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CONTENTS NEW BIKES & TRIKES 12 26 34 40

46 68

78

Honda F6C Valkyrie Honda’s latest version of the stripped-down flat-six.

Harley-Davidson Street Bob Special More than just a change of bars.

Yamaha XVS650 Bobber LAMS special with style.

Honda CTX1300 Unique styling hides a multipurpose cruiser for all occasions.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special A quick ride of the new Road Glide Special.

Boom Mustang Thunderbolt Bigger engine with more power and an automatic transmission make for bigger smiles.

Ducati Diavel Carbon Sports cruiser from the faster end of the realm.

CUSTOMISED 100

Project Nuts & Bolts We’ve taken Yamaha’s Star Bolt and made it uniquely ours.

As you read this, it already has a new owner.

RIDDEN 108

Long Termer: Yamaha XV1900AT We gave it to a non-Cruiser rider and pillion and set them free.

BREAKING COVER 24

66

Can-Am Spyder F3 Take our money. This is the engine we love in a sports cruiser package.

Harley-Davidson CVO New and fun stuff from HD’s dream section.

ON THE ROAD 52

65

A Day in the Saddle Warrnambool to Sydney — but not the way you’d expect.

Aussie Hardarse Association More info about how to ahchieve your own Challenge.

Yamaha XVS1300AT Star Tourer

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PEOPLE & PLACES 76 88 104 114

Industry Insight Women on Harleys Indian Motorcycle Museum Tucked quietly away in Brisbane.

Shop Talk: Sydney Dyno Shops that do the right thing deserve praise.

Cruiser Club of SA, Mannum Run A little bit of damp didn’t stop them.

WITH YOUR HELP 8

Reader’s Ride Ted’s Triumph Speedmaster wasn’t as much fun anymore. But it’s all better now.

TECHNICAL NOTES 20 86 94 110 120

FYI News and products you need to know about.

Stuff We’re Testing This time we check out Mark’s stuff.

Cruiser & Trike Christmas Gift Guide Stuff that deservs to be given as presents.

The Shed: Headlight Protection Think of it as very cheap insurance.

Cruiser & Trike Price Guide Do the sums and count the pennies.

COLUMNS 7

114

G’day Embrace progress while acknowledging the heritage.

Sandbag He said something about something.

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New Ducati Diavel

Don’t call me a cruiser With its intoxicating design and an innovative LED headlight, refined rider comfort, 162 hp out of the latest generation Testastretta 11º Dual Spark engine matched with incredible handling: the new Diavel changes the rules of the cruiser concept.

To discover the new Diavel, book a test ride at your local Authorised Ducati Dealer today.

Editorial

EMBRACE PROGRESS WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE HERITAGE

A

s 2014 di disappears from f the th calendar, what you’re holding is the biggest, fattest copy of Cruiser & Trike ever — all 124 pages of it. There’s obviously extra work producing a magazine this thick but there

were still stories left over because we ran out of space!

Your copy of C&T 6.6 might be on an iPad or it could be an old-fashioned printed version, but the content will be the same. The only thing that changes is how you receive it.

The printed magazine hasn’t really changed that much over the last 25 years. It still looks and feels the same except with a lot more colour. The technology behind the scenes has certainly changed. Email was relatively unknown in 1989 and a typewriter sat on my desk. Now I stare at a huge iMac that also plays music. Pink Floyd’s Pulse, for those interested.

This shift in technology is mirrored in the bikes we ride. EFI and ABS were certainly available but not on a cruiser. HarleyDavidson had only just discovered the CV carburettor and fitted it to its 80-cubic-inch Evolution Softails. Its cruise control was a friction pad controlled by the thumb wheel hanging from the bottom of the right-hand switchblock. The less said about HD brakes of that era, the better. Metric cruiser choices were limited. Remember the Yamaha Virago 1100, Kawasaki VN750 or Suzuki Intruder?

Cruiser & Trike

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This year, we saw the return of Indian dealerships and now we’re eagerly looking forward to the all-new Scout and Roadmaster hitting showroom floors. Can-Am has just released the Spyder F3, which is more cruiser than traditional Spyders. Harley-Davidson has brought out the Street 500 and reintroduced the Road Glide. Honda’s Valkyrie and CTX1300 show that there is more than one way to build a cruiser. Yamaha, HarleyDavidson and Suzuki were each set to release new models at the Melbourne Moto Expo.

Yep, the industry is humming away happily.

But have you noticed all of the new technology? Probably not, because most of it is well-hidden. The bikes we ride and love look much the same but you’re getting a lot more for your money these days. Re-jetting to suit new mufflers is now done by a bloke with a keyboard and a dyno rather than a long road and a handful of jets.

Even if they perform better, last longer, use less fuel and stop better, they’re still fun.

Bit like your magazine. It’s called progress.

Embrace it, while acknowledging the heritage.

Have fun, Mick Withers

Readers’ Rides

ed Macdonald is the proud and happy owner of this Triumph Speedmaster. Up until recently, it had sat unregistered in his shed for a few years following a work injury to his shoulder and back. The pain from his shoulder and back restricted the lifelong rider to short trips of 30 minutes at a time. This was not on so we set out to help him get back on the road.

The standard rear shocks were not helping so a custom-made set was ordered from Ikon Suspension. The 7610P shock absorbers were fitted with long chrome upper shrouds, chrome bodies and black springs that were chosen especially to suit his weight.

After working out that the stock Speedmaster flat bars were too flat and the reach too great, Ted started looking for a set of bars that would place his hand roughly 50mm higher and 50mm closer. Ventura’s Rude-Boy bars were ordered and once fitted,

T

Ted found that the riding position felt more natural. The beauty of living in rural NSW is that you can always find a quiet, private road to test your mods. Straight after the test session, Ted got his Speedmaster reregistered.

Along with his wife, Trish, as pillion, Ted has added quite a few numerals to the odometer since then and is now able to ride much further than this time last year.

The whole aim of this project was to see if we could help a rider make his bike more comfortable and get back out on the road where he belongs. Thank you to Ikon Suspension and Ventura for their help and assistance. The difference that a set of handlebars and shock absorbers made was amazing and proves that with a bit of thought and research, you can make a big difference to your own riding comfort. Hopefully this will inspire other riders. C&T Cruiser & Trike

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HHARRLLP1 HA PP11000 001 00119

IT’S THE 2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON® GENUINE MOTOR PARTS & ACCESSORIES CATALOGUE. It tells a story as old as Harley-Davidson. With beautiful words, stunning pictures and thousands of ways to customise your Harley. Doesn’t matter how many times you read it, there’s always a different ending.

Pick up your copy at an Authorised Harley-Davidson Dealer. Or if you can’t wait, simply download at h-d.com.au

R

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, Tim Munro, Jon Van Daal, Justin Law, Ken Collin and Mary Collin Photographers Tim Munro, Mark Hinchliffe, Heather Ware, Jon Van Daal and Mick Withers Designer Jarrad McCallum Sub-Editor Anastasia Casey Editorial Email cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Subscription enquiries mailorder@universalmagazines.com.au Recently Retired National Sales & Marketing Manager John Arens. Thank you for your service and devotion.

Advertising Manager Sean Scott, SScott@universalmagazines.com.au 0414 223 277, (02) 9887 0393 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. 6 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 2203-2061 Copyright © Australian Publishing Pty Ltd MMXIV ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au

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New Bike Test

Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

HONDA VALKYRIE HONDA HAS CONTINUED TO STRIP THE EXCESS OFF THE GOLDWING. FIRST WAS THE F6B AND NOW HERE’S THE F6C Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Words: Justin Law Photos: Stuart Grant

H

onda’s Valkyrie has always been different to anything else and lovers of old-school cruisers had a fantastic alternative with the original back in 1996. What better way to celebrate one of the biggest engines on the market than to strip off its heavy overcoat and let it run naked?

The horizontal flat-six is the only thing you’ll find in common between

that first Valkyrie and this new foray into the custom/sports cruiser arena.

Even that’s different — and extra 300cc over the 1520cc original.

The new F6C is more paint and plastic — at least on our example, which is the metallic blue. You can also get black or red, which come with chrome touches around the fuel tank and engine heads but if you’re looking for a big, rumbling, shiny cruiser, you’re not going to find one here.

Remember the Rune that came out Cruiser & Trike

14

in 2003? That was all modern Art Deco with a weird triangular exhaust and loads of chrome. Then Honda went concept with the EVO6 in 2007, which was a nakedbike with again that new 1832cc engine. The F6C is somewhere in between with one distinct styling compromise: the radiator shrouds.

The side radiators came out on the Goldwing in 2001, but the Valkyrie didn’t adopt the new engine configuration and petered out in 2003. The Rune and EVO6 had front

New Bike Test

radiators, but Honda seems to really like this unique way of cooling its bikes and instead of trying to hide it, made it into a design feature. The effect is big, burly shoulders with a space helmetstyle headlight wedged between to make it look like something out of a Transformers movie.

So there’s a real modern look but there is still a distinct cruiser line through it with the sweep from the rubber-mounted handlebars down along the tank onto the low seat (thanks to a redesigned subframe) and over the rear hugger. The straight lines

GRINS The power … oh, the power Sweet handling and corner clearance Surprising fuel economy

GRIPES Riding position is a bit too upright Harsh stroke through the fork Lack of features

Cruiser & Trike

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formed by the pipes and heads work through the bike nicely and then you get to the wheels …

These are no chisel-toe Johnny Rebs. They are superlight running shoes and give away where Honda is going with this bike. It wouldn’t have been good enough to just strip down the Goldwing and give it a modern style; instead they’ve set it apart with true sports sensibility with lowprofile Dunlop Sportsmax tyres on light 19- and 17-inch wheels. They’re an inch bigger than the ’Wing and F6B bagger, presumably to increase ground clearance. The ABS brakes are no single-pot forearm pumpers either — there are four-pot calipers on each 310mm front disc and a bigger 316mm disc down back squeezed by a threepiston caliper.

The fairly standard non-adjustable cartridge-style 45mm forks tend to spoil the sporty allusion, although a preload-only adjustable Pro Link rear on a single-sided swingarm is not your usual cruiser fare. The shaft drive is

New Bike Test

Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

also quite compact in a further effort to reduce unsprung weight or at least try to get the bulk down — 341kg wet is up there with more elaborately adorned bikes but 41kg lighter than the FB6 and a whole person lighter (81kg) than the Goldwing.

This is also achieved with lighter multi-box aluminium chassis in twinspar configuration and, of course, the complete removal of bodywork over the front end. There’s no big nacelle or screen or much of anything rather than the simple rectangular dash and the glimpse of that modern headlight. The dash has two small buttons to scroll through and reset the trip meters, and you can access a menu that will change the display to a simple greeting when

you switch the key on and a “Goodbye” when you switch off the bike. The only other mod con I could find was the indicators cancel themselves after you’ve leaned through a corner.

There’s a small compartment behind the shrouding under the seat on the right-hand side that houses the tool kit and owners’ manual, and has enough room for a couple of pairs of socks or whatever else you might want to store away out of sight. Under the shroud on the other side, both of which easily pull off and press back on, is the knob for the rebound adjustment.

These were pointed out by the Honda technician when I asked what there was to know about the bike before I took off. The only other thing was the key hole for the fuel filler cap that’s in front of your left shin, presumably to keep the plastics around the tank (chrome on the other colour schemes) free of clutter. There is precious little else.

No cruise control, traction control or engine mapping or anything other than the switches for lights (the high beam flashes with a thumb switch rather than trigger), the simple indicator switch and sizeable button for the meatysounding horn.

Cruiser & Trike

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There’s only one control you really need to concern yourself with and that’s the throttle on the other side.

Twisting it immediately justifies your purchase decision because there are few bikes that accelerate as hard. The 1832cc horizontally opposed SOHC, two-valve, six-cylinder engine is fed

by PGM-FI controlled fuel-injection with twin 40mm Keihin throttle bodies and a Valkyrie-specific 6.6L airbox and panel-type air filter. Honda hasn’t or won’t release power figures for the famous donk but a bit of internet research turned up published test figures of 104rwhp and 152Nm. That torque figure is where it’s at and the source of it showed a flat torque curve that starts well before 2000rpm.

Simply letting out the clutch from idle gets you off the mark and when you do tap it open, you’re immediately immersed in power that is rich and constant through the short rev range that ends all too soon at 6000rpm.

I was expecting the trade-off to be watching the LCD fuel indicator click down the bars at frightening pace, but a strop through the hills around Melbourne returned 5.5L/100km. Expect that to be higher on the freeway without anything amounting to sensible aerodynamics for when you get over the 100km/h mark.

Around town in cruise mode, as much as the Valkyrie has a distinct look, it lacks in the rumble department.

Perhaps some aftermarkets could get a bit of rort out of it, but no one will hear it scream with the standard pipes on it. Of course, away from the lights, you will leave everything else out of the box in the class standing still.

New Bike Test By the time you get through the fivespeed gearbox, made nice with a lightaction hydraulic clutch, you are going ridiculously fast and struggling to hold on.

Perhaps that’s why they gave it a more upright seating position with footpegs rather than offer up laid-back footboard cruising. At highway speed with the engine ticking over just under 3000rpm, that seating position is comfortable in its neutrality and is made more comfortable by the broad seat.

It’s a bit on the firm side but is wide enough to ensure you won’t be wishing you were there yet before fuel stops. The rear bolster holds you nicely in place — especially when you’re finding out just how fast this baby will go — and the pillion seat offers enough padding to be a reasonable weekender for two. If you’re

a solo trekker, the big hand rails provide good anchor points for strap-on luggage or you can remove the rails and pillion seat altogether for cruising.

Were you to limit yourself to cruising, you’d miss out on just how well this bike handles. The 1707mm wheelbase is long, but the weight bias, wide bars and the low centre of gravity unique to horizontally opposed engine-powered machines makes it a quick steerer.

Changing line is easy but once you’ve settled on one, the suspension works well enough to keep you there no matter how rough it gets.

It’s as firm as you’d expect from a bike with sports pretentions, and backing off the preload will improve the quality of the ride, which is not a bad thing when you’re going somewhere far away or

Cruiser & Trike

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tackling the local boulevard. However, keeping it tight means you can explore the generous corner clearance, the Dunlops giving you loads of confidence.

Clicking through the five-speed gearbox is slick enough and made slicker with the easy-pull hydraulic clutch (great around town), although you really don’t need to do that much.

The great gobs of torque mean you can drop below 1000rpm in top and still pull it out without chugging, so blasting through the hills means minimal rowing through the box.

