, swimming and campﬁres. Pricing is very good too, so it’s worth coming back in the car with the family for a few days away from it all. At this point of the ride you are only 45km

r Looking across the Wollondilly River up at where the road comes down

from the start of the Wombeyan Caves Road at the Old Hume Highway and from here it is 15km of the road of its poorest quality — and it’s not that bad either. The surface varies from a li le bit rocky to slippery in the wet. You’ll be challenged on a roadbike with road tyres, but ►

THIRLMERE LAKES NATIONAL PARK

►

Just 10km from Picton on Sydney’s southwest fringe, Thirlmere Lakes National Park could have been the commencement point for a fantastic crossing of the Great Dividing Range if it wasn’t for the water catchment area … Nevertheless, there are a few beautiful picnic areas within the park and loads of wildlife. The park also features a water pumping station used to feed steam locomotives on the Great Southern Railway once upon a time.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 101

it won’t be an impossible ride. It’s the most enjoyable part of the ride in this respect, especially on a knobbie-tyre-shod big adventure bike like the Suzuki V-Strom. It’s twisty, tight and blind and you occasionally get glimpses of the highlands you are leaving behind as you head west to the edge of the Southern Tablelands. Just 15km on from the river crossing you are at Wombeyan Caves. Blink and you’d miss it. It looks like a leafy parkground but of course the caves are to be found in the surrounding bushland.

Set aside as a reserve in 1865, the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve has been a tourist a raction for 150 years. As such there are many structures within the caves that are as old as the road to them. The cave a ractions range from self-guided walks and guided tours to waterfall and forest creek walks in the surrounding reserve. You could easily spend a few days exploring the Wombeyan Caves and their surrounds, but we want to ride. As a pleasant day out riding and enjoying the scenery along the way,

however, you’ll be hard pushed to do much more of the oﬀ-road stuﬀ. There are two options at this point of the ride. You can head out of the caves and join up with the Goulburn-Oberon road. This stretch of road heads north to Oberon and south to Goulburn through Taralga. This option of the Goulburn to Oberon road can be taken either north or south to get you back to Sydney. The road north drops in and out of the Abercrombie River Gorge. The gorge is a fun li le pass and also a great spot

■ The road just before it heads down into the Wollondilly River

“Set aside as a reserve in 1865, the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve has been a tourist attraction for 150 years. As such there are many structures within the caves that are as old as the road to them”

r Imagine building that by hand! 102 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Plenty of nooks like this to hide in on the river

WOMBEYAN CAVES ROAD ■ Thirlmere Lakes is worth the detour

PIRELLI SCORPION RALLY

to stop for lunch if you are prepared. A er the gorge the road opens up through state forest pine plantations on the edge of the central tablelands as you arrive at the li le town of Black Springs. Aside from a rich pioneering history, the township is just a pointer to direct you the final 24km of typical country roads to Oberon. The road south heads through Taralga and into Goulburn. It passes the NSW police academy and police driver training centre so any ideas you had of blasting along this glorious, rolling pastureland to get home quicker need to be ignored. The surface of this road is generally in good condition as it has become a bypass of the Sydney fringes from anywhere west of the Great Dividing Range and the Hume Highway at Goulburn. There are also a lot of logging trucks on the section north of the Abercrombie River Gorge, so keep an eye out for them too. The trucks can scuff up a bit of li er from the so edges and onto the road as well. If you head north through Oberon, the best option is to take the Bells Line of Road from Lithgow back to Sydney, but pick your way through a bunch of back roads from Oberon through Hampton and enjoy the flowing bends of the Jenolan Caves Road first. Heading south through Goulburn there are

endless combinations for a ride through the Southern Highlands to Sydney or, with a bit more time up your sleeve, via Braidwood to the coast on the Kings Highway — great in the dry without traffic, but it’s a road that is all too o en densely populated and damp. But the best riding to be had from the Wombeyan Caves heading west is by picking your way through to Yerranderie Village, a historic silver mining town. Ge ing there blows this ride out to one very big, fast day with not much sightseeing along the way. The best way to get there is to head for Oberon and on to Shooters Hill Road and follow the signage to Mount Werong. This route becomes the Oberon Colong stock route and is 60km of dirt to Yerranderie. Alternatively, there’s a more challenging off-road ride from Jenolan where you head down the Kanangra Road on to the Kowmung fire trail. There are creek and river crossings and many picturesque campgrounds as the route dips in and out of the escarpments and bushland on its way to meet the Oberon Colong stock route again. But the whole point of this ride was to get away from Sydney for the day, feel like you have le it all behind, and back home in time for dinner. As a big day out, the Wombeyan Caves Road can’t be beaten as your sole destination or the start of a very big ride. ARR

Riding roads like these requires tyres that can do double duty, and for a big bike like the V-Strom 1000, you need a tyre capable of harnessing massive power, as well as providing excellent directional control and a good lifespan. Pirelli’s Scorpion Rally is an adventure tyre built to serve the true adventure rider who seeks out the kind of back roads that are never marked and quite often don’t look like a road at all. They also work well on the tar. I’ve had a first-hand look at these tyres in demanding terrain: slick, wet, muddy roads the front tyre gave great directional control. The rear drive was good in these conditions even with the traction control off. On snotty back-country trails the tyres were in their element. Bite in the front end was great, while the wider blocks in the rear don’t have any adverse effects on getting traction. The rubber compound has been engineered to resist tearing and provide good mileage. Riding tarmac, the Rally performs very well for an off-road-biased tyre. They can be heard, but aren’t too noisy on the freeway. They give great traction and directional stability cornering, and excellent traction braking. If adventure is more your kinda thing than road riding, the Rally is an excellent choice Info: www.linkint.com.au.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 103

HOG RALLY 2015

HOG

Hoedown Iron horses and hogs filled the stables in Tamworth, NSW, for the 2015 Harley Owners Group annual rally, and they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem out of place at all

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STORY & PHOTOS: MICK MATHESON he huge Australian Equestrian and Livestock Events Centre in Tamworth turned out to be ideal place for a big motorcycle gathering. And this one was very big. As the gates opened there were just over 2000 names on the list, and another 300 registered as they arrived, bringing the oﬃcial numbers to 2320 and making the 24th annual HOG rally the largest ever. It was clear from the get-go that

this one would be a ripper. I set oﬀ from Sydney on what would be the shortest ride I’d ever done to a HOG rally. Se led into the saddle of one of my all-time favourite bikes, a Road King, I felt rather shortchanged with only an easy day’s cruising ahead of me. In previous years I’ve been to Tasmania, ridden halfway up the Queensland coast to Cairns and done the daddy of them all, the ride across the Nullarbor to Perth. Still, I wasn’t going to complain because a ride’s a ride and

the main aim of this one was to have a party in Tamworth. I’d be boot scootin’ to the beat of a big twin and I couldn’t wait. A small group of us set oﬀ mid-morning under cloudy skies but the rain held oﬀ as we motored north into the Hunter Valley. On the way we overtook the very cool HarleyDavidson, retro Airstream van, their operations base for the demo ride program that would give HOG members a chance to ride all sorts of new models, including the Street 500. ►

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HOG RALLY 2015

We had lunch in Pokolbin, riding the same roads I’d been on last year in an open vintage car — today the experience was much the same except faster and with the promise of no oil leaks or breakdowns. As modern as the new Harleys are, there really is something about their feel that takes you back to motoring’s simpler roots, though. When we joined the New England Highway I realised it’d been years since I’d done the stretch between Singleton and Willow Tree and I'd almost forgo en that it’s a very pre y run. There are far more interesting routes through this district but in some cases it’s nice to take the main roads every now and then. I got a

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shock when we lobbed into Werris Creek — the pub on the corner is looking a million dollars, a great contrast from the dilapidated state it was in for decades. The next thing you know we arrived in Tamworth, passing the events centre (AELEC) on the way before the Big Golden Guitar beckoned us into our digs for the weekend. I’m ge ing a bit be er at the social media thing now, and posted the news of our arrival on the ARR Facebook page. Almost immediately a number of responses came in praising the hospitality of the Golden Guitar Motel, and I couldn’t argue with the sentiments as I sipped on the complimentary beer the owner had

“They were all out of venison so I consoled myself with the ostrich sausage. The only greens I saw on the whole table for more than a dozen of us were the sprigs of parsley decorating each plate” given me when I checked in. Another good place was where we had dinner, the Safari Club restaurant — if you like your meat varied and plentiful. They were all out of venison so I

HOG RALLY 2015 consoled myself with the ostrich sausage. The only greens I saw on the whole table for more than a dozen of us were the sprigs of parsley decorating each plate. Even I went in search of salad the next day! Hundreds of riders booked camping at the AELEC grounds, some in the very comfortable “tent city” that was set up and ready to move into. A massive storm hit that corner of Tamworth in the night, dumping water right where it was least wanted while missing most of Tamworth’s outlying areas that needed it. I met a bloke coming out of a camping shop on Peel Street as I went for brekkie on Saturday. “Ge ing sorted for the weekend?” I asked. “No,” he replied with a tired look, “buying a new tent. I found out last night my old one’s not as waterproof as it was. Leaked like a sieve.” Harley-Davidson has crowed long and hard about the new Street 500. Certainly the entry-level bike will bring thousands of new, young riders to the fold. But if anyone was expecting them at the 24th HOG rally they’d missed some crucial clues about how this one would pan out. First, the Street has only just launched in Australia so the new generation of riders is only just hatching. Second, this is the Country Music Capital, a place that hip people with trimmed beards and tight jeans couldn’t pinpoint on a map even they had heard of Slim Dusty. I rolled into AELEC on Friday morning to the sight of horses and broad hats alongside the HOG members and big twins; to the sound of twanging guitars mixed with thumping exhausts. And as we’d ﬁnd out over the next three days, for all their outward contrasts, country folk and Harley owners are a ﬁne match. The weather was perfect for the rides that radiated out from Tamworth as the many HOG ►

Tamworth’s a great base for some good rides. One that I discovered this weekend was a short but entertaining blast north of town before swinging east to Moonbi. Find your way out onto Daruka Road, which heads north then north-east into the bush. Daruka Road has lots of turns, including one that’s easy to miss just a few kays out of Tamworth. The route goes straight ahead on Tintinhull Road so you actually have to slow down and take a left turn to stay on Daruka. Keep going till you hit the tee at Upper Moore Creek Road, where you turn right and ride another two kays or so. Look for the right turn onto Moonbi Gap Road. Moonbi Gap Road flows to Moonbi, from where it’s worth riding up the hill on the New England Highway to the lookout at the top. There are more good back roads southwest of Moonbi. They’ll take you all the way out past Chaffey Dam to Nundle, which is always a worthy destination.

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chapters from around Australia ventured out for a few hours before lunch. The rally was only just ge ing started, and the AELEC grounds were sparsely populated when the ﬁrst barn dancing lessons got underway. Judging by the reaction, the dancing was regarded more as a spectator sport. The main activities in the a ernoon were the bike games and ta oo competition. The games were held indoors on a heavy dirt ﬂoor that turned out to be perfect for slow races and the like — way be er than the grass these

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events are usually held on. The raised seating was a boon, too, giving everyone a perfect view. The venue holds over 3300 people, so it was impressive to see it about half full of spectators who yelled and cheered as their chapter champions balanced, wobbled and laughed their way through the games. The most chaotic seemed to be the Roadkill Pickup, where the pillion had to scoop up stuffed animals from the ground as the rider stopstarted from go to whoa. The HOG rally got louder from there. The first of the bands fired up late in the arvo, pulling everyone in before the opening ceremony. Then the night’s highlight, the Screamin’ Eagles, a band with obvious inspiration. They were fronted by Dundo, host of H-Dtv, and have a few of their own songs as well as classic covers. “I bought a Rushmore”

went down well with the faithful. And if you reckon HOG needs younger members, you ain’t giving enough credit to the current crop of grown-up kids. There were 70-year-olds up on stage making some of us middle-aged fellas look positively pedestrian! They know how to party. I saw one, er, experienced rider out in town during the weekend wearing one of those Bell open-faces with the words “here for a good time, not a long time” painted on it, but I knew it was a lie. He looked like he’d been having a good time for a long time and had no intention of stopping soon. Back at the hotel on Friday night, I dropped my gear and went straight over the road to the pub. It was in full swing, packed with locals and HOG members, but everything suddenly went ﬂat when they called last drinks … and it wasn’t even morning. Must plan it be er next time.

