Issue#6.5 Oct/Nov 14

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

ALL-AUSTRALIAN CONTENT

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AUSSIE-BUILT CUSTOM

MAGAZINE

ROCKET III TRIKE 1600KM IN TGHRS

AUSSIE HARDARSE ASSOCIATION

1600KM IN 48 HOURS:

CHALLENGE MET!

I HARLEY-DAVIDSON WIDE GLIDE I CAN-AM SPYDER RT LIMITED I SUZUKI M109 BOULEVARD I HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1200T I INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE I TRIUMPH COMMANDER

BREAKING COVER I INDIAN SCOUT I VICTORY MAGNUM I INDIAN ROADMASTER I HARLEY-DAVIDSON

ROAD GLIDE

PLUS: A DAY IN THE SADDLE | XV1900 TORQUE MONSTER |AND OTHER STUFF!

WWW.CRUISERANDTRIKE.COM.AU

NEW BIKES TESTED

2014 (Vol. 6 No.5)

Aus $7.95* NZ $9.10 (both incl. GST)

triumphmotorcycles.com.au

CONTENTS

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12 NEW TRIKES & BIKES 12 26 32 40 61 68

Suzuki Boulevard M109 The Black Edition Triumph Commander Familiar but different and very well done Indian Chief Vintage This is a fine motorcycle. A very fine motorcycle Harley-Davidson FXDWG Wide Glide Traditional Harley styling Can-Am Spyder RT Limited The Ace 1330-powered rocketship disguised as a luxury liner Harley-Davidson SuperLow XL1200T Touring Sportster for riders with short inseam measurements

BREAKING COVER 8 20 22

CUSTOMISED 106

Rocket 3X3 Triumph Rocket III with two rear legs

RIDDEN 100

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Long Termer: Yamaha XV1900AT Our new Road Rhino has more grunt than a razorback with nappy rash

Harley-Davidson Road Glide The return of an old favourite Victory Magnum Big 21� front wheel, high bars and a 100-watt stereo Indian Roadmaster Take a Chieftain and dress it fully for the open road Indian Scout We were expecting a Scout and Indian ahs delivered.

ON THE ROAD 48 86

A Day in the Saddle Northern NSW aboard an Indian Chieftain AHA 1600km in 48 Hours Challenge Challenge met and conquered

Yamaha XVS1300AT Star Tourer

26 48

PEOPLE & PLACES 76 80 84 96

Trooper Lu’s Garage Open Day Celebration of being a Yamaha dealer Wot’s Den Show Raising funds for a good cause Surfside Motorcycles’ Amreican Day Along the road to a beach on Sydney’s north shore Shop Talk: Indian & Victory Brisbane A new shop with a big future

TECHNICAL NOTES 22 78

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FYI News and products you need to know about Stuff We’re Testing Here’s the stuff that Sandbag is testing in the real world Cruiser & Trike price guide Do the sums and count the pennies

COLUMNS 6 114

G’day Nothing at all to do with anything logical Sandbag Remembering his first ride to happiness

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Editorial

PROVIDED THAT IT’S THE ROAD LESS GRAVELLED…

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ong-distance g di ta e ttravel a el with ith a mate ate iis one of the true pleasures in life. I don’t want to talk while I ride but the conversations when you pull up are intense. This was forcibly

thrust upon me while Pete Lucas and I were knocking over the Aussie Hardarse Association 1600km in 24 Hours Challenge.

Most of the longer distance riding I do in company these days is with Sandbag and we have to stop every hour or two for a coffee (me), pie (him) or fuel (both of us).

It’s rare that we’ll ride more than a couple of hours at a stretch. When we pull up, we’ll both be scribbling notes or talking about our latest findings on whatever it is that we’re testing. The rides where we can just relax and enjoy the ride without the analysis are all too rare. You are constantly thinking and analysing what is happening under the seat or at the end of the handlebars. Regardless of the intent, the riding is always great but, occasionally, it’s good to just get out and ride purely for pleasure.

That was how I approached the ride to Chinderah for lunch and then back to Sydney for a late supper. We were riding purely for fun. For me, the hardest part was not to over-analyse what I was feeling from the Can-Am Spyder RT Limited. It gave me time to enjoy the ride and the space inside my own head. Various ideas were looked Cruiser & Trike

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at from different angles and reformed into better ideas before they were then discarded in favour of a whole new approach. For me, the best part of this type of riding is that I’m alone with my own thoughts and music. No matter how good the idea was that popped into my head, I couldn’t share it with anyone. That gave me even more time to refine it completely uninterrupted.

How often in our daily life are we completely alone without the phone ringing or the ding of an arriving email? Dunno about you, but I actually treasure the selfish ‘me-time’ of a long distance ride. When travelling alone, even the chatter from the servo attendant collecting payment can be annoying. Stop interrupting me and my thoughts! Can’t they see that I’m happily alone?

There’ll be analysis of this but I even begrudge reaching the end of a long ride and the need to return to civilisation.

Perhaps I need to go for a ride now. A ride always makes things better. Always.

Provided that it’s the road less gravelled.

Gravel changes everything.

Have fun, Mick Withers

Editorial

Breaking Cover

2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE PUTTING AN END TO THE GOSSIP AND SPECULATION WEEKS BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS COMPLETE 2015 MODEL LINE-UP, HARLEY- DAVIDSON HAS CONFIRMED THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED RETURN OF ITS ROAD GLIDE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE BRAND-NEW ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL

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nfused with DNA from the brand’s customer-led product development effort, Project Rushmore, the sharknose Touring model was revealed in the US during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

New contours of the famous Road Glide fairing honour the past in its all-new form. Featuring innovative Dual Reflector Daymaker LED headlights and handadjustable, low-profile rear suspension, the Road Glide Special sets out to make a statement in custom, high-mile touring and backs it up with the function riders demand.

Shaped by countless hours of wind tunnel testing, the new, frame-mounted Road Glide Special features a triple Splitstream fairing that significantly reduces head buffeting while still providing comfortable airflow around the rider.

Centred in the inner fairing is the premium Boom! Box 6.5GT infotainment system with touch screen and GPS navigation. This can also be controlled by twin joysticks located on a new, sweptback handlebar.

Abundant torque on tap from the twist Cruiser & Trike

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of the throttle comes from a High Output Twin Cam 103TM V-Twin engine that burbles through two chrome mufflers.

Touring features include One-Touch hard saddlebags, cruise control and easy-to-read gauges. For extra ride confidence, the Road Glide Special features Reflex Linked Brakes with ABS. An exclusive, painted inner fairing and hand-applied pinstriping move the styling up a notch.

The new model will start arriving at Harley-Davidson dealerships in Australia from October 2014. C&T

RIDE HARD OR STAY HOME. LOW RIDER

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Unruly and unrivalled when it comes to getting down and dirty, there’s no doubt to this machine’s insubordinate attitude. With dual disc brakes and at Twin Cam 103 the Low Rider ® is back and lower than ever. h-d.com.au for more info or Test Ride today www.harleytestride.com.au ©

2014 H-D. Harley-Davidson, the Bar & Shield logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.

HARL10098_B

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, Peter Lucas, Tim Munro and Jon Van Daal Photographers Tim Munro, Mark Hinchliffe, Jeff Crow, Tim Sanford, Jon Van Daal and Frank Reeby Designer Jarrad McCallum 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

Chairman/CEO Prema Perera Publisher Janice Williams Chief Financial Officer Vicky Mahadeva Associate Publisher Emma Perera Associate Publisher Karen Day Circulation Director Mark Darton Creative Director Kate Podger Print Production Manager Lilian Ohanessian Editorial Production Manager Anastasia Casey Prepress Manager Ivan Fitz-Gerald Marketing & Acquisitions Manager Chelsea Peters

Call us or Visit our website for more details

1300 THIS WAY (1300 844 792)

www.ThisRoadBikeInsurance.com.au

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. 5 is published by Australian Publishing, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9694 6444 Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed

by KHL Printing Pte Ltd, Singapore, distributed by Network Services, Phone: (02) 9282 8777.

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing.

They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but they may change in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

* Recommended retail price ISSN 1836-6678 Copyright © Australian Publishing Pty Ltd MMXIV ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au

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New Bike Test

SUZUKI BOUL

BLACK EDITION

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New Bike Test

EVARD M109 SUZUKI’S BIG HOT ROD CRUISER IS A CLICHÉ IN BLACK

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers & Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

e’re rolling up River Lett Hill at a reasonable pace. I’m on the inside of a left-hander and Tim’s on the outside. I can hear and feel the Boulevard’s peg just skimming the asphalt and hear the Indian also just touching. There’s no other noise around and I can’t even clearly recall the exhaust notes but that moment is forever frozen in

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time in my mind. I was imagining how the two bikes together would have looked, especially at the pace we were travelling with both cranked reasonably hard into the corner.

This is not a comparo. If you want to know about the Indian Chief Vintage, go and read about it on page 32. We’re here to look at the Suzuki Boulevard M109.

Another of the bikes that, until now, had bypassed me, the M109 was circled and examined in detail. There are many features unique to this model but Cruiser & Trike

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the overall ‘modern’ styling it shares with Suzuki’s M50 works much better on the bigger bike.

The blue and white predecessors never really grabbed me as tightly as this Black on Black with a touch of gold paint scheme. This is the paint scheme that the M109 has been screaming out for. It gives the bike a harder edge that really sets it apart from all other cruisers.

Even the large mufflers seem to disappear under their new black coating.

New Bike Test Sitting on the M109 is better described as ‘in’. You really do sit down and in to the M109. The seat height may be 705mm but the big, comfortable seat feels lower and the reach over the broad tank to the black handlebars felt just right. With mirrors adjusted, vision down both sides was fine – handy before you open the throttle fully for rapid traffic departure.

The reach to the bars is long but you’re sitting down in an aggressive position with your feet on the forward controls and for me, the position was very comfortable. All-day comfortable? As long as you want your day to be.

Hand controls were included in the blackening process. Looks good, works well.

Tethered to the lever on the right side of the bars is a brake master cylinder and, further down the line, a pair of four-piston calipers. They are radially-mounted and amongst the best non-ABS brakes on any cruiser you can buy. They really do work well, especially given that they were pulling up a combined mass of 500-ish kg. The exceptionally good front-end is based around a pair of 46mm Kayaba upsidedown fork legs with a listed 130mm of

GRINS Styling Aggressive riding position

GRIPES Luggage carrying No chrome to polish

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travel. Forgot to measure the actual travel but we never got them to bottom out. Measure back 1710mm from the front axle and you’ll find the centre of the rear axle. That’s at the longer end of average for a larger cruiser but roll it into a corner and it goes round like a much shorter bike. The geometry works well and the combination of 130mm and 240mm front and rear tyres matched very well.

While demolishing the known supply of meat pies in Lithgow, I made comment to Sandbag that I felt that the M109 was a bit short of cornering ground clearance. He gave me the sort of look normally reserved for village idiots. After finishing his mouthful of pastry, meat and gravy, he pointed out that when he had sat behind me through various pieces of curved and twisted road, it had appeared to him that there was more available than my big feet would allow. In hindsight and after further testing, perhaps I was being unfair. Admittedly, we were travelling reasonably rapidly at the time when I’d formed this opinion.

The clutch is cable activated and the non-adjustable lever was well within range for a normal-size hand. Smooth and with an easy pull, it interrupts the flow of power to the five-speed transmission. Five. That’s all you need with any engine making 94.7kW and 160Nm. For older thinkers, that’s 126.9hp and 118ft/lb. Very healthy numbers. Stick it in first and take off hard; the back rises because of torque reaction from the shaft drive. Click up another gear and hit the throttle hard

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

TIM’S OPINION

for more of the same. For the next magic trick, close the throttle quickly and the back end drops. But, you can ride it sedately and the rise and fall of the back end is not as noticeable. The choice is yours. It’s never dangerous or a problem.

Rolling along the road, you’re sitting in an aggressive but comfortable position. Around town it’s upright enough to see what’s happening in traffic and head checks to either side are cool and easy. Stopping and starting from the lights is as easy or aggressive as you want it to be. Quick lane changes are light and simple with a simple flick of countersteer. The

The first glance at the Suzuki Boulevard prompts, “Where have I seen a bike like this before?” and Harley’s V-Rod springs to mind. Ride it and a similar question pops up and it has the same answer.

I straddled the bike on the outskirts of Lithgow and had an absolute ball thundering through the twisties of the western Blue Mountains. The bike loves corners and it will carve a line through the bends that will have you grinning from ear to ear. The riding position is that odd “aggressive cruiser” look where your feet stretch out to forward controls and your arms stretch out to the bars so that you have a hunched forward and aggressive riding position. From the description it sounds odd but on the bike it works well. So well, that some time ago I did a two-day ride in that riding position and, believe it or not, I was not a physical wreck at the end of the trip. So don’t think that this bike will confine you to the city – it won’t.

At the end of the throttle is a big engine and the result of throttle twisting is instant and nearly endless urge. In the lower gears the forward thrust is incredible and, with each gear shift, there is a noticeable bump in the rump as the torque reaction of the shaft drive elevates the rear. It’s different to the more common belt drive but it’s something you not only get used to, it’s fun to play with.

A glance at the front-end shows you that the performance is going to be kept in check by excellent, sportsbikesourced brakes with big rotors and

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radially mounted four-pot calipers.

Interestingly, the lever ratio is very un-sportsbike so don’t imagine for a moment that you can impress the cafe crowd with single-finger stoppies – it won’t happen. Braking with one finger will give you decent slowing but for full braking performance you do need two fingers. Just as an afterthought, while I was testing the brakes for feel and power I discovered that ABS is not fitted. That discovery came as the result of grabbing two big fingers on the front brake lever followed by an almost immediate locking of the front wheel. Pleasing to report, the control of the brake is such that a quick reduction of brake lever pressure had the front wheel rolling again and peace and tranquility returned. A check of the specifications showed that ABS is not mentioned, even as an option, so take care with the brakes.

On smooth roads, the ride is firm and, over lesser surfaces, there is some reaction to bumps but it is never unpleasant. You can take this bike off the boulevard and it will not give you a ride to remember for the wrong reasons.

I found the seat pleasantly firm and the riding position good, even on freeways where the full arm stretch ensures that you are not fighting the windblast with muscle power. Relax and let your grip on the bars do the work and the ride is good for an hour or two.

My verdict? This is a great bike for terrorizing the neighbourhood. It’s goodlooking, it has a great growl and, when you give the throttle a good twist, it gets intensely mobile – and fast!

New Bike Test M109 is a big bike but it is light on its feet. You can place it where you want without needing shoulders like a powerlifter.

You’re romping along the road at the speed limit, let’s say it’s the Sydney M4 westbound. From freeway it curves around a very long left-hander that becomes a steep climb the further around you roll. You started in top gear at 110 and then dropped back to the posted limit of 90. You could complete this in top gear as easy as you like.

THE TRIANGLE Seat to bars: 955mm Bars to pegs: 765mm Pegs to seat: 860mm

The M109’s bucket full of torque and gearing allows you to grunt your way up that relatively long and steep climb as though it wasn’t even there.

You can’t produce torque without burning fuel. The only fuel survey we recorded while we had the M109 revealed 221km from 16.3 litres. That’s a reasonable figure considering that it was a mix of city and country running.

One of the problems I did find with the M109 was carrying luggage. I had to fly to Melbourne for an overnight trip for a launch, leaving the Suzuki at Sydney Airport. Easy deal, I thought, load up the Ventura seat bag and tank bag and away we go. There was no easy way to attach the seat bag without removing the seat cowl and at halfpast stupid o’clock in the morning

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when I realised that, I couldn’t see how to remove the cowl. After looking at the tank bag, I re-thought my packing and fitted everything I needed in the seat bag and hung it by the shoulder strap and carried it in my lap.

