Issue#6.4 Aug/Sep 2014

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R S U O CT LT IN JE O W O B PR S & T U

ALL-AUSTRALIAN CONTENT

AU

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NEW BIKES TESTED TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT YAMAHA STRYKER VICTORY HIGH BALL INDIAN CHIEFTAIN KAWASAKI VULCAN CLASSIC

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Contents

32

12 Customised 100

Yamaha XV1900 AT The new 2014 torque monster replacing last year’s torque monster has arrived. Time to add more fun.

102

Project Nuts & Bolts We’ve taken Yamaha’s Star Bolt and are making it uniquely ours. Then we’re gonna make it one of yours.

On the road 24

Aussie Hardarse Association Can you ride 1600km in 24 hours?

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A Day in the Saddle A dam good day.

New Bikes & Trikes 12

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Triumph Thunderbird LT It may look like a Thunderbird Storm but looks are deceiving.

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2014 HOG Rally From Rocky to Cairns, and rocking with HOG.

Victory High Ball High bars, solo seat and a handful of attitude.

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Tokyo Motorcycle Show A look at what’s hot in Japan.

Yamaha Stryker From America, with love.

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Bankstown Bike Show We take a tour of the 24th edition of this super-show

Indian Chieftain We hit the highway aboard the Chieftain

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United Trikers Australia AGM Wagga Wagga invaded by Trikers.

Yamaha SR400 Flashback to the ’70s.

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Shop Talk: SunCity Harley-Davidson Shops that do the right thing deserve praise.

106

Can-Am Spyder RT Launch The Australian unveiling of the Spyder RT.

Kawasaki Vulcan Classic Kawasaki’s 1700 Vulcan Classic is the stripped-down charmer of the range.

People & Places

Yamaha XVS1300AT Star Tourer

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26

With your help 8

Reader’s Ride A Triumph Rocket III trike.

Technical notes 20

FYI News and products you need to know about.

78

The Shed: Seal those fork legs New fork seals for a pair of Wide Glide fork legs.

86

Stuff We’re Testing Stuff that we use and want to share with you.

111

Cruiser & Trike price guide Do the sums and count the pennies.

Columns 6

G’day Written while miles from the reality of an office.

114

Sandbag Maintaining control.

Editorial

All of us have common ground in motorbikes and that’s all that matters.

W

here have the past couple of months gone! It feels like it was only a few weeks ago that I sat down to write the last G’day.

For me, it’s been a blur of activity that began with a trip to Melbourne for the Triumph Thunderbird LT launch. That was a couple of days of great riding on a variety of roads with a group of mates. I stayed in Melbourne for an extra couple of days with a different group of mates for a race meeting before heading home.

A couple of weeks later I was back on a plane, this time headed for Rockhampton and the media ride to Cairns and the 2014 HOG Rally. From the minute we landed in Rocky it was fun and games with mates.

The first night in the pub was followed by days of riding and more nights of catching up, reliving memories and story time.

Then while the rest of the media were assembling for the official opening of the 2014 HOG Rally, I was on a plane back to Sydney and a pre-planned and booked weekend with mates.

Almost before my riding gear had finished airing, it was time to head back to Melbourne for the Yamaha Stryker and SR400 launch. You guessed it already?

Yep, more mates, riding and a couple of nights of telling tall tales in company. The Cruiser & Trike

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product from various alcohol distilleries and breweries was sampled, discussed and appreciated.

The office embraced my presence, as did my dogs when they remembered who I was, but not for long.

It was time for my annual pilgrimage to Brisbane for a drag race meeting that I’ve been going to since 1991. Even though the meeting is going on in the background, I’m writing this while catching up with mates who are calling in to say g’day. It’s a relaxed atmosphere where we’re parked.

All around us are bike racers and the talk revolves around our shared passion for bikes and having a laugh. I’ve also found out that more than a few of my fellow racers have been cruiser riders for years but hadn’t mentioned it publicly before because they figured that drag racing was foreign to cruiser riding! All of us have common ground in motorbikes and that’s all that matters.

Life’s good. Especially when surrounded by people who speak motorbike!

Have fun, Mick Withers

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Readers’ Rides

aul and Kaye Curds own this Triumph Rocket III trike.

After Mick made a comment on Facebook about always keeping an eye out for goodlooking trikes, Kaye got in touch and explained that they had a good-looking Rocket III Trike.

You know what? She was right. Mick whipped his camera out and captured this trike and its owners.

P

Come back next issue for the full story on that one.

This page is reserved for photos from Cruiser & Trike readers. They don’t have to be the greatest pics in history but so long as they’re in focus and relevant, we want to see them. They also need to be your own work; but you already knew that.

Send high-res images to cruiser@ universalmagazines.com with Reader’s Ride as the subject. C&T

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R O A D B I K E I N S U R A N C E

Full Comprehensive cover with discounts for low usage and experienced owner riders.

Editor Mick Withers Contributing Editors Tim Sanford and Paul Bailey Contributors Mark Hinchliffe, Travis Anderson, Philip Stone and Atsushi Sunayama Photographers Mick Matheson, Tim Munro, Mark Hinchliffe, Jeff Crow, Tim Sanford and Frank Reeby Designer Jessica Roberts Sub Editor Michelle Segal Editorial Email cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Subscription enquiries mailorder@universalmagazines.com.au National Sales and Marketing Manager John Arens, jarens@universalmagazines.com.au (02) 9887 0331 Advertising Manager Jon Van Daal, jvandaal@universalmagazines.com.au 0459 147 592, (02) 9805 0347 US Advertising Representative Stacey Swanson, marketsas@gmail.com Ph 925-292-9470 Advertising Production Ian Cassel Advertising Senior Designer Martha Rubazewicz Publisher Janice Williams

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Call us or Visit our website for more details

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Any advice in this document is general advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement available from THiS Insurance and your objectives, financial situation or needs before acting on this advice. The Insurance is underwritten by Thistle Underwriting Services (TUS). TUS acts under an authority to bind cover on behalf of QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. Current as at 1 Feb 2014.

Circulation enquiries to our Sydney head office (02) 9805 0399.

Cruiser & Trike Vol. 6 No. 4 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

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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.

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App your fingertips (remove gloves first)

Available now for digital download

New Bike Test

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT THE THUNDERBIRD LT SHOWS THAT THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO POWER A CRUISER

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New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow

T

he cruiser world ain’t V-shaped!

As we saw last issue, there’s more than one way to power a cruiser. Triumph already has the Rocket III as a departure from the American cruiser script and the new 2014 Thunderbird LT continues along a unique path with a massive parallel twin-cylinder engine providing the smiles.

Triumph has a long history, albeit slightly interrupted, of making bikes with parallel twin-cylinder engines. It is as much its heritage as V-twins are for other companies.

It does a good parallel twin and this 1699cc offering delivers torque in a way that was never envisaged when the Edward Turnerdesigned and parallel twin-powered Speed Twin was released in 1937. It’s extremely unlikely that the current power levels were even considered when the first Thunderbird rolled out in 1949 powered by a 650cc parallel twin. The parallel twin is not a new idea in Triumph’s world.

A unique way of building bikes doesn’t end with the use of a very large capacity engine. The Thunderbird LT’s seat was designed and then handed to the engineering team that was instructed to make the frame fit the seat. The new frame places the LT’s front and rear axles 50mm further apart than the standard Thunderbird.

The dual-layer foam used in the seat is 95mm thicker and the frame rails under the seat were lowered 30mm from the stock Thunderbird to ensure a suitable height when stopped with your feet down. The seat design also ensures your lumbar is very well supported when riding along.

Unique is a word bandied about frequently in motorcycle tests and in the case of the Thunderbird LT, it is well deserved. The only parts carried over from the standard Thunderbird are the engine, brake calipers and switchblocks. That’s it.

Everything else is new and — dare I say it — unique to the LT. Walking around the LT before venturing out onto the Melbourne roads revealed

Quickspecs Model: Triumph Thunderbird LT Price: $23,490 (+ORC) Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin, 270-degree firing interval, 4-stroke Bore x stroke: 107.1 x 94.3mm Displacement: 1699cc or 104ci Compression: N/A Power: 69kw @ 5400rpm Torque: 151Nm @ 3550rpm Transmission: 6-speed, helical-type 2nd to 6th, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 47mm Showa forks, 120mm travel. R: Showa twin shocks

with 109mm travel Brakes: ABS F: Twin 310mm rotors with four-piston Nissin calipers.

R: Single 310 rotor with twin-piston Brembo caliper.

Tyres: F: 150/80R16 R: 180/70R16 Frame: Twin spine Seat Height: 660mm Wheelbase: 1665mm Length: 2546mm Weight: 380kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 22L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km

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more with each lap. While others were poring over the fully dressed LT with stock screen, bags, pillion seat and pillion back rest, the naked LT without a screen, bags, pillion seat or backrest pulled me in.

The blue and white paint (officially called Caspian blue and crystal white) drew me in and the pinstriping held me. We were later informed that the pinstriping is all hand done and autographed by the artisan. So it should be. I’m a huge fan of traditional pinstriping and the work on the LT is perfect. Visually, the naked blue and white is still my favourite but the fully dressed LT is also a great package.

Another lap highlighted the whitewall tyres that I reckon looked right but didn’t give them another thought until later when it was pointed out that in fact they are the first whitewall radials ever made for a motorcycle. Well done Avon. Mounted on 16-inch rims held in tension by 56 fat spokes, the wheels complete the rolling stock better than a set of mags could have.

They just look right under the painted steel mudguards with chrome trims.

Either side of the front guard is a shrouded fork leg that matches the styling perfectly.

They’re big and solid with just enough shiny to catch the eye without being gaudy. Out the back is a pair of shock absorbers, again with enough chrome to suit. More chrome can be found on the tri-oval mufflers and headers. These are good looking things but a bit quieter than I’d like. Bloody EPA. The engine side covers have also been given a chrome bath along with the belt guard and a heap of other parts. It sounds as though this thing is all bling and glitter but it isn’t. Sure, there’s a bit of chrome but Triumph has used it to good effect.

Stick the key in and start it up. Finding the key is easy so long as you remember it’s under your right leg. A decompressor on the exhaust cam lowers the cranking compression so that the big twin can turn

New Bike Test

over and fire happily without adding undue stress to the starter. Starting was instant and the engine settled into a smooth, offbeat idle: Offbeat due to the 270° firing interval that sounds laidback and relaxed.

The Thunderbird LT I claimed was the only one without a screen. It was also the only one with the pillion seat removed. It was immediately comfortable. By the time we were a couple of km down the road, it fitted like an old pair of boots. The stretch from the seat to the bars and footboards was just right for me. When I later rode an LT with the pillion seat, I found it pushed me in the lower back and forced me to sit slightly more upright. It was not uncomfortable but noticeable. As other riders wanted to try a naked LT, I reluctantly relinquished MY blue and white and tried a variety of options with and without screens. As per normal, the wind flow around the screen made my beard fly up over my face. Riding the other configurations revealed that while they were all comfortable, the unfaired solo seat version was definitely my favourite. The seat is great and not once was I wishing for my Airhawk. Granted, we weren’t trying to clock up 1000km in a day, but the riding we were doing was typical of most day rides, with regular stops for food and rehydration. According to the info supplied, the LT seat is 60mm lower than the standard Thunderbird or Storm.

We copped a complete package of road types and conditions from single-lane to multi-lane freeway. Over the two days, the only time the rear suspension bottomed out with my 140kg aboard was on one of the freeway legs! The suspension features progressive springs at both ends to give a plush ride on smooth roads and steadily firmer spring on bigger hits. I found that it was very good and an 80kg rider reckoned it was more than adequate for his weight. The long-stroke rear suspension offers 109mm of travel, which in turn means the initial spring rate can be quite plush, becoming steadily firmer as the travel increases.

Straight-line running down freeways is all well and good — most bikes handle it well — but the Thunderbird LT was extra good. With enough room to move around, the uncomfortable phase didn’t kick in at all. I’d be happy to jump on it in Sydney and ride to Brisbane in one day without too many issues. The fuel range should see most riders easily reach 330km before pushing.

The only fuel figures I noted were 16.62l after 250km of mixed riding from sedate to extreme cruising. Given a nominal fuel tank volume of 22l, there’s your 330km. If you were obeying the signs and sitting right on the speed limits, you should easily do the Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne on two fuel stops.

From birth, I was issued with a set of hands that now require XXXL gloves and I found the Thunderbird LT’s non-adjustable brake and clutch levers to be right where they were comfortable for me. If your own hands are from the other end of the glove selection rack, you may struggle with the standard levers. Squeezing those levers worked very well with no sudden moves or scares from either.

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Down the other end of the clutch cable, which had a smooth and progressive action, was a wet, multi-plate clutch that worked very well with a gear lever that selected neutral whenever I wanted. The rest of the constant mesh gearbox was equally co-operative. First gear is straight-cut and second to sixth are all helically cut. Not that you need to spend too much time thinking about that as the Thunderbird LT is quite happy to rock along in the higher gears.

That brings me to the engine, all 1699cc (or 104ci if you prefer) of it. The giant DOHC parallel twin has four massive valves in each combustion chamber to allow the big cylinders to breathe deeply enough to produce 69kw at an easy 5400rpm, or a healthy 151Nm at just 3550rpm. For the elders among us, that’s 92hp and 111ft/ lb. They’re healthy figures and explain why the T’bird LT motored down the road so effortlessly. The uneven firing order from the big cylinders makes for an engine that feels familiar, but different. It’s a big twin but slightly different. Twin balance shafts are definitely a factor but Triumph didn’t d t build a sewing machine; this still feelss llike i a motorcycle engine.

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

A fact that I missed is that the Thunderbird is liquid-cooled. Not once did I notice the fan kick in and I completely overlooked the radiator. Whether that’s my dodgy eyesight or inattention to detail, I can’t say. I prefer to think that it is because the radiator is so discreet and well hidden.

Add in the finning on the massive barrels and lack of external coolant hoses and you’ll (hopefully) understand my dilemma.

Did I mention the Avon whitewall radial tyres are the first? Ever. Here’s a bit more about them: they offer plenty of grip all the way from upright to dragging the removable

wear blocks under the footboards. We were lucky enough to find a few wet roads and the tyres handled that just as well as the dry roads. The profiles of the 150/80-16 front and 180/70-16 rear felt to be matched perfectly. There was no hint of either end running into corners out of sync. Nice, smooth and very easy to live with.

Aaah yes, the brakes. There are three 310mm floating brake rotors on the LT. The pair on the front wheel is caressed by a pair of Nissin four-piston calipers and the one at the back is grasped by a Brembo caliper. Braided steel brake lines are standard on all models Cruiser & Trike

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and the T’bird LT also comes standard with ABS. If you look carefully at the wheel hubs, you’ll see the notched rotor that is a much smaller diameter than the surrounding brake rotor. That’s what the ABS sensor is measuring. Don’t worry if you missed it, you weren’t the first. Squeezing the lever or pressing the rear brake pedal made the T’Bird LT slow down. With more pressure it stops more quickly. I’m not sure what happens when you apply too much pressure and cause the ABS to kick in and take control of the braking from your ham-fisted attempts, I never needed to brake that hard.

New Bike Test the rear suspension. The rest of the freeway experience was good. Plenty of room to move around always makes it easier than being stuck in one riding position. For me, the riding position was very comfortable, with plenty of room between seat and bars without being a stretch. The addition of the pillion seat was enough to push me into a slightly more upright riding position and then the seat to bars distance felt tight.

In sixth gear at 100km/h, the big twin was not completely comfortable. Fifth gear was a better choice up to about that speed. Travelling a bit quicker in sixth made a difference to overtaking, which was definitely easier at the higher speed.

Away from the multi-laned roads, there was even more fun to be had. Whether you want to bop along at the speed limit or indulge in a spot of extreme cruising, the T’bird LT will handle it with ease and not try to throw you out of the seat over sudden bumps. You can confidently point it into a corner and out the other side without having to pucker. The LT’s wheelbase is 50mm longer than the Storm, not that you’d notice. It definitely didn’t feel like a stretched Storm.

That extra length is part of the reason why the LT felt so good on the highway. If you’re taller and want a more relaxed riding Thunderbird, you need to ride the LT before making a final choice.

I swapped bikes with someone who was riding an LT with the full package fitted so I could talk about the screen and bags. The bags are high-grade leather and fully lined.