HOG RALLY 2015

At least it meant I didn’t have a hangover. The morning began with more rides around the district on another sun-drenched, rapidly warming day. I spent some time watching the drag race simulators, where a couple of V-Rods are strapped to dynos that measure speeds and quarter-mile times. They’ve even got the lights set up to ensure you do a proper race start, and you’d be er not red-light it. I must give it a go next time. Looks like fun. The drawcard I was hanging out for,

though, was the rodeo. This wasn’t just any old sideshow, either, but a proper professional one with some good riders and quality animals. More people crowded into the stands than had been there yesterday and they got their value out of it. The two-hour competition was full of thrills and throws. The bulls and horses had their share of wins, scaring a few riders and watching others hobble oﬀ winded or limping. Yet that was nothing compared with the spectacular show put on a er dinner in the

arena. This was a complete country show, again put on by professionals, and this time they performed to a full stadium that’d been opened to the public as well. It wasn’t the kind of thing you expect at a HOG rally but, true to Tamworth’s form, it went down a treat with the bikers. The choreography blended the traditional HOG parade of ﬂags into a wellrehearsed program of horsemanship, utes, jokes and country music. Horses performed beautifully even with Harleys roaring along ►

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 109

HOG RALLY 2015 next to them at times. I’ve been to many bike events as well as country shows but I reckon I’ve never quite seen a crowd react as well as the Harley Owners Group did this night. HOG showed their appreciation on Sunday morning with the Thunder Run through Tamworth, down to Werris Creek and back. Two thousand bikes or so looped through the centre of town, then south. The route turned back on itself at Werris Creek, giving the riders a true sense of just how impressive this monster convoy of Harleys was. But as they turned around and looked back the way they’d come, they saw they were heading straight into a black wall of rain. A rare late-morning storm drenched them, the fat drops stinging the bare skin of riders who’d set off in warm sunshine without a thought for potential wet weather. Luckily it was warm, though, and everyone was laughing about it as they finally pulled up at AELEC for the show ’n’ shine. I was stunned to see how quickly yet thoroughly the show bikes cleaned up a er their run in the rain. By the time the judges — whose official shirts listed the ways you could bribe them — began making notes there wasn’t a smudge or droplet on any of the stunning

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machines lined up to compete in the dozen or so classes. Oh, except the rat bikes, who looked even ra ier for the ride. There weren’t many rats, and there’s some serious money going into a lot of Harleys. They’re very much their owners’ pride and joy, no doubt about it. That was it for me. I had to get going on Sunday a ernoon, leaving the stayers to the a er party that night. I was back in Sydney as they partied on, and then riding north-west to my piece of paradise in the bush, missing the Road King I’d le behind, tapping my toes to a bit of local bluegrass and waving to the HOG members who streamed past me as they took the scenic route home. Gregor would have been chuffed at how many waved back — some even waved first in spite of me being on ARR’s longterm R1200RT. The HOG rally is always a hoot, and its success is a reflection both of HarleyDavidson’s commitment to its riders and Harley owners’ commitment to the bikes that are such a central part of their lives. ARR

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OLD SCHOOL COOL

Founta

112 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

insof Classic bikes take us back to an earlier time, and that is not always a bad thing

Youth

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 113

OLD SCHOOL COOL

“Old bikes are relatively easy to work on but often require more maintenance, itself part of the appeal. 1970s Japanese bikes are much easier to live with than British bikes, although even they aren’t so bad if you keep the spanners up to them; it’s not rocket science”

Poppa Shaw r A pair of 500cc Vincent Comets mark their spot

STORY: GEOFF SEDDON hether youಬre yearning to relive the bikes of your youth or just looking for a new hobby, buying or restoring an older bike can be a shedload of fun. It doesn’t have to cost much money although a degree of mechanical empathy doesnಬt hurt. When I was a young bloke, a classic bike was a pre-unit Triumph, R32 BMW or a Vincent. These days the term embraces bikes I remember new, built as late as 1985. Air-cooled, carbure ors, steel-tube frames, lots of chrome. Anything with character and style, from the

time before motorcycle performance went nuts. Any excuse to buy a motorbike is a good one, and choosing the right early girl is much the same as buying a modern bike ಧ that same seductive mix of want and opportunity ಧ even if the rose-tinted goggles are of a deeper shade. The biggest diﬀerence is of course age, so knowing what youಬre looking at is a good start, especially if youಬre spending a few bucks. An early decision to make is whether to pay top dollar for a restored bike, or less for something bearing the scars of life. My good mate Stuart recently bought a 1978 CB750 K7 for loose change, as much to restore it as ride ►

■ Restoring oddballs like the Suzuki RE5 is more difficult, but rewards match effort. ಯPeople see the RE5 and say, wow, never seen one of those before,ರ owner John Fretten says. ಯItಬs very gratifyingರ

John Fretten

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BARGAIN? WHAT BARGAIN? ■ Trentham is a very popular haunt for Prices of some popular models Ranges. like theHere is the motorcyclists in the Macedon and UlyssesCB750 Club members Kawasaki Williamstown 900 Z1 and MCC early Honda Fours have skyrocketed in recent years. Other bikes — Vincents, Velocettes, Honda RC30s — have always been expensive. In many cases, unless you own one, it’s already too late. Best value are bikes around 20 years old. A much younger buddy is reliving his not so distant youth with a Tiger-striped 900 Fireblade that he bought for $3000! GSXRs, ZXRs, FZRs, CBRs — all can be had for tuppence and are still just as much fun to ride as they were in the 90s. Heck, buy two! If you hanker for classic not plastic, twin-cam CB750/900 Hondas and GS/ GSX Suzukis are cheap as chips. GT750 waterbottles, later SOHC Hondas and XS650 Yamahas also make affordable soulful classics from as low as five or six grand, although prices are rising rapidly. For diehards who must bike British, T140 Triumph Bonnevilles are good value from $8000 ready to rock; you’ll pay up to twice as much for the earlier 650s. BSAs are scarce and there is no such thing as a cheap Norton Commando. Of the others, the horse has long bolted on bevel-drive Ducatis but not so early belt-drive models like the Pantah and second-generation 750/900SS. Mid-capacity non-sports BMWs and Guzzis are also ripe for the picking, as are pre-Evolution Harley Sportsters and Shovelheads for as little as seven grand.

OLD SCHOOL COOL

r Pre-Evolution Sportsters give a lot of bang for buck

r The Huntmaster was built by Raider Motorsport out of a GB250 Honda imported from Japan

HYSTERICAL REGO

r Early GT750 Ducatis make great all-rounders but are expensive

All states and territories run some form of concessional historic vehicle registration. The restrictions relating to use and allowable modifications vary, but essentially cover hobby cars and motorcycles at least 30 years old (25 in Victoria), whose enthusiast owners are members of registered historic clubs. In most cases, use is limited to club events — including events organised by other registered clubs — or for the purpose of maintenance and repair. Any other use must be recorded and approved by the club, each of which will have its own rules and culture, so finding the right one is important. If you can’t, it takes as little as five mates and a few hundred bucks to start your own. The exception is Victoria; while still clubbased, the scheme allows for permits of 45 or 90 days per year. Each use must be recorded in a personal log book but there are no other restrictions. If you can live within the limitations, the benefits are dramatically reduced registration and compulsory third-party fees, as little as $57 all up in NSW. That is not a misprint. Comprehensive insurance is also very cheap.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 115

■ The Moto Guzzi V50 is an affordable, soulful and practical classic

r Jack Taylor bought this Vincent 40 years ago for $8500, which was a lot of money! They still cost a lot of money!

“While restorers scour the world for hard-to-find new oldstock parts, reproduction bits out of Asia are plentiful but vary widely in quality; the standard of chrome in particular ranges from excellent to rubbish that rusts before your eyes” it. He is retired, handy on the tools and loves chasing down obscure original parts. If thatಬs not you, buying the best one you can makes a lot more sense. Old bikes are relatively easy to work on but o en require more maintenance, itself part of the appeal. 1970s Japanese bikes are much easier to live with than British bikes, although even they arenಬt so bad if you keep the spanners up to them; itಬs not rocket science. Chances are you wonಬt be doing thousands of kilometres a year anyway, and those that you do will be relatively gentle ones, if only

because of the brakes. Compared with riding new machines, old bikes are slow, have crude suspension and limited cornering clearance, but the brakes date them the most. Disc or drum, thereಬs not a lot of stopping power and even less feel; as Stuart says, you learn to ride to the brakes. But old bikes are otherwise comfortable and practical, and are as reliable as you make them. They steer nicely on their skinny tyres and make good all-round machines, especially if your high-speed days are behind you. Most of them will sit on 110km/h all day long and youಬll

THE BIBLE Another great thing about older bikes is the revered workshop manual, reflecting a time when owners worked on their own machines at home, often out of necessity. The factory Workshop Manual for Norton Commando is one of the best, a masterwork of technical writing and drawing that reduces even the most daunting task to its simplest steps. Take Section F1, Removal Of Power Unit. First it tells you how to remove the seat, then the side covers, disconnect the battery, remove the tank, then the exhausts, the air cleaner, carburettors, pages and pages of detailed stuff that mechanics do in their sleep but plebs like me find invaluable. It also includes lots of hints on tool choice, loosening tight nuts and chasing electrical gremlins. We found this one on eBay for $40, and you can download PDFs from the ether for free.

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■ Peter Courtney bought this 1959 Triumph Tiger 100 at a Shannons auction. ಯIt was just what I was looking for,ರ he says, ಯpre-unit with TR pipes. It looks like itಬs doing 100mph sitting stillರ

Ian Lee

OLD SCHOOL COOL ■ The Yamaha TX750 suffered a very public humiliation in the 1972 Castrol 6 Hour due to crankshaft failure. The problem was soon fixed but its reputation trashed. Parts are scarce but itಬs a sweet ride

MATCHING NUMBERS

John Fretten

never be lonely when you stop for food or fuel. Another early decision to make is electric or kick start. Stuart once restored a lovely 1978 Bonneville only to ﬁnd he couldnಬt start it due to an earlier war wound, and I still have nightmares about a ಬ74 Sportster I owned 30 years ago. But it gets easier with practice and thereಬs a certain cool that only comes with kick-starting a classic motorcycle, while the weight advantage can be substantial; the electric-start 1975 Mk3 Norton Commando is more than 30kg heavier than the previous yearಬs kick-only Mk2 model, to give one infamous example. For a long time, even heavier Japanese bikes came with both. Kickstarting is also easier the more cylinders you have, all other things being equal.