May have looked dicky but it worked.

The styling of the M109 is probably more polarising than any other cruiser currently available. You could get the same basic driveline package in a Suzuki C109 Boulevard, which has more traditional or classic cruiser styling. But side-by-side, they are two completely different motorcycles.

Me? I like the Modern M109. If you’re considering a big inch V-twin cruiser with a bucket load of torque, here you go. This is definitely nitely elly not one C&T for the shy, retiring types. ss.. C&

New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Suzuki M109 Boulevard Black Edition Price: $19,490 (Ride away) Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 54ยบ V-twin, 4-stroke, 2-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 112 X 90.5mm Displacement: 1783cc Compression: 10.5:1 Power: 94.7Kw @ 6200rpm Torque: 160Nm @ 3200rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multiplate clutch, shaft final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks. R: Monoshock and swingarm

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Brakes: F: Dual 310mm floating rotors with four-piston calipers. R: Single rotor with twin-piston caliper Tyres: F: 130/70R18 R: 240/40R18 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat Height: 705mm Wheelbase: 1710mm Length: 2480mm Weight: 347kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 19.3 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

VICTORY MAGNUM WITH ALL OF THE ATTENTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POLARIS FAMILY, THE RELEASE OF THE VICTORY MAGNUM CAUGHT EVERYONE BY SURPRISE. WE LIKE THE LOOK OF THIS NEW MODEL AND CAN’T WAIT TO GET OUR HANDS ON ONE. Cruiser & Trike

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Breaking Cover

ictory Motorcycles has recently announced the allnew Victory Magnum, which is raising the bar on factory custom baggers. Starting with Victory’s acclaimed Cross Country, the Magnum adds a striking 21-inch front cast wheel, slammed back-end, three-tone paint scheme and Victory’s best-performing sound system ever with six speakers indash and 100W output.

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This big-wheel bagger also has the performance and handling to back it up, with Victory’s powerful Freedom 106ci V-Twin housed in a proven sophisticated two-piece hollow aluminium frame. This

is Victory’s boldest and most customised bike ever to roll off the factory line and is sure to make a lasting impression.

Features unique to the Victory Magnum include a 21-inch front wheel, 25mm lowered rear suspension, Boomerang tinted windshield, colourmatched and painted dash, radiator shroud, rear fender closeouts and colourmatched hinges. Also included are a Low-pro seat, LED headlight and the six-speaker, 100W audio. All this plus a host of standard features including ABS, cruise control, 79.5 litres of storage, MP3 compatible AM/FM audio, and a forkmounted full fairing.

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Custom three-tone paint options are Metasheen Black over Supersteel Grey, Plasma Lime, Sunset Red over Supersteel Grey, and Ness Midnight Cherry New accessories include ape hanger handlebars and Extreme Audio saddlebag lids providing you with eight speakers to share your music.

The all-new Victory Magnum is available from $29,995 (ride away) with expected arrival in Australia in late November.

Visit victorymotorcycles.com.au to locate a Victory Motorcycle dealer near you and to see the full line of apparel, parts and accessories. C&T

Breaking Cover

2015 INDIAN SCOUT THEY’VE NEVER DENIED THAT A SCOUT WAS PART OF THEIR FUTURE PLANS. HERE’S THE FIRST LIQUID-COOLED ENGINE TO WEAR AN INDIAN BADGE he experts have been making predictions about the reappearance of the Scout name since August 2013, when the first of the new Indians were released. Indian executives themselves dropped hints and suggested that we should all expect the unexpected.

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How many were predicting a liquid-cooled 69-ci (1130cc) bike with modern styling and a dry weight under 250kg? Doesn’t matter, because that’s what Indian is serving up with a ride-away price starting at just $17,995.

That’s a very keen price point that places it right in the mix with other manufacturers’ 1100 to 1300cc offerings.

The liquid-cooled engine is reportedly producing 100hp (74.7Kw) and is unit-

construction with gear-drive primary drive and a wet multi-plate clutch transferring the claimed 72.2ft/lb (97.7Nm) of torque to a six-speed transmission. Wheels are cast 16” at each end with a single 298mm brake rotor.

A tape measure would reveal that the seat height is just 635mm above ground level.

This is definitely right at the lower end of what’s already available. Looking through the list of optional extras reveals a variety of reduced-reach products as well as extendedreach footpegs, seat and handlebars. Indian is obviously working very hard at making sure that riders of all sizes will be able to get comfortable on a Scout.

The dash includes a digital tachometer, odometer, trip meter, engine temp and low Cruiser & Trike

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fuel light. Wonder if it gets the green or blue light to tell you that the speedo is operating in metric and not imperial.

For your riding pleasure, a leather seat is standard fare on the Scout as is 31-degrees of lean angle – much more than some other similar bikes. The wheelbase is 1562mm and the overall length 2311mm, with rake and trail figures measuring 29-degrees and 119.9mm. The exposed twin rear shocks allow the rear wheel 76mm of travel and the telescopic front forks offer 120mm.

Colour options are Thunder Black, Indian Red, Scout Silver Smoke and ThunderBlack Smoke.

Check out indianmotorcycle.com.au for all of the release dates and availability of this anticipated new model. C&T

INDIAN

ROADMASTER THE REVIVAL OF LEGENDARY NAMES CONTINUES AT INDIAN WITH THE RELEASE OF THE ROADMASTER, A CHIEFTAIN WITH EVEN MORE FEATURES FOR TOURING RIDERS.

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Breaking Cover riginally produced from 1947-1953, the Indian Roadmaster was widely recognised as one of America’s most reliable and comfortable touring bikes. And Indian is confident that the all-new Roadmaster is destined to reclaim that honour. In keeping with its legendary namesake, the Roadmaster comes loaded with premium features for comfort, convenience and luxury, including expansive storage capacity and unmatched power and performance.

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The new Roadmaster was built from the ground up for all-day, two-passenger touring comfort, with expansive, easyaccess storage for extended rides in virtually any weather condition. It offers nearly 143 litres of weatherproof storage, standard dual hard-sided saddlebags and a roomy quick-release, carpet-lined top

box — both featuring remote locking for security and convenience — enhanced rider leg room and adjustable passenger floorboards, Horizon windscreen featuring power adjust, Desert Tan genuine leather heated seats with individual controls and high/low settings, heated handgrips featuring 10 temperature settings, and adjustable airflow lower fairings.

The all-new Roadmaster takes American motorcycle luxury and comfort to a new level with an extensive list of standard premium features that includes highresolution ABS, chrome front and rear highway bars, tyre pressure monitoring system, keyless ignition with remote saddlebag and top box locks, triple power ports, Pathfinder LED lighting, electronic cruise control, advanced infotainment system offering communication, navigation, telephone and Pandora integration, and Bluetooth capability for

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hands-free multi-device connectivity.

Indian’s new flagship luxury touring bike is powered by the Thunder Stroke 111 engine, a 49-degree, air-cooled V-twin engine mated to a six-speed overdrive transmission. The Roadmaster is dripping in standard chrome, including the forks, trim, top box rack, front and rear highway bars, fender tips and many other chrome components that come as options with other brands.

The new Roadmaster is available from $38,995 (ride away) with arrival in Australia expected in late October/early November. It is available in Thunder Black, Indian Motorcycle Red, and a twotone Indian Motorcycle Red/Ivory Cream paint scheme.

Visit indianmotorcycle.com.au to locate an Indian Motorcycle dealer near you and to see the full line of apparel, parts and accessories. C&T

New Bike Test

TRIUMPH COMMANDER THE BIG-CUBE NAKED TRIUMPH REALLY DOES HAVE A LOT GOING FOR IT. RIDE ONE BEFORE SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE FOR ANYTHING ELSE Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow

change of bars can’t make that much difference, surely.

That’s where my thoughts were the first time I saw a Triumph Commander. There are quite a few other changes and differences between it and the rest of the Thunderbird range but that’s what caught my eyes first. But then I looked closer and realised there were two headlights, 17-inch mag wheels and different guards. What I was looking at was basically my preferred version of the Thunderbird LT! The Commander draws more focus on the Triumph 1699cc parallel-twin engine than the LT. All of the LT’s

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extras tend to draw the eye away from the engine. Here, the engine was the focal point. That’s it in a very small nutshell. Or is it?

The Commander will feel very familiar to anyone who has ridden an LT. Familiar but different. To a lesser extent, someone who has ridden a Thunderbird Storm will detect a level of familiarity. Most modern-day motorcycle manufacturers build ranges around a common core and, in this case, Triumph’s iconic parallel twin is the core of the range. The world’s largest parallel-twin motorcycle engine is common across the range because it’s a bloody-good unit.

Walking around the Commanders for a pre-flight check revealed a pair Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Triumph Commander Price: $22,490 (+ 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

of round mufflers and a couple of mudguards that look different to the LT because they are … err … different.

But enough of that — now onto actually riding the Commander.

Sitting on the Commander is a joy.

One group of Triumph engineers handed the all-new seat to another group of Triumph engineers and told them to redesign the frame to fit the seat. The result was a completely new frame specific to the Commander and LT. The seat offers dual-layer foam and a level of lumbar support that defied my level of belief. How can such a small and seemingly insignificant pad work so well at making your back feel good for extended periods of time?

Beats me, but it does.

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

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

Tyres: F: 140/75ZR17 R: 200/50ZR17 Frame: Twin spine Seat Height: 700mm Wheelbase: 1665mm Length: 2442mm Weight: 348kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 22L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km

The reach forward to the bars was just right for me. Shorter, skinnier or otherwise different in body shape, I was very happy and was still happy when I put my feet on the floorboards.

Looking at Jeff Crow’s awesome riding pics, I can see that I actually had my feet a fair way forward and was hanging 10 with my toes over the front.

Damned surfies.

The riding position had my hands above waist height with a straight back, which remained comfortable the whole day we spent riding the Commanders through the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

The route we rode included enough freeway to work out that at those speeds, everything was cool. Lane changing was easy. For a big bike, the

New Bike Test Commander was surprisingly nimble.

Getting off those roads and onto more interesting roads with tighter corners and hills was even better. We spent a bit of time exploring a couple of hills while the photographer requested “Just one more pass”. Each pass may have possibly been made at a slightly higher velocity than the preceding pass. Even when the pace hotted right up and bits of Commander came into contact with the road surface, the bike held the line you requested and remained perfectly stable. We have to test and report on as many of the expected operating parameters as possible. The Commander is certainly not lacking in the cornering ability and stability score. It’ll stay on the edge and out of the hedge.

Leaving our starting point, I gave the ABS a good workout when a rider balked before entering traffic. He was directly in front of me and started to move out so I did a head check to the right as I started rolling and looked back in time to realise that he’d stopped and that I needed to grab a huge handful of front brake. Both feet were in the process of swinging up onto the floorboards and there wasn’t even a dream of adding rear brake.

The front-end dove but I stopped a poofteenth from his rear tyre and swore at myself. But, and here’s the point, in a true panic braking situation that presented a perfect opportunity for the front wheel to lock and tuck, the ABS saved me from public humiliation. Until now. Pffft, we’re all human.

Running down the coast along a mixture of wet and dry roads between Noosa Heads and Mooloolaba provided plenty of roundabouts, traffic and those horrible, slippery road repair jobs with lengths of what feels like silicone. None of this fazed the Commander. Not even the tourist traffic could unsettle the plot as we cruised through other Sunshine Coast villages and roared along back roads to places on hilltops.

If you’re considering a large-capacity twin for a mixture of riding but don’t feel the need for bags or a screen, ride the Commander before you sign on any dotted line. It’s a very good bike in its own right and could be the model that really converts people from V-twin to parallel-twin. C&T Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS

Riding position 17-inch mag wheels

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GRIPES

50-series rear tyre looks too low

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INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE IN SHORT, A BRILLIANT RIDING MOTORCYCLE. LOOKS GOOD, TOO.

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New Bike Test Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

his is one of the first range of new Indians released in a very long time, so lots of people are writing and reading about it. A heap of stuff will be written (and I’ll get into that too) about the specs and the engine and all that technical stuff but, if you want to know the essence of the new Indian Chief, it’s pretty damned simple: this motorcycle is just about the ultimate in relaxed and friendly cruising. There’s more to it of course but that’s the basic fact so, if you’re after a bike that will let you enjoy the journey to the fullest, don’t bother reading any more, just order one.

Indian motorcycles are part of the Polaris group which has busied itself of late carving out a well defined and highly regarded niche within the V-twin market using its various Victory machines. Why

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Quickspecs

Model: Indian Chief Vintage Price: $31,495 (Ride away) Engine: Air-cooled V-twin, 3-cam, 2-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101 x 113mm Displacement: 1811cc or 111ci Compression: 9.5:1 Power: Not stated Torque: 139Nm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multiplate clutch, gear primary drive, belt final drive Suspension: F: 46mm telescopic

such a company should want to resurrect the Indian marque is a mystery outside the compass of this road test to answer but one thing does stand out: any such resurrection was always going to be a brave move fraught with potential disaster. Indian and Harley-Davidson were once parties to something greater than mere brand loyalty; what they enjoyed bordered on brand worship. The passage of time has meant that there are very few people still riding who actually rode Indians but that does little to diminish the name; it probably does more to elevate it beyond legendary status. So Polaris took on a daunting task but the new Indian Chief I tested showed me something I frankly didn’t expect and that was how right they’ve got it first time out. I fully expected to come away with a long list of suggestions and implorings for improvement but I ended the test

forks, 119mm travel.

R: Single shock, cast aluminium swingarm, 94mm travel Brakes: F: 300mm floating rotors with four-piston caliper.

R: 300mm floating rotor with twinpiston caliper.

Tyres: Dunlop American Elite F: 130/90B16 R: 180/65B16 Wheels: 40-spoke, F: 16x3.5” R: 16x5.0” Frame: Cast aluminium Seat Height: 660mm

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with one gripe: fix the slight movement in the left handgrip, which was not firmly located on the handlebar. That was it.

If you have gained the impression that I was impressed with the new Indian, you’re right. It’s the first off the line – so to speak – but it feels more like the culmination of years of careful development. The bike has a particular character that will quickly endear it to riders for whom the journey takes priority over the destination. This is a machine which enjoys touring in a manner where the passing scenery is a delight to savour and remember, a bike for which the tramp of time has no relevance. Once you start to glide along on the Indian Chief you simply relax into it.

OK, enough florid prose, I’d better give you some views on the mechanical aspects. In a world where every V-twin is one hundred-plus cubic inches the

Wheelbase: 1730mm Length: 2629mm Weight: 379kg (wet) Rake/Trail: 29-deg/155mm Fuel capacity: 20.8 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance with roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months Colour options: Indian Motorcycle Red, Springfield Blue, Thunder Black

New Bike Test new Indian had to go one better, so its capacity is one hundred and eleven inches. Why? Just to make the point is my guess. At that size you’d expect the engine to be strong – and it is – but more importantly it delivers power at a steady and measured rate that added very much to the bike’s character. This is not a motorcycle which you will use to impress the crowd when the lights turn green, this is one where the engine is there to make sure

nothing gets in the way of your cruise.

You will read in other tests that the gearbox is notchy and clunky; I found that, if you added a bit of preload to the gear lever and then moved the lever as soon as the clutch was pulled in, the change was much smoother. This worked well, shifting either up or down, and it soon became second nature on the bike.