If you were to measure their volume, you’d find that they hold 28 litres of air. When you undo the hidden nylon clip under the leather straps and lift the lid of the top opening bags, you’ll find a pair of removable

When we headed out on the fleet of Thunderbird LTs, our route almost took us over a huge bridge but instead we turned off and into Australia’s worst traffic tunnel.

Beats me how Melbournians can handle riding through that on their way to or from the Monash Freeway. On the rare occasions I get stuck going through there, I always expect to see riders passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Out the other side we were on a freeway until we turned off onto more interesting roads. The freeway section included one decent bump that managed to bottom out Cruiser & Trike

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waterproof liners with handles that make it easy to carry them to your room each night. They’ve also got storage pouches built in, which are handy if you’ve ever gone searching around the bottom of a pannier for a pen or torch. For modern folk who need power to recharge their electronic things, Triumph has fitted a 12-volt power socket in the right-hand pannier. Should you feel the need to remove the panniers, whip out your T40 Torx key and undo two bolts in each pannier to remove the bags and their integral supports — four bolts and everything is gone. There are no other frames to remove if you’re after that truly naked look.

Screens, me and open-face helmets don’t get along too well. Maybe it’s the fact that my beard tends to get caught in the updraft, in turn making it hard to see where I’m going while being whipped about the face.

The T’bird LT’s screen was surprisingly better than most as far as wind buffeting was concerned. The added deflectors on the lower edges seemed to make a bigger difference than their size would suggest. We had both the standard and taller screens fitted to different bikes and swapping them about was quick and easy. The taller one was worse for the beard whipping.

Comments about the headlights are limited to saying that they are bright in the mirrors. We didn’t get to ride after dark, so that’s the end of that topic.

With the LT, Triumph has built a very worthwhile companion model for the existing Thunderbird range. Its classic styling and easy, relaxed riding position will win it many fans. Try all of the Thunderbird models — there’s something hing hi n ng for everyone. C&T

FYI

ORDER THE NEW TODAY cruiserandtrike.com.au It’s still broken. The cool kids are trying to work out how to build a dinosaur-proof website with just one button.

Hopefully in the near future, before the leaves start re-appearing on the trees, you’ll be able to log on to cruiserandtrike.com.au and see fresh stuff that we’ve uploaded.

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LEARNER COURSES ON A HARLEY For the first time, Harley-Davidson in the US will teach you how to ride a motorcycle, with Australia to follow early next year.

The Harley-Davidson Riding Academy will use the new Street 500 in its national rider training program hosted by more than 180 Harley dealerships. In many US states, completion of the Harley course qualifies the rider for insurance premium discounts. Harley plans to expand the academy into Mexico, China and South Africa.

Harley-Davidson Australia marketing director Adam Wright says the local company would like to follow suit when the Street 500 is launched here in January. “But it does require a substantial amount of funding,” he says. “We are talking with the dealers to work out the best system.

Some regional dealers can get accreditation to be a regional trainer. It’s a great way to get new customers into a dealership.”

One of those regional dealers is Rocky Harley-Davidson in Rockhampton and owner Geoff Trewin is already on the ball. “We’ve submitted forms to be a learner trainer centre,” he says. “We’ve already taken four deposits on the Street 500, so we think it will be huge business. It will allow us to get brand loyalty from day one.”

He says he would like to call the learner program “Rider’s Edge”, which was the name of the Harley program in the US when it used the Buell Blast learner bike.

“I’m not sure we’d be allowed to use that name but we would like to see a learner program launched at the same time as the bike,” he says.

Adam says a January launch is planned for the Street 500 but he’s hoping to bring it forward. “It all depends on production and world demand,” he says. “They are selling really well in India, which puts a lot of pressure on production.” –

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FYI

MORGAN & WACKER REBORN Morgan & Wacker of Newstead, Brisbane, established in 1917, has undergone a major refurbishment and kick-started its new-look premises with a six-week party in June and July, ending with one lucky customer winning a Harley Iron 883 Sportster.

The refurbishment of Australia’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealership (and the second-oldest in the world), which now includes an upstairs pool room, pays homage to the history of the dealer right down to the floor — wood from the original flooring has been recycled as frames for the historic pictures on the walls and the 1960s concrete floor has been revealed and polished. Also, an original window now features an image of a 1920s Harley-Davidson board racer.

Dealer principal and former Australian Grand Prix motorcycle racer Paul Lewis says the “long-standing roots of the company” have been retained in the renovations.

“The fact is Harley-Davidson and Morgan & Wacker are both brands that value quality products and excellent customer experience and the new showroom is the ideal blend of those traits,” he says.

“We’ve been able to create a modern space while still honouring the past and are very excited to offer customers the chance to become a part of history by experiencing this transformation.”

The Festival Opening Ceremony was held in conjunction with the Brisbane Harley Owners Group 25th Anniversary Celebrations that included a ride from the shop to Noosa. — Mark Hinchliffe

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Bolt On Custom

Precision Stitching All Mustang seats are individually handcrafted at our historic New England facility, right down to the smallest stitch. Speaking of stitching, you can now customize your Bolt seat with contrasting thread colors, tuck and roll or diamond stitch patterns along with multiple insert colors.

Tech@MustangSeats.com for discounted shipping rates

FYI

IB BIKE LIFTS NEW PRODUCTS Elevating motorcycles for cleaning or maintenance is a simple act that makes life much easier. IB Bike Lifts have come up with a couple of new adaptors, one to suit the new Indians and the other to suit the Honda F6B. The beauty of the IB Bike Lifts way of doing this is that you only need to buy one stand that will provide years of service, and an adaptor to suit your bike or bikes. None of the IB Bike Lifts’ products rest on the engine or external driveline covers, as they take the load directly from the frame. That’s the difference between a good-quality, Australian-designed product and cheap one-

size-fits-none stuff. The Bike Lift is engineer certified and will safely hold 450kg in suspension without fear of it dropping thanks to a safety catch that holds it in the locked position.

The adaptors vary in price depending on the model but as an example, the Honda adaptor is $40 and the Indian adaptor is $60.

You can call or email (strop1@bigpond.net.au) for exact prices. The well-proven IB Bike Lift is $399 including freight to NSW, ACT, Qld, SA and Vic. Freight to Tas, WA or NT adds $25. Contact Ian from IB Bike lifts on (02) 4955 9269 or check out ibbikelifts.biz for more info.

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Aussie Hardarse Association

AUSSIE HARDARSE ASSOCIATION THIS IS AUSTRALIA. WE CAN TAKE GREAT IDEAS AND MAKE THEM SUIT LOCAL CONDITIONS. WELCOME TO THE AUSSIE HARDARSE ASSOCIATION.

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he challenge is to knock over 1600km in 24 hours. Are you up to the challenge? Safe long-distance motorcycle rides are possible if you’re prepared to have a go. You’ll need to average 66.67km/h for 24 hours.

Welcome to the Aussie Hardarse Association. You may have heard of an American mob with similar ideas but Australia’s different and we want to do things our own way. We believe a reasonably fit rider on a mechanically sound motorcycle can safely ride 18 hours out of a 24-hour day. That leaves six hours to sleep and rest. The calculator says that 1600km in 18 hours is 88.89km/h. Pick your route with care and you should be able to clock that up.

Already we can hear people asking about dates and routes: That’s entirely your own choice. We’re not going to organise rides or tell you where and when you have to ride.

We’re grown-ups.

You could ride from the M4 service centre at Prospect in Sydney’s west to the United servo near Donnybrook Road at Mickleham on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.

According to Google Maps, that’s an 818km trip and takes 8 hours 20 minutes. You could do that as a round trip within 24 hours and complete the challenge.

Heading north from the same place, Chinderah on the NSW/Queensland border is the same distance but 9 hours and 31 minutes, according to Google.

A loop from Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush to Hay via Bathurst, West Wyalong, Hay, Deniliquin, Wodonga and back along the Hume Motorway is right on the money at 18 hours and 23 minutes for 1600km. The options are endless.

We’ll applaud your achievements and acknowledge them by supplying a badge and a T-shirt that you’ll have earned. The cost for the recognition and Cruiser & Trike

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acknowledgement including the badge and T-shirt will be $45.

RULES? OF COURSE THERE ARE RULES After you pay the $45 and receive notification that we’ve registered your intent, you’re free to head off whenever and wherever you want.

But here’s the catch. Proof. We need you to supply proof of your achievements.

At your departure point, fill your fuel tank and using your phone’s camera, take a pic of your odometer and the fuel receipt together. Take a pic of your bike or trike at the servo before you head off. Post those two pics on the Aussie Hardarse Association Facebook page and then ride off. If you don’t have a phone with a camera, you’ll need to get one. If you’re not on Facebook, you’ll have to join.

Using the Prospect to Melbourne trip as an example, you need to repeat the pics

Aussie Hardarse Association

each time you stop for fuel or to stretch your legs. Take a pic of your ride and a piece of recognisable background, i.e. the servo where you fill up, the road sign where you turn off the Bruce Highway. Each time you fuel up, take another pic of the receipt and your odometer. Post it on the Facebook page and then you can ride off. If you pull in for a sleep, same deal. If you choose to ride a circular loop such as the Homebush to Hay trip mentioned, on-the-road pics are needed as proof that you’ve been where you say you’ve been. At the end of your trip, you need another photo showing the odometer and cumulative distance. The final pic will be a selfie showing your worn-out head, or someone else can take it of you and your ride.

We want to encourage interaction between those who have already achieved their own personal Aussie Hardarse 1600 in 24 and those who are having their first go.

Once your trip is complete, you need to send us your receipts for clarification.

We’ll double-check your claimed distance and then if everything is confirmed, send your Aussie Hardarse 1600 in 24 badge and T-shirt. We’ll also send your receipts back.

You could cheat if you really wanted to, but you’re only cheating yourself. There are no trophies or prizes. No recognition of the quickest completion of the Aussie Hardarse 1600 in 24. The distance we’ve set is tough but achievable.

Also, you need to ride somewhere. Forget trying to do laps of the Western Ring Road in Melbourne, or eight trips of the freeway from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

By the next issue we’ll have nutted out any details we may have missed.

See you on the road. C&T

MAGAZINE

1600KM IN 24HRS

AUSSIE HARDARSE ASSOCIATION

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TIPS AND IDEAS • Plan your route so that you’re not riding into the sun in the early morning or late afternoon. There’s enough time built into a 24-hour period for you to have proper rest and food stops. If you’re tired, stop and rest. If you’re too tired, sleep and try again another day after more preparation.

• Carry water and avoid overdoing it on caffeine-laden energy drinks.

• Think carefully about what you eat. The last thing you want to do is fill up on lollies and junk food because you’ll spend the rest of the day drinking water to rehydrate and stopping to get rid of it.

• Make sure you know where you’re going and turning before riding off. If you miss a turnoff and have to backtrack, that’ll hurt your average speed.

• We are not endorsing or encouraging anyone to break the road rules. Stick to the speed limits. The trick is to keep the wheels turning and maintain that average speed.

New Bike Test

HIGHBALLING

VICTORY’S HIGH-BALL MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE. BUT HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU NEVER TRY?

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STYLING

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

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f you’re reading this test then you’re either a compulsive reader or you’ve already checked out the photos of the High-Ball and you liked what you saw.

The styling of this bike is polarising and reactions to it will be strong. In a marketplace in which many cruisers look like clones, the Victory High-Ball stands out with its aggressive “outlaw” styled ape hangers and red flames on a matt black background. Of course, you could have the rather more sedate combination of white on matt black (and no flames), but if you want a real head-turner, this one is the way to go. And on the question of “Why ape hangers?” My response is “Why not?” Over the distances and speeds you can expect to

cruise on the High-Ball, they make perfect sense and make for a surprisingly relaxed ride. Control is not compromised and the look is spot-on.

Powering the High-Ball is a 106 cu in (1731cc) 50º V-twin, which uses a geared primary drive to get torque to the six-speed gearbox. Final drive is by a wide-toothed belt. Suspension is by 43mm telescopic fork up front and a rising rate monoshock at the rear with provision to adjust the spring preload. There’s a single disc up front with a four-piston caliper and a single disc at the rear with a two-pot caliper. The braking system is called “standard” because the brakes are entirely rider-operated. There is a light for ABS on the speedo but our test bike was not so equipped. There is one seat — for the rider only — so regardless of Cruiser & Trike

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The V-twin engine is deeply embedded in cruiser lore. It would be going too far to say that the engine defines the beast but it would not be far wrong either. Since the days of almost total domination by HarleyDavidson, many manufacturers have entered this realm and almost all of them have given us bikes that imitate the look of the Harley. Victory has taken a different approach and although it has used the narrow angle V-twin as the power plant, its philosophy is to make the bike stand out from the crowd, not blend in with it. The differences also go deeper than just the appearance of the big V-twin, with each cylinder head having four valves actuated by a single overhead camshaft. Wear in the valve train is accommodated by self-adjusting cam chains and hydraulic lifters. This system prolongs the life of engine components as well as keeping the engine quieter, but it is very effectively disguised by the extensive finning of the engine and that finning is itself brought to eye prominence by the matt black engine paint with each fin highlighted in polished alloy. The result is an eye-catching design that looks different yet is still clearly identifiable as a big V-twin engine.

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— very important, this — when you twist the grip to open the throttles wide, there is a wonderful thunder from the standard pipes.

So you get two town options: you can cruise around with the bike marking its presence visually or you can crack it open and add bark to the backdrop. Nice.

The low-speed grunt and easy riding style make the bike a real joy around town and the relaxed way it goes about its job makes it a real licence-keeper. On the High-Ball there is no need to ride fast and I found it a lot of fun at the posted speed limits of 60 and 80.

Town cruising won’t see you using anything higher than fourth gear and only when you get out onto a highway will you use the higher gears. To be honest, as with almost every other six-speeder I’ve tested, the sixth gear is really a waste of space.

These big bikes romp terrifically using no more than fifth and the acceleration in sixth gear is leisurely to say the least. Pointless. how many admiring glances you or the bike accumulate, any after-party guests will need to have their own transport. That’s the price of looking so cool.

Where the High-Ball excels is relaxed local cruising. I used it a lot for short rides and the way it handled that task was brilliant. It is a bike that attracts attention with its looks but the ride is very minimalist. There is a list of custom options and accessories if you want to go that way but my choice would be to leave all that behind and just enjoy the bike for what it is: a brilliant short-distance cruiser. The bike’s speedo has 60 at its 12 o’clock position and any numbers over 120 are in a much smaller font. What this tells you is that the comfort zone is between 60 and 100 kays and in this range the ride is superb. In fourth gear, the engine is very happy with plenty of power in reserve and

Changing gears needs no comment; you move the lever and the box shifts cleanly every time. The big gears let you know they are shifting with a solid clunk but it’s never intrusive. The clutch is smooth, progressive and precise, and the throttle response is crisp and even with no hint of jerkiness. Both of those add to the bike’s friendly attitude to slow turns, even with the ape hangers.

Shop windows are a problem. Riding past them gives you a view of a very cool looking bike with the matt black paintwork and the big fat whitewall tyres with their attendant shiny steel spokes. Park the HighBall and sit back and enjoy its look and immediately something leaps out at you as a styling error. OK, this is a very personal comment but I would like the tiny intrusive sparkles from the axle ends, the fork tops and the speedo surround not to be there.

The speedo is located where it can be best seen — right in front of you so there is very

Quickspecs Model: Victory High-Ball Price: $20,495 – Suede black with flames, $19,495 – Suede black and white (Ride away) Engine: Air/oil-cooled, 106 Freedom, 50º V-twin, 4-stroke, 4-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101 x 108mm Displacement: 1731cc or 106ci Compression: 9.4:1 Power: 72.3kW @ 5000rpm Torque: 153Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multiplate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 43mm telescopic fork, 130mm travel. R: Single monotube shock, 75mm travel

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Brakes: F: Single 300mm floating rotor with four-piston caliper.

R: Single 300mm floating rotor with twin-piston caliper.

Tyres: Metzeler ME880 F: 130/90-16 R: 150/80-16 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat Height: 635mm Wheelbase: 1647mm Length: 2372mm Weight: 300kg (dry) Fuel capacity: 17 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

New Bike Test little chance of your leaving the indicators on because the little flashing green light will wink away merrily right at the lower edge of your eye line. The speedo is the information point and you get a good clear dial for speed and also a digital indication, which can be scrolled using the finger button on the left grip. It’s where some bikes have their headlight flasher but you’ll soon get used to its different usage on the HighBall. The digital readout always shows you which gear you are in and the time. You can change whether you want it to also show rpm, trip distance or total distance. The warning lights are the usual suspects with the idiotic addition of a little blue light that tells you the distance readouts are in km or miles. Given that the warning light for

SECOND OPINION Admittedly my time aboard the High-Ball was much shorter than I’d have liked.