Parts availability for popular classics is at least as good as for modern bikes and o en be er, so long as youಬve heard of the internet and have a credit card. There are specialist websites and eBay stores all over the world, including here in Australia. It can get a bit iﬀy with less popular models, especially shortlived oddities like the TX750 Yamaha and RE-5 Suzuki, so itಬs generally best to stick with models that were volume sellers in their day. While restorers scour the world for hard-toﬁnd new old-stock parts, reproduction bits out of Asia are plentiful but vary widely in quality; the standard of chrome in particular ranges from excellent to rubbish that rusts before your eyes. Which is where hanging out with like-minded people comes in, whether through ►

Many manufacturers stamped the same number sequence onto frames and engines (and pre-unit gearboxes), so ‘matching numbers’ signifies that the frame still contains the powerplant with which it left the factory. Given the appalling reliability of some English bikes in the 70s, it’s no surprise that there are plenty out there with non-matching numbers. If you’re restoring a bike to original condition, look for one where the numbers match; you’ll invest the same amount but it will be worth a lot more when you’re done. But if you’re just after a bike to ride, bikes with non-matching numbers offer a cheaper way in and free you from the tyranny of original parts, saving further money. Just don’t expect to win a trophy at the concourse.

r Ironhead Sportsters can be had for as low as seven grand AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 117

OLD SCHOOL COOL

PERFECT PATINA Returning an old bike to new condition is remarkably satisfying, but there is equal charm in riding an unrestored example. A bike still sporting its factory paint, handlebars, seat and exhaust — no matter how faded or tarnished — will always be more original than the most meticulous restoration. Care should be taken however to ensure it is mechanically sound behind the patina, especially in regard to brakes, suspension units, steering/swingarm/wheel bearings, spokes and tyres. If you do come across an original ‘barn find’, think twice before you destroy it with love and money.

formal clubs, internet forums or Facebook groups. Someone has always been there before you and will be happy to share his or her experience. Same goes for troubleshooting and mechanical advice. You might even make some new friends! But first we have to find a bike. I wouldnಬt buy a guitar without playing it first, so Iಬm even more reluctant to buy a motorcycle sight unseen but itಬs not as if there are dealers

Poppa Shaw r A Matchless and Vincent draw your attention from the VMax outfit sitting behind them

in every town. There are however websites like eBay, Bikesales, Trader, Just Bikes and Gumtree, as well as Shannons auctions. Theyಬll quickly give you an idea of what things are worth; when I was in the market, I started every day with a round of all these sites with my net cast Australia-wide, although realistically my search was limited to the eastern states. There are also a good number of reputable

r Stuart Garrard is midway through restoring a 1978 CB750 K7. The entry price was low for a SOHC Honda but it presses all his buttons 118 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“Compared with riding new machines, old bikes are slow, have crude suspension and limited cornering clearance, but the brakes date them the most. Disc or drum, there’s not a lot of stopping power and even less feel” importers oﬀering a broad range of classic bikes. They have a lot of product knowledge and great contacts which keep their prices competitive. If youಬre really game, you can cut out the middleman and do it yourself. I baulked at buying a bike from Hawaii but I have a friend who has imported 11 bikes over the years without any nasty shocks. But an improving US economy and falling Aussie dollar means the risk and hassle is ge ing harder to justify. Whichever way you go about it, owning and riding a 30, 40 or 50-year-old motorbike is one of lifeಬs great pleasures, best consumed at a leisurely pace in like company. Itಬs a peculiarly zenny way to spend a sunny day. There is a lot of mechanical cla er to draw you into the living breathing engine between your legs, and plenty of time to smell the roses and the roadkill as the tarmac whizzes past six inches below your feet. Whoever said you canಬt relive your youth never rode an old motorbike, Iಬll give you the tip. ARR

www.soundrider.com.au

P.O. Box 612, Sunbury 3429

TESTING,TESTING IT’S EVOLUTION, BABY Yep, no doubt about it, this helmet is as quiet as they come. For me, that was one of the strong a ractions of BMW’s System 6 EVO lid, a ﬂip-front design that features a lot of advanced and innovative touches. It was supplied by BMW Australia to run as part of our long-term test of the R1200RT, but I’ve since been using it on a range of bikes, from full-faired tourers to naked bikes. Made for BMW by renowned German company Schuberth, the System 6 EVO is a top-shelf product. As the name implies, it’s a development of the original System 6. Last year it was certiﬁed for sale in Australia a er a few minor changes were made to suit our unique helmet standards — something almost all helmet importers have to deal with under Australia’s ridiculously bureaucratic regime. But we shall leave that rant for another day.

r The System 6 EVO includes a slide-down sun visor 120 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

The shell is a multilayered fibreglass and plastic construction that’s made using a compression moulding process. Inside that, the polystyrene body is formed from a number of pieces that fit together in a sort of jigsaw fashion, apparently improving both the absorption and distribution of impact forces. And inside that, the lining is a so and super-comfortable Coolmax material that claims to be allergen-free and anti-bacterial. The lining can be easily removed for cleaning. The superior comfort allows the 6 EVO to get away with being a very snug fit. It’s a tight fit as you pull it over your head and once you’re inside it you certainly know about it. It’s what you might call an all-encompassing

r Single top vent is quite effective

helmet. In my case there’s even pressure over my whole head. With the front locked down in position and the cloth wind excluder Velcroed in place below your chin, you’re enveloped in the BMW helmet, and this is one reason it is quiet. The chin strap fastens with a sliding ratchet that’s quicker to do up and undo than the usual D-rings. To me it seems no less secure than D-rings, too, and I like it a lot. There’s a clever safety device a ached to the chin strap — a webbing strap runs from one strap, around the back of the helmet and forward to the other strap, and it is designed to prevent excessive movement of the helmet in a crash. According to Schuberth, the Anti-Roll-Off System (AROS) will prevent the helmet rotating forward and off your head; it will reduce the likelihood of it coming forward to impact with your chest; and it will avoid the helmet coming back far enough to hit you in the chin or throat. You can raise the chin piece with one hand by using your thumb to manipulate the release bu on as your grab the chin bar to li it. To close it, I find it needs a solid push to ensure it is locked down properly. The visor can be raised either le - or right-handed, and it’s on

r Chin vent feeds air into this well-enclosed helmet

PRODUCT REVIEWS

a pronounced ratchet mechanism that holds it solidly in any position. The System 6 also has a tinted sun visor that you raise and lower using a slide on the le of the chin bar. The visor detaches by pressing a bu on while you pull it forward. To put it back, line up the slides and slip it into place. It’s a great setup. There’s one large central top vent that you can open or close, and it’s quite eﬀective on the move. A single vent in the chin bar can be opened to let in fresh air to breathe, and I usually have it open because this helmet is so enclosed. Even then, the helmet can get a bit stuﬀy in still air and hot conditions. On a cold, damp morning the visor is prone to fogging so ge ing a Pinlock anti-fog insert — the pins are there ready to take it — would be worthwhile.

Our good ol’ Aussie standards, however, didn’t allow BMW Australia to include a Pinlock, even though it’s good enough for the rest of the world. You’ll have to source your own insert from overseas. Having the vents closed is one of the tricks to maintaining relative silence inside the helmet. The overall soundproofing qualities are so good that the 6 EVO demonstrates in no uncertain terms how badly open vents affect sound levels. It also shows that everything’s a compromise in the end; you have either silence or airflow. I’ve worked out that on bikes with good fairings, like the RT, I don’t need earplugs under the BMW helmet, and at moderate speeds on a naked bike it’s pre y good too. But I still opt for plugs on bikes that promote noisier, more turbulent airflow, or when I know speeds will be higher. Plugs or not, the 6 EVO is much nicer to be in than any other helmet I’ve ever worn. BMW’s claim is that you’ll experience 84–86dB at 100km/h in the System 6 EVO. Of course, that’ll depend upon factors like fairings and turbulence, but as a benchmark it’s very admirable. That noise level is just ge ing into the territory where you’ll begin to suffer hearing damage a er a time, so you can be confident on short or slower rides, or if you’re tucked in behind an RT fairing like me. You also know that any further hearing protection you add will guarantee you’re operating at safe levels. Of course, the bonus is that you can more clearly hear whatever’s coming out of your helmet’s communications system if one’s fi ed. The helmet’s shape is excellent, aerodynamically, which not only helps keep noise down but reduces buffeting and takes some of the load off your neck. BMW claims that the smaller of the two shell sizes results in a helmet weighing just under 1600g, a good weight. Mine is a size L and has the larger shell, weighing in at about 1825g. A er fi ing BMW’s proprietary communications system (which I’ll write about later, when the RT’s navigation system is installed), the all-up mass of mine is 1994g — a weight I notice and which makes me

r Press that triangular button and the visor slides off

r The ratcheted chain strap is very quick to fasten and release

appreciate the benefits of the aerodynamics. The main downside to the otherwise clever design is reduced peripheral vision, which is below average. It’s not enough to worry me, but I have to make more effort to turn my head for an effective check of blind spots. The System 6 EVO is one of the best lids on the market, made to exacting standards and with particular goals in mind such as quietness, comfort and strength. It easily meets those goals too. It might be less airy and have slightly constricted vision compared with other helmets, but it’s not bad in either case. I reckon it’s an ideal touring helmet that’s also good at other roles such as commuting, and its design undoubtedly makes it a good performer if it ever does need to protect you in a crash. BMW’s helmet comes at a higher price but it has no trouble justifying it. — MICK MATHESON

DETAILS BMW SYSTEM 6 EVO HELMET Price and colours: Brilliant White $800 White Silver Metallic $850 Dynamic $900 Sizes: 48–65 Info: bmwmotorrad.com.au or your BMW dealer AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 121

PRODUCT REVIEWS IN DA HOOD When I lived in the UK I was a total zealot when it came to wearing safety gear. You’d never see me in t-shirt and trainers when on my bike and I have been known to fully suitup just to pop to the corner shop for teabags — and I would absolutely never ever go out without a back protector on — still won’t. Now I live in this fair land I can see how the climate isn’t always conducive to wearing fullon gear all the time. Even so, it still took me some time to accept the idea of wearing stuff not packed with armour, and even wearing Kevlar jeans instead of proper leather pants was a leap of faith. However, motorcycling is as much about personal choice as anything and if you choose to take a more casual approach to your own riding gear then who am I to judge (although I reserve the right to look upon you as mentally deficient if you’re in shorts and thongs). If casual is your style you should check out the latest revised version of Finn Moto’s riding hoodie. Not only does it come in any colour you like as long as it’s black, but it will certainly save you from death-by-a-thousand-cuts in the event of a tumble and offers excellent impact protection to boot. For a start it’s fully lined with Kevlar throughout (apart from the hood) and by that I don’t mean the totally inferior stuff being used in other cheaper products, but real proper 300+gsm Kevlar that has a slide time of over four seconds on the single-lined areas, and over eight seconds on the elbows and shoulders where it’s double-lined. Count eight seconds out loud and imagine you’re skating down the road for all that time: it’s a lot longer than any crash I’ve ever had, even on a racetrack. In addition, it’s got CE-approved armour in the elbows and shoulders and crucially, for me at least, a back protector too: there aren’t many textile jackets that come standard with all that. The fit is excellent and even though I was annoyingly between sizes, the larger one worked fine for me, particularly in the arm length. It’s a pre y close fit but it does serve to keep all that armour in place around your sticky-out bits. The thickly elasticated cuffs and waistband mean it doesn’t ride up when

you’re … er … riding and it’s also water-resistant if you get caught in a shower. I even use it as a raincoat when I’m oﬀ the bike. It has two external front pockets and two internal, one of which is zipped. On a few chilly mornings I wore it under a thin paddock jacket that also had elbow and shoulder armour in it. Not only was I warm as toast, but I felt bloody invincible. It weighs in at a solid feeling 2.1kg but if you want to make it lighter you can easily take the hard elbows and shoulders out, but really why bother: although it’s a pre y handy feature when you come to wash it. Admi edly things can get warm on a sunny day thanks to all that black and Kevlar, but it’s nothing like wearing a full textile or leather jacket, and its super-so exterior ﬁnish makes it really cosy in winter. The build quality seems superb and features triple stitching and a high-quality nylon YKK

zipper up the front to ensure it doesn’t ﬂy open if you have an earth-sky-earth-sky moment. At $189 it seems great value for money to me, especially when you look at the level of protection you get for that. It’s also versatile enough to wear on the bike, around the house, down the pub and even as an extra layer of warmth and protection under a regular jacket in the winter. All in all I’d say the level of protection oﬀered by this bit of kit is excellent, and if riding without a regular jacket is your thing, this is a no-brainer. — NIGEL CROWLEY

DETAILS FINN MOTO RIDING HOODIE Price: $189 Colour: Black Sizes: XS-14XL Contact: www.finnmoto.com.au, 0405 247 408 122 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PRODUCT REVIEWS TO THE MAXX I’m not a fan of swanky looking shoes. I have one pair in my cupboard at home and like the wedding suit they go with, they aren’t likely to ever get a run again. When it comes to riding boots, I prioritise my requirements from a boot as follows: protection, function, comfort and, lastly, style. As such I o en ride in a set of race boots that are a few years old now. With an internal ankle brace they slide into the outerboot complete with toe slider, ankle slider and lairy colour scheme. They look like they were once Astro Boy’s, but they are comfortable and very protective. But sometimes the demands on protection aren’t needed to the level a race boot delivers, and as such ankle-high boots will do the job. There’s a heap of these on the market these days that look anything like a mid-top sneaker to a good old set of steel caps. Falco’s Maxx boot is its latest offering in this segment of the motorcycle boot market. While it looks like an inner boot out of a set of motocross boots, it features reinforced toe and ankle pads and has reinforced heel cups. They have an elasticised drawstring closure and a Velcro lock-up mechanism that tightens up around your ankle. They fit snugly to the contours of your foot and have a slip-proof sole that sits comfortably on the footpegs. Walking around off the bike is as comfortable as a pair of half-decent sneakers.