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Overall the box is great but wait, I just have to give you the Sandbag Six Speed Rant and ask (again) why, for this country where we don’t have the California State Clipboard Management loonies, we have to have the utterly useless sixth gear? The engine has torque enough to pull four gears and it is quite happy with fifth as its overdrive, but still we have to suffer six. I despair because it probably won’t change.

When you’re riding the bike you get to notice the absence of things: there is no wind noise or helmet buffet at speeds up to 80 kays and that comment comes from the passenger too; there is no seat discomfort, thanks to the wide and firm seat for the rider and the fairly generous pad for the passenger; there is no need to scan the road ahead for lumps and bumps because the suspension is so good – solo or with a passenger – that the ride is always smooth.

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GRINS

GRIPES

The relaxed, timeless ride The retro style The eye-watering chrome Superb suspension

The left handgrip has slight movement The stupid green light for km/h Laptop on/off button

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Apparently there is a mechanical adjustment hidden down there under the massive rear guard but I found no need to go searching for it because the suspension is superb, both solo and twoup. Well done in that department.

The bike weighs around 370 kg but as soon as it’s in motion, the weight vanishes. On the road, the steering is amazingly light and precise with the mass naturally becoming a bit more obvious at parking speeds. When the time comes to stop, the brakes are well balanced and powerful, giving you every confidence in their ability; more than that, the ABS is so good you barely feel it when it comes into operation – another plus. When the road gets sinuous, the bike handles the corners rather better than its peers. Mick and I were out and about one bright sunny day, he on a Suzuki Boulevard, which is a “sports cruiser” with very good ground clearance, and I was on the Indian Chief.

Through the medium-speed corners, we found that both bikes touched down at the exactly the same corner speeds which says a lot for the Chief ’s clearance. OK, the Esteemed Editorial Person is rather more gravitationally advantaged than the (relatively) svelte Sandbag, but you get the picture. The

Chief is impressive here and it is the rear end of the spring-loaded footboard that skims first.

As you can see, I was very impressed with the riding of this motorcycle, but the call of the cafe sounded and that allowed me the opportunity to sit and gaze at the style of this new Indian. And gaze at it I did, wearing sunglasses because just about everything on the bike is chromed so that it reflects light everywhere. All of this is a joy, until one of those occasional riding moments when the sun is over your shoulder and the total solar reflection is thrown right back into your eyes. That is regrettably the price for such glitter but fortunately it only happens now and then. At the rear are two big and grand looking brown leather saddlebags, each with three belt buckle-type assemblies.

The buckles are for style and they cover neat clip-lock fasteners that keep the bags securely closed. They are not lockable but they are big enough to carry the needs of two people on a long ride. There has been a suggestion that the leather might fade in our harsh Australian sunlight and, if that’s true, then you have two options: live with the fading because it will add to the retro look or get busy with elbow grease and leather dressing to keep them pristine.

One thing’s for sure: they don’t look like plastic imitations.

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MY FIRST INDIAN RIDE Not many people have had the experience of riding an Indian but my first was quite special. The bike in question belonged to Len McElvey who had been campaigning it at Amaroo Park and Lakeside in the Veteran Class of Historic Racing. It had been a boardtrack racer of around First World War vintage so it was really little more than a heavy bicycle frame with a narrowangle overhead valve V-twin engine shoe-horned into the place where the pedals might once have been. It was deep red with the name “Indian” written in gold lettering on each side of the tank. It was lovely to look at and, although some of the engineering was basic even by First World War standards, it was a delight to hear and see on the track. My memory of it was always from the rear, not least because the other contenders in that class were only 500cc and sidevalve at that.

We were at Canowindra in NSW’s Central West when Len offered me a ride. It was a crisp morning and, after a few steps to get the bike rolling, it was

bump down on the thin leather seat and the 1000cc twin roared into life.

Mufflers? As if! Riding it required more dexterity than the usual veteran machine because, not only were there levers for various controls, but there were two twist grips: the one on the left operated the throttle and the one on the right did advance and retard for the ignition.

My best memory is of thundering along with the black trunks of trees whizzing past impressively close to my ears as the Indian tore down the narrow blacktop between lush green paddocks.

It handled the few bumps quite well and that was good because the seat was another “basic” item being a bit of cowhide stretched tight across a few steel rods. The steering was impressive and accurate, even with the down-turned handlebars, and too soon I had to turn around and head back.

Back at Canowindra, one of the riders who’d followed me – on a significantly later model motorcycle – said to Len, “I clocked it at 85 miles an hour”.

Len shrugged, “I thought Sandbag would thrash it harder than that”.

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THE TRIANGLE Seat to bars: 810mm Bars to pegs: 770mm Pegs to seat: 820mm

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The styling of the bike is seriously dated but that is by choice. The engine is a very modern unit bristling with technology but, at first glance, it looks like an early side valve on which the owner has lavished chrome. The instrument panel is retro with a buff-coloured background and it has all the usual lights to tell you how things are going. Remember my gripes in various Victory tests about the little blue light that lets you know that the speedo is in kilometres per hour? Well the designers of the Indian Chief have taken notice and made a really significant change: the little light for km/h is now in green. How ecstatic can I be?

One interesting piece of design is the method of starting the machine. Once you have done the turn-on business with the key and its proximity fob, you turn the bike on or off by pressing a large flat button on the tank which has the same symbol on it as the one which turns on my laptop. You might ask why, in a machine so seriously retro, there isn’t an old-school button. This laptop button works okay but it’s way out of keeping with the rest of the bike.

The deeply valanced guards – front and rear – do a good job of taking the eye back to the ’40s while they assure you that, when the road is wet, the water Cruiser & Trike

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will be kept away from your legs. A really nice touch is the Indian Chief War Bonnet mounted on the front guard; you are never in doubt about this bike’s heritage.

If you fancy riding without the screen, the whole removal process is quick and simple and then you have a much lower slung, bare-looking bike. Choose your style to suit the mood and the ride.

My final word is very simple: the Indian Chief is a brilliant riding motorcycle and it should do very well in the marketplace.

At a few dollars shy of $31,500 it isn’t the cheapest ride around, but you get a lot of quality and style for the money. y. And An nd a superbly relaxed cruise, too. C&T T

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HARLEYDAVIDSON

FXDWG If you want a traditional Harley model, check out the raked-out Wide Glide Words: Mick Withers Photos: Tim Munro

itting here and looking through the pics of the Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide brought back memories of a bike that was a great baseline for whatever your riding wants and needs.

When the 2014 Dyna Wide Glide arrived, I sat and looked at it. Stared is probably a better description. When I was much younger and the calendar said 1980, I saw my first picture of a Wide Glide and decided that one day I’d ride one. The original was powered by a Keihin butterfly carburettor-fed 80-cube Shovelhead engine backed by a kickstart-equipped four-speed transmission and chain drive in a '70s-style chassis with twin shocks, forward controls and the trademark Wide Glide front-end with a skinny 21-inch front wheel. Over the years, the Wide Glide morphed into various forms – including stops at Evolution, CV carburettor, five speed and Dyna – along the road to the current spec.

Transmissions now hold six ratios, a belt carries power to the rear wheel, the fuel is injected and an ECU controls the

S

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fuel and ignition needed to make the Twin Cam 103 engine run happily in the Dyna chassis. There’s no sign of a kickstarter but the 21-inch front wheel is held in a Wide Glide front-end. And there are still two externally mounted rear shock absorbers, and forward controls.

The details have changed quite a bit, but the bloodline and style make it instantly recognisable as a descendant of that original model.

To a Harley-obsessed schoolboy, the old-style, foldout Harley catalogues were well worth the pushbike ride to Burling & Simmons. Somewhere in amongst my shed full of treasures, I still have those catalogues. They were my inspiration at an impressionable age and I still love the look and style of Harley’s twin-shock models.

By the time I bought my first Harley later that decade, the Wide Glide had passed slightly to one side of my personal Harley register and it was 2014 before I finally got to ride a Wide Glide.

Now you may understand more about why the Wide Glide was stared at like

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that teenage boy did with those foldout catalogues all those years ago.

Alleged maturity prevented me from sitting on the 2014 model and making broom-broom noises. I did pull the frontend back to the right so that I could see it from a better angle. With deadlines looming, I wasn’t able to get out for my first Wide Glide ride for a few days. There was lots of staring through the office door before time was made for a ride.

Comparing the ride of a 2014 HarleyDavidson to a 1980 model is certainly possible, but definitely not relevant.

Nostalgia is all well and good, but the reality is that the old models were much coarser with rough edges. Some may call

that character, but the style and basic silhouette are all that remain – other than the brand name, the twin shocks, forward controls and that front-end with a 21-inch front wheel.

Actually, as I’ve only ridden the 2014 version, it’s not possible for me to compare them.

There are bikes built for riding long distances in complete comfort, and there are bikes built for riding round town with the occasional trip out into the nevernever. The Dyna Wide Glide is definitely one of the latter. You probably know unique characters who rattle up squillions of kilometres on the most unlikely bikes.

But, they are the unique ones and not the Cruiser & Trike

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other 98 per cent. Where’s this going?

Right down Suitability Avenue.

A big company such as HarleyDavidson know that their customers come in all shapes and sizes, with an amazing array of wants and needs. To offer as many customers as possible the right bike, they make a huge range of different bikes. Some models are very similar in appearance but it’s the details that make the difference. Any one of Harley’s Dyna range would be a good bike to park in your shed but, when you break it down further, the obvious choice for touring would be the Switchback, whereas the Wide Glide is a perfect choice for running round town with the occasional trip away.

Comfort & Style

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Champion’s CRTxTM independent suspension shares a common body with our rigid axle trike and has the same extra large trunk space Champion customers have been accustomed to. With the introduction of our independent suspension, in addition to our standard “Zero-Flex” Rigid Axle, you now have the opportunity to select.... not settle, when purchasing your new trike.

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Around town, the riding position of the Wide Glide fitted me well. With feet on the forward controls, the reach to the bars had me in a comfortable but aggressive stance. I just wanted to twist the throttle and ratbag around. The soundtrack didn’t quite match the movie playing in my mind, but that is easily cured by delving into the 888-page 2014 Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories catalogue. If the exhaust that matches your vision and audio requirements isn’t immediately visible, keep looking. There

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are 70 pages devoted to the Dyna range, plus another 55 pages of Screamin’ Eagle goodies if you require more foot/pounds of torque.

If you weigh more than someone who eats rabbit food for lunch, you’ll be grinding the base out of the lower muffler before too long – like I did. As an owner, you have to decide whether the look of the mufflers makes you smile. If you really love the look of the stock exhaust and want to preserve the integrity of the chrome on the bottom of the muffler,

New Bike Test fit a pair of taller shock absorbers. A mate did exactly that with a pair of Gazi shock absorbers on his Wide Glide and the increased ride height gave him the ground clearance he needed. It’s all about personalising.

When we went out to shoot the Wide Glide on the other side of the Blue Mountains, I rode out with Sandbag who was aboard the Triumph Rocket III Roadster. At the bottom of Victoria Pass heading west, there is a fairly wide-open right-hand hairpin. Having ridden the road umpteen times, I like to think that I know it reasonably well. Perhaps I was going a tad quicker than I should have been but, as I cranked further into the corner, the grinding noise overtook everything else as the rear wheel lifted off the road surface. I’d already tucked my right heel as far inboard as I could but the sudden lack of grip caused a moment of adrenalin. The whole plot stayed upright but the corner was completed with both wheels on the outside of the white line. I’ve gotten used to Harleys having wear bolts under the riders’ footpegs. There’s no sign of them on the Wide Glide and that missing, early warning almost brought me undone. Turning right at a set of lights later in the day, brought with it a steady scrape as the muffler touched down. That was from a standing start and definitely not a deliberate attempt at making grinding sounds.

You can easily cure that lack of ground clearance; it’s not a major problem.

Instead, sit back and stare at the beauty that is the Charcoal Pearl with Flames paint scheme. In my opinion, this is easily the best combination of colours on any current model Harley. Pardon me while I sit and stare at the pics again.

The front-end looks raked out because of the extra five-degrees that HarleyDavidson blessed it with. Compared to the 29-degrees of the Street Bob, Super Glide or Fat Bob, the Wide Glide earns 34-degrees of stretched-out goodness.

You may be trapped in the past and think that the steering is slow, but it turns as quickly as any other Dyna. Perhaps a touch more effort is required but you couldn’t measure the difference. The axles of the Wide Glide are also further apart at 1715mm compared to 1620mm for a Fat Bob. Subtle differences. HarleyDavidson got it right with the Wide Glide. The style is classic while the driveline is modern.

Harley has got the under-stressed Twin Cam 103 and six-speed transmission combination working pretty well. Even though we reckon a five-speed would do the job, the marketplace demands a sixspeed these days.

If you like the style of the Wide Glide, ride one. If you like it, buy one and then finish it off to suit your own tastes. C&T

GRINS The Pearl Charcoal and Blue Overall styling. A bike to admire

GRIPES Shortage of ground clearance That’s it.

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Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Wide Glide FXDWG Price: $24,495 (Ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, Twin Cam 103B, 45ยบ V-twin, 4-stroke, 2-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1690cc or 103ci Compression: 9.6:1 Power: N/A Torque: 131Nm @ 3250rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

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R: Twin shocks Brakes: ABS F: Single rotor with four-piston caliper.

R: Single rotor with twin-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 80/90-21 R: 180/60B17 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat Height: 680mm Wheelbase: 171mm Length: 2445mm Weight: 310kg (dry) Fuel capacity: 17.8 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km 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

Words & Photos: Mark Hinchliffe

t started in brilliant Queensland sunshine and ended in near-cyclonic conditions shucking oysters in a beachside caravan park. In between were some challenging roads and even more challenging roadworks, an evening wearing dressing gowns at a country pub – oh, and some of the best motorcycling highways in northern NSW. In other words, just your average day in the saddle or, in this case, three days in the saddle of an Indian Chieftain.

Ever since I first saw the reborn range of Indian Chiefs, I have longed to throw a leg over and have a seriously long ride. The press launch last year provided a couple of hundred kilometres of riding but since then, there have been no opportunities for

I

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more rides. Indian Motorcycles marketing manager, Adrian Givoye, says demand has far outstripped supply, so there have been no vehicles available for the press or promotion.

“But now we have supply coming on strong and we have the throttle wide open on our marketing,” he says as he offers me the Chieftain for a week.

I put my tongue back in my mouth and immediately contact all my usual suspects from around South East Queensland to convene a three-day mid-week trip. Apart from a long test on the Indian we also plan to give one of the riders his first taste of the Oxley Highway. How any rider can reach their 50s without riding one of Australia’s best motorcycling highways is a mystery to me!

We also think we’ll throw in the Mt Lindesay and Bruxner Highways for good

A Day In The Saddle

measure – both twisting, winding strips of tar that entice many a rider. It takes a bit of convincing some of the riders as the adjoining Woodenbong Rd is a known bumpy ride.

On the first day of the ride, the gleaming Chieftain’s lockable hard panniers swallow my three-day packing, photographic equipment and wet gear for the predicted deluge ahead.

As I kick up the side stand and thumb the “on” button on the tank, my paired iPhone and Sena headset connect and Neil Young begins wailing into my new Shark Explore-R helmet. The stage is set for fun.

I join up with two mates riding Goldwings and three others on adventure bikes at Ipswich and we head south to meet up with another rider on a Yamaha XJR1300 at Woodenbong. I set the early pace under the hot azure skies and decide on a shortcut from the Boonah-Rathdowney Rd to the Mt Lindesay Highway via Mt Barney Rd to grab a panoramic photograph of the Indian while it is still clean and gleaming.