My night-time jaunt saw me take in a variety of roads and riding through the Blue Mountains and the freeways that ring western Sydney as well as rural and urban streets. I hate the headlight. As Tim mentioned, on low beam it was great at lighting up the pothole the front wheel was entering but on high beam it was scaring the possums that live in the trees.

Ever noticed their bright, shiny eyes?

But. The rest of the bike has a lot going for it as an urban assault weapon.

Starting with the optional Victory Performance pipes that offer a much-

improved exhaust note without being loud enough to turn your mirrors red and blue if you open the throttle. The added music may have inspired slightly more throttle action than stock pipes but that’s a good thing! They really do sound great.

The shorty front guard and 16” front wheel are matched perfectly by the black ape hangers. The spokes and skinny tyres completed the package for me.

As an option for riders new to cruisers, the High-Ball should be on their short list.

Take advantage of Victory’s generous test ride program and you could end up with a High-Ball parked in your shed.

Mick Withers

high beam is also blue, I really don’t get the logic behind this other light. Its colour is distracting for obvious reasons. The speedo is very readable at night and with the sun behind you during the day, but into the sun the information disappears and because of the angle of the glass it is perfectly placed for you to view your reflection as you ride.

Not a pretty sight in my case.

On the subject of lights, here’s another place for improvement: the headlight, with its wonderful retro look, has a quite bright and wide spread of light on both high and low beam, the problem is that low beam seems to light the road just in front of the front wheel whereas high beam lights up the treetops in the distance. This makes riding on a dark country road quite a task, so it needs to be fixed.

Out on the road, the bike is relaxing and friendly to ride. Its forte is the short cruise and the large, deep and well-padded seat is ideal for those distances. It will handle motorway and highway but whereas the big V-twin will lope along quite happily, somehow the whole ride instantly improves when you are off the faster roads. For around town there is adequate ground clearance and through roundabouts there is the gentlest skimming of the rubber ends of the flexible footpegs. Try corner carving and you will very quickly discover that there is only a degree or so of lean angle between the peg skimming and nasty noises coming up as the very solid footpeg mounting goes into ground grinding mode. This is not where the bike wants to go and it will let you know that in no uncertain terms. Corner carving? Stay clear of it and enjoy the bike’s real forte — relaxed cruising.

The brakes work well despite relying on Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS

The bike’s minimalist attitude Very relaxed café cruise mode Black paint, flames and the ape hangers

the now old-fashioned principle of rider ability. There is only one disc at each end and there is no ABS to take over if you get it wrong. The front brake needs two fingers on the lever to give its best but the combined braking effect is powerful and progressive.

I found the rear relatively easy to lock up but as an owner you’d soon get used to giving the pedal a gentle tread. The brakes may be “standard” but their stopping power is of a high standard.

Taking the High-Ball over my horror stretch of bumpy road showed that although the suspension is pretty basic, it works very well. The only adjustment is for rear preload — and it doesn’t look like a particularly simple operation — yet the Cruiser & Trike

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GRIPES

Not enough lean angle between peg skim and frame grounding Hopeless headlight

bike glided over the bumps with no problem at all. Interestingly, the ape hangers and footpeg position actually allow you to lift your bum off the seat if a real lunar crater looms but I never needed to do that, so good was the suspension at absorbing the bumps. You might recall that we tested a Victory Hammer recently and we found the suspension way to hard. Not the High-Ball; it’s damn near perfect.

If you’re after a bike that will definitely stand out from the crowd, the Victory HighBall is excellent. Its forte is cafe cruising and it does that job absolutely brilliantly. It looks the goods on the sidestand, it looks great riding and when you crack it open it makes the music that a big twin should. C&T

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YAMAHA STRYKER

LUCKY AMERICANS HAVE BEEN RIDING THE STRYKER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND NOW IT’S OUR TURN.

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow

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his is not our first look at Yamaha’s latest introduction to Australia but it was our first ride of the Stryker. If you want to see what we think of it, go straight to the end of the story. If you want to know why we like it, read on.

The first time we saw the Stryker was outside Gasolina bike shop and restaurant in Melbourne. Overlooking the passing hipster parade was a row of raked front-ends.

Lined up opposite a row of SR400s, the combination was enough to cause a few of the soy chai latte-sippers to double-take and almost spill their raison d’etre.

Wheeled out so we could see better, the assembled journos circled the Stryker while pointing and mumbling. With no idea about the general consensus, we form our own opinions.

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With the exhaust staring at me, the overall shape and style was interesting. The frame rises up to the steering head from the end of the rear guard. When you look at the front-end from the side, it might look as though there’s something going on. That’s because there is. The steering neck offers 34° of caster and the raked triple-trees add an extra six for a total of 40°. The long fork legs actually make the 21-inch front wheel look smaller.

Yamaha is very keen on all-steel construction for guards and fuel tanks as it rightly believes that makes for easier customisation. It’s easier to cut and weld steel than plastic. The front of the tank sits up high, almost as though it’s mounted on top of the frame. The angle and rotation of the rear guard makes it look as though the whole back end has been lowered. With the tank on an angle and the treatment of the

Quickspecs Model: Yamaha Stryker Price: $14,999 (midnight black), $15,299 (matt grey) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 60º V-twin, OHC, 4-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 100.0 x 83.0mm Displacement: 1304cc or 80ci Compression: 9.5:1 Power: 52.4 @ 5500rpm Torque: 106Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multiplate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 41mm Telescopic forks, 135mm travel. R: Swingarm, 100mm travel

rear guard combined with the long frontend, you could be forgiven for thinking that someone has taken an existing bike and chopped it. The way that the front of the frame under the engine cradle also sits up high adds to the look.

Powering the Stryker down the road is a 1304cc or 80ci V-twin. Although it’s been around for quite some time, none of us had experienced the engine that was lifted straight from the XVS1300 family. Bristling with hidden technology, this engine packs enough power to move even the fattest editor way beyond the speed limit. An extremely well-hidden radiator reveals liquid-cooling but don’t bother looking for coolant hoses. Just accept that it is so.

Internally the 60° engine offers four-valve heads with roller rockers to reduce internal friction. Below that is a set of forged pistons and forged conrods. No short cuts here; Cruiser & Trike

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Brakes: F: Single 320mm rotor with four-piston caliper. R: Single 310mm rotor with twin-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 120/70-21 R: 210/40R18 Frame: Tubular double cradle Seat Height: 668mm Wheelbase: 1750mm Length: 2530mm Weight: 293kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 15 litres Warranty: 5 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

the whole engine has been built to tight tolerances for maximum performance.

Between the crankshaft and the back wheel is a constant-mesh five-speed transmission with a cable-activated clutch that works smoothly and doesn’t create memories. It just works.

The final link in the driveline is the beltdrive to the pulley on the back wheel. Belts are quiet, low maintenance and much lighter than a drive shaft and differential.

Holding everything together and in place is a double-cradle frame and a swingarm.

Shock absorption is hidden out of sight.

Now that we’ve looked at it, what’s it like to ride? In a word: fun. Another good choice would be pokey.

Heading out of Melbourne is always fun.

Doesn’t matter which way you go, there are fun roads in just about any direction. We headed out towards Bacchus Marsh against

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GRINS

Very good engine Overall, a good package

GRIPES

Exhaust styling reasonably good and it obviously works well at minimising noise but the look is a bit sad.

I’m not sure exactly what it is about them but they miss the mark. There’s already a good-looking two-into-one on offer from Cobra and it also sounds quite good. It’s definitely worth exploring if you want a pipe that looks better.

Yamaha has done a fine job with the Stryker and it’s a very good option for those who want a cruiser with more than a midweight offers. C&T the flow of traffic funnelling in to the city.

Along the Western Freeway, we found that the Stryker had plenty of poke and was easily able to disperse and pass traffic. Or chase down other riders who had missed the off-ramp. Allegedly.

Away from the freeway, we got a chance to explore more of the Stryker’s abilities. Twisty back roads with wet patches were perfect for repeated runs past a photographer. But the Stryker handled it well.

Ground clearance was good, with boot heels copping the odd skim but not dragging on every corner. Even though there was no need, the brakes were given a good workout and worked well even after repeated attempts at boiling the brake fluid.

The triangle from seat to bars to pegs and back to the seat was pretty good for a 183cm rider and a shorter rider reckoned he was also comfortable. The tape measure was forgotten so we can’t tell you the exact measurements.

What we can tell you is that the Stryker has a very solid feel on the road. There was no tracking but it changed direction easily when told to.

The deep bucket of the seat and the high rise to the pillion seat provides very good lumbar support.

In this over-policed country, an eye on the speedo is a good licence preserver.

On the Stryker, that’s very easy as the speedo is right there where you can see and comprehend it easily.

Standard handlebars can make a huge difference, especially if they’re not easily changed, like the Stryker’s. Luckily they place your hands in a comfortable position as their integral mounts for the speedo and unique mounting will offer a challenge to aftermarket manufacturers. Switchblocks and mirrors worked well as I made no notes about them, or the foot controls.

One area that did get discussed was the Stryker’s standard exhaust. The sound is Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

AWAY FROM THE GAZE OF THE INDIAN AUSTRALIA STAFF, WE HIT THE HIGHWAY ABOARD AN INDIAN CHIEFTAIN. Cruiser & Trike

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Words & photos: Mark Hinchliffe

A

1500km road test over three days on some treacherously bumpy and slippery roads in steaming heat and cold rain has confirmed that the Indian Chieftain is a competent long hauler.

It’s comfortable, powerful, refined, a real head-turner and, at $35,995 ride away, it’s also great value for money, coming standard with cruise control, internal handlebar wiring, steel braided lines, ABS and keyless start, like the whole Chief range. The Chieftain adds a fork-mounted half fairing, audio system, lockable hard panniers and electric windscreen.

STYLING The Chieftain is the top of the range and like all the Chief models it has acres of luscious chrome, leather upholstery and deep paintwork in either traditional blue, fire engine red or black. The Indian logo is painted on the tank, stamped on the front stem, engraved on the side casing, etched on the brake reservoir and, of course, there is the war bonnet on the front fender.

With its deeply valanced fenders and removable tasselled upholstery, there is no doubting this is an Indian in the finest traditions of the 112-year-old brand. Even the engine has that old side-valve look and finned flathead-styled rocker covers.

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Everywhere I took the Chieftain, it provoked second looks from passers-by who may not have even known what it was.

Drivers pulled alongside for long gazes on the highway and other riders gave it the thumbs up.

Build quality is superb, with minimal panel gaps and a feeling of genuine craftsmanship and quality.

TECHNOLOGY It may not be packed with technology like some European bikes but there is enough to entertain and keep you safe and happy.

The instruments feature a comprehensive amount of information, such as tyre

New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Indian Chieftain Price: $35,995 Engine: Air-cooled, Thunderstroke, three-cam, two-valve, V-twin Bore x stroke: 101 x 113mm Displacement: 1811cc or 111ci Compression: 9.5:1 Power: Not stated Torque: 139Nm Transmission: 6-speed, gear primary drive, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 46mm telescopic forks, 119mm travel. R: Single rear shock, 114mm travel

pressures, ambient temperature, a gear indicator, clock, trip meters, odometer, service alerts, etc. You can toggle easily through the info using a switch where a passing light is often located. There is another switch on the right bar for more navigation through the controls and modes of the audio system, plus a rubber switch on the left for volume, mode and track/ station selection.

Next to it is the switch for the windscreen that adjusts the height by 10cm in five seconds. In its lowest position, there wasn’t a lot of buffeting and I could just see over the top. At its highest point, there was no buffeting and little wind noise. However, the Cruiser & Trike

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Brakes: ABS F: Twin 300mm floating rotors with four-piston calipers. R: Single 300mm floating rotor with twinpiston caliper.

Tyres: F: 130/90B16 R: 180/65B16 Frame: Cast aluminium Seat Height: 660mm Wheelbase: 1668mm Length: 2570mm Weight: 385kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 20.8L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance including roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 12 months/ 8,000km

chrome on the fuel tank reflects onto the screen right in the centre of your field of vision. This was distracting at first but I was able to ignore it after a while.

The entertainment system includes radio, Bluetooth and a USB connection in a secure and waterproof housing on the right fairing.

It will also power your player or iPhone and there is an extra 12V plug on the left of the instrument panel for a GPS or CB. I used the Bluetooth and played music through the speakers when it was dry and I could have my visor up. When it rained and I put my visor down, I chose the headset option and listened to music in my helmet. I like the convenience of the bike’s speakers but the

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New Bike Test

sound quality is not great. The cruise control is easy to operate and it works well, even though it’s on the right switchblock rather than the left where it wouldn’t interfere with your throttle control. Harley made the switch to the left on its new Touring bikes and Indian should so the same.

The Chieftain comes with a keyless fob you can keep in your pocket. To start the bike, hold the ignition switch for a couple of seconds, hit it twice, or hit the switch on the centre of the fuel tank which turns on the electrics, then hit the ignition. If you lose the fob, there is a special coded sequence

GRINS Saddle comfort Refined build Eye-catching looks

GRIPES Clunky ABS Cruise control on wrong side Tank reflection

of blinker buttons to hit to get it started.

Below the “on” switch on the fuel tank is a pannier lock/unlock switch to quickly and conveniently secure your luggage.

Lights have a good spread of beam without any blind spots but at first they didn’t seem to reach far enough without the high beam. A little adjustment and they penetrated nicely into the night’s void.

ENGINE The heart of the bike is the powerful and refined 111 cubic inch (1811cc) Thunder Stroke engine. Start it up and there is no initial thump or mechanical noise, just a gentle rumble at idle.

Blip the throttle, which feels a little elastic, and it revs quickly and freely. This translates into rapid acceleration in lower gears. It really comes alive, though, at 4000rpm without feeling rough or raucous.

However, you don’t have to use the gears to keep it in a sweet rev range for overtaking, just roll on the throttle in just about any gear. At 100km/h in sixth it is purring at 2250rpm, from where you can accelerate sweetly without having to drop a gear or two as it is geared lower than its American cousins.

The engine is quiet but the fairing and screen echo a little bit of engine rumble, valve rattle and transmission whine back at you. The exhaust noise is almost nonexistent until you hit high revs and then it sounds very macho.

On my 1500km test, it achieved 5.7L/100km fuel economy, which is pretty good for a bike weighing almost 400kg and being ridden hard at times on country back roads. On the highway, it sipped fuel at just 5.2L/100km and on a hard run it never went much past a low 6L/100km.

TRANSMISSION The gears are positive but not too clunky.

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any clunk on changes if you preloaded the gears by putting some pressure on the lever before you engage the clutch. There is a gear indicator on the instruments but you will usually just whip up through the gears using the huge amounts of torque.

It comes with belt drive that doesn’t have any snatch or noise, which allows you to listen to the dulcet tones of the audio system.

HANDLING The ride is pleasant and composed. There’s no crashing through the bumps, wallowing through the bends or steering vaguely into corners.

With its sharper steering angle, it is a more precise steerer than the Chief models, although it’s not as accurate or light as the Harley Touring models.

Clearance is surprisingly high but you will scrape the footboards, some exhaust pipe and some chassis when you get extremely aggressive.

Some potholes caused a bit of bump steer from the 46mm forks, which are a bit slimmer than on the Harley Touring models.

The flexible bars also bounce and vibrate over harsh bumps.

However, there is none of the highspeed weaving or side-to-side buffeting you get from some half-faired bikes with fork-mounted fairings. The wide beach bars also give you a good grip on the bike and help to keep things stable at high speed.

If you don’t like the wide bars, you can get accessory bars that also come with the same discrete internal wiring as the standard bars. Those big bars also make tight, feet-up turns easy, if a little physical.

BRAKES The front brake is strong but you have to give it a fair squeeze. Thankfully the steel braided lines give you plenty of lever err feel.

While the front brakes are effective, the rear he re ear a

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New Bike Test

brakes tend to lock up bit quickly at high speed and also at low speed. Also, the ABS sounds very abrupt and clunky, although it does work effectively, especially in the wet.

Because of legal issues, you can’t trail brake the rear through a corner and accelerate at the same time as the engine cuts out. This is due to an issue in the USA where Toyota Camry floor mats would wedge between the brake and accelerator and when you hit the brake, it would also hit the throttle. So the USA has now mandated that the throttle on all vehicles has to close when the brakes are on.