Yes, these shoes are as comfortable as they look. From the get-go they felt like a slipper. They are noticeably thin in construction, but Falco assures us the synthetic “so -touch” leather upper is all the protection you’ll need in less-demanding riding environments. While they look and feel good, the best thing about these boots is the ventilation.

They breathe brilliantly while at the same time you won’t feel like throwing on an extra pair of socks. They are good to around 15 degrees, but a er that things got a bit nippy. In 35-degree-plus temperatures they were faultlessly cool and comfortable. Oh, and they aren’t made for the wet, so don’t wear them in the rain. — Ma Shields

DETAILS FALCO MAXX SHOE Price: $179.95 Colours: Black Sizes: 41–47

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 123

WHATZ NEW CHANGE FOR GOOD Tandum is a non-profit organisation which works in Kenya with local communities and schools building greenhouses for sustainable long-term change. The organisation is planning a trip of a lifetime for a small group of motorbike enthusiasts — a dedicated Kenya motorbike tour in October 2015 through tour operator Dusty Helmets and booked and managed through Flight Centre Travel Group. This incredible journey, called the Tandum Tour, will be travelling across some of the most scenic and beautiful Kenyan countryside as well as visiting some of the Tandum projects along the way, meeting extraordinary people. This trip has been organised by Tasmanian husband and wife team Ruth and Pete Rowlands, who are both motorbike lovers and have extensive knowledge of Kenya as Ruth has lived in that country. Both Ruth and Pete will be joining the trip — spots are now available for those wishing to join an adventure of a lifetime. For more information visit www.tandum. org/#!tandum-trip/cl6w or check them out on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ tandumonline.

BEYOND SIBERIA In May 2014, 16 riders left London to embark on a 105-day adventure expedition to Magadan. Documentary filmmaker Robin Newell joined the riders and Compass Expeditions, the end result being a two-part TV mini-series, Beyond Siberia — Riding the Road of Bones, released at the MIPTV in Cannes. The initial teaser video can be viewed via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YfT7pJP7hz4. Planning for the second TV series is well underway. This two-part series will also be one of the world’s most challenging motorbike routes, starting in Cairo and riding the full length of Africa to arrive in Cape Town three months later. Interested? For more details contact jerry@compassexpeditions.com or call 1300 887 327. Alternatively, visit www.compassexpeditions.com. 124 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF’ ADVENTURE BOX Touratech has just introduced a toolbox for the new BMW R1200GS/R1200GS Adventure. The Touratech toolbox is the ideal solution for the safe storage of small items on your GS, allowing tools, first-aid kit, breakdown kit and many other useful items to remain on the motorcycle permanently and unobtrusively. The tools are always easily accessible, even when the cases are mounted. The 4.2L (approximately) large storage space is protected against water spray and a large opening makes loading and unloading easy. A combination of stainless steel and plastic makes it a very strong design. Price: $254 plus postage Contact: Touratech Australia, (03) 5929 5529 Website: www.touratech.com.au

RUBBER EXPLORERS Continental Tyres has taken the best of the off-road performance of its TKC80 adventure tyre, mixed it with road performance of the Trail Attack 2 dual-sport tyre, and produced the TKC70. With DNA from the TKC80 — 20 per cent road / 80 per cent dirt TKC80 and 80 per cent road / 20 per cent dirt Trail Attack 2 — the TKC70 is a 60 per cent road / 40 per cent dirt tyre designed for the likes of big adventure bikes like the BMW R12GS and KTM Adventure. Made in Germany, the TKC70 has a strong design emphasis on grip. It has a firmer compound in the centre of the tyre and great handling feedback from the Zero Degree steel-belted carcass derived from the Trail Attack 2. Deep, well-defined grooves and block spacing give great offroad performance, while at the same time extremely low block movement provides great stability when pushing hard on-road. Price: Fronts from $169, rears from $215 Contact: Ron Angel Wholesale, (03) 9464 3366 Website: www.ronangel.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 125

MAKES OF ZORRO Zorro’s Australia has a range of accessories for the new Indian Chief and Scout. From the Vintage 1950-style front fender medallion for the Scout, complete with gasket and screws to give a historic look to the new Scout, to a range of luggage racks and mounting options, there’s a huge range of new parts on offer. There’s also a range of parts to suit old Indians like these (pictured) long mirror stems for 1920s- to 1940s-model Indian motorcycles in either 100mm or 150mm lengths. Check out the website for a full rundown on products available. Price: Starting at $199.95 for the Vintage front fender medallion through to $299.95 for the saddlebag mounting system. Mirror stems, $69.95 Website: www.zorros.net.au Contact: 0433 106 669

PRO-TECTION Forcefield’s Pro L2K EVO Back Protector has been restyled and further improved, continuing to offer the best comfort and performance at a competitive price for riders who don’t make compromises. Featuring Nitrex Evo, the Pro L2K EVO uses high-tech shockabsorbing construction and materials to ensure the protector is flexible and comfortable while still offering the highest level of protection — exceeding the CE EN1621-2 Level 2 test, which is the highest possible. Constructed in multiple layers stitched with Kevlar, the moulded Nitrex Evo uses interconnecting walls with a wider base and triangular construction to ensure structural integrity while maximising energy absorption and allowing the material to move free of obstruction from stitching or binding. The perforated multiple layers also play a secondary role in allowing partial movement of the inner layers, meaning the Pro L2K EVO is able to better mould to a rider’s body shape, while the movement also promotes air movement through the layers, providing additional ventilation. Repeat Performance Technology also ensures that performance isn’t compromised by impacts for ongoing use, while fully adjustable shoulder and waist straps allow for a variety of body shapes and sizes. Sizes: Small to Large sizes for men, Medium to Large for women Price: $209 Website: ProAccessories.com.au Contact: (07) 3277 0693 126 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF HERITAGE-LISTED SHARK Drawing inspiration from vintage motorcycle helmet design, the Shark Heritage is constructed from carbon aramid fibre and multiaxial glass fibre. The interior of the Heritage is made using a bamboo-based material that offers outstanding ventilation and ensures your noggin will stay as cool as it looks while you ride. Bamboo is also an incredibly sustainable material to produce, and has naturally occurring antibacterial properties that help prevent odour and mould. The Heritage is also Sharktooth compatible, features the Easy Fit system so you can comfortably ride while wearing glasses, and also a Quick Release Visor system. The Shark Heritage combines vintage cool with contemporary safety standards and luxurious comfort. Colours: Plain white, black, grey and matt black, or Shark Heritage graphic Price: Plain colours $329.95, graphic $349.95 Website: www.ficeda.com.au

SUPER KNOBS Oggy Knobb is now producing a protection kit for KTM’s 1290 SuperDuke R. The kits are fully bracketed, intricately designed to fit without any modifications, while also being stronger and more protective than non-bracketed cut or no-cut styles. The brackets are made from high-tensile steel alloy for vastly superior strength and minimal weight. Aluminium compression components are made from aircraftgrade 7075 T6511. The bolts are de-embrittled, high-tensile items, zinc-plated and clear chromates, and the “plastic” used in the sliders is acetal for the best combination of shock absorption, abrasion resistance and strength. The knobs are available in either black or white and with a choice of alloy or steel brackets. Price: Black, with alloy outer bracket $429, black, with steel outer bracket $339 Contact: 1800 251 145 Website: www.kenma.com.au AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 127

READERS RITE WINNER RELIVING THE PAST Many eons ago when I wore a younger man’s clothes (bellbo oms, paisley shirts, tram conductor’s hat, and genuine bomber jacket) I rode predominately British bikes (insufficient ta oos for a Harley and not fast enough for those twin-cylinder Ducatis). I soon developed a love of life on the wild side, hence today’s le er. In a moment of lust I decided that I needed to fly to Chennai and purchase my very own slice of nostalgia: a brand-new Royal Enfield Classic for 1.5 lakhs or under $2000 Australian dollars. Now flying all this way to put a bike on a boat home is a wasted effort, so I have hatched a cunning plan to buy the bike and ride her home. I am planning this adventure for late 2016 a er the monsoon season but before I get snowed in. Any tips, information, magazine or book deals, movie or documentary deal or other forms of sponsorship will be greatly welcomed, particularly tips and info from other world

128 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

travellers. I am anticipating this adventure will be like a senior citizen version of that famous British comedy An Idiot Abroad as I’m certainly not trying to be Charley or Ewen, just a bloke coming to terms with impending old age, and finally just maybe growing up, which would delight my mother no end. Of course, in the event that I don’t succeed in growing up, I will a empt to keep your readers updated with my trials and tribulations I have also included a photo of my two bestest ladies: the one in red is the latest in a line of over 40 that I’ve had my leg over on a semi-regular basis, the other is my longsuffering wife of 33 years. I have started a FB page to highlight my love of riding and adventures and anyone is welcome to contribute and/or like my page: www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100008960898132. Colin Walsh Email

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

WIN

THIS LOOK HOT Every issue we’re giving away 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 letter 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.

LETTERS THE MISSING WAVE Greg Reynolds’ article on “Where’s the love at?” (ARR #110) provides good evidence that a wave between motorcyclists out on the road is uncommon these days. In researchspeak, Greg has provided evidence from an observational study involving an adequate number of subjects to reach a reliable conclusion. He found only 13 per cent of riders waved and less than 20 per cent waved and/or nodded. Like Greg, I remember back in the ‘70s you would always get a wave; even the “bad bikies” would give you a wave back. I always wave to other riders although the nod is gaining in popularity. The trouble with a nod is that if both riders nod at the same time, you o en don’t see the response. I always ride two-up with my wife and she will o en wave as well, especially if the oncoming rider has a pillion. We have ridden over 40,000km in the western states of the USA over a number of years and the wave is alive and well there. Readers may have missed it, but the photo of a wave shown in Greg’s article is obviously in the USA. The riders are on the right-hand side of the road, the road surface is impeccable and the rider is waving in a manner different from that in Australia. In Greg’s photo, the rider has his le arm outstretched at an angle of about 45 degrees down towards the road, with the first two fingers of the le hand extended. In Australia, the most common wave is to hold your le hand up with the palm facing the other rider. This means that your wave is visible to an oncoming rider above your handlebars or fairing given that the rider is on your right. In the USA, the oncoming rider is on your le so the le hand is always visible. On our first trip to the USA, I waved with the usual Aussie palm up in the air but soon noticed that the response from other riders was a slow hanging down of the fingers. One American rider I spoke to about their manner

BIG VS SMALL I thoroughly enjoyed this article by Sam Manicom (ARR #112) — thank you for that. Small bikes have always been a passion of mine alongside larger machines for other purposes. I had a Honda XL185 and rode it through some almost impossible (for me) terrain in the hills west of Perth in the mid‘70s, and later the large-wheel Honda XL250S through the Pilbara and along the beaches. When I worked in Hornsby, NSW, I much preferred my nimble Honda SL230 for the commute from Castle Hill through Galston Gorge over the less-nimble R1200GS. On my adventure in Peru and Bolivia, the kindly Mr Ferris let me have a Honda XR250 for most of the trip — a bit boring along the

of waving explained that he thought it was all about pointing at the road along the lines of “enjoy the road” or “the road is ours”. Most American riders will wave to us, except for the cool dudes with no helmet and a red bandanna wrapped around their head. In the USA, even the motorcycle cops wave back! I’ve started to do that here and all I get back from the NSW constabulary is a stare. I agree with Greg’s ﬁndings that Harley riders aren’t up there among the most common wavers. Greg pondered whether the wave is dying out because the camaraderie of modern motorcyclists is diminishing. Perhaps they’re just all on their Bluetooth mobiles! Chris Daly Email