This road is fairly bumpy, but not for long. They are doing roadworks to sort it out and by the time you read this, it should be finished. It’s a great shortcut with gobsmacking views. However, when we stop at the roadworks, the guy on the “slow” sign warns us of some “holes” and tells us a woman dropped her Harley the previous day.

But our friend is waiting in Woodenbong and our testosterone levels convince us we will be better riders than any female Harley rider, so we forge ahead.

The roadworks team has torn up the entire road and provided no safe detour, so we have to ride through the recently laid sandy loam surface. It quickly turns to deep sand that has Cruiser & Trike

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only been rolled once with a dimply roller.

John on one of the Goldwings goes perilously close to toppling and even the adventure riders are having trouble. However, we paddle through then twist the throttle for the squiggly highway run ahead of us.

We momentarily stop at the border crossing and everyone excitedly exchanges their near-crash stories about the roadworks, laughing and getting the adrenalin back under control. It is soon surging through our veins again when we continue down the looping Mt Lindesay Highway into Woodenbong.

Here we top up with fuel before turning south into the Yabra State Forest where a fresh smell of lantana reminds me of knocking the top off a Heineken. The ambient temperature on the Indian’s comprehensive instrument display drops several degrees to a pleasant mid-20s while my core temperature rises as I struggle to dodge some of the more meaningful bumps.

I needn’t have bothered. The Chieftain takes most bumps in its stride with only a slight headshake. However, the flexible bars are starting to hurt my palms as we encounter patchwork roads through Old Bonalbo.

At the Bruxner Highway we turn right and sigh with relief at the smooth surface, cranking the throttle and racing over the ridges into Drake and the popular riders’ pub. The Drake Hotel has been renamed the Lunatic Hotel for reasons that become obvious if you stay the night in their clean and comfortable dongas with a few riding mates.

The welcoming husband and wife licensees, Bob and Desley Kane, greet me with a cappuccino and we linger a while checking out Bob’s small collection of Harleys an and Hondas and watching a bit of bike racing on cin ingg o n

A Day In The Saddle the lounge TV. But the Bruxner is calling and the skies are showing signs of turning nasty, so we throw our legs over and sprint into the winding hills west of Drake. The surface is good, the corners predictable and there is almost no traffic during the week. I lay the Indian’s floorboards down on every bend and relish the strong pick-up out of the corners, but adapt my riding style for firm braking and downshifting to pull it up for the next bend.

As we emerge from the forest twisties into the open, rolling, lush landscape, the heavens begin to gently pitter-pat on my Shark helmet.

I’ve been riding with the internal sunglass visor dropped down and the clear visor up to listen to music on the Chieftain’s speakers.

But I now flip up the sunglass visor, drop the clear visor and switch back to the Bluetooth helmet speakers. Cocooned as I am, the weather can do its worst, I think. My lower legs cop some rain, but the rest of me is protected behind the half fairing. My gloves are completely dry as we parade through

the poplar sentries on the eastern approach to Tenterfield.

Here we fill up on coffee and gourmet lamb and rosemary pies at the Famous Pie Shop before setting our sails south on the New England Highway for the next “boring” leg.

Or so we think. The leaden skies are looking ominous, but the rain still seems a long way off, so no one puts on their wets.

Our next stop is more roadworks and again: the contractors have carved up the whole road, rather than only one side. Recent showers have turned the works into a slimy, muddy surface and again we slip and slide our way through. Thumbs up from everyone for overcoming another hurdle, but little do we know what lies ahead.

And then the rain really hits. Without warning the skies drop their load and there is nowhere to pull over. Our screens are covered with a fine spray of mud from the trucks we followed through the roadworks but even the heavy rain can’t shift it. Meanwhile, the hard-

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compound Dunlop tyres on the Indian are struggling for grip in the diesel and oil left by trucks. The rear wheel is even spinning up in a straight line under constant throttle. Almost riding blind, slipping and sliding, and very, very wet, we swiftly turn into the first servo on the outskirts of Glen Innes.

Poor old “Cyclone” Dave on the XJR is saturated. At least most of us have some weather protection from screens and fairings.

He has also forgotten to bring his wets.

Fortunately, Alastair has a spare set. He must have been a Boy Scout!

Waterproofed up, we continue when we believe the rain has eased, even though thunder and lightning are crackling all around us. We’ve conquered the worst of the roadworks and the deluge, and we are convinced the worst is over. Wrong again!

Near Armidale, as temperatures plummet to 12 degrees, we run into the mother of all roadworks. Again the contractors have irresponsibly torn up the whole road and

A Day In The Saddle provided no safe alternatives. Even the cars are struggling in the rutted, corrugated slimy mess left by the workers who have downed tools in the wet conditions. The many trucks that use this road have created an obstacle course worthy of the Erzberg Rodeo.

I have since complained to the NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gray, and the Armidale Express who tell me they reported on two crashes at the roadworks. Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have also confirmed that the contractor is liable for any damage or injury caused in a crash at roadworks where no suitable detour has been provided.

It’s little consolation for the drama of paddling our way almost 1km through conditions that are difficult even for our adventure riding companions with knobby tyres. Remember, this is a national highway, not some shortcut in the hills far from anywhere. It’s a disgrace.

But rather than being angry, we are all in high spirits when we re-convene in Uralla

for a coffee at the Subway shop. We park our bikes under the motorcycle parking shelter provided by a thoughtful local council and exchange heroic tales of how we managed to ride 300kg+ beasts through the mud.

The skies are lightening and so are our spirits, so we saddle up once again for the final run down into Walcha. The absence of truck diesel and oil on this road makes the wet surface much grippier, so we wind on our throttles. My visors are both up and the stereo has been turned off so I can revel in the muted, macho tone of the 111 Thunderstroke engine and pipes. It’s quiet and still behind the electric screen wound right up to its zenith. I’m feeling all Zen and spiritual about our day’s challenges as we finally park up outside our overnight accommodation at the Royal Cafe. We are greeted by fellow Indian rider and cafe owner Brad Keable, who guides us to undercover parking out the back and then shows us to their “drying room” where we

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unload our wet gear to dry over night at $5 each. It’s just one of the many thoughtful provisions at the Royal for road-weary riders.

Our rooms are so plush and comfortable we plan returning with our wives for a romantic getaway. Right now we are all ruing the facts that we haven’t brought a warm wife to cuddle or packed anything warm to wear.

The soft rays of the sun are filtering through dissipating clouds, providing a spectacular sunset lightshow over the pretty town but we’re too cold to really enjoy it. Then we spot the robes hanging up behind the doors in our rooms. Sad to say we look like old grandpas as we roam the streets to the Apsley Hotel for a more-ish dinner.

Brekky next morning at the Royal is a hearty affair and we are primed to tackle the chilly air once we don our warm and crispy gear from the drying room. With cotton-wool heads from spirited rekindling of our previous day’s adventures, we set our sights on the open-ranging Oxley

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Lunatic Hotel/Motel - Drake NSW Australia “Home of the golden Harley” Well known in bike-riders’ circles, the Lunatic Hotel, Drake, boasts some lovely Harleys and Hondas, right inside the bar (6 in total)! The road from Tenterfield, with its bends and twists is guaranteed to satisfy the most seasoned of riders.

• Located on the Bruxner Highway between Casino and Tenter eld • 2 hour drive from Byron Bay or 1 1 2 hours from Lismore • Excellent home cooked bistro meals • Big breakfast available all day on weekends • Beer garden • Accommodation • Lock-up facilites • Laundromat • Open from 7am 7 days per week

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A Day In The Saddle

Highway as it rolls over grassy hills into the forests of the Great Dividing Range.

As the road tightens and our heads clear, we don our race faces and charge into the ferny scenery for a rollicking ride down to the famed rider’s cafe at Gingers Creek. But it’s Tuesday and the cafe is shut, so we press on for more adrenalin-charged cornering all the way down the mountain on smooth wellmaintained roads with just one short stop at roadworks lights where a section of the road has slipped down the hillside.

At Long Flat we briefly stop for a toilet and coffee break and to check out the threatening skies that have so far behaved themselves. Heading east, we turn off at Wauchope for the bumpy, winding shortcut to Telegraph Point on the Pathetic Highway.

From here it’s a rather boring but, at least, dry and grippy ride.

Two of our riders with local knowledge provide some respite from the droning highway with a detour through South West Rocks, but by the time we reach Uranga, the slow speed limits and intermittent roadworks on the highway drain all our resolve. Riders stretch out on the grass at the servo, glug down some energy drinks and scoff hot chips and a fried vege roll that is later regretted.

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A Day In The Saddle Here we separate, with two weary riders sprinting north up the highway through Coffs Harbour to our overnight stay at the Woolgoolga Beach Caravan Park, while the others take a scenic detour through Mylestom to find Bellinger River oyster farm. Just as well we have a local with us because you would never find the farm hidden behind massive camphor laurel trees. Owner Ted shows us the correct way to shuck an oyster.

He says it requires a delicate instrument and deft touch rather than a screwdriver and masculine leverage.

Armed with several bags of the delicious river product we ride down to the beach to try out our newfound skills and slurp the slimy contents. We save the bulk to eat on the front verandah of the old Woolgoolga surf club as the sun sets. It’s a dangerous thing to slurp down aphrodisiacs before camping for the night with fellow riders in a caravan, but I can report no untoward midnight trysts.

Overnight, the deluge hammers the roof of our caravan as a blessed relief to the honking of my snoring bedfellows but it means the final leg of our three-day journey will be a simple charge up the Pathetic Highway and home to dry off. But first, one of our riders adlibs some wet gear out of white fisherman’s pilchers and plastic bags duck-taped to his boots. What a sight!

More slipping and sliding in truck diesel and oil, but the weather holds off from Grafton north and I manage to ride the whole way back to Brisvegas without once stopping or feeling saddle sore in the deep-dish Indian saddle.

It’s been an epic trip, not because of the route but because of the weather conditions and the challenges thrown in our way by the errant roadworks contractors. And I’m proud to say the big g IIndian nd dia i and I survived to tell the tale. C&T T

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2.3lt ROCKET III TOURING has always had that EXTRA something,

....now it has that EXTRA, EXTRA something.

Footboards/Heel Toe Shift

Hard Panniers

Touring Screen

Pillion Backrest & Rack

Spyder ST LIMITED roadster shown

EXPERIENCE THE OPEN-ROAD IN THE THIRD DIMENSION. The stylish Can-Am® Spyder® roadster redefines open-air riding with a distinctive 3-wheeled stance and automotive-inspired technologies for greater stability and control. Head out for a few days or a few hours, set a relaxed pace or hug the curves – you’ll experience the freedom of the open road in an entirely new way.

Discover Riding. Reinvented. brp.com ©2013 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. Always ride responsibly and safely. Follow all instructional and safety materials. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and appropriate protective clothing. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, price, design, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Depending on location, products are distributed

by BRP European Distribution SA, BRP US Inc., BRP Australia Pty Ltd. or Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. Vehicle performance may vary depending on weather, temperature, altitude, riding ability and rider/passenger(s) weight. Some models, equipment and accessories depicted may not be homologated in your country and may include optional equipment or equipment which is not available in your country. EC-homologated versions could slightly differ from models depicted.

New Roadster Test

CAN-AM SPYDER RT LIMITED

THE ACE 1330-POWERED ROCKETSHIP DISGUISED AS A LUXURY LINER Cruiser & Trike

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New Roadster Test Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Sanford & Mick Withers

o you fancy trying something completely different? You’ve been on the road for years but car claustrophobia doesn’t impress and big cruisers are getting, well, too big? Try Spydering. It’s totally unlike anything else on the road; it’s a challenge to learn but, once you’ve mastered the art, it is an extremely rewarding experience.

Last year we tested the Spyder RS-S, my introduction to the fascinating and rewarding world of Spydering. The RS-S was a marvellous experience but although it was marketed as the sporty version of these triangular footprint machines, I found that, for my style of riding at least, it could have done with a rather less intrusive combination of traction control and engine management. For the 2014 model line-up, the top-of-theline Spyder is the RT Limited and I was really looking forward to sampling this completely different Spyder – one which would happily cruise all day long in magnificent luxurious comfort with all the techno-trimmings imaginable. I was in for

D

something of a surprise and it was a very pleasant one indeed!

The RT models this year come equipped with a completely new three-cylinder, inline engine with a larger capacity of 1300cc; power is up by 15 per cent but torque has been increased by 30 per cent. Reading through the Spyder brochure, I noted that the new RS-S model now comes with a new calibration of the Vehicle Stability System for “more sporty performance”. A twinge of

disappointment crept over me as I thought of how marvellous that RS-S would be to thrash around the countryside. But this test is of the RT Limited so the ride would have to be more sedate, wouldn’t it?

The new engine is a gem but, before we get into the riding, let’s look at some of the equipment you get on this big cruiser. Touch a switch and the screen rises or falls. Touch a button and the radio sings to you; more button work and it will change stations, get

GRINS

Incredible versatility Superb suspension Luggage capacity Doesn’t fall over at servos

GRIPES

Start-up time still too long Invisible indicator warning lights Digital and analogue speedo and tacho

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New Roadster Test

louder or softer and you can take your own music along and attach it to the plug in the top box so you can listen to MP3 music on the move while the phone is being charged as you ride. Another button will make the rear suspension harder or softer and if the weather is desperately cold (as it was for my test), a touch will have the handgrips warm up for you. Incidentally, there are controls on the pillion handgrips to fiddle with the sound system and also the heat of the grips. More button pressing will set or release the parking brake. Once you are rolling along, another button will allow you to set and maintain (or raise and lower) your freeway cruising speed so there is not so much isometric muscle stress on long journeys. All of these buttons were not just heaps of fun to play with but each of them did their specific task very well. In front of the rider is the same idiotic dashboard as on the RS-S; by “idiotic”, I mean that you get digital as well as analogue speedo and tacho. Why? One or the other, please. Here’s another whinge: the lights that tell you that the indicators are flashing are invisible in daylight. They’re okay at night but they are too small and too dim for daylight use. This, added to the fact that the indicator switch was small and not very precise, meant that it was possible to ride along with an Cruiser & Trike

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indicator flashing. This is a problem that needs fixing and fast.

The various control screens are accessible and navigable through the left handgrip buttons and they are laid out logically. That said, I couldn’t find how to use my iPhone through the sound system (the word is “stupid”) but I’m sure that a few minutes study of the detailed Owners Manual would put that right (and it did).

Major controls are straightforward: the right wrist does the go, the right boot does the stopping and the left finger and thumb do the gear changing. What could be simpler? Well, the start-up procedure of turning on the key, fiddling with the buttons and making yourself a cup of tea while the system yawns and drags itself into life for one. There is something absurd about the length of time this takes and surely it must be fixable with some sort of “sleep” function where you can get off the bike, fuel it up, pay the bill and then ride away without the rest of the servo customers thinking “what IS that guy doing just sitting there?” Meditating perhaps?

There’s more. If you want to carry stuff, there is a huge locker up front into which you can put a full-face helmet and gloves or your jacket. This locker comes with a specially shaped carrying case with little

New Roadster Test trolley wheels so you can Spyder to the airport and use the case as carry-on luggage.

At the back, there is a big top box which is so deep you’ll need to learn abseiling if you want to get to the bottom of it. It also has a fold-down shelf into which you can stash an iPhone or iPad and charge it while you ride. This is a good idea but it needs a bit of refinement: I found that no matter where I put my phone, it would not stay attached to the charging cable. What’s needed is a Velcro or elastic sided pouch to slip the phone into to keep it secure. That’s the reason I know how deep the top box is – I had to fish the phone out of its depths.