COMFORT At one stage, I rode from a full tank to the “low fuel” light — about 300km — without stopping and didn’t feel any discomfort at all. The genuine leather seats are plush and comfortable, although the brown leather on the Vintage is a little softer. The low 660mm rider’s seat narrows at the front, making this suitable for people of most heights.

On the press launch last year I felt the cockpit might be a bit cramped for tall

people but I was wrong. Reach to the footboards is generous and there is plenty of room to move your feet around. Even at 187cm tall, I could put my legs out straight with my feet propped against the chromed engine protection bars. Pillions will also find the foot pegs are a generous length from the wide and plush perch.

Reach to the bars is just right for me and my injured upper back. Cruise control allowed me the luxury of being able to relax my right hand, although the wide grips don’t cause cramp.

In hot weather, the rear valve cover gives off a lot of heat in your crotch and on the backs of your thighs. It’s uncomfortable in traffic but on the highways it blows away. In the cold and wet it just provides that little bit of extra comfort.

VERDICT On long days in the saddle you will appreciate the comfort and performance of this long hauler. Ride it all day and into the night with a wide spread of bright light and you’ll never want to stop. C&T Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

YAMAHA SR400 A MOTORCYCLING CLASSIC IS RE-RELEASED IN AUSTRALIA. GRAB ONE AND CREATE YOUR OWN SINGLE-MINDED VISION. Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow

I

’m sure I’m not the only one around here that owned one of Yamaha’s classic SR500s.

Mine arrived in the ’80s after years of wanting one. It had a Suzuki GT750 four-leading shoe front brake and a Suzuki drum brake rear hub fitted. A cocktail shaker muffler that was completely empty but kicked up at the right angle crowned the exhaust. Somewhere along the way, the original airbox had disappeared and been replaced by a pod-style air filter. It was loud and over-braked so one side of the front brakes was removed. It was still loud but now stopped at a much more sensible rate.

I fitted a set of second-hand Michelin HiSports on the 18” alloy rims and life was good. It ended up being written off when a van tried to drive over the top of me. The parts need to fix it were already in my shed and then I sold it to a mate.

My brother Tony had one he drag raced and I modified. I’m not sure if it was that one or the second one I owned that gained a Mikuni 36mm flatslide carb. His was eventually restored. Mine was sold to a bloke with plans to create memories and wake the neighbours on his way to his early shift at the freezer works.

Where is this all leading? To the point that any and every one who owned an SR500 will remember it fondly and have a variety of memories and stories to share about their own Yamaha Single. It was that sort of bike.

The new-to-Australia SR400 seems to be a much smaller bike than I remembered.

Or perhaps there is more of me to cart about these days.

One of the joys of owning an SR was the starting ritual. They were, and remain, a kickstart-only proposition. Happily, I was able to start the SR400 on the first kick from the first time I tried. Teaching others how to do this was met with mixed results. Some people got it and others failed repeatedly.

The SR400 is fitted with EFI and this makes starting a breeze. No need to twist the throttle twice and hop around three times on your left leg before trying to start the new model. Ignition on, find TDC, rock it over and kick like you mean it. Repeat that every time you need to start an SR400 and you’ll be happy. Unless your name is Mark.

Quickspecs

Model: Yamaha SR400 Price: $8999 (RRP) Engine: Air-cooled, single cylinder, 4-stroke, 2-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 87.0 x 67.2mm Displacement: 399cc Compression: 8.5:1 Power: Immaterial Torque: Sufficient Transmission: 5-speed, wet multiplate clutch, chain final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

R: Twin shocks

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The brakes were great at the inner-city speeds we managed around suburban Melbourne. For me, the suspension was soft and plush, which is perfectly suitable.

Most owners aren’t going to be testing themselves along the local twisty road against the fairing-encased bikes. You won’t have ground clearance problems because you’re probably half my size.

An SR400 owner will be a learner who wants to be different to the rest of the LAMS riders, or the older rider who wants something different to ride to work and for short trips to relive and recapture their youth. Or youthful desires.

Get along to your local dealer and learn how to kickstart an SR400. It’s a rite of passage for all riders, or didn’t anyone tell you? C&T

Brakes: ABS F: Single rotor with twopiston caliper. R: drum.

Tyres: F: 90/100-18 R: 110/90-18 Frame: Steel double cradle Seat Height: 785mm Wheelbase: 1410mm Length: 2085mm Weight: 174kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 12 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

A DAY IN THE SADDLE Cruiser & Trike

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A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

Words & Photos: Tim Sanford

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his ride starts at Campbelltown southwest of Sydney and we take the Appin Road. A few kays after the road becomes two lanes lined with lots of big trees on each side, keep an eye out for the small stone monument on the left side of the road. Be quick because there is very limited parking, even for motorcycles, but this marks the spot from which Hovell and Hume set out in 1824 to reach Port Phillip (now Melbourne). Once they had become famous, the two explorers drew lots to see whose name would be used for this nation’s most horrible highway.

Hovell lived happily ever after.

Appin appears very soon and if you’ve been travelling for a while, there is a very bike friendly pub on the left or the excellent Appin Bakery in the little clot of shops on the right. Pies? Of course!!

Through Appin and a stop sign looms.

Our route takes us left but if you did continue on, first you would come to a road on the right (Brooks Point Road) that would take you to the beginning of the canal system that carries the water from today’s destinations through to Sydney, then you would cross some rural countryside and then plunge down a hill to cross a bridge where on the right you can see Broughton’s

Weir — a very significant location in the history of Sydney’s water supply.

But we don’t stop at the sign; we take the left turn and cruise down the Appin-Bulli Road for about six kilometres where we see the Cataract Dam turnoff. Four km of good sealed road later you will be in the dam precincts where there are picnic tables, barbecues and well-tended gardens. The road to the dam is to the right and you will Cruiser & Trike

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see a fine example of craftsmanship in stone when the beauty of a structure — even one as vital and utilitarian as a dam — was as important as its durability.

When you leave Cataract, turn right onto the Appin-Bulli road which has a good surface and plenty of overtaking opportunities, so enjoy the cruise. Take the Bulli exit and keep to the right lane as the road merges into the Princes Motorway.

A Day In The Saddle

Your pillion can enjoy the magnificent view over Wollongong but you will be busy riding and don’t try to veer left to get a closer look at the view because the lanes are separated by a small concrete barrier — not easy to see but certainly big enough to upset your day if you try to cross over it! Stay southbound on the motorway and enjoy the power of your bike as you go up and down the roller-coaster hills until you come to a long downhill with the Picton exit sign on the left. Head left and you will do a long loop that has you heading back west on the Picton Road. Stay on this road for 16 km and the turnoff to Cordeaux Dam will appear on the left. Three kays down the sealed road and you will enter another picnic area, but here the beginning of the love affair with concrete becomes obvious.

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The area is spacious and when you get to the entrance to the dam wall, two massive concrete portals greet you and transport you back to ancient Egypt. Well, almost.

The walk across the wall is worth the effort and the view down the valley and across the spillway is spectacular if there has been lots of rain.

Heading west again, stay on the Picton Road. You will pass a large cement works before Picton but it is a later addition to the landscape than our dams. Since the bypass of Picton, the town has blossomed as a quiet place to stop and in autumn its main street is a mass of colour.

I had lunch at Picton but not at our usual George IV hotel where the food is excellent.

In the time-honoured spirit of investigative journalism I tried one of the several cafes

A Day In The Saddle

and although the coffee was reasonable, I should have stuck with the George.

To leave Picton head south, go under the railway line and head through to Tahmoor.

You are now on the old Hume Highway.

Go through the town and look for the old servo and tyre place on the right; take the last right at the end of town and before the bridge. There is a brown Tourist Drive sign.

Go down to a little park on the left and there is a great view of the old and new ways to build bridges. Millions of bricks in arches for the main southern rail line and pre-stressed concrete for the road bridge.

Get back on the old Hume Highway and Cruiser & Trike

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turn south to Bargo, where you can turn left at either of the bridges over the railway at the signs for the Avon and Nepean dams. The road passes over the Hume Motorway (aka M31) and you can go either straight ahead to the Avon Dam or turn right to the Nepean.

I rode straight ahead on the Avon Road and eventually it turns into a lovely winding and scenic road that will keep you concentrating hard. On either side is stark evidence of the mauling the area received by the ferocity of the recent bushfires but the Australian bush is now showing its resilience and by the time you do th this ride, many trees will be decorated with th

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TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO THIS MONTH: In his final Test summer, the muchcelebrated 38-year-old Allan Border plays his farewell Test in Sydney against South Africa, a match the visitors won by five runs after an inspired spell from Fanie De Villiers.

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A Day In The Saddle

WATER? THERE’S NEVER ENOUGH Early colonial settlers in Sydney had a big problem with water supply: either it didn’t rain or when it did, it flooded.

(What’s changed?) The Tank Stream was the first source, then the system of ponds of Lachlan Swamp (now Centennial Park) and then the Botany Swamps Scheme (near Eastlakes) supplied Sydney but the demand was voracious and the sources soon proved insufficient. In 1888, Sydney became the first city in Australia to harvest water from a distant catchment and deliver it to its citizens. It was well known that it rained reliably in the Southern Highlands, so two weirs, at Pheasants Nest and Broughton Pass, were built to hold back the waters of the Upper Nepean River and the Cataract River.

From the weirs the water travelled first through a 3km tunnel to Brooks Point (just west of Appin) then it descended the 6km to Prospect Reservoir in the wild west of Sydney through 19km of tunnels, along 44km of open canals and across 1km of aqueducts.

The principle of the water transfer was very simple: water travels downhill but the construction of the open canals was another engineering marvel because the fall is only 1 metre in 10 kilometres, or a grade of about 1:10,000. The upper section of the canal is still in use today and can be seen west of Appin, but the lower section closer to Sydney has been replaced by large pipes.

It was a visionary scheme and massively costly, but it was not enough.

Sydney’s exploding population (was doing it then, still doing it now) and a severe drought in 1901-1902 brought the population close to a water crisis.

The existing system already worked but it needed more capacity and that meant more dams. A four-dam plan was proposed and the first and largest was the Cataract Dam, completed in 1907.

Constructed from an inner wall of massive sandstone blocks faced with concrete, the Cataract was the largest engineering endeavour in Australia and it was the fourth-largest in the world. Not bad for a tiny population at the bottom of the world! It was the first dam in Australia to use precast moulded concrete blocks for the upstream wall of the dam.

Cataract’s wall is only 4.8m wide at its top but it is 247m long and 47.5m thick at

its base. The lake it holds back is 45.7m deep and covers 850 hectares. From a visual point of view, Cataract is a marvel of Victorian era stonemasonry and this is evident not only in the huge construction itself but also in the craftsmanship of the simple but elegant stonework of the control building with its double arches and lead-lined stone water spouts. This dam represented an era when stonemasonry was still highly regarded as an art form as well as a strong and durable construction method.

The Cordeaux Dam was finished in 1926. It was constructed from a sandstone block core clad with more than 167,000 cubic metres of concrete. The wall is quoted as 404m long but I think that figure may include the spillway that is on the southern side of the dam wall. Its lake is 47.5m deep and covers 781 hectares.

The structure and surroundings show the abandonment of the use of ornamental stonework in favour of experimentation with what could be achieved with concrete. Access to the dam wall is through a massive pillared gateway with columns that are evocative of ancient Egyptian architecture and Neo-Classic decoration. It must have been a very spectacular place to visit in the 1920s.

Shortly after the Cordeaux, the Avon Dam was completed in 1927. Its wall is 210m long and 70m high; the lake is 1055 hectares and capacity is more than 200,000 megalitres.

Smaller across than the earlier two dams, its storage capacity is more than Cataract and Cordeaux together. It used similar construction methods but the visible wall is finished in sandstone blocks rather than concrete. Nevertheless the

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advance of concrete superseding stone continued and the various buildings of the dam and surrounding features exhibit a determined use of concrete as a decorative material as well as a solid and reliable building material. An exceptional feature of Avon’s construction was the excavation of the Spillway Cutting that you cross on the way to the dam itself.

This cutting is an excellent example of drill-and-blast quarrying techniques and you can clearly see the accurate alignment of the drill holes on each side of the cutting. Excavations of this sort in sandstone are now either ripped out with a bulldozer or a big excavator. In 1927, the process was certainly slower and more labour-intensive but it was just as effective.

The Nepean Dam was completed in 1935. It is similar to the Avon, with a wall 216m long and lake 69m deep covering 881 hectares. It also used sandstone both internally and also as visible construction externally with an extended breastwork on the eastern side buttressing the spillway, which can be seen when you cross over the wall. Now the romance with stone was well and truly dead and the ornamentation here is entirely angular and geometric in the post-modernist style.

You can get a more comprehensive history at sca.nsw.gov.au/water/heritage/ water-schemes/upper-nepean-schemeanniversary Go to the bottom of the page and download the two brochures “Dams of Greater Sydney — Upper Nepean” and “Celebrating 125 years of the Upper Nepean Scheme”. They make excellent reading. After you do that, get on your bike and have a dam good day!

A Day In The Saddle new green foliage as they continue to live surrounded by the blackened trunks of those that did not survive the inferno.

Stop and check out the spectacular deep cut for the spillway, which was cut by the old drill and blast methods. Now we use huge bulldozers and excavators that can chew through this sort of massive sandstone.

Avon Dam is another monument to the concreter’s art. There are lots of little picnic areas and the beginnings of “artwork in concrete” such as the entrance to one of the picnic areas where there’s a well-preserved example of early exposed aggregate art. It looks a bit kitsch now but at the time it was seriously avant-garde.

Interestingly, the dam wall is buttressed with massive sandstone blocks, almost as if the concrete structure was not completely trusted.

The ride out of the Avon brings some more bend enjoyment and then you take the left turn to the Nepean Dam. It is the smallest of these dams and is also concrete and stone. There are lots of good little picnic areas to stop at.

To get home, you can either run back up the Hume Motorway or if you haven’t had enough dams, you can head back to Tahmoor and take the road through Thirlmere and then the back road through The Oaks to Silverdale. Signs will point you in the direction of Sydney’s main water storage: Warragamba Dam. This dam has a good information and visitors’ centre as well as several lookouts. The size of the dam is certainly very impressive and it seems to put the other smaller dams well and truly in their place except for one detail: the four “little” dams we’ve visited on this day in n thee saddle still contribute between 20 and 40 d 40 per cent of Sydney’s water. C&T

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New Bike Test

KAWASAKI 1700 VULCAN CLASSIC WHEN YOU FINISH UNBOLTING ALL THE EXTRA BITS FROM A KAWASAKI 1700 VULCAN, YOU’LL FIND THE CLASSIC. Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

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he first impression of the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Classic is that it is a motorcycle with a refined and civilised nature. That first impression was reinforced the more I rode the bike and interestingly, the first riding impression took me somewhere quite unexpected: back to the feel of a WLA Harley with its wide, low bars and wide, sprung saddle.

Powering this big cruiser is a 1700cc V-twin that looks like it’s air-cooled but is in fact liquid-cooled. With that much capacity you’d expect a heap of grunt and there is no disappointment, but more on that later. The transmission has six speeds and the clutch is hydraulic. The rear wheel is rotated by a

belt so it is quiet and low on maintenance.

Brakes are twin discs front and single rear and the fuel tank is full after you tip in 20 litres. The suspension is adjustable but only at the rear. Luggage carrying capacity is nil so if you want that sort of capability, seek out the Vulcan’s Vaquero stablemate, which we tested last year.

Kawasaki has had the 1700 Classic in its line-up for a while and it hasn’t altered much, which tells you something very important: its creators got it pretty well right and they haven’t been silly enough to mess around with a good thing. Some of the features they emphasise are worth examining in detail. First, the throttle control. It’s electronic and although you can see twin cables coming out from under the twist grip, they go to a magic Cruiser & Trike

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box that shouts at another magic box (linked to the throttle butterflies) and they open as far as your wrist determines they should open. Does that sound a bit over-complicated when a good old “pushpull” system would work just as well? I have to disagree. In a world where other motorcycles will give you a bumpy ride at small throttle openings, the big Vulcan is silky smooth and the throttle response is precise. However, owing to the fact that you need to twist the grip a long way to get full throttle, the power delivery is relaxed and gentle.

Second is the positive neutral finder.