Overall, the Valkyrie is a very different imagining of what a cruiser can be and for those looking to break the mould, there is nothing like it. Awesome power, excellent handling and a u unique niq ni qu ue style make it hard to beat. C&T T

New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Honda F6C Valkyrie Price: $20,199 (plus on-road charges) Engine: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 12-valve, SOHC flat-6 Bore x stroke: 74mm x 71mm Displacement: 1832cc Compression: 9.8:1 Power: 87kW @ 5500rpm Torque: 167Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet clutch Suspension: 45mm telescopic fork, Pro-Link Pro-Arm with preload adjustment

Cruiser & Trike

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Brakes: ABS. Front, 310 disc with 4-piston calipers. Rear, 316 ventilated disc with 3-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 130/60R19M/C. R: 180/55R17M/C Frame: Twin spar aluminium Seat height: 734mm Wheelbase: 1797mm Weight: 341kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 23.2L Fuel consumption: 5.5L/100km Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance

FYI

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

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

ROSSI BOOTS

facebook.com/CruiserTrike Our ability to break anything to do with the interwebs is becoming infamous. IT people laugh at us from behind their soy latte decafs. Facebook has resisted our best efforts. Drop in and say g’day.

Chuck yer pics up on the wall or talk about the pics already hanging. Join in. Costs nothing and apparently you can even interact with us.

VENTURA ASTRO 32L TOP-BOX Complete kits including model-specific mounting L brackets, a Ventura-specific Top-Box rack and all hardware for nearly 2000 different motorcycle models are available now.

As Ventura is a modular luggage system, complete Astro Top-Box kits are compatible with all Ventura Bike-Packs and accessories and can be upgraded at any time if even more flexibility or extra luggage capacity is required.

The Ventura Astro Complete Kit is RRP $339 and is available Australia-wide.

For the full range of fitments and part numbers, as well as details of your nearest stockist, visit kenma.com.au

We applaud products that are Australian-made by Australianowned companies.

All Rossi Boots footwear is made in a factory on Sir Donald Bradman Drive in Hilton, Adelaide, and since 1910, the Rossiter family has been designing and making footwear, specialising in boots. The company produced lots of boots when Australians marched off to war. Not any more, though. The Australian Defence Force recently awarded that contract to a bunch of foreigners who will make the boots in a factory in China. Nice work, ADF. You can do your own bit to support Australian workers and offset the creep of imported product by giving due consideration to Rossi Boots next time you’re buying. A quick search around the office and bike shed turned up two pairs of Rossi Boots — one pair of buckle-equipped off-road boots that I’ve owned since the ’80s and a pair of P134s that arrived more recently as a gift from a mate. When I first started riding, the boots of choice –– other than ex-army GPs or ex-fireman boots from the disposal store –– was a pair of Rossi P134 boots. Bike coppers wore them then and many still do. They were a good and solid boot without many of the frills and flash that has become so common. Rossi still make them!

When I’m not riding or wearing thongs, I normally wear boots.

Having wide feet has made it hard to find boots that fit properly but my newest pair of dual-purpose boots is a pair of Rossi Boots 124 Eagles that fit my feet like a beaut.

They are lace-up with a side zip and soft toe and made on Rossi’s new wider and deeper Centenary last (mould). Other features are Stratus PU/TPU soles, Technogel heel impact pad and a Flexi-Dome three-layer foot bed. The side zippers are YKK and make getting the boots on and off very quick. The upper is full-grain brown leather.

Even though I’ve only been wearing them for a month or so, they already have that lived-in feel you only get from a goodquality pair of boots. I’ve found that loosening the laces makes it much easier to get them on and off. After putting them on, I can tighten them to suit my foot shape.

The RRP is $299 and you can find a list of retailers at rossiboots.com.au

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FYI

SYKO HELMETS Looking for a full-face helmet with a difference? Check out these two new offerings from Syko Helmets.

Approved to the latest AS/ NZS1698 Standards, and with lightweight and hard-wearing Polylite shell construction, these helmets are aerodynamically designed, with three front vents, a top vent and a pair of rear exhaust vents. There’s also a builtin breath deflector for the heavy breathers out there. The lining is ultra-soft and plush and there’s a chin curtain to reduce noise and turbulence. While under your chin, there’s a double D-ring retention system.

Adult sizes are S to XXL and they are available at better motorcycle shops and parts outlets right across the map. With an RRP of $199, they’d make a great stocking stuffer.

A BLOKE WRITES A BOOK If you can’t find at least a dozen reasons to laugh while reading At the Altar of the Road Gods, maybe you need to get out more. The author is a bloke called Boris Mihailovic. He can be very funny and very serious. In this book, he’s definitely recounting funny stories.

You may laugh because it’s all too familiar, or you may laugh in disbelief at the almost unbelievable tales. But you will laugh.

Buy a copy now from a book-selling shop.

Another great Christmas gift idea for that impossible-to-buy-for person you have to buy for.

SILKOLENE OILS Before you head off on your summer holiday, treat your bike to an oil change with some premium oil. FUCHS Silkolene is the brand to look for. Better motorcycle-parts retailers will have the full range on display but Supercheap also carries part of the range. You weren’t expecting that, were you?

For more info on which FUCHS Silkolene products suit your bike, punch in silkolene. com.au and follow the Silkolene link to “Product for your bike”.

Cruiser & Trike

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ORDER THE NEW TODAY

ONLY $25 TEES COME IN BLACK OR WHITE AND SIZES S-3XL

Call 1300 303 414 or visit www.universalshop.com.au to order one today!

CRUISER & TRIKE T-SHIRTS They’re either black or white. They’re $25. They’re a great Christmas gift idea. They’re available in sizes from S to XXXL.

PAUL’S NEW JACKET AND HELMET With the warmer weather appearing suddenly, Tim and Paul each scored a new Kabuto Aeroblade III helmet and a Moto Dry Air Blade II jacket.

Too early to say much about them but Tim has been wearing his previous Kabuto Aeroblade III for a year and reckons that it’s a good hat.

The Air Blade II jacket includes lots of zippered vents to maximise airflow without compromising protection. It also has a pocket on the forearm for your phone.

We’ll give you feedback when they’ve been run-in and have clocked up a lot more miles.

The Kabuto Aeroblade III helmets retail for $425 and come in sizes to fit all heads. The Moto Dry Air Blade II jackets are $199.95 and also come in sizes to suit most. Check them out in your local parts and accessories outlet or online at motonational.com.au

XRH HELMET The XRH open-face helmet is one of the lightest street-legal options available in Australia. Photo-guru Tim Munro has been using one for a while now and reckons that it’s both comfortable and practical, with good-sized D rings and a clip to fasten the end of the chinstrap. He also said that it’s surprisingly well insulated considering the compact profile of the external moulding.

When we visited The Wots Den recently to check out its range of biker apparel, we found it’s offering a great little addition with the range of XRH helmets — custom airbrushing. The Wots Den carries stock of several generic designs including skulls and bushranger-style

graphics. What really interested us, though, is the option to create your own artwork, or add a name or small graphic to one of the existing designs, for a very reasonable price. The airbrushing is high quality and finished with several coats of clear to keep the helmet looking good.

The solid-colour helmets retail for $110, while the custom-painted lids are around $300: not bad at all for something unique.

The Wots Den also stocks a range of riding gear and accessories, as well as offering a full workshop service centre. It’s located at the M Centre, Shop 28/40 Sterling Road, Minchinbury NSW 2770. Cheeky works some non-standard hours so best to call him on 0401 884 499.

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2015 SPYDER F3 WE’D LIKE TO CLAIM THAT THE NEW SPYDER F3 WAS OUR DESIGN. BUT EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL VERY CLOSE TO OUR WISH LIST, IT’S SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING WE DREAMED UP

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Breaking Cover

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rom the very first time we tried the Rotax 1330 ACE engine, which powered the Spyder RT Limited tested last issue, all we’ve talked about when it came to Spyders was that engine in an RS chassis. We wanted a hot rod and now the smug smiles from every Can-Am staffer we harassed make sense. Actually. It makes a lot more than just sense.

The Spyder F3 comes with the proven Rotax 1330 ACE engine, which offers an exciting blend of power and torque, underlined by a new signature exhaust note.

As with all Can-Am Spyder models, the

Spyder F3 offers both manual and semiautomatic transmissions.

If you’re not familiar with the basics of the Rotax 1330 ACE engine, it is a liquidcooled, inline triple with EFI and fly-bywire throttle. The extra excitement comes from the 86kW (115hp) peak at 7250rpm and a torque bump of 130Nm (96ft-lb) at 5000rpm that belies how wide and flat the torque curve is from this engine.

Stacked up next to an RS, the F3 is slightly heavier — 386kg to 362kg (dry) — but the F3’s better power-to-weight ratio should make up for any deficiency.

The styling of the F3 is much more cruiser than any other current Spyder, especially next to the RS, which is the sports model. The Spyder F3 features the exclusive UFit system, allowing riders to personalise their Spyder F3 with customised peg positions and handlebar options to suit their own tastes and riding style. Can-Am is getting right behind the whole

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personalisation idea with a range of new parts, accessories and clothing.

“The Spyder F3 represents the next era for the Can-Am Spyder line-up and for on-road riding as a whole,” says Chris Dawson, vice president and general manager — global sales and consumer experience division. “The Spyder F3 truly delivers a soul-stirring riding experience, combining a muscular design, a custom-fit cruising-riding position and an advanced stability system for one incredible ride. You have to ride it to believe it.”

Along with the Spyder F3, the entire Can-Am Spyder line-up is refreshed with striking new colours and introduces, for the first time, the Special Series available on 2015 Spyder RT, ST and RS models.

The Spyder F3 will be available in Australia and New Zealand in autumn, 2015. We’re fans of the Spyder range and will bring you a full road test of the F3 as soon as we possibly can. C&T

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

MINOR CHANGES MAKE BIG DIFFERENCES. A BIKE THAT BEGS TO BE RIDDEN

special Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

e recently tested HarleyDavidson’s 48 and I was very impressed with the way the motorcycle instantly brought back the almost obsessive “gotta ride it” feeling of my first motorcycle. The Special Edition Street Bob is every bit as evocative and I found a million excuses to get out there and ride it. The two bikes are quite different to look at as they are on the spec sheet but underneath, where that elusive heart and soul lies, their DNA is identical.

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Time was pressing when I picked up the Harley and there wasn’t a minute to sit and gaze at its styling — it was thumb the button and roar off down the road.

At the first set of lights, the minimalist styling hit me: the massive, flat, bentback bars, which looked like they’d been made out of water pipes big enough to service a small inland town, set the tone in gleaming chrome with all the other visibles being either gleaming black or satin black. Lights green and the usual processes had the bike rolling along sweetly in an instant. By the time the next set of lights called a halt, I had made some major discoveries about the bike’s character — a remarkable revelation given the fact that I don’t think we’d yet covered 3km. But I’m

getting ahead of myself.

So I had better tell you the Stuff You Need to Know.

ABOUT THE BIKE The 103-cubic-inch twin-cam engine provides the power and it drives the rear wheel through a six-speed box and a wide-belt final drive. Wheels are listed as nice steel with shiny spokes but our test bike had the cast-alloy six-spoke wheels, which I think look even better than the more traditional spoked style.

Braking is handled by a single disc up front with a four-piston caliper. At the rear, there is a twin-piston caliper grabbing the single disc. Suspension is by conventional front fork, which is not adjustable and the rear end is sprung by twin shocks

Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Street Bob Special FXDBB Price: $23,995 (Ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, Twin Cam 103B, 45º 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: 134Nm @ 3000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

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

Tyres: F: 100/90-19 R: 160/70-17 Frame: Tubular cradle

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Seat height: 670mm Wheelbase: 1630mm Length: 2395mm Weight: 307kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 17.8L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

New Bike Test with adjustment for spring preload.

Instrumentation is a single speedo on the tank with the usual lights to let you know high beam is on, neutral is engaged etc. There is an excellent digital readout that you can play with to tell you total distance travelled, trips A and B, the time of day, expected distance to reserve and also engine revs and which gear is currently driving the wheels. A very good feature of this little readout is that when the reserve light warns you to look for a fuel stop, the readout will give you an estimate of how many kays are left before the dreaded silence takes the gloss

off your trip. This is a very useful feature and it adds to the information provided by the little illuminated fuel gauge that sits in the dummy fuel filler on the left side of the tank. This system is so good that even I didn’t run out of fuel! The ignition system is activated by Harley’s excellent fob, which means once you’ve turned the bike on at the beginning of your ride, the fob stays safely in your pocket but the bike’s alarm will scream if someone tries to move it. Yet, as soon as you get back on board, the fob talks to the bike and away you go. So simple and so effective.

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ABOUT THE RIDE A couple of kays was all I needed to discover that this is a very impressive motorcycle, which came with some very pleasant surprises. You will note that it has six speeds in the gearbox but I haven’t made my usual scathing comments about Harley and its evident “need” for six gears.

That’s because not only is this an excellent gearbox — I rate it as far and away the best transmission (clutch and gearbox) I have tested on big American twins — but it also complements the characteristics of the big engine superbly. High praise? Yes, indeed, but richly deserved.

New Bike Test

The engine is a gem with lots of shakes and vibes at idle (you just have to watch the dancing of the pipes when you’re stopped at the lights). There is also a good dose of vibes, especially for pillions, at low town speeds. Then there’s that long, smooth and effortless delivery of power when the throttle is turned hard. The engine’s sweet range begins at about 2500rpm and maximum torque is developed at 3000. At 2500, the road speeds are about 80km in fourth, 100 in fifth and 120 in sixth so as you enter the sweet zone, you are also entering the maximum torque zone and this means the bike pulls well when you need it to.

I found that I tended to cruise a lot in fourth in the early part of the test but

then I started to use the higher gears as well. Sitting on 100 in sixth and trying an overtaking manoeuvre is not such a good idea on other new Harleys but the Street Bob seemed to give it a bit of thought for a few milliseconds and then it just powered past the traffic problem with zero fuss, thanks to the grunt available from the 103. Obviously, it would have been quicker in a lower gear but it was no slouch in sixth and I call that a good thing. I thought, perhaps, that the bike was lower-geared than the other six-speed Harleys we’ve tested but that’s not the case; the gearing is identical so it must be just the lighter weight of the Street Bob that makes the difference here.

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and I found that every gear change was as simple as it should be: use the clutch, move the lever whichever way is needed and the box changes — no fuss, no noise, no drama, every time without fail.

The clutch action is light and superbly progressive and that action, coupled with the engine’s smooth and completely predictable fuelling, meant the bike feels small and very nimble with its quick and precise steering. It goes where you put it and it stays there. Several design aspects help with this: the bike’s light weight of 305kg ready-to-roll, the steering rake of just 29º and the trail of only 119mm.