On each side, there are panniers for more luggage and all of this storage is not only lockable but, if you try to ride off without securely closing any of the lids, there is a bright warning screen on the dash to tell you

to fix the problem. On the top, right in front of the rider, is a flip-up storage nook as well – ideal for a wallet or small notebook. There is a dedicated Garmin Zumo 660 GPS unit which sits in a pod right in front of the rider.

I still imagine that I know my way around this country so I didn’t have it fitted, but it comes standard with the RT Limited.

So how does it go? Well, I said at the beginning that I was pleasantly surprised and here’s why: you can spend all day in leisurely cruise mode on this Spyder, letting it do the job the brochures tell you it’s good at, but there’s another side to its personality and I liked that part of it very much. The new engine immediately impresses with its turbine-smooth power delivery. The urge is completely linear and fuss-free. Changing up through the gears is a simple matter of thumbing the paddle and the shifts are

instantaneous and smooth. Downchanges can be done with a touch of the finger paddle or you can just back off and the gearbox will change down automatically until it selects first just before you come to a stop. The transmission is brilliant, no other word for it. One thing which impressed is the way the Spyder gets away from a standing start if you give it full throttle off the line: there is no sudden jerk, it’s almost as if the machine is saying “OK, we’ll get away now but just in case the pillion isn’t ready, we’ll ease off the line and then we’ll pour on the power”. The result is not a jackrabbit bolt but a more refined beginning followed by a relentless and irresistible thrust that takes the machine away very rapidly indeed. Take the engine to the rev limiter and then shift up through the lower gears and suddenly this Cruiser & Trike

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New Roadster Test

Spyder RT Limited tells you something quite unexpected: majestic touring is well within its ambit but underneath lies a powerful beast just yearning to be given freedom.

Get it out on the open road and the faster you go, the better it gets. A touch of the button will put the screen at your ideal height for visibility but you can forget about wind effects; I found that there was never enough turbulence to give me helmet buffet and the sound system – excellent at town speeds – was still clear and crisp at freeway speeds. I don’t usually ride with a sound system but I enjoyed using this one.

I found a small problem with the riding position. The section between the rider’s knees is quite narrow but the area near your ankles is a good bit wider so you sit in a strange position with your feet wider apart

Quickspecs Model: Can-Am Spyder RT Limited Price: $38,990 (Ride away) Engine: Rotax 1330 ACE, liquidcooled, inline triple, Bore x stroke: 84 x 80mm Displacement: 1300cc Power: 85.8kW @ 7250rpm Torque: 130.1Nm @ 5000rpm Transmission: SE6. 6-speed plus reverse, semi-automatic, belt final drive.

Suspension: F: double A-arm with anti-roll bar and Sachs shock absorbers. R: swingarm with air preload Sachs monoshock Brakes: Foot operated with ABS. F: 270mm rotors with Brembo four-

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piston fixed calipers. R: 270mm rotor with Brembo single-piston floating caliper Tyres: F: 165/55 R15 R: 225/50 R15 Frame: Tubular steel cradle Seat Height: 772mm Wheelbase: 1714mm Length: 2667mm Width: 1572mm Height: 1510mm Weight: 459kg (dry) Fuel capacity: 26L Colours: Silver Platinum Satin Warranty: 2 years, unlimited km with roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 15,000km

New Roadster Test

SPYDER RT CHOICES The three Spyder RT models reaching our shores in 2014 are as follows: Spyder RT in Timeless Black with SM6 transmission; A Spyder RT-S earns two-tone seat and is only available in SE6 and Cognac; The RT Limited earns Silver Platinum Satin paint, all of the RT-S features as well as extras including Garmin Zumo 660 GPS and 12-spoke chrome wheels, extra chrome parts, embroidered seating and a front cargo rolling travel bag. The only transmission choice is SE6.

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Heather Ware

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New Roadster Test than your knees. I don’t think that humans are well adapted to that sort of arrangement – well, this particular one isn’t – and since there is no need for a Spyder to be narrow, the problem could be fixed by greater width at the knees. The position affected my feet and it was made more uncomfortable by the fact that, although the pillion’s footboards are adjustable, the rider’s are fixed. One of two solutions is possible: either make it wider at the knees or tilt the rider’s footboards up a bit on the outside and up a bit at the front. While we’re on the case of comfort, I found the footbrake pedal to be set too high. It’s not a big deal but if I could have lowered it, I would have.

So there you are, enjoying the freeway, listening to the sound system and cruising effortlessly. This machine would make easy work of interstate travel and you’d arrive at journey’s end fresh and happy. But what

if you wanted to visit a friend who lived off the freeway? Here’s where I got a very pleasant surprise with this, the biggest and most luxurious Spyder. The two things that secondary roads have in abundance are corners and “road irregularities”. You know the kind of things; they are the unwanted evils that make you slow down on a cruiser. Not on this machine! I found that no matter how hard I hammered the RT over bumpy roads the suspension never caused my fragile and decrepit body a moment of concern. Not one! No bump ever transmitted itself through the suspension. Incidentally, I tried the button for the adjustable rear suspension, which is designed to accommodate the extra mass of pillion and luggage, but I found it made no perceptible difference to the Spyder’s travel manners over bumps. Roads that would have had well-suspended cruisers screaming

MICK’S OPINION Not here! Check out page 88 for his second opinion on the Spyder RT Limited. In typical Mick fashion, there’s always a different way of doing just about anything. So that he could write a meaningful second opinion, he rode it 1670km in one day and ended up right back where he started.

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for rescue were gobbled up with supreme indifference. Bumps? Hah! The other amazing thing was the way it handled corners. OK, thrashing it through any series of twisties is significantly harder on the shoulders than a motorcycle, but at speeds which were bordering on “irresponsible” the triangular footprint was never phased. That’s when I became a bit suspicious of this big beast: Can-Am say, in their brochure, that the new RS-S has got a less intrusive stability system but I think they may have given it to the RT as well – without mentioning it. On the RS-S we tested, there was the distinct impression that the machine was going to keep you out of trouble no matter how hard you tried. The RT on the other hand seems to say, “You know what you’re doing so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I’ll step in if I need to save your bacon”. So you can push this machine hard into corners and it will expect you to drive out using the impressive torque available. It is a machine that expects more of you but it will also deliver more. But be warned, whereas it was almost impossible to get the RSS into trouble, with this Spyder you could get bitten if you don’t take the time to get to know its capabilities.

Two very impressive riding characteristics were the way that any bumps or bomb craters encountered mid-corner at speed (even lots of speed) were handled without drama. Keep the throttle on and relax into the steering (always important to remember on a Spyder) and the ride will stay under your complete control. The other good thing was the brakes.

There is only the one pedal and that takes a bit of getting used to but, as much as stopping is progressive and controlled in everyday use, it is seriously unspectacular in an emergency stop. You tramp on the pedal and the bike stops; straight line on a smooth road, straight line on a bumpy road. Any downside? Yes. You need to peel your eyeballs off the inside of your visor.

So, what will you get from the Spyder RT Limited? A machine which will happily convey you interstate in luxury on the freeway but which will also take you over any sort of road – even dirt – with no qualms whatsoever. It can be polite and well mannered but if you want it to, it will bare its fangs and devour any set of twisties you point it at. The ride will be hugely enjoyable but remember that this machine doesn’t want to be your nanny, it expects you to ride it and ride it well. It is a huge leap forward for Spyders and itt w will illl find many friends. C&T

New Bike Test

MINI TOURER THE SUPERLOW XL1200T HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR RIDERS OF LIGHTER FRAME AND SHORTER INSEAM. IT’S NOT A BIKE FOR 140KG GORILLAS

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New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

Words: Paul Bailey Photos: Tim Munro

ecently I had the opportunity to test the Harley-Davidson XL1200T SuperLow tourer. The XL Sportster models within the Harley-Davidson range are the smaller of the breed with the smallest capacity motor of two sizes, 883cc or 1200cc. Now I say small, even though those capacities are large in other manufacturers, because HarleyDavidson has engine sizes that go all the way up to 1690cc and even bigger for their custom vehicle range.

So as you can see, 1200cc is on

R

the small side for the brand. It is also relevant to the lighter weight of the XL Sportster range, with an average weight around 250kg, compared to the bigger Harleys that are up in the 350kg range and more!

Power to weight is where the key is: the Sportsters offer a very good power to weight ratio with lots and lots of torque to go with that. Add to this the very low centre of gravity of the average Sportster and you end up with a very torquey, light and lowslung motorcycle.

The Harley on test was the SuperLow Cruiser & Trike

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version of the long running 1200cc Sportster. SuperLow means that the suspension from factory is lowered to accommodate the smaller rider among us and those that are vertically challenged or those of us getting on in years that need to have their feet firmly flat footed and planted to the ground.

The SuperLow XL1200T does this for you, and from the factory no less.

This tourer version has some good features: the quick and easy detachable screen, the more than ample leather saddle bags, the large rider-andpillion seat for those long hauls,

New Bike Test

classic paintwork that is flawless, as well as some custom features like the rider mini footboards and lashings of chrome all over the engine and the rest of the motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson has also picked up its game with more modern tyres in more modern profiles to help with better handling and control in all conditions. The tyres are fitted to very stylish alloy wheels rather than the spoked wheels and this offers the benefit of tubeless tyres and far less hassles on the side of the road if you pick up a nail or other nasty.

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The Sportster is also fuel injected, has keyless ignition with perimeter fob for security, new larger brake rotors and stainless braided brake lines as well as ABS which, as of the release of the 2014 models, is standard on all Harley-Davidsons.

Now, how did it ride?

For my 179cm frame and 100kg weight, the Sportster was fine for any acceleration I needed. It was capable climbing up steep roads around the test area, including Old Razorback Road, and had plenty of power to pass lines of traffic or semi trailers on the open

New Bike Test

FROM A BIGGER BLOKE’S VIEW…

road. The fuel injection was smooth and progressive with no hiccups anywhere in the rev range. Economy was also quite good with close to 280km before the low fuel warning came on, very good for 17.1 litres capacity.

The brakes handled the mass of me and the bike very well, with no problem encountered anywhere with braking efficiency. They were strong with good modulation characteristics The seat offered a good-quality ride and gave good support to me during the

test. There is also a good-sized pillion seat, which is nice to see on this style of bike; many riders will appreciate the better seating for their pillion on a trip.

The same can be said for the screen; it offered good protection from the wind and elements while remaining very stylish and helped to create a classic look to the bike. The quick-release system works very well and it takes only a minute to remove or attach the screen. The leather saddle bags were great, whether you wanted to throw Cruiser & Trike

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The original SuperLow was released a few years ago with an 883cc engine. I rode it on the official launch and found issue with the extra-wide footpeg mounts and also with the limited cornering clearance. It was obvious, even then, that the SuperLow was aimed at lighter-framed and shorter riders.

A few years and added kilograms later, the SuperLow models are still not the first choice for bigger riders.

Looking through the specs for the basic SuperLow, it still carries the 883cc engine and also less lean angle with 24.7 and 24.4 listed (right and left).

The SuperLow is not a bad bike but it could be a bad choice for any rider over the 81.7kg rider weight used in the design and development stage.

Next issue, we have a test coming of the SuperLow 883 from a lady with a much shorter inside seam and less deflection on the scales than any of us. We reckon that she is typical of the customer that Harley-Davidson had in mind for the SuperLow models.

– Mick Withers

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test in an extra jumper or pair of gloves, or load it up with all you need for a weekend away. They seal well and are also very easy to open.

There are some issues, though, with this bike.

The leather saddle bags were coming away at the rear inside edge and this was very noticeable as you stood behind the bike; not good for a quality motorcycle.

The metal guards have a folded or beaded edge to them, which is fine and adds that classic look, but the curved section around the front guard’s leading edge is badly done. The fold looks like it has multiple angles in its radius instead of a nice clean, consistent curve.

Because of the SuperLow design, lean angle is seriously compromised on tight corners, roundabouts and even on more open, faster corners, you really have to watch lean angle. If you are one of those riders who sits bolt upright and leans the bike under yourself, you will be forever scraping the pegs. Now mind you, there are some very serious peg scrapers fitted to the bike, obviously to give you that warning that you’re getting it over too far. But this is a real

problem, even more so if you have to do an emergency manoeuvre to avoid someone or something on the road.

The same issue arises when applying the brakes. With the very short front forks combined with the short travel of the forks, they were always bottoming out under brakes and on any sort of rough road. It was so bad that, at even a modest 80km/h pulling up to a set of traffic lights, the forks bottomed out and the front wheel then skipped over the roughish road surface causing the front wheel to chatter and skip on the road surface. This is not good in any conditions, but it happened all too often during the test.

Yes, I do weigh a bit more than many riders, and yes, the bike is built to a rider weight of 81.7kg, but this is unacceptable to me.

I can see why this bike exists, but at the compromise to rider safety?

The reality is that this bike was designed, as I mentioned at the beginning, for short riders or those that want a feeling of security with both feet on the ground. I appreciate that, but Harley-Davidson needs to achieve this in another way, a better way, a safer way.

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New Bike Test

Keep the suspension usable and at a height where it won’t bottom out so very quickly; take some padding out of the seat! Or play around with the frame to give a lowered seat height, but guys, don’t take it out of one of the most important parts of a motorcycle, the suspension.

Quickspecs

Model: Harley-Davidson SuperLow XL1200T Price: $19,250 (Ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, Evolution, 45º V-twin, 4-stroke, 2-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 88.9 x 96.8mm Displacement: 1202cc or 74ci Compression: 10.0:1 Power: N/A Torque: 96Nm @ 3750rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

R: Twin shocks Cruiser & Trike

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This bike is targeted by HarleyDavidson to the new Harley rider, the novice rider or the older rider wanting a lighter Harley for their travels. These riders need to have security in what they ride and not be compromised.

Great bike in so many ways, but stupidly low. C&T

Brakes: ABS F: Single rotor with twinpiston caliper. R: Single rotor with twinpiston caliper.

Tyres: F: 120/70 ZR-18 R: 150/70 ZR-17 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat Height: 702.31mm Wheelbase: 1500mm Length: 2224mm Weight: 271.62kg (dry) Lean angle: R: 25°. L: 26°.

Fuel capacity: 17L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

Trooper Lu’s Garage Open Day

TAKING ON A NEW BRAND FRANCHISE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH REASON TO CELEBRATE Cruiser & Trike

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Trooper Lu’s Garage Open Day who had their wheelie-on-a-trailer rig in place. I wanted to have a go but there were too many onlookers ready and willing to laugh at my dismal efforts.

A small show and shine drew a variety of well-ridden and obviously well-loved bikes and the efforts of various of the owners were applauded and recognised with trophies.

A man called Ripperton had his electric superbike on display and spent the day explaining Ohm’s Law. Opposite him was the hot food and alongside was a small van selling very good coffee.

The main focus for many was the opportunity to test ride a variety of different models. A road route was laid out and our own Paul Bailey was leading each of the

he barbecue was fired up and the gates thrown open by Justin Chisholm and his hard-working crew at Trooper Lu’s Garage to celebrate the addition of the Yamaha range to the existing Triumph product line.

Yamaha-endorsed madman Dave McKenna was given his own fenced-in concrete paddock to play in and he used it to great effect with wheelstands, stoppies and other stuff that defy logic and gravity.

Also attracting a huge bucket-load of attention were the folk from Wheelie-Zone

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rides with outriders keeping the peace and holding the group together.

Inside the shop, special prices were on offer from the parts and accessories department, with many bargains scooped up.

Raffle tickets were on offer with a free bike wash for everyone who bought more than a couple. The grand prize was a Yamaha PW50 and the winner and his kids were very happy.

Lucky door prizes were drawn later in the afternoon with even more happy people leaving with a prize.

The whole purpose of the day was to promote the shop and its brands and services. The bonus was how many people left happy. C&T

Stuff We’re Testing

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Stuff We’re Testing

STUFF WE’RE TESTING

AS THE NAME IMPLIES, THIS IS THE STUFF THAT WE’RE ACTUALLY TESTING. WE PROMISE UPDATES AND IN THIS ISSUE, IT’S ALL ABOUT SANDBAG’S GEAR

UPDATE: KABUTO AEROBLADE 3 RRP: $399.95 SIZES: XS to XXL This helmet is light enough for it to not be a distraction while it’s on your head. The airflow design is good at low speeds and when I’ve used it at very high speeds on closed roads, it has been stable enough not to affect vision. The chinstrap has a “double D” fastening which is easy to use, even when the poor fingers are frozen after a chilling ride. There’s a little press-stud to secure the end of the strap to stop it flapping on your neck. One really good feature of the visor is that pressing a sliding lock on each side has the visor free in a couple of seconds.

So easy when you want to swap from dark to clear after the sun sets. One not-so-good feature is that the visor won’t stay in the crack-open position; it’s either firmly shut or open more than a thumb width. This means that clearing the mist in wet weather is only possible with a freezing draught on your face. The vent system is good and in very hot weather your head stays fairly cool.

All round it’s a good hat.

UPDATE: DRIRIDER VORTEX AIRFLOW JACKET RRP: Regular, $319.95; Stout, $419.95 SIZES: Regular, S to 6XL; Stout, SXL

to 6SXL

This jacket has seen me through the heat of summer, the cold of winter, and the pouring rain and it has always served me well. In the heat, there are many zips you can undo to let the air in at the chest and down the arms and out through the zips down the back. Up to about 30º that worked well, but when the temperature hit 40 I used the old trick of pouring water into the vents so that, when I got up to speed again, it was like riding in a cool room. Full marks in summer. And rain?

It’s waterproof – totally.

The cold can make a ride truly an endurance test but add the inner lining and

the frosty fingers are kept out. I especially like the neck-piece which wraps around from left to right and secures with a wide Velcro pad.

This feature means I can ride in the cold and I don’t need a massive scarf. I add a Redd Dog neck warmer if it’s desperate and I stay warm.

Downside? Fully loaded with wallet, camera, phone, notebook and puncture repair kit in the back pocket, it’s quite heavy.

UPDATE: DRIRIDER CLASSIC 2.0 JEANS RRP: $149.95 SIZES: Men’s 28 to 42; Women’s 8 to 20 These jeans look like the good old blue jeans, except inside there’s a little bit more technology to save your skin in the event of any unfortunate event. To keep your knees protected, there are stiff pads that, I found, didn’t interfere with my riding in the classic cruiser position where your feet are forward on footboards. Riding a bike with a more kneebent touring position will make the pad more noticeable but it’s not intrusive. On the back is a full-width flexible pad to protect your bum against road nasties and it adds to the comfort of the jeans.

So, you’ve got a garment that looks good at the café and when you’re strolling across to your machine, while under the classic exterior is stuff you hope you’ll never need but it’s there anyway. Like any denim fabric, it needs a bit of help when the weather is cold but it’s fine in the heat.

Overall I like them and you will, too.

UPDATE: ALPINESTARS JET ROAD GORE-TEX GLOVES RRP: $199.95 SIZES: XS to XXL Cold wind attacking your fingers on a ride is always uncomfortable but it’s also dangerous: the reduction in temperature brings with it slower response and reduced sensitivity when you need it most. These Tech Touring gloves do a very good job of keeping the cold outside Cruiser & Trike

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where it belongs. We did a ride last year in sub-zero surroundings and I never lost feeling thanks to these finger savers.

The exterior of the glove is made with synthetic fabric on the outside and leather on the palm and finger grip surfaces. This makes for a comfortable grip on the bars with no slip.

Inside is a Goretex membrane to keep out the water and a warm lining on the inside next to your skin. It’s a good combination and I found that it never let me down. On my big hands, the gloves are a snug fit and getting them on, even with the two zips, is a bit of a task. Once on they are very warm so it’s a small price to pay.

They are well made and have shown no signs of wear.

UPDATE: ALPINESTARS GRAN TORINO GTX BOOTS RRP: $449.95 SIZES: 3.5 to 14 (36 to 50) They’re black and they’re plain; they’re not the sort of boots that catch the eye and draw comments from people. None of that stops them from doing a damned good job of doing what boots are for: protecting your feet.

The design looks simple but, inside, there is a Goretex lining and other trickery which keep the essential tootsies warm when the outside is cold and, even more important, dry when it’s wet. The sole is slightly treaded so you keep your grip on the footboards or on the ground and there’s a zip up the side and a leather flap closure so you can get them on and off with no drama. I found them very serviceable and my only comment to you is try them and give them a good test walk before you buy. Mine are size 46 and they seem to me to be a bit too snug for that size.

Or maybe my feet are getting bigger?

As for style, you can wear them with your pants tucked in pirate-style or outside your boots if the weather is warm. I take to the road with a “yo-ho-ho and a bottle o’ rum!”

Wots Den Motorcycle Show

WOTS DEN MOTORCYCLE SHOW HELD ANNUALLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, HERE’S THE 2015 VERSION Cruiser & Trike

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Wots Den Motorcycle Show

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he Wots Den third annual show and shine was run and won on Sunday, 13 July. We dropped in to check out the action and found hundreds of likeminded folk enjoying a fine winter’s day and a big turnout of stock, modified and custom bikes. While there were plenty of bikes entered into the various categories, we spent an equal amount of time wandering around the parking area where many more notable bikes were basking under the blue sky. Trade displays and stalls were also set up featuring bike products and services, as well as live music, a BBQ, raffles, refreshments and other stuff. The store itself was popular with plenty of riders and pillions checking out the range of riding gear and accessories.

This year’s show was a fundraising venture Cruiser & Trike

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in support of Aaron Attacks MS. Aaron O’Halloran is a young father and husband who is raising money so he can travel to Russia for HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) treatment of his progressive multiple sclerosis, a medical option not currently available in Australia. It is a worthy cause and you can learn more or donate at aaronattacksms.com.

We particularly liked the range of bikes on display, which included several beautifully restored vintage machines through to complete custom builds, as well as a range of different bike manufacturers. It is an annual event so look out for next year’s show at The Wots Den, M Centre, Shop 28/40 Sterling Road, Minchinbury NSW. Ph: 02 9675 2577. C&T

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Wots Den Motorcycle Show

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Surfside Motorcycle Garage

IT’S THEIR SHOP AND THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY LIKE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS EVERY MONTH AT SURFSIDE MOTORCYCLE GARAGE

he first Sunday of each month sees the good folks at Surfside Motorcycle Garage have a mini bike show at their Sydney suburban location in Brookvale. These themed shows are a good way for riders and bike fans to come together and enjoy a day out. The theme for July was American.

The large turnout of bikes was only surpassed by the number of people who came to check out the show and a whole range of bikes was on display – old-school rat bikes, restored vintage Harleys, the odd cafe racer and a large number of

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newer American motorcycles — ensuring everyone was catered for.

The on-site cafe and sausage sizzle meant no one went unfed and visitors were also able to take a wander through Surfside’s workshop to see what was on offer.

Between March and December of this year, Surfside Motorcycle Garage plans to hold 10 bike shows and, as I write this, five of the 10 have already taken place, with a twostroke extravaganza due to be held in August.

Surfside seems to be covering all the bases to ensure it has something for everyone. Did I mention the garage also sells bikes? C&T Cruiser & Trike

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Surfside Motorcycle Garage

PRIZE WINNERS PEOPLE’S CHOICE: 2006 HarleyDavidson Springer Softail Custom — a great street hot rod complete with 2-into-1 fishtail exhaust BEST PRE 1960: 1928 HarleyDavidson JDH Twin Cam — famous racing owner history BEST POST 1960: 1974 HarleyDavidson FLH Electra Glide with hand shift — a bike in immaculate condition BEST PAINT: 2000 Harley-Davidson — a silver and red feast of flames BEST CUSTOM: 1951 HarleyDavidson Panhead — a bike complete with fishtails, sissy bar, ape hangers, amazing paint and endless detailing BEST RAT: 1936 Harley-Davidson RLD — ridden to and from the show. How cool is that?

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AHA 1600 in 48

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AHA 1600 in 48

AHA 1600KM IN 48 HOURS CHALLENGE A CHALLENGE BY NAME AND A TRUE CHALLENGE OF STAMINA, ENDURANCE AND PATIENCE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT’S AN EXCUSE TO GET OUT ON THE ROAD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. WE DID IT! Cruiser & Trike

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AHA 1600 in 48

Words: Mick Withers & Peter Lucas Photos: Mick Withers

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lans began forming when the Aussie Hardarse Association 1600km in 48 hours Challenge was first revealed.

An attempt had to be made by me.

Not because of my position here but because I love a challenge and an adventure.

For me the challenge was to complete it with licence intact and without injuries.

My own list of criteria for the right bike to ride was narrowed somewhat by looking in the shed and seeing our XV1900AT Road Rhino and the Can-Am Spyder RT Limited. Both are very capable of easily covering that distance in comfort. In fact, I’d already put in a big day aboard our previous XV1900AT – from Maryborough in Queensland to Kew on the NSW mid-north coast. That was 830km and it was only the rain that stopped us that day.

On the way to Spyder Royale last year aboard a Spyder ST, I’d clocked up a 1000km day on the way down and a cross-country return trip

from Warrnambool that was 1150km.

Looking from one to the other, I weighed up the options. They both have floorboards to allow you to move your feet around for greater comfort for longer periods. Either bike’s seat would be up to the trip. A screen would be easy to re-fit on the XV1900 and the fuel range was okay on either, with the Spyder having a slight edge in that area. My decision to take the Spyder RT Limited was multi-faceted. This was going to be the first official attempt on the 1600 in 48 Challenge and I figured that a roadster would add an extra challenge for me. Maybe it was ego, but I reckon I could do the challenge on a solo without a problem purely because that’s what I’ve spent the vast majority of my life riding and have clocked up big-distance days plenty of times on all sorts of bikes. Also, Sandbag had kept the RT Limited to himself for most of the time we’d had it on test and I wanted to write a decent second opinion on it.

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into it as I was only carrying a seatbag and a small camera bag. My pre-trip preparation was restricted to checking oil level and kicking the tyres. Not what we’d recommend as ideal but that’s the way it is. In the seatbag was a Grypp puncture repair kit, the same one that I carry everywhere I go. That was my insurance against a puncture. If you carry the kit, you’ll probably never need to use it. But, that one time you leave it at home will be the one time you need it. Also in the bag was a waterbottle and a change of socks, jocks and a t-shirt.

The last three were sealed in a ziplock bag and were there in case I got really soaked, or needed to pull in and sleep overnight. As well as the Alpinestars Jet Road Gore Tex gloves, I also threw in a pair of Ixon winter short gloves and a pair of Five Stunt Leather Air gloves.

Spare gloves are something that I’m not alone in carrying. During the course of the 20 to 24 hours I was planning to be on the road, the weather and temperatures varied from nine degrees, to bucketing down rain, to 25 degrees

AHA 1600 in 48

and everything in between. The Alpinestars are the warmest and driest gloves I’ve ever experienced. The Ixons keep your hands warm and are a good crossover from the Fives, which are a very comfortable pair of leather gloves that don’t offer a lot of added warmth. All of these gloves are well-used and, most importantly, comfortable without pressure points or tight spots.

Covering my feet were my Alpinestars Gran Torino GTX boots. They are also well run-in, comfortable and waterproof. Detecting

a trend here? Underneath it all, I had on my merino longjohns and long-sleeved top from Aldi. I’ve bought a couple of sets of these over the years and like them. The top half was a Cruiser & Trike t-shirt and RST Titanium Outlast Jacket. On the way out the door, I grabbed a fleecy jumper and chucked that in without giving it a thought. When I put the jumper on in the evening, the sleeves were bulky and slightly uncomfortable under my jacket. In hindsight, I’d have been better off with a good sleeveless thing or a thin woollen jumper.

Around my neck was a Red Dogg neck sock. Merino and warm, it reaches from below my bottom lip and down inside the neckline of my jacket. The chin strap of my Bell RS1 holds it in place. I chose to wear a full-face helmet because, at this time of year, it gets cold as soon as the sun goes down. Also, the forecast was for rain. Whatever full-face helmet you wear, if you haven’t got one of the awesome Bell Transitions visors or similar, carry a spare visor. One clear and one tinted is a good idea. As I wear glasses when riding, for a trip like this I packed a spare pair. I could have made the trip home without them but the eyestrain and headaches wouldn’t have been fun. If you wear an open-face helmet, you’ll need a spare pair of glasses, too.

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Forgot to mention my pants. Draggin Holeshots. They’re warm when you need them to be warm but you won’t cook in them on a hot day. The elastic strap under the boot also keeps them from riding up and allowing draughts.

The final ingredient in my riding gear was also one of the cheapest: a pair of MotoDry Lightning plastic/nylon wet weather overpants. They’re under $50 and fold up to almost nothing. If you get them on before it rains, they will keep you dry. If you’re already wet, they’ll keep the wind off and help you retain body heat.

So, this is what I wore and stayed comfortable from 0300 when I walked out my front door until 0130 the next morning when I walked back in.

WITH ME MATE You don’t want to even think about doing this on your own. Forget it. That’s just silly. Okay, we’ve said it.

You need to restrict the size of the group you ride the 1600 in 48 Challenege with. I’d recommend two or three as a good number.

Any more than that and you need to be a tight bunch who can work very well together.

Larger groups make it harder to keep everyone focussed, especially at fuel stops.

AHA 1600 in 48

There’s always that one mate who has to wander off and talk on his phone while having a smoke before re-fuelling. It’s very easy to turn a 10-minute stop for fuel into a 30-minute time loss. On a ride like this, an extra 20 minutes can put you 30km further behind. And that really hurts your average speed.

I rang Pete Lucas and asked if he wanted to come for a ride. When he asked where

and I told him, he hesitated for about half a second before answering with a most definite yes. Even though we’ve been mates for a long time, we’d never ridden further than the Central Coast together. But I reckoned that he’d understand the importance of keeping the wheels rolling without trying to turn it into a race. Also, he’s a level-headed sort of bloke who wouldn’t panic and try to overtake in silly places or put us both in danger. After organising where we’d meet and working out the basic outline of our attempt, we barely spoke until the day before we left, and even then there wasn’t heaps to talk about.

My attempt on the 1600 in 48 Challenge officially started at the BP Servo on Mamre Road at St Marys shortly after 0300 when I filled the tank and took a pic of the fuel receipt beside the odometer. In my haste to get going, I forgot to take a pic of the servo but the receipt clearly shows the address and time.

When I arrived at the BP on Pennant Hills Road at Thornleigh, Pete had resorted to taking selfies while he waited for me to arrive.

We both took more pics and headed north before 0400.

Traffic was nearly non-existent until the last 40km before the end of the freeway at Hexham. Early-morning drivers aren’t always at their most alert. Give them a wide berth.