My riding brain is programmed to shift down when approaching a stop point and then select neutral while still rolling. On the Classic this is quite unnecessary, you

Quickspecs Model: Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Classic Price: $19,999 (plus on-road costs) Engine: Liquid-cooled, V-twin, four-stroke, SOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 102 x 104mm Displacement: 1700cc or 103.7ci Compression ratio: 9.5:1 Power and Torque: 55kW @ 5000rpm and 135Nm @ 2750rpm Transmission: Six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 43mm telescopic, 140mm travel. R: Twin air-assisted shock absorbers, 80mm travel Brakes: K-ACT II ABS F: Dual

simply glide to a stop having selected first on the way down and then you lift the lever up and the neutral light glows green. More than that, the box is in neutral. None of that frustrating clutch in and boot the lever up and down past the flickering green light but never actually getting neutral.

Third is the braking system. It’s excellent, more on it later. Fourth is the “on position key removal” system that allows you to turn the ignition on and then pull the key out and put it in your pocket. It sounds quite convenient but in practical daily use it’s a pain. You stop at the servo to fuel and naturally you turn the ignition off — without using the key. You use the key to unlock the fuel tank and then when that job is finished, the key goes back in your pocket while you pay. When you get back on the bike to ride Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

four-piston calipers, 300mm floating rotors R: twin-piston caliper, 300mm floating rotor Tyres: F: 130/90B-16 R: 170/70B-16 Seat height: 720mm Wheelbase: 1665mm Length: 2500mm Width: 1025mm Height: 1155mm Ground clearance: 130mm Kerb weight: 349kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 20L Colour options: Metallic graystone Warranty: Two years, unlimited km Service interval: 6000km or 12 months

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

away, you need to drag out the key again.

I found this so tedious that I left the key in the ignition whenever I was riding the bike.

If Kawasaki is serious about riding keyless, it should spend the extra money on a fob system with its proximity-based security.

Much more effective.

Riding the big Vulcan Classic around town is a real pleasure because although it is almost 350kg ready-to-roll, the mass is disguised thanks to light and precise controls. The clutch is an absolute gem, allowing very precise feed of power in slow traffic and parking lot situations and the wide bars allow light but accurate steering.

Add to that the low seat height and the well-placed footboards and you have a bike that inspires confidence the instant you’ve got it rolling. At first I felt that the bars were too low and I adjusted them up, first 100cm and then 150cm. It was not a success, so I put them back low and lived happily ever after. Around town the riding position is completely comfortable and the seat is great. Changing up through the gear ratios is telegraphed by a significant clunk for the first three shifts but after that it is almost silent. As for the need for six speeds, I am puzzled. The first four are all you need around town and when you get out in the country, you find that you have overdrive 1

(that’s fifth) and overdrive 2 (noted as OD on the digital indicator). Any overtaking you plan to do on freeways or highways needs fourth to be really rapid. That said, if you’re in no hurry, open the throttle and ride the torque that’s available.

The power delivery is smooth and it encourages you to relax and enjoy the ride and I think this is where the nature of the bike wraps you in its cloak. It’s the sort of motorcycle that adapts itself to the riding you want to do — it doesn’t dictate your riding style. I liked that a lot. But don’t be fooled into thinking that the 1700cc engine is tame; it’s not. Dump the clutch and take the engine to the rev limiter and progress is satisfactorily rapid. The acceleration is not arm-wrenching but after a few shifts, the scenery is ripping past in quite a blur. If you need the power it is definitely there, but after such antics the bike is quite happy to roll along while you enjoy the cruise.

Stopping a motorcycle is vital. Kawasaki has endowed the Vulcan Classic with its K-ACT system that incorporates not only ABS control but also provides a link between the front and rear brakes. Early linked brakes used a system of hoses so that whenever the rider used either the foot pedal or the lever, both wheels did some proportion of the braking. The K-ACT is Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS

Refinement and civility It adapts to your riding style, doesn’t dictate Ease of control K-ACT braking system

GRIPES

No idea of how far it will go on reserve The half-baked ignition key system

different: if the rider presses the rear brake pedal, a computer senses the amount of retardation and wakes up a small hydraulic pump that sends an appropriate amount of pressure to the front brakes. If the rider grabs the front lever, the front brakes work and the rear brake gets hydraulic pressure from the pump. It sounds complicated, so I just had to try it out. The short report is simple: the brakes are brilliant. I tried braking with a reasonable amount of pressure on either the pedal or the lever and I could feel the other end of the bike being braked. I tried using significant force and the result was more powerful stopping. When I applied a manic panic amount of force to one or other brake, the ABS system took over and stopped the bike quickly with a few chirps from the tyres to let me know that the

New Bike Test

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Heather Ware

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ABS had been able to keep my panic stop from becoming a wheel-locking, skidding disaster. You could ride this bike and never use both brakes and the system will have you covered. That said, stopping from very high speed was done better by the human brain and both brakes than the system could achieve with the use of just one. It is very impressive indeed and my only concern is the usual one with computers: will the magic box suddenly decide to apply the brakes when I don’t need them? The front brake needed two fingers for proper power and control and here’s a small point about the brake pedal — it’s huge, so you can easily find it when you want it, but as a result of its size it can also get in the way of your foot when you pull it up off the footboard to stamp on the pedal. Or it would if it wasn’t spring-loaded. As your foot rises, the pedal just bends aside as your boot passes and springs back into place ready for the brake application. Good design, well executed.

If you get the impression that I loved this bike around town, you’re right. I clocked up quite a few kays just cruising around.

But it is a big bike, so would it be okay out of town? I remember the Vaquero fondly for its distance-devouring ability and the Vulcan 1700 Classic is similarly competent.

I strapped a seat bag over the pillion seat (you can’t stick a tank bag on it, the big retro speedo is in the way) and stuffed it full of wet weather gear, camera etc. and set off for a good day’s ride. Most enjoyable! The wind at freeway speeds is minimised thanks to the big headlight and I found that turbulence was bearable up to about 140km/h.

The reach to the bars is such that you will need to stop and stretch well before the bike needs a fuel stop. I covered 282 kilometres before the fuel light blinked on and I made it to 335km before I refilled the tank. This is a very good range and very useful in this country. My only gripe is that the digital display, which previously had been able to give me fuel consumption as well as distance to go, suddenly lapsed into a useless flashing of the word “FUEL” when the reserve light is on. This is absurd! I could see the reserve light so what I needed was for the bike to keep me updated on how far I could expect to ride before the dreaded total absence of vibration from down below set in.

What of the performance over our beloved “secondary roads”? Front suspension is handled by big conventional telescopic forks and they gave a soft and plush ride, absorbing bumps very well. At the rear there are twin air-assisted shocks with a four-position control for rebound damping.

New Bike Test

The control is up on the top mount of the shock; it’s easy to use and it’s easy to see the level of damping that’s been selected. I think that with summer gloves you could do this on the move, so long as you remembered which way to turn the knob. [But we’re not gonna recommend it! — MW] My 90kg mass (and sensitive spine) found that position 1 was too soft, position 2 was good for smooth roads and around town cruising but when the menace of secondary roads loomed, 3 was not quite enough but 4 was just right. Is this a bit “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”? On 4 the suspension was not able to iron out little irregularities but it saved the spine from the damaging effects of the bomb craters, so that’s where it stayed until civilization was regained.

What else should you know? The headlight is big and retro but it throws a good spread of light on low beam and good penetration on high beam. The big speedo

has a look reminiscent of ’50s American car dashboards and the digital display is useful and easy to navigate. On twisting bends, the bike was stable and confidence-inspiring and I thought the ground clearance was very good for a cruiser of this size. The footboards are spring-loaded so they will flex up as you skim the tarmac. The bike seems to run quite hot and even on our early morning photoshoot (it was cold!) the fan was working. This means a blast of warm air on your legs, which will be welcome in winter.

And what of the bike’s café persona?

Looking at it over a coffee cup rim you get a strong impression of a bike that is big, solid and strong. The low bars contribute to the look of low-slung strength, as do the low seat and the big tyres. I liked it for the way it made my rides a pleasure and for the way it had me scheming to take it out for another ride. C&T

SECOND OPINION The Barry Sheene Festival of Speed at Sydney Motorsport Park was all the excuse I needed to roll the Classic out for one last ride before it went back to Kawasaki. In the short time it was under our care, we’d grown attached to the Classic. Interestingly, my first ride on the Classic reminded me of something I’d ridden before but it took me a while to nail it down. Then I remembered: A VL Harley-Davidson that I worked on. The wide bars and seat combined with the floorboards to create a riding position that was as near to identical as my memory could

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conjure. Immediately comfortable and relaxing. I only found one problem with the Classic and that was the ignition key, of all things! The rounded edge of the key’s head must point forward.

If you put it in the ignition with the pointy edge leading, things don’t work and you may have to remove the key with a Leatherman or similar tool. I can tell you the part number for the replacement key blank. Apart from that, the rest of my time with the Classic was smooth riding. Ride one before making your own money-spending decision.

Mick Withers

2014 HOG Rally

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2014 HOG Rally

2014 HOG RALLY

AGAINST ALL ODDS, THE 23RD ANNUAL NATIONAL HOG RALLY IN CAIRNS IN MAY WAS A RIPSNORTING SUCCESS.

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2014 HOG Rally

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2014 HOG Rally Words: Mick Withers & Mark Hinchliffe Photos: Mick Withers, Mark Hinchliffe & Mick Matheson

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espite being at the top end of the country, despite the oppressive heat, despite the police state, despite the concerns about the VLAD laws, despite the event almost being cancelled a couple of months before, the HOG Rally went ahead without a hitch. It attracted 1498 Hoggies, a wedding and a record 1812 riders in the highlight event, the Sunday morning Thunder Run. I was part of the media contingent that rode up on Touring Harleys over three casual days on the Bruce Highway from Rockhampton. We’d just passed through Bowen before the Bruce was closed for almost a day after a massive subsidence near a bridge. Luckily it didn’t hold up many rallygoers as eager riders had started filtering in from around the country early in the week.

By the time the official rally began on the Friday morning there was a flood of machines filtering into the Cairns Showgrounds and clogging up the parking area at Harley Magic, the Cairns HarleyDavidson dealership where Hoggies were queued up to buy merchandise or get their bikes serviced or tyres changed after the long haul from around the country.

Meanwhile, back at the showgrounds, a relieved yet perspiring Kim Williams, the HOG Rally organiser (official title HarleyDavidson Australia and New Zealand Customer Experience Manager), appeared from the registrations tent to greet the media contingent and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “Isn’t it great?” she said, pointing to the mass of tattooed young lads who had just rolled in on their “rat bikes” wanting to be part of the action. “We’ve got 1304 pre-registrations and we’re getting a lot of walk-ins like these guys.”

It was a different story just a couple of months earlier down at Harley HQ in Sydney. You can just imagine the knitted brows and the worried looks around the office when at the end of January, Kim had only 300 registrations.

“We didn’t think it would happen. We’d never had so few registrations that close to a rally,” she says. “This has been one of the most talked about rallies in years.”

Of course, she was talking about the mood in Queensland among motorcyclists after the hasty introduction of far-reaching and very Orwellian-sounding Vicious Lawless Associations Disestablishment Act that had resulted in many innocent riders

being harassed by overzealous police.

The internet was buzzing with tales of harassment and many feared the HOG Rally wouldn’t go ahead.

But Hoggies seem to be made of sterner stuff. They fired up their Harleys and rode all the way to North Queensland to be part of what Kim referred to as a “very special rally”.

So special that she had an extra pin forged for the event as a reward for those who attended. “These people deserved something more. The pin represents everything about why we choose to ride. It wasn’t expected and it’s a nice surprise.” The coveted copper pin features a couple of palm trees and the words “I Choose Freedom”.

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“It’s about you guys riding all this way and not worrying about what other people think,” she told the enthusiastic crowd on the Friday night before the feature concert.

Harley-Davidson marketing manager Adam Wright fired up the Hoggies even more by telling them that HOG Australia had grown almost 10 per cent in the past year to about 25,000, which was the highest growth rate in the Asia-Pacific “and probably the world”.

It’s also the fourth biggest national HOG in the world.

Kim and Adam could hardly contain their enthusiasm … in fact, instead of announcing the venue for the next rally lly ly on the last night, they decided to drop the hee ne news wss w

2014 HOG Rally

on the Friday. Although dates aren’t yet finalised, the next rally will be in Tamworth, Adam told the crowd to thunderous applause and plenty of “yee-hahs”.

Then it was down to the serious business of having fun with Lisa Hunt’s rock and soul revue. At one stage she invited some of the women to join her on stage and was besieged by not one but eight “Hogettes” waving their feathered boas.

Even before Lisa turned up the heat, the sweat was dribbling down everyone’s forearms. Thankfully, the weather cooled over the next couple of days so riders could enjoy the many events at the showgrounds and rides through the tropical cane fields and up the winding roads to idyllic Atherton

Tableland tourist villages such as Kuranda under picture-perfect blue skies. It could have been a totally different picture had the rally been held a few weeks earlier during Cyclone Ita, as originally scheduled.

Adam estimated the Hoggies churned a welcome $4m into the Far North Queensland economy during the event.

“The rally always has great economic benefits for the local communities and this area needed some funds after the recent cyclone,” he says. Our media group did its best to spread the cash around, particularly at the local pubs and cafes.

Back at the showgrounds, the action was non-stop with plenty of music entertainment including the fourth rally appearance by

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2014 HOG Rally

young rock guitarist Bailey Judd, stunt shows with Matt Mingay, a show and shine, dyno drag races, the usual bike games in the main arena, piglet races starring swine with names such as Bacon Sandwich and Arnold Porkenegger, tattoo competitions, trade stalls, Harley demo rides and much more. There was so much on this year’s schedule a special phone app was created so HOG members could stay up to date.

One of the most popular attractions, particularly for female pillions, was the Jump Start program that gave them the opportunity to fire up a Harley, let out the clutch and change gears right up to and beyond highway speeds, all from the safety of a stationary onary na bike. The program has been running ffo for orr

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2014 HOG Rally

several years at rallies and other events.

Most of those who participate in Jump Start are women, says Mitch Jackson of Harley.

“They love the opportunity to let the clutch out, change gears and rev the bike while it’s on the stand,” he says. “We’ve only had one woman who was a bit upset and frightened. I think her old man pushed her into it. But she enjoyed it so much she came back twice more.”

Cairns resident Kaylie Sinapius, 26, had a go on the stationary Sportster 72 and thought the experience was “brilliant”. “I’ve never ridden before, but I love motorbikes. I want one now. I’ll never forget it.”

Kim said the Cairns rally seemed to have attracted a higher proportion of women. She doesn’t know the exact numbers, but says female HOG numbers are growing as more women move from the pillion perch to the rider’s saddle.

The only Harley staff member doing as much talking as Kim over the weekend was Ian Skoyles, country operations manager for Harley-Davidson Financial Services.

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2014 HOG Rally

He was busy explaining their guaranteed buy-back scheme and hire purchase loans on approved genuine pre-owned vehicles.

He says the two schemes make their bikes “more affordable” and many of the Hoggies seemed to be considering an upgrade.

But the highlight event of any rally is the Sunday morning Thunder Run and this was a beaut. It was the longest run yet, with a 66km ride from the showgrounds to Port Douglas and back to the Cairns beachfront.

It was also the biggest Thunder Run since

Uluru in 2005, with 1812 bikes counted thanks to the many local riders who joined up along the route.

Local Cairns folk seemed to enjoy the presence of the riders, many waving “I like bikes” signs from the roadside as the Harleys rode past on the Thunder Run. Many more turned out to show their appreciation and admire the bikes at The Esplanade show and shine.

They were also witnesses to a marriage ceremony with a difference. Brisbane Gasoline Alley HOG Chapter members Robyn Piacun and Gary Howard were so excited about the rally, they chose it as the venue for their wedding. “All our friends are here and we didn’t have to organise the venue,” said the new Mrs Howard. “It’s the biggest wedding breakfast you could have,” said Gary. The CVO Harley owners honeymooned on their ride home via Longreach. It was a fitting end to a rally that celebrated freedom rather than cowered in fear. Hoggies rode as far as 6000km from Perth with an average distance travelled of 2500km for all attendees. HOG members Cruiser & Trike

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came from the US, England, Fiji, PNG and New Zealand to the FNQ Tourism capital.

Adam said that while numbers were below last year’s rally, that was a special 110th celebration and based at Williamstown, which was much more central. He says the 1498 attendance was on par with most national HOG rallies and a good result for a “far-flung” destination. He says next year’s rally at Tamworth should be even bigger. Kim is already predicting a record attendance at the country music capital in north-western NSW. “We’ve had good responses from people talking about it already,” she says. “It could be a record because of the momentum from one rally to the next.”