LIFE’S ETERNAL MYSTERY Gregor’s column (ARR #110) took me straight back to a high-school science class circa 1974. A public school class full of “ordinary” level students (read “naughty” mostly-un-level students) with a ﬁrst-year just-out-of-uni teacher. What a lark some of the lads ﬁgured it would be to hook the water tap up to the gas tap so when poor, innocent, young Mr Laxman Vegesekera (yes, I still remember his name) turned on his Bunsen burner and water came out, he proclaimed: “There are some things in science we do not understand.” Much like science, so it is with life and its many mysterious ways. There are so many things in life I just don’t get: tobacco smoking for one. It doesn’t even get you stoned, for crying out loud, not that I’d ever condone the use of mind-altering substances. Then there’s the election of certain dunderheaded conservative politicians in this day and age. And why is it so hard to get Arno ’s Creamy Chocolate biscuits, the best biscuit ever, in Victoria? Indeed, there are some things in life we do not understand. Looking back over my 40 odd years (and there have been some very odd years, let me

tell you) of motorcycling and somewhere back there in the mists of time is a certain point, I assume, whereupon I began waving to fellow motorcyclists. When was that? Does it really ma er? And why did I start waving? Does that ma er? The fact of the ma er is that many, many moons ago I made a decision, either consciously or unconsciously (I was o en unconscious back then) to raise a hand to people of the motorised twowheeled-machine persuasion going in the opposite direction to that of myself. Nothing hugely fancy, just a simple gesture, one that can easily be carried out even mid-corner, sometimes, as noted by Gregor. Some people wave back, most don’t. Unlike Gregor, I’ve never counted but maybe I should. I just got back from a four-day, 1500km ride during peak holiday period with my wife and, as usual, my acknowledgement of oncoming brethren and sistren was largely ignored. I wasn’t counting but it would’ve been roughly 70 per cent nonwave to 30 per cent wave, I’d say. Why is it so? Well, let me not begin to explain because, frankly, I have no idea. But those that get me the most are the ones you see coming the other way from, oh I don’t know, 500 metres or so. Plenty of time, straight road, great visibility and up goes my hand. No reciprocal hand or arm movement, no perceptible head movement. Hmmm. At this point my mind becomes a ba leground. Do I give a big, high, one-ﬁnger salute, hoping like hell they’re looking in the rear-view mirrors? It depends. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I really shouldn’t let it get to me. Everyone out there is trying his or her best. Aren’t they? So many questions, so few deﬁnitive answers. Perhaps this is just the way it is and we should accept that some people are wavers and others are not. As Leunig once said, “Let it go, Let it out, Let it all unravel, Let it free. And it will be. A path on which to travel.” Brad Downs Bairnsdale, Vic

ﬂat bits but a heap of fun in so many other situations and terrains. Among the numerous large-capacity machines that have graced my garage over the years, one would ﬁnd 70 and 110cc Hondas, 125 and 250cc Lambre a and Vespa scooters, and even the odd Bridgestone and other early oil burners. If I were to contemplate a long overland tour — contemplate, mind you, rather than put into practice — my choice would be either the XL185 or XL250S for their simplicity, reliability, and ability to carry my somewhat portly self. As you can see from this photograph, my R1200GS was never embarrassed to be in the company of my postie bike. Wayne Talbot Email AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 129

LETTERS WAVER OR WANKER Thanks for the great mag. I gave it away before as it was too much like a travelogue with very li le bike-related points of interest, but now I find it very good. A thought on waving: I also feel disappointed so few riders wave back these days and agree with Greg about different types of waves identifying information. I feel if you printed four waves with helpful meanings this would create enough of a reason to wave and get riders back on track. The other thought is to print stickers with “Waver” or “Wanker” included in the mag. Riders can then stick them on their bikes or helmets. Make them green for waver and red for wanker. You could stick the red ones on other bikes encouraging them to go green. Could catch or start a few discussions … Jeff Schionning Email I o en think “wanker” when I don’t get a response from another rider, depending on the circumstances, but I’m not sure I’d be game to whack a sticker on their bike. Sure would get a discussion going, wouldn’t it?! — Matho

MORE COMMUNITY SPIRIT Calamity! Riders can now legally filter and ride on hard shoulders of motorways. This means the vigilant Revenue Enforcement Officers (REO) of Brisbane who used to hide under an overpass in the dark shadow and catch riders filtering and riding down the hard shoulder cannot do this anymore. They are thwarted! What to do, they say. Never fear, our state budget is in safe hands … now the vigilant REOs hide in the dark shadow under the overpass with a speed gun catching those maniacs who exceed the 30km/h filtering speed limit. The state’s $80 billion deficit will soon be a thing of the past thanks to their untiring efforts. Name withheld on request

BRING IT BACK Greg Reynolds’ story in ARR #110, “Let There Be Love”, was a gas. I laughed so much I almost cacked my pants as I have been thinking along the same lines. I remember the good old days when I ﬁrst came to Australia. One thing I admired the Australians for was their comradeship. In those days it was Us versus Them. Punters in cars and bikes would give a ﬂash if blinky bill was up ahead. Sadly those days have gone and it’s all about me, myself and I. We now have stealth highway blinky bill cars sneaking up your arse to cop some coin. As for the mobile speed cameras, apparently straight roads are blatantly dangerous. They are just mobile ATMs for the government. It’s so sad that no one gives the wave. I’m on Waterfall Way, NSW, and you might get the odd nod. I use the le hand on top of the helmet 130 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

with my index ﬁnger and wiggle to indicate there is a blinky bill up ahead. This seems to be the go out our way and maybe we should have a national vote in your magazine to come up with an Australian Standard. Come on punters, bring back the wave. Next time you see a fellow biker, wave like a wiggle and put a smile on your dial. Dave Young Email

WAVING Glad you brought this subject back up as I’ve been doing a bit more observing and modifying my 1970s wave. This started a er a ride with a friend of mine, Roland, when we did a day ride. When we stopped at the Pie in the Sky I remarked that I had waved to every bike that went past and that nobody responded. Roland told me that a lot did, but I was past them by the time they did. None of my early bikes had fairings so it was easy to see a hand leave the handlebar for the salutation. In traﬃc it was a nod, but always recognition. So I started to wave, or nod, earlier and higher to see what would happen. Too high and they tended to slow down and not wave. Trouble ahead? Weekends had a slightly be er response. Weekdays out of Sydney was a big improvement, with the nod being the main response. I found the best, so far, is the hand out to the le with a nod when our fellow riders are still a bit further away. Now maybe it’s because of my bike, but cruiser riders are the worst for responding. Do they wave to each other? I always give a thumbs-up to L-platers and just about all respond with a nod. Maybe you guys could try various things as you get to ride such a wide variety of bikes. Ge ing a response always gives me that connection that is riding. It says to me, “How good is this!” Harry Stephens Pi Town, NSW

MR SMITH What an excellent magazine the January edition is. Thanks to Mr Seddon for his article about Mr Smith. In the 80s Mr Smith’s regular column was the ﬁrst thing I turned to when opening my latest copy of Two Wheels. It is him I have to thank for the power measurement of “possum skins”. It was a review of some German two-wheeled hardware which stated the power was ‘x’PS (I can’t remember the bike or power level). Mr Smith, through lateral thinking and logical deduction, came up with the reasoning that PS clearly stood for possum skins. I’m sure anyone today could Google the meaning of PS but where’s the fun in that? His stories always started in one place, visited diﬀerent and

seemingly unrelated ideas before connecting them all and meeting back at his starting point. I took part in last year’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and it was a real hoot with an incredibly eclectic array of bikes to savour. At the end I sat an enjoyed a friendly beer with two chaps I didn’t know from a bar of soap before the ride. With very li le eﬀort I raised $300 in sponsorship from generous people with no connection to motorcycling at all. I’ll give it another go this year. As for standing on the pegs, it’s all about leverage, not centre of gravity. Dominic Graham Blackwood, SA

A NEW NATIONAL STANDARD I read Gregor’s article, “Where’s the love at?” regarding hand signals to let passing riders know what is ahead or simply to say g’day. I was wondering if there was a national standard of signals so there would be no misunderstanding of what is ahead, be it police or ca le. It’d be good to have a simple paragraph or two with photos of each signal and a description of what it means. I am not aware of seeing a similar instruction anywhere before. I also noted the lack of response from a lot of riders. I suspect that for many recreational riders, relatively close to home, they are meeting too many other riders to warrant a response in each case. For me, I try where the situation allows it. Andrew Digby Brisbane, Qld The Yanks seem to have a system of signals worked out between riders but there’s never been anything too organised here. A g’day wave and warning wave seem to be pre y obvious and are probably all we need. — Matho

WHERE’S THE LOVE? Having recently rekindled my love of being on the road, it seems that the mateship of acknowledging fellow riders is dying. My first ride back in the dark ages was on a 900 Vulcan with the obligatory loud exhaust. I travelled just over 30,000km in three years before I had a li le mishap that saw him retired a li le early from the game. I now have a GSX1250FA that I am really learning to love going for longer rides. I have been given a wave that has slowed me down and definitely saved me from a ticket, and some big hearty waves that make you think the rider is some long-lost relative. A lot give a nod but, like Gregor says (ARR #110), the vast majority think their arm might drop off or they’ll lose their super-cool persona if they return a wave. If you’re on two wheels, no ma er what you’re on, and you’re shiny side up enjoying the ride, why not share the love? Greg England Email

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PRICE GUIDE

ROAD BIKE & SCOOTER PRICE GUIDE 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

BRAND & MODEL

APRILIA

WE SAY

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 rideaway and which don’t include on-road costs; the difference to your final payout can be significant, so don’t compare apples with oranges.

PRICE

www.aprilia.com.au

Aprilia prices are maximum recommended advertised ride-away price. Road Shiver Sport 750 ABS.......................... Oh so good .................................................... $14,000ra Tuono V4R APRC .................................. Upright sportsbike ........................................ $22,000ra RSV4 R APRC........................................ High tech, high spec ..................................... $24,000ra RSV4 R Factory APRC ABS ................. Racing black ................................................... $30,000ra Adv Touring Caponord Strada ................................. High-tech all-road traveller .......................... $20,000ra Caponord Touring ................................ Truly great all-rounder.................................. $23,000ra Caponord Rally..................................... The hardcore Capo ....................................... $24,000ra Scooters SR50R Carb SBK .................................. Biaggi replica .................................................... $4000ra SR MT 50 2T ......................................... Entry point .........................................................$2925ra SR MT 125 4T ....................................... Cheap commuting ........................................... $3900ra Scarabeo 200 ie.................................... Crisp performer ................................................ $5900ra SR Max 300 .......................................... Do it all .............................................................. $8000ra SRV 850 ATC ABS ................................ Large with the lot .......................................... $15,000ra

BENELLI

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road

BMW

www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

Road F 800 R................................................... Neat naked parallel-twin .......................... $13,100+orc

BN251 .................................................... Nice starter.............................................................$TBA BN302 .................................................... Italy’s reponse to the 300cc LAMS............. $5590+orc 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 .............................................. Mid-size sports-touring ............................... $8990+orc BN600GTS ............................................ LAMS model................................................. $8990+orc TNT 899 ................................................. Mid-sized entertainer ................................ $16,990+orc TNT 1130R ............................................. Naked dynamite ........................................ $22,690+orc Tre-K 1130.............................................. Out of the ordinary ................................... $18,490+orc Adv Touring

S 1000 R ................................................ Naked supermodel ................................... $19,290+orc S 1000 RR.............................................. Still the one to beat................................... $22,990+orc HP4 Competition.................................. For serious sports riders .......................... $32,450+orc R 1200 R ................................................ Now with liquid cooling ........................... $21,950+orc R 1200 R Sport ..................................... Naked and fit boxer .................................. $22,350+orc R 1200 R Exclusive............................... Naked and special boxer.......................... $22,350+orc R nineT .................................................. Simplicity with max style......................... $21,250+orc R 1200 RT .............................................. Have your cake and eat it......................... $30,790+orc K 1300 R ................................................ Evil Wulf...................................................... $21,990+orc K 1300 S ................................................ Autobahn eater ......................................... $23,990+orc K 1300 S Motorsport ........................... Flashy sports-tourer for 2015................... $28,990+orc K 1600 GT ............................................. Power touring ............................................ $35,990+orc

TRE-K Amazonas ................................. Be an individual ........................................ $19,690+orc

BIMOTA

■ Benelli’s TNT1130 has been removed from the line-up but the TNT1130R is still available at $22,690+orc

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

K 1600 GT Sport ................................... Luxury but lighter, sportier ...................... $36,490+orc K 1600 GTL ........................................... Euro luxury touring ...................................$37,590+orc

Road

K 1600 GTL Exclusive.......................... VIP ............................................................... $42,500+orc

BB3 ........................................................ 1000cc BMW, Italian flair.......................... $72,888+orc

Adv Touring

DB5R...................................................... Light and lovely sportsbike.......................$37,990+orc

G 650 GS ............................................... You’ll be surprised ....................................... $9990+orc

DB8 Oro Nero ....................................... Expensive excitement .............................. $84,990+orc

G 650 GS Sertao................................... Rough it or not .......................................... $10,990+orc

Tesi 3D Naked....................................... The full skeleton on show........................ $55,990+orc

F 700 GS................................................ Not really a 700 ......................................... $12,890+orc

DB9 ........................................................ Muscle streetfighter.................................. $44,990+orc

F 700 GS ............................................... Low suspension model ............................ $13,140+orc

DB9S...................................................... Sharper on the street................................ $46,990+orc

F 800 GS................................................ Great adv tourer ........................................ $16,690+orc

DB10 ...................................................... Sharp style ..................................................$37,290+orc

F 800 GS................................................ Low suspension model ............................ $16,940+orc

DB11....................................................... Testastretta 11 at last................................. $56,990+orc

F 800 GS Adventure ............................ Go further................................................... $18,650+orc F 800 GT ................................................ Dynamically designed .............................. $16,300+orc

132 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PRICE GUIDE R 1200 GS ............................................. All-road master........................................$21,950+orc

650TK..................................................... Bargain touring .......................................... $7749+orc

R 1200 GS Adventure .......................... Luxuriously roughing it..........................$24,550+orc

Cruiser

Scooter

V5 ........................................................... Where’s the engine? .................................. $4190+orc

C 600 Sport ........................................... Sporty maxi .............................................$13,990+orc

CONFEDERATE

C 600 Sport Special Edition ................ Here in October .......................................$15,090+orc C 650 GT................................................ Let’s tour! .................................................$14,990+orc C 650 GT Special Edition .................... Seat heating.............................................$16,665+orc C 650 GT SE LS .................................... Low suspension model ..........................$16,465+orc

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser R131 Fighter ......................................... Heavyweight champ ...........................................$TBA X132 Hellcat.......................................... Badass ......................................................$79,990+orc X132 Hellcat Combat........................... American war machine ..........................$94,990+orc X135 Wraith .......................................... Available soon .....................................................$TBA R135 Wraith Combat............................ American firepower............................................$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 Ducati Scrambler Icon (Ducati Red) .. Entry-level ................................................$12,990+orc Ducati Scrambler Icon (’62 Yellow) .... As above but yellower............................ $13,140+orc Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro ....... For the burbs and backroads .................$14,990+orc

■ Bimota has revised its range and the only DB8 model left is the Oro Nero $84,990+orc

Ducati Scrambler Classic .................... Living in the ’70s .....................................$14,990+orc Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle ............ Flat track performer ................................$14,990+orc Monster 821 Dark ................................ The little beast steps up .........................$16,290+orc

BOLLINI

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

Monster 821 White............................... Angelic monster ......................................$16,990+orc

Road

Monster 821 Stripe .............................. Striped paint job.......................................$17,990+orc

Speed 200 ............................................. Economy ticket ..........................................$2290+orc

Streetfighter 848 .................................. Precision fighter, special price...............$18,990+orc

Cruiser

Panigale 899 Red.................................. Smaller, sweeter superbike ................... $19,990+orc

Retro 200............................................... New releas ...........................................................$TBA

Panigale 899 ......................................... In white.....................................................$20,490+orc

CAN-AM (BRP)

www.brp.com

Road

Hypermotard ....................................... In black.......................................................$17,290+orc Hypermotard SP .................................. With tricked-up suspension ...................$21,490+orc

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

Hypermotard Red ................................ A hooligan on wheels.............................$16,990+orc

www.cfmoto.com.au

Hyperstrada .......................................... Manners & madness ...............................$17,990+orc Monster 1200 ....................................... Original 1200 ........................................... $19,990+orc Monster 1200 ....................................... With stripes — order only ......................$25,490+orc Monster 1200 S Red ............................ With better bits ........................................$24,290+orc Monster 1200 S .................................... In white.....................................................$24,490+orc Panigale 1199 ABS................................ Updated 2014 Model ..............................$26,990+orc Panigale S ABS..................................... Electronic Öhlins!....................................$33,990+orc Panigale R ABS..................................... Race passion............................................$45,990+orc

Road

Cruiser

VNight ................................................... Great learner...............................................$2690+orc

Diavel .................................................... A true power-cruiser ...............................$24,490+orc

Jetmax 250 ........................................... Freeway capable scooter .......................... $4190+orc

Diavel Red ............................................. The devil on your shoulder ...................$24,990+orc

Leader.................................................... Not fussy ..................................................... $2190+orc

Diavel Carbon Red ............................... Deal with the devil ..................................$30,290+orc

650NK .................................................... May ruffle some feathers..........................$6290+orc

Diavel Carbon White............................ An angel in disguise? .............................$30,490+orc Diavel Titanium .................................... Harder than steel.....................................$39,990+orc Adv Touring

■ BMW is hoping for a July arrival for its new adventure sports model, the S1000XR. Price has not been fixed but is expected to be similar to the S1000RR

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 Peak ........... 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 .......................................$23,490+orc 1190AX................................................... The adventurous one .........................................$TBA

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

www.harley-davidson.com

All H-D prices are ride-away. Cruiser XG500 Street 500................................. Learner legal ................................................... $9995ra

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 133

PRICE GUIDE XL883L SuperLow ............................... For the shorties...............................................$14,750ra

VFR800 .................................................. Tried and true package ............................. $14,699+orc

XL883N Iron 883 ................................. Iron tough .......................................................$14,995ra

VFR800X Crossrunner......................... Sports-tourer goes all-rounder ............... $14,599+orc

XL1200C Custom ................................. Customary show off ......................................$18,750ra

CBR1000RR........................................... Ride what Casey rides .............................. $15,899+orc

XL1200X Forty-Eight............................ Retro cool ........................................................$18,995ra

CBR1000RR ABS .................................. Blade with braking backup ...................... $16,899+orc

XL1200V Seventy-Two ........................ Vintage muscle...............................................$18,495ra

VFR1200F ABS ..................................... For the tech heads..................................... $16,999+orc

XL1200T Super Low ............................ Cool little tourer..............................................$19,250ra

GL1800B F6B ........................................ Stripped Wing............................................ $25,199+orc

VRSCDX Night Rod Special................ Drag bike ......................................................... $27,250ra

GL1800 Goldwing Luxury................... The ultimate luxury tourer ....................... $35,799+orc

VRSCF Muscle ...................................... Muscle me ..................................................... $26,995ra

Cruiser

FXDB Street Bob .................................. Versatile.......................................................... $22,495ra

VT400 .................................................... Classic-styled LAM ...................................... $9399+orc

FXDBB Street Bob Special.................. Street smarts ................................................. $23,995ra

CTX700N ABS ...................................... A bike for everything ....................................$9199+orc

FXDL Low Rider ................................... Not laying low ............................................... $23,495ra

VT750C Shadow .................................. Classic appeal .............................................$11,749+orc

FXDWG Wide Glide ............................. Let your hair hang down.............................. $24,995ra

CTX1300................................................ V4 cruiser with unique style .................... $18,499+orc

FXDF Fat Bob........................................ Lay off the burgers, Bob! ............................. $25,495ra

VT1300CX Fury .................................... Chopped dragster ..................................... $15,599+orc

FLD Dyna Switchback .......................... Dress up, dress down................................... $26,250ra

GL1800C F6C Valkyrie ......................... Valkyrie returns with muscle ................... $20,199+orc

FLS Softail Slim.................................... Slim, yet PH fat! ............................................ $26,250ra

Adv Touring

FXST Softail Standard......................... The original ride ............................................. $27,250ra

CB500X ABS ......................................... Adventure sports ......................................... $7599+orc

FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo............................... Low bruiser .................................................... $28,750ra

VFR1200X Crosstourer ABS ............... Smooth and comfy all-roader .................. $17,499+orc

FLSTF Fat Boy ...................................... Big bruiser...................................................... $28,995ra

Scooter

FLSTN Softail Deluxe .......................... Classy dude ................................................... $28,995ra

Dio 110 ................................................... New kid in town ........................................... $2549+orc

FLSTNSE CVO Softail Deluxe ............. 110ci, LEDs plus ............................................. $44,995ra

PCX150 .................................................. Stylish and practical .....................................$4199+orc

FXSB Breakout ..................................... Urban street styling ...................................... $29,495ra

NSS300 Forza ....................................... Sporty and flexible....................................... $6999+orc

FLSTC Heritage S’tail Classic ............. Visually beautiful........................................... $29,995ra

NC700D Integra.................................... Motorcycle or scooter? .............................$11,199+orc

FLHRC Road King Classic ................... Be the king ..................................................... $32,495ra FLHXS Street Glide Special ................ The original bagger ..................................... $34,995ra FLHXSE CVO Street Glide................... 110ci ripper ..................................................... $46,995ra FLTRXS Road Glide Special................ Dynamic, fixed-fairing tourer ...................... $34,495ra FLTRXSE CVO Rd Glide Ultra ............. Maybe H-D’s best tourer .............................. $48,995ra FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra Ltd ............ Works burger .................................................. $37,995ra FLHTKSE CVO Ultra Ltd ...................... 110ci mega-tourer.......................................... $50,995ra

HONDA

www.honda.com.au

■ Honda is the latest to reduce pricing of its 300cc model in response to the constant new-model releases and competitiveness in the market. The CBR300R is $600 cheaper at $4999+orc

Road CB125E .................................................. Cheap commuter ........................................ $2199+orc CB300FA................................................ 250cc weight, 300cc power ........................ $5699+orc CBR300.................................................. Big H attacks the Ninja 300 ........................ $4999+orc CBR300 ABS ......................................... The anti-lock brake option .......................... $5499+orc CBR300R ............................................... Special edition ............................................. $5199+orc CBR300R ............................................... Special edition ABS .................................... $5699+orc

■ Honda’s iconic Goldwing is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, Honda has released two new special-edition models, Valkyrie SE and F6B SE. Both models have new paint jobs and 40th anniversary badging. You can pick up the 2015 SE Valkyrie for $20,199+orc or the pictured SE F6B for $36,299+orc

CB400A ABS ........................................ Bulletproof ..................................................$11,199+orc CBR500R ............................................... Sporty little twin ............................................$7499+orc

HYOSUNG

CBR500R ABS....................................... ABS option.................................................... $7799+orc

Road

CB500F ABS.......................................... Sweet as .........................................................$7499+orc

GT250 .................................................... Great beginner ............................................. $2990+orc

CB650F ABS.......................................... New naked four............................................ $9999+orc

GT650 .................................................... Naked value and style ..................................$5190+orc

CBR600RR............................................. Versatile supersport.................................. $14,390+orc

GT650R.................................................. Easy, sporty, affordable ............................... $5490+orc

CBR650F ABS ....................................... Mid-ranger with torque ............................ $10,599+orc

Cruiser

CTX700DA ............................................ Dual Clutch Transmission ......................... $10,899+orc

GV250 Aquila........................................ Little cutie ...................................................... $3990+orc

NC750SA ABS ...................................... The most practical naked bike?.................. $8899+orc

GV650C Aquila Classic ........................ LAMS value .................................................. $6490+orc

134 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

www.hyosung.com.au

PRICE GUIDE INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

www.indianmotorcycle.com.au

Cruiser

Cruiser 250............................................ Learner’s ride ..............................................$3999+orc

Scout ..................................................... Sportster meets V-Rod? ...............................$17,995ra

MEGELLI

Chief ...................................................... Leading the tribe back! ............................... $28,995ra

Road

Chief Vintage ........................................ Signature heritage aesthetic ..................... $31,495ra

250S ....................................................... Nice looker ..................................................$4250+orc

Chieftain ................................................ First Indian tourer/bagger .......................... $35,995ra

250R ....................................................... Italian styling ..............................................$4850+orc

Roadmaster .......................................... Full-dress tourer .......................................... $38,995ra

250SE..................................................... Sportsbike handling ..................................$5650+orc

MOTO GUZZI KAWASAKI

www.kawasaki.com.au

www.megelli.com

www.motoguzzi.com.au

Moto Guzzi prices are maximum recommended advertised ride-away price.

Road

Z300 ABS .............................................. Ninja turned streetfighter .........................$5999+orc

V7 Stone II............................................. Minimalist retro...........................................$14,000ra

Ninja 300 ............................................... Even better again!...................................... $6199+orc

V7 Special II .......................................... Faithful to the original V7 ........................... $14,500ra

Ninja 300 SE ......................................... Tastes like lime ...........................................$6399+orc

V7 Racer SE .......................................... Limited edition marvel ...............................$16,000ra

Ninja 300 SE ABS................................. 30th Anniversary edition...........................$6899+orc

1200 Sport 4V SE ................................. Grunter ......................................................... $19,400ra

ER-6n/nL ABS ....................................... Quirky ..........................................................$9999+orc

Griso 1200 8V ....................................... Grand slam ..................................................$21,500ra

Ninja 650/L ABS ................................... Mid-sized gem ......................................... $10,499+orc

Cruiser

Ninja ZX-6R (599) ................................. Striking .....................................................$14,999+orc

California 1400 Custom....................... Kalifornia attitude........................................$23,000ra

Ninja ZX-6R ABS (636) SE .................. Bigger, gruntier, prettier .........................$16,649+orc

California 1400 Touring........................ All a Cali should be .....................................$26,000ra

Z800 ABS .............................................. Sharper.....................................................$12,999+orc

Adv Touring

W800SE................................................. Nostalgic, relaxed cruising ....................$12,499+orc

Stelvio 1200 8V NTX ABS ................... Big brute.......................................................$23,500ra

Z1000 ABS SE....................................... Special edition .........................................$16,799+orc Ninja 1000 ABS ................................... A sword with soul ...................................$16,999+orc Ninja ZX-10R ........................................ Non-ABS 30th Anniv model ..................$18,999+orc Ninja ZX-10R ABS ................................ 30th Anniversary model.........................$20,699+orc 1400GTR ABS ....................................... Transcontinental......................................$24,999+orc

■ MV Agusta is the latest acquisition for distribution company Urban Moto Imports. UMI has been rapidly growing over the last 24 months and already had Benelli, Bimota, Confederate, EBR, Royal Enfield and Viper as part of its brand list. With the change in Aussie ownership there have been some price changes, mostly in the buyers’ favour, as well as the release of a few new models. The Brutale 1090RR Corsa has had its price dropped to $27,990

Ninja ZX-14R ABS SE .......................... Special edition .........................................$20,299+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS SE Öhlins .............. Öhlins, white, gold, scorching ...............$21,799+orc Cruiser Vulcan 900 Classic SE ......................... Classically glamorous ............................$12,499+orc Vulcan 1700 Classic ABS..................... Great blank canvas ................................. $19,999+orc Vulcan 1700 Nomad ABS.................... Add a bit of bling.....................................$22,999+orc Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS................... Go to the dark side..................................$24,499+orc Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS................... Plush ride .................................................$24,499+orc Adv Touring KLR650 .................................................. Bargain with a capital B ............................$8099+orc Versys 650 ABS .................................... Appealing all-rounder ...............................$9999+orc Versys 650L ABS .................................. LAMS model...............................................$9999+orc Versys 1000 .......................................... Bitumen burner .......................................$15,999+orc

KTM

www.ktm.com.au

Road 390 Duke ............................................... Ninja beater? .............................................. $7495+orc

MV AGUSTA

390 RC ................................................... All new available soon ..............................$8295+orc

All MV Agusta prices are ride-away.

690 Duke R ............................................ The sportier motard................................$14,495+orc

Road

1190 RC8 R ............................................ The orange flash .....................................$25,995+orc

Brutale 675 EAS ................................... Bit of oomph at a good price..................... $15,799ra

1290 Super Duke R .............................. Ballsy streetfighter ..................................$24,995+orc

F3 675 .................................................... Sweet ............................................................ $18,699ra

Adv Touring

Brutale 800 EAS ................................... More power ..................................................$17,699ra

690 Enduro R ........................................ Extreme riders only ................................$14,695+orc

Brutale 800 RR...................................... More power, more handling ..................... $19,999ra

1050 Adventure .................................... Adventure stripped bare .........................$17,995+orc

F3 800 .................................................... Track performance ...................................... $19,999ra

1190 Adventure..................................... High-tech adventurer ..............................$23,995+orc

Stradale 800 ......................................... An all-round MV .......................................... $19,999ra

1190 Adventure R ................................. Add more adventure ..............................$24,995+orc

Turismo Veloce 800.............................. All-roader, coming soon ....................................$TBA

1290 Super Adventure ........................ The ultimate Adventure .........................$26,995+orc

Turismo Veloca 800 Lusso .................. Up-spec all-roader, coming soon......................$TBA

KYMCO

Brutale 800 Dragster ........................... Nanananana Batman! ................................ $20,499ra

www.kymco.com.au

www.mvagustaimports.com.au

Road

Brutale 800 Dragster RR ..................... Batman meets Gucci .................................. $22,999ra

CK 125 ................................................... No nonsense...............................................$2495+orc

F4 1000 .................................................. Beauty and the beast within ...................... $24,499ra

Cruiser

F4 1000 RR ............................................ Exotic weapon ............................................. $33,999ra

Venox 250 ............................................. Value and looks .......................................... $6199+orc

Brutale 1090 .......................................... More charm ..................................................$17,990ra

Scooter

Brutale RR 1090 .................................... Unleash the brute within ........................... $22,990ra

Like 125 ................................................. Fall in love ...................................................$2995+orc

Brutale 1090 Corsa............................... Top jock..........................................................$27,990ra

Super 8 125........................................... Cool jigger...................................................$2895+orc

PGO

Espresso 150 ........................................ I’ll take a double shot ................................ $3199+orc

Scooter

Like 200 ................................................. Classic performer .......................................$3495+orc

Ligero 50 ............................................... Good, little package ................................... $1990+orc

People GT300i ...................................... For the people ............................................$6345+orc

Ligero 150 ............................................. Good, small package .................................$3290+orc

Downtown 300i ABS ........................... All-rounder with ABS................................. $7495+orc

X-Hot ..................................................... It’s a hottie ...................................................$3990+orc

LARO

Gmax ..................................................... Go to the max.............................................$4700+orc

www.laro.com.au

Road

PIAGGIO

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

www.piaggio.com.au

V Retro 250 ........................................... DT250 clone ................................................$2990+orc AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 135

PRICE GUIDE Liberty 150ie ......................................... Big wheel freedom .......................................$4190+orc

Symphony 150 ..................................... Sporty big wheeler ...................................... $3399+orc

Beverly 350 ........................................... Higher performance .................................... $8690+orc

HD Evo 200 ........................................... Whacko! .........................................................$5199+orc

Yourban 300 ......................................... Leaning three-wheeler ............................. $10,290+orc

CityCom 300i ........................................ Practical and competitive............................ $6099+orc

X10 500...................................................Big features .................................................

Firenze 300............................................ Full of features...............................................$6199+orc

$11,990+orc

MaxSym 400i ....................................... Ride-away price............................................ $8449+orc

ROYAL ENFIELD

www.royalenﬁeldaustralia.com

TGB

www.tgbscooters.com.au

Road

Scooter

B5 Bullet 500 ........................................ Fire your guns .............................................. $7250+orc

Bellavita 125 ......................................... Very chic ........................................................ $3990+orc

C5 Classic/Military ............................... Individual style ............................................. $7550+orc

X-Race 150 ............................................ You’ll need knee sliders .............................. $2590+orc

C5 Chrome ............................................ Lots of eye candy ......................................... $7750+orc ■ Suzuki’s Boulevard C50T is now $2000 cheaper at only $10,990+orc

Bullet 150 .............................................. Small-calibre projectile ............................... $3390+orc Xmotion 300 ......................................... Smooth mover ............................................. $4990+orc Bellavita 300i ........................................ Very chic, and bigger ................................... $5490+orc

TORINO

www.torinomotorcycles.com.au

Torino ride-away prices are mostly Sydney-based and may vary elsewhere. Cruiser Veloce 250 ............................................. American styled ................................................$4695ra Titan 250 ............................................... Chop chop ..............................................................$TBA Scooter Galetta Retro......................................... Plenty of features ..............................................$2195ra Aero Sport ............................................ Cut the wind ......................................................$2195ra Famosa ................................................. City chic ..............................................................$2395ra Messina Classic.................................... New retro (Vespa) beauty ................................$3495ra

TRIUMPH

www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Road Street Triple 660 LAMS ........................ Learner-legal thrills ................................... $12,490+orc GT Continental ..................................... Cafe racer like used to be............................ $8250+orc

SUZUKI

www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au

Road

Street Triple 675 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

Inazuma 250 ......................................... Let your inner zoomer out .......................... $5490+orc TU250XL3 ............................................. Retro learner ................................................. $5490+orc DR-Z400SM .......................................... Everyday motard ......................................... $8990+orc SFV650/LAMS ...................................... Commuting and fun duties......................... $9990+orc GSX650F/LAMS ................................... Silky smooth.............................................. $10,490+orc GSX-R600 ............................................. Angry bee................................................... $14,990+orc GSR750 ................................................. Naked cracker ............................................ $10,790+orc GSX-R750 ............................................. The legend continues ............................... $15,990+orc GSX-R1000 ........................................... Even lighter and faster ............................. $18,490+orc GSX-S1000 ........................................... Naked superbike for 2015 ....................................$TBA GSX-S1000F ......................................... 2015’s new super-tourer .......................................$TBA 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

Bonneville ............................................. Tradition reborn ........................................ $12,490+orc Bonneville ............................................. Two tone..................................................... $12,990+orc Bonneville T100 Black .......................... Livin’ in the ’70s ........................................ $12,490+orc Bonneville T100 A2............................... Nostalgia rules .......................................... $14,250+orc Bonneville T100 SE .............................. Special edition ........................................... $14,990+orc Bonneville Newchurch SE .................. April 2015 ................................................... $12,990+orc Bonneville T214 Land Speed LE ......... Coming soon ............................................. $14,490+orc Bonneville Spirit SE............................. April 2015 ................................................... $13,990+orc Scrambler ............................................. Dirt track racer ........................................... $14,390+orc Scramber .............................................. Two tone.................................................... $14,990+orc Thruxton ............................................... To the café! ................................................ $14,390+orc Thruxton Ace SE .................................. Ace Café special edition ........................... $14,990+orc Speed Triple ABS.................................. It’s a gem .................................................... $16,990+orc Speed Triple R ABS .............................. Sex on wheels .......................................... $19,990+orc Street Triple RX SE ............................... Inspired by the Daytona 675.................... $14,990+orc

Cruiser

Sprint GT............................................... All world capabilities ................................ $15,990+orc

VL250 Intruder...................................... Bang that drum ............................................ $6690+orc LS650 Boulevard S40 .......................... Big single cylinder ....................................... $7990+orc VL800 C50T........................................... All-new class.............................................. $10,990+orc VL1500 C90T......................................... Bad boy ....................................................... $17,490+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 Adv Touring

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 ..................................... $19,990+orc Thunderbird ABS TT ............................ Two-tone paint ...............................................$19,990ra Thunderbird Storm ABS ..................... Thunderous ............................................... $20,990+orc Thunderbird ABS HAZE ...................... Shine........................................................... $21,990+orc

DL650 V-Strom ..................................... Deservedly a big seller ............................. $10,290+orc DL650 V-Strom LAMS ......................... Learner approved model ..........................$11,290+orc DL650 V-Strom XT................................ Re-styled and updated for 2015 ...............$11,490+orc DL650 V-Strom XT LAMS.................... Learner approved...................................... $10,990+orc DL1000 V-Strom ................................... Powerfully competent .............................. $15,490+orc Scooter

Thunderbird Commander .................. The bigger, tougher T-bird ........................ $21,490+orc Thunderbird Commander TT.............. Two-tone paint .......................................... $21,990+orc Thunderbird LT..................................... T-bird goes touring.................................... $23,490+orc Thunderbird LT TT................................ Two-tone paint .......................................... $23,990+orc Rocket III Roadster ABS....................... What’s not to love about 2300cc? ........... $22,490+orc Rocket III Touring ABS.......................... Reasonably easy to ride ........................... $23,990+orc

UK110 Address ..................................... New city slicker ............................................ $2490+orc AN200A Burgman 200 ABS ............... The smallest city burger ............................. $5490+orc AN650A Burgman ABS ....................... A maxi to tour on ...................................... $13,590+orc

SYM

Street Triple 675 ABS ........................... Streets ahead............................................. $12,990+orc

www.scoota.com.au

Adv Touring Tiger 800 XR ......................................... Great all-rounder....................................... $15,090+orc Tiger 800 XRx....................................... Hi-tech all-rounder ...................................... 16,590+orc Tiger 800 XC ......................................... The more hardcore Tiger.......................... $16,590+orc

Scooter

Tiger 800 XCx....................................... Hi-tech and hardcore ................................. $17,690+orc

Classic 150 ............................................ Noble ride ......................................................$3199+orc

Tiger 1050 Sport ABS .......................... More growl for the road........................... $15,990+orc

VS 150 ................................................... Branch away ................................................. $3549+orc

Tiger Explorer 1200 ............................. True adventure-tourer .............................. $20,490+orc

136 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PRICE GUIDE 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 ................................$9999+orc MT-07 ..................................................... Learner legal thriller...................................$8999+orc FZ8N ...................................................... Hot all-rounder ........................................$12,990+orc FZ8S....................................................... Enjoy the road and corners ...................$13,990+orc MT-09 ..................................................... Three-cylinder thriller ............................. $11,299+orc MT-09 ABS ............................................ ABS option............................................... $11,799+orc MT-09 Tracer .......................................... Loony tours! ............................................$14,999+orc TDM900................................................. Mixed-up marvel.....................................$13,599+orc FZ1N ...................................................... Ready for anything .................................$15,699+orc FZ1S....................................................... With protection........................................$16,499+orc YZF-R1 ................................................... Discounted 2014 model..........................$16,999+orc XJR1300 ................................................ Refined cool .............................................$13,999+orc FJR1300A Touring Edition ................... Police-spec tourer ...................................$23,999+orc

■ Unique American motorcycle brand Confederate, imported through Urban Moto Imports, has announced the impending release of a new model, the R131 Fighter. Price and exact release date are yet to be announced

FJR1300A .............................................. Sophisticated, sporty tourer ..................$24,999+orc FJR1300E ............................................... Electronic suspension ............................$26,999+orc Cruiser

Tiger Explorer Wire Wheels ................ The tougher version ...............................$20,990+orc

XV250 Virago ........................................ Great small package ..................................$6499+orc

URAL

XVS650 Custom ................................... Popular custom ....................................... $10,499+orc

www.imz-ural.com.au

XVS650A Classic.................................. And as a classic ....................................... $10,990+orc

Road T ............................................................. Cult status outfit ......................................$18,500+orc

XVS950CU Bolt .................................... A younger, hipper cruiser ...................... $11,999+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

XVS950A ............................................... Mighty mid-ranger..................................$13,999+orc

www.vespa.com.au

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 ...........................$14,999+orc XVS1300 Stryker Special .................... Matte grey ................................................$15,299+orc XV1900A Roadliner ............................. Art Deco piece .........................................$21,499+orc

Scooter

XV1900AT Star Tourer ......................... Art with flair .............................................$24,099+orc

Primavera LX125 3-Valve .................... For the designer in you .............................$5590+orc

VMAX .................................................... Big, angry animal ....................................$31,299+orc

Primavera LX150 3-Valve .................... With a bit more oomph .............................$6290+orc

Adv Touring

PX150 .................................................... The purist’s ride ..........................................$6490+orc

XT250R .................................................. New fuel-injected model ...........................$6299+orc

Sprint 150ie 3V ..................................... Sporty looks ................................................$6590+orc

XT660R .................................................. Seamlessly good..................................... $11,499+orc

GTS150ie 3V ......................................... Practical .......................................................$6590+orc

XT660Z Ténéré ...................................... Freedom machine ....................................... $13,999ra

GTS250ie FL ......................................... Style in a great package ............................$7890+orc

XT1200Z Super Ténéré ........................ Leisurely rider.............................................. $19,990ra

GTS300 Super FL ABS ........................ Vroom vroom ............................................. $9190+orc

XT1200ZOE Super Ténéré ................... Outback edition .......................................$21,890+orc

GTS300 Super Sport FL ...................... Sportier style ..............................................$9490+orc

XT1200ZE Super Ténéré ...................... Electric suspension .................................$21,999+orc

946 Bellissima ...................................... Limited stock............................................$12,990+orc

Scooter

VICTORY

XC125 Vity ............................................. Your new friend ..........................................$2699+orc

www.victorymotorcycles.com.au

All Victory prices are ride-away.

YW125 ................................................... BW’s .............................................................$3399+orc

Cruiser

MW 125 Tricity ...................................... Three-wheeled leaner ...............................$4299+orc

Vegas 8 Ball .......................................... Sink the 8-ball .............................................. $19,995ra

TMAX 530 ............................................. Maxi now with LED lights etc ................$13,499+orc

High-Ball ............................................... Ol’ skool cool ............................................... $20,995ra

TMAX 530 Iron Max ............................ Mad maxi .................................................$13,999+orc

Hammer 8 Ball ..................................... Hammer that 8-ball ..................................... $21,995ra Judge..................................................... A younger Victory ....................................... $21,995ra Gunner .................................................. Very cool bobber ......................................... $20,995ra Hammer S............................................. Hammer it!................................................... $23,995ra Jackpot .................................................. Showroom custom ..................................... $24,995ra Boardwalk Black ................................... Cool classic in black .................................... $23,495ra Cross Country ...................................... Comfortable touring ....................................$27,495ra Cross Country Tour .............................. Ultra-comfortable touring .......................... $29,995ra Magnum ............................................... Cross country bling .................................... $29,995ra Vision Tour............................................. Space age looks .......................................... $31,995ra

VIPER

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser Black Diamond ..................................... 2500cc of raw grunt ................................$54,990+orc Diamondback ....................................... Cruising superpower ..............................$54,990+orc

YAMAHA

www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Road YZF-R15 V2.0 ......................................... New version 2.0 .........................................$4299+orc YZF-R3 ................................................... Race-replica for learners ....................................$TBA SR400 .................................................... The classic single is back! .........................$8999+orc

■ Check out the new Yamaha TMax 530, which was released earlier this year with new features such as standard ABS, redesigned front cowl, full LED dual headlights, new upside-down forks and plenty more. It’s selling for $13,499+orc AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 137

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TUNING SPECIALS People are like bikes — we’re not all standard STORY: STUART KING like sensible bikes — GS500s, VX800s, CT110s. Bikes too well rounded for a le er on the end. No, what you see is what you get. And that’s just why I don’t own one. Pertinently, I ride what’s called a “special”. It’s well a ired of course, so blends in fine, but examined closely some notice it is a li le different. “Is that normal?” Punter A questions aloud. Well, yes and no. Not for a GS500 but pre y normal on a “special”. Still, Punter B affirms to his mate that something’s “not quite right. There’s the deviation!” he extols. They’re quite articulate, those purists. It’s pertinent because those same statements may easily have been directed at me. I’m a bit of a “special” myself. For the most part I don’t function as expected of OEM equipment. Many modern bikes have a brain of some kind — an ECU. My own, it seems, got wired up by under-paid, under-skilled workers, long before anyone knew what QA stood for. Luckily, all the connections are there, just not always connecting the right things or in the right way. At times my brain is jammed in race mode when traction control is clearly required, or disastrously the ABS hasn’t cut in. Other times I’ve got no power whatsoever. If the statistics don’t lie (and statistically they shouldn’t) many of you will recognise one, more, or all of these quirks. But let me digress, if only because my ECU has a propensity for that also. Twentyodd years ago I was the dirt-poor but proud owner of a screaming RD350LC, a bike that seriously didn’t have a brain at all. It had suddenly developed a rear-end wobble to shame a Harlem hip hop party. Yet I didn’t call in the opinion of a mechanic or suspension specialist. Clearly it was shock-related, and being unable to afford a new unit I pulled the old and poked at it, because that’s what you do in such situations. Finding no visible faults, I refi ed it and hoped for the best. “Welcome back to Harlem,” offered the li le voice in my helmet. The test ride was not terrific. Truthfully, had I phoned a suspension specialist it is unlikely I would have offered up the one vital bit of information, even if pressed. You see, before the wobble had begun I had in fiscal desperation replaced my rear tyre with a retired one off my Guzzi. Apart from being old and three-quarters worn, it was maybe two sizes too wide. I knew it wasn’t right. Yet I would never have admi ed my action to a specialist. I recount this

145 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“Apart from being old and three-quarters worn, the tyre was maybe two sizes too wide. I knew it wasn’t right” moment because of course it came up again. Six years ago I ﬁnally visited my GP because I could no longer safely ignore consistent issues with my own handling. I was close to a crash of dramatic proportions. Only, once again, I failed to mention that tyre. “That tyre” in my case amounted to some dangerous impulses I hoped would disappear with a standard tune and maybe a bit of 98-octane fuel. I think you can imagine how that ended; let’s call it a high-side. These days our mates are encouraged to ask, “Are you OK?” The thing is, had one of my mates questioned that back tyre I would have snapped, “Of course it’s OK.” In fact, I would have argued the damn point. We’re complicated, us specials. You may not be as simple as a CT110, you may experience an occasional surge or ﬂat

spot (though you might still be a bloody good ride, we’ll just leave that alone). Yes, you too might just be a special. To the specialist your high state of tune is normal. It’s what they’re trained for. Finetuning the suspenders of a CT110 would seem to them pre y mundane. But for us specials the enthusiast technician is a ﬁne way to obtain peak performance. Fortunately, there’s a heap of specialists tuners, many with free phone hotlines. It’s a good call. But do yourself a favour, avoid that high-side, learn from my mistake and give them the full story. Oh, and go easy on those sensible bikes, they can’t help it. Need a tune-up? Try blackdogride.com.au, Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

LOOKING BACK MAKING HISTORY In the 1950s, motorcycle production ramped up in Europe’s former Axis countries a er Allied bans on it were li ed. The R51/3, 60/2 and 68 ﬂat-twins were BMW’s mainstays through an era of rapid development as the brand rebuilt from scratch a er WWII. Around this time, Puch built the legendary 250SGS that would have a long production run through to 1970. Brands like Zundapp, CZ, Jawa, Horex, Mondial and MZ also made names for themselves at the time. But the most signiﬁcant

brand during the immediate post-war era, in hindsight, was an Italian one from Bologna, and it wasn’t Ducati — it was FB Mondial. The FB stood for fratelli Boselli, or brothers Boselli. They were the makers who inspired Sochiro Honda to found his own motorcycle business. He was said to have been so motivated by the build quality of FB Mondials that he tried to buy the 1957 race bikes from Mondial Count Boselli so he could show his employees the quality they should aspire to. The race bikes were only going to sit idle in

1958 because Mondial, Gilera, MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi withdrew from racing. The Count gave a Mondial race bike to Honda and the rest, as they say, is history. At the same time, two 1957 250cc racers were sold to wealthy Stan Hailwood so his kid could have a go at racing on short circuits in England, without much success. Young Mike “The Bike” Hailwood would go on to be one of the most successful road racers of his era and, indeed, of history.

Riding Front

LOOKING FORWARD

Did you realise it’s 100 years since Aussie riders first started riding in exotic places all over the world? Next issue we’ll bring you a pictorial special on motorcycles at war as we mark the centenary of Anzac.

ISSUE #115 GOES ON SALE JUNE 18 Bucket List Remember the first bike you longed for, that helmet you could never afford, or the smell of a new wax cotton jacket? Well, here’s the new generation’s version of that.

The Small Adventure Good things come in small packages and better things come in bigger packages — like KTM’s “learner” 1050 Adventure. Smaller, lighter and more economical than its bigger brothers, the 1050 is an easy entry point to the world of big-bore adventure bikes.

Economy Expedition Take a rip-snorting 900cc nakedbike and throw on a fairing. Not a sports-tourer you say? Hardly. Yamaha’s MT-09 Tracer packs performance, handling and comfort into a nice-looking package at a price that is hard to beat. Is this the perfect sports-tourer?

On the Road Shortbread, single malts, kilts, Nessie, bagpipes, golf, and the Pretenders. Oh, and some of the world’s greatest riding roads, scenery and hospitality: that’s Scotland. We also head to the Ulysses AGM and rub elbows at the Honda ST owners’ club rally.

Not Forgetting All the other beaut stuff and regulars you expect to see in each and every issue of ARR. See you next month!

146 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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