Issue#136 2017 by Australian Road Rider Official

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CONTENTS#136 UPFRONT 12

Ténéré Tragics in Tasmania, and the people you meet at the track

BIKES TO RIDE 32 44 68 94

Honda CRF1000LA: The new Africa Twin Triumph Thunderbirds: New and old Yamaha R3: Small capacity, big fun Suzuki SV650 and Triumph Street Cup: The test of time

FEATURES 54 Joy Ride: Melbourne to Adelaide the fun way 60 A Trip to the Tip: Head north young man 100 Spanner Milne: Smashing the stereotype 106 South Korea: The road less travelled

GEAR ON TEST 78 Alpinestars Toucan Adventure boots, Touratech Aventuro Mod helmet, Berik 2.0 Force race suit 6 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

100

54 YARNS AND LAUGHS 8 28 30 82 129 130

Snagged: The tribes have spoken Seddo: Ducatisti Gregor: Latin lust Rixy’s Road: What’s in your bags Road Rider Garage: Show us your bikes Last Look: Looking back and looking forward

MONTHLY MAIL 24 26 110 114 118 124

Big Shot: Ducati Supersport in Spain Big Shot: Dust hustlin' Whatz New: a mixed bag of new stuﬀ Readers’ Rite: Your turn to talk Price Guide: New-bike news and prices Subscribe Here: And get ARR delivered to your door 126 Bike Supermarket: Products, services and other cool stuﬀ AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 7

SNAGGED

THE TRIBES HAVE SPOKEN GREG LEECH

i folks. This gig has me testing all genres of motorcycles. From LAMs li lies to 2.3-litre behemoths, from scooters to dualsports to full-on race reps. We get to ride and evaluate them all, and I never cease to recognise the privilege that represents. It’s ace. Another happy upshot is the fact that I get to mix with people who are enthusiasts across just about all the particular categories. From bearded and ta ed big blokes, to li le 125 racers, to mad dirtsters, to café racer lovers, and all the sub groups between — and there are many of those. I reckon they all have their good blokes and they all have a few dills. Just like life. What I ﬁnd amusing from time to time is hearing one group bag the other. Big adventure bike riders might have a crack at cafe guys, citing that they are Johnnycome-latelies; cafe guys will have a dip at big cruiser riders, saying they are dinosaurs who couldn’t ride out of sight on a dark night; the same cruiser mob will tell me that sportsbike riders are all hairdressers; dirt guys reckon that all roadies are so ; roadies will tell me that dirt guys are all too scared to ride on the road … it happens a fair bit. I usually don’t engage, but sometimes I do. Because the entire premise is insular and just damned silly. Motorcycling is broken into tribes, there can be no doubt about that, and each tribe has its idiosyncrasies and peccadillos. Riders will tell you that they are carefree and laid back, that what comes, comes. Actually, it’s a long way from the truth. My experience shows that motorcyclists are very o en quite conservative. Not politically, but

Vive la diﬀerence. Indeed. But are we taking it all a li le far?

8 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Motorcycling is broken into tribes, there can be no doubt about that, and each tribe has its idiosyncrasies and peccadillos more in their approach to life. A er all, they are still alive. And that, my friends, suggests a good deal of behavioural introspection. Ge ing a li le deep here, but stick with me. All that talk of individuality and freedom. Yep, both of those exist and are major catalysts to riding in the ﬁrst place. No argument there. But we all wear uniforms. “What?” I here you yelling. Well, sportsbike guys wear ﬂashy bright leather and new gear. They love a brand name and will be more than happy for you to notice their scratched sliders. Cruiser riders wouldn’t be seen dead in that gear. No, denim,

vests, black open-faced helmets and a healthy beard is the go for the rusted-ons there. Cafe guys are more likely to present in ‘50s-style goggles, a suitably agedlooking Brando jacket and shorty gloves. You ge ing the dri ? We are tribal. As I said, I mix with the lot of them. I have to. The good bit is that I’ve found we are all pre y well united in the one crucial thing that is o en overlooked. We love bikes, riding, and making a lifestyle of our hardware. Some like to fe le themselves, others leave it to the experts, but that element is indeed almost identical across the personalities.

Now and then I’ll pull someone up when they are having a go at another tribe, explaining what I’ve said above. We are very similar, just diﬀerent. Can you imagine what a political force we would be if we could just take a li le time to recognise our similarities? I won’t hold my breath there. I reckon we are indeed one group. Motorcyclists. And we should never forget what an absolute fortune of goodness that delivers us, regularly. Here’s to the bloody lot of you. See you on the road, Greg

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Australian Road Rider #136 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 KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd, Singapore. Retail distribution: Gordon and Gotch. 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 MMXVII ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au Please pass on or recycle this magazine.

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UPFRONT

NEWS FOR ROADRIDERS

r New v old Ténéré — there are many changes, but the spirit of adventure remains the same

TÉNÉRÉ TRAGICS Yamaha Ténéré riders lap the Apple Isle he recent Ténéré Tragic Tasmanian Devil Run saw a total of 75 Ténéré riders as they covered a lap of the island on dirt roads and byways. The five-day run spanned over 1800km and was completed on a range of machines — from the first 1983 XT600ZL Ténéré to the latest 1200 twins. “I stated at the welcome dinner that this year’s Tragics Run would be hard to top, and that’s just the way it played out,” enthused event organiser Andrew ‘Captain Tragic’ Clubb. “Conditions were perfect; there were no major incidents — just one bruised wrist and some none-too-serious panel damage — and every Tragic that started the run finished it.” MX legend Stephen Gall made his now

12 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Later models playing catch up with a classic Ténéré

annual run with the Tragics and kicked oﬀ event proceedings with an ADV Skills Training Session for the Tragics, before the evening’s oﬃcial welcome dinner at Launceston’s Country Club Casino resort.

Yamaha Yamalube Factory Racing team Dakar Rally racer Rodney Faggo er took time out from managing his Centretune Motorcycles Yamaha dealership in Longreach in central Queensland for a surprise visit to

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r Stopping off for a much-needed coffee break

r This XT600 has seen a lot of miles over the years

the event on the a ernoon of day three. Rod arrived at Lake Pedder Wilderness Resort in south-west Tasmania to take part in a special Q&A session with MX legend Stephen Gall. The Dakar Factory team member then rode with the Tragics for the ﬁnal two days of the run aboard an XT660Z Ténéré. “The event has become a pillar of our bLU cRU acitivities and a must-do event for anyone who owns a Dakar-inspired Yamaha,” says YMA brand manager and Tragic rider Peter Payne. “The camaraderie shown by this group of riders has to be experienced to really appreciate the fun to be had on these rides. Add in spectacular Tassie scenery and ﬁve days of sunshine and you have a recipe for motorcycling nirvana.” ARR 14 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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UPFRONT

r After five days and 1830km of Tasmanian two-wheeled joy, the Tragics rolled into Smithton eager to hear details of the 2018 event

TRAGIC AWARDS Most Kilometres Ridden to the Run Award WA’s Odin Cann had a lock on this category, riding his XT660Z Ténéré all the way from Perth to Tasmania, and then home again. His three-week transcontinental Ténéré tour de force should see him rack up almost 15,000km.

r Having fun on one of the island’s many gravel roads

r Jaw-dropping scenery and ideal motorcycle roads 16 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Hard Luck Award Queensland rider Keiron Jeffrey lost third gear in his XT660Z Ténéré on the a ernoon of day two of the run. He limped home some 70km to the next overnight stop at Port Arthur using just second gear. Word immediately spread via the Ténéré Tragics Facebook page seeking a Ténéré for sale in Tasmania that Keiron could purchase to continue the run. Multiple responses were received and ultimately Keiron was offered a loan Ténéré from a Ténéré enthusiast in Launceston. He was able to get his broken bike back to Launceston the next morning, climb aboard the loan Ténéré and rejoin the Tragics the next night at Lake Pedder to continue the run. Oldest Tragic Award At 65 years young, Victoria’s David ‘Beak’ Murray represents the timeless Ténéré spirit. A former Australian Safari, off-road and road-race competitor, Beak rides a 1983 XT600ZL Ténéré and travels light, rolling out his swag at each overnight stop and revelling in the camaraderie of his Ténéré brothers. Beak is a former Truly Tragic Award recipient.

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PHOTOS: RED GEORGE MEDIA very year, tens of thousands of road riders head to their own motorcycle racing heaven at Phillip Island. Riders of all bike sizes and models come from near and far to experience the ride, catch up with friends and, of course, watch the racing. ARR caught up with some of them trackside at the 2017 World Superbikes, known to many simply as the “the supers”.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 19

UPFRONT

THE GIXXER GIRL Sydney mother-of-two Tima Hraichie, 35, has been riding for six years and made her ﬁrst journey to Phillip Island. Tima rode her new Suzuki GSX-R 1175km to Phillip Island over two days, with a stop at Eden. The wedding stylist said that riding on the road was easy compared with organising weddings. “I’m a Gixxer girl at heart. I just love this bike — it’s a good all-rounder.”

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THE SPECIALIST When neurophysiologist Jane Richmond arrived at Phillip Island a er riding from northern New South Wales, she was certain her Benelli was the only one of its kind. Jane bought the Benelli 900 RS in England in about 2005, then brought it back with her a few years later when she returned to Australia. “When I was looking at the bike I was desperate to test ride it but no one would let me because I had an Australian licence. Eventually one dealer let me and I was sold! When I ﬁrst rode it I thought it was a rocket, but she’s a tough ride when you ride her slow.” Jane’s ﬁrst bike was a Honda 550 Super Sport, which she bought when she moved out of home at age 22.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 21

UPFRONT

THE NEWCOMERS Artist Kelly Greer, 44, and partner Peter Rassool made their ﬁrst trip to Phillip Island. Kelly, who designs and makes stained-glass windows, rode her Ducati Monster 696 from Melbourne for the weekend. Originally from New Zealand, the Monster is Kelly’s ﬁrst bike in Oz. A rider for more than 20 years, Kelly always had bikes in NZ. Peter, on a CBR500R, is a Honda enthusiast and is restoring a family heirloom — a 1969 classic.

NEVER SAY DIE! A week ago, Jan Kordonsky’s bike was still in a crate. At the dealer. Still wrapped in plastic. A few days later, Jan picked up the (now assembled) bike, packed her bag and headed south from her home in Brisbane. The 1600km trip to Victoria for the World Superbikes was the perfect opportunity to break in the 2017 Ninja Z1000. “I rode it in on the way down,” says Jan. The ﬁve-time island visitor rode with partner Len Sharp, both on their green machines. The Kawasaki enthusiasts were delighted with Jonathan Rea’s win in race one at the island. “It was a great result for him and the Kawasaki team,” says Jan.

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THE NEXT BIG THING Young gun Tom Toparis made his debut in the Australian Supersport category a er graduating from the 300cc series, where he finished runner-up last year. Tom rode the Kawasaki ZXR6 for Cube Racing in three races at Phillip Island, competing mid-field or be er on his first real hit-out. But he was cruelly taken out by another rider in the third race. The 16-year-old from Goulburn travelled 11 hours to the island with dad Richard and brother Sam. Even though it’s a helluva road trip, they figure Goulburn is central for Morgan Park, Phillip Island and Winton. Tom has been riding motocross since age four and only jumped on a road bike a year ago. “I learnt a lot last year, so it was really good,” he says. Many of his 300 series rivals have also gone up in class. “There are so many rookies in the 600s this year. The difference is obviously a lot more power. We’re hi ing 260km/h on the straight — it’s pre y crazy going into Turn 1!”

ON ALL FOURS Quad bikes are common around race tracks, especially with marshals and track staﬀ, but for Ray Layton, it’s his actual roadregistered transport. Ray, from Kongwak in Gippsland, Victoria, is a retired farmer and comes to every Superbikes and MotoGP event. His quad is a rare sight trackside among the spectators. Injuries mean that Ray can no longer ride on two wheels, but his mates join him on the island for a beer and a catch-up. It was nice to chat, but the boys were clearly focused on the track action.

THE SURVIVOR A er three heart a acks, Slavko Nikolovski relishes every moment on his road bike. “My bike keeps me alive and keeps me going,” he says. A er his last heart a ack, and just a few weeks into his recovery, Slavko came to the island for an event. His Repsol replica Honda CBR 929 has No 93 on the decals because he is an unashamed Marc Marquez fan. “Love the man,” he enthuses. Slavko comes down from Frankston, Victoria, and stays on the island with his mates.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 23

BIGSHOT Snag testing the all-new Ducati Supersport in Seville, Spain. Photo: Ducati

24 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

THE THINGS YOU SEE

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BIGSHOT Ellaspedeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dust Hustle events are dirt days for anyone to ride whatever rig they can throw a leg over! Dust Hustle is open to all the weird, wonderful and woefully unsuitable motorcycles that could possibly be ridden on the dirt. Photo: Alexander Woo en

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THE THINGS YOU SEE

Roadrider A U S T R A L I A N

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SEDDO

DUCATISTI GEOFF SEDDON

think of my Ducati 900 Supersport as my new bike, even though it’s more than 25 years old. It says something about the age of my other toys, but it does have 17in wheels and great brakes, so steers and stops like a modern motorcycle. It’s not particularly fast but is reliable and starts first time every time. Well, it did until a li le while ago. I turned the key one morning, hit the bu on, nothing. The ba ery was charged, ignition and neutral lights on. I jiggled the kill switch and some wires on the clip-on, still nothing. Where’s a kick-starter when you need one? I didn’t even know where the starter motor was until I dusted off the li le-used factory manual that came with the bike. “This part generally works without difficulties because of the reliability and the compactness of construction,” the manual boasted, which was just as well as it is located low within the crankcase castings and requires significant le -side engine dismantling to access. Oh joy. The manual advised to first check the external cables to the starter for tightness or oxidation, which on inspection were fine. If it were my old Holden, I would have grabbed a long insulated screwdriver to jump the terminals on the starter solenoid. The Ducati must have something similar. Sure enough, the wiring diagram coughed up what the manual called a remote starting switch, but it didn’t show where it was located, nor what it looked like. Defeated, I did what I normally do and parked it. I had a feeling the solution would be simple but I’d thought the same about my Norton going onto one cylinder, which ended up costing me an engine rebuild. I was due some luck and so it proved

28 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

HANGING OUT WITH LIKE-MINDED FOLK IS ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN many months later, when I finally got the Ducati to a mechanic, who knew both what the starter relay looked like and where to find it. He cleaned up the adjacent wires and Bob was my uncle for $50. Just give it a tap with a spanner if it happens again, he said. Of all my toys, the Ducati will be the last to go should circumstances change, and only then a er a fight. It’s as if someone designed a bike just for me; emotionally and physically, it fits like a glove and I’ve never tired of its looks or performance. We are so well matched; if it could talk we’d probably finish each other’s sentences. To celebrate our return as a couple, we headed down to Sydney Motorsport Park for a ride day commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Ducati Owners Club of NSW, which I briefly joined in the early 1980s on a different Super Sport. The club was riven with politics back then and I let my membership lapse, but it presents as a happy thriving ship these days. It was great to catch up with folk I hadn’t seen in decades, many still riding the same bikes, all to the soundtrack of desmodromic V-twins booming down the long GP straight. I’d spent the previous day giving the old girl some loving, which had it looking a thousand bucks from a distance but only highlighted its scars and wrinkles up close. I wondered if I should restore it one day, like so many others on display, but I like my bike’s patina. Along with the memories, it’s what makes it mine. A highlight for our crew was a visit to our pit from Troy Bayliss, who was keen to try out Harpo’s 1978 900SS for size. World champions don’t come any more approachable, nor more

r Troy Bayliss flat out on Harpo’s 900SS at Eastern Creek

“Of all my toys, the Ducati will be the last to go should circumstances change, and only then a er a ﬁght” enthusiastic about Ducatis. Harpo also got him to pose with his Panigale R, which he is trying to sell, only now “as ridden by Troy Bayliss”. It was a fun day. I enjoy hanging with Ducati people, which is lucky because there are a lot more of them these days. Some of my crusty old mates miss the time when Ducatis were an acquired taste and thin on the ground. They dismiss the new crowd on their Scramblers and Diavels as Johnnies-comelately, conveniently ignoring the fact they were once newbies themselves. They forget that

for crucial parts of its history, the company only survived on the generosity of the Italian government and could have folded at any turn. Now owned by Lamborghini as part of the VW group, Ducati is one of the most valuable brands on the planet and its future is assured. I could be talking about BMW, or Harley-Davidson, or a host of other manufacturers who ﬁre the passion. In my case, it’s Ducati, but it worries me not if your tastes lie elsewhere. Motorcycling would be a boring old world if we all rode the same bikes. ARR

GREGOR

LATIN LUST GREGOR REYNOLDS have only ever bought four bikes brand new in my life. All the rest have been purchased second-hand in private sales. I consider myself mechanically adept enough to pick a good’n from a lemon and I’ve never really had any unexpected problems. There are no guarantees, however, and in the end it’s basically a case of “you pays your money and you takes your chances”! I recently bought a Cagiva 750 Elefant and in the process I reckon I broke nearly every rule I have ever learned about buying bikes. Years of experience went out the window as I fell in lust with the svelte blue Italian. As soon as I saw her, I wanted her, and a er our test ride, I had to have her! The booming note of the Ducati V-twin was talking to me, so like a star-crossed lover, I ignored all the warning signs and dived headlong into a new relationship with “Ellie”. I had already noticed a few of Ellie’s foibles, like wooden brakes, rust spots on the front forks and a leaking seal, a dodgy front tyre and well-worn chain and sprockets. Instead of being put off, I was determined to rescue the classy Italian. The price was definitely right, so the plan was to fix a few things now and then dribble some dough into it over time to bring it right up to spec. It was a good plan. It just didn’t quite work out! I replaced the front tyre straight away, but then the Elefant stayed untouched in the shed for a few weeks while I was busy. I had a threeday ride planned with a few mates and the day was upon me before I’d had time to li a spanner. I could have pleaded “bike not ready” but I needed the break, so I did a quick oil and filter change and decided to tag along and use it as a “sorting” run. Big mistake! Day one was an easy run to Gloucester and the Cagiva ran well, giving me a good feel and boosting my confidence for the ride ahead. On day two I really gave the Elefant its head on Thunderbolts Way and the Oxley Highway, revving it hard and having a ball in the mountains. By the time we got back to Gingers Creek for the night, however, there were some slightly disturbing noises coming from the engine. It wasn’t real bad but by the time I’d nursed it home on day three, it sounded like the big-end was going to drop out. I took it to Robbo’s for the tear-down and we both knew where to look first. Pantah

THE PASSION OF ITALY OVERCOMES GREGOR …

30 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“As soon as I saw her, I wanted her, and a er our test ride, I had to have her!” engines have a habit of undoing the nut on the end of the cranksha on the timing side. They are fine from the factory, but once that nut has been disturbed it has to be tightened to massive torque with a ¾in drive socket and at least a four-foot extension pipe! Mine was very loose and the stator and rotor had been slopping around quite a bit. All this movement had munched the Woodruff keys and damaged the keyways on the crank. Even the spline was a bit worn, so a full tear-down was in order. Unfortunately the further we went, the more we found. The heads were looking tired, the rings were totally shot and the pistons were badly scuffed and worn. Even the Nikasil barrels had a lip worn into them. When I was washing the crankcases, yet another problem came to light. A rear engine mount on the cases was cracked, necessitating a trip to Dave Mawer for some

expert welding and machining. Amazingly I had a good spare cranksha that I had bought 30 years ago when I was racing, but never used. That got the parts search started and, a er a few calls to the Ducati old boys network, I tracked down the parts I needed to rebuild the engine. New pistons, rings, barrels, valves, big-end shells and assorted seals and gaskets were all purchased. So much for dribbling the money in slowly! The engine ﬁnally went together yesterday and it will be back in the frame shortly. I’m broke, but still happy that I will soon have a reborn engine to play with. Ellie has been nothing but high maintenance so far, and there is more to come, but I’m still hoping for a longterm relationship. She may not be the bargain I ﬁrst thought, and she may bleed me dry, but I still think she’s “the one” for me. GREGOR.

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS Big duallies are intimidating for many riders. There’s massive pressure for this bike to be better than good. That's a big ask. Let’s see how it stacks up in the real world

32 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 33

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

r When standing, the riding position feels just like a motocrosser

STORY: GREG LEECH PHOTOS: SPENCER LEECH nyone with any real interest in contemporary motorcycle history knows that Honda protects its model designations strongly. It understands, in a most non-typically Japanese way, that lineage of brand and heritage can sell motorcycles to a rusted-on audience, and bring conquest purchases to those who like the idea of being part of all that authenticity. In short, it’s gold for a producer. Get that wrong, though, and you can ruin a sure-fire showroom winner in one fell swoop. For a case in point, look no further than what Ford very nearly did when it waved its indifferent wand at the venerable Mustang in the ‘80s and ‘90s, producing woefully boring family blurters with the Pony grille badge in more of a weary trot than a wild gallop. The factory seems to have pulled that ou a the fire by the skin of its teeth in more recent times. Still, the point remains. Core

r Doesn't matter what bike you're on, riding on sand is tricky 34 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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r The monster CRF feels at home on the trail

values around a heritage designation must be adhered to, or the market may smell a rat and desert en masse. So when the all-new Africa Twin shoved its nose out of Kumamoto in 2016, the weight of expectation on its tall shoulders was significant. Could this thing be anywhere near as game-changing as the first incarnation, the XRV650 RD03 of 1988? Well, we did our darnedest to find out.