She says the city is well set-up to accommodate the thousands of HOG members expected to attend because it hosts the annual Country Music Awards.

“Tamworth has such a good reputation, it’s fairly central and there are some great riding roads in the region. It could be a record rally.”

Dates have not yet been confirmed but you better start polishing up your chaps. C&T

2014 HOG Rally

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2014 HOG Rally

ON A HIGHWAY CALLED BRUCE Where else on this planet would you find a highway named in honour of a Monty Python sketch! G’day Bruce.

At the invitation of Harley-Davidson Australia, a group of us flew into Rockhampton on the Tuesday evening to spend the next three days riding Project Rushmore models north to Cairns for the 2014 HOG Rally.

Our first day on the road kicked off with an impromptu unguided tour of Rockhampton behind Adam. Eventually we found Rocky Harley-Davidson and drank excellent coffee and checked out the outstanding facilities Geoff and his staff offer customers.

In company with the local HOG chapter, we rode out of town and began our exodus.

The original plan was to head straight up the Bruce but I remembered a secondary road from Marlborough to Sarina, creatively called the Marlborough-Sarina Road. It twists and turns much more than the Bruce and adds about 50km to the trip — big deal. One of our group was heard to mutter and call it the Chiropractor’s Way but the elevation changes and scenery made up for the occasional rough spot. We also saw a giant cane toad in the park in the middle of the road in Sarina.

Our stop for the first night was Cape Hillsborough, north of Mackay and on the coast in the middle of a national park.

After our second round of Adam’s Mystery Tours, we reached our destination. Better than a restaurant, HDA’s Lydia and family cooked us a barbecue. Sitting round drinking rums and talking bikes was a great way to spend the evening.

After our morning mystery ride took us through Seaforth and the dirt of the Mount Ossa-Seaforth Road, we re-joined Bruce and headed north in search of coffee.

Not only coffee, we also found pistols for sale from a coin-operated vending machine at Calen. Aaah, Queensland.

Further up the road we found the recently misplaced Big Mango. News reports were that it had disappeared.

According to the two blokes drinking rum on the front verandah of the house less than 50 metres away, it was much closer than the hype would have you believe.

Anyway, we saw it and ate mango sorbet at the tourist centre while keeping an eye on it before we headed into Ayr and lunch

at the Queens Hotel. Good feed.Last time I was in Townsville, the calendar said 1994. The place’s changed a bit. Actually, it’s changed a lot. We found our way to SunCity Harley-Davidson where a crowd was already hanging round. They weren’t there to see us, they were on their way north to Cairns and had stopped in to enjoy the hospitality of Marc, Kerry and Brent Storey — genuine good people.

They were encouraging riders to camp in the paddock next to the shop and use the facilities, including the HOG clubroom out the back.

Dinner at Longboard, a restaurant with a dozen different dark rums behind the bar, was great. Getting better as the night went on. Breakfast was followed by a ride up to the top of Castle Hill. You can’t go to Townsville without doing that ride.

Watch out for the locals who can’t afford motorbikes — they walk to the top of the hill. After a stop in at SunCity where I bought a face mask to try to cut down on the sunburn, we hit the road without any mystery tours and boogied north towards … the north.

Within 100km and well before it got really hot, the face mask was pushed down to let the air flow. Face masks and the tropical northern heat aren’t a good mix. Sunblock worked much better.

Cardwell was our next stop — apart from the roadworks. There were a couple of points driven home on the ride; you’re never more than a couple of km from another creek or river crossing up north and they love working on the road!

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Despite the signs telling us not to feed the crocodiles and despite our careful looking, none appeared. A couple of crab sangas and off we buggered.

The map said Innisfail was between Tully and Cairns but we turned west and rode the Palmerston Highway instead. I’d heard about the roads inland from Cairns and the few we sampled were every bit as good as the hype. There’s a road that everybody should add to their own list of stuff to do. It’s called the Gillies Highway.

You need to ride it. Twice. At the bottom of the hill is the Mountain View Hotel.

Stop there and enjoy a coldie, like we did.

The drop down into Gordonvale and then through the suburbs of Cairns was a bit of an anti-climax for me. While the rest of the journos were staying on to enjoy the 2014 HOG Rally, I had to fly home early the next morning for a previously booked event on Friday night. Before that though, we had a great night out at a seafood restaurant along the boardwalk before invading another journo’s room and drinking till well into the early hours.

Although only a three-day trip, the Street Glide I rode — the very same bike we tested last issue — was the perfect choice. The roads we covered and the sights we saw will remain in my memories. Thank you to Harley-Davidson Australia for the opportunity to get out on the road with mates. Also a quick thank you to Adam and Lydia for making the trip fun and interesting. I’m already looking forward to the trip to Tamworth for the 2015 HOG Rally.

The shed

THE SHED

FORKED WIDE GLIDE LAST ISSUE TRAVIS FIXED HIS REAR END, THIS TIME HE LEARNS HOW TO DO FORK SEALS.

fter getting something lodged in the fork leg, I had to replace a torn seal which meant I had to do both to be sure.

The good editor offered me a guiding hand, so why not have a crack myself ? First things first, get the seals, new fork oil and the 49mm fork seal driver required for the job. I chose to put in Screamin Eagle heavy fork oil to stiffen them up a bit.

With the bike strapped onto the centre lift jack, the front guard was first to come off. An Allen key socket and ½” spanner removes this but they were very tight — Harley used a high-strength thread sealer on these bolts.

Next is the brake caliper. Make sure to cable tie this up out of the way for two reasons: so it’s not in the way, obviously, but also so it’s not hanging on the hose as that’s not good for it.

Next step is removing the front wheel. Undo the axle nut and the axle retaining cap on the bottom of the fork (left as you sit on the bike) then slide the axle out and down. Take note of the way the bushes, washers and ABS sensor come out to make reassembly easy.

A

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The shed

Once the wheel is out, crack the Allen head bolts at the bottom of the fork with a rattle gun and Allen key socket. You will really struggle to get these undone without a rattle gun — even a cheap electric jobbie will do but you need the impact to undo them. Then, using a big shifter or if you have the appropriate-size socket, loosen but don’t completely undo the cap on top of the fork legs. It makes it easier to do this while the fork legs are still tight in the triple trees.

Now you have cracked them, you can loosen the triple tree pinch bolts and slide the fork legs down and out of the triple trees. Once out, undo the bottom bolts from the base of the forks and drain the old oil into a container. With a helping pair of hands, tap the dust covers off, working around the fork with a soft hammer and a flattened screwdriver or small punch. Just use soft taps working around the perimeter so you don’t damage them.

With the same helping hands or a vice with soft jaws to avoid marking the legs, undo the top cap by pushing down on it while turning it. Be careful at this point as the springs are under tension and can fly out if you’re not careful. By pushing down as you turn, you can slowly decompress the spring once the cap is undone.

Also be careful not to damage the O-ring on the cap. Now take the spacer and spring out. Using a seal remover, small pry bar or even a paint scraper, carefully remove the dust covers. Work it in between the cover and the fork leg then turn the tool sideways. Inspect the covers for damage and if okay, clean for later reinstallation.

To remove the fork from the lower leg, there is a spring clip just inside the top of the lower leg. Using a small screwdriver or seal pick, carefully remove and set aside. Now the fork tube will slide out and should bring the seal out with it. You may need to use a bit of

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The shed

over the bag. As well as protecting the actual sealing edges, this makes it much easier to slide on. Slide the seal down the tube and put the tube back into the fork leg. With the tube right down, use the fork seal driver to tap the seal into place in the lower leg. There is a groove the spring clip needs to sit in so the seal has to drop below this point. Once the seal is in, reinstall the spring clip. Reinstall the dust seal the same way with the rubber grease then tap it home gently using the fork seal driver. Put the dust cover back on with gentle taps around the top of it with a soft hammer.

force but by compressing the inner and outers before pulling them apart, they should separate fairly quickly and easily.

Be careful not to dislodge the bushing on the bottom of the tube.

Slide the old seal off and remove the cup from the lower leg to clean before putting back in. Everything should be cleaned well at this point to avoid contaminating the new fork oil with grit and crud.

Using a plastic bag such as a ziplock sandwich bag with the ziplock part cut off, put it over the top of the fork tube so it’s wrapped around the tube then coat in rubber grease. Now run some rubber grease over the inside of the seal and slide onto the tube Cruiser & Trike

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The shed

Now reinstall the bottom bolt into the fork leg and tighten. Time to put the oil in. Using a measuring jug, pour in 875ml (for my model, refer to service manual to get correct amount) and slowly work the fork tube up and down till you get even resistance and the oil stops bubbling. This makes sure the new oil is worked through the valving.

Reinstall the spring, ensuring the tapered end of the spring is to the bottom, then put the spacer in. Slide the outer fork tube all the way up and with a helping hand, put the top cap back on. You will need to push the spring back down with the cap similar to how you undid it. Clean the fork and you can now reinstall it into the triple trees. It’s a good idea to measure the distance of fork above the top triple tree before removing. Slide the fork into the triple tree and measure to make sure it is sitting in the right spot, then do up the top pinch bolt. Once you have both fork legs in and sitting exactly the same side to side, do the pinch bolts up to factory torque specs, making sure the bottom legs are straight. Make sure the top caps are tightened and double check the bottom fork leg bolts with the rattle gun; you don’t want all the new oil leaking out.

Put the front wheel back in, making sure the spacers and ABS sensor are in correctly, put the fork axle cap back in and tighten to factory torque specs. Use a big Phillips head screwdriver or similar through the hole in the front axle to hold it while torqueing the axle nut up. Refit the brake caliper using some medium-strength thread sealant and torque, then put the front guard on and you are basically done. Before lowering from the lift, spin the wheel to ensure it is spinning straight and free. Spin it then pull the front brake to ensure the pads are seated correctly. Give it all a visual check to make sure it looks correct.

Take it off the lift and go for a short ride to ensure it all feels correct. Give another visual inspection to ensure there are no oil leaks and then, the most important part, ride and enjoy! C&T

Welcome to The Shed, the section for Cruiser & Trike readers who want to get off the lounge and out into the shed.

Shed time should be happy time. We’re gonna show you stuff that some will find easy and other stuff that leaves us scratching our collective heads. Not every job is simple and we all have a point where we call in the experts.

There are no hard and fast rules about what we will or won’t cover in The Shed. If you’ve got an idea or would like to contribute your own shed stuff, shoot an email to cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Cruiser & Trike

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Tokyo Motorcycle Show

TOKYO MOTOR CYCLE SHOW

Tushy-mate, our resident Japanese correspondent, took himself and some cameras along to the Tokyo Motorcycle Show to capture what’s new and interesting. He has his own unique style that we value. As well as a variety of new models from the major Japanese manufacturers, he also found a few gems from other companies. Not sure whether they’ll all reach the Australian market but you never know. Enjoy this peek into the world of the Japanese motorcycle industry.

Photos: Atsushi Sunayama

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Tokyo Motorcycle Show

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RIDE FOR LONGER

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6 Ainslie Close, Somersby NSW Ph: 02 4372 1100 For more info give us a ring or email info@oztrikes.com.au

Tokyo Motorcycle Show

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Stuff We’re Testing

STUFF WE’RE TESTING AS THE NAME IMPLIES, THIS IS STUFF THAT WE’RE ACTUALLY TESTING. WE PROMISE UPDATES AND IN THIS ISSUE, IT’S ALL UPDATES ON STUFF MICK’S TESTING. Cruiser & Trike

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Stuff We’re Testing

UPDATE: IXON COPPER ROCK JACKET RRP: $389.95 or $429.95 SIZES: SM to 5XL or C2 to C8

Leather jackets to fit full-sized blokes and blokettes are a thing of joy. Not all of us are economy-sized skinny creatures. After 18 months of wear, this jacket is like brand new except for the creases formed as it moulds to my particular shape.

The sizing is generous for my 140kg and 183cm. The zippers are all still perfect.

There’s body armour but you’d never know that from the outside.

Highly recommended.

UPDATE: ALPINESTARS GRAN TORINO GTX BOOTS RRP: $449.95 SIZES: 3.5 – 14 (36-50)

If you’ve ever heard the saying “as comfortable as an old pair of boots”, you’ll understand why I really love these Alpinestars Gran Torino GTX boots. From the first time I put them on they fitted like an old pair of boots. Now, 18 months later, they are even more comfortable than they were the day they arrived.

They are genuinely waterproof. Having tested them in miserable rainy weather a number of times, I can vouch for the fact that they’re still just as waterproof.

One of the problems with boots is that they start to lose their shape, or collapse, as time goes on. These Alpinestars are still perfectly solid and have held their shape well.

The Velcro and zippers are also still in perfect shape.

Look, just go and buy a pair. You can thank me later.

UPDATE: DRAGGIN’ JEANS HOLESHOT RRP: Call for prices SIZES: 28 to 44

UPDATE: BELL ROGUE HELMET

UPDATE: FIVE GLOVES

My current favourite open-face helmet is this Bell Rogue. It fits my head perfectly and that makes me happy. There are no pressure points to annoy and distract.

The straps are still in perfect condition and the lining is like new. The muzzle is brand new and sitting somewhere unused. I like it the way it is.

It’s a very good choice if you’re looking for a lightweight open-face helmet.

Even with more than 12 months of hard use, these Five Gloves still fit perfectly.

They’ve been worn in all weather and the only damage is one seam coming apart on a cuff. Pffft, that’s nothing to worry about. My hands are usually only covered by the largest size offerings and these fit perfectly without stretching and falling apart. When these Five Gloves finally wear out, I’ll replace them with another pair. I like them. A lot.

RRP: $289.95 SIZES: XS to XXL

RRP: $99.95 SIZES: XS to XXXL

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It’s been roughly six months since they arrived and they feel better every time I wear them. Comfortable jeans make a long day in the saddle easier.

Nearly every time I ride out the front gate, these are the jeans covering my lower half. The lining is quite thick and runs from the waist to the cuffs. There’s an elastic strap on each leg that goes under your boot to keep them pulled down while you’re riding.

They’re warm in winter and I’ll tell you about summer when it gets here!

Bankstown Bike Show

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Bankstown Bike Show

BANKS TOWN BIKE SHOW

IF YOU WERE IN SYDNEY AT EASTER, THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO — THE BANKSTOWN BIKE SHOW. THIS YEAR WAS THE 24TH EDITION OF THIS SUPER-SHOW AND ONCE THROUGH THE GATES YOU WERE IN THE BIG DAY OUT ON TWO WHEELS, AS JON VAN DAAL EXPLAINS.

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Bankstown Bike Show

Words & photos: Jon Van Daal

T

he great thing about the Bankstown Bike Show is that there is something for everyone. This year, the nucleus of the event was the giant bike display that stretched from the front of the stage right around to the far end of the main grandstand. Beyond that there were literally hundreds of high-spec street bikes parked row after row.

There was literally something for everyone, with beautiful baggers, bodacious bobbers, classy choppers, captivating classics, refined race bikes and sensational streeters to name a few. No matter what your personal preference was there were outstanding examples of English, American, Japanese and European bikes and trikes.

Thousands of hours of work and thousands of dollars went into the elite classes of display bikes, with George winning Best Chopper and Dylan winning Best Modified — a full list of winners is herewith.

There was plenty of dirt action, too, with the St George Motorcycle Club doing flat track demos that were joined by 150km/h pro speedway dirt bike racing and sidecar displays. Bitumen racing saw the CYC Studio Stunt Team, a series of NSW Supermoto Demos and a Donut Master Burnout Comp.

In addition to the two-wheel titillation there were many displays of different disciplines around the grounds, including an awesome sword fight display, power lifting, Ju Jitsu, a Boxing for Life display, wrestling, wet T-shirt contest, Miss Hard’n’Fast, a DJ, an all-girl rock band called the Toxic Dolls and a reptile display making it the best $30 you’ll ever spend.

What could be better than a whole day taking in the great in two- and three-wheel eye candy, flat track and bitumen racing as well as the large number of other physical activities? I’m pretty sure that Moose and the rest of the Hard and Fast boys will ensure the 25th version will be a cracker kerr iff ke this year is anything to go by. C&T Cruiser & Trike

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Bankstown Bike Show

TROPHIES Trophy Best Burnout Best Individual Stand Best Rigid Best Three Wheeler Best Euro Best British Best Vintage Best Sportster Best Pro Street Best Dresser Best Early Harley Best Shovel Best Paint Best Undisplayed Best Jap Best Twin Cam Best Evo Best V-Rod Best Engineered Best Race Bike Best V8 Bike Best Custom Best Chopper Best Modified Best Street Performance Best Bobber Peoples Choice Most Outstanding

Sponsor Avon (Pro Accessories) Highway 61 MC Brisbane Hunter Motorcycles Oztrike Trinity Hotel Highway 61 MC Central Sydney Exhibition Lighting Power Biketranz Bad Machine Productions Black Uhlans MC Redfern Motor Parts South Coast Custom Sydney Custom Paint MCA St George MCC Fraser Motorcycles Sydney Select Escorts Sy’s Harley Davidson Highway 61 MC Gold Coast Mild & Wild Custom Cycles Hossstyle P & L Cycles Blacktown Harley Davidson Heavy Duty Magazine Motorcycle Transport & Detailing Trivett Harley Davidson Live To Ride Ozbike

Winner Roach 15 George 65 Dave 51 Tony 49 78 Bob 53 Mark 4 Dennis 9 John 30 Jason 86 Peter 74 Daniel 15 George RSU-01 18 Ian 43 Panhead 27 Dylan 63 Waz 9 John 48 Craig 35 Craig 26 Dylan 15 George 27 Dylan 18 Tan 55 26 Dylan

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United Trikers’ Agm

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United Trikers’ Agm

UNITED TRIKERS’

AGM

TRIKERS ABOARD TRIKES INVADED WAGGA WAGGA DURING THE IDES OF MARCH WEEKEND. Cruiser & Trike

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United Trikers’ Agm

Words: Anna Sewell Photos: Steve Martin, Lyn Rawson, Mal Best & Catherine Breddels

T

he United Trikers’ 13th AGM was held at Wagga Wagga on March 14-16, 2014.

About 180 trikers riding 100-plus vehicles arrived from the far reaches of this wide brown land. Some joined the trek to Wagga Wagga as an extension to the recent Trikefest held in Ulverstone, Tasmania, while others left work on Thursday to make the journey.

Friday night kicked off with the usual camp kitchen get-together. Dinner was catered by members of the Rotary Club of Coolamon, with a spit lamb and goat being the highlight of the meal put on by the locals.

Ronald McDonald House was this year’s chosen charity. A double head shave of Mick and Zorba along with a raffle and the show and shine raised well in excess of $3500! A fantastic effort, and one legendary mullet is now gone.

In a club with its members spread far and

wide, it was a good chance to catch up with old mates as well as meet some new ones.

Banter and bullshit ensued and entertainer Royden Donohue kept the revellers up on their feet dancing and partying late into the night.

Saturday morning and the difficult assemble time (8.30am) saw some stay behind with their heads buried under the pillow. Those that did make it headed off to the show and shine held at the Masters Home Improvements car park. Ninety-six sparkling trikes turned up, with the public voting on a “Best Trike” for the trophy presentations later that night.

The troupe left at 10.30am for the Junee Liquorice Factory to take a tour. The line of trikes heading down the road was breathtaking and snaked back well over a kilometre. We stopped at the liquorice factory for a short break. Some did the tour; others enjoyed a coffee but most gorged themselves on the free samples. I have never seen so many leather-clad people crowded around a small bowl of samples.

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LOOKING AT UTA United Trikers Australia Inc. is Australia’s largest and fastest-growing trike club and is open to anyone with an interest in triking. Ownership of a trike is not necessary to be a member of United Trikers Australia or to participate in all club activities.

More information can be found at www.unitedtrikers.com.au

United Trikers’ Agm

They were like a pack of rabid wolves.

Fortunately, trikes have large boots with plenty of storage to carry lots of take-away.

We took a quick half-hour ride back to our lunch venue — Coolamon Sport & Rec Club. The amazing sight of a large car park full of trikes in every colour of the rainbow raised the attention of many locals who arrived with cameras in hand. The $100 prize on offer for a hole in one went begging and only goes to prove the calibre of golfers we all are.

Buses ferried us to the William Farrer Hotel on Saturday evening for the AGM followed by the official dinner. The roof was nearly lifted off by the chatter of 180-plus trikers all enjoying the night. The drawing of raffles seemed to take forever with so many businesses kindly donating a huge quantity of prizes. Trophies for Best Paint, Best Modified, Members’ Choice, AGM Committee Award, Public’s Choice and the ‘What The…? Award’ were handed out to six very deserving members.

A hearty breakfast was cooked on Sunday

morning by President Goz, Bo and Craig.

Just like the organising of such a massive weekend, Craig Corrigan kept the breakfast queue moving along smoothly as he served his musical beans with such precision before directing the recipient to “move to the right”. After breakfast it was time for the unlucky members to say their goodbyes, while the lucky people took a ride to check out some local wineries. All had a fantastic time. A weekend loaded with riding, laughter and friendships. To top things off, the weather gods were very kind to us and supplied dry riding weather for the he whole weekend. C&T

LOOKING AHEAD The United Trikers’ 2015 AGM is being held at the Gold Coast from Friday March 20 to Sunday March 22.

Big4 Tweed Billabong Holiday Park 30 Holden Street, Tweed Heads South

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Shop Talk

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Shop Talk

SUNCITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON Motorcycle shops are at the heart and soul of motorcycling. Sure, you can order stuff online but nothing substitutes for being able to lean on a counter and ask a question. Equally, no matter how good the graphics are on your computer screen, being able to touch and feel motorcycle parts is much more satisfying. We celebrate the culture of Australian motorcycle shops and workshops.

No matter where you lived, Saturday mornings were when every young rider would head off to the local, or not-so-local, shop to hang out and share experiences as well as look at the parts and bikes you dreamed about buying.

In Shop Talk we pick the shops you tell us about and ďŹ nd out what makes them popular. If you would like to recommend a shop or workshop, send us an email and tell us who, where, what and why. The address is cruiser@unversalmagazines.com.au Rolling into Townsville on our way to Cairns, SunCity Harley-Davidson was an eye-opener. The ďŹ rst thing we saw was a crowd of HOG members camped in the paddock next door and treating the dealership as if it was their own. The atmosphere was genuinely friendly and the staff helpful. Enjoy.

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Shop Talk

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN UP SHOP? We have been motorcyclists all our lives. We wanted to combine our passion for HarleyDavidson with our business experience to establish a dealership that was exciting for all.

HOW LONG HAS THE SHOP BEEN GOING? Two and a half years

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN YOUR SHOP? Passion. From staff to the owners, all 13 of us own and ride a Harley.

WHAT EXTRAS DO YOU OFFER CUSTOMERS TO GET THEM TO TRAVEL TO YOU? Customer service. Anyone can cleverly market themselves but we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and word of mouth.

HOW LONG HAS YOUR HOG CHAPTER BEEN RUNNING? Two and a half years with SunCity as the sponsoring dealership.

WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM TO SET UP THE BAR AREA? My business partner was involved in Rocky Harley-Davidson where they set up an excellent bar facility. We wanted to do something with the club that would benefit them and us. The Hog club built it and they have done a great job.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I have been a motorcyclist for 18 years, I love the people, the brand and the challenge of always striving to improve. (Brent)

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

DEALER PRINCIPALS Marc, Kerry and Brent Storey

LOCATION 735 Woolcock Street Mt Louisa, Townsville 4814

PHONE

We have worked tirelessly to build the business to what it is today. From here it is all incremental improvement. For the facility we will build an engine room and machine shop, as well as a mezzanine over the workshop. For the business we want to continue to engage with our customers and continue to grow the brand.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS? Nothing but supportive. We are not perfect but we always have the best of intentions.

We have no business without our customer base and over the past two and a half years we have built a great relationship with the local motorcycle community.

(07) 4774 2355

WEBSITE suncityhd.com.au

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Long-Termer

YAMAHA XV1900AT SAY HELLO TO OUR NEW LONG-TERMER

Words: Mick Withers

W

hen Yamaha decided it was time to take our poor old Luxo Liner away, it was like yanking a kid’s favourite toy off him. It disappeared and was last seen heading off to an auction house wearing a mixture of new and old clothes. Thommo from Yamaha’s technical department removed all of the fun parts from Luxo Liner and fitted them straight onto our brand new Yamaha XV1900AT Star Tourer. The unused new bits from the new bike went onto the old bike. So, while

some parts look awfully familiar, the rest of the story is all new and fresh.

The new liquid silver paint really suits the XV1900’s lines and a re-paint is not on the cards at this stage! The black pinstriping is a neat touch.

While there is much more chrome on the new bike, it works well. The front-end looks a lot lighter without the previously black panels and covers. The chrome trims running off the front edges of the tank and along the frame have gone. The rocker covers that crown the engine are now chromed as are heaps of other little bits and Cruiser & Trike

100

pieces. Less bling than a very blingy thingy.

Again, we started out with the Yamaha XV1900AT Star Tourer so we scored the screen and the sissy bar that had been removed but can be refitted in less than two minutes if needed. The other big addition is the saddlebags. They are hard-bodied and lockable for added security but also have a superb mounting system that holds them very solidly. You can remove them in less than a minute if you want the stripped look of the Roadliner. For our purposes, the bags are definitely on the needs side of the ledger. They are much more weather-

Long-Termer

resistant than they appear. At $24,099 plus on-road costs, the Star Tourer comes with a full five-year warranty.

When the call came to let us know that our new XV1900AT was ready to be picked up, Mick claimed the honour and disappeared on the VMax Yamaha had lent us. Now the VMax is a good bike, in fact we think it’s a very good bike, but editorial licence integrity is always going to be a finely balanced commodity aboard the VMax. Riders have to remember that licence removal and shredding is a mere twist of the wrist away aboard a VMax. Mick rode the bright and shiny new bike back to the office and parked it where he could stare at it. With just 0.7km showing on the odometer when he picked it up and not a lot more by the time he got back to the office, Mick was careful with the throttle but reckons the new engine already feels happier than the old 1900. Which is interesting as they generally need a few more numbers on the odometer before they really free up and run at their happiest.

Rather than trusting ourselves to behave and not overwork the fresh engine or risk glazing the cylinder bores by being too gentle, Mick decided to hand it over to Sydney Dyno so that Dave could perform one of his controlled engine run-ins. This is one of the house specialties at Sydney Dyno. Dave collected the XV1900 in his van and disappeared north.

With the bike strapped down on the roller of Sydney Dyno’s Dynojet 250, Dave ran the XV at low RPM with varied load and controlled temperatures to eliminate variables. This gives all cams, bearings, shafts and gearbox components the perfect Cruiser & Trike

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bedding in as well as the best seal between pistons and bore. Achieving greater stock horsepower is guaranteed. After two oil and filter changes and just on 100km on the roller, Dave returned it to us and declared it run-in and ready for anything we wanted to do with it. If you want him to do this to your bike, prices start from $400 (plus oil and filters) if you deliver the bike to Kariong.

You can find Sydney Dyno on Facebook or at sydneydyno.com.au. Or you could pick up the phone and call 0418 224 000.

As soon as it was back, Mick took the Road Rhino for an evening trip up into the Blue Mountains and reckons this new engine is a hot rod. Due to time constraints and other bikes that needed to be ridden, our new Road Rhino hasn’t clocked up too many more km yet but we’re already looking at it and planning another round of modifications. A bit more ground clearance would be good. And maybe a bit more of this and bit less of that. Stay tuned. C&T &T

THANK YOU AMHP: Headlight protector KAOKO: Cruise control KENMA: DNA high-performance air filter and EJK electronic jet kit LINK: Cobra Speedster Slashdown exhaust MUSTANG SEATS: DayTripper seat (#75618) SYDNEY DYNO: Dyno time including run-in from new YAMAHA: Long-term loan of the XV1900AT VENTURA: Fat Man handlebars

Project Nuts & Bolts

PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS IS THIS YOUR NEW BIKE? WHEN WE FINISH MODIFYING AND ALTERING PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS, WE’RE GONNA GIVE IT AWAY TO ONE LUCKY SUBSCRIBER. WIN PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS See this bike? It could be yours. Yamaha has built the Star Bolt and given it to us to make our own. Work hasn’t finished yet.

In November, after we’ve finished making changes, we’ll draw one current subscriber’s name and they will become the new owner of Project Nuts & Bolts.

Check out page 104 and 105 in this issue of Cruiser & Trike for info on how to take out a subscription and go in the draw.

S

ince we got Project Nuts & Bolts back after the Brisbane Motorcycle Expo, we’ve been riding the wheels off it.

Mick has been using it as his daily runaround and has been talking all of his friends and family into taking out a 12-month subscription to Cruiser & Trike.

With all of the work that was going on, Allwest Motorcycle Transport carried Project Nuts & Bolts all over the place before it went to Brisbane and we barely got to ride it.

Even though it was always our intention Cruiser & Trike

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to invert the mirrors and have them sitting above the bars, Mick reckons he can bend his arms out of the way and see behind, so the mirrors remain underslung. We can tell you how good Nuts & Bolts sounds but not much else. Mick has kept it to himself and keeps smiling every time we mention having a ride.

Long after it was fitted, we finally got to hear just how good the Staintune slip-on Reverse Cone muffler really sounds. It has a really fat, deep thump and is definitely louder than stock but not loud enough to get you arrested.

Project Nuts & Bolts

We sent it off to Sydney Dyno so Dave Holdforth could run it up and measure power and the all-important air/fuel ratios.

Power has jumped from about 45hp to a very impressive 55hp. The air/fuel ratios are interesting and show that Nuts & Bolts is running very fat and rich. We have chosen to stay with the EJK Electronic Jet Kit and as this issue goes to press, we’re waiting for a prototype EJK 3.5 to arrive. This will allow us to subtract fuel below the standard levels, a feature of the 3.5 that is not available from the EJK 3.0. Dave is especially excited about this as he’s very confident he can make Project Nuts & Bolts as happy as a rich media magnate.

Our intention from the start was to modify a stock Yamaha Bolt using off-the-shelf parts and accessories so anyone could follow our lead. We wanted a bike that was fun to ride and would turn heads and loud enough to make you smile but not drive you mad. We’re satisfied with where Project Nuts & Bolts sits right now but…

We’re still looking at paint options. That will be our final card to lay down. Before then, we’re heading back top Trooper Lu’s Garage to sort out the handlebar risers and possibly the front suspension. C&T

PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS THANK YOU LIST Allwest Motorcycle Transport: Shipping Nuts & Bolts all over the place General Auto Cables: Extended throttle and clutch cables Kenma: Supply of EJK Electronic Jet Kit, Venhill braided lines, Ventura handlebars and stuff Link International: Supply of Pirelli Night Dragon tyres Mustang Seats: Supply of Tripper Fastback seat

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Speedcycle: Supply of mirrors, blinkers and stuff Staintune: Supply of Staintune slipon muffler Sydney Dyno: Supply of dyno services and tuning Trooper Lu’s Garage: CRG Mirrors, workshop facilities and making stuff fit together and work properly Yamaha: Supply of Yamaha Star Bolt and stuff

Six issues of Australian Cruiser & Trike magazine – RRP $45

FOR ONLY $25 PLUS! Go in the draw to win our Yamaha Bolt

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*Subscriptions will commence with the first available issue. Existing subscriptions will simply be extended. Free gifts arrive separately to the magazine subscription and are sent as soon as possible. Free gift offers do not apply to subscribers currently on the Easy Payment Plan. Offer open to Australian residents only. By subscribing you acknowledge that you understand that ‘tip-ons’ and gifts or bonus issues that may be available with non-subscriber copies of this magazine may not be provided to subscribers and is at the discretion of Universal Magazines Pty Ltd. The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage that is suffered or sustained (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for personal injury which is suffered or sustained as a result of taking part in this or any other gift offer. By subscribing, you consent to receive any direct marketing material including emails which inform the recipient of the Promoter’s other publications, products, services or events and to receive promotional material from third parties. Please tick the box if you do NOT wish us to use this information for the purposes stated above .

TO RECEIVE THIS OFFER, PLEASE QUOTE THE CODE: C/CR6.4 HURRY! OFFER ENDS OCTOBER 9, 2014

Out & About

Cruiser & Trike

106

Out & About

2014

SPYDER

RT LAUNCH A SPECTACULAR LINE-UP OF GLEAMING SPYDERS IS REVEALED. GOOD LUCK GETTING YOUR HANDS ON ONE. Cruiser & Trike

107

Out & About

Cruiser & Trike

108

Out & About

Words: Tim Sanford

A

n evening in early April saw the interior of Western Motorcycles, which is normally jam-packed with a display of new machines, transformed into a glittering venue where the elegant and invited guests had their choice of delicacies and wines, all served by charming staff.