Getting it through the car park jungle at a brisk pace feet up is an absolute breeze and it can be trickled along in snarling traffic feet up at walking pace. The bike’s narrow build makes traffic threading dead easy.

Ease of getaway is always there with the clutch take up very close to the bar, but that’s something you’ll get used to quite quickly.

The seat height feels very low but a comparison of the specs of other Harleys shows that it is not the lowest available.

Regardless of that, I found that the riding position and the reach to the bars and footpegs were just about perfect for the Sandbag frame, although shorter riders

New Bike Test

may find it a bit long. The seat is smooth and long and it allows you to move your position forward or backwards easily to make minor comfort adjustments during the ride.

As delivered to us, the foot controls were not at all good for my boot position but a few moments with the spanners had the screw and locknut adjustment of the rear brake pushrod placing the brake pedal just under my right boot. The gear lever is a different story and although the adjustment is easy, the increment is the movement of the pedal by one spline on the shaft. I was lucky that this put the lever in a location I could live with happily but it can’t be too hard to put a nice chromed turnbuckle adjustment on the rod that connects the lever to the gearbox. Can it? That would give you the same sort of precise adjustment the brake pedal provides.

Self-cancelling indicators are good and the system works to keep you safe because you can’t ride along for more than 20 flashes before the system takes over and turns them off for you. Good one. And because they self-cancel, you don’t have to go searching for the little green light winking away merrily in the

tank-mounted speedo.

The side stand is very stable but it is well tucked away behind the transmission case and requires a bit of leg contortion to get at it. As an owner, you’ll get used to that pretty quickly.

Suspension is nice and supple up front but as delivered, the bike was set at the softest setting for the rear spring preload and that was way too soft for my 92kg riding weight. Every bump bottomed the suspension onto the stops making the ride very uncomfortable. Out with the C-spanner: up two notches, still too soft; up four, too hard; but up three was where Goldilocks found it “just right”.

This setting was good enough to deal with anything nasty on urban roads but the bike is so good, I think I would treat it to a set of good aftermarket shocks and springs.

Ground clearance is excellent and I got around double the advisory speed signs before anything scraped. The footpegs were first to go followed closely on the right by the worm drive clamps for the exhaust pipe heat covers. Another degree or two would have the solid frame touching down as well so please don’t get too brave in right-handers.

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GRINS

The styling The superb engine and transmission The light and nimble feel to the ride

GRIPES

Non-adjustable front brake lever

New Bike Test

The footpegs are in just the right place for a comfortable cruise and when you stop, your feet easily find the ground. The braking system, with its single disc at each end, provides more than enough stopping power in any situation. The front lever is not adjustable for reach but the shape of the lever seems to take care of this well enough and with two fingers, there is more than enough braking power to stop you in an emergency and there is a good ABS system to back you up if needed.

ABOUT THE STYLE Styling is unusual at first glance but as HD so often does it, it looks right. The bike sits

tall at the front and tapers down and back to the bobbed rear end. The chromed bar is clamped in two massive risers, which sit on a solid black fork crown. Fork leg caps and steering stem are gleaming chrome, which contrasts sharply with the blacks.

Black mirrors and black switch blocks mean your vision is not distracted – until you stop and enjoy the view over the backward sloping bars.

The look is one you’d expect from a very carefully crafted custom where heaps of thought has gone into the details of just how everything will fit together and not be just a conglomeration of black bits with shiny bits.

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The rest of the bike is done with a very deep, lustrous metallic red with pearly grey contrasting panels, a gloss black frame and five-spoke black and silver cast-alloy wheels.

Every comment I heard from people was positive and it really is a head-turner, not so much because it is outrageously styled but simply because it looks so good.

AND FINALLY It is very stylish and it attracts favourable comments everywhere it goes. On every highway, it turns the journey into a comfortable cruise with a strong rush of power when you need it. Best of all, ll,, it makes you want to get out and ride! e! C&T C&

LAMS BOBBER

YAMAHA XVS65 Cruiser & Trike

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LAMS BOBBER

Take one of Yamaha’s well-proven XVS650 Customs and flash it up with the Bobber kit for instant cool

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LAMS BOBBER

Words & Photos: Mick Withers

e’ve spent a bit of time with Yamaha’s XVS650 Custom.

Firstly, we borrowed one for returning rider Philip Stone to have a ride of and also to undertake the Skillmaster rider training. He came away impressed.

Next to sample the XVS650 Custom was Kristine Macdonald, the owner of a 1912 Triumph who had never ridden a bike with a disc brake before. Two

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riders approaching it from different angles but both came away happy.

Looking at Yamaha’s best-selling cruiser, it’s obvious that the Custom plucks the right chords for a lot of people. It’s a light, fun and easy-toride package that will keep a rider’s attention from learner to licence and beyond. The factory styling is basic but timeless. No frills or fancy bits here.

Recognising that there were customers who wanted more (or less, as the case may be), a restyling Cruiser & Trike

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package was put together by Ficeda and offered through the Yamaha dealer network, which is what we have here in front of us.

Starting from the front, the standard handlebars are replaced by a wide and low set that changes the whole look and feel of the bike. Hanging off the bars is a pair of mirrors that are much sexier than the stockers they replace.

Also new, slimmer and sleeker than the original are the E-marked blinkers on either side of the fork legs. The E-mark

LAMS BOBBER ensures parts so-marked have full road legality in all Australian states.

The fuel tank and everything below it remains stock.

Next behind the tank is a rather minimalist-appearing solo seat.

Directly behind that (and sort of under it but you get the idea) is a fibreglass rear guard that extends rearward and carries the new clear-lens taillight and blinkers. All three of the rear lights are completely roadworthy and about a million per cent better looking than the original gear. A sticker on the guard tells you that this is now a single-seat motorcycle and removing the factory pillion pegs and brackets enables you to register it as such in Queensland.

Down below the rider’s seat is a shock absorber that was locally designed and built just for the XVS650 Bobber.

Stepping back and having a look at this Bobber compared to a completely stock XVS650 Custom really drives home the difference that a relatively small number of parts can and does make.

We reckon the basic XVS650 package is pretty good and easy to live with.

GRINS Fun bike to ride Shaft drive Five-year warranty

GRIPES Clutch take-up point Handlebars Sounds like a generator

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The Bobber kit makes it look better.

As the largest movable object around here, I nominated myself as the rider for this test. Having ridden the XVS650 Custom a bit when we had the stocker, I was keen to see how the Bobber stacked up.

Peeking out from under the left rear corner of the fuel tank is a device that younger riders may not be familiar with. It’s a choke button. Pulling it out allows the pair of 28mm Mikuni carburettors to supply more fuel and idle faster while the bike warms up from cold. Once upon a time in the ice age before the advent of EFI, all motorcycles had similar systems fitted.

With the air-cooled 650cc V-twin engine suitably warm, you simply push the lever back in and ride away.

The clutch action is light and the forward-mounted gear level positive.

Actually, the clutch lever’s take-up point was further out from the bars than I like and that may be an issue for riders with normal-sized hands rather than my XXXXL paws. Careful adjustment and set-up of the clutch cable should help with that. The bike I rode was barely run-in and still not due for its first service.

Looking at the rear suspension and thinking about the deflection of the needle last time I ambled onto a set of scales, I was dubious. Then I was shocked. Riding around my local roads and the semi-rural roads surrounding us, the Bobber held up very well. The suspension is best described as plush and obviously configured for lighter

LAMS BOBBER

BOBBER IN A BOX Ficeda’s custom Bobber Kit transforms the learner-approved V-twin into a super-cool stripped-down hot rod for $2500 plus fitting.

Designed in Australia using premium-quality components, the Bobber Kit comprises: • Custom fibreglass rear mudguard • Seat bracket, fittings and fasteners • Low-rider-type 36-inch handlebars • Set of four mini blinkers, clear lens, E-marked • Front RH and LH coated blinker brackets • Clear lens tail light, E-marked • Alloy cruiser-style wing mirrors • Rear light/indicator sub wiring loom • Custom-built lowered rear shock The kit is designed to fit the XVS650 Custom model only and not the XVS650A Classic or any other Yamaha cruiser.

riders, but still wasn’t bottoming out when overloaded and pushed just that bit harder. Suspension: bloody good.

A mate’s book launch was all the excuse I needed to head east and into Sydney’s inner-west along Parramatta Road and the madness that is Norton Street, Leichhardt, on a Saturday evening. The handlebars are wide and that made filtering harder than it needed to be. If I were planning to ride the Bobber in traffic regularly, I’d whip the hacksaw out and knock 30 to 50mm off each side to make it easier to slip between the stopped traffic.

Apart from the width problem, the XVS650 Bobber carved up the inner-city traffic like a demon. Light and easy to chuck around with a

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reasonably upright riding position made for a lot of fun while the traffic was moving.

By the time I’d hit the M4 westbound, exhaust options were being thought about. This is a seriously quiet motorcycle. I’ve seen an aftermarket exhaust fitted to a Bobber and it sounded pretty good without being loud enough to help you meet every copper you pass. Ask the nice people at your local Yamaha dealer for advice or suggestions.

Even overloaded as it was, the XVS650 Bobber had no trouble at all sitting ahead of the traffic around suburbia or along the freeways.

From Homebush to the foot of the Blue Mountains is about 45km

LAMS BOBBER along the M4. An easy trip but I found that the bars were a bit too low for my 183cm frame. A change of handlebar risers to lift them up 25 to 50mm would make a difference. The rest of the time they were fine but that piece of road at night without any stop-start traffic became uncomfortable. Hey, it’s a very minor point and quite an easy fix with risers or a slightly different set of handlebars. One of the real beauties of the Bobber is that it is extremely easy to personalise to suit you.

Being a LAMS bike that doesn’t look like one is a good thing with many riders hanging on to their XVS650 beyond the P-plate period. The five-year warranty is a definite bonus. Adding a Bobber kit as well is a good first step ep along the road to customising. C&T T

Quickspecs Model: Yamaha V-Star XVS650A Custom Price: $10,499 (plus Bobber kit and ORC) Engine: Air-cooled 70º V-twin, SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 81 x 63mm Displacement: 649cc Compression: 9.0:1 Power: 30kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 50.9Nm @ 3000rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multiplate clutch, shaft final drive Suspension: F: 41mm telescopic forks. R: Single shock with

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adjustable preload Brakes: F: 298mm rotor with twopiston caliper. R: 200mm drum Tyres: F: 100/90-19 R: 170/80-15 Frame: Tubular steel double cradle Seat height: 695mm Wheelbase: 1610mm Length: 2340mm Weight: 233kg (wet, full tank) Fuel capacity: 17.8L Warranty: 5 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

HONDA CTX1300 WE’VE SEARCHED FAR AND WIDE BUT HAVEN’T FOUND A SINGLE RULE ABOUT HOW A CRUISER HAS TO LOOK. THANKFULLY, NEITHER HAS HONDA. Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

SPECIAL THANKS

Western Motorcycles for allowing us to borrow the Honda CTX1300 demonstrator for this road test. You’ll find Western Motorcyles online at westernmotorcycles.com.au or in the flesh at 283 Mulgoa Road, Penrith NSW 2750. Phone (02) 4733 1733.

Words: Mick Withers Photos: Tim Munro

hen Honda designers set out to forge their own path, they certainly don’t follow anybody else’s lead. Over the years, they’ve produced any number of unique and original designs. The CTX1300 is another one.

After eavesdropping on a conversation at Western Motorcycles between two couples who were circling the CTX1300 demonstrator, I began thinking, “Why is it so?”

Honda pigeonholes the CTX1300 as a touring model and that’s probably a reasonable tag to hang off the handlebars.

But we reckon the line between touring and cruisers is often blurry. Think of Honda’s

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F6B as a prime example. Certain bikes skate from one side of the class line to the other and the CTX1300 is one of them.

Have a walk around the CTX1300 and check out the basics. A seat height of 739mm is low by touring standards but perfectly normal for a cruiser. The footpegs are set low and forward by touring standards but, again, are perfectly normal for a cruiser. The third point of contact in this triangle is the handlebars and they fit equally into either pigeonhole. This means that the seating position would feel very familiar to a cruiser rider without alienating a touring rider.

The low-rise fairing is now relatively common on baggers from most manufacturers. Perhaps that’s where the CTX1300 really belongs; a new class called Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Honda CTX1300 Price: $20,446 (Ride away) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 1261cc, longitudinally-mounted, 90º V-Four, 4-stroke, PGM-FI, four 36mm throttle bodies, computer controlled digital ignition Bore x stroke: 78 x 66mm Displacement: 1261cc Compression: 10.0:1 Power: 62kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 106Nm @ 3250rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multiplate clutch, shaft final drive

bagger. The basic requirements for a bagger are all included as part of the CTX1300’s standard equipment with the low-rise fairing housing the obligatory stereo system and a set of hard panniers mounted low and rearward. A dual-seat with comfort as a high priority on the design brief is also a basic part of the package and Honda complied.

Enough power to carry two full-size humans down the road at the speed limit without breaking out in a sweat is priority level one. Honda used the proven 1261cc V-Four from the ST1300. Longitudinally mounted with a head pointing out to either side of the fuel tank, the chrome headers snake forward before sweeping down and rearward to a pair of large chrome mufflers, one on either side of the swingarm and exiting below the panniers.

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Suspension: F: 45mm inverted telescopic fork. R: Twin rear shocks Brakes: ABS F: Dual 310mm rotors with four-piston calipers. R: Single 315mm rotor.

Tyres: F: 130/70R-18 R: 200/50R-17 Seat height: 739mm Wheelbase: 1638mm Weight: 328.5kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 19.3L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

Lots of boxes have been clichéd but the result is a mini-bagger. Mini in stature compared to Honda’s own F6B but large in features, it comes with standard inclusions to make life comfortable round town or out on the highway.

ROUND THE BLOCK Sitting on the CTX1300 for the first time, the analogue speedo and tacho on the dash flanked by a pair of speakers appeared to be a long way forward but they were easy to read. The ’bars are reasonably wide but, being tubular, would also be easy to swap out for a pair that suit your own choice if you wanted to. Missing from the bars are mirrors, which are mounted in the bodywork below the level of the handlebars and provided good vision of life in the past.

PPZ™ PARTIALLY POLARIZED LENSES

D id n® H l Davidso i h Harleyd with h day k the Attack A X. PPZ™ Partially Wiley by r Eyewea ance Perform without diminishing glare reduce Polarized Lenses riding experience. day e detail, giving you the ultimat Roar down the highway, no matter how bright it gets.