WHAT HAVE WE HERE? The Africa Twin arrives on our shores at three levels of price and appointment. There’s a tricky top-end beastie, the $17,999 CRF1000L DCT with a dual clutch transmission and ABS; the bo om-dog $15,499 CRF1000L, which rolls from the showroom missing traction control, ABS, handguards and bashplate; and the subject of our test, the middle-of-the-range 36 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r At the pub after a big day on the road

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

r The tubular crash bar protects the Honda’s vital components

r ABS is equipped as standard

r The exhaust crackles and pops like crazy on deceleration — we love it

“Now the new bike is here. And just like Ronald McDonald’s successor, it has big shoes to fill” CRF 1000LA, which gets all those bits but not the dual clutch setup. You’ll be taking $16,999 out of the Christmas Club account for this one. Got all that? While 998cc is a big capacity, the bike is no rocket ship. In fact, the numbers here are conservative at 94hp (70kW) at 7500rpm and the twist factor reading 98Nm at 6000rpm. A 270-degree phased cranksha gives the power delivery a distinct rorty note and character, while the bugbear of the parallel

r Switching between traction control modes is a cinch AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

THE AFRICA TWIN HISTORY AT A GLANCE … Way back in 1984, Honda set out to build a bike that could compete in long-distance overland races, including the infamous Paris-Dakar, which it won with the NXR750 in 1986. Interestingly, the bike was the ﬁrst liquid-cooled bike to take victory in the gruelling event. The bike went on to dominate proceedings for the next four years. Making use of the knowledge gained in long-distance racing, Honda designed a production version and on May 20, 1988, the Africa Twin XRV650 RD03 was launched. It was presented in the same race colours as the NXR750. The Africa Twin sensation was born and Honda continued to develop the design until 2003. Now the new bike is here. And just like Ronald McDonald’s successor, it has big shoes to ﬁll.

r With the traction control engaged, this kind of behaviour is near impossible

38 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

twin layout is nicely ironed out due to primary balance sha s all but cancelling vibration. I would have liked a bit more, especially with the traction control switched to “off ” (which is nicely part of the deal), just to send big, fat rooster tails skyward and leave big snakies up a dirt road from standstill. Come on, who doesn’t like that? There are four levels of control to choose from: the “Honda Selectable Torque Control”: Level 1, 2, 3 and “off ”. The degree of intervention decreases as the levels rise, allowing increasing amounts of rear wheelspin. In short there is a mode to suit just about every situation and rider, and this feature would see me opt for this model over the cooking offering. Traction control is a big plus for me on any bike and the extra quid is well worth it here ($1500 more with those aforementioned goodies as well). Of course, for dirt operation you can turn off the ABS system for the rear brake. All that said, there’s enough oomph to entertain, and it’s possible to get the thing rolling quite quickly indeed. Just don’t expect mind-blowing engine performance — it simply ain’t there. The gearbox is sweet, using the same shi -cam design as found on the CRF250R / CRF450R, and there’s a slipper clutch. It’s slick and reassuring and, importantly, works easily

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ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

r The long seat-to-peg relationship makes for relaxed long-range running

“There can be no doubt you’ll be a better road rider after you master a duallie in light off-road going. Guaranteed” in a standing position. The narrow nature of the tank and seat also aid in this, allowing the knees to grip the tank and take weight off the hands, which holds off the dreaded arm-pump that some duallies bring on. Fully adjustable Showa suspension is matched to a double cradle frame, wheels are 21/18in with 310mm “wave”-style floating front discs and radially mounted four-piston Nissin calipers. Dunlop 90/90-21 and 150/70-18 tyres provide decent all-round performance. In Honda fashion, it’s a very ergonomically sound bike, with a long seat-to-peg relationship, making for relaxed long-range running. Bad news is, the pillion seat is not so 40 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA TWIN

r With road tyres equipped, it’s hard to keep the power down in the dirt

“So … there’s a lot to like here. For a bloke of my size, a lot of the biggest duallies are simply too cumbersome, especially at low speed” forgiving. There isn’t much padding there and again, it’s narrow. A big pillion, like my 191cm son Gus, will mention numb bum in pre y short order. In the cockpit, there is a now standard fare digital console arrangement. Tons of info is on display, arguably too much in fact. Trying to discern and process all the numbers and symbols while in sunglasses, travelling at a fair clip, becomes a chore. Of course, if you lived with it, you’d get to know what is what and it may well become second nature. It didn’t over my test period. 42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

MUDLARK We got the chance to toss this thing through the fallout of an unseasonal monsoon on the west coast of Victoria — the ideal conditions to ﬁnd out just how the tallish bike handles slippery stuﬀ. This type of running reveals much about a supposed dual-sport bike, with the sort of quick lateral transitions of weight that slick conditions engender, tending to place both the pilot and the plot on the deck very quickly. With the improbability of a rider using the gas to li the nose out with power momentum, a frontend slide pitches weight to one side and, hey

presto, you are hi ing more terra firma than you would like. Happens all the time. This is a strong suit for the Africa Twin. Make no mistake, it can only wish to show the sort of handling its similarly monikered li le brother CRF250X traillie does in real dirty conditions, but the narrow stature of the parallel-twin layout allows the rider to get up and over the front end, offering those of quick reactions to anticipate a slide early and to shi weight using engine/brake inputs to counter. Yes, that big 21in front wheel pulls the bike through rough stuff well, and you’ve got a chance to steer through greasy stuff that bigger duallie owners can only envy. Big plus, right there. The suspension allows for a slide to be held, and it’s just an absolute ball tossing it on its side and holding it there on the gas. There be dragons here for young players, but it’s all

SPECIFICATIONS HONDA AFRICA TWIN ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke SOHC, eight-valve parallel-twin with 270-degree crank Capacity: 998cc Bore x stroke: 92.0mm x 75.1mm Engine management: Electronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 94hp (70kW) at 7500rpm Claimed maximum torque: 98Nm at 6000rpm TRANSMISSION Type: Six-speed Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet, multiplate or DCT with on and oﬀ riding modes CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame: Steel semi-double cradle Front suspension: 45mm upside-down forks, fully adjustable, 230mm travel Rear suspension: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 220mm travel Front brakes: 310mm wave discs with radial four-piston calipers and sintered metal pads, ABS standard on CRF1000LA and CRF1000DCT Rear brake: 256mm wave disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS standard on CRF1000LA and CRF1000DCT Tyres: Front 90/90-21, rear 150/70-18

predictable and relaxed. That’s the beauty of a well-sorted duallie — you can have some real sideways fun while keeping the whole ship well under control. There’s no doubt you’ll be a be er road rider a er you master a duallie in light oﬀ-road going. Guaranteed. The Africa Twin’s set-up is pre y so at standard, with comfort taking precedence over balls-out sports performance. Of course, the 45mm upside-down forks and monoshock are fully adjustable, so I believe that with a bit of baseline information about how the thing feels for you, it would be possible to set it up as a reasonable sports weapon.

THE RIGHT STUFF So … there’s a lot to like here. For a bloke of my size (178cm, 83kg), a lot of the biggest duallies are simply too cumbersome, especially at low speed.

Get one in the sand and once it gets a li le off centre, well, I’m a passenger and usually not for long. This one feels lighter and narrower than most, although at 231kg dry plus ABS, it’s still a lot of bike. It’s just a good ergo-pack from Honda that gives it the edge here. There’s an extensive add-on range of factory stuff to make the bike your own. You can have hard luggage, heated grips, light bars, low-set 12-volt sockets and a taller screen to name but a few. Of course, be aware that that a ractive window price blows out fairly quickly if you start ticking the accessories box too o en. The Africa Twin doesn’t have this on its own and the suite of stuff on offer across the upspecced pair of the three models is impressive. It’s well priced and can hold its head high. Indeed, the Africa Twin model designation lives on. ARR

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Trail: 101mm Claimed dry weight: 231kg standard, 242kg ABS/DCT Seat height: 850/870mm, lower (840/860) and higher (880/900) Ground clearance: 250mm Wheelbase: 1575mm Fuel capacity: 18.5 litres OTHER STUFF Price: $15,499 standard, $16,999 ABS, $17,999 DCT/ABS Colours: Silver (standard), Victory Red or Tricolour (ABS/DCT) Test bike supplied by: Honda MPE Local contact: Honda Australia, hondamotorcycles.com.au Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 43

U h T

D R I B R E ND

a Americ r e v o n d to wi e i r t s t s of Bri n o i t a r o gene w t w o H

44 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

THUNDERBIRDS

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 45

r Mount Nebo is a great place to drop in, or stay a while!

r The first-series T-Bird was originally produced in a pale blue livery

WORDS: GUY ALLEN PHOTOS: STUART GRANT ooking at the giant current Thunderbird LT, it’s not surprising the name had its genesis in Las Vegas. That seems to be a mistake of history rather than long-term corporate design. For anyone who’s seen The Strip in the centre of town in recent years, it’s easy to imagine riding past the spectacular light and fountain show outside The Bellagio, late at night, with the T-bird’s own three-lamp lightset blazing as you cool down from the desert’s daytime heat. The current model is the complete opposite of the 1949 original; the la er would look as out of place there as a cello at a rapper gig. There’s the rub — though they share a name, the two machines are eons and worlds apart. This story came about a er one of those conversations: wouldn’t it be cool to get together a current Thunderbird with the original and see how they compared? It was, but, in the end, it’s diﬃcult to imagine two objects with so much in common that are also so diﬀerent. A bit like a school, or family or workplace reunion some decades down the track — you knew the connection but soon realised there was sod-all in common.

46 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

BIG BOY Fantasies of cruising down the Vegas strip aside, the original T-bird was very much an American-inspired development. While Triumph’s Meriden factory was perfectly content to produce sharp 500-class Speed Twins, the opportunity to enter the giant

post-war (WWII) USA market was big and demanded more cubes — particularly in an environment where 1200cc tourer engines were the norm. Enter the 650 Triumph twin. It now had just enough capacity to be taken seriously as a sports bike. There are a couple of versions of how

THUNDERBIRDS

WHOSE NAME? The paperwork is not available to the public, but the story goes that Ford applied to Triumph for permission to use the Thunderbird name for its famous and stylish coupes. Decades down the track, a er closures and corporate reinvention, Triumph is said to have asked Ford if it was okay to re-use the name on bikes. Apparently no money changed hands — very civilised …

the Thunderbird name came about. One is that legendary designer Edward Turner was inspired by an American Indian (as in native tribes, not the motorcycle brand) statue or totem pole. A more pedestrian explanation — which we ﬁnd entirely believable — was that he happened to be staying in the Las Vegas Thunderbird Motel for a dealer conference, and the T-bird motorcycle insignia ended up being a stylised version of the giant signage in its forecourt. Get onto the interweb and you can track down some hazy pictures of the motel from 1950-ish, which back up the second version of the story.

r To the untrained eye, the T-Bird could easily be mistaken for a Road King

So what is an original Thunderbird? Triumph’s then current parallel-twin engine architecture had already been running successfully for years, from 1938, as a 360-degree pushrod four-stroke 500. WWII put a dent in any civilian market ambitions, but it came back with a vengeance at the end of hostilities. Move to the big boy, the 650 Thunderbird, and you’re talking a whole new level of

performance. This ﬁrst series was produced in a pale blue livery, but otherwise the example you see here is the real thing. Producing a then-respectable 34 horses at 6300rpm, the ﬁrst-gen Thunderbird was a handy device. As part of the model launch, a team of three riders famously rode (their no doubt carefully prepared) machines from Triumph’s then-new Meriden works in the UK’s midlands to Montlhéry near Paris, where they AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 47

r The big bagger comes with quality leather panniers, pillion backrest, a removable screen and whitewall tyres!

“This story came about after one of those conversations: wouldn’t it be cool to get together a current Thunderbird with the original and see how they compared?” used a track to set an average speed of 92mph (148km/h) for 500 miles (800km). Then they were ridden back home. It was, for the time, a remarkable feat. It was one of those signature exercises that established the T-bird as a serious performance motorcycle. Times have moved on, but even now a ﬁrstgeneration Thunderbird is a handy bit of kit for the classic motorcycle nut. Far smoother than the later 750 twins, it has decent grunt pre y much from idle (perfect for the USA market) and can, even now, given a good road and favourable winds, hit the old ton — or 100mph. Weighing around 170 kilos dry (less than half the current LT’s numbers), it is a fascinating thing to walk around. There’s kick-start only, but it looks as though it might have electric. That’s because there are two electrickery housings on board, one fore and the other a of the powerplant. One is a magneto, which ﬁres the ignition, and the other is a generator (also by Lucas, of course) to power the lights. Complex? Maybe, but not unusual for the time 48 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r The 1951 model is surprisingly dynamic

THUNDERBIRDS

r The American-inspired three-lamp lightset creates quite the presence on the road

r Classic design cues can be found all over the new T-Bird

VISUAL MATES In case you hadn’t already made the connection, the current T-bird looks nothing like the original, even if you squint. However, the just-released Bonneville Bobber is near enough to being a dead-ringer.

and the built-in redundancy (so what if the genny fails? You’ll get home) has a lot of appeal and will be familiar to pilots of light aircra , which use a similar set-up even today. The primitive telescopic forks look familiar, but the rear suspension is less so. What you have is a sprung hub (the rear looks like a hardtail, but the springing is in the hub itself) and a sprung rider saddle. So essentially there’s double suspension out back. The end result is a lack of damping and is sometimes bouncy, but you get used to it and it’s surprisingly comfortable. Handling? Once you get your head around the unfamiliar springing at the rear, it’s very workable. You can actually point and shoot the thing on the exit from corners. It se les down under power. Sprung hubs have a shocking reputation. But owner Phil Pilgrim (one of the country’s foremost Meriden Triumph experts and owner of Union Jack Motorcycles) says that’s down to poorly prepared motorcycles. Having ridden his, I’m inclined to agree. Braking is straight out of the ‘50s and is nothing to write home about. There’s an uncomfortable delay between hi ing the levers and ge ing some serious retardation, which caught me out once (fortunately with no damage to anything other than my pride). Really, the single leading shoe drums are basic and not a shining example of how to do it. Even back in 1950-ish, Triumph could have done be er. I currently own a few classic bikes ranging from 1947 and up, and have to admit the (now) li le Thunderbird is a charmer. It’s easy

r The 1699cc twin is a torque monster with 151Nm at 3550rpm

to start (that’s where magneto ignition has advantages), while having a surprisingly deep well of grunt to draw on when you turn the thro le, and a willingness to tip into a turn and hold a line. Transmission? Typically slow for the period, but predictable and accurate. A four-speed, the lever is on the right and the action is one down and three-up. No problem. A good one will cost $15–16,000.

BIGGER BOY This is one of those situations where you need to “get” current big cruisers if you’re to have any hope of liking the LT. Pilgrim was dismissive — it just wasn’t to his taste. One of the few things it has in common with the original is it was inspired by the needs of the USA market. Want a twin-pot cruiser? It has to be big in the engine department, in

r 34 horses at 6300rpm was very respectable for the time

part for bragging rights and in part to deliver that big-lazy wave of grunt required in heavy equipment. And it is heavy — near enough to 350 kilos dry. I have to admit to being a li le surprised by that figure. In return you get a 1699cc engine room with a 270-degree firing order, fuel injection, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooling and a couple of balance sha s to help give the “correct” vibe without shaking out your fillings. Oh, and a claimed 95-ish horses, which is a lot for an allegedly “lazy” cruiser twin. Everything happens at low revs: peak power at 5400 and peak torque at 3550. That’s typical Hinckley Triumph thinking — we might be talking heavy cruisers, but it’s no reason not to have just a li le performance twist in the tail. Nail the thro le and it will get your a ention. Plus there are six gears to play with. AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 49

THUNDERBIRDS

r Handling is adequate for a steed of this kind, and braking is very good

r Rumour has it that the T-Bird logo was inspired by the Las Vegas Thunderbird Motel signage

Our example came with an accessory secondary gear lever that gave it a heel-toe function. Some people dislike the idea — I reckon it works well on bikes with footboards and would be cranky if it wasn’t there. Set long and low, the bagger T-bird comes with well-ﬁnished leather panniers, pillion backrest (yay!), removable screen, triple headlamp set up front and whitewall tyres. And a low seat. What’s missing? Cruise control. The chassis is solid enough, with reasonable 50 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

suspension (only preload adjustment on the rear) and a very long wheelbase. We’re talking 1665mm compared to 1625 on a current Harley Road King. That, I think, is what will put oﬀ the Pilgrims of this world. A wheelbase that long requires early tip-in to a corner or you end up understeering. If, like me, you’re used to it, there’s no problem. Taking that into account, the package steers slow and ﬁne and handles mid-turn bumps well enough. Braking is good, with decent feel and power.

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SPECIFICATIONS 1951 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD ENGINE Type: Air-cooled, two valves per cylinder, 360-degree, pushrod parallel-twin Capacity: 649cc Bore & stroke: 71mm x 82mm Compression ratio: 8.5:1 Fuel system: Single Amal Monobloc carbure or TRANSMISSION Type: Four-speed, constant-mesh Final drive: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR Frame type: Single downtube steel cradle Front suspension: Conventional telescopic fork Rear suspension: Sprung hub and sprung seat Front brake: Single leading shoe drum Rear brake: Single leading shoe drum DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES Dry weight: 170kg Seat height: 750mm Wheelbase: 1403mm Fuel capacity: 18L WHEELS & TYRES Front: 3.25 x 19 Rear: 3.50 x 19 PERFORMANCE Power: 34hp @ 6500rpm Torque: NA GOOD Light and a fun ride BAD Ordinary brakes

52 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Oh, and it comes with ABS. It’s one of those motorcycles you can feel pre y secure on. When it comes to comfort, I’m tall and would have preferred a higher saddle. That said, the screen worked well, the rider’s seat was excellent (it had the accessory comfort option — just buy it as it transforms the experience) and overall it was a good place to be. The saddlebags are capacious and there’s no reason not to point it at the horizon, particularly given the decent 22-litre fuel capacity, moderate fuel use (15km/L is no drama) and a multi-function digital display that oﬀers a distance-to-empty display. Dynamically the package is capable. Faint praise? Well, nothing this size and shape is going to be sharp. That said, if you told me I was riding one across the continent tomorrow,

there would be no gripes. Pricing is up around the $26k mark.

BACK IN VEGAS You can’t help thinking the connection between the first and current Thunderbirds is a li le tenuous, though it depends on how you look at it. Both are parallel-twins configured for the American market — perhaps more so for the current. While the old chap was an all-rounder cum sport bike for its day, the current is much more narrow-focused. That’s a reflection of how the global market has changed over time. If Triumph Coventry and Meriden guru Edward Turner were still alive, he might be stunned by the range of niche products now carrying the marque’s name. ARR

THUNDERBIRDS

SPECIFICATIONS 2017 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, four valves per cylinder, 270-degree parallel-twin Capacity: 1699cc Bore & stroke: 107mm x 94mm Compression ratio: 9.7:1 Fuel system: Multipoint sequential fuel injection TRANSMISSION Type: Six-speed, constant-mesh Final drive: Toothed belt CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR Frame type: Steel twin-spine Front suspension: Showa 47mm fork, 120mm travel Rear suspension: Showa preloadadjustable twin shocks, 109mm travel Front brake: Twin 310mm ﬂoating discs with four-piston Nissin calipers, ABS Rear brake: 310mm disc with two-piston caliper, ABS

r Styling wise, the new and old models have very little in common

DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES Dry weight: 349kg Seat height: 700mm Wheelbase: 1665mm Fuel capacity: 22L WHEELS & TYRES Front: 17 x 3.5-inch wire spoke with 150/80 VR17 Rear: 16 x 5.5-inch wire spoke with 180/70 VR16 PERFORMANCE Power: 94hp @ 5400rpm Torque: 151Nm @ 3550rpm GOOD Big, easy and comfortable BAD No cruise control

r While the rear suspension is primitive, it’s comfortable

r Power is managed by a capable six-speed transmission AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53

JOY RIDE No deadlines. No itinerary. Just a couple of mates with an unrelenting desire to have fun

54 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE THE FUN WAY

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 55

STORY: SPENCER LEECH PICS: JOSH WILSON have always tried to add a degree of spontaneity when I go for a ride. I think it adds to the excitement. As long as my bike is in good order and I’ve got a couple of pineapples in my back pocket, I’m pre y much up for anything. Ride now, and ﬁgure out the details later. It’s not the smart way to go about things; in fact, it’s kinda hypocritical considering how o en I speak of the importance of preparation. But at the same time, I’m not exactly traversing the Sahara any time soon, so I can usually aﬀord to play things by ear. My recent trip into South Australia was decided on a whim. My close friend and fellow bike-nut Josh Wilson sent me a text: “Work’s a drag man, let’s get out of here for a couple of days,” he said. I can’t remember the last time I turned down a ride, so I quickly responded. “Sure thing, dude. I haven’t been to Adelaide in a while. Leave Sunday?” I asked. And just like that we were on the road. Time was no factor, so we agreed to take the

r Before a big feed in Adelaide

r You know, the tyres weren’t gonna warm themselves ... 56 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Watching the sunset at the Pink Lake

most exciting roads we could ﬁnd. There wasn’t a lot of science to that philosophy — we just aimed for the most squiggly line on the map and hugged the coast for as long as possible. I was aboard my old Suzuki GS500 with some Dririder saddle bags and a backpack to carry my gear. Josh was on an even less appropriate Honda CBR250RR with a top box and tank bag. We started from my home just south of Geelong in Victoria, following our noses through Barwon Heads until ducking down our favourite twisty pass into Lorne. We stayed along the beach road through the Great Otway National Park, Warrnambool and Portland before veering oﬀ an unknown B road into Nelson. We were pre y remote at this point, which allowed us to start burying the needle safely and embrace that nomadic feeling best achieved on a ride of this kind. Best mates, side by side at full noise. You know that feeling.

MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE THE FUN WAY

r Obligatory selfie with the Big Lobster in Kingston AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 57

r Bike mates are the best mates

We stopped for fuel and to exhale a er our close run-in with a kangaroo, and decided that we'd be er find a place to stay. Josh pointed to Mt Gambier on the map. “They’ve probably got a good boozer there,” he suggested. I agreed and booked a room at the cheapest motel I could find. No ma er the route, it’s a pre y straight shot from Mt Gambier to Adelaide, so we took the opportunity to spend the second day stopping at tourist a ractions and hooning around on the odd dirt road. We then checked in to a half-fancy hotel in Adelaide before filling our guts at the local Irish pub. It was at this stage that we realised our critical error of 58 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

only packing a couple of shirts with our bike gear. Rookie mistake, but one easily ﬁxed by a quick stop at the local department store. We decided to take an inland route back into Melbourne, avoiding the dreaded highway as o en as we could. Once over the border, we set our sights for the awesome roads in the Grampians. This would be where we split up, so we took the time to laugh and recap on those exciting couple of days over lunch. We didn’t set any records, and we didn’t plan as well as we should have, but we had an absolute blast exploring our li le corner of the world. And if you ask me, that’s all that ma ers. ARR

r Josh’s four-pot CBR is an absolute screamer

MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE THE FUN WAY

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 59

60 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

To the pointy end. And quickly. It’s a must-do for any real adventurer. Isn’t it?

A TRIP TO THE T

HEAD NORTH YOUNG MAN

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 61

r Waist high at Sandy Creek Crossing

WORDS AND PHOTOS: MARK JONES he tip? No, not the one where you dispose of refuse. It’s the one that is the northern-most point of Australia. The tip of Cape York. This is a bucket list ride. There is probably not a rider in the country who hasn’t dreamed of riding a motorcycle all the way to the very top of Australia. This story is about turning that dream into reality. A er all, how hard could it be? It’s not that hard. Well, the planning part anyway. There are a handful of operators who will look a er all of the logistics and guide you there. They are not all equal in terms of equipment, organisation and support, so choose carefully. Their websites say that you don’t need any off-road experience. Maybe you don’t, but it sure as hell helps. Most of my riding experience had been on the road. I had done some off-road riding on an XT600 and thought I was pre y well prepared for the ride north. I wasn’t. I set about making my dream a reality by signing up for a ride with one of the newer providers on the market because the longestablished firm was completely booked out. The deal was, I was to ride in a group supported by a guide rider, a back-up vehicle, and we were going to camp along the way. Sounded good.

62 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Bramwell Junction's luxurious accommodation

DAY ONE. 235KM Excited and a li le apprehensive, I arrived at the depot to meet the other riders. There was a last-minute change of plans. Apparently, a group of riders from England had pulled out, leaving only three of us: a fellow Aussie and a New Zealander. There were no longer enough of us to support the inclusion of a support truck. If we were going to go, it would be without it. No camping, but we would be accommodated along the way. Sort of. We would still have a guide rider. We would also

have to carry everything we needed in a 10-litre backpack — of which five litres was taken up with a fuel container. Instead of an unencumbered ride, we would be carrying heavy backpacks. Hasty re-pack at the boot of my car. I had to pick the bare essentials out of the duffel I had packed the night before. Five litres is buggerall space. A er sock, jocks, t-shirt, shorts and a toothbrush there is barely room for a verbal message. Of which I had many, aimed at the operators. I didn’t have my own off-road gear so

HEAD NORTH YOUNG MAN

r Been there and have the photo to prove it

r Yet another river crossing

“This story is about turning that dream into reality. After all, how hard could it be?” opted to use what the operator offered. I had been assured that there was plenty of riding gear and fi ing wouldn’t be a problem. A pair of clapped-out riding boots, an ill-fi ing helmet (which I was told was worn by Charlie Boorman) and roost protector for body armour later, I was ready to go. Advice: Always wear your own riding gear. A quick ride out of Cairns and it was up the Kuranda Range, through the pine plantations and rainforest of Black Mountain Road, down a narrow track, over a big log and on into Mossman for lunch. I was starting to get used to the bike. This was my first time on a DRZ. My first impressions were that it was a much more capable machine for the dirt than the XT. The helmet was bobbing all around. Clearly, Charlie and I do not share the same head size. I’d have to do something about it before too long. A er lunch and a short ride further up the coast, the fun was about to begin. I’d ridden through creeks before, sandy creeks, stony creeks, without too much of a problem. But what faced me next was far out of my range of experience. The Daintree River. As rivers go, it really isn’t that much. It’s no Mississippi. But it was wider, deeper and faster flowing than

anything I had a empted before now. Don’t mention the crocodiles. The first two riders got across without much drama, then it was my turn. How hard could it be? Rather hard, actually. About half-way across, my right foot was swept off the peg, closely followed by the other. The current was too strong for me to be able to get the water-filled boots back on the pegs. I was being pushed down the river, towards the rapids. If that wasn’t bad enough, I was having trouble controlling the clutch. Balancing with my bum, I said a Hail Mary, let out the clutch and miraculously made it safely to the other side. A quick stop to catch the breath, drain the boots and off we went. Now, I had heard of the CREB Track. It was constructed as an access road to the first electrical powerlines north of the Daintree River. It hasn’t been maintained for decades and because of that, it a racts dirt bike riders and 4WDs alike. I’d ridden my XT 600 along some pre y gnarly tracks and was feeling pre y confident. A er all, how hard could it be? It was steeper, longer, more ru ed and greasier than anything I had a empted before. I could never have made it up on my XT but on the lighter

and dirt-oriented DRZ, I stood a chance. Once underway, there’s no turning back. Pick a rut and give it some gas. The only way is up. I kept the power on and ground my way forward, until, within sight of the top, the front wheel somehow hopped out of its rut and into the other, leaving me going nowhere and completely crossed up. It was really steep and I couldn’t see how I could possibly get turned around for another a empt. Nothing to do for it but give it the gas and pray for the best. Miraculously, the rear wheel jumped into the same rut as the front and we powered on up to the top. At the top, the lead rider was frantically waving at me to stop. There was a 4WD stuck just down in the gully on the other side. One enthusiastic rider had already followed it down. We made a detour around the stricken truck and continued on. There were several 4WDs that weren’t going anywhere for a long time. If one is stuck, there is no way anyone else is ge ing through until the blockage is removed — unless you’re on a motorcycle and able to skirt the blockages. We eventually came out of the CREB Track near the Aboriginal community of Wujul Wujul. There, we turned south along the Bloomﬁeld Track until we reached our destination for the night, PK’s Jungle Resort, a charming place packed with backpackers. At least we’d get a good night’s sleep and dry the wet feet and socks. Or we would have, if not for the night’s entertainment — an electric guitar player with a big bass drum that he pounded with abandon — for hours.

DAY TWO. 116KM The day dawned sunny. A er a cooked breakfast we mounted our bikes and headed north once again. We back-tracked north, along the Bloomﬁeld Track, to the Bloomﬁeld River and up a short track to the beautiful Wujul AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 63

HEAD NORTH YOUNG MAN

r The bridge is out

DAY FOUR. 371KM.

r Cockatoo Creek crossing

Wujul Falls, which looked like a great place to have a cooling dip. And it would have been — except for the 3m croc sunning itself on rocks at the base of the falls. Another side-track led us up to a lookout over the Bloomﬁeld River. It was during a short stop in Ayton that I found a solution for my bobbing helmet. Diapers (or nappies). I simply bought a pack of diapers, cut one into strips and used them to pad out the lining of the helmet. I wasn’t proud to be wearing a diaper on my head but it actually worked very well. Necessity is a mutha, as they say. From there it was an easy ride north to the renowned Lions Den Hotel. Accommodation was a couple of steps up from the previous night. Here, we were bunked in an elevated safari-style tent. My boots were starting to shed their hard, outer layer. It was prudent to wrap duct tape around them to keep them together or they would never make it all of the way to the tip. Dinner and a good night’s rest followed. 64 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r The outer boot layer completely disintegrated

DAY THREE. 273KM Once again, a er a hearty cooked breakfast, we headed north. First stop was Black Mountain, a huge jumble of large, black lichen-covered boulders. Curious people have explored the jumble and have never been seen again, or so the story goes. I had developed a strategy to reduce the weight in the backpack; as soon as I’d used up ﬁve litres of fuel, a er about 100km or so, I would empty the jerry can from the backpack into the bike. A er lunch in Cooktown, we rode out on a sandy track and the deepest sandy creek crossing you can imagine to a beach. I hadn’t done much sand riding up to this point. Well, none really. It was hard work, involving a lot of paddling with the feet. We hooned around on the beach for a while, then it was back along the track we rode in on and then on to Laura for dinner and bed. The night’s rest was a shed, out back of the hotel, ﬁ ed with four beds. A chance to dry the wet feet and socks. Sort of.

We blasted through the recently re-opened Lakeﬁeld National Park. The road was wide, open and freshly graded so we got up to a good 110km/h on sections. It was here I nearly bought the farm. Two kangaroos came bounding across the road, right in front of me, one closely following behind the other. There was absolutely no chance of my stopping in time. It was an “oh, shit” moment. Somehow I managed to ride right between them. I’ll bet those roos are still talking about the time this idiot on a motorcycle ... We forded the Hann River, lunched at Musgrave Roadhouse, rode through Coen and into Archer River for bed and dinner and a chance again to dry the wet feet and socks. Accommodation was deﬁnitely a step up from the night before, with motel-style units and a laundry (oh gods — clean clothes!).

DAY FIVE. 229KM Today’s destination was Bramwell Junction via the Old Telegraph Track. A er a hearty breakfast and topping up the petrol, we started up the Peninsula Development Road then soon detoured onto a sandy track. What lay ahead was the very deeply ru ed and sandy Frenchman’s Track. The other riders seemed to ride along it without much bother. How hard could it be? For me, this was one of the most diﬃcult sections of the ride. I wasn’t able to get very far before the front wheel dug into the side of the rut, bringing me to an abrupt halt. Ride a few metres, dig in front wheel, fall oﬀ. A er

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HEAD NORTH YOUNG MAN

r The view from the Tip

r Lakefield landscape

r Catching up with an old acquaintance

“Once underway, there’s no turning back. Pick a rut and give it some gas. The only way is up” repeating this several times, I decided that if I had any hope of ge ing to the tip in one piece, I be er revert to slowly paddling my way along. Eventually, I caught up with the others and gratefully cooled oﬀ in a river crossing — which fortunately didn’t seem to be a croc resort. A er a short rest, we ported the bikes to the other side as it was much too deep to ride them through. We continued north along the Old Telegraph Track. On a map, the track looks straight and ﬂat. It’s anything but. It is narrow, occasionally clogged with a stuck 4WD, ru ed and/or sandy in places, muddy in others, with numerous creek and river crossings. In short, it is dirt bike heaven. This is exactly what the DRZ was made for. Despite my poor showing earlier in the day, my riding ability in these kinds of conditions had greatly improved. This was the best day’s ride so far. My propensity for picture-taking saw me get a bit behind the others and I took a wrong turn. Take note: Bramwell Station is not the 66 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

same as Bramwell Junction Roadhouse. I discovered this a er a surprisingly long detour. I arrived at the Roadhouse tired but satisfied with a great day’s ride. Off with the boots and wet socks. The boots were deteriorating rapidly. The duct tape couldn’t hold the plastic outer layer in place anymore. Both boots were down to their inner layer. Time to re-wrap with tape and hope they hold up for the final run to the tip

DAY SIX. 203KM Back onto the Old Telegraph Track, and heading north once again. Another brilliant day’s ride, with several rivers and creeks to ford. We stopped at beautiful Eliot Falls for a cooling break, stripped oﬀ the motorcycle gear and leapt into the river below. It was so enjoyable that we lingered a bit longer than we should have and had to push on before the Jardine River Ferry made its last run of the day. Progress was halted at Nelson’s Brook; the two logs that once served as a bridge for bikes

had collapsed. We had no choice other than to carry the bikes through a deep, muddy ford. The pace was quick and one of the riders fell heavily into thick bush. He didn’t get up right away and needed some help ge ing onto his feet again. Fortunately, nothing was broken, just a twisted knee. It was a poignant reminder that we were in very remote country and rescue would be a long time coming. We reached the ferry in the nick of time. From there it was a more relaxed ride up to the day’s destination, Loyalty Beach Campground and Fishing Lodge, just to the north of Seisia. Oﬀ with the boots again and a chance to dry the feet, which were looking more and more like boiled onions.

DAY SEVEN. 90KM Today we would reach our final destination. A relatively short 45km ride brought us to within walking distance to the northern-most bit of mainland Australia. It was with a great sense of accomplishment that we posed for photos at the signpost signifying the spot. Back at camp, the boots came off for the final time. They wouldn’t be flying back to Cairns with me. This was where they belonged — at the tip.

EPILOGUE The destination is just an excuse for the ride. Yeah, it’s pre y amazing to be standing at the tip — the sheer beauty and remoteness of the place. But it was really about ge ing there. Not long a er, I sold the old XT and bought a new DRZ400E. Trails that I used to struggle on or avoid, well, the Dr. Z makes light work of them. Do the ride again? Nah. Not do the ride? Would always wish that I had. ARR

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ROAD TEST: YAMAHA R3

68 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEVER MIND THE SIZE

Could small-capacity sports bikes be the next big thing? Leave your ego and preconceptions at the door and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find out

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 69

ROAD TEST: YAMAHA R3

r Skinny and pointy in all the right places make this a great commuter tool

STORY: NIGEL CROWLEY PICS: HEATHER WARE hen I was a kid I had a yellow-with-black-speedblocks RD250E, which is how all Yamahas should be painted, by law. Back then a two-stroke 250 would do over 100mph, which is 160km/h in new money, and at the ripe old age of 17, it felt like riding a rocket ship. I loved that bike very much, some might say too much, and clearly remember the ﬁrst time I cogged it down into the meat of the power-band, catching my girlfriend’s feet under my armpits as the bike went into full warp-drive. I was hooked. Not only that but the thing actually went round corners in pre y reasonable fashion too, despite the crap tyres, and I seem to recall riding it as fast as it could go, all the time, everywhere, clouds of blue smoke in my wake. I practically lived on that bike and it was so

70 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

much fun I thought I’d never get rid of it and hadn’t the least desire for anything bigger. But, as sometimes happens, a too-good-to-be-true offer came my way in the shape of a Kawasaki GPz550 fi ed with super-sexy three-spoke Dymags, which was about as exotic as a Fabergé egg for a petrol tank. But I digress. As an adult (sort of), could another Yamaha of similar capacity and performance be as satisfying to ride as that RD was, especially considering the constraints of our hyperpoliced roads, or is the drug of horsepower simply too hard to resist? Well, talk about the sublime to the ridiculous. Having recently spent a couple of weeks on Yamaha’s top-of-the-range Sports Tourer, the FJR1300, jumping on an R3 was a bit like riding a flick knife. With its skinny dimensions and half the weight, I nearly threw it in the bushes at the first roundabout and had to quickly recalibrate the steering effort

r Hard to believe it’s only a tiddler

KAWASAKI NINJA 300 Slightly smaller than the Yamaha at 296cc, the li le Ninja really looks the goods with its aggressive styling and updated dash for 2017. Like the R3 it is available with ABS and also has a slip-assist clutch. Its parallel-twin motor puts out 39hp at 11,000rpm and 27Nm at 10,000rpm, and with a kerb weight of 174kg performance should be similar to the R3 — on paper at least. $6199+orc for the ABS version.

required. Another area in need of recalibrating was my expectation of the engine’s performance, given that an R3 is 1000cc shy of an FJR. First impressions were that it was pre y gutless, but once I started to ride the thing like it wanted — that is with plenty of revs onboard — I was pleasantly surprised by the engine’s ability, even if it doesn’t possess a

r Optional stainless Akrapovic system looks the part at $849 RRP inc GST

girlfriend-losing power-band. Peak power of 42hp at just short of 11,000rpm and peak torque of 29.6Nm at 9000rpm pre y much clues you up on how to ride this thing, and the motor’s freerevving nature helps you get to the meat of those ﬁgures in good time. In fact, it gathers speed in a deceptive manner and I was o en surprised to ﬁnd myself on the wrong side of the posted limit when glancing down (closed road, professional rider, always wear safety equipment, no animals were harmed in the making of this sentence). If I was a novice I’d be well happy ripping about on this thing, especially with the limitededition MotoGP livery (an extra $100 over the standard model at $6399 RRP inc GST) and shorty Akrapovic stainless exhaust system ($849), which at least makes it sound like it’s doing a million miles an hour even if it isn’t. With a long enough straight and a favourable breeze, the R3 will actually top-out at a bit over AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 71

ROAD TEST: YAMAHA R3

r Limited performance makes for a super involved ride if you want to keep the pace up

“It gathers speed in a deceptive manner and I was o en surprised to ﬁnd myself on the wrong side of the posted limit when glancing down” 160km/h, same as my RD, but bear in mind this is about what an R1 will do in ﬁrst, so you can readily see the gulf in performance between the two ends of the R spectrum. However, actual top speed is not really what this bike is about, but we’ll come to that. For

the record, the power-to-weight hierarchy of the YZF family sees the mighty R1 having 1hp/ kg (which has become something of a standard in this class), the R6, 0.6hp/kg and the R3, 0.3hp/ kg. It’s almost as if that’s how they came up with the names, right?

r Look just like Rossi, but be quick as only 300 in this colour are destined for Australia 72 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Yamaha has done a great job of styling the LAMS-approved, 321cc, parallel-twin YZF-R3 SP (to give it its full name) to make it appear to be part of its sportsbike family, what with its head-down-bum-up stance, angular fairing and tail-unit, twin headlights, radical tank design, gold calipers and lightweight cast wheels. The bike is clearly aimed at the younger L-plater who’s looking for a cool and credible first bike. However, don’t assume you have to be skinny, a kid or a contortionist to ride one of these pocket rockets. Ergonomically this is pre y much a full-size bike and at nearly six-foot and 80kg I had no problem fi ing on the thing and had plenty of room to move about too. The reach to the clip-ons is slightly short but, as they’re mounted above the top-yoke rather than under it, the riding position is a good mix of racy and comfortable. The all-metal, serrated footpegs also look the part and although slightly rear-set, they aren’t tucked up under your armpits and, combined with a seat height of 780mm, add up to a bike suitable for grown-ups. Carrying its 169kg (wet) low-down helps make the bike feel even lighter than it is and wheeling it around in the garage is a doddle. It does feel very slim between your legs, mainly because of the tiny stature of the 14L fuel tank, but of course the parallel-twin configuration also helps keep the whole plot compact and narrow. Consequently, it’s absolutely brilliant at lane spli ing. You can almost always find your way to the front of the traffic-light GP, no ma er how convoluted the route to get there, and because your hands are the widest part

ROAD TEST: YAMAHA R3

r Just $7900 gets you an R3 with a full race kit equipped

THE R3 CUP A er the overwhelming success of the 2016 R3 Cup, this aﬀordable race series is set to continue in 2017 with dates as shown. With Yamaha Australia subsidising the cost of the race-ki ed bikes, the series is billed as a lowcost, hassle-free introduction to road racing. Just $7900 gets you an R3 plus a full race kit which consists of, among other things, plain bodywork, a sticker kit, Mupo

suspension components front and rear, adjustable rear-sets, a range of sprockets, the same Akrapovic system as fi ed to our test bike, R+G crash protection and Yamaha service kit. What’s more the cost of the bike can be spread over 12 or 24 months with the help of YMF finance, which works out at about $88 per month over 24 months. Pre y affordable racing if you don’t bin it too o en.

ROUND

VENUE

DATE

Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW

17–19 March

Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla Vic

28–30 April

Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick Qld

25–27 August

SMSP, Eastern Creek NSW

8–10 September

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Vic

6–8 October

74 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

of the bike it makes judging gaps on the way to pole-position accurate and easy. Seriously, you almost never need to slow down when the traffic stops, even in the ridiculously narrow and congested streets of Sydney, and thus can be very easily tempted into performing acts of extreme urban naughtiness as a result. It almost became a point of pride to never put a foot down when negotiating stationary traffic and reminded me of my days as a bike courier in London. Out of town the R3 is just as entertaining, at least when you point it at some corners. The fact that it can’t go at warp speed means ge ing caught out by arriving into a bend too hot is less likely, although not impossible of course, but even if you do, the quite narrow 110/70 and 140/70 tyre combination and shortish 1380mm wheelbase means you can flick the thing onto its side in a blink. Changing direction is super easy on the R3 and the Michelin Pilot Street rubber has more than enough grip to handle the lean angle and acceleration forces when you bang the thro le open at the apex. In fact the baby Yam handles pre y well and there’s plenty of feedback from both ends despite the fact, and maybe because, the chassis isn’t the stiffest thing out there, with nary a box-section frame rail in sight. Although the un-adjustable suspension is pre y basic, the right-way-up 41mm fork is the chunkiest in its class and for the most part neither end has its work cut out controlling the bike’s mass.