Our first fuel stop was off the freeway at Cruiser & Trike

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Bulahdelah at 0600. That was 263km down and 1337 to go. More pics of the servo and receipt beside the odometer. Back on the freeway and into the darkness, Pete took point until our next fuel stop 266km later at Urunga, just south of Coffs, at 0850. We were 529km in and past the halfway point for our northbound run. A bottle of Saxby’s Creaming Soda disappeared and we did the pic thing before heading north again.

I seriously dislike riding through Coffs Harbour. Dunno why, but just about every time I ride through there, someone makes me take evasive action. Bloody hippies.

AHA 1600 in 48

EARMOLD SPEAKER WIRES I deliberately didn’t mention these in the main story as they truly deserve their own heading. Before I even rode out my driveway, I put the Earmolds in and turned the music on my iPhone to shuffle. Apart from when I took my helmet off to eat or drink, they played non-stop for the next 21.5 hours.

As well as helping alleviate the boredom by playing all of the songs I want to sing along to, the Earmolds also reduced the wind roar to a very acceptable level. This helps reduce fatigue.

When you start planning your own Challenge, go to the website (Earmold.com.au) and organise to get your own set of Earmolds made. You can either thank me now or when you complete your own Challenge.

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AHA 1600 in 48 We established the Aussie Hardarse Association with rules and procedures to suit Australians riding on Australian roads.

This is Australia and we like to do things a little bit different. We’re more laidback. The journey is more important than the destination. We don’t deny that riding 1600km in a single 48-hour period could be dangerous. So could walking across the road. If you put enough thought into it, there is a risk attached to everything we do. It’s up to you to

We stopped just north of Coffs and put wet weather overpants on over jeans that were already wet. Should have stopped earlier.

Past Grafton, the rain stopped and we kept riding until we reached the lookout at McLeod’s Shoot, inland from Byron Bay. In urgent need of a pee, I blinkered and we stopped, 798km from the start. Before riding down hill and into Chinderah, we took more pics.

The Chinderah off-ramp appeared suddenly and, when we rode down it, I missed the entrance to the bloody huge roundabout. Pfffft. A couple of minutes later, at 1310, we pulled up at the BP Chinderah Travel Centre. Halfway. A further 313km was added to the tally for a running total of 842.3km.

With 48 hours to complete the 1600km in 48 Challenge, we could have stayed longer.

After re-fuelling and buying a NSW Blues keyring for $1.00, we had lunch as we’d planned and then rode back south.

make your own decisions regarding safety. If you have any doubts about your own ability to complete this challenge, try a shorter day first.

Ride as far as you feel comfortable riding and then pull up.

We’re not pretending that everyone is mentally or physically prepared to ride that far in two days. You have to make your own decisions. If you have any doubts about your own level of fitness, go and see your doctor. As far as the mental aspect is concerned…

SOUTHBOUND Having travelled the Pacific Highway more than a few times, I’d decided that we wanted to be back south of Grafton and Coffs Harbour before sunset. The kangaroos are most common north of Grafton and the section through to Coffs. By working out a rough time to Chinderah and back to Coffs, I then worked that backwards to work out our starting time. I would suggest that you think about your planned route from the same or a similar angle. For example, riding north on the Hume Freeway (or M31, or whatever it’s called this week) from Albury after dark can be an exercise in kangaroo, fox and wombat avoidance.

When we got to Woodburn it was 1530, roughly 12 hours after our start, so we pulled up to take pics to share on Facebook. Sharing pics on the Aussie Hardarse Association is a part of every Challenge. We made sure that we checked in and posted pics on the AHA Facebook page at every stop.

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Back on the road, we turned off the Highway before Grafton and went down a little backroad that a mate had shared with me. Along there, we saw the only live and moving kangaroos of the whole trip! Back on the highway, we kept making time up until we hit the new dual-lane section along the Woolgoolga bypass, 20km north of Coffs.

The right lane was blocked with barricades and the speed limit was 80klicks. By the time we got to the end of it, I was ready to start banging my head on the tank. That 15km was easily the worst part of the whole trip.

We pulled in at the same servo at Urunga and I put in two litres less fuel for the same distance as the northern leg! Twenty compared to 22 for the 311.3km stretch. It

AHA 1600 in 48 was bang-on 1800 when I paid for fuel and we could see the last hints of daylight on the hills in the distance. This is where I slipped the jumper on under my jacket and did a great Michelin Man impersonation. Pffft, I was warm. Pete also rugged up before we headed off behind the BMW’s great headlights and our next stop at the Caltex on the left at Coolongolook. That was a stretch of 235km and we were 1390km into the Challenge. As this was our last fuel stop, we decided to have a feed and see if that’s why all of the trucks were parked there. Yep, excellent food.

As we were getting ready to roll again, we decided to pull over right on the 1600km mark for celebratory pics. That was 210km south and I spent the next

couple of hours trying to guess exactly where this would see us stopped. My best guesstimate was the Kariong interchange, which wasn’t too far off.

Rolling south we got to the exit of the Mt White Truck weighbridge and the odometer clicked over 1600. We pulled over into the Mt White exit ramp at 2330 by the clock and took our pics and celebrated like a pair of happy blokes. We’d done it.

The last stretch to the end of the Freeway at Wahroonga passed in a blur but, when Peter took the Pacific Highway off-ramp, I kept going down Pennant Hills Road and then the M2 and M7 to St Marys. The last section to my finish point at the BP servo felt strange. The familiar taillight ahead

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or the headlights in the mirrors was gone.

Filling the tank after 288.7km brought my total up to 1679km at 0030 with two-and-ahalf hours to spare.

Ten minutes later I parked the Spyder RT Limited in the bike shed then sat on the lounge and talked to the good lady while patting the dogs. It all felt a bit surreal. We’d left in the darkness and ridden this distance before ending it in the darkness. To an extent, it was almost like waking up from a dream. But we did it. We accepted the Aussie Hardarse Association 1600km in 48 hours Challenge and we made it. The world hadn’t ended and our heads hadn’t fallen off.

AHA 1600 in 48

PETER SAYS… It all began with a phone call, “Wanna go for a weekday ride…” Of course I do and, as the boss was away this time, it was actually possible for me to sneak away from the desk.

However, once the full plan was revealed, fear set in and uncertainty in my ability began to erode any confidence I may have had. I began to think of excuses (I had plenty). The first of which was that my tyres were stuffed and really needed replacing before any decent ride, let alone a 1600km one. While I am no stranger to long rides, I lack the match fitness of my yoof and the last decent time in the saddle was 1100km in 14 hours over two years ago. However, it is called a “challenge” and I realised I wanted to do this simply because I was not certain if I could.

We set off in the wee hours with an idea it would take us about 20 hours if all went well, so we had a buffer if any small problems occurred – our backup plan was simply pulling up if it all became too hard for either of us. This is important if you attempt this with another one to three riders (which would be the maximum in my opinion). You have to back your mates, so choose very carefully. You need experience and cool heads. I guess I mean to say “all for one and one for all”, so if somebody wants to give up for whatever reason, then all must give up and find the closest pub, and under no circumstance should pressure be applied to keep them going.

You and your bike must be well prepared.

I am sure Mick has given run down of the necessary items but top-quality riding gear

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 haven’t got 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 each time you stop for fuel or to stretch

your legs. Take a pic of your ride and a piece of recognisable background, ie: the servo where you fill up or the road sign where you turned 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 like the Homebush to Hay trip mentioned, on-theroad 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 is 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

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their own personal Aussie Hardarse 1600 in 48 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 48 badge and t-shirt. We’ll also return your receipts.

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 48. The distance we’ve set is tough but easily achievable with plenty of time for sightseeing, eating, chatting and sleep.

Also, you need to ride somewhere. Forget trying to do laps of the Western Ring Road in Melbourne, get out on your bike and go somewhere you haven’t been before.

AHA 1600 in 48

is essential. Simple things like fogging visor or wet hands and feet could easily ruin an attempt. I only just had enough warmth; if the temp had been only two degrees lower I would have been stuffed. My gear was fine for a few hours but rain (not that I got wet) chill factor and the prolonged time in the saddle saw my temperature drop to a point where I was starting to get a little cool. It was just dumb luck the rain stopped and the sun came out for a while. Pack that extra layer just to be sure.

Patience is key; you won’t make up much time speeding or making risky overtakes without risk of licence loss. Stop only when you need fuel, have a leak and a drink, maybe shove something in your gob, but keep the stops to five to ten minutes tops. Stretching

and a jump around or a short walk is not a bad plan either, but I think the best thing to avoid the pain of long periods behind the bars is to frequently change position on the bike. Pain in your arse is caused (among other things) by lack of blood flow, so working on a few different riding positions is not a bad idea.

A set of highway pegs is almost essential. My BMW is an R1200GS, a dual sport bike which, of course, doesn’t have highway pegs but does have the option of standing up, even if you do look like an overgrown meerkat Good lights are essential for riding at night – most modern machines have fantastic headlamps but bikes more than a few years old will definitely benefit from LED or HID spotlights. These types use very little current and therefore place bugger all extra load on Cruiser & Trike

95

your charging system.

I do not normally ride with a music or intercom set up but, for this ride, I decided to try some earphones and an mp3 player for a little entertainment. But I soon found it distracting and, before halfway, ditched it for the peace and quiet of my own empty head. Concentrating 100 per cent on what you are doing is its own form of meditation.

I broke my own advice of not to try anything new on a long-distance trip. Test any new gear on a short ride first, or stick to the tried and trusted.

Many will think this was pointless and or dangerous. Well, it will be as dangerous as you make it: safety on a motorbike is a subjective thing and, to be quite honest, is partly why we like riding so much. But you are your own master in this regard and if it doesn’t feel right, stop doing it. The reality is that my commute to work in Sydney is far more dangerous. It wasn’t pointless, either; I learnt a lot about my ability and had way less pain and a lot more fun than I thought would have been possible.

Speaking of possible… 2000km in less l than t 48 hours… I wonder.

– Peter Lucas C&T

Shop Talk

VICTORY & INDIAN MOTORCYCLES, BRISBANE

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 find 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 Although it’s only a new shop, we’ve had a few good reports about Victory and Indian Motorcycles in Brisbane. Have a look.

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Shop Talk

WHAT’S THE GREATEST THING ABOUT UNLOCKING THE DOORS EVERY MORNING? All those beautiful new motorcycles!

HOW LONG HAS THE BUSINESS BEEN GOING? Since November 2013.

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN YOUR SHOP? Our customers. Without them, there is no shop!

IMAGINE YOU’RE SPENDING YOUR OWN MONEY ON PARTS AND ACCESSORIES. WHAT’S YOUR

NUMBER-ONE PRIORITY? Got to have a set of pipes before anything else! No point having that awesome engine and not being able to hear/ enjoy it.

WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR MODEL THIS MONTH? It’s been a close race between the HighBall and the Hammer 8-Ball, though Chief Vintage is always up there as well.

GIVE US A SNEAK PEEK AT THE FUTURE: WHAT NEW MODELS HAVE YOU GOT COMING? I wish I could tell you … though Victory and Indian keep their cards fairly close to their chests. I suppose that is what also makes working here so interesting; there is just so much going on. We just launched the new Victory Gunner last month and can’t wait to see what else might turn up!

YOUR PERSONAL FAVOURITE CURRENT MODEL? Hmmm, I debate this point every night I ride home. It is definitely the Boardwalk.

And definitely the Vegas 8-Ball. Oh yeah, and definitely the new Gunner … but it is very hard to go past an Indian if you want to make a statement!

WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS BUSINESS? 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? Normal people looking for an alternative to the same type of bike from the same brands. They want something different and better than what they have experienced before. They want more from their motorcycling experience.

KEY STAFF

LOCATION

WHAT REGULAR EVENTS DO YOU HOLD?

Ron Grant, Dealer principal Andrew Thurstan, Sales consultant Mark Hill, Sales consultant Robertino Salbatecu, Service manager Kevin Hilliam, Senior technician Ray Scaysbrook, Senior advisor

632 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley Qld 4814

We have a social ride the 3rd Sunday of every month plus a V.I.B.E. ride (that’s Victory & Indian Bacon & Eggs ride) the first Saturday of each month.

PHONE (07) 3363 5400

WHY DO YOU RIDE A MOTORCYCLE?

WEBSITE victorymotorcycles.com

Cruiser & Trike

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There is nothing like rolling down the freeway heading toward the hills to clear eaa the mind and reinvigorate the soul.

Long Termer

YAMAHA XV1900 AT WITH NEARLY 125FT/LB OF TORQUE, THIS THING HAS MORE GRUNT THAN A RAZORBACK WITH NAPPY RASH Cruiser & Trike

100

Long Termer

Words: Mick Withers

resh off the dyno, run-in and ready to ride, our 2014 Road Rhino was passed to Sandbag before I really got a chance to ride it. That’s called bad planning. Much better planning was getting it back in time to ride it back to Sydney Dyno at Kariong so that I could get my hands slightly dirty and Dave Holdforth could perform more of the magic that he specialises in.

After looking at the dyno figures for our Road Rhino and talking with Dave, I had decided that the XV1900 would really benefit from a Power Commander V and extra breathing. The PCV was easy to find on the Bay of e and after paying for it, the red and black box arrived in the PO Box in short order. The deeper breathing was halfway there with the fitment of a DNA air filter, but more air would allow for more fuel to be burnt in the right ratios and that always means more torque and horsepower. I’d found a great forum called stratolinerdeluxe.com and reading through what other owners had done to make their own 1900s happier was very interesting.

One of the most highly rated mods was a pair of air filter retainer brackets from Ivan’s Performance. At just $US21 including postage to Sydney, I figured it was worth a shot and re-opened my wallet.

With newly bought bits in one saddle bag and a camera in the other, a morning trip to Dave’s reminded me again of how nice the Road Rhino is to ride. It fits me, or should that be the other way round?

The reach to the Ventura Fat Man bars is just right and the Mustang DayTripper seat is getting more comfortable all the time.

With Sydney receding in the mirrors that need replacing, I cranked on the Kaoko cruise control and enjoyed the 25-minute trip across the Hawkesbury to Kariong. Having done that trip daily for quite a while, I actually enjoy the ride up the M1, or A1, or whatever they’ve wasted money on re-naming and re-branding it as.

F

Pulling into Worthington Motorcycles and down the driveway to Sydney Dyno was a return to reality. Despite my claim of ‘I’ll chuck the PCV in while you warm up your dyno’, it was a bit more involved than that.

The seat had to come off – that was one bolt. The coil cover had two bolts and that was about it. Well, it would have been if we were only fitting the PCV but the tank had to come up so that the original air filter bracket could be removed and replaced by the Ivan’s retainers.

So, with a little bit of extra buggerising about, we soon had that sorted and the wires connected. The oxygen sensor was unplugged and the PCV oxygen sensor eliminator plugged in. An earth wire was the only bolt-down connection for the PCV with everything else completely plug and play.

So we could sample the oxygen content of each cylinder’s exhaust independently, the baffles were popped out of the Cobra Slashdown pipes and a 6mm hole drilled in the closed end of each to allow the probe to pass through them and reach inside each header pipe.

After refitting the baffles, the Road Rhino was fired up and ridden up the ramp and onto the bed of the Dynojet 250i and the PCV connected to the computer via a USB connection. At this point, you have a choice to either load a generic map or start a brand-new map specific to your bike. I have seen relatively good results with the generic maps but the difference that a custom map makes is astounding. Well, it is when an expert with Dave’s skills is creating that map.

The actual time taken to fully map a PCV depends on the operator as well as whether or not they are taking advantage of (and understand) the Dynojet Tuning Link software. This is where a true understanding of the Tuning Link software and how to tweak it to suit each specific bike makes the biggest difference.

Cruiser & Trike

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Long Termer CF: SAE Smoothing: 3

DYNOJET RESEARCH

SYDNEY DYNO Pty Ltd 0418 224 000 140

140

124.92 ft-lbs RunFile_010.drf 120

120

117.01 ft-lbs RunFile_003.drf

80

80

Power (hp)

100

68.92 hp RunFile_010.drf 64.55 hp RunFile_003.drf 60

60

40

40

RunFile_010.drf Max Power = 89.87 RunFile_003.drf Max Power = 82.72

Max Torque = 124.93 Max Torque = 117.41 20

20

X = 2.898 0 0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Engine Speed (RPM x1000)

Motorcycle Performance Tuning RunFile_003.drf - 1/05/2014 4:49:22 PM Run Type: RO Run Conditions: 28.57 째C, 1003.14 mBars, Humidity: 21%, SAE: 1.00 XV1900 Max Power = 82.72 Max Torque = 117.41 8/2013 119km R/T/1 40psi Cobra pipes EJK RunFile_010.drf - 25/06/2014 2:58:05 PM Run Type: RO Run Conditions: 26.18 째C, 1003.62 mBars, Humidity: 12%, SAE: 0.99 XV1900 (R #2) Max Power = 89.87 Max Torque = 124.93 8/2013 377km R/T/1 40psi Cobra pipes DNA (Ivan's Top) PCv

Cruiser & Trike

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0 5.5

Torque (ft-lbs)

100

Long Termer

I could generate a rough map that’d run but it’s the little touches and nuances that really make the difference between a bike that runs, and one that runs happily and efficiently at all throttle openings and rpm points. Even a generic map might run okay but most of them were generated in the USA using different fuels with different octane ratings as well as different specific gravity. I’m fortunate to have operated one of the first Dynojet dynos in Australia. But that was at Staintune in 1995 and Power Commander was still in the future. What I learnt and knew then was specific to carburettors but times have changed and it takes a real expert to extract the most from a PCIII or V. There are, possibly, still unscrupulous dyno operators around who will load a generic map and make a few light changes before handing the bike back and charging big bucks for something that the owner could have done themselves. Want our advice? Look for a Dynojet Power Commander Tuning Centre for the best results.

Now, the results. All we did was fit the Power Commander V and the Ivan’s Performance air filter retainers and then Dave performed magic. We’ve gone from 82.72hp and 17.41ft/lb to 89.87hp and 124.93ft/lb but the peak numbers don’t tell the whole story. Have a look at the dyno graph and the difference between the blue line where we started and the red line where we are now. The XV1900 is now a true road rhino with instant pull from idle and a rush of mid-range torque that will tow small suburbs into the 21st century.

Stick it in third gear at 40km/h and crack the throttle. Roadside things disappear and the middle distance is suddenly right there in front of you. Hills? Pfffft, mere bumps.

The best part is that it is still quiet enough to bop around town without breaking into a sweat every time you see a mobile road taxation unit.

What’s next? Stuff. More stuff. Come back next issue and see what stuff we’ve done. C&T

THANK YOU

MUSTANG SEATS: DayTripper seat (#75618) AMHP: Headlight protector SYDNEY DYNO: Dyno time KAOKO: Cruise control and tuning services KENMA: DNA highperformance air filter and EJK YAMAHA: Long-term loan of the XV1900AT Electronic Jet Kit VENTURA: Fat Man LINK: Cobra Speedster handlebars Slashdown exhaust

Cruiser & Trike

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Custom trike

ROCKET 3X3 Cruiser & Trike

106

Custom trike

A ROCKET III WITH THREE WHEELS ISN’T SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY, BUT HERE’S ONE THAT DESERVES TO BE SEEN Cruiser & Trike

107

Custom trike

bloke who has never owned anything but British bikes decided in 2008 that he had to replace the Triumph 1200 Trophy he’d had for eight years.

When he’d bought the 1200, Paul Curds was already riding a 1969 TR6P that he’d bought from Ryan’s Motorcycles in Parramatta. He’d looked at BMW and various other brands but knew the 1200 Trophy was his as soon as he saw it. Then, six years later, it was time to look again.

The decision was quick and easy; with a brand-new Rocket III selected and the Trophy traded, Paul was back on the road with fewer cylinders but more capacity.

Initially, the Rocket kept Paul and his wife, Kaye, happy but, soon after, Paul got sick and the bike was ridden less and less.

A pic of a Grinnall trike in the Triumph in-house magazine was enough for Paul to make a decision. Maybe he did a little extra homework online. The order was placed in December 2010 and six months later, all of the bits were together in one pile. A further two weeks was all that was required to strip the original solo and put it all back together as a trike. At first Paul persevered with the original master cylinder and braided lines but, after countless hours trying to get them to work and meet the ADR requirements, he gave up on them and fitted a Wilwood master cylinder with his own linkages,

A

along with a set of swaged brake hoses from Penrith Brake & Clutch Service. The engineering approval and RTA saga lasted 12 months until the RTA finally saw sense and the whole procedure then only took another eight weeks to gain full registration.

The only change to the front-end was a set of triple-clamps that increased rake by 2°. The same can’t be said for the rear end.

With a powder-coated tubular steel frame that is cross braced and cross braced as the basis, the rear frame also locates the Land Rover diff and drive shafts that end at a pair of Ford KA wheel hubs and bearings. Rear braking duties end with a pair of Mk2 Cortina brake calipers and Ford Fiesta rotors. The 17 x 10-inch rear wheels are three-piece billet aluminium made by Image to match the original front wheel. For the true tech-heads who want all the inside guff about the rear suspension, check out the sidebar with all of the info.

Crowning the rear end is a glassfibre-reinforced polyester body that was manufactured by hand. The two-pack paint was purchased from Triumph to ensure the right colour match. Atop the bodywork is a second front seat for Kaye. The pillion footboards were mounted at an angle so that Kaye can brace herself with one foot or the other, depending on left- or righthand corner. She also has a grab rail on either side.

Cruiser & Trike

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Custom trike

TRIKE KIT BY GRINNALL CUSTOM CARS, UK CHASSIS Triumph: Tubular steer twin spine.

Grinnall: Tubular steel, cross braced, zinc rich primer/polyester powder-coated. Grinnall TwinClamp Billet Yokes with revised steering geometry.

BODY Fibreglass reinforced polyester, manufactured by hand, 2-pack paint finish. Standard Triumph colour.

ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, longitudinal in-line 3-cylinder, 12 valves.

Capacity: 2294cc Primary Drive: Gear Gearbox: 5-speed Final Drive: Shaft and Land Rover Freelander diff - 3.21:1

SUSPENSION Front Suspension: 43mm upside down forks Rear Suspension: Grinnall CNC billet alloy uprights with double wishbones in oval tubing, unequal length, pivoting on stainless spherical joints. Inboard concentric coil springs and adjustable oil dampers. Inboard anti-roll bar. Adjustable tracking

BRAKES An electric reverse is mounted on the original Triumph prop shaft that was modified to fit the alloy-cased differential.

Out the back is a 20-litre, lockable and drop-down storage in the bottom of the rear section. You might not have noticed them but there is also a pair of Givi top boxes. The Grinnall mounting arrangement sat them down low, so Paul re-engineered that and they’re now at a useable height.

Also peeking out the rear is a single tailpipe that is fed by a pair of high-mounted mufflers. They are at the end of a custom stainless-steel exhaust that feeds all three headers into one pipe before the mufflers.

To get the wheel alignment sorted out properly, Paul resorted to the tried and true stringline and tape measure method. He set it once and took it out for a ride. It was close but not quite right so he tweaked it and hasn’t needed to touch it since.

With all of the work completed, Paul is really quite proud that it still looks like a motorcycle.

He reckons that there’s plenty of power and no difference in fuel economy. Round town or out on the freeway, Paul reckons it keeps up nicely with the traffic flow.

“A lot of people think it’s a Triumphbuilt,” offered Kaye. “We’ve even had people taking pics of us while we were riding along the freeway.”

Around town it’s good and much better for a pillion,” she added. “It took a while to get the hang of but now I can take a glove off for a drink or something to eat!”

Since the conversion, Paul and Kaye have clocked up 8000km and are still on the set of new tyres fitted before it went back on the road. Keep an eye out for them around Sydney and beyond – they get et to every event! C&T Cruiser & Trike

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Front brakes: 320mm floating rotors, 4-piston calipers Rear brake: Cortina Mk2 calipers acting on 254mm rotors. Stainlesssteel braided brake lines

WHEELS Front: Alloy 5-spoke 17 x 3.5in.

Rear: Grinnall Billet 3-piece alloy

by Image 10 x 17in

DIMENSIONS Dry weight: 395kg approx Width Overall: 1550mm Length Overall: 2900mm Wheelbase: 1950mm Maximum Power: 140bhp at 6,000 rpm Maximum Torque: 147ft/lbs at 2,500 rpm

IKON SHOCKS & S FORK SPRINGS

PANTHER TRIKES LIAN AUSTRAAND MADE TED OPERA

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Standard Panther Terminator FOR ONLY $28,600 inc GST

• Wide Widdee range ran ange nge of of tw twin wiinn sh sho shocks, hhoock cks, ks m monoo sh sshocks hoc ockks and for oc fork orkk sp or springs priring nggs to suit yesteryear today. suit bikes bik ikes ess from fro rom m ye yest esstter ter erye year ye ar ttoo to toda dayy. da y. damping improved • Progressive Prog Pr ogre ress ssiv ivee ra rate te sspringing prin pr ingi ging ng aand nd aadjustable djus dj usta tabl blee da damp mpin ingg fo forr im impr prov oved ed performance. • Variety of options for many models for varying loads, heights g and styles. • Custom made shocks a speciality.

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Pro Musicians audio driver fully Incorporated Into custom mould

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57SC 1938 Bugatti Type

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by Jean Bugatti, son of Type 57SC Atlantic, designed “dorsal seam” Bugatti of all is the superchargedaluminium-bodied coupe, with its distinctive The most sought-after of the million in 2010.

Bugatti. One example fetched more than $30 company’s founder, Ettore to be riveted together), the two halves of the body along its centre (enabling

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Craig Stevenson In 1976 MV Agusta would win their last Grand Prix, despite having won 17 consecutive 500cc GPs and by 1980 production would stop.

But before this the 350 S Ipotesi was as close as consumers could get to MV’s race pedigree in a 350cc capacity, with the bike providing the perfect mix of performance and style. This 350 S Ipotesi is clothed in Giacomo Agostini livery as a tribute to the racer.

(Incl. GST)

(Incl. GST)

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MV Agusta 350

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Price Guide 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

Cruiser price guide Can I afford it?

N

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

BOLLINI

WE SAY

HONDA

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

HUNTER

PRICE

urbanmotoimports.com.au

HYOSUNG

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

CF MOTO

cf-moto.com.au

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

DUCATI

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

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

huntermotorcycles.com.au

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

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

CAN-AM BRP SPYDER

honda.com.au

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 FLHX Street Glide............ Bad boy .......................................$33,995

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

KAWASAKI

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

KYMCO

kymco.com.au

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

LARO

laro.com.au

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

LIFAN

motorcycle-city.com.au

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

MOTO GUZZI

motoguzzi.com.au

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

PAGSTA

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

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

TORINO

torinomotorcycles.com.au

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

TRIUMPH

triumphmotorcycles.com.au

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

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

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 ...................... $2500 kit plus fitting and bike .. $Ask 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

2015 BIKE GUIDE ON N SALE NOW Check out the all-new w 2015 Bike Guide fo fforr more in-depth analysis of all the ne new w an a d and current models available in Aust stra rali lia. a Australia.

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HARLEY, HARLEY-DAVIDSON and the Bar & Shield Design are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC ©2013 H-D and its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Wiley X, Inc. is a licensee of Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

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Sandbag

The first time

You never really forget your first ride, no matter how long ago it was...

Words: Tim Sanford nce upon a time we didn’t ride motorcycles. It was a long time ago but, like so many things back then, the memories are crystal clear. We managed to get around using a variety of methods: walking, riding a bicycle, bus, train, even the extended drudgery of travel by car. There was no independence in that, the car normally being owned by some miserly person (parent perhaps?) who demanded that we fish around in the wallet to defray the extortionate contribution to fuel cost. Then, one day the sun rose and life changed both for the better and for always: the day we first rode a motorcycle.

I was hitching home late one night and, as you always do when you’re hitching, hoping that each approaching vehicle would be the one to slow down, pull over and offer me a ride. A single light appeared, slowed and stopped next to me. It was a metallic blue Triumph and without a moment’s hesitation I climbed onto the pillion seat.

“Hang on” muttered the rider. A totally unnecessary command because back then everybody knew that motorcycles were

O

hugely powerful beasts ridden at breakneck speed by the lowest dregs of society (some things never change). Outrageous speed and anti-social mayhem were the hallmarks of the breed and here I was clinging to the remnants of sanity on this Machine of the Devil as it scythed its way through the darkness. The cold was like chilled steel fingers stabbing into my body (the rider was clad in leather of course but all I had on were jeans and a thin jumper.) Helmet?

As if!! But the incredible lean angles through corners and the spine-snapping acceleration off the lights (this was an early sixties Triumph 500 remember) had every vein in my body pulsing with adrenaline. It is not a memory that was etched into my brain; it was carved in using a sharp chisel and a heavy mallet.

Driving over the same roads a couple of nights later I was warm but that was the only plus. The journey was drab and uneventful even though I was driving the car as fast as it would go. Every corner was an effort: hanging onto the steering wheel, body trying to resist the sideways forces; compared to the effortless corner carving on the motorcycle, it was all just Cruiser & Trike

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too much hard work. A motorcycle – I had to have one.

Thus were sown the seeds of a lifelong – and life-changing – interest. No, not merely an interest, more an obsession; a need which could only be filled by that amazing feeling you get when you ease out the clutch, wind on the throttle and the two wheels transport you away from the cares of everyday life. I got it the other day riding a test bike. Various things, all of them very important in my life, were coursing through my brain and demanding inspection, dissection and solution. You know the feeling; it all builds up until it presses down on your day. And then the clutch was eased out, the wheels started to roll and the world became a dazzlingly beautiful place where the only thing that mattered was the road ahead, the throb of the machine under me and the passage of the scenery. In those few moments your mind becomes totally focussed on the job of riding and the mood of the day goes from down to up like a rocket.

Is there a downside to this fantastic experience? Indeed there is: you can’t ride in your sleep. Well, you can try and I did that once but the sudden jolt into wakefulness as the bike left the tarmac and bounced over the dirt was more than enough to make me decide to keep my sleeping for bed or any other relatively safe place to pass out. Not only are the downsides minimal, the actual size of the motorcycle has never been an influence on the joy factor. Although, when I was teaching my daughter to ride, she in the rider’s seat, me on the pillion seat (of a 100cc Honda – yes, it had to be seen to be believed and no wonder she’s a good rider) on the daily trip home from primary school, all was going well until she said, “Dad, there’s a police car following us with the Xmas lights flashing”. Oh dear, that was an expensive exercise at the time but the skills she learnt (including recognising angry police cars in the mirror) have proved invaluable.

One of the useful side benefits of riding is that it gives us rather sharper survival skills for road travel than if we’d spent our lives in cars. A minor skirmish between two cars results in lots of swearing and money spent on panel repairs, whereas a skirmish between a car and a motorcycle… Well, let’s not go there.

I’ve just thought of another downside to riding a motorcycle; I can’t do it while I’m writing on this laptop. Gotta go, gotta ride. C&T

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