REMOVABLE FACIAL CAVITY™ SEAL RX READY

HARLEYDAVIDSONEYEWEAR.COM

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.

New Bike Test The seating position was quite good, upright but comfortable within the confines of our abbreviated 100km road test.

Hitting the horn instead of the blinkers was a problem that will take a bit of learning as Honda have seen fit to mount the horn button above the blinker button. I suppose a blast on the horn as you change lanes is another way of indicating your intentions but I doubt that it’ll catch on outside of Mumbai.

The hydraulic clutch was progressive in action with good feel to match the light but positive gear lever. Lifting my feet while pulling away had my left leg and the end of the centrestand lever constantly fighting for the same piece of space. Eventually, you’d get used to it but it was a pain in the leg.

Rolling the throttle on and riding sedately down the over-policed roads with the incredibly varying speed limits around Penrith, everything worked smoothly with minimal lift from the rear shaft drive. The only time that torque reaction from the shaft did become intrusive was throttling on and off in a corner. Then, it was very noticeable.

GRINS

V4 engine grunt Riding position

Away from the gaze of the NSW Highway Patrol and their mobile taxation collection facilities in suburbia, the CTX1300 was quite stable and comfortable at the speed limit. The fairing and bodywork directed the airflow to shoulder height and outside of the arms — fairly perfect for long days on the

GRIPES

Blinker and horn button swap Centrestand and leg interface Slight harshness from the front-end

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road. Perhaps while having a go at the AHA 1600km in 48 hours Challenge.

Hill climbing was easy with the sensible five-speed transmission barely disturbed to find a suitable ratio for any incline. The 1300 may not be the biggest or most powerful engine in Honda’s arsenal but with 62kW and 106Nm under the tank, what’s available is very useable. Hill? What hill?

When the road turns twisty, as the best roads always do, the CTX1300 was happy to join in the fun and romp around corners at the posted advisory speed. Or perhaps slightly higher, but still within the speed limit.

Ground clearance was more than adequate with nothing touching down. The 130/7018 front tyre and 200/50-17 rear tyre were a good match for the CTX1300’s handling with no awkward transition from upright to full lean.

Retardation of forward progress was always easy and stress-free with a pair of 310mm rotors on the front and a 315mm item on the rear. ABS was fitted but never activated, so there’s nothing to say about that.

As part of our test, Sandbag and I rode out through Castlereagh to Agnes Banks and up the Springwood and Hawkesbury Roads to the lookout at Hawkesbury Heights. The last part included a section of switchbacks and rapid elevation changes, all handled with ease by the CTX1300. When we parted ways at Springwood, I headed east and downhill on the Great Western Highway to return the CTX1300 to Western Motorcycles.

Sitting back afterwards, it’s still hard to pigeonhole the CTX1300. Honda has done an excellent job of breaking the existing moulds and built a bike that is equally at home commuting as it is cruising on weekends. Try one for yourself. C&T

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HARLEYDAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE

SPECIAL The return of the Road Glide in 2015 brings a fairing full of Project Rushmore enhancements

Words: Mark Hinchliffe Photos: Harley-Davidson & Mark Hinchliffe

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arley-Davidson has returned the Road Glide to its 2015 Touring lineup after a one-year hiatus in which it received some rhinoplasty.

The nip-and-tuck operation did more than just make the shark nose less confronting; it also turned the Road Glide into the best-handling bike in its Touring range with the best aerodynamics of any touring bike I have ever ridden.

The Road Glide has always been a delight to ride because its chassismounted fairing reduces the unsprung weight on the front forks, which gives it a deliberate and light feeling in the steering.

Decoupling the fairing and forks also means it is not affected by crosswinds and doesn’t have high-speed weave that is common among bikes with forkmounted fairings.

But the “shark nose” fairing did create a lot of buffeting, and in some people’s view, it was butt-ugly.

Now, after many sessions in university wind tunnels and on the designers’ drawing board both of those problems

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have been solved.

It has the same vent at the bottom of the windscreen as the Ultra and Street Glide that largely negates annoying and fatiguing turbulence caused by negative air pressure behind the screen. But the Road Glide also has two vents beside the twin LED headlights that direct a clean stream of fresh air into the cockpit. All of the vents can be closed for riding in the rain or in the cold.

The Ultra’s vented windscreen also negates buffeting, but it leaves a bit of a stale-air vacuum for the rider, while the Street Glide’s vented fairing leaves a lot of wind noise and buffeting at the very top of the helmet for tall riders.

However, even tall riders will find the Road Glide’s triple-vent system creates a cooler, cleaner, quieter and less fatiguing environment, conducive to long days in the saddle.

On top of great aero, the Road Glide gets all the other goodies of the Rushmore Project bikes, including the highly refined high-output 103 Twin Cam

GRINS Handling Aerodynamics Audio system

GRIPES Upside-down dashboard Still a nose that only a mother could love

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engine, better ergos, stronger brakes, improved controls and twin Daymaker LED headlights with a much greater spread and penetration of light.

While there is a standard Road Glide available in the US, Harley Australia is only bringing in the Road Glide Special that comes with the Boom! Box 6.5 with superb quality sound, GPS and touch screen. It is the best sound system I have experienced on any bike. Not just loud, but clear.

Your music is also audible because of the lack of buffeting and reduced mechanical noise from the refined engine.

If you don’t like listening to music, you can sit back in your quiet bubble and tune into the dulcet tones of the goldenbaritone exhaust.

The new Road Glide comes with a pair of high-performance hand-adjustable shock absorbers for a more comfortable ride on poor roads. We tested it on some broken pavement in earthquake-struck Napa Valley, in California, on the world press launch and it behaved superbly.

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test There is a bit of a jolt over some of the harsher bumps and it doesn’t feel as plush as the Ultra, but it’s still very competent.

And like the rest of the Touring crew, it’s no slouch in the tight twisties as we found on the famous Big Sur coastal road (like 10 Great Ocean Roads, but with a smoother surface).

To make it more comfortable, the handlebars have been moved closer to the rider. Not just a smidgeon, either. How about 22cm! The previous Road Glide had an uncomfortable reach to the bars, but this is no stretch at all. Plus, the curve of the bars means a far more comfortable wrist angle for extra-long days in the saddle. Road Glide by name, road glider by nature!

A hallmark of the Road Glide Special experience is the open feeling of the cockpit. Some faired bikes feel claustrophobic, but not the Road Glide as the sporty windscreen seems miles away.

However, it is strange that Harley has basically turned the Street Glide dashboard upside down for the Road Glide with the Boom! Box touch screen mounted at the top and the instruments

underneath. That means the touch screen is too far away for even tall riders to reach without leaning forward, although you can still perform every function with the two convenient toggle switches on the bars.

It also means the speedo is too far down to catch a glimpse of your speed without having to take your eyes off the road. I’d rather see my speed in that high position than what radio station and track I’m listening to on my iPhone or where I am on the GPS map.

Not that you can see what’s on the screen anyway, because the high-mounted touch screen is titled up so it catches a lot of daytime glare. It needs to be tilted forward or have a shroud over it to keep the glare off the screen.

The popular Rushmore Project bikes have lifted Touring sales in Australia from 8% of all Harley sales to an initial spike of 16% before settling back to a steady 12%.

Harley Australia marketing director Adam Wright predicts the Road Glide will rival Street Glide sales and lift Touring sales percentages to more than 20%.

He suggests there may be some cannibalisation of Softail Heritage sales,

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but Road Glide will also win over metric cruiser riders and people trading in their old Harley tourers.

He expects Road Glide will also hone in on the growing custom bagger scene and attract a younger demographic in the 3545-year age bracket. C&T T

New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special FLTRXS Price: $34,495 (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: 9.7:1 Power: 86 HP (64 kW) @ 5010 rpm Torque: 101.8 ft/lb (138 Nm)

@ 3500 rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multiplate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic 49mm forks. R: Twin adjustable shocks Brakes: ABS F: Dual 300mm floating rotors with four-piston fixed calipers.

R: Single 300mm rotor with four-piston fixed caliper.

Tyres: F: Dunlop D408F 130/60B-19 bias ply R: D407T 180/65B-16 bias ply

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Frame: Tubular cradle Seat height: 695mm Wheelbase: 1625mm Length: 2430mm Rake & trail: 26ยบ & 173mm Weight: 385kg Fuel capacity: 22.7L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

A Day In The Saddle

A DAY IN THE SADDLE

THE FAR SOUTH COAST OF VICTORIA IS BORDERED BY THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD AND AT THE WESTERN END OF THAT IS WARRNAMBOOL. HERE’S A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP TO SYDNEY FROM THE HOME OF THE DIRTY ANGEL

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A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

Words & Photos: Mick Withers

here are rides in every rider’s ‘To do’ list. I’ve wanted to do a trip up through the centre of Victoria for a while now.

When I headed south to Lorne for the Spyder Royale, a look at the map showed that a trip west to Warrnambool to catch up with friends before heading up through the middle of Victoria would work. So that’s what I did.

The weapon of convenience for the trip was a Can-Am Spyder ST Limited. The southbound trip from western Sydney to Lorne was 1000km and took 11 hours to complete. I was pretty happy about that. The trip itself was easy with stops for fuel, food

T

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and drinks few and far between. The weekend in Lorne for Spyder Royale was fun right up until it was time to leave at lunchtime on Sunday when the rain started falling heavier. After looking at a map, I decided to head north over the coastal range before following signposts into Colac and the more direct route along the Princes Highway. This part of the trip was about getting to Warrnambool by the most direct route possible in the shortest amount of time. If the rain wasn’t driving in horizontally, I would have taken the Great Ocean Road west until it pops out on the Princes Highway just east of Warrnambool. But that Sunday wasn’t great on the Great Ocean Road.

A Day In The Saddle

Hiding behind the ST Limited’s screen, I stayed surprisingly dry on the way to warmth and good company.

After they declined the offer of a ride around Warrnambool on the pillion seat of the Spyder in the rain, Pete and H fed and poured rums into me. It was a good night.

The rain had eased somewhat by the time the sun staggered above the horizon. It was still cold and windy but that’s normal in Warrnambool. For the briefest of minutes, I considered taking a ride into the centre of town to take pics of The Dirty Angel but decided to head north instead in search of friendlier weather. The Dirty Angel stands erect at the southern end of Liebig Street and is Warrnambool’s war Cruiser & Trike

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memorial. Ride around the roundabout and from a certain angle you’ll see where its nickname came from. You can go and see it for yourself, either online or in the flesh.

The Hopkins Highway was my chosen exit with Mortlake at its end.

A right onto the Hamilton Highway saw the rain ease as I headed through Darlington and towards Derrinallum.

On the right is the appropriately named Mount Elephant, a bloody big bump that I had to stop at and take pics of. This was a new one on me but I’ve seen it now.

Out the other side of Lismore is Lismore Road. A left onto this road took me to the Rokewood-Skipton Road and a right brought me to the

A Day In The Saddle Pitfield Road and another left. Passing through Cape Clear and Newtown, I rode into Scarsdale and turned right onto the Glenelg Highway that took me all the way into Ballarat.

As a first time visitor, I had to go and check out the Eureka Stockade site. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the Eureka Stockade Centre didn’t entice me to go inside so I took pics of the

park and open-air memorial. I’d heard of Sovereign Hill so went searching and found it. Maybe if I had more time, I’d have been able to tell you more about Sovereign Hill and what can be found beyond all the tour coaches and high fences.

The Midland Highway led me north and up and down hills on the way through Daylesford and on to

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Castlemaine. The end of the road brought me onto a freeway on-ramp and the Calder Freeway. Not what I was expecting but a left turn onto that fine road led me up more hills and then to Bendigo. As time was short, the extended touristy thing didn’t happen in Bendigo. I fully intend to return to this part of the country and have a much better look around.

A Day In The Saddle The map showed me that I needed to turn right at Elmore but when I got there, the BP servo on the corner looked like a good place for fuel and lunch. The fuel was good and the home-cooked food even better. I found out later that a mate eats there regularly. Try it for yourself.

Continuing east along the tree-lined Midland Highway out of Elmore, the

flat pastures continued. The road does a couple of left-right doglegs just out of town but it was straight roads from there to Mooroopna. The stretch into Shepparton was through a swamplike wetlands area and across the Goulburn River.

After stopping for a cuppa with another mate, I got lost heading north and went past the SPC cannery.

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Looking at the map now, I was a long way off the road I should have been on but it didn’t matter. When the Goulburn Valley Highway was found, a turn to the north took me straight to Wunghnu and a building I have to applaud: The Mechanic’s Institute in that fair village also serves alcohol. Suitable. The road continued straight through Numurkah. mu ur k ka ah.

Someone must have pinched all

A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

of the corners. A bit further up the road, a right at a T-intersection had me eastbound on the Murray Valley Highway, also devoid of corners until you ride along the side of Cobram without actually going through town.

Off to the left, I could see New South Wales on the other side of the Murray River. The road ran straight but the river twists and turns like a politician at an ICAC hearing. To the right, the land was pastures and paddocks.

East of Yarrawonga, the river spreads into Lake Mulwala, which is liberally dotted with dead gum trees. From there through Rutherglen, the road meanders with a few corners past wetlands and farms. It was a real contrast.

North of Barnawartha is where the fun part of this trip ends when the Murray Valley Highway empties out onto the Hume Freeway. Because I’d stopped here and there while making Cruiser & Trike

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A Day In The Saddle

my way north and east-ish through Victoria, it was just on dusk by the time Albury appeared in the Spyder’s mirrors. That meant a night run up the Hume Freeway, or whatever they’ve renamed it this time. Apparently it’s the M31 but if I call it the Hume, you’ll all know what I mean.

Now, the Hume is both a wonderful road and a nightmare rolled into one.

The positives are that it is an extremely efficient route between Sydney and Melbourne, a trip that can easily be completed in less than 10 hours on cruise control. It is dual-lane the whole way and the first traffic lights you see heading south are at Kalkallo on the Melbourne outskirts. Northbound it all depends on where you exit at the

Sydney end. Another positive of the Hume at night is the almost complete lack of cars. Caravans and motorhomes also disappear as soon as the sky darkens.

After dark, the Hume becomes home to interstate truck drivers; professional drivers who are generally much more aware of what’s going on around them on the road – unlike people who tow caravans, most of whom shouldn’t be allowed to drive, let alone tow.

Of course, there is a downside.