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ROAD TEST: YAMAHA R3

r Serious looking brakes could have more bite to them

r Sweet little twin loves to be revved

The damping rates are well chosen for most duties, but the rear can get choppy and slightly harsh when cornering hard. The one place the R3 really misses out, compared to its bigger siblings, is in the braking department. I get that the likely customer won’t be that experienced, but when I say you have to give the lever a good pull, I do mean a good pull and, as ABS is standard, they could safely have much more initial bite. However, overall this bike is just good old-fashioned fun and can be ridden really aggressively without permanent worried glances in the mirrors, which is a good thing really as, just like any proper sportsbike, you can only see your elbows anyway. So where does that leave us in relation to the original question? Can a 300cc bike really be a satisfying alternative to a full-blown litre-bike? Well I guess it depends on your priorities and your experience as much as anything. If you’re on the way up the cc ladder, I’d suggest the R3 can be a very rewarding bike to ride. Because of its limited performance you’re constantly giving it stick and riding to the edges of what it’s capable of, which is a great feeling and 76 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r Flickable fun to be had at legal speeds

incredibly involving. It’s actually awesome fun to hammer along, constantly on the gear-lever (clutch optional), sweeping in and out of turns trying to conserve momentum and with the thro le, more o en than not, hard against the stop while you explore the limits of its ground clearance and your bravery. However, if you’re used to riding a bike three times bigger, it’s difficult to see past the lack of horsepower on offer here. There is something u erly intoxicating about having the sort of performance that an R1 is capable of at your beck-and-call, regardless of how o en you get to unleash it. It’s exhilarating beyond belief and once experienced, hard to go back. The downside is that most of what an R1 is capable of is un-useable on the road for more than a few seconds at a time, resulting in you constantly having to back off just as the thing gets going properly: infuriating and frustrating. In short, riding any litre bike to its limits on the road is impossible these days and would likely be a short-lived experience if you tried, probably ending with a siren and a stern telling off if you’re lucky, or having a cell door

HONDA CBR300 Perhaps its more curvaceous lines don’t scream sportsbike quite as loudly as the other two, but the eye-catching orange and black colour scheme redresses the balance somewhat. A 286cc single-cylinder motor power makes the baby Honda the odd one out among the group here. Its 30hp and 27Nm occur much further down the rev range at 8500rpm and 7250rpm respectively, making it a more docile ride. $5749+orc for the ABS version.

slammed in your face if you’re not. So would I personally buy one? Probably not right this second, but with sales of big sportbikes in decline generally, and an ever more stringent police presence on our roads, maybe it’s just a question of time. Perhaps what’s needed is a really up-spec R3 with topof-the-line adjustable suspension, eye-popping brakes, some ergonomic adjustability and supersticky tyres. Basically a modern-day, four-stroke

equivalent of Aprilia’s RS250 but without all that annoying blowing up. That way you could really get your elbow-dragging kicks while mostly staying the right side of the law. I’d totally be game-on for a bit of that action. ARR

SPECIFICATIONS 2016 HONDA CBR650F

r What learner rider could resist that, especially with a tail-tidy

Engine type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valve per-cylinder parallel twin Capacity: 321cc Bore x stroke: 68 x 44.1mm Compression ratio: 11.2:1 Claimed power: 31kW @10,750rpm Claimed torque: 30Nm @9000rpm Wet weight: 169kg Seat height: 780mm Wheelbase: 1380mm Fuel tank capacity: 14L Colours: Race Blu, Midnight Black, Racing Red Price: $6099 + ORC ($6999 rideaway)

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 77

TESTING,TESTING ALPINESTARS TOUCAN ADVENTURE BOOTS f shoes maketh the man, then boots must harden him. Then there are hardcore adventure boots such as these beasts from Alpinestars, which will inspire you to head out to take on the fury of Mother Nature and won’t let you down. The Toucans pack more protection than your typical Texas home and provide more grip than a geeky gamer. They’re designed for long, hard and dirty days in the saddle. On the ’pegs you’ll have dry, happy feet in the Toucans thanks to a Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable liner, which really works a treat. We’ve subjected them to hours of heavy rain, mud, slippery slopes, deep puddles and they’ve conquered all. You can literally stand in a creek for an hour and you’ll still have dry feet. This, along with the high protection levels, is what you’re investing in. The Toucan’s protective armoury reads more like the spec sheet of an M1 Abrams tank. The

CE-certified boots are constructed of leather and suede and feature a lateral, or outer, ankle protection system that forms a flexible link between upper boot and lower foot area. This means there’s flexibility and rigidity where there needs to be, so it’s just about impossible to roll your ankle. The medial, or inside, area of the boot features a large, contoured rubber side with reinforced polymer sculpturing that protects the ankle and shields your inner calves from engine heat. There’s also a clever, textured surface to grip your pants. The same stuff extends to the medial side of the toe box that doubles as a gearchange toe pad. There are also reinforcements at the heel and beefy shin protectors that feature the ‘A-Star’ logo. You can have all the protection in the world, but what good is it if it takes forever to get on? The Toucans are a cinch, with a wide-entry aperture and a large Velcro closure, which

allows for all calf sizes. The closure system features a pair of robust and replaceable aluminium buckles with memory adjustments and a quick-release locking system. No zips to stuff up. Beautiful. They’re fine as far as weight goes and considerably lighter than an admi edly more protective motocross boot. Most noticeable is their fore-and-a flexibility when walking and toeing about on the gearshi er with decent feel. Thank the accordion-flex panels at the instep and achilles areas for that. Other comforts include a roomy toe box and generous width for broad feet. Cobblers will hat tip the use of stitching instead of cheaper glue to bond the boot to the outer sole. Similar to a good hiking boot, an integrated steel shank adds the right amount of stiffness through the midsole for walking and provides plenty of comfort and confidence when you’re hard at it on the ’pegs for hours on end. This is aided by a finer tread pa ern between the heel and forefoot for extra adhesion on the ’pegs. Paramount for an adventure boot, grip is tenacious and hardwearing, so tread lightly on plush carpets. If we had to criticise them you’d hear crickets, but if you walked in them you might hear squeaks. Nothing a squirt of WD40 can’t fix. The Toucans are technical, robust, comfortable and, frankly, damned hard to fault. They live up to their claims and even at $570, they’re well worth it.

THE GOOD OIL … The stuﬀ: Alpinestars Toucan adventure boots How much?: $569.95 Sizes: EU38-52 Info: www.monzaimports.com.au

78 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

PRODUCT REVIEWS

ATECH AVENTURO MOD HELMET ouratech claims this is “the most versatile touring helmet on the market”, which is a big call. Still, good adventure-touring motorcycles are the most versatile touring bike on the market, so why shouldn’t an adventure-touring helmet live up to the same standard? Flip-up helmets get my vote for being the best design of all. You get full-face protection and full-face comfort but, when you want it, open-face convenience and fresh air. Not many of them actually open enough to be worn properly as an open-face helmet when you’re riding, and the Aventuro Mod isn’t one of them, but flipping up the lid enables you to do all sorts of things you couldn’t or wouldn’t do with an ordinary full-face on: snapping a quick pic on the road; taking a swig of water from a bo le; talking face-to-face; taking a deep breath. The Aventuro Mod has all the features that promise versatility, which we’ll get into in a moment, but the first two things you’ll probably be considering are the quality and price. It is, a er all, made by Schuberth for Touratech — both names that imply well-made gear — and it has a starting price of $1100. In this case, you get what you pay for; this is a top-shelf helmet with some cu ing-edge design, one you will not regret buying. Touratech also claims the Mod is “the first flip-up helmet with purebred off-road genes”. It’s absolutely aimed at adventure riding and can be used with either its visor or a set of goggles, with a face cutout large enough to take them and room for the thick elastic to fit properly, and there’s a strap holder at the rear to keep them in place. It’s great to be able to choose between visor and goggles, and because the visor can be removed without tools, you can swap from one to the other in moments. Goggles for hot, dusty riding, then the visor when it’s cold and wet, perhaps. That big opening also gives you a wide view — always a good thing. The peak is adjustable to allow for the

aerodynamic effects of your bike’s fairing at speed. A very neat touch is the way the peak comes up when you flip up the chin bar, and then returns to its pre-set position when you drop the bar again. But you do have to ensure the visor is closed before flipping the lid or the chin bar won’t go up all the way. It doesn’t take long to make a habit of ge ing this right. The visor comes ready for a Pinlock anti-fogging insert. Pinlocks are great — highly effective, replaceable, washable. One of my favourite inventions. The Aventuro Mod also has a builtin sun visor that drops down from the helmet’s shell in lieu of a tinted visor or sunglasses. It’s raised and lowered via a slide on the le of the helmet, with what feels like a solid, reliable mechanism inside. The optical qualities are so good that even with the visor, Pinlock insert and sun visor in front of your eyes, you’ll see no distortion and li le visual interference when looking through them, assuming you’ve kept them clean, of course. If you need to wear glasses, they fit comfortably inside the Aventuro Mod. Ventilation is taken care of by two threeposition intakes — a filtered one in the chin and one on top of the shell, with exhaust vents at the back. On a hot Aussie day it’d be nice to have more airflow, but that’s when you open the visor or wear goggles. In the cold, with the wind deflector fi ed under your chin, you’ll be snug and dry in the Touratech helmet. Its washable interior is plush and pleasant, using a lining that feels more velvety than many others. Coolmax material wicks sweat away, and I noticed this helmet stayed drier than I expected on sweaty rides. Wind noise is not too bad, especially behind a good fairing (or none at all) but earplugs are still worth wearing. As well as the usual safety of a helmet, the Touratech has Schubert features such as chinstraps that are anchored to the rear, with the intention of further protecting you from neck injuries. The locking mechanism

and apparent strength of the chin bar imply there’s no reduction in protection compared with a solid full-face helmet. And of course the shell is a fibreglass laminate, in this case designed by Schubert. The helmet is set up to be fi ed with a Bluetooth system, particularly Schubert’s own one. My most testing stint in the Aventuro Mod was doing the BMW GS Safari, an event that’s always a good test of anything. In the high heat and very dusty conditions the Touratech helmet was great, though next time I’ll use goggles when the weather’s like that (I’ve mostly sworn by goggles for adventure riding but wanted to push the Aventuro Mod to its limits that time). Comfort has proven superb in every sense and all those practical features did more than garner my admiration; they were highly appreciated. The Aventuro Mod has been excellent in its adventure-touring role, both in hard-core riding and during easy transport sections. While it’s no lightweight motocross-style lid, its 1700-odd gram weight not only gives it the solidity it needs as a high-speed all-road safety device, its helps ensure its comfort, quietness and quality aren’t compromised. You can happily wear it all day to clock up 1000km or so, then tackle outback tracks throughout the following day. More to the point, Touratech demonstrates that you can have the undeniable convenience of a flip-front helmet in an adventure-touring package. The Aventuro Mod’s versatility improves the adventure-riding experience.

THE GOOD OIL … The stuﬀ: Touratech Aventuro Mod helmet How much?: $1100 (plain), $1230 (graphics) Colours: Ma e black, white, yellow, orange, blue, red, grey, ﬂuoro green Sizes: XS-3XL (52cm-65cm) Info: www.touratech.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 79

PRODUCT REVIEWS

BERIK 2.0 FORCE RACE SUIT eathers. If you ever want to feel like a real motorcyclist, bung on a set of race leathers. Yep, you’re Valentino almost immediately. Except for that weird hump at the back, the way they nibble incessantly at your nuts and you have to stand like you have a tray in your hands due to the way the arms are cut to be in the right position when in a racer crouch. Yeah, you come down to earth pre y quickly. But they do look very cool, and when your toilet region gets back to its regular shape, well, there’s a rough chance someone will want to get to know it. Yes, leather is sexy. Of course, it ain’t all about that. Fact is, if you are going anywhere near a track without donning a set of leathers, well, run out the front with a crayon and draw a big line down the middle of the road. See how the crayon is diminished in size and eventually no longer there? That’s you when it comes to abrasion if

80 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

you come off at speed. It’s been a while since I needed new leathers. My old ones had logos for enterprises that I no longer represent, so a new set was required. And, I’d definitely gone up a size since 2005. So I ordered this set of Berik jobbies. On first look the suit is a bit loud, but nowhere near as gaudy as some. The black and white looks classy, and there is the now ubiquitous “aerodynamic hump” that makes you look like a bit Quasimodesque. The air vent in the rear lets the heat out, which I liked. It can get a li le squirmy in there. Reinforcement is in all the areas where you are likely to meet terra firma. There’s the usual internal protectors at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees and double-layer leather reinforcement at elbows, shoulders and around the backside. While they fit snugly and you are pre y limited in movement while off the bike, it all makes sense once seated. The elasticated

leather panels at the knees, back of waist and back of armholes help, but I would have liked a li le more room at the calf, oﬀering the opportunity to have the lower leg areas placed over race boots rather than under them. There wasn’t quite enough give for that, but they were pre y lightly used and that may become so er over time. This is a modern suit and it comes with nicely understated trimmings of very modern material. The titanium bits here and there look especially super-smooth — a touch of Robocop there. All in all, I reckon the Beriks are pre y cool and oﬀer as good a protective layer as I’ve used, at a damned good price. You can pay a lot more than this for a set of leathers, and I can’t see they’d be much be er at the primary job of keeping your bits connected should you part with the hardware. I haven’t given them the ultimate test, and I’ll be happy if I never have to, but chances are, I’ll be well protected

THE GOOD OIL … The stuﬀ: Berik 2.0 Force Race Suit How much?: $1249.45 Colours: Black/white, black/yellow Sizes: S-4XL Info: www.ﬁceda.com.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 81

82 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

RIXY’S ROAD

WHAT’S IN YOUR BAGS?

Packing for that big trip is an art — especially when two-up. Follow Rixy into the smart traveller’s bike bags. He’s gonna save you a world of pain

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 83

r Brian and Shirl at Cougar lake in Oregon

STORY: BRIAN RIX PHOTOS: ARCHIVE hat is this?” the gruff border guard asked as he started rifling through the largest of our panniers. Shirl, as quick as a flash and with that glare that can cut through stone, answered through gri ed teeth, “It’s for women.” His demeanour changed immediately to one of shock. He dropped the funny li le cylinder, closed the pannier lid and said, “You go.” For girls out there, it pays to

r Don’t waste an inch of precious space 84 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

“Is it going to be hot, cold or both? I take beach wear wherever I go” pack your “She Wee” or “Go Girl” or whatever you use if you want to pee standing up, near the top of your bag — not just for convenience, but when crossing borders. For us blokes, well that’s a diﬀerent story. Nothing deters them from searching our gear, even smelly jocks and socks. As they dig deeper into your worldly possessions, best you know what’s there and

r Ken Duval reckons a toaster is a must for all travellers

what’s prohibited from the country you’re trying to enter. Before ge ing into what to take, how about what not to take? Nowadays, most travellers carry a laptop, iPad or phone. Be aware that some countries ban material that is even remotely risqué or religious in nature. Got big busty photos on your phone sent by that lecherous mate?

RIXY’S ROAD

r Carol Duval cooking breakfast in Mongolia

r Assorted gear in Get Routed Shipment to Greece

Delete them if you don’t want to lose your phone. How about R-rated movies on your laptop? Be aware that some bored guards will insist you open your computer and show them all your files. Some will even go through your photo and video files looking for images they consider inappropriate or photos of military or border installations. They are a definite no-no. One item you must take if you are carrying

r Tent, sleeping bags, mats, chairs and first aid

prescription medications is a doctor’s le er explaining what they are. It’s also handy to have it translated into the local language if you are travelling to more remote areas where the guards may not speak English. Be aware that any pill with “eine”, such as codeine and panadeine, could be conﬁscated at borders, particularly in the “Stans”. I know an old man who nearly lost the pills that keep

him sane because of an overzealous guard. His travelling companions pointed out to the guards that he would go crazy and kept the pills out of the incinerator. We’ll leave riding gear for another time and just think about what you’re going to pack for an extended ride. Normal travellers will o en say, get out what you think you’ll need, lay it on the bed, then halve it. That’s not a bad AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 85

r All set up at Smithers campground in British Columbia, Canada

r Disc lock and cable lock 86 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

start, but motorcycle travel needs a li le more forethought, particularly travelling two-up. On our first trip, I hadn’t seen my bike for 60 days while it slowly made its way across the seas to the old dart. The excitement of our first big overseas ride got to both of us. While we knew we had a tank bag, big lockable panniers and top box and a roll bag, we stockpiled all those must-have things that we thought we would need and carted it on the jumbo to London. Our packing list was extraordinary … good shoes to go out, a couple of nice shirts and pants, a couple of jumpers, GP boots for hiking. On and on it went. On the day we collected our bike from UK customs, surprise, surprise, we couldn’t fit it all on. We sent half of it home or gave it away. Packing by memory is a trap for young players. It’s okay while the bike is in

the shed and you can load it up, look at it, rearrange or ditch stuff, but it’s not so easy when you don’t have the bike for some time. We learnt the hard way, so don’t do what we did. Now I pack the same for a week as a year. I think about the weather we’ll encounter. Is it going to be hot, cold or both? I take beach wear wherever I go; a pair of not-so-gaudy boardies can double as a pair of shorts. Jeans are great, hard-wearing but bulky. If, like me, you like jeans, take them, but just one pair. A pair of thin cargo-style pants with zip-off legs are a good idea. They take up li le room and you can still wear them in cold weather if you pack a lightweight pair of thermals. You don’t need a full week’s worth of clothes or jocks and socks — just make sure you’ve got something to separate clean from dirty in your bag. You’ll always find a shower or basin to wash out

RIXY’S ROAD

r Rixy pouring a well-earned cup of red

your clothes. Drape them over the bike to dry them, or throw a pegless clothesline in your bag. You can string it up between a tree and the bike and hey presto, it’s nearly as good as a Hills Hoist. Stretched for space, you can always wear your bike jacket, but a lightweight, warm thermal jacket will usually pack down into the corner of your bag. Your waterproof jacket is always there for inclement weather. We’ve all got a ship load of t-shirts, many that hold fond memories. They’re okay and you’re bound to pick up some more along the way, but on the long haul, consider taking polo shirts with a collar. They’re great for protecting your neck from the sun, look a li le more

dressed up and might even get you into places where a collar is needed, for example some more devout churches, historic sites and an upmarket boozer or two. For girls, consider taking at least one skirt. We rode up to those lovely monasteries outside Meteora in Greece only to be turned away because Shirl was wearing bike pants. So as not to offend the nuns, she went out to the car park, dropped her pants, donned the skirt and all was right with their world. Like all good Aussies should, we take a pair of rubber thongs and a pair of walking shoes. Shirl manages to find space for a pair of ballet flats to wear for a night out. You can travel the world and not camp,

r Tyre changing gear and compressor AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 87

RIXYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROAD

r Can Brian pack all of this on the bike? 88 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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r It’s amazing how much stuff you can fit on a bike if you’re organised

but what’s in your bags takes on a whole new perspective if you plan to enjoy the great outdoors. We carry a 50-litre so , waterproof bag that takes a three-man tent, two Thermarest ma resses, sleeping bags and pillows. In the a ermarket, so bags on top of our panniers we carry a Jetboil cooker, two plates and eating implements and some essential food. There’s usually a tube of Vegemite, salt and pepper grinders, dry biscuits and a couple of dehydrated meals from camping stores, just for an emergency. Sauce sachets from fast food outlets always come in handy. If we want to cook, we set up camp and head to the local store to buy provisions, and maybe a bo le of a cheeky local red. The spares we need are spread between our panniers to distribute the weight, with lighter, 90 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

smaller spares like sparkplugs going into the tank bag. The tyre pliers have never been used and live in the bo om of Shirl’s pannier. I take the alternator belts, fuel line and a more extensive tool kit. When both you and your travelling companion ride, the packing story is completely diﬀerent. Canadian friends who are into the second year of an endless world ride let us into their packing secrets. They each have a tube a ached to the bike to carry spares speciﬁc to each bike and a few tools. Their camping gear, which includes two Helinox chairs, goes into one pannier along with some more spares. The topbox on one bike is the kitchen, including a Coleman stove with wind shield, saucepan and frypan, two cups, bowls, plates

“Got big busty photos on your phone sent by that lecherous mate? Delete them if you don’t want to lose your phone” and eating implements — all made of sturdy but light titanium. There’s always the making of at least one meal as well as pasta and rice. They can carry spare fuel and a large supply of teabags (for him) and face wipes (for her). Australian travellers, Ken and Carol Duval, have been on the road for more than eight years and have packing down to a ﬁne art. High

RIXY’S ROAD

on their list are merino thermals, a fold-into-apocket spray jacket, a heated jacket and glove liners, a couple of t-shirts and a sleeveless top. This covers all weather possibilities. Merrell walking shoes and a pair of robust sandals round off their apparel. Their kitchen is amazing. Everything packs down — including the Coleman stove, which fits inside their stainless-steel billy. Carol, who cooks a lot on the road, even has mini tongs and a fold-up spatula and toaster rack. There’s always tea bags and coffee, sugar and powdered milk. They carry peanut bu er as well as Vegemite and some dried herbs to flavour up their meals. Even though they are on one bike, they even find room for a small fold-up bucket! One thing plenty of people tend to overlook

r Genuine GS tool box AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 91

RIXY’S ROAD

r Shirl’s dream panniers

when they make their packing list is the electrical stuﬀ. You’ll have your laptop or tablet, a phone, a camera and head torches. Every device will have a separate charger and you’ll need to carry spare ba eries and spare cards for your camera. An external hard drive to back up all your treasured photos and videos is a must. But it all takes up space. ARR

RIXY’S TRIED-AND-TRUE GOLDEN PACKING RULES • Make sure it’s lightweight and compact, whatever it is. • Only carry essential spares. There are bike shops everywhere and if all else fails, you can get a friend to post something to you. • If you haven’t got it, you can always buy it. There are shops everywhere. • If you buy a li le trinket that doesn’t ﬁt on the bike, head to the local post oﬃce and send it home. r Bacon and eggs for breakfast 92 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

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THE TEST 94 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

THE ARR LONG-TERM GARAGE

OF TIME

We have a brace of bikes to put through the test of real-world ownership. Will they stack up? Let’s meet the newest members of the Road Rider crew … AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 95

r Like father, like son

WORDS: GREG LEECH PHOTOS: SPENCER LEECH o, a reader (that’s you, for the confused among us) rightly wants to know what a bike is like. The pressure is on for us to get it right. A er all, you may well be using some of the opinions you read twixt these glossy covers to decide just what mount is worthy of ﬂoor space in your shed. That’s a big responsibility, right there, and one that we take pre y seriously. If we give you dud advice, well, you are probably coming a er us. Possibly armed, and no one is happy with that. It’s not an easy task to fully evaluate a bike over a two-week loan period and damned near impossible at a launch test. I like to refer to them as “lunch” tests, but that has got more than one manufacturer sending me angry emails over the years. We are not

96 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

about to change that. If you are ge ing full-on evaluations from launch tests, you are being done over, hard style, simple as that. So, what’s all this waﬄe leading to? Glad you asked. Kinda forgot myself for a minute.

Oh yes … we are taking a couple of bikes on as long-term testers. Please welcome Triumph’s Street Cup in Racing Yellow/Silver Ice and the Suzuki SV650, happily glowing in Pearl Mira Red bodywork.

THE ARR LONG-TERM GARAGE

r The new SV has a significantly lower seat height than its predecessor

r We reckon Triumph has nailed the Cafe Racer look

The idea here is to live with the bikes for a decent period to allow them to show us their true personalities over real time. If issues are going to arise, we will ﬁnd them. You can’t hide

from road miles and familiarity (those of you who are married will know what I’m ge ing at there). The bikes will be seen without their makeup on in the morning and we will have to

clean their dirty jocks. Yep, the gloss is off and reality descends. Of course, a bike can prove to be much stronger in an area than first thought, and rise to star status with time. Moto Guzzis come to mind. If you took a Guzzi for a ride up the road with a view to deciding whether to buy it or not, well, chances are you are not gonna. They have idiosyncrasies. Lumpy, different. Live with a Guzzi for a while, though, and you could well discover a love affair that will last a lifetime. They are like that. Time my friends, time. Okay, you got the picture here? We’ll put a few different heads on them, fit them out with factory gear and generally give them the sort of treatment that a regular rider would. Regular updates will be published here and at www.roadrider.com.au. And they will be treated like members of the ARR family. Okay, let’s look at the bikes individually … AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 97

SPECIFICATIONS 2017 TRIUMPH STREET CUP ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, eight-valve, 270-degree parallel-twin Capacity: 900cc Bore x stroke: 84.6mm x 80.0mm Compression ratio: 10.6:1 Engine management: Electronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 54hp (40.5kW) at 5900rpm Claimed maximum torque: 80Nm at 3230rpm TRANSMISSION Type: Five-speed Final drive: Chain Clutch: ‘Torque Assist’ wet, multi-plate CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame: Tubular steel twin cradle Front suspension: Kayaba 41mm fork, non-adjustable Rear suspension:: Twin Kayaba shocks, adjustable for preload Front brakes: Single 310mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped Rear brake: Single 255mm disc with twinpiston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped Wheels: Spoked, front 2.75 x 18, rear 4.25 x 17 Tyres: Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp, front 100/90-18, rear 150/70-17 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Rake: 24.3 degrees Trail: 98.7mm Claimed dry weight: 200kg Seat height: 780mm Wheelbase: 1435mm Fuel capacity: 12.0 litres OTHER STUFF Price: $15,600 plus ORC Colours: Racing Yellow/Silver Ice or Jet Black/Silver Ice Test bike supplied by: Triumph Australia, www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

98 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

r While the two are very different hardware-wise, they're well-matched dynamically

TRIUMPH STREET CUP The Street Cup was launched in February in Tasmania and we were in a endance (full launch report in ARR issue #134). The bike stretches the Bonneville range, which now covers the new T120 and T120 Black, the Street Twin, the Thruxton 1200 and Thruxton 1200 R, the Street Scrambler, Bobber, T100, T100 Black and the Street Cup. The Street Cup shares architecture with the T100, but with a bullet seat and new seat cowl. It’s basically been “cafed”, with “Ace” style bars, and the bike also uses longer shocks. This certainly changes the stance of the Street Cup, pu ing the rider higher and further back, with the handlebars actually positioned lower and further forward. It’s a cool jigger, tidy and fashionable, and will make the rounds of the places to be seen. More importantly, let’s see how it does for longevity and real-world user-friendliness to give you a more complete picture on the bike.

r The Triumph produces a strong 80Nm of torque

r Modern equipment, classic style

THE ARR LONG-TERM GARAGE

SPECIFICATIONS 2017 SUZUKI SV650 ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, eight-valve, 90-degree V-twin Capacity: 645cc Bore x stroke: 81.0mm x 62.6mm Compression ratio: 11.2:1 Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection Emissions: Euro 4 PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 47.6hp (35kW) at 8500rpm Claimed maximum torque: 56.5Nm at 4000rpm TRANSMISSION Type: Six-speed, constant mesh Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet, multi-plate CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame type: Steel trellis Front suspension: 41mm conventional fork, non-adjustable Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload Front brakes: Twin 290mm discs with twin-piston calipers, ABS Rear brakes: Single 240mm disc with single piston caliper, ABS Wheels: Five-spoke alloy Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax Qualiﬁer, 120/70ZR17 front, 160/60ZR17 rear

r The SV shares its digital dash with the GSX-S1000

SUZUKI SV650 Most noticeable about the new SV650 is that the styling has gone back to the classic naked bike look with round headlight and minimal bodywork over a trellis frame carrying a 90-degree V-twin engine. Although it is small in its proportions — something short and novice riders will appreciate when manoeuvring the bike — it is still a strikinglooking machine. The heart of the SV is an evolution of the

r Power is adequate, but LAMS restriction is noticeable at high revs

original powerplant that has featured in no less than 410,000 units. The ﬁrst was the faired SV650S, followed by the naked bike a year later. In 2003, the boxier-styled SV featured the engine with fuel injection and carried it until it was updated in the Gladius. It’s a classy looking thing and being LAMs approved, will spend most of its time in the hands of production editor Spencer, who will use the bike daily. In short, the bike will reveal all there is to know about it. ARR

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Rake: 25 degrees Trail: 106mm Claimed dry weight: 197kg Seat height: 785mm Wheelbase: 1445mm Fuel capacity: 13.8 litres OTHER STUFF Price: $9990 ride-away Colours: Pearl Mira Red, Pearl Glacier White or Metallic Ma e Black Bike supplied by: Suzuki Australia, suzukimotorcycles.com.au Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 99

SPANNER WOMAN Spanner Milne is a super mechanic who believes in giving back to motorcycling in a big way â&#x20AC;¦

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BIKE PEOPLE

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r The real deal

STORY: LARA WILDE PHOTOS: SANDI WICKMAN here has never been an industry more stereotyped than the motorcycle caper. Say the word “Biker” to Mr and Mrs Average and instantly an image leaps to mind of a bearded, leather-clad warrior astride his HarleyDavidson with a half-naked trollop hanging onto his love handles as he deﬁes the long arm of the law to live his biker code with his brotherhood, causing havoc. In an a empt to rebrand the industry over the years, there have been stories of doctors and lawyers and upstanding citizens who were outﬁ ed in leather. Tales of fundraising, saving ki ens and rescuing orphans hit the news and the big scary biker myth had a short-lived reprieve from the nightmares of mothers. Smashing the stereotype is Sharine “Spanner”

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r Words of wisdom

BIKE PEOPLE

“Rocking up on your Yamaha 250 Virago to a ride day takes a self-confidence that only a Kardashian has ever possessed”

Milne — the stuff that biker legends are made of and marketing departments dream about. Bikers are a judgemental group. Rocking up on your Yamaha 250 Virago to a ride day takes a self-confidence that only a Kardashian has ever possessed. Like a tribe, riders are branded so that even when the bike is not in sight, you can take a quick peek at their matching hat, t-shirt and undies to know there is a Ducati lurking in their shed. In an environment of judgement and fierce brand loyalties, where can a newbie go to learn to love their scooter? Who will invite them to join the ride and make them feel welcome even if they have a Can-Am clamped beneath their quivering bu ocks? Like a doting mother hen, Spanner takes them all under her wing, pushing her agenda of education and training for riders. In a world of motorcycle women, Spanner breaks the mould. She isn’t sponsored to

r For Spanner Milne, it’s all about the bikes

pose on her bike in front of glorious sunsets for the benefit of Instagram. She has never aspired to be a model, lounging in a bikini across a custom chopper. She doesn’t spend her weekends by the track racing against the boys to prove something. Spanner just loves her bikes and focuses all of her time and energy on sharing that love with others through education and training without judgement. Following her childhood love of all things fast and motorised, Spanner looked for a mechanic who would teach her the ropes.

Most shops laughed her out of the door when she asked for an apprenticeship, but her long-time friend Bruce offered to teach her. In 2007 Spanner graduated her apprenticeship as a fully qualified motorcycle mechanic and the proud recipient of awards such as the 2004 Ulysses Motorcycle Mechanic Apprentice of the Year. During her training, Spanner experienced first-hand the challenges that people, and in particular women, face when trying to learn about bikes. Acknowledging that she had been lucky to have a friend like Bruce who AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 103

BIKE PEOPLE

r She’s come a long way since then

“Spanner’s latest project is educating riders about the Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (MARI), which offers support to motorcyclists in need” would teach her, Spanner set about providing education and training for motorcycling enthusiasts to build their conﬁdence and increase their appreciation of all things twowheeled. Today Spanner owns RHD Classic Supplies and Services in Townsville, North Queensland. One bay of the RHD workshop is set aside just to teach riders about their bike. There is no judgement, but there is a large dose of Spanner cheek. She strongly believes that education and training are key to rider safety and enjoyment. Spanner frequently comes across riders who 104 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

feel stranded and alone. They are out on their new two-wheeled pride and joy when they come to a stu ering halt. Spanner takes the time to not only pull up and help them, but also teach them a li le too. Every time a rider is helped back on the road, they are invited to a end one of her classes at RHD to learn more about basic maintenance and care of their bike and they are invited on one of her regular ride days. Most believe that Spanner does this to gain new customers, but as Spanner points out, everyone is welcome to join in, even if they aren’t a client … the more the merrier.

r Spanner’s shop, RHD Classic Supplies and Services in Townsville, Qld

The ride days that Spanner arranges aren’t fancy “fundraising for a cure” affairs. A Facebook post goes up and word is spread. A group comes together and heads out from Townsville to a nearby pub or local landmark for an a ernoon to stretch the legs and enjoy good bike riding company. There is no charge, there is no cause and there is no expectation that you will be a RHD customer. The whole idea is to get out and enjoy your bike with likeminded enthusiasts. In an effort to assist those who suffer Post

Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), particularly a er military service, Spanner set up RHD to accommodate their projects. There are places to sit and chat about projects and a pile of bits and bobs you can have to create an art project. There are bikes ready to be pulled apart and then put back together again under Spanner’s guidance, as she teaches the ﬁner points of motorcycle mechanics and maintenance along with patience and stress management strategies. This simple project, which works closely with the Mates 4 Mates community, has

impacted the lives of many veterans and saw Spanner and the RHD team honoured with the 2016 Motor Traders Association of Queensland Community Award. Spanner’s latest project is educating riders about the Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (MARI), which oﬀers support to motorcyclists in need. Recently, a rider who came to Townsville had to be admi ed to hospital. He had no family and no support network, so Spanner was contacted. She dropped by his hospital bed for a chat with a

copy of Australian Road Rider magazine for him to read. She collected his bike for him and safely stored it until he was discharged. She continues to keep in touch with him. As every rider knows, this peace of mind when you are hurt and in a strange town with no one you know, is priceless. Next time you’re in Townsville and need to go for a ride or talk to someone about repairs, drop in and see Spanner. Follow RHD on Facebook and consider taking a leaf out of her book — educate and train, don’t judge. ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 105

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SOUTH KOREA

Incredible generosity and super-safe riding in an underrated destination. Welcome to South Korea AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 107

r In South Korea, very few people ride full-size motorcycles

STORY AND PHOTOS: MICHAEL AND JULIE CLODE n 2009, my wife Julie and I started planning a ride from Australia to England. We wanted to start in Vladivostok, but when I enquired about shipping the bike to Russia, I found the cost was prohibitive. I asked if there was a more cost-eﬀective location to which we could ship the bike and was told it was easy and cheap to ship to Busan in South Korea. We had never heard of anyone visiting South Korea, let alone riding a motorbike through the country, so we started doing our homework, in particular on how we would then get the bike and us to Russia. Our research told us that South Korea was a very friendly country with spectacular forests and countryside. We also discovered there was a ferry that ran from Donghae to Vladivostok on a weekly basis. So in March, 2011, we watched our BMW R1200GSA and a friend’s KTM640, that had been crated, being loaded onto the back of a truck, knowing we wouldn’t see them again until we’d be unpacking them in South Korea some four weeks later. In April we landed in Busan, where we had arranged to be picked up and taken to Haeundae, a suburb of Busan. We found Haeundae to be a city of contrasts; there appeared to be a large gap between the rich and the poor, with some people eking out a living while others drove around in Audis and BMWs. That night we walked along the beachfront and then back through the shopping areas, which were as busy at night as they were

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“We felt very safe walking around at night, even in small alleys” during the day. We felt very safe walking around at night, even in small alleys, and noticed that some shops that were closed still had their wares outside, not secured. We didn’t see any motorbikes, only lots of scooters, and when we spoke to the locals we discovered that only real enthusiasts rode big bikes. When we told them we were riding to Ulsan, some 100km to the north, they were amazed that we planned to do it in one day. At our hotel we constantly checked emails and the progress of our bikes. It now looked like Wednesday would be the day we could pick them up. With the news that our bikes were ready to clear customs, we caught a taxi to Busan port (about a 30-minute ride which cost about $14). We arrived at the port around 11am and were escorted to customs clearance. By the time we started on the paperwork it was noon, their lunch time, so we had to sit around and wait

for them to come back at 1pm. It didn’t take long once they were back, but there was an issue with my registration number — don’t get personalised plates if you take your bike overseas! Finally we were escorted to the bonded area, but not before more problems: they were not going to let us in, until our agent explained that we needed to unpack the bikes. A er surrendering our passports for security passes, we were allowed through. Once we were led to the bikes we had a look at the crates and found our friend Ben’s was quite damaged, although ours was not too bad. We started to unpack the bikes, but the Koreans stopped us and insisted they unpack them! At around 4pm we rode out into the Korean traﬃc and straight to a service station for fuel, a er which Ben would lead us via Haeundae to Ulsan. He had already put the route into his GPS as I didn’t have Korean maps for mine. Not

SOUTH KOREA

“There appeared to be a large gap between the rich and the poor, with some people eking out a living while others drove around in Audis and BMWs”

r On board the Eastern Dream, Michael and Julie slept in a room with 16 bunks. Yikes!

r A typical South Korean shop front

far into the ride we had a point of indecision, where the road split. We pulled over to sort it out, but when we tried to get back into the traffic, Ben lost us and we couldn’t make contact on the radios, so we were on our own. We headed back towards our hotel in the hope that Ben would do the same, but he didn’t appear. We called our friend Mark in Ulsan, who told us to find route 65 and that it would take us to the Ulsan turn-off. It didn’t take long for us to find a sign saying Busan Ulsan expressway, route 65. This looked too easy and it was. Cruising along on a nicely surfaced road accompanied by handy signs indicating Ulsan was not far away, we came across a toll booth.

We’d struck one in the car from the airport and the very reasonable toll of 1000 Won was easily paid. We weren’t worried at all, until the a endant came out waving his arms and yelling at us to stop. It seems he was trying to say we had to return from where we came and in order to do that, we would have to use a road just through the toll booth on which to turn around. The gist of his gesticulations suggested motorbikes were not allowed on expressways. We did as asked, but this placed us on the other side of the expressway facing another toll booth, with yet another animated a endant telling us to go back! We tried to explain that we wanted to head on to Ulsan. Next, a car

pulled up and the driver also indicated that we couldn’t use the expressway. Desperately we tried to explain that we needed to get to Ulsan, and eventually he led us onto another road to that elusive destination. We spent a couple of nights in Ulsan, relaxing and taking in Children’s Day, which is an important event for South Korean families. Next morning we headed out of Ulsan toward Juwangsan National Park, hoping for some privacy and to get away from the city crowds. It provided a fantastic ride through hills, valleys and beautiful forests. We stopped at a lunch spot and a group of local fishermen took an interest in us. They tried to ask some questions, but the crowd grew and we decided to make tracks back to our camp site. We think the interest was centred around the fact that bikes in Korea are small scooters, and people don’t venture far from home on them. Back at the camp, a neighbour brought us some cooked bacon and other Korean food — we couldn’t believe the hospitality. The next day it was on to Donghae. The road was as spectacular and amazing as that on the ride up the coast. In Donghae we found a cheap hotel. The rooms were clean but gaudy, and the hot water didn’t come on until 7pm. The next day we arrived at the DBS ferry terminal prepared for the trip to Russia, but there was one last scenario to contend with here. At the security checkpoint I was pulled aside and asked to empty my jacket pockets. I had completely forgo en that I had a Leatherman knife! Fortunately I was able to get it tagged to be collected at the other end. On board the Eastern Dream we had to sleep in a room with 16 bunks, but thankfully it was less than full and we got along with the other travellers. One hiccup was that we were unaware we wouldn’t have access to our bikes until they cleared customs in Russia. This meant all our stuff was inaccessible! Luckily we were able to convince the staff to let us get some personal belongings once out at sea. So. What a trip. Indeed, the adage “Necessity is the mother of invention” had played out to take us to an area of the planet that we would never have otherwise picked. And following 22 hours of very smooth sailing, we arrived in Vladivostok and another chapter in our book of travels … ARR AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 109

WHATZ NEW RUKKA ROUGHROAD Rukka maintains a long tradition of providing a special touring suit for the riders of travel enduros and adventure bikes. The most recent addition to this category is named “Roughroad”, which impresses with its top equipment and great versatility. A total of nine pockets, some of them waterproof, offer plenty of storage space, while numerous stretch inserts and width adjusters ensure a perfect fit. In the seat area, the trousers feature the climate regulating Rukka AirCushion System as well as Antiglide leather to prevent slippage on the seat. Long zippers on the legs allow wearing the trousers inside or out, even over off-road boots. Leather on the inside of the legs protects the trousers from hot parts of the motorcycle. Certified according to the latest CE standards, the highly comfortable Rukka D3O Air joint protectors and the Rukka D3O Air Allback protector ensure high levels of safety by multiplying their impact protection at the very moment an impact occurs. Colours: Grey/Orange, Grey/Black/Yellow Sizes: 46–66 Visit: www.rukka.com/motorsport

OXFORD X40 EXPANDER TANK BAG This multi-function tank bag from Oxford is perfect for long trips when luggage space is essential. The X40 Expander connects to steel tanks using magnets and has lots of innovative features, including a Sat Nav holder, map holder, and the ability to convert into a backpack. The big selling point is the fact that it can expand when you need extra room, but is as compact as possible when you don’t need to use its full carrying capacity. The bag also features an internal waterproof lining to keep the important stuﬀ dry at all times. Price: $169.95 Visit: www.ﬁceda.com.au

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110 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF IXON SAWYER JEANS These CE-approved jeans are dedicated to motorcycle use with reinforcements in all the vital areas. The Ixon Sawyer jeans are straight cut, with a waxed black co on ﬁnish. Using what’s known as Morpho Concept Technology, the inside belt is able to be tightened, and the CE knee protectors can be adjusted two ways for maximum comfort. Price: $199.95 Visit: www.ﬁceda.com.au

SHARK RIDILL HELMET New from motorcycle helmet manufacturer, Shark Helmets, comes the Ridill — a full-face motorcycle helmet packed with innovative features designed to enhance your riding experience, while oﬀering premium quality and safety features at a reasonable price. The Ridill boasts an injected thermoplastic resin shell and has been awarded a four out of ﬁve star SHARP safety rating. To further enhance rider

comfort, the fully adjustable venting system channels airflow through the helmet, assisting with the cooling of the cranium and increasing aerodynamic efficiency. Weighing in at only 1550 grams and coming in 13 different colour schemes, the Ridill is also backed by Shark’s comprehensive five-year warranty. Sizes: XS-XL Price: $199.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com.au FOLLOW PIRELLI MOTO AUS:

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AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 111

GOGGLE CASE Keep your goggles free of scratches in this durable protective goggle bag. It’s designed to hold five goggles with padded dividers and has a variety of pockets to hold extra lenses, tear-offs, sunglasses, magazines and more. Price: $59.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com.au

INTERPHONE OFF-ROAD COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Interphone has introduced its new off-road Bluetooth system. This is the first intercom system designed exclusively for the world of off-road travel. Off-road motorcyclists can communicate with each other over large distances and in situations that are difficult because of the nature of the terrain and demanding environmental conditions. By communicating surprising difficulties or difficult sections of a trail to other motorcyclists, riders can usually avoid unexpected dangerous situations, and prompt action can be taken in an emergency. The device has a range of 1.3km, plays music, and can be easily paired with a mobile device. Price: $299.95 Visit: www.ficeda.com.au

HIGHWAY HAWK HANDLEBARS Zorros has introduced a new range of custom handlebars from Highway Hawk. Most bars are slo ed for internal cables and are available in 1in and 1¼in diameters. The bars come in both

black and chrome and ﬁnishes are available in a wide variety of styles. Contact: Mark at Crazy Horse, 0433 106 669

Narrow Fat 1¼in Apehangers, $199.95

Extreme Z handlebars, $239.95

Old Skool bars in 12/14/16in, $149.95

Banana bar, black and chrome, 1¼in, $239.95

Bad Apehangers in 12/14/16/18in, black and chrome, from $249.95

Venice Beach handlebars, black and chrome, $149.95

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NEW AND INTERESTING STUFF

CORBIN H-D SADDLE American a ermarket seat maker, Corbin, has recently released a new saddle for Harley-Davidson Touring Models from 2009–2017. Known as the Widowmaker, the seat is designed to eliminate hot spots and increases your riding time ... even with such a low proﬁle. The passenger seating area is built to maintain a slick look, but the use of high-density Comfort Cell foam provides comfort and support. It’s

designed to work alone or in conjunction with the Harley-Davidson sissy bar. An optional electric seat heater is also available, which can be easily wired to your stock HD fuse box. The heater is controlled via a switch on the le side of the seat and can be easily turned on to make those chilly winter rides a whole lot more comfortable. Prices: Widowmaker $532 (MSRP) Heated Widowmaker $634 (MSRP) Visit: www.corbin.com

RAD GUARD Protection in the spots that need it the most! The guards can be purchased separately or as a set to cover both your radiator and oil cooler. All Rad Guards are designed to allow the radiators and oil coolers to do their intended job and allow adequate airﬂow into the cores to cool the bike. However, these parts are placed in a vulnerable area and receive all the rocks and debris oﬀ the road, and especially from riders in front of you. It can be devastating when a rock protrudes and damages your radiator’s core. Save this costly repair and protect yourself; cheap insurance and peace of mind. Price: From $145 Visit: www.radguard.com.au

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LETTERS

READERS RITE WINNER

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 gleech@ universalmagazines.com.au or send mail to Road Rider, Unit 5, 6–8 Byﬁeld Street, North Ryde NSW 2113 — SNAG

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.

TALKING HEADS Just some food for thought for the helmet design teams of the major players, and minor. Basically if I want a reasonably goodquality full-face lid with some kind of “kool” Rossi/Doohan or designer paint scheme, I have to pay top dollar. Why can’t the

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designers take a leaf from their MX division and produce some funky or “less stale” schemes, or perhaps even do a user’s poll? Yeah, you can always bang on stickers or if you’re game enough, try your own paint job ... Tony Wylie

DISTRACTIONS I felt it was completely unfair to publish “Wanderlust: Around the World” in the New Year edition of Australian Road Rider. Here are most of us back at our desks, a er the Xmas break, and you tease us with a wonderful multi-year adventure by Michael and Judy Clode. I am so jealous of that adventure I want to quit my new job that I have been in for four days. Love the ARR mag. Keep up the great stories. Tim Schroder Gordon, NSW

“I am so jealous of that adventure I want to quit my new job that I have been in for four days”

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LETTERS

KILLER WASPS Geez you blokes, you produce a great magazine and your standard of wordsmithing is right up there with the best, but can you please desist with this horsepower crap? In case you hadn’t noticed, this great land has been a metric country for longer than I can remember, and I’m pre y old. In issue 133 you quote the power of the Victory Octane in hp, which is reasonable, considering the thing is a Yankee cri er, and you even put the kW

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ﬁgure in brackets, but then in the ﬁgures for the Triumph Thruxton there’s no mention of kW anywhere. I have to twist what passes for my brain into converting to proper understandable units. If you want to talk hp, you should go to that strange land where just about anyone can become president and frequently does, and where they are so backward they don’t understand proper measures. I know why you do it, though. It’s a bigger

and therefore more impressive number, but that’s just wankery. David Beauchamp Naracoorte, SA Yep, we agree David, that damn Imperial system is way outdated in our book. However, the reason we sometimes use horsepower ﬁgures is because that is what the manufacturers give us. From now on, we’ll make sure to always quote kilowa ﬁgures in brackets when that is the case.

PAPERWORK

“I’ve read your books and enjoyed your travels immensely. Having retired from the same job in a diﬀerent state, they struck a chord”

Hi Rixy, I’ve read your books and enjoyed your travels immensely. Having retired from the same job in a different state, they struck a chord. Of late I have been reading your articles in Australian Road Rider — inspiring stuff, with very practical and useful information. I’m in the planning phase of an overseas trip, hoping that everything in life will get sorted and it will eventually come off. I was hoping that you may have some information about the more mundane side of doing trips like yours — you know, the registration/insurance-type stuff. I’ve been told that if you take a bike overseas it still needs to be registered in the country/jurisdiction where you live for it to be able to be used overseas, and that dependent on the country/countries that are visited, local registration is also required. All this is fine, but what happens if your trip is over 12 months? In NSW we are required to have a physical yearly inspection of the bike — albeit a lights, tyres check without it being ridden, but the check must be carried out by an “approved” authorised person. I checked with the Roads and Maritime Authority in NSW and they advised that it is possible to have inspections carried out Australiawide, but they don’t recognise overseas inspections, effectively cancelling your

registration if you’re away longer than 12 months — which may cause problems. I’m sure there are ways around this — people have been circumnavigating for years. How did you address it? I’ve even toyed with the idea of buying something new overseas, which clearly has its own series of problems. It would be preferable to keep everything as legal as possible while away, so any information or suggestions you can give about registration/insurance ma ers overseas would help. I realise that all countries will have different specific requirements, but a general insight would be great. Terry Glad to hear you enjoyed the books and they’ve inspired you, Terry. That’s why we toil over a hot keyboard. You do need to maintain your current local registration. At the last Horizons Unlimited meeting in Jindabyne, the question of maintaining NSW registration was raised. Some said it’s possible, some wanted to bury their head in the sand ostrich-style. In the end, no one could say with any certainty that an inspection conducted overseas would be recognised by NSW authorities. Rather than peddle out “fake news”, I want to give you a definitive answer from the appropriate authorities. According to the information page from NSW Roads and Maritime:

Renewing NSW registration while interstate or overseas If you are interstate or overseas and need to renew your NSW registration, you can post your renewal to: Service NSW, PO Box 21, Parkes NSW 2870. You will need to provide: • Your registration renewal notice • Inspection report (if required) • CTP Insurance policy or electronic notiﬁcation of CTP insurance details received by Roads and Maritime from your insurer (not required for trailers) • Cheque (made out to Roads and Maritime Services) or credit card authorisation for the amount of the renewal. (There’s a PDF on their site for this).

AIS inspection reports. The inspection report must deﬁne that individual items such as braking, lighting, steering etc have been inspected and passed as suitable for safe use and the vehicle must be in a satisfactory condition overall. A le er from an examiner stating that the vehicle is “suitable for safe use” is not acceptable. Under a separate heading, it goes further

Inspection reports from interstate or overseas examiners Inspection reports received from interstate or overseas examiners must record inspection details similar to those for NSW

Keep an eye out for issue 138 of ARR where we’ll cover registration and insurance ma ers in foreign countries in more detail. — Rixy

Overseas inspection reports The report must be from either: • A government department, or • An organisation delegated to undertake suitable for safe use inspections. Check it out at www.rms.nsw.gov.au

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 117

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 every bike on the market (yet) but we aim to get there with all of them. Sometimes even we struggle

BRAND & MODEL

WE SAY

APRILIA

PRICE

www.aprilia.com.au

Some Aprilia prices marked with * are maximum recommended advertised ride-away price. Road Shiver Sport 750 ABS.......................... Oh so good ................................................ $12,790+orc Tuono V4 1100 RR................................. Naked 1100cc V4? Yes! .............................. $21,990+orc Tuono V4 1100 Superpole ................... Take the RR and add more....................... $24,990+orc RSV4 RR ................................................ Higher spec, higher speed ....................... $24,490+orc RSV4 Superpole ................................... Almost the factory’s own racer ............... $30,290+orc Adv Touring Caponord Rally..................................... The hardcore Capo ................................... $22,690+orc Caponord 1200 Strada ABS................ High tech all-rounder ................................... *$17,500ra Scooters SR50R Carb SBK .................................. Biaggi replica ................................................ $3490+orc SR MT 50 2T ......................................... Entry point .................................................... $2790+orc

to find the details of the smaller, newer importers. Meanwhile, enjoy this most meaningful of Australian bike listings, covering the bikes you’re interested in. The prices are the most up-to-date ones available from the distributors. They may change, of course, subject to specials coming and going. We’ve also made it abundantly clear which prices are ride-away and which don’t include on-road costs; the difference to your final payout can be significant, so don’t compare apples with oranges.

SR MT 125 4T ....................................... Cheap commuting ....................................... $3390+orc Scarabeo 200 ie.................................... Crisp performer .............................................$5190+orc SR Max 300 .......................................... Do it all .......................................................... $6990+orc SRV 850 ATC ABS ................................ Large with the lot ........................................ *$15,000ra

BENELLI

BIMOTA

With a powerful 1200cc V-Twin engine and advanced technology, this motorcycle can adapt to any riding environment. Featuring aluminium panniers, hand guards, supplementary LED lights, side guard, oil sump guard, spoked wheels and a 19-inch front tyre, Aprilia says Caponord 1200 Rally is everything you need to conquer those unbeaten paths.

www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

BMW prices generally don’t include the options packs. Road G 310 R .................................................. Baby Beemer goes boom!.......................... $5790+orc F 800 R................................................... Neat naked parallel-twin .......................... $13,100+orc F 800 GT ................................................ Sweet sports-tourer .................................. $16,300+orc S 1000 R ................................................ Naked supermodel ................................... $19,350+orc S 1000 RR.............................................. Still the one to beat................................... $22,990+orc S 1000 XR ............................................. Adventure-sport ........................................ $22,190+orc R 1200 R ................................................ Boxer engine, boxer character ................ $22,100+orc R 1200 RS.............................................. The latest of the famous RS line ............. $23,100+orc R 1200 RT .............................................. Have your cake and eat it......................... $30,940+orc R nineT .................................................. Air-cooled simplicity with max style ...... $21,250+orc R nineT Scrambler ............................... Old-school boxer, scrambled....................$19,150+orc K 1300 S ................................................ Autobahn eater ......................................... $29,190+orc K 1600 GT ............................................. Power touring ............................................ $35,990+orc K 1600 GTL ........................................... Euro luxury touring ...................................$37,590+orc K 1600 GTL Exclusive.......................... VIP ............................................................... $42,500+orc Adv Touring F 700 GS................................................ Not really a 700 ......................................... $12,890+orc F 800 GS................................................ Great adv tourer ........................................ $16,840+orc F 800 GS Adventure ............................ Go further................................................... $18,650+orc R 1200 GS ............................................. All-road master.......................................... $21,990+orc R 1200 GS Adventure .......................... Luxuriously roughing it............................ $24,590+orc Scooter C 650 Sport ........................................... Executive stress buster ............................ $14,150+orc C 650 GT................................................ Let’s tour! ................................................... $14,990+orc

BOLLINI 118 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road BB3 ........................................................ 1000cc BMW, Italian flair.......................... $72,888+orc DB5R Desiderio .................................... Light and lovely sportsbike.......................$37,990+orc DB8 Oro Nero ....................................... Expensive excitement .............................. $84,990+orc DB9 Brivido........................................... Muscle streetfighter.................................. $44,990+orc DB10 ...................................................... Sharp style ..................................................$37,290+orc DB11....................................................... Testastretta 11 at last................................. $56,990+orc Tesi 3D Evo ........................................... Italian at heart ............................................ $50,890+orc Tesi 3D Naked....................................... The full skeleton on show........................ $55,990+orc

BMW

HIGH TECH ALL-ROUNDER

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Road BN251 .................................................... Italy’s response to the 250cc LAMS ............$4190+orc

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

PRICE GUIDE Road Speed 200 ............................................. Economy ticket ............................................ $2290+orc Cruiser Retro 200............................................... New release ...........................................................$TBA

CAN-AM (BRP)

www.brp.com

Road Spyder F3 SM6..................................... Cruiser-style model with 1330cc triple ... $26,253+orc Spyder F3 SE6-SPE.............................. F3 with semi-auto gears and more......... $30,921+orc Spyder F3-S SE6 .................................. Mid-level roadster ..................................... $29,865+orc Spyder F3-T SE6 .................................. T for touring............................................... $32,157+orc Spyder F3 Limited SE6........................ Top of the triple range ............................... $37,101+orc Spyder RT SM6 .................................... New 1330cc triple engine......................... $31,490+orc Spyder RTS SE6 ................................... RT plus semi-auto and more ................... $39,882+orc Spyder RT Limited SE6.. ..................... The full touring triple ................................ $42,290+orc Spyder RT SPE ..................................... Top-spec special edition........................... $41,690+orc

CF MOTO

www.cfmoto.com.au

Diavel Dark............................................ A true power-cruiser ................................. $24,490+orc Diavel Carbon....................................... The tricker one........................................... $30,490+orc XDiavel .................................................. Sexier with more low-rev grunt ...............$27,490+orc XDiavel S .............................................. The world’s wildest cruiser? .................... $32,490+orc Adv Touring Multistrada 1200 Red .......................... Super-smooth all-round master.............. $23,990+orc Multistrada 1200 S Red ....................... Higher tech, in red................... ................. $28,490+orc Multistrada 1200 S White.................... or in white .................................................. $28,990+orc Multistrada 1200 Enduro ................... Multi-hardcore, in red............................... $29,990+orc Multistrada 1200 Enduro .................... Multi-hardcore in white or grey .............. $30,290+orc Multistrada 1200 Pikes Peak ............... Winning uphill battles .............................. $34,990+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

Road VNight ................................................... Great learner................................................. $2690+orc Jetmax 250 ........................................... Freeway capable scooter .............................$4190+orc Leader.................................................... Not fussy ........................................................$2190+orc 150NK .................................................... Small capacity naked .................................. $3290+orc 400NK.................................................... New model in ABS or not ........................... $5490+orc 650NK .................................................... Now with Kiska style ................................... $5990+orc 650NK ABS ........................................... Now with ABS .............................................. $6490+orc 650MT ................................................... Bargain touring .............................................$7490+orc

CONFEDERATE

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser R131 Fighter ......................................... Heavyweight champ .............................................$POA X132 Hellcat.......................................... Badass ........................................................ $79,990+orc X132 Hellcat Combat ........................... American war machine ............................ $94,990+orc X132 Hellcat Speedster ....................... American muscle ......................................$98,000+orc X135 Wraith .......................................... Industrial art...........................................................$POA R135 Wraith Combat............................ American firepower..............................................$POA

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 Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 ..................... Iconic retro in 400cc LAMS guise ............$11,990+orc Ducati Scrambler Icon (Ducati Red) .. Entry-level .................................................. $13,290+orc Ducati Scrambler Icon (’62 Yellow) .... As above but yellower.............................. $13,490+orc Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro ....... For the burbs and backroads ................... $15,490+orc Ducati Scrambler Classic .................... Living in the ’70s ....................................... $15,490+orc Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle ............ The look of competition ........................... $15,490+orc Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro.......... Flat track performer .................................. $16,990+orc Monster 821 Dark ................................ The little beast steps up ........................... $16,490+orc Monster 821 Red .................................. Red devil..................................................... $16,990+orc Monster 821 White............................... Angelic monster ......................................... $17,290+orc Panigale 959 Red.................................. Middleweight rocket in red ...................... $19,990+orc Panigale 959 White .............................. Middleweight rocket in pearly white ...... $20,490+orc Hypermotard Red ................................ A hooligan on wheels................................ $17,790+orc Hypermotard ....................................... In black......................................................... $17,990+orc Hypermotard SP .................................. With tricked-up suspension ..................... $21,990+orc Hyperstrada 939................................... Manners & madness ................................ $19,490+orc Monster 1200 ....................................... Original 1200 ............................................. $19,990+orc Monster 1200 S Red ............................ With better bits .......................................... $24,490+orc Monster 1200 S White ......................... In white ....................................................... $24,790+orc Monster 1200 R .................................... The scariest Monster, n red ......................$27,490+orc Monster 1200 R .................................... Scarier still in black? ..................................$27,990+orc Panigale 1299 ....................................... The sexiest superbike? ..............................$27,990+orc Panigale 1299 S .................................... Electronic Öhlins!...................................... $35,490+orc Panigale 1299 R .................................... Race passion.............................................. $46,990+orc Cruiser

SEXY SUPERBIKE! Ducati’s 1299 Panigale S stands apart with its full LED headlights and carbon fibre mudguard, excelling with auxiliary handlebar buttons and forged wheels. The new 1299 Panigale leaves no room for compromise when it comes to technical excellence. Such is the case of the new Superquadro engine with a 116mm bore. State-of-the-art electronics ensure maximum control. Ducati Quick Shift, both fast and precise, even on downshift.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

www.harley-davidson.com

All H-D prices are ride-away Cruiser XG500 Street 500................................. Learner legal ......................................................... $9995 XL883L SuperLow ............................... For the shorties.................................................. $15,495 XL883N Iron 883 ................................. Iron tough .......................................................... $15,495 XL1200C Custom ................................. Customary show off ......................................... $18,750 XL1200CX Sportster ............................ Naughty Sporty ................................................. $19,495 XL1200X Forty-Eight............................ Retro cool ........................................................... $18,995 XL1200V Seventy-Two ........................ Vintage muscle.................................................. $18,495 XL1200T Super Low ............................ Cool little tourer................................................. $19,495 XL1200CX Roadster ............................ The sportiest Sportster ..................................... $19,495 VRSCDX Night Rod Special................ Drag bike ............................................................$28,995 VRSCF Muscle ...................................... Muscle me ..........................................................$27,995 FXDB Street Bob 1690......................... Versatile..............................................................$22,270 FXDBB Street Bob Special.................. Street smarts .....................................................$23,995 FXDL Low Rider ................................... Not laying low ...................................................$23,260 FXDLS Low Rider S ............................. Stealth bomber .................................................$25,995 FXDWG Wide Glide ............................. Let your hair hang down..................................$24,995 FXDF Fat Bob 1690 .............................. Lay off the burgers, Bob! .................................$25,240 FLD Dyna Switchback .......................... Dress up, dress down.......................................$26,250 FLS Softail Slim.................................... Slim, yet PH fat! ................................................$25,495 FLSS Softail Slim ................................. 110ci of S-series grunt ......................................$29,250 FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo............................... Low bruiser ........................................................$28,995 FLSTF Fat Boy ...................................... Big bruiser..........................................................$29,250 FLSTFBS Fat Boy S .............................. 110ci of S-series grunt ......................................$31,750 FLSTN Softail Deluxe .......................... Classy dude .......................................................$28,995 FLTRXS Road Glide Special................ Touring kit ..........................................................$36,495 AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 119

PRICE GUIDE FXSB Breakout ..................................... Urban street styling ..........................................$29,750 FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic ........... Visually beautiful...............................................$30,250 FLHR Road King ................................... Be the king .........................................................$33,995 FLHXS Street Glide Special ................ The original bagger .........................................$36,750 FLTRXS Road Glide Special................ Dynamic, fixed-fairing tourer ..........................$34,750 FLHTK Ultra Limited ............................ A Hogburger with the lot .................................$39,995 FLHTKSE CVO Limited 1870 ............... Grand touring at its shiniest ............................$52,495 FLHXSE Street Glide 1870 .................. Premium bagger ...............................................$48,995

HONDA

www.honda.com.au

Road GROM 125 ............................................ Mini bike, massive fun ................................ $3349+orc CB125e .................................................. Cheap commuter ......................................... $2299+orc CB300FA ABS LAMS ........................... 250cc weight, 300cc power ........................ $5699+orc CB500FA ABS LAMS ........................... Sweet as ........................................................ $7899+orc CB650FL ABS LAMS............................ New naked four............................................ $9999+orc CBR300R ............................................... Sporty LAMS sensation .............................. $5249+orc CBR300RA ABS .................................... The more secure version .............................$5749+orc CBR500RA ABS LAMS ........................ Bigger, bolder LAMS sports bike ............... $8099+orc CBR600RR............................................. Versatile supersport.................................. $14,999+orc CBR650FL ABS LAMS ......................... Mid-ranger with torque ............................ $10,499+orc CBR1000RR Fireblade ......................... Ride what Casey rides .............................. $16,999+orc CBR1000RRA ABS Fireblade .............. Blade with braking backup ...................... $22,499+orc CBR1000RR SP ABS Fireblade ........... Tricolour ..................................................... $28,499+orc VFR800F ABS ....................................... Stoppie machine ........................................$15,199+orc VFR1200F ABS ..................................... For the tech heads...................................... $17,799+orc CTX1300A ABS .................................... Conceptual styling .................................... $19,499+orc GL1800B ABS F6B ............................... Stripped Wing.............................................$27,299+orc GL1800 Goldwing ABS ....................... The ultimate luxury tourer ...................... $35,999+orc Cruiser CMX ABS LAMS .................................. Classic styling, new tech ............................. $7999+orc VT1300CXA ABS Fury ......................... Chopped dragster ..................................... $15,999+orc GL1800C ABS Valkyrie......................... Valkyrie returns with muscle ................... $21,999+orc Adv Touring CB500XA ABS LAMS .......................... Adventure sports ......................................... $7999+orc CRF230F CRF LAMS ............................ Bulletproof .................................................... $5999+orc CRF250RLA ABS LAMS ...................... Dakar inspired .............................................. $7299+orc CRF250R CRF LAMS............................ Lightweight weapon.................................... $6399+orc CRF450R CRF LAMS............................ Holeshot machine ......................................$12,198+orc NC750XA ABS ...................................... The most practical naked bike?.................. $9599+orc VFR800X Crossrunner ABS ................ Meep Meep................................................ $15,099+orc CRF1000 Africa Twin ............................ Out of Africa and back again! .................. $14,499+orc CRF1000A Africa Twin ABS ................. Adventure with backup ............................ $16,999+orc CRF1000D Africa Twin DCT ................. Adventure with gear-shifting action ........ $17,999+orc VFR1200X Crosstourer ABS ............... Smooth and comfy all-roader ................. $18,299+orc

INDIAN SCOUT BLACK THUNDER A nimble, sporty platform with modern performance technology inspires a new generation of Indian Scout Riders. With a modern, lightweight chassis. A lower center of gravity. And a liquid-cooled 100-horsepower V-Twin that opens up and never stops. 120 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

Scooter Dio NSC110 ........................................... Holy diver...................................................... $2799+orc MW110 Benly........................................ Reliable runabout......................................... $3299+orc NSS300A ABS Forza............................ Sporty and flexible........................................$7499+orc PCX150 WW150 ................................... New kids in town ......................................... $4499+orc SH150 ................................................... New kid in town ........................................... $4999+orc

HYOSUNG

www.hyosung.com.au

Road GT250 .................................................... Great beginner ............................................. $3790+orc GT650 .................................................... Naked value and style ..................................$5190+orc GT650R EFI ........................................... Easy, sporty, affordable ............................... $7390+orc Cruiser GV250 Aquila........................................ Little cutie ...................................................... $4290+orc GV650C Aquila Classic ........................ LAMS value .................................................. $7950+orc GV650C Aquila Sport .......................... LAMS value .................................................. $7950+orc

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

www.indianmotorcycle.com.au

Cruiser Scout Sixty............................................ Entry-level 1000cc version ........................ $17,995+orc Scout ..................................................... Classic name, ultra-modern machine .... $19,995+orc Chief Dark Horse .................................. Lots of attitude............................................$27,995+orc Chief Classic ......................................... Leading the tribe back! ............................. $29,995+orc Chief Vintage Bagger ........................... Signature heritage aesthetic ................... $31,995+orc Springfield ............................................ Hard bagger ............................................... $33,995+orc Chieftain ................................................ First Indian tourer/bagger ........................ $36,995+orc Chieftain Dark Horse ........................... A bagger in black. Lots of black................$27,995+orc Roadmaster .......................................... Full-dress tourer ........................................ $40,995+orc

KAWASAKI

www.kawasaki.com.au

Road Z125 PRO LAMS .................................. Nimble little supernaked ............................. $4099+orc Z125 PRO KRT ...................................... Supernaked replica Z series ........................$4199+orc Z250SL ABS .......................................... Naked and single ......................................... $5599+orc Z300 ABS .............................................. Ninja turned streetfighter, LAMS............... $5999+orc Z300 SE ABS......................................... Special edition streetfighter, LAMS........... $6099+orc Ninja 300 EX300A................................ Ever-popular sporty LAMS twin ................. $5799+orc Ninja 300 ABS ...................................... Sporty LAMS twin with ABS .......................$6199+orc Ninja 300 SE KRT ................................. Race replica edition ..................................... $5999+orc Ninja 300 SE KRT ABS ........................ Race replica with ABS ................................. $6399+orc Z650L Z series ...................................... Tried and true ............................................... $9669+orc ER-6nL ABS........................................... Quirky ............................................................ $9499+orc Ninja 650/L ABS ................................... Mid-sized gem, full-power or LAMS ......... $9999+orc Ninja 650/L KRT.................................... LAMS ready ............................................... $10,299+orc Ninja ZX-6R (599cc) ............................. Striking ....................................................... $14,999+orc Ninja ZX-6R ABS (636cc)..................... Bigger, gruntier, prettier ........................... $16,499+orc Ninja ZX-6R ABS (636cc) SE KRT....... Race replica edition .................................. $16,649+orc W800 SE ............................................... In black........................................................ $12,499+orc Z800 ABS .............................................. Sharper....................................................... $12,499+orc Z900 ....................................................... Revamped classic ..................................... $12,499+orc Z1000 ABS Z Series ............................. The unstoppable Zed ............................... $15,499+orc Ninja 1000 ABS ................................... A sword with soul ..................................... $16,299+orc Ninja ZX-10R ABS SE ......................... Race-tam replica, non-ABS......................$22,000+orc Ninja ZX-10R ABS ................................ Warrior superbike ..................................... $23,500+orc Ninja ZX-10R KRT ................................ Race team replica...................................... $22,500+orc Ninja ZX-10R ABS KRT Winter .......... Race team replica...................................... $23,200+orc Ninja H2 ................................................ Supercharged superbike ..........................$34,000+orc 1400GTR ABS K-ACT ........................... Transcontinental........................................ $24,999+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS ............................... Consumate big sports-tourer .................. $19,999+orc Ninja ZX-14R ABS SE Öhlins .............. Brembo, Öhlins. Wow! ............................. $22,099+orc Cruiser Vulcan S ABS EN650 LAMS ............... LAMS cruisin’ ............................................... $9999+orc Vulcan S ABS Special Edition LAMS. Indi rider ......................................................$10,199+orc Vulcan S ABS Café ............................... Café style model ........................................$10,199+orc Vulcan 900 Classic ............................... Classically glamorous .............................. $12,499+orc Vulcan 900 Custom.............................. Sleek-looking mid-weight ........................ $12,499+orc Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ABS................... Go to the dark side.................................... $24,499+orc Adv Touring KLR650 LAMS ...................................... Bargain with a capital B ...............................$8199+orc Versys 650 ABS .................................... Appealing all-rounder .............................. $10,499+orc Versys 650L ABS .................................. LAMS model.............................................. $10,499+orc Versys 1000 .......................................... Bitumen burner ......................................... $15,999+orc

PRICE GUIDE MOTO GUZZI

www.motoguzzi.com.au

Moto Guzzi prices are maximum recommended advertised ride-away price. Road V7 Stone II............................................. Minimalist retro................................................. $12,990 V7 Special II .......................................... Faithful to the original V7 ................................. $13,790 V7 Racer SE .......................................... Limited edition marvel ..................................... $16,290 V9 Roamer ............................................ 850cc simplicity and elegance......................... $15,190 V9 Bobber ............................................. Fat tyres, black paint ......................................... $15,190 Griso 1200 8V ....................................... Grand slam ........................................................$20,290 Cruiser California Audace................................. Old school style .................................................$22,990 California Eldorado.............................. Blast from the past............................................$22,990 California 1400 Touring........................ All a Cali should be ...........................................$25,290 MGX 21 J .............................................. Special Edition...................................................$35,000

MV AGUSTA

KYMCO SUPER 8 50 2T The Kymco Super 8 50 2T comes standard with high-performance, wavetype, disc brakes, dual shock absorbers on the rear suspension, retractable passenger footpegs, a twin eagle-eyes style front headlamp, and a multi-function instrument panel with a speedometer and digital clock. At its heart lies an aircooled, two-stroke, 49cc, single-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission.

KTM

www.ktm.com.au

Road 390 Duke ............................................... Z300 beater? ................................................. $6095+orc 390 RC ................................................... Light, sharp, LAMS sports bike .................. $8295+orc 250 EXC ................................................. Weekend warrior ....................................... $12,295+orc 250 EXC Six Days ................................ Long distance tracker ............................... $13,795+orc 250 EXC-F.............................................. Enduro king ............................................... $13,295+orc 250 EXC-F Six Days ............................. Decorated veteran .................................... $14,795+orc 350 EXC-F.............................................. Middleweight master ............................... $13,995+orc 450 EXC-F.............................................. Bush basher ............................................... $14,295+orc 450 XC-F ................................................ Hare Scrambler ......................................... $13,295+orc 500 EXC-F ............................................. Trail rider .................................................... $14,495+orc 500 EXC Six Days ................................ Alp climber................................................. $15,995+orc 690 Duke R ............................................ The sportier motard.................................. $14,995+orc 1290 Super Duke R .............................. Ballsy streetfighter .................................... $24,995+orc Adv Touring 690 Enduro R ........................................ Extreme riders only .................................. $14,695+orc 1190 Adventure..................................... High-tech adventurer ................................ $23,995+orc 1190 Adventure R ................................. Add more adventure ................................ $24,995+orc 1290 Super Adventure ........................ The ultimate Adventure ........................... $26,995+orc

KYMCO

www.mvagustaimports.com.au

Road F3 675 RC .............................................. Beauty replicated ...................................... $22,999+orc Brutale 800 Dragster ........................... Nanananana Batman! .............................. $20,499+orc Brutale 800 Dragster RR ..................... Batman meets Gucci ................................ $23,499+orc F4 1000 .................................................. Beauty and the beast within .................... $25,399+orc F4 1000 RR ............................................ Exotic weapon ........................................... $34,999+orc F4 RC ..................................................... The ultimate F4.......................................... $58,880+orc Brutale 1090 .......................................... More charm ............................................... $20,499+orc Brutale RR 1090 .................................... Unleash the brute within ......................... $23,499+orc

PGO

www.motorsportimporters.com.au

Scooter Ligero 50 ............................................... Good, little package ......................................$1990+orc Ligero 150 ............................................. Good, small package ................................... $3290+orc X-Hot ..................................................... It’s a hottie ..................................................... $3990+orc Gmax ..................................................... Go to the max............................................... $4700+orc

PIAGGIO

www.piaggio.com.au

Scooter Typhoon 125 ......................................... Blow you away ............................................. $2890+orc Fly 150ie ................................................ Buzz around the city .................................... $3490+orc Liberty 150ie ......................................... Big wheel freedom ...................................... $3990+orc Medley 150 i-GET................................. Humble meets hi-tech ................................. $5290+orc Medley 150 S i-GET ............................. Add chic-looking trim .................................. $5390+orc Beverly 350 ........................................... Higher performance .................................... $7990+orc Yourban 300 ......................................... Leaning three-wheeler ................................ $9490+orc X10 350 Executive.................................New on the block ........................................ $9490+orc X10 500...................................................Big features ............................................... $10,990+orc

ROYAL ENFIELD

www.royalenﬁeld.com.au

www.kymco.com.au

Scooter Agility 50 4T.......................................... Paddock bomber .......................................... $1890+orc Agility Carry 125 Delivery ................... Courier business .......................................... $3690+orc Agility RS 125 ....................................... Agile runabout.............................................. $2390+orc Super 8 50 2T ....................................... Two-stroke zinger......................................... $2290+orc Like 125 ................................................. Fall in love ..................................................... $2690+orc Super 8 125........................................... Cool jigger..................................................... $2690+orc Like 200i ................................................ Classic performer ......................................... $3090+orc Agility 16+ 200i..................................... 16-inch wheel practicality............................ $3290+orc Downtown 350i ABS ........................... More power, more city smarts ................... $6490+orc

LARO

www.laro.com.au

Road V Retro 250 ........................................... DT250 clone .................................................. $2990+orc Cruiser Cruiser 250............................................ Learner’s ride ................................................ $3999+orc

MERCURY

www.mercurycaferacer.com

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN The Himalayan combines versatility and all-day comfort. Long-travel suspension, natural upright riding position, a durable and torquey engine all add up to a comfortable ride, whether it’s on the highway, city streets or mountain roads.

Road Cafe Racer ............................................. Cool 250cc street racer .........................................$TBA AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 121

PRICE GUIDE Road B5 Bullet 500 ........................................ Fire your guns ...............................................$7490+orc C5 Classic 350....................................... Modern take on classic motorcycling ....... $5590+orc C5 Classic 500 ...................................... Individual style ............................................. $7790+orc C5 Classic Chrome............................... In Chrome ..................................................... $7990+orc GT Continental ..................................... Cafe racer like they used to be ................... $8590+orc Himalayan............................................. Climb every mountain ................................ $5990+orc

SUZUKI

www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au

Road Inazuma 250 ......................................... Let your inner zoomer out .......................... $4990+orc TU250X ................................................. Retro learner ................................................. $6990+orc DR-Z400SM .......................................... Everyday motard ......................................... $9990+orc DR650SE ............................................... Trail Enduro .................................................. $8990+orc GSX650F/LAMS ................................... Silky smooth................................................. $9990+orc GSX-R600 ............................................. Angry bee................................................... $16,490+orc SV650 .................................................... Lovely V-twin is back in LAMS form ......... $9,990+orc GSR750 ................................................. Naked cracker .............................................$11,490+orc GSX-R750 ............................................. The legend continues ................................ $17,490+orc GSX-R1000 ........................................... Even lighter and faster ............................. $15,990+orc GSX-R1000 ABS................................... Safety Gixxer ............................................. $16,990+orc GSX-S1000 ........................................... The mighty R strips naked ....................... $15,490+orc GSX-S1000F ......................................... Sports-tourer meets superbike ............... $15,490+orc GSX1250FA Bandit .............................. A little bit of everything ............................ $14,990+orc GSX1300R Hayabusa .......................... Soar like an eagle...................................... $20,790+orc Cruiser VL250 LC Intruder ................................ Bang that drum ............................................ $7690+orc LS650 Boulevard S40 .......................... Big single cylinder ....................................... $8990+orc VL800T Boulevard C50T ..................... All-new class.............................................. $10,990+orc VL1500B Boulevard C90 ..................... Bad boy ...................................................... $15,490+orc VZR1800 Boulevard M109R................ Beaut and brutal........................................ $18,990+orc VZR1800 M109R................................... Black edition .............................................. $20,990+orc Adv Touring DL650 V-Strom ..................................... Deservedly a big seller ................................ $9990+orc DL650 V-Strom LAMS ......................... Learner approved model ............................ $9990+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 .............................. $15,990+orc DL1000GT V-Strom .............................. Fully equipped adventurer....................... $19,990+orc Scooter UK110 Address ..................................... New city slicker .............................................$3190+orc AN200A Burgman 200 ABS ............... The smallest city burger ............................. $6490+orc AN650A Burgman ABS ....................... A maxi to tour on ...................................... $14,790+orc

SWM

www.mojomotorcycles.com.au

Adventure RS300 .................................................... Mid-size enduro/adventure bike ................ $8290+orc

UP UP AND AWAY This Torino Aviata has at its heart the tried and tested 250cc V-twin learner legal powerhouse engine. It’s an ideal bike for the daily commute and to get away on the weekend. Its comfortable riding position and handling will eat up the miles on your favourite roads. You will be sure to get attention on this little machine. RS500 .................................................... The one in the middle ................................. $8990+orc SM500R................................................. Supermoto 500 ............................................ $8990+orc RS650 .................................................... Enduro basis for adventure build .............. $8990+orc SM650R................................................. The supermoto option ................................ $9490+orc 650 Superdual ...................................... Double super ................................................ $9990+orc Gran Turismo ........................................ GT pulse .........................................................$7490+orc Gran Milano.......................................... Retro styled Italian ...................................... $7990+orc Silver Vase............................................. Scrambler style .............................................$7490+orc

SYM

www.scoota.com.au

Scooter Classic 150 ............................................ Noble ride ......................................................$3199+orc VS 150 ................................................... Branch away ................................................. $3549+orc Symphony 150 ..................................... Sporty big wheeler ...................................... $3399+orc HD Evo 200 ........................................... Whacko! .........................................................$5199+orc CityCom 300i ........................................ Practical and competitive............................ $6099+orc Firenze 300............................................ Full of features...............................................$6199+orc MaxSym 400i ....................................... Ride-away price.................................................$8449ra

TGB

www.tgbscooters.com.au

Scooter Bellavita 125 ......................................... Very chic ........................................................ $3990+orc X-Race 150 ............................................ You’ll need knee sliders .............................. $2590+orc Bullet 150 .............................................. Small-calibre projectile ............................... $3390+orc Xmotion 300 ......................................... Smooth mover ............................................. $4990+orc Bellavita 300i ........................................ Very chic, and bigger ................................... $5490+orc

TORINO

www.torinomotorcycles.com.au

Torino ride-away prices are mostly Sydney-based and may vary elsewhere. Cruiser Aviata..................................................... Plenty of features ......................................... $6090+orc Scooter Aero MKII .............................................. Cut the wind ................................................. $2390+orc Torino Famosa 125cc .......................... City chic ......................................................... $2290+orc Torino Famosa 150cc .......................... Get off my lawn ............................................ $2590+orc

TRIUMPH

V-STROM LAMS IT UP From tarmac to trail, every ride is an escape into freedom. Suzuki’s 2016 iteration of the go-anywhere V-Strom 650XT (Cross-Touring) is ready to expand your field in adventure touring. The Learner Approved variants 645cc V-twin engine output is restricted to 35kW to meet the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) requirements and offers exceptional low-to-mid rpm performance.

122 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Road Bonneville Street Twin ......................... Entry level Brit ........................................... $13,700+orc Bonneville Street Twin CP ................... Custom Paint ............................................. $13,900+orc Street Scrambler .................................. The good ol’ days ..................................... $15,900+orc Street Scrambler CP & TCP................. Two-tone paint .......................................... $16,100+orc Bonneville Street Cup ........................ Factory cafe racer...................................... $15,600+orc Bonneville T100 ................................... Tonne topper ............................................. $15,300+orc Bonneville T120 ................................... Classic look, modern performer ..............$17,200+orc Thruxton 1200 ...................................... Bigger, faster, liquid-cooled ..................... $18,700+orc Thruxton 1200 CP ................................ Custom paint ............................................. $18,900+orc Thruxton R 1200 .................................. As above but fully trick! ........................... $21,100+orc

PRICE GUIDE Cruiser Bonneville Bobber .............................. New model ................................................$18,000+orc Bonneville Bobber TCP and CP .......... New model two-tone paint ......................$18,250+orc Thunderbird Storm ABS ..................... Thunderous ...............................................$22,800+orc Thunderbird Commander .................. The bigger, tougher T-bird ........................$23,800+orc Thunderbird Commander TCP ........... Two-tone paint ..........................................$24,300+orc Thunderbird LT..................................... T-bird goes touring....................................$25,000+orc Thunderbird LT TCP ............................. Two-tone paint ..........................................$25,500+orc Rocket III Roadster ABS....................... What’s not to love about 2300cc? ...........$23,990+orc Rocket III Touring ABS.......................... Monster motor, long-hauler ....................$26,490+orc Roadsters and Supersports Daytona 675.......................................... Triple threat ................................................$14,990+orc Daytona 675R ABS............................... Track day heaven ......................................$16,990+orc Street Triple 660 ABS LAMS ............... Learner-legal thrills ...................................$12,490+orc Street Triple 675 ABS ........................... Streets ahead.............................................$12,990+orc Street Triple 675 R ABS........................ Even further ahead ...................................$13,990+orc Street Triple 675 RX.............................. Inspired by the Daytona 675....................$14,999+orc Speed Triple S ....................................... Street fighter..............................................$18,500+orc Speed Triple R ....................................... Sex on wheels ...........................................$20,900+orc Touring Tiger Sport ............................................ Sex on wheels ...........................................$17,550+orc Trophy SE.............................................. Superb tourer .............................................$27,990+orc Adv Touring Tiger 800 XR ......................................... Great all-rounder.......................................$14,090+orc Tiger 800 XRx Low .............................. Lowered seat height ..................................$17,100+orc Tiger 800 XRT....................................... Equipped for touring ................................$18,350+orc Tiger 800 XC ......................................... The more hardcore Tiger..........................$15,590+orc Tiger 800 XCx Low .............................. Lowered seat height ..................................$17,950+orc Tiger 800 XCA ...................................... Equipped for adventure ........................... $19,950+orc Tiger 1050 Sport ABS .......................... More growl for the road............................$17,150+orc Tiger Explorer 1200 XRX .................... Next-generation world-eater ...................$22,900+orc Tiger Explorer 1200 XCx/L.................. Lowered seat height .................................$23,900+orc Tiger Explorer 1200 XRT..................... Explore with more touring comfort........$24,900+orc Tiger Explorer 1200 XCA .................... Explore the roads less travelled..............$26,900+orc

URAL

www.imz-ural.com.au

Road cT ........................................................... Lower stance, better handling.................$21,780+orc M70 Retro ............................................. The classic of classics...............................$24,970+orc Tourist.................................................... Sidecar touring in classic elegance ........$23,760+orc Adv Touring Ranger ................................................... The tougher option ...................................$24,970+orc Ranger Sahara Edition ........................ Desert stormer...........................................$25,470+orc Ranger Sportsman Edition ................. Sidekicks.....................................................$26,970+orc

VESPA

www.vespa.com.au

Scooter Primavera LX125 3-Valve .................... For the designer in you ...............................$5590+orc Primavera LX150 3-Valve .................... With a bit more oomph ...............................$6290+orc PX150 .................................................... The purist’s ride ............................................$6490+orc PX150 Touring....................................... Touring edition .............................................$6790+orc Sprint 150ie 3V ..................................... Sporty looks ..................................................$6590+orc GTS150ie 3V ......................................... Practical .........................................................$6590+orc GTS250ie FL ......................................... Style in a great package ..............................$7890+orc GTS300 Super FL ABS ........................ Vroom vroom ............................................... $9190+orc GTS300 Super Sport FL ...................... Sportier style ................................................$9490+orc 946 Bellissima ...................................... Limited stock..............................................$12,990+orc

VICTORY

www.victorymotorcycles.com.au

All Victory prices are ride-away Cruiser Octane ................................................... New liquid-cooled 1200 ................................... $17,995 Vegas 8 Ball .......................................... Sink the 8-ball ....................................................$21,995 High-Ball ............................................... Ol’ skool cool .....................................................$22,495 Gunner .................................................. Very cool bobber ...............................................$22,495 Hammer S............................................. Hammer it!.........................................................$23,995 Cross Country Tour .............................. Ultra-comfortable touring ................................$31,995 Magnum ............................................... Cross country bling ..........................................$30,995 Magnum X-1 ....................................... Stealth Edition ...................................................$34,995

VIPER

www.urbanmotoimports.com.au

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

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY Everyone loves a retro themed anniversary edition. Yamaha’s 60th Anniversary YZF-R1 should bring on enough nostalgia to make you misty-eyed. Retro colours combined with modern equipment is always a winning combo.

YAMAHA

www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Road YZF-R15 ................................................ Sporty little terrier ........................................$4299+orc MT-03 ..................................................... Naked LAMS twin ........................................$5699+orc YZF-R3 ................................................... Race-replica twin for learners ....................$6299+orc YZF-R3 SP ............................................. Movistar MotoGP edition............................$6399+orc SR400 .................................................... The classic single .........................................$8099+orc YZF-R6 ................................................... WSS champ ...............................................$16,499+orc YZF-R6 SP ............................................. 60th Anniversary Edition .........................$16,799+orc MT-07LA ................................................ Learner legal thriller.....................................$9899+orc MT-07HO ............................................... Full-size, full-power twin .......................... $10,299+orc XSR700 ................................................. Retro cool, modern LAMS ....................... $10,999+orc MT-09A .................................................. Three-cylinder thriller ...............................$12,299+orc XSR900 ................................................. Uber cool with ABS and TC......................$12,999+orc MT-09 Tracer .......................................... Loony tours! ..............................................$15,499+orc MT-10 ..................................................... The mightiest MT.......................................$17,999+orc YZF-R1 ................................................... Rossi’s roadbike?.......................................$23,499+orc YZF-R1 60th Anniversary .................... Birthday celebration .................................$24,499+orc YZF-R1M................................................ No, this one’s Rossi’s roadbike!...............$29,999+orc XJR1300 ................................................ Refined cool ...............................................$14,499+orc FJR1300A .............................................. Sophisticated, sporty tourer ....................$24,999+orc FJR1300AE ............................................ Electronic suspension ...............................$27,999+orc Cruiser XV250 Virago ........................................ Great small package ....................................$6799+orc XVS650 V-Star Custom........................ Popular custom ......................................... $10,799+orc XVS650A V-Star Classic....................... And as a classic ......................................... $11,299+orc XVS950A V-Star 950 ............................ Mighty mid-ranger....................................$13,999+orc XVS950C Star Bolt ............................... A younger, hipper cruiser ........................ $11,999+orc XVS950CR Star Bolt ............................ R-Spec with better shocks........................$12,499+orc XVS950C SP V-Star Bolt...................... C-Spec Cafe model ...................................$12,699+orc XVS950CPB Star Bolt .......................... Paint It Black kit..........................................$12,999+orc XVS950CHL Star Bolt .......................... Hell For Leather kit ....................................$13,999+orc XVS1300A V-Star ................................. The pick of the bunch ...............................$15,999+orc XVS1300C Stryker ............................... Mean looking chopper .............................$15,499+orc XVS1300C SP Stryker Special............ With a bullet cowl .....................................$16,099+orc XV1900A Roadliner ............................. Art Deco piece ...........................................$21,799+orc XV1900AT Roadliner Tourer ................ Art with flair ...............................................$24,399+orc Adv Touring XT250R .................................................. New fuel-injected model .............................$6299+orc XT660Z Ténéré ...................................... Freedom machine .....................................$13,999+orc XT1200Z Super Ténéré ........................ Leisurely rider............................................ $19,990+orc XT1200ZOE Super Ténéré ................... Outback edition .........................................$21,890+orc XT1200ZESP Super Ténéré ................. Electric suspension ...................................$21,999+orc Scooter XC115 D’elight ...................................... Your newest little friend ..............................$3399+orc YW125 ................................................... BW’s ...............................................................$3399+orc GDP125A NMax ................................... New edition to the MAX range .................. $4199+orc MW 125 Tricity ...................................... Three-wheeled leaner .................................$4299+orc MW125 Tricity ABS............................... Three-wheeler with ABS .............................$4699+orc TMAX 530 Iron Max ............................ Mad maxi ...................................................$13,999+orc AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 123

E L B U O D E TH

o f s r 2 yea

E L A S Y M M WHA

! 1 f o e c i r p r the YOU SAVE

ATIONSTWIN A SPECIFIC AFRIC HONDA 0LA AFR

T: HONDA ROAD TES

ICA TW

e four-strok ENGINE with id-cooled, llel-twin Type: Liqu -valve para SOHC, eight crank 270-degree m 998cc m x 75.1m Capacity: e: 92.0m ronic fuel Bore x strok ent: Elect agem man Engine injection

CRF100

50%

) ANCE 94hp (70kW PERFORM imum power: max Claimed m 98Nm at at 7500rp torque: maximum Claimed 6000rpm

firma than g more terra time. are hi in . Make ens all the presto, you d like. Happ for the Africa Twin of you woul the sort strong suit to show ed, This is a only wish brother tyres equipp ke, it can r With road ikered li le s, no mista arly mon condition its simil in real dirty in handling traillie does of the parallel-tw 50X CRF2 over the stature narrow get up and ions to but the rider to the react s layout allow ing those of quick weight using gh the offer K and to shi big 21in front end, thing throu a slide early counter. Yes, that MUDLAR to toss this the west and to chance anticipate h stuff soon on gh roug ing there ke inputs We got the unseasonal mon s to find bike throu engine/bra much padd an condition 191cm through l pulls the fallout of to steer . There isn’t pillion, like my slippery — the ideal front whee a chance can only forgiving Victoria handles A big pre y owners about you’ve got coast of narrow. tallish bike b bum in r duallie ls much well, and again, it’s how the tion num that bigge ing revea out just will men , sort of of runn greasy stuff right there. son Gus, with the to be held ard fare . This type bike, slide stand a plus, stuff r. slick for sport s is a now its dualht that envy. Big short orde info is pit, there ension allow ball tossing it on a supposed transitions of weig Tons of both the The susp g In the cock lute al gement. to place There fact. Tryin ole arran , tending ly. With quick later just an abso on the gas. much in all and it’s very quick s engender digital cons and it there ably too rs, but it’s condition holding numbers on the deck ay, argu gas to li young playe side and the plot on displ at a fair ess all the using the here for pilot and frontof a rider rn and proc s, travelling be dragons entum, a to disce obability lived sunglasse the impr se, if you while in power mom side and, hey ols cour it with Of e. symb out one what and the nose mes a chor weight to what is over pitches clip, beco to know It didn’t end slide you’d get nature. with it, second become may well period. my test keep the it’s hard to

power down

in the dirt

ke of my For a blo ply too like here. sim ’s a lot togest duallies are d” “So … there low spee of the big i e, a lotome, especially at siz cumbers

42 |

N AUSTRALIA

ROAD RIDE

ISSION TRANSM peed Type: Six-s with on : Chain Final drive multiplate or DCT Wet, Clutch: es riding mod and off R NING GEA AND RUN cradle CHASSIS -double e-down Steel semi Frame: 45mm upsid l ension: m trave 230m e, Front susp adjustabl ck, fully forks, fully Monosho ension: susp l Rear trave with e, 220mm wave discs adjustabl 310mm es: sintered and brak ers Front 000LA piston calip on CRF1 radial fourstandard ABS , metal pads 000DCT disc with and CRF1 m wave on e: 256m standard Rear brak er, ABS on calip 000DCT twin-pist 0-18 A and CRF1 rear 150/7 CRF1000L t 90/90-21, Fron s: Tyre CITIES AND CAPA IONS DIMENS ard, m Trail: 101m weight: 231kg stand dry Claimed /DCT r (840/860) li le off 242kg ABS 850/870mm, lowe it gets a ht: not and once Seat heig usually in the sand nger and er (880/900) Get one wer and high I’m a passe : 250mm and narro ty of a clearance centre, well, one feels lighter ’s the beau ABS, it’s Ground m real ed. That dry plus This relax 1575m some long. 231kg e: from and at for have le pack Wheelbas litres , although predictab — you can whole ship a good ergocity: 18.5 than most d duallie the It’s just a Fuel capa . well-sorte of bike. e keeping t you’ll be edge here still a lot factory fun whil e’s no doub gives it the range of sideways duallie in rol. Ther add-on ntro STUFF 99 ABS, er a d Honda that extensive a r cont can have OTHER ard, $16,9 you mast an well unde own. You 99 stand et y There’s der a er rider ed. bike your Price: $15,4 bars, low-s at be er road going. Guarante make the ry Red or T/ABS gr , light to name but stuff to oad pre y so over ed grips dard), Victo $17,999 DC ge, heat set-up is light off-r screen dence Silver (stan a Twin’s ta hard lugga a ractive and a taller taking prece se, the Colours: The Afric /DCT) lt sockets e that that cour (ABS h comfort a MPE you 12-vo awar aw Of with if lour be Trico by: Hond rmance. quickly course, ck are standard, , ts perfo supplied . out fairly a few. Of monosho sporrts blows o a Australia too o en Test bike forks and bit of balls-out price box Hond n a s ow act: -dow with sorie e-dow wind that acces on its own om.au Local cont feels ng the acce 45mm upsid ble, I believe have this torcycles.c unlimited the thing start ticki stable, so doesn’t s the uphondamo ths, Twin about how it up as a acros a fully adju on ion mon e. offer : 24 mati The Afric inforrmat stuff on ible to set is impressiv Warranty baseline suite of models d be poss . uld and the t three it woul head high on. kilometres for you, pair of the hold its R | 43 ts weap ports specced e spor an can nation d and ROAD RIDE reasonabl RALIAN well price model desig It’s AUST T Twin F a FF UF TU of my ST ed, the Afric HT S HT GH . For a bloke ies are Inde THE RIG like here duall on. ARR ’s a lot to biggest d. lives So … there 3kg),), a lot of the at low spee m, 83kg e, especially size (178c ersom r The umb monster cumb CRF feels at home on the trail simply too

values around a heritage designation must be adhered to, or the market may smell a rat and desert en n masse.

vital components

r The exhaust crackles and pops like crazy on deceleration — we love it

r ABS is equipped as standard

CRF 1000LA, which gets all those bits but not the dual clutch setup. You’ll be taking $16,999 out of the Christmas Club account for this one. Got all that?

WHAT HA HAVE AV AV VE E WE HERE?

36 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD AD RIDER

r The tubular crash bar protects the Honda’s

TWIN

“Now the new bike is here. And just like Ronald McDonald’s successor, it has big shoes to fill”

So when en the all-new Africa Twin shoved its nose out ut of Kumamoto in 2016, the weight of expectation tion on its tall shoulders was significant.. Could this thing be anywhere near as game-changing anging as the first incarnation, the XRV650 RD03 03 of 1988? Well, we did our darnedest to find out.

The Africa Twin win arrives on our shores at three levels of price and d appointment. There’s a tricky top-end beastie, the $17,999 CRF1000L DCT with a dual al clutch transmission and ABS; the bo om-dog $15,499 CRF1000L, which rolls from the showroom oom missing traction control, ABS, handguardss and bashplate; and the subject of our test, st, the middle-of-the-range

ROAD TEST: HONDA CRF1000LA AFRICA

r At the pub aft after a big day on the road

While 998cc is a big capacity, the bike is no rocket ship. In fact, the numbers here are conservative at 94hp (70kW) at 7500rpm and the twist factor reading 98Nm at 6000rpm. A 270-degree phased cranksha gives the power delivery a distinct rorty note and character, while the bugbear of the parallel

r Switching between traction control modes

is a cinch

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 37

you get 24 months 22 ISSUES OF AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER TOTAL VALUE

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SUBSCRIBE NOW! Visit universalshop.com.au and search code RR136 to get this ripper deal or call 1300 303 414. Hurry, offer ends 8th June, 2017!

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Bike friendly accommodation FACILITIES:

172 Kiewa Valley Highway Tawonga South, Mount Beauty, Victoria 3698 P: (03) 5754 4644 M: 0428 868 502 E: info@bogongmoth.com.au www.bogongmoth.com.au

The Bogong Moth Motel offers clean, friendly accommodation. Rooms are serviced daily & have all you need for a comfortable relaxing stay. Keys are available for those who wish to secure their bikes in the shed and we offer a drop-off/pick-up service to the local restaurants & watering holes. We are opposite the iconic Flour + Water restaurant & close to two other world class restaurants. The local wineries offer a great range of good wine & food. We have a guest BBQ & a great seating area, shady in summer & great views in winter.. The motel has 8 rooms sleeping from 2 to 6 people. Best rates in the area.

• Clean, modern accommodation • Ensuite in all rooms • TV/DVD in all rooms • Electric toaster, jug, AC/Heater, microwave and electric blankets • Free Wi-Fi • Serviced rooms • Guest BBQ • 3 x 2 person, 2 x 3 person, 2 x 4 person and 1 x 6 person • Close to great restaurants, pub and local brewery • 30km to Falls Creek snowﬁelds • 30km to Bright

FACILITIES: The Mallacoota Hotel Motel is conveniently situated in Mallacoota’s main street close to shopping, playgrounds, tourist information and easy access to all that Mallacoota and Croajingolong National

51-55 Maurice Avenue, Mallacoota VIC 3892 (PO Box 43) P: (03) 5158 0455 F: (02) 5158 0453 E: inncoota@bigpond.net.au www.mallacootahotel.com.au

Park have to offer. Just

APSLEY ARMS HOTEL 33 N Derby Street, Walcha NSW 2354 Where the Oxley Hwy meets Thunderbolt’s Way

• Discount for group bookings • Clean, modern accommodation • Great food & friendly bars • Garage for bikes • Guest lounge room with TV • Function room • Bistro area & The Green Room wine & cider bar

P: (02) 6777 2502 www.apsleyarms.com.au

beaches and walking tracks of the Wilderness Coast.

FACILITIES:

Sleepy Lagoon Hotel 12-16 Bream Street, Tin Can Bay QLD 4580 (Fraser Coast Region) E: sleepylagoonhotel@bigpond.com

Cold beer, friendly atmosphere, quality accommodation. Sleep Lagoon Hotel – TAB facilities, hotel rooms. Exchange Hotel Toogoolawah – QHA ﬁnalists for Best Pub Style Accommodation, Breakfast Sunday mornings.

Exchange Hotel Toogoolawah 11 Cressbrook Street, Toogoolawah QLD 4313 (Brisbane Valley Region) E: sleepylagoonhotel@bigpond.com www.exchangehoteltoogoolawah.com

days lunch & dinner • Bar • Bottleshop • Accommodation • Secure parking • Dinner/breakfast & accommodation packages available

FACILITIES:

• Accommodation • Countermeals • All day Pizza • Backpackers & bikers welcome • Lock up your bikes • ATM • Bottleshop

• Restaurant open 7

• Pokies

FACILITIES: The township of Adaminaby has a deep and meaningful history, focused on the grounding values of family and community. The Snow Goose Hotel is no different. We are family friendly and want to ensure 2 Denison Street, that you have the Cnr Baker & Denison Street best stay possible, Adaminaby NSW 2629 no matter what your reason for P: (02) 6454 2202 E: snowgoosehotel@gmail.com visiting our beautiful www.snowgoosehotel.com.au location may be.

Bistro TAB Sky Channel Bottleshop Beer garden Air conditioned rooms • Secure parking • Saltwater pool

minutes to the fabulous

FACILITIES: Experience a real Australian bush pub circa 1880. Modern accommodation with self-serve continental breakfast included. Bistro and bar meals. Reviewed and recommended in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Pub Food Guide.

• • • • • •

& ACCOMMODATION

26 E Fitzroy Street, Walcha Bookings: (02) 6778 0224 Enquiries: (02) 6777 1117 E: walchacafe@optusnet.com.au www.walcharoyalcafe.com.au

www.walcharoyalcafe.com.au

A great dining experience with function room, licensed bar and excellent accommodation. With a relaxed & friendly environment we are the perfect spot for a quick bite or to celebrate a night out with a group. Come and see why Royal Cafe is the place that’s got it all ...

• • • • •

Dine in or takeaway Healthy & tasty menu Function room Licensed bar Excellent accommodation • Queen to single rooms to semi self contained cottage • Lock up sheds & drying room available

Specialising ONLY in

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KOZAK MOTORCYCLE DRYWASH CLOTH REMOVES DUST AND FINE DIRT. NO SCRATCHING, NO STREAKING! SEE THE ROADRIDER REVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE ORDER ONLINE AT:

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PRECISION SHIMS AUSTRALIA A manufacture of shims for the adjustment of inlet and exhaust valve clearances. Range of sizes available from 7.0mm - 40.0mm diameter. Priced from $5.50 each inc. GST. Incremental steps of .02mm or .05mm available. Kits available including .02 & .05 increments.

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ROAD RIDER GARAGE

r David Clarke r Lisa Pontin

THAT BIKE OF YOURS Now that you’re up to date with what we’ve been riding lately, here are some of the awesome motorcycles owned by you guys

r Andrew Place

r Jason Carter r Tanya Maslin

r Gilbert Gonthier

r Keith Larkin

If you’d like to see your very own pride and joy featured in the mag, send a photo to gleech@universalmagazines.com.au or message us on Facebook. r Michael Hart AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 129

LAST LOOK

LOOKING BACK sk just about anyone and chances are they’ll agree that the Paris-Dakar rally is by far the most punishing race event out there. Of the few riders brave enough to take on the race, only a fraction of them ever ﬁnish. What separates Dakar from other forms of motorsport is that there are thousands of factors working against competitors at all times. Big crashes, major breakdowns and catastrophic navigational errors are commonplace at the Dakar rally. Anything can happen.

The story goes that in 1977 a man named Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorcycle in the Libyan Desert during the Abidjan-Nice rally. He made it home, but by only by the skin of his teeth. He was so taken by his adventure that he devised a rally starting in Europe and ﬁnishing in Dakar. The mo o was, “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.” Thirty years on, and the Dakar rally is still as exciting as ever.

LOOKING FORWARD ARR ISSUE 137 ON SALE JUNE 2017

RIDDEN

ON THE ROAD

We’ve got a bit of everything for you. Starting with the Royal Enﬁeld Himalayan, which we tested in the very place it was designed for — the Himalayas. We also ride the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso, the BMW S 1000 XR, and we take a close look at the cultural phenomenon that is the Cafe Racer.

We get tropical with a big trip through Timor, and an adventure in northern Thailand.

130 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

AND ... Lots and lots of motorcycle stories to keep your mind in the right place while you’re not riding your own.

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WINTER

WEATHER TYPE: Waterproof /all seasons | SIZES: S-4XL

Packed with loads of smart innovations, the Vosges oﬀers a great deal of comfort, protection and functionality for the adventurous touring rider. The Raintex waterproof liner and warm thermo liner are easily detachable to adapt to your needs. Safe Tech CE armour helps keep you safe. Multiple ventilation zips/panels can be opened for optimum riding comfort.

READY TO TRAVEL, ANY ROAD, ANY SEASON, ANY WEATHER! NOW AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA!

170086

We’re 100% committed to beating the price of your current motorcycle cover. At QBE you know you’re getting great value motorcycle insurance with our price beat guarantee. like low usage discounts, a lifetime guarantee on repairs, and apparel and helmet cover up to $4,000 – we make switching easy. Simply call us today and we’ll work out the best deal for you.

Call 1800 24 34 64

We guarantee to beat our competitors price on motorcycle insurance policies excluding our Platinum Cover. The guarantee also applies to existing QBE motorcycle insurance policies that are on renewal. Price guarantee

Ltd. ABN 78 003 191 035. AFSL 239545. To decide if a policy is right for you please carefully read the PDS which is available at qbe.com.au or by phoning us on 1800 24 34 64. Price beat guarantee only available on full comprehensive motorcycle insurance. Not available on CTP.