The conversation buzzed because along one side of the indoor plaza was the reason for the occasion: the 2014 Spyders. But they were, for the moment at least, totally invisible thanks to the floor-length matt black drapes. Certainly the Spyder shape was unmistakable, but the details? They would have to wait.

After an audio-visual presentation that outlined the many new features of the 2014 model, in a single instant all of the drapes were whisked away, revealing the new machines in a spectacular line-up of gleaming Spyders. To say they were imposing is to understate the fact. They immediately surrounded by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd, many of whom were already well acquainted with the special pleasures that come from Spydering.

Many questions were asked but the only one that was sadly answered with a polite but firm “Sorry, no” was “Can I have one?”

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The demand has been so strong that even before the official launch, all of the available machines had been sold; in fact one proud owner drove his Spyder away that night.

Will we be testing one? Does a Spyder have three wheels? Come back next issue for a full and proper road test of a 2014 14 Can-Am Spyder RT. C&T

Price Guide Spyder RT-S ............................Ultimate Touring .................. $38,990 Spyder RT Limited...................Touring luxury ...................... $39,990

Cruiser price guide

CF MOTO

Can I afford it?

DUCATI

N

BOLLINI

WE SAY

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

PRICE

urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser Supershadow.................... Cheap to run .............................. $3990

CAN-AM BRP SPYDER

ducati.com.au

Cruiser Diavel ......................................Velvet-wrapped cosh ........... $23,990 Diavel Carbon Red ..................Black art .............................. $29,490 Diavel Stripes ..........................Add a line ............................ $26,990 Diavel Strada ..........................Black with chrome ............... $26,990

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 such as factory discounts and incentives, check the Cruiser & Trike website (cruiserandtrike.com.au) where we will bring you all the special deals, bonus offers and cashback promotions.

We have listed the importers’ websites if you’re looking for more information. These are the prices the distributors gave us; some may be promotional prices and may no longer be available when you go to the shop. Some of the prices are ride away and the rest are plus on-road costs. Check with your local dealer.

BRAND & MODEL

cf-moto.com.au

Cruiser V5 ..........................................Points for finding the engine ... $TBC

spyder.brp.com/au/home

Roadster Spyder RS ........................ Corner muncher ......................... $19,990 Spyder RS-S .................... With more .................................. $23,990 Spyder ST ........................ Sports tourer.............................. $22,990 Spyder ST Limited ........... Sports tourer plus ...................... $28,990 Spyder RT......................... Touring........................................ $30,490

harley-davidson.com

Cruiser XL883L SuperLow ..................For the shorties ................... $14,750 XL883N Iron 883 ....................Iron tough ............................ $14,995 XL1200CA Custom A .............Show off A........................... $19,250 XL1200CB Custom B .............Show off B........................... $18,750 XL1200C Custom ...................Basline Custom ................... $18,750 XL1200X Forty-Eight...............Retro cool ............................ $18,995 XL1200V Seventy-Two ............Vintage muscle .................... $18,495 FXDB Street Bob ....................Versatile............................... $22,495 FXDC Custom.........................A bike with attitude ............. $23,495 FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide ......Let your hair hang down...... $24,995 FXDF Dyna Fat Bob ................Lay off the burgers, Bob! .... $25,495 FLD Dyna Switchback ............Click your fingers ................ $26,250 FXSB Breakout .......................Make a statement ............... $28,995 FXST Softail Standard ............The original ride ................... $27,250 FLS Softail Slim ......................Slim, yet PH fat! .................. $26,250 FLSTF Fat Boy ........................Big bruiser ........................... $28,995 FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo .................Low bruiser .......................... $28,750 FLSTN Softail Deluxe .............Classy dude......................... $28,995 FLSTC Heritage Classic..........Visually beautiful ................. $29,995 FLHR Road King......................Be the king .......................... $32,495

$42,900 FIND OUT MOR RE, VISIT:

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touroz t ouroz t trike r

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Talk to your dealer, visit mccruise.com email sales@mccruise.com or phone 03 9808 2804 for more information Touroz-Rewaco RF1-LT2 Auto

Cruiser & Trike

111

Speed limiters rs for ATVs

Price Guide FLHX Street Glide............ Bad boy ...................................... $33,995 FLTK Electra Glide Ultra .. New generation tourer............... $38,250 FLHTCU Ultra Classic ..... Comfy ........................................ $37,250 VRSC Night Rod Special . Looks like a dragbike ................. $26,995 VRSC Muscle................... Muscle me ................................. $26,750 CVO FXSBSE Softail Breakout . Bling chopper ................................$43,995 FLHRSE5 Road King ........ King bling ................................... $47,995 FLHTKSE Ultra Limited ... Modern cruiser........................... $50,995 FLSTNSE Deluxe ............. Classy touring ............................ $44,995

HONDA

honda.com.au

KAWASAKI

KYMCO

kymco.com.au

Cruiser Venox 250.....................Value and looks ............................ $5490

LARO

Cruiser VT400 ............................... Classic styled, LAM.......................$9299 VT750S ............................ Streetwise appeal ..........................$8099 VT750C ............................ Classic appeal............................ $11,749 CTX700NA ABS .............. All-new cruiser ...............................$9049 VT1300CXA Fury ............. Chopped dragster...................... $15,490

LIFAN

HUNTER

MOTO GUZZI

huntermotorcycles.com.au

kawasaki.com.au

Cruiser Vulcan 900 Custom ......Thin-tyre tripping ....................... $12,699 Vulcan 1700 Classic .....Great blank canvas ................... $19,999 Vulcan 1700 Nomad .....Add a bit of bling ....................... $22,999 Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ...Go to the dark side ................... $24,499 Vulcan 1700 Voyager ...Plush ride................................... $25,999

laro.com.au

Cruiser Cruiser 250 ..................Learners ride ................................ $3990

motorcycle-city.com.au

Cruiser V250 Custom ...............Revvy, stylish cruiser .................... $3990

motoguzzi.com.au

Cruiser Bobber............................. Cool custom................................. $6490 Daytona ........................... Cool for cats ................................ $5990 Spyder ............................. Don’t mess with Angry ................ $6490

Cruiser Bellagio 940 .................Crossover charmer.................... $17,490 California 1400 .............Beast ......................................... $21,990 California 1400 Touring .. Long-distance beast .......................$24,990

HYOSUNG

PAGSTA

hyosung.com.au

Cruiser GV250 Aquila .................. Little cutie .................................... $4990 GV650 Aquila .................. Responsive rider .......................... $7690 GV650C Aquila Classic... LAMS value ................................. $7690

INDIAN

indianmotorcycle.com.au

Cruiser Chief Classic ................... Leading the tribe back .............. $28,995 Chief Vintage .................. Signature heritage aesthetic .... $31,495 Chieftain .......................... First Indian tourer and bagger .. $35,995

pagsta.com.au

Cruiser Cruisa 250 Series Two ... Nice appeal........................................$3990

SUZUKI

suzukimotorcycles.com.au

Cruiser VL250 Intruder .............Bang that drum ............................ $6690 VL800 C50 ...................Traditional ................................. $10,990 VL800 C50T .................All-new class ............................. $12,990 VZ800 M50 ..................Neat bobber .............................. $10,990 VZ1500 C90T...............Bad boy ..................................... $17,490

Being a biker means more than just a motorcycle parked in the garage.

It’s attitude, passion, brotherhood, it’s a way of life. J&P Cycles, born for your way of life.

Born a biker.

Call or order online 0011

1(319) 462-4817

WWW.JPCYCLES.COM

To advertise in Cruiser & Trike magazine Please call Jon on 02 9887 0347

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112

Price Guide VLR1800 C109R ..................Classic looks ....................$18,690 VLR1800T C109RT ..............Now as a tourer ...............$18,990 VZR1800 M109R .................Beaut and brutal ..............$18,990

TORINO

SEE US AT MOTO GP EXPO SHED PHILLIP ISLAND 26th -28th OCTOBER 2012

torinomotorcycles.com.au

Cruiser Veloce 250 ............................American-styled ..................$4695 La Bora .................................Bargain custom ...................$5995

TRIUMPH

triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Pro Musicians audio driver fully Incorporated Into custom mould

Cruiser America .................................. Easy urban rider................... $13,090 Speedmaster .......................... Custom, tasty handler ......... $13,090 Thunderbird ABS ..................... Better brakes ....................... $19,490 Thunderbird ABS TT................ Sharper brakes .................... $19,990 Thunderbird Haze .................... Not purple ............................ $21,990 Thunderbird Storm .................. Thunderous .......................... $20,490 Thunderbird Storm ABS .......... With sharper brakes ............ $20,490 Rocket III Roadster ABS ......... Wanna drag? ........................ $20,990 Rocket III Roadster Haze......... And some more .................... $21,490 Rocket III Touring ABS ............ Reasonably easy to ride ...... $23,990

VICTORY

Wax Cap for Effortless Cleaning and Maintenance

victorymotorcycles.com.au

Cruiser Vegas 8 Ball............................. Sink the 8 ball ...................... $19,995 Vegas Jackpot ......................... A pearler .............................. $24,995 Highball.................................... Ol’ skool cool ....................... $19,995 Judge....................................... R U ready to be judged? ...... $19,995 Hammer 8 Ball......................... Hammer that 8 ball .............. $20,995 Hammer S ............................... Hammer it! ........................... $22,995 Boardwalk Black...................... Dark classic ......................... $21,995 Boardwalk White ..................... Cool classic .......................... $22,495 Hardball ................................... Bad ass ................................ $23,995 Cross Roads ............................ Robert Johnson cool ............ $24,995 Cross Roads Classic ............... Chromed up cool.................. $24,995 Cross Country . ....................... Hard panniers....................... $24,995 Cross Country Zach Ness ...... Let’s see it ........................... $29,995 Cross Country Tour Cory ........ Poster material .................... $31,995 Cross Country Tour ................. Tour in comfort ..................... $27,495 Vision Tour ............................... Space age looks................... $29,995 Vision Tour Arlen Ness ............ Hot rod touring..................... $32,995

Viper

urbanmotoimports.com.au

Cruiser Black Diamond ........................ Ilmor-powered hot rod.......... $49,990

YAMAHA

Optional dual canal featuring Non-linear filler for varied Sound attenuation

yamaha-motor.com.au

Cruiser XVS250 Virago........................ Great small package ............... $6499 XVS650 Custom ..................... Popular custom .................... $10,499 XVS650 Classic ...................... And as a classic ................... $10,990 XVS650 Bobber ...................... Chopped up ............................. $TBA XVS950CU Bolt ...................... Basic Bolt............................. $11,999 XVS950CUSP Bolt R.............. Bolt plus ............................... $12,499 XVS950A................................. Mighty mid-ranger ............... $13,999 XVS1100A Custom ................. Thin tyres ............................. $14,699 XVS1100A Classic .................. Fat tyres ............................... $15,699 XVS1300A............................... Favourite of many riders ...... $15,999 XVS1300AT Tourer.................. With more features .............. $18,299 XV1900A Roadliner ................. Art Deco piece ..................... $21,499 XV1900AT Star Tourer ............ Editor’s current favourite .... $24,099

2014 BIKE GUIDE ON SALE NOW Check out the all-new 2014 Bike Guide for more in-depth analysis of all the new and current models available in Australia.

Full compatible with Jabra BT 3030 bluetooth device Recive and re dial phone calls Adjust volume, skip, play and pause music straight from the device Jabra bluetooth sold seperately NoiseGuard Moto cable extension included

PANTHER TRIKES LIAN AUSTRAAND MADE TED OPERA

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PANTHER ENGINEERING (AUST) P/L Unit 7/379 Manns Road, West Gosford, NSW Ph: 02 4322 2339 Mobile: 0414 878 711 www Web: www.panthertrikes.com Email: sales@panthertrikes.com

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Sandbag

Pockets Where would we be without them?

Words: Tim Sanford do appreciate pockets. They are wonderful little places in which I can store essential items and know they’ll be safe. There is a comforting security about knowing that your precious stuff will still be there at the end of your ride. Well, in most cases. Without pointing the mocking finger at anyone in particular, it is true that a certain Esteemed Editorial Person once had a jacket with pockets in the front. The pockets were equipped with vertical zippers, which would have offered good security for your vital stuff if you remembered to zip them up. Do I need to go any further?

Perhaps not.

No, my personal joy is the secure stowage of the things necessary for riding, especially the key to the bike. When I am off the bike, the key is always stashed away in a pocket. The scenario usually pans out like this: stop for fuel, remove helmet, use key to undo fuel filler, fill up, store key in secure pocket. Paying for the fuel requires the search and rescue of the wallet, which is always buried inside the jacket (secure, you know how vital it is) and then it’s out to the bike, on with the helmet, on with the

I

gloves and… Oh look! There’s the place where the ignition key should be but no key is to be seen (of course certain bikes now have a fob system to avoid things like the Sandbag forgetfulness, and my gratitude is boundless) so now begins the next “key recovery”. Which pocket? Delve into the jeans (only possible after the gloves have been removed), no luck. Ferret through the outside pockets of the jacket. Failure. Ferret through inside pockets. It goes on and on.

After a search lasting half my lifetime (and that’s a long time!) the key is discovered and I am off riding again.

The other thing I like to keep secure is my phone. I need it to stay in contact with the world so that when I need rescuing I can ring my friends. Somehow it always happens that when it’s my number calling, the call always goes straight through to message bank. Why is that do you think? So I keep my phone in one of those inside jacket pockets. I did try keeping it inside my sock in my boot so that I could feel it vibrate and be able to take the call. Of course by the time I’d get the bike stopped it was always too late, “missed call” would show, so that idea got ditched.

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Have you ever noticed that when your mobile phone rings, some other audio device in the house will start making funny noises in sync with the phone? So how does this affect riders with pacemakers?

Could we perhaps dream up some way of giving our pacemaker-equipped mates a bit of a rev while they’re riding by using the simple method of ringing their phone? Kids being what they are these days with their knowledge of computers and all, they’re probably well ahead of me on this one. Next time you see a group of kids sitting near the side of the road, it may well be that they’re using their mobiles to hack into passing pacemakers and speeding them up just for the hell of it. Maybe there’s already an app for it: “Fun with Grandpa’s Pacemaker” or “Get Gran Twitching”. You can bet it would be an instant sales success.

Of course there’s a downside to this pocket business. Once upon a long time ago there was a weird concept called “riding light” in which we rode with a licence and some cash for fuel and that was about it. Wealthy mates would always have an incredibly fat wallet in the right bum pocket and in fact I can recall being able to instantly tell wealth from poverty in any rider I was following: the wealthy leaned perceptibly to the left thanks to the wad in the wallet. Nowadays we ride with jackets and jeans that are festooned with pockets and little hideaway places to cram stuff.

Into this array of storage locations goes all of the necessary equipment for a ride, the wallet (fat, of course), several pairs of glasses, the phone (can’t do without it) and a whole inventory of other “vital” stuff.

Oh, and don’t forget that splendid modern saviour: the instant puncture repair kit with its little tool kit, bottles of compressed air and so on. You only need to use that item once and you’ll never ride anywhere without it. But all this stuff adds weight.

Recently I visited a friend and when I was about to leave, my friend, who is not exactly a tower of strength, had some difficulty lifting the jacket. Of course the Sandbag, who bears a better than passing resemblance to a gorilla, had never noticed the weight of the thing but take my word for it, it is damned heavy. The question rises: is it all worth it? Well, I have to say “yes” because I like the look of the bulky jacket when I drape it over a chair in a cafe. It’s a good thing I’m not particularly embarrassed when I get up to leave the cafe and the weight of the jacket overbalances the chair right in the path of a waiter carrying three ree mochas and a soy latte. Such a mess! C&T &T

ALL MEN ARE created equal.

some choose TO

STAND

Apart.

Built with the purest necessities of Indian style, wrapped around the innovation of tomorrow. Iconic valanced fenders, chrome front suspension, ABS, cruise control, original 1910 Indian script tank badge and the powerful Thunder Stroke™ 111 engine. The Chief Classic is the bike for riders who know exactly what they want and will settle for nothing less.

Indianmotorcycle.com.au | P: 1300 00 INDIAN |

/IndianMotorcycleAustralia

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