Wildlife. Furry things that want to share the road. The Hume is home to kangaroos, foxes, the occasional bunny and wombats. On this trip north, I was wide-eyed and used the Spyder ST Limited’s excellent high beam as much as possible. When riding at night, I sit Cruiser & Trike

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as close to the middle of the road as possible. On the Hume or any other dual lane highway, I try to hug the left-hand side of the right-hand lane.

The reason is to maximise the buffer zone between me and any furry friends emerging from the scrub.

Luckily, the only action I saw on this trip north was the firies putting out a fire at the KFC at the Yass service centre. There were two cops parked behind their radar, both in the centre of the road. This is a common problem on the Hume. By the time I pulled in home, I’d clicked up about 1100km and seen more of Victoria. Next time, I’ll take my time and have a better look around and then ride the Olympic Way to Sydney. C&T

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.

PRETTY, SHINY MACHINES Have them hanging on your wall all year!

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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.

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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)

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Aussie Hardarse Association

THIS IS AUSTRALIA. WE TAKE GREAT IDEAS AND MAKE THEM BETTER. ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE? he challenge is to knock over 1600km in 48 hours. Are you up for it? Safe long-distance motorcycle rides are possible if you’re prepared to have a go.

You’ll need to average 66.67km/h for two 12-hour days.

Welcome to the Aussie Hardarse Association.

You may have heard of an American mob with similar ideas but Australia’s different and we like to do things our own way. If you take two days to clock up your own 1600km, you’ll have more time to stop and look at the stuff you pass rather than ride on by with a sideways glance.

We know that you could knock it over in less than 24 hours but we’ve done that and didn’t really see much along the way.

What we want to do is encourage you to pick somewhere you’ve never been before and ride there. Make sure the whole round trip is at least 1600km and you’ve met the challenge.

Before we go too much further, here’s a really important thing we want to point out: you have to create your own routes and dates. We’re not going to organise rides or tell you where and when you have to ride.

We’re all grown-ups.

Grab a map or get online, if you have to squint to read those little place names, and look for somewhere new.

The options are endless. After looking at the map, I realised it’s been more than 20 years since I last went to Mount Hope, NSW, and now would be a good time.

From the M4 Service Centre at Eastern Creek, the following places will be visited or passed: Goulburn, Gundagai, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Griffith, Mount Hope, Cobar, Dubbo, Dunedoo, Mudgee, Lithgow and back to the M4 Servos. That’s a loop of about 1700km. Apparently it’s tar all the way into Mount Hope now. Guess we’ll find out.

Where are you going on your challenge?

T

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. Then 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 away. 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.

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, the road sign where you turned off the Bruce Highway etc. Each time you fuel up, take another pic of the receipt and your odometer. Post it on the Facebook page and then off you go. When

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you pull in for a sleep, same deal. If you choose to ride a circular loop like the trip mentioned above, on-the-road pics are needed as proof that you’ve been where you say you’ve been. At the end of your trip, you need another photo showing the odometer and cumulative distance. The final pic is a selfie showing your worn-out head, or someone else can take it of you and your ride.

Provided you’ve paid your $45 per person, we’ll applaud your achievements and acknowledge them by supplying a badge and a t-shirt as well as a six-month Cruiser & Trike subscription and a Cargol Turn & Go puncture-repair kit courtesy of Kenma. Check out aussiehardarse.com.au for the rest of the details.

You could cheat if you really wanted to, but you’re only cheating yourself. There are no trophies or prizes. Oh yeah, there’s no recognition of the quickest completion of the Aussie Hardarse 1600 in 48. The distance we’ve set is tough but achievable.

Also, you need to ride somewhere. Forget trying to do laps of the Western Ring Road in Melbourne.

See you on the road.

Breaking Cover

HARLEYDAVIDSON CVO NOT FORGOTTEN, JUST HELD OVER FOR THEIR OWN TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Words: Mark Hinchliffe

H

arley-Davidson CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) customers are looking for “bragging rights”, says Harley product spokesman, Craig Russell.

“They want the bigger 110 engine, they want to be noticed so we have exclusive paintwork; they want a custom bike from the factory for confidence and they want exclusivity so they are built in limited numbers,” he says.

And for all that, customers pay a fair bit extra. But they do get exclusivity.

Harley rotates the models that get the CVO treatment, each model lasting two years and only about four CVOs are offered each year.

That’s exclusive.

For 2015, the line-up is Softail Deluxe and three Touring models, the Street Glide, Electra Glide Ultra Limited and the returned Road Glide Ultra, meaning it gets a top box and lower fairings.

CVOs always come with a host of accessories and creature features, custom paint (this is the first time Hard Candy paint has been made available on baggers), acres of chrome bling and, most importantly, a bigger engine than the standard size. These days that means a 110 instead of the 103.

But while the Deluxe CVO gets the high-output air-cooled 110, the others all come with the new twin-cooled engine introduced last year in the Rushmore Project. It’s the first time the water-cooled Cruiser & Trike

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engine has been available in anything other than an Electra Glide.

Of course, that means the Street and Road Glides get lower fairings to conceal the discrete twin radiators that cool the engine heads and give it more oomph and revs, plus cooler running. The Road Glide Ultra also gets a top box, making it the ultimate tophandling tourer.

I recently attended the world press launch in California for the 2015 model line-up and for the first time, we were allowed to ride CVOs. Motorcycle journalists usually only get to look at these objects of desire. CVOs are never included in launches and never available for test rides. So it was a real

Breaking Cover But that’s the practical side of things. They simply look great with all those chrome and billet trimmings.

They also sound great with a glorious exhaust like a forest full of bears clearing their throats first thing in the morning.

Another glorious sound is the one you get from the Boom! Box 6.5 audio system that comes with 12 speakers, including two in the pannier lids of the Street Glide and in the rear seat on the Ultras.

While many car and bike audio systems have variable speed-related volume adjustment that increases volume the faster you go, this variant of the system also adjusts the EQ. It pumps up the bass as your speed increases because wind noise cancels out low frequencies. So, as you go faster, the sound doesn’t become shrill. The system just keeps pumping out hi-fidelity sound.

The bikes also come with a host of tasty extras including features such as steelbraided brake and clutch lines, Daymaker LED headlights, custom wheels, backlit hand controls and more comfortable seats.

Adam says CVOs are “handcrafted customs”, adding, “They are also often used to introduce custom components and techniques that later become available as accessories.”

He says fewer than 250 a year are sold in Australia and the most successful model was the CVO Breakout, which was also the first time a new model was introduced as a CVO. “People were lined up for that one,” he says.

privilege and honour to be able to throw a leg over one of these magnificent machines.

Our minder, Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand director of marketing, Adam Wright, must have been perspiring bucketloads as we carved through the hills on these big-ticket CVOs along the twisting Big Sur coastal roads beside precipitous cliffs plunging into the Pacific Ocean.

But insurance waivers were put to the backs of our minds as we gave the bikes as much of a vigorous test as we normally give the “standard” bikes.

First impression is that they rev better and feel stronger. We tried some roll-on drags and they pull far quicker from deeper down low in the rev range.

“We almost sold out by the time they were released.”

Adam also points out that CVOs don’t attract new customers to the brand. “They are well-heeled existing Harley owners usually looking for a second motorcycle,” he says. “They don’t do big miles on them, but pull them out on a sunny Sunday for special moments. They also hang on to them longer.”

He says the average changeover period for Harley owners is five years but for CVO owners it’s closer to seven.

When it comes time to trade, Adam says resale value is typically stronger for CVOs and they sell very quickly. “People don’t have any difficulty selling them because they have low mileage and there are so few, they are hard to find.”

Price differential between the standard models and the CVO variants this year ranges from $12,000 for the Street Glide to $16,000 for the Deluxe, which is an absolute work of art with immaculate detailed machining on even the smallest components. By the way, it also gets a new sidestand that is easier to reach for shorter people. The new sidestand is also standard on the 2015 Fat Boy Lo and standard Deluxe.

The best “value” CVO model is the fulldresser Road Glide that costs an extra $14,000 but adds a top box as well as all the bling, audio and extra features.

But it’s pointless to look at value when you are talking CVOs. After all, what value do you put on bragging rights? C&T

2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON CVO PRICES FLSTNSE FLHXSE FLTRUSE FLHTKSE

Softail Deluxe Street Glide Special Road Glide Ultra Electra Glide Ultra Limited

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$44,995 $46,995 $48,995 $50,995

New Trike Test

BOOM

MUSTANG ST1 Cruiser & Trike

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New Trike Test

WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ADDED HORSEPOWER, THE LATEST BOOM MUSTANG IS AN EVEN BETTER PACKAGE. Cruiser & Trike

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New Trike Test Words: Paul Bailey Photos: Heather Ware

A

few days ago, I had the opportunity to test ride the Boom Mustang ST1 Thunderbird. Johann, the owner of Oz Trikes who imports the bike, is a passionate man. I learnt this fact after only meeting and talking to him for the first time. It was obvious from the start of our first chat that he is a motorcyclist, trike lover, adventurer and passionate businessman. I couldn’t help but feel very inquisitive about the new Boom trike after listening to Johann go through all the features of the bike and explanations of riding trikes and how they do things. I’m not a novice to trikes, having owned three in the past; two Harley trikes, one was a 1950 Servi-Car in stock condition, the other a 1973 Servi-Car that I customised.

The third trike was a design exercise for me,

it was a Honda VFR 1000 that I converted to a trike with handmade aluminium body work over the rear wheels that also acted as a giant ground-effects wing. It was fast and it was trick.

So I have a history with trikes that are either genuine factory units or custom motorcycle trikes. But even though I have seen, followed and considered the positives and negatives of the Boom style of threewheeler, I had never actually paid real close attention to one or even ridden one. The trikes of this style that I had some knowledge of were the earlier VW-engined trikes. They always looked awkward and they appeared to be very slow and noisy. I admit, I wasn’t a fan of those early trikes.

I had done some homework prior to meeting Johann, so I had a good base knowledge of what the new style Boom trikes

were. But I wasn’t prepared for the day I had planned to test ride the new Boom Trike.

After going over the attributes of the trike with Johann, I was thrown the keys of his personal ride, a three-seater with the latest engine and gearbox combination. This Mustang ST1 has the all-new four-cylinder, four-valve, double overhead cam, 2L Peugeot engine matched up to a four-speed automatic with Sport mode. This is what I was here to test, to see firsthand how one of these trikes does work and to also evaluate the very new, larger-engined, automatic model.

I had the day planned to ride to a private facility where there was some testing of classic bikes happening with a sister magazine, do the photo shoot there, hopefully get a few laps in and then on to a road ride around the Mangrove Mountain area.

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New Trike Test

As I saddled up, the heavens opened up and dumped a very quick but heavy downpour of rain. Cool! I don’t have to worry about wet roads, diesel on the road or any other normal obstacle for a two-wheeled rider. I was on a trike, you can’t drop a trike, brilliant, I thought, that’s the first positive point. The road from Somersby to Kulnura is a single-lane, bumpy road that is used constantly by heavy vehicles.

It’s a mess, add to that the heavy down poor of rain and you have a very unfriendly environment to go testing a vehicle that you are unfamiliar with. But that’s the road I had to take, so there was no point putting it off.

I rode out of Oz Trikes’ base, turned right, then right again, then left and then right and down to a large roundabout, went around the roundabout and took the third exit. I noticed a truck bearing down to the roundabout

Quickspecs Model: Boom Mustang ST1 Price: $49,990 (+ ORC) Engine: Liquid-cooled inline fourcylinder Peugeot, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder Displacement: 2000cc Power: 103kW (125hp) Torque: 168Nm @ 1500rpm Transmission: 4-speed and reverse, automatic, shaft final drive Suspension: F: Earles forks with twin shock absorbers.

R: Trailing link axle Brakes: Brake booster. F: Disc brake.

R: Self-adjusting disc brakes Tyres: F: 160/80-15 R: 295/50-15

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Frame: Two-part tubular steel, bolted together Body: Wear-resistant GPR Length: 3590mm Width: 1810mm Height: 1250mm Vehicle weight: 590kg (dry) Gross vehicle weight: 900kg Vehicle load capacity: 310kg Fuel capacity: 38L Fuel consumption: 14 to 25km/L Fuel range: 500km Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

New Trike Test fairly quickly, so I just gave the trike a squirt and zipped around the roundabout in a second and then headed along Wisemans Ferry Road. About 30 seconds later, I had a revelation! I realised that I had not been on this trike for more than one minute and I was so at home with this vehicle that I had challenged and beaten an 18-wheeler into and through a roundabout! Bloody hell! I said to myself. The smirk that I had developed on my face turned to a full-blown, laugh-out-loud whopping big grin!

This Boom Mustang was so controlled, so relaxed and had so much instant power that I had simply switched to auto pilot in that first minute and had become one with the machine. I felt as though I had been riding this trike for years. It felt that easy.

The ride to Kulnura was rewarding. I was riding on wet roads with mud, moss and heavy vehicles coming at me from all directions. It didn’t faze the Boom Mustang at all, it steered dead true, it rode the bumpy road smoothly and it didn’t bump steer or pitch over the road. This is a far cry from my previous trikes, they all had problems with bad roads and pitching around. Part of the reason the Booms work so well on these

types of roads is that they have a longer wheelbase than motorcycle-based trikes. The Boom also has a lower centre of gravity and a mid-mounted engine, meaning the engine is in front of the centre of the rear wheels, putting most of the mass of the vehicle in the right location for good handling. Add to that the very well-sorted front and rear suspension that simply absorb every bump on the road and you end up with a very predictable and stable trike.

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I arrived at the private facility where I was going to get most of the photography done.

As I mentioned, there were other bikes there for the sister magazine, all mint-condition classics and all very proud owners. When I pulled into the car park, it seemed as though the world had stopped, for there wasn’t one person there that hadn’t stopped in their tracks and was looking straight at the Boom Trike as I came to a stop. I didn’t even get a chance to take my helmet off before the

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New Trike Test

questions started. Every person there was instantly drawn to the trike. It truly is a crowd stopper.

A little later, after exhausting myself with the barrage of questions, I was on the private road, doing laps for Heather, the photographer. The road is quite long and has more than 20 corners in it so I had a chance to really test out the trike over the course.

Each lap, I became more accustomed to the ability of the trike, I pushed the braking limits further and further and the brakes, which are linked, just kept on stopping with no complaint. The engine was also given a good workout. Using, at first, the normal mode and the full power of the trike, I was impressed by the acceleration and speed. It was not wanting for any more power and it loved to be revved. Using the auto transmission’s Sport mode just made everything more fun. The Sport mode really makes the Boom Mustang get up and boogie.

The trike responded with sure footedness and handling that is hard to comprehend for a trike: not once did the front wheel lose grip or understeer, not once did the back end step out or misbehave, all the trike did was stay very stable and true to wherever I pointed it.

High-speed corners (over 140km/h) were so easily dealt with by the trike that I was getting sore cheek muscles from all the grinning and laughing I was doing. Get into the tight twisty corners and you just have to steer the trike through; brake ridiculously hard and late into corners and the trike just slows very rapidly with no fuss or complaint. I felt that the way

this trike went around that road was very confidence building and it was very satisfying to be able to ride a trike at that pace with such predictability and confidence.

The photo shoot was done and my time on the road was over. Returning back to the garage area, I was again surrounded by the other riders. They had taken so much interest in the trike, they had been watching it as it went around the road. There were comments like “It must have lots of power,” or “It looks like it handles really well,” or “You look so comfortable on it.” The fact is, all those comments are so true for this trike.

The attention to detail of Boom Trikes, which is a German-based company, of which Oz Cruiser & Trike

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Trikes is the Australian distributor, is the key to the quality of this trike. It is actually shipped to Australia complete and then setup to meet Australian design rules by Oz Trikes. So you aren’t buying a kit trike or a one-off-build trike, you are actually buying a production vehicle. As such, every part of the Boom Trike is new; new engine, new suspension, new wheels, new body work, new everything.

Looking closely at some of the features, it reveals quality. The coil-over suspension front and back is adjustable and of a very high quality. The rear trailing-arm design uses aluminium arms that are very well engineered. The chassis is a combination

New Trike Test

of tubular and box-section steel. The front forks are an Earles design that uses a car wheel with twin Koni coil-over shocks for control, it is all stainless steel and built very robustly for long life and beauty. Lift up the bodywork and it reveals a very neatly laid-out engine bay with all electrical work easily accessible if needed and all new lines and fitting for the necessary hardware of the trike. It is all impressive and very well engineered.

Mustang Trikes come in different styles too. The one I tested was the three seater, with a rider seat and then the bench seat behind the rider; this model is registered for three people, not three pillions. Even though there are three seats, it is designed so that if you have one pillion, he or she sits directly behind the rider, if you have two pillions they sit at either side of the rider on the rear seat. There is even a safety bar that lifts out of the back of the rider’s seat so as to give clear access for the pillions to get in. Once they are seated, the safety bar goes back in place and the pillions have a safety bar across their legs, just like a roller-coaster ride.

The instrumentation is clear and functional and of a high quality. The ignition key is easy to use: the Sport mode is activated by a push button on the centre console and all the controls are user friendly and functional. The handlebars

are wide and comfortable; the width is there to assist in steering the trike as there is some weighting of the front wheel when aggressive steering inputs are done. The rider’s seat is very comfortable and offers good lateral support when cornering.

Around the base of the Mustang is a ladder-style framework for both the rider’s feet and to also load up with extra luggage, although the rear boot is massive and it would take some filling I think.

The styling is modern with real thought put into the rear bodywork. The frontend is very functional and is beautifully polished. The foot brake is adjustable for different-length legs. There are optional Jet lights fitted to this trike. They are rigged up to turn with the forks, a very clever yet simple idea. There is a host of accessories for the Mustang as well, such as a tow bar, arm rests, luggage racks, alarm system, gauges, any colour choice you want, and cruise control to name a few. Lower-profile tyres as fitted to this trike are also an option and for those who really want more, there’s an optional 140hp 2L engine and auto.

At 3690mm in length, this trike is longer than motorcycle-based trikes. It’s also wider at 1845mm, but that is part of the superb handling — it works. The only negatives I had were: I would want more protection of the stainless-steel parts Cruiser & Trike

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from boots rubbing on them, simple to fix; also a bit more choice in handlebars would be nice and the option of a screen for rain and bugs. Apart from that, I would be very satisfied.

After all the fun was over, I sat back and really had a study of the Boom Mustang. The more I looked, the more I crawled around it, the more I thought about it, the more I really understood what these Boom trikes are all about.

They are about fun! Freedom of the open road, freedom from the nasties of twowheeled riding, freedom to breathe fresh air and freedom to travel long distances in comfort. I’m going toborrow one and take the missus for a weekend away.

They are a brilliant concept put into reality so that we can fantasise about our next adventure. C&T

IMPORTER: Oz Trikes, 6 Ainslie Close, Somersby NSW 2250 Ph: 02 4372 1100 oztrikes.com.au

Industry Insight

While women riding motorcycles may not be a new innovation, according to Mark Hinchliffe, a manufacturer actively pursuing this sector is rare merican women are throwing a leg over motorcycles in growing numbers, largely thanks to the efforts of Harley-Davidson.

And, soon, Harley-Davidson Australia will focus greater attention on women and young adults with the appointment of a specialist “customer experience manager”.

Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand director of marketing, Adam Wright, says the company is interviewing for the position that will give greater focus on these key areas. “They will be looking at new initiatives for outreach to women and young adults,” he says.

They won’t have to look any further than America where female motorcycle ownership has risen from 4.3

A

million in 2003 to 6.7 million in 2012 and from 8 per cent in 2009 to 12 per cent in 2012, according to the US Motorcycle Council.

However, among Harley owners, women are now approaching one in five, says Harley-Davison North America media relations manager, Jen Hoyer.

She says the company had a stranglehold on white mature-aged men in the US so in 2008, Harley specifically reached out to non-traditional demographics — women, young adults, African-Americans and Hispanics.

Jen says Harley spends more of its marketing dollar on women than any other group and other motorcycle brands have recognised the initiatives it has introduced to get women onto motorcycles.

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Industry Insight For a start, Harley has introduced products that target women, young people and shorter riders with bikes that are lower and lighter, have smaller handgrips and lighter lever pull. The company also includes a lot of women in its press photography, which for the reintroduction of the Road Glide this year, only featured female riders.

Harley also has a director of women’s outreach marketing, Claudia Garber, who says that in the US, the company is selling “more motorcycles to women than all our competitors combined”.

Honda has also reached out to women with its 250cc and 500cc sports bikes and CTX700 and CTX700N medium-sized cruisers, doubling its market share of female riders in the past five years.

But Harley is doing a lot more.

Other female-specific strategies include Garage Party events where women learn about

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basic maintenance and things such as picking up a dropped bike; the Jump Start initiative where non-riders can experience riding a stationary bike; and sponsoring female-specific charities. Australia has also adopted these strategies, which have been reasonably effective, although female motorcycle ownership still remains below 10 per cent.

Jen says Harley’s latest US strategies include a women’s riding month in May and a website where women can share their riding stories and experiences. “Women are very social and they love to share their stories,” she says.

“A lot of women would like to ride but don’t think they can because it looks too difficult and the bikes look too heavy. They don’t need motorcycle companies telling them they can do it; they need other female riders to tell them. A lot of women approach me and ask about it. I tell them, if you want to ride that is all you need. The more women you interact with, the more you can convert to riding.” C&T

New Bike Test

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RS E S I U R C R E W O AND P S R E S I U R C E R WN O S T I F THERE A O S S A L AC N I S I L E V A I D E BUT TH

New Bike Test

i t a c Du el v a i D n o b r Ca

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New Bike Test

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

o you’ve been riding sportsbikes for a while and now you fancy making the change to a cruiser? It can be quite a jump but Ducati’s Diavel offers you a very effective transition machine. Don’t get me wrong here, the Diavel is an excellent motorcycle in its own right but it also provides an ideal bridge between the two very different styles of riding.

S

THE BIKE Diavels come in two guises: the basic Diavel Dark and the Diavel Carbon, which was the one we tested. The differences? More on that later. The bike’s powerplant is Ducati’s very highly regarded 1198cc Testastretta L-twin that has been around long enough to have established a reputation as an enviable performer with good service and reliability.

The 1198 carries the small tag of “11º” because the engineering department wisely took the view that the racetrack orientated

1198 in standard trim — ie highly tuned — was not an ideal engine for a power cruiser.

The “11º” tells you that the valve overlap has been reduced from around 41º down to 11º, giving the engine a slight reduction in top end power, which is rarely used in a cruiser, but a boost in midrange torque, which is used a lot. Power is transmitted through a hydraulically controlled slipper clutch to a six-speed gearbox and then to the back wheel by a chain. The stopping department is two massive 320mm-diameter discs up front with radially mounted Brembo monobloc fourpiston calipers and a single 265mm disc at the rear with a twin-piston floating caliper.

Suspension is by 50mm inverted telescopic fork up front and a Sachs underslung monoshock at the rear with a single-sided swing arm. The suspension at both ends is fully adjustable for compression and rebound damping, and, while the front preload needs a spanner for its adjustment, the rear preload can be changed via a small hand wheel, which sticks out the left side of the bike.

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THE STYLE You need to see this bike to appreciate its style because, although the design is weird and almost surreal, somehow the combination of shapes and curves all works together. It has an alien aspect, which I think is quite ugly but I actually like it — a lot. The mirrors are oddly shaped but work brilliantly. The stubby rear mudguard carries the number plate well but does a poor job of keeping your back dry when it’s raining. See it in the metal, however, and it will grow on you.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS What does the word heritage convey to you? In the case of the Diavel, it means a motorcycle that embodies the philosophy and engineering of a pure sportsbike. So, when you consider those aspects of the Diavel, which are designed to keep you and the bike enjoying the scenery but not becoming part of it, the heritage of the machine is very important. In practical terms, it translates to a machine that will do all the tasks of cornering

New Bike Test

and stopping with the same ease that a thoroughbred racehorse tackles a gallop. But this is a cruiser test, right? Indeed it is and here is where the engineering comes into play because the bike has three levels of engine management, which you can set at the touch of a button even while you’re riding. Another useful piece of techno-wizardry is the Ducati Traction Control system, which allows you to set the intervention anywhere from level one (the least intervention, for sports riding) and level eight, which provides more intervention for, as the beautiful Diavel brochure puts it, “complete confidence”.

To describe how these engine and Cruiser & Trike

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traction management systems work, here’s an example: I picked up the bike around lunchtime on a cold, wet, miserable sort of day. Not quite a perfect day to be conveyed by a 162-horsepower motorcycle through the traffic on slippery roads. Press the button and scroll to “Urban”. The bike will give a maximum of 100 horsepower and it will deliver it with a leisurely response to the throttle. It will also set the traction control to Level Five, which provides plenty of control for any inadvertent (or intentional) wheelspin; ideal for wet and slippery roads.

Riding on another day in the dry, at the touch of the button, I could change from Urban to

New Bike Test Touring with the full 162 ponies, a medium throttle response and Level Three of traction control. Or I could get manic and go for Sport with its full 162 horses, sharp throttle response and Level One of traction control.

This single button, which is so very simple to use, changes the character of the bike and allows you to tailor the power delivery to your requirements and effectively gives you three engines in the one bike. The fact that it automatically dials in an appropriate level of traction control is a bonus because you need only press one control to move between one set of specifically tailored riding parameters and the next. At any time you want to, you can take the traction control out of the equation and dial in the level that you feel comfortable with. One motorcycle, three different riding personalities, each suited to your mood and the riding environment. Very impressive indeed.

The information on what you’ve selected and how the machine is dealing with it is all set out in front of you in the three-tiered instrument panel, which is neatly colourcoded to let you know what’s happening. It is very comprehensive and you will benefit from some time spent on your laptop studying the Owner’s Manual, which is a bright-red (naturally) thumb stick with “Ducati” written all over it. It is well set out, very readable and very informative.

I have a gripe to tell you about here: the throttle system is fly-by-wire so there are two cables that run from the twist grip to the magic box, which then tells the throttle how far to open. The problem I found was that, especially for sports riding, I like zero backlash in the twist grip because it offers more precise throttle control. Strangely, there is no provision to adjust the play in the twist grip up near the handlebar – perhaps it can be done down in the bowels of the machine but it really should be up there for instant adjustment. The twist grip play is no big deal with Urban or even Touring selected but in Sports mode, the throttle response is appropriately very crisp and that’s where the play becomes a problem.

LET’S GET ON THE BIKE. The ignition key is a stylish black fob and it contains a spring-loaded key but the only time you need to use that key is to unlock the fuel tank or unlock the seat. The rest of the time, you’ll keep it safely tucked away in your pocket because the actual operation of the bike doesn’t need it. To start the engine, you use the cover slide and button on the right grip and to stop it, you simply slide the cover back over the starter button. Very simple, very easy. The engine starts instantly and you are greeted by an incredible symphony of mechanical whirrings from the belt’s driving desmodromic valve actuation and massive pistons that are romping up and down. Interestingly for riders with Ducati experience, there is a clutch clatter that is reminiscent of the dry clutches in the Ducati sportsbikes; nice to hear but odd because this bike has a wet clutch, slipper, of course, but wet.

Twist the grip and, depending on which engine setting you’ve chosen, the revs will spin up either quickly or very quickly and after an easing of the very sweet and progressive clutch, forward motion begins.

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Up through the gears and the bike’s heritage is immediately obvious with the operation of the clutch and gearbox as slick as it gets. Changes are almost silent and always certain and the clutch control is superb. In slow traffic, this is a big plus because although the Diavel is definitely not in its preferred environment in the commuter crawl, thankfully the clutch is so good, you can put up with it. Well, almost.

Naturally, the urge to get the bike away and into better places takes priority and here is where the bike is impressive. Traffic aside, it will deal with anything you ask it to do; set it in Urban and cruise along seeking latte locations and as long as you can keep your eyes off the shop-window-style mirrors, you

New Bike Test

and the bike will get to the cafe safely; set it in Touring and the bike will happily roll along quiet roads with aplomb; set it in Sport and it will stay with any bike on the road. Take it to a track day and it will take a good rider on a sportsbike to get in front of the Diavel. A bike for all seasons? Certainly. I found that in fast cornering, the more I asked of the bike, the more it delivered — but that should have come as no surprise.

When you find yourself in the middle of a corner that is tightening up, you can almost feel the bike say “Relax, leave this cornering

stuff to me. Point me where you want me to go and I’ll take us there”.

One thing about the bike still puzzles me: according to the spec sheets, the steering geometry is the same as that of the Diavel Strada I tested last year and although I praised that model very highly, the understeer into corners was less than pleasing. It did, however, behaved itself once the power drove it through but the understeer really detracted from the overall package. This Diavel is the same on paper but I found that its steering in Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS One bike, three personalities Any road, anywhere, fully capable The music Alien and ugly but SO much fun

GRIPES The seat gave me two wet patches I couldn’t adjust the play in the twist grip

New Bike Test corners was quite neutral. Strange, perhaps, but a good thing.

Comfort during the ride is excellent and the seating position is great with a good reach to the bars and footpegs. Seat height is 770mm but feels lower than that. Thanks to the good steering, the bike is always confidence-inspiring at car park speeds.

For your pillion, there is a pair of footpegs, which fold neatly away when not in use. I can only describe their design as terminally Italian — they are delightful. The pillion seat is covered by the rear cowl but it only takes a couple of minutes and simple tools to remove. Your pillion will find the perch adequate for town use but some additional commitment will be required if you fancy two-up touring. And speaking of the seat, here’s another gripe: it leaks! I rode the bike home in the rain and then left it in the shed for a day or two until the weather improved.

Next ride was a sunny day but I walked into the local cafe sporting two big damp patches. And I promise you, it wasn’t me.

It appears the side stitching has not been adequately sealed and this allows water to seep into the foam of the seat. Thanks to the plastic seat base, however, it won’t lead to a rusted out seat like the British bikes of old but it definitely needs to be addressed.

IS IT FUN? Stupid question! Press the button and set the mood of the bike to synchronise with your own and away you go. Cruising along at the speed limit (well, somewhere close thereto), you feel all the happiness in the world. Get out into the countryside and two things manifest quickly: this bike will cover ground at a very rapid pace effortlessly and enjoyably; and there is that wonderful throttle music where your ears delight in the snarling rasp when you wind on the power, followed by lovely rumbling thunder when you roll off the throttle. Power delivery is a relentless surge rather than neck-snapping and using the middle gears and the midrange torque makes riding fast pure joy.

This engine is the strongest V-twin power plant I’ve tested. The forward power thrust available to your right wrist is matched only by bikes such as the Rocket III and Yamaha’s VMAX. It is that good. And if you were at a track day, the Diavel would show both of those bikes its tail thanks to its better ground clearance. It is absolutely exhilarating to ride and when you come to a town, you simply click the engine back to Urban and yourself back to cruise. Too easy.

Remember I said I’d tell you about the differences between the “basic” Diavel Dark

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New Bike Test

and the Diavel Carbon? Well, the Diavel Carbon we tested came with three features, which the Dark doesn’t have: a stainlesssteel exhaust system (as opposed to black); a painted-white trellis frame and tank — you can have red — (as opposed to black); the wheels are stunningly beautiful polished alloy and gloss black (as opposed to merely good-looking alloy wheels). The Diavel Dark has a price tag of $23,990 whereas the extra bits on the Diavel Carbon jolt the price up to $29,990. To me, the wheels are

Quickspecs

Model: Ducati Diavel Carbon Price: $29,990 (Carbon) $23,990 (Dark) plus on road costs Engine: Testastretta 11i, L-twin cylinder, four-valve per cylinder, Desmodromic, liquid cooled Bore x stroke: 106 x 67.9mm Displacement: 1198cc Compression: 11.5:1 Power: 162bhp (119kW)@9500rpm Torque: 94ft/lb (127.5Nm)@8000rpm Transmission: Six-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive Suspension: F: Marzocchi 50mm fully adjustable USD forks. R: Progressive linkage Cruiser & Trike

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certainly wonderful to look at and they save several kilograms of unsprung weight but my piggy bank can’t see another six grand of value. More wealthy riders who demand that little bit of extra exclusivity will happily pay the extra but if what you are really after is an excellent motorcycle that can wean you off your sportsbike and give you a bike you can ride anywhere, I’d put my money down for the Diavel Dark. It is the same motorcycle — not quite as exclusive or as stunningly glamorous. C&T

with fully adjustable Sachs monoshock Brakes: ABS. F: 320mm semi-floating discs, radial-mount Monobloc Brembo four-piston calipers, ABS. R: 265mm floating rotor with twin-piston caliper.

Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II F: 120/70 ZR 17 R: 240/45 ZR17 Frame: Tubular steel trellis frame Seat height: 770mm Wheelbase: 1590mm Length: 2257mm Weight: 245kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 17.8L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 24,000km

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 MARK HINCHLIFFE’S GEAR

AVIATOR RETRO PILOT T2 GOGGLES

RRP: $199 Goggles are a must if you want to look cool and protect your eyes when riding with an open-face helmet.

It always confused me how the guys on Easy Rider could ride without goggles or even Ray-Bans. I can’t ride more than 60km/h in sunglasses without my eyes watering.

Tight-fitting goggles that keep the wind and dust out of your eyes are a must. But they sometimes look a bit geeky; something Biggles might have worn!

These French goggles from Jeantet are the most fashionable goggles I’ve seen. Thankfully, they are also the lightest and most comfortable while providing the widest vision of any twolens goggles I’ve used.

The Aviator Retro Pilot T2 goggles are imported into Australia by chic Sydney bike company Motociclo. They cost $199 and come with a soft carry pouch.

They are made of hypoallergenic soft goat leather over soft foam padding that seals out all the wind. I’ve worn other goggles that always seem to leave some gap where the wind sneaks in. It could be my face shape but these fit perfectly.

They have rear-facing vents all around the rolled brass frames so you don’t get dust but have ventilation to prevent misting.

The Aviators also have a curved shape that provides wide vision,

and the narrow frames in the middle mean you don’t have a wide and annoying blind spot right in the centre of your field of vision.

The goggles come with clear glass but you can get replacement lenses in smoke, silver mirror, blue mirror ($49), yellow or clear ($39). The first three are great for day riding and the yellow lenses are terrific in twilight or dark where they make objects stand out.

I use them with the clear lenses as they will fit comfortably over a small pair of spectacles or sunglasses and have a cutaway section to accommodate the arms.

While they are specifically made in collaboration with Davida to be worn with its stylish open-face helmets, l have been using them with a variety of open-face helmets and even MX-style helmets and they fit just fine because they aren’t too big. They should also fit some of the new retro-style full-faced helmets such as the new Bell Bullitt for that ultra-hispter look.

Jeantet has been making glasses for cyclists and motorists since 1880 and the Aviator model was created in 1929 for motorcycle riders and pilots.

Motociclo of St Peters, in Sydney, has been importing boutique motorcycle products such as these goggles and Davida helmets since 2004. It has a wide variety of cool gear, accessories, books, videos and more. motociclo.com.au

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Stuff We’re Testing

EARMOLD IN-EAR PHONES RRP: $289.95 SIZES: XS – XXL Earmold in-ear phones just got a whole lot better — now you can answer your mobile phone on the move, pause and play, skip tracks and adjust the volume.

If you don’t already know, Earmold are personally moulded earplugs connected via a flexible air tube to speakers, so you can reduce background noise, save your ears and listen to music on your phone quietly while you ride. However, you haven’t been able to control your smartphone … until now.

For just $35, you can buy a microphone extension cable, which riders have been requesting for some time. It features a large button that is easy to find, even with gloves, and performs several functions. If you press the button once, it will start the music on your phone. Press and hold it, and it will activate the voice-recognition mode of your phone, allowing you to make hands-free calls, send texts or anything else you can do with that function, depending on your

HARLEY-DAVIDSON RESILIENT GLOVE RRP: $98.35 SIZES: S-3XL (unisex) How many touchscreens actually work with motorcycle gloves? I’ve had GPS units that are supposed to be glove friendly, but they still

phone. If you receive a call, just press the button to answer and press again to end the call. Simple.

It works with most smartphones such as iPhone, Samsung and HTC. The only problem is that the microphone on the 90cm lead could be a bit of a nuisance. You may have to Blu-Tack it to the inside of the chin bar. It’s a bit messy, but it should work just fine. Otherwise, you can press the button to answer and just call out “HOLD ON WHILE I PULL OVER”, then conduct your conversation when you stop.

When music is playing, click the button once for pause, twice for next track, three times to go back, and press and hold for voice recognition (Siri) to activate on your phone and then you can do things such as listen to text messages and even send a reply, although you would have to pull over to use the mic.

The microphone connection is one of several improvements to the whole range of fourth-generation Earmold products, all identified by red connections and gold plugs for better performance.

The standard cables ($220) are now shorter (60cm) because a lot of riders are connecting them to their helmet Bluetooth system and don’t need the extra length or a volume controller. However, you can also get a 90cm extension for $12.50 or a volumecontrol extension cable for $25.

To reduce the amount of tapping and wind noise transferred from the speakers up the air tubes, the speakers are now housed inside thicker red rubber “boots”, which are also silicone-dipped so they are waterproof. If you have a waterproof music player, you could go swimming with them

don’t respond was well as your naked finger And then there is the problem of touchscreens that aren’t glove sensitive, such as mobile phones. It’s such a nuisance when you have to take your gloves off to operate them.

Now Harley has released a resilient glove with touchscreen technology that allows you to access any touchscreen, including the new touchscreens on Harley’s Rushmore Project Touring bikes.

The index finger and thumb of each glove seems to have small stitching and somehow that acts like a naked finger. Don’t know how it works, but it does. The gloves are made of very soft cowhide leather with a polyester lining and what they call an “ergonomic thumb” and pre-curved fingers that make Cruiser & Trike

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— so a summer storm shouldn’t be any concern at all!

The speaker drivers are also updated with single Knowles balanced musicians’ drivers for better sound and they are directly soldered with a brass retaining ring at the base so they won’t break.

If musical hi-fidelity is really important to you, try the new professional music monitors, which dispense with the air tube and have the Knowles speakers embedded directly in the Earmold earplug.

While the standard plugs tend to sound a little dull and bassy, these professional music monitors retain the full fidelity of sound. A single driver unit costs $329, while the true music fan might like to go all the way with dual drivers for $499.

The connection comes directly out of the Earmold plug and is a bit stiff, so it may cause a bit of pressure on your ears, depending on your helmet. However, I’ve worn these types of earphones before and these are by far the most comfortable because the speakers are so small.

You will have to be careful not to break the connection when you put your helmet on and take it off. I’d keep these for special occasions such as long rides, rather than everyday chores.

Apart from the exceptional sound, the cables don’t need to be tucked inside your jacket to prevent wind noise and tapping that you get with the air tubes.

Earmold has been around since 1999 and is constantly upgrading its product, with owners Aaron and Julie Dalle-Molle using customer feedback to improve the plugs since they took over in 2011.

them extremely comfortable when you have your hands around the bars. I have worn them on long days in the saddle and they never get uncomfortable or bunch in the palms like some gloves do.

For further comfort, they have gel-padded palms to decrease the “jackhammer” effect of vibrating bars and to avoid slip. For protection, there are hard polycarbonate-reinforced knuckles and the palms are lined in Kevlar, plus there is 3M Scotchlite reflective material on the sides and backs of the fingers.

Like all Harley products, they are well made and look like they will last a long time. I have also worn them in the rain and the dye didn’t run and they didn’t go stiff or out of shape when they dried.

indian museum

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indian museum

INDIAN MUSEUM IGNORING ALL THE CLICHÉS, AUSTRALIA’S FIRST INDIAN MUSEUM HAS OPENED IN BRISBANE.

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indian museum

Words & photos: Mark Hinchliffe

tribe of Indian riders came to Brisbane from as far as Melbourne, Sydney, New Zealand and Ohio, USA, for the official opening of the first Indian museum in Australia in March.

Indian Motorcycles enthusiast Darryl White says he has amassed possibly the biggest collection of Indian Motorcycles memorabilia in the southern hemisphere.

He says he had so much historical information on the iconic American brand “stuck in cupboards” that he wanted to take it out and share it with the public. The 53-year-old considers the museum to be the next chapter of his life.

About 20 friends and colleagues from the Indian Motorcycle Club of Australia rode five days from Melbourne and Sydney for the launch, including long-time friend John Steelman of Ohio. They were among hundreds of riders who rolled in for the official opening, many of them riding old Indians and other relics dragged out of backyard sheds.

“I’m amazed at how many have come,” said a beaming Darryl.

His passion for Indian Motorcycles began in the 1970s “as a young fella” riding bikes.

“At the time, Indian was selling Italian

A

dirt bikes made under licence using the Indian name. They were just so much more powerful than what we were riding. Since then, I’ve always wanted one.”

However, Darryl’s bus and truck parts business took up most of his energy and it wasn’t until 23 years ago that he bought his first Indian, a 1922 Powerplus outfit. “I had the passion to own an Indian, but work commitments got in the way,” he says. He bought the Powerplus outfit for $7000, but sold it two years later to fund the purchase

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of his first Chief (which he still has today), which only served to further fuel Darryl’s desire for more Indians “and so started the disease, although I’ve also heard it called a virus,” he says.

Darryl’s museum, at 419 Newman Rd, Geebung, is housed in a former forklift business that he has had painted up in classic style by an international mural artist and good friend Eric Henn (from Ohio) to replicate several traditional Indian Motorcycle posters. Even the shop window

indian museum

features a sign for Rhodes Motorcycles, which was the first official Indian dealership in Australia. This is indicative of the level of historical detail Darryl includes in the museum.

It’s not the biggest collection of Indian Motorcycles. He says he knows collectors with more than 80 Indians in their shed.

Darryl has about 20 bikes and will have 18 on display, including four on loan from colleagues. The display bikes will rotate so there is always something new for returning visitors to see.

While the motorcycle display is small, almost every model is in working order and some are still of original paint condition with that quaint and valuable patina of

antiquity about them. Darryl is proud of his original-paint bikes that haven’t been “prettied up”.

It’s not just the motorcycles that will attract patrons but the memorabilia, which includes helmets, posters, pennants, fuel bowsers, motorcycle parts, race medals and even an Indian outboard motor. Some of his proudest displays are his Honest Injun bound books and a personal race medal belonging to George Hendee, founder of the Hendee Manufacturing Company, which later became known as The Indian Motorcycle Company. Darryl says the Honest Injun books were printed periodically for owners. We believe the book on display is one of only seven previously

owned by Hendee. Darryl owns three. The 1904 race medal was awarded to Hendee for coming fourth in a gruelling seven-day endurance race in which only five out of 27 starters managed to finish. It took Darryl three years to research the book and medal, which he bought via eBay. These are some of the many valuable and highly collectible items on display. The museum will also include Indian Motorcycle merchandise such as t-shirts, hats and promotional items for sale.

Darryl says more public interest in Indian Motorcycles was sparked by the release of the movie The World’s Fastest Indian and had recently been further fired up by the new Indian Chief motorcycles built since

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA Where: 419 Newman Road, Geebung Qld When: Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm and possibly Friday and Saturday nights once a month How much: $15, children 16 and under free Web: indianmotorcyclemuseumaust.com.au Eric Henn: erichennmurals.com

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indian museum

Polaris took over ownership. “I like the new Indians, especially the way they captured the traditional style and heritage of the Chief engine,” he says. “I haven’t ridden the new ones yet. I really only like riding anything old.”

Darryl also owns a 2006 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide but confesses he has only ridden 3000km on it, preferring to ride his favourite, a 1953 Indian Chief with left-foot clutch, four-speed transmission, tank mounted shifter and left-hand throttle.

“I love the challenge of riding something different,” he says. “It’s set up to take my wife (Donna) and has electric start and hydraulic forks. It’s a great rider. It has good balance. There is nothing better than riding an Indian.” Although he adds the caveat that they have to be built from 1935 onwards with the 1200cc motor.

However, he believes the company’s collapse was mainly due to a failure to modernise. “They never developed the hand clutch and then all the British bikes started arriving. Their last big race win was at

Daytona in 1953 and ’54, but even that was with 1948 motorcycles.”

Among the more interesting displays is the oldest original-paint bike, a 1908 Camelback, so called because of the humpshaped fuel tank over the rear wheel. Darryl says it features the advance/retard on the right handgrip and throttle on the left so police officers could keep their right hand free to shoot their pistol. The bike even sports a telltale bullet hole in the oil tank!

These are the sorts of stories that really make the exhibition come to life.

Another rare bike is the 1928 Fire Patrol outfit, which Darryl recently purchased from the United States, which had been in the same family since 1943. It was one of about 200 made and is believed to be the only one left in the world. However, one of the most desirable exhibits is an original-paint 1937 Four, powered by an inline four-cylinder engine, hence its name. It is also commonly referred to by its nickname – the upside down four. Darryl has three Fours with a fourth to come. “I don’t buy them because

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of their value, but for the love of something different and unusual,” he says. “I do buy and sell some, but only to make some money to put into the next project.”

John Steelman has helped Darryl build up his collection of Indian Motorcycles, finding them and shipping them over from the States.

John also sold Darryl a rare original-paint 1913 Dayton motorcycle (which ironically was made and found in Dayton, Ohio) that has muscled its way into the Indian Museum.

Darryl says it has a special place in his heart because John didn’t want to sell it.

“He has had previous offers as it is one of approximately 10 left in the world and was a part of Dayton, Ohio, history. He named a ridiculous price and I said ‘sold’. John went as white as a ghost but he couldn’t back down. He’s still copping flak from locals for selling part of Dayton’s history.”

After the official launch, visitors were taken for guided tours through the museum before riders took off on the poker run u to o Redcliffe, returning after lunch for o official ffic ff icia icia ial photographs.C&T

C&T Gift Guide

CRUISER

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at combining form and function into a saddle that makes you as happy to look at as it does to ride on.

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C&T Gift Guide

& TRIKE

GIFT GUIDE WILEY X EYEWEAR

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Earmold Australia brings you a reusable earplug with dual filters in three sizes and two colours. Here is an off-the-shelf multifunctional dual-filtered hearing protector that is designed to help you hear speech clearer in noisy environments, while also reducing the high frequencies of wind and road noise. It can also be connected to recreational stereo headsets and two-way radio earpieces.

Priced at just $30, the Heardefenders DF is one of the most affordable off-the-shelf hearing protection options available. With a noise-reduction rating (NRR) of 22 when both filters are worn, it’s a much safer and cleaner alternative to disposable earplugs. For more info, head to earmold.com.au

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AND ON THE 12TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME

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C&T Gift Guide

Z POWER Z Power Australia has the largest range of cruiser, tourer, trike, Can-Am and vintage bike parts and accessories in central-west NSW. You’ll find everything you need for that special Christmas gift, from a travel mug to a brand-new set of exhaust pipes. Z Power specifically imports Show Chrome Big Bike Parts from the US with a huge range of accessories and bling for your ride. It also imports Custom World International products from Canada with a great range of sissy bars and racks on offer. In addition, the company stocks a huge range of Kuryakyn accessories, as well as the best luggage available from manufacturers such Mustang seats, Willie and Max, and Travel Master.

To see the range, head straight to 2/65 Lords Place, Orange NSW or check out zpower.com.au

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manufacturer, other than Harley-Davidson, that manufactures its bars completely from stainless steel. Burleigh uses the highest-quality 304 American-grade stainless steel and its handlebars are crafted by trade-qualified Australian tradesmen to ensure the highest standards of manufacturing excellence.

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Burleigh Bars’ mission is to take motorcycle handlebars to a place where they have never been before. The company offers a seven-year warranty with full back-up service and is the only handlebar

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C&T Gift Guide

CHIPPEWA DOGGER For more than 110 years, Chippewa Boots has been hand-crafting high-quality boots, designed for both work and play. The Chippewa Dogger Motorcycle boot is made from good-looking Apache leather with a breathable, flexible and durable insole and non-slip Vibram Gumlite outsole. Made in the USA, the drill vamp cotton lining provides the ultimate in comfort while the long-wearing Vibram Gumlite outsole maintains its physical properties and slip-resisting characteristics in cold weather.

This solid all-purpose 10-inch utility boot uses Goodyear welt construction and is available in standard (EE) width or USA sizing — please check your size. For more info, go to Chippewa’s Aussie distributor, The Western Boot Barn’s website, westernbootbarn.com.au/chippewachippewa-dogger-20075.aspx

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The jacket is 100 per cent leather with two hand-warmer pockets and zippered side expansion panels, as well as snap wristadjustment tabs and a zip-in/out lightly insulated cotton liner with interior pockets. CE protectors are in the shoulders and elbows, and there’s a snap-down collar, antique brass zippers and we can’t forget the all-important embroidered Indian Motorcycle logo front and back. Available from any Indian Motorcycle dealer. Visit indianmotorcycle.com/en-au

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For a perfect fit, the matte titanium finish on the aluminium tip matches the colour of the stock bike’s heat shields, and the satin black muffler includes a custom heat shield to smooth the transition from the stock header pipes to the Cobra muffler.

The high-flow core itself is a massive 3-inches in diameter, which gives the muffler an aggressive look without being too loud. Available to order from most motorcycle dealers across Australia. For more information on the Cobra range of mufflers and accessories, visit linkint.com.au/cobra

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Although the centre specialises in major Japanese brands such as Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki, it also services Triumph, KTM and Husqvarna. So, go on, book the rider in your life in for a real servicing this Christmas! For more info, check out mtmotorcycles.com.au or phone 0432 523 829.

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Project Nuts & Bolts

PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS YAMAHA BUILT IT BUT WE MADE IT OUR OWN. NOW IT BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE. WE’LL MISS PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS

amaha gave us a bloody good basis to work from. From the first time we saw pics of the Bolt, we knew we were gonna get along just fine. Lightweight, bugger-all frills and a well-proven air-cooled V-twin in a double-cradle frame with a pair of shock absorbers and swingarm. It’s not a radical new innovation but the recipe is a slightly different interpretation to anything else metric.

When the official launch was held in Brisbane in 2013, we looked, poked and prodded at the Bolt as though we were

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about to buy it. Which is kind of what we were planning. Y’see, smart people from within the halls of Yamaha Motors Australia had already decided to offer us one to modify how we wanted. At the end of the year, we’d give it away to a lucky Cruiser & Trike subscriber.

So, after the launch was over and done with, our Yamaha Bolt was crated and freighted to us.

Many plans and ideas were tossed round ranging from wild to stupid to subtle. In the end, we decided that our Project Nuts & Bolts was going to be a bike that you Cruiser & Trike

100

could ride in traffic or from here to there with your mates. Not a highway bike, there are others that do that a lot better. It had to have a comfortable, upright riding position.

The bars and pegs needed to be at the right height and reach from a comfortable seat.

Sound was also important. The soundtrack needed a deep bass undertone.

Loud enough to remind you what you were riding but not loud enough to scare birds from the trees or highway patrol cops from the long grass.

Corners are the reason we have straights.

Our interpretation had to be able to enter

Project Nuts & Bolts

and exit corners under full control.

Underlining everything else was the ability for any Bolt owner to be able to replicate any part, or all of Project Nuts & Bolts on their own Yamaha Bolt.

As he hadn’t ridden one before, Sandbag got the first ride of Nuts & Bolts when it arrived. His ride aboard the completely stock bike was to Sydney Dyno so we could measure our baseline. To say that he was underwhelmed is mild. In short, he hated it. Well, to be fair, it was only the riding position and the suspension that he hated!

Everything else was OK. The good people from Proven Products provided us with the solution to Sandbag’s first complaint. A pair of Ikon fork springs made a big improvement to the front-end and a pair of Ikon 7610P shock absorbers transformed the rear end. The rear sits a bit higher than stock but the difference when you’re riding is amazing.

Even before we sat down and worked out a plan of attack, Mick had decided that our newly named Project Nuts & Bolts had to have a set of spoked wheels. Thankfully, Yamaha had already decided to produce spoked wheels as a part of the extensive range of custom parts and accessories it was offering for the Bolt.

Our spoked wheels were fitted with a set of Pirelli Night Dragons in standard size. Again, you could feel a difference compared to the stock mags and tyres. The new wheels and tyres are lighter than stock and that helps the suspension.

At this stage, the rolling stock and suspension were completed and it was time for the sound to be sorted. Staintune Cruiser & Trike

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Project Nuts & Bolts is an institution of Australian custom bike building. A slip-on reverse-cone muffler was knocked up and bolted on. Sounds easy, eh? It took a bit more work than that but the end result is a true bolt-on, fully stainless-steel muffler with black coating and a polished end-cone. Dyno numbers are part of the final equation but the sound has to be right. Indeed, Sandy and Adam got both the sound and performance right.

With deeper breathing possible through the DNA air filter in the lightly modified airbox, the fuel supply needed help. We started with an EJK (Electronic Jet Kit) 3.0 that allowed us to add fuel anywhere between idle and redline. Thankfully, Dave Holdforth from Sydney Dyno provided his expertise and experience along with his

Dynojet 250i. The improvement from the new Staintune muffler was obvious but the air-fuel ratio was all wrong. We needed to remove fuel and make the fuel curve leaner, something that isn’t possible with the EJK 3.0. Pete Lucas from Kenma contacted EJK who quickly sent out a prototype EJK 3.5 that allows addition or subtraction of fuel.

Back on the dyno, Dave was able to dial the fuel curve in very nicely. Project Nuts & Bolts was now making 55hp and enough torque to carry a fat editor up any hill in top gear.

The lucky winner of Project Nuts & Bolts will be sitting on a DayTripper seat, the very first custom seat Mustang Seats has made for a Bolt. Not only does it look just right, it is also extremely comfortable. The

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winner’s feet will rest upon a set of genuine Yamaha semi-forward controls. Might not sound like much, but the four inches make a big difference to the rider’s comfort.

Lifting your hands up to the handgrips atop the Ventura 10-inch apehangers places them at a very comfortable level below shoulder height for most riders.

Venhill braided brake lines provide the feel and fluid retention that brakes need to work properly. Clutch and throttle cables were too short so Justin from Trooper Lu’s Garage organised a new set of clutch and throttle cables from General Auto Cables to match the increased height of the Ventura handlebars. We also got to see Mick get his hands dirty alongside James from Trooper Lu’s Garage. While James was fitting stuff

Project Nuts & Bolts

quickly and efficiently, Mick spent much more time extending the wiring for the switch blocks to match the new bars. Like the little mirrors? If you roll your forearms the right way, you can actually see pretty well behind you. Now that Mick’s back is turned, we’ll swap them over so that they sit above the bars.

With Nuts & Bolts needing to be moved about all over the place, we turned to our friends from Allwest Motorcycle Carriers and entrusted them with our pride and joy. Many a bike is rolled in or out of their vans during the course of a year at Cruiser & Trike and not once has there been a problem with damage or delivery time.

They are highly recommended.

We always intended to add a few graphics, and Joel from Killer Images was able to translate our desires into something much better. We write; he designs. If you want a custom design for your own project, he’s well able to sort you out.

Sandbag hasn’t been allowed anywhere near Project Nuts & Bolts since that first ride but now that it’s road manners have been refined, we might let him have a little ride before it goes to its new owner.

Perhaps. We’ve tried not to clock up too many miles but, hey, we’re only human.

We’d like to thank all of the people who have contributed to Project Nuts & Bolts and sincerely hope that the new owner enjoys our Yamaha Bolt. C&T

PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS THANK YOU LIST Allwest Motorcycle Carriers, (02) 9603 2979: Shipping Project Nuts & Bolts all over the place General Auto Cables, (02) 9730 0487: Extended throttle and clutch cables Ikon, ikonsuspension.com.au: Supply of Ikon shock absorbers and fork springs Kenma, kenma.com.au: DNA Air Filter, EJK Electronic Jet Kit, Venhill braided lines, Ventura handlebars, and stuff Killer Images, 0434 674 719: Design and application of graphics Link International, linkint.com.au:

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Supply of Pirelli Night Dragon tyres Mustang Seats, mustangseats.com: Supply of DayTripper Fastback seat Speedcycle, speedcycle.com.au: Supply of mirrors, blinkers and stuff Staintune, staintune.com.au: Supply of Staintune slip-on muffler Sydney Dyno, sydneydyno.com.au: Supply of dyno services and tuning Trooper Lu’s Garage, trooperlu.com. au: CRG mirrors, workshop facilities and making stuff fit together and work properly Yamaha, yamaha-motor.com.au: Supply of Yamaha Star Bolt and stuff

Shop Talk

SYDNEY

DYNO 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 that you tell us about and find out what makes them popular. If you want to recommend a shop or workshop, send us an email and tell us who, what and why. The address is cruiser@unversalmagazines.com.au This issue, we’re looking at one of our favourite specialist workshops, Sydney Dyno.

Long recognised as an unbiased dyno expert, David Holdforth also provides old-fashioned personalised service in a very high-tech world.

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Shop Talk

Cruiser & Trike

105

THIS IS AUSTRALIA. WE CAN TAKE GREAT IDEAS AND MAKE THEM SUIT LOCAL CONDITIONS. WELCOME TO THE AUSSIE HARDARSE ASSOCIATION. It’s more than a club – it’s a challenge. The challenge is to knock over 1600km in 48 hours. Are you up to the challenge?

A prize for every completed 1600km!

VALUED AT $49.95

HOW IT WORKS

1. Register your intent by calling 1300 303 414 or online at universalshop.com.au/ AussieHardarseClub 2. Fee to register is $45 3. PROOF! Photo documentation must be posted to facebook.com/ AussieHardarseAssociation

Departure point fuel receipt

Take a pic at the servo before leaving

YOUR $45 REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES: 1 x club tee 1 x club badge 1 x 6-month subscription to Australian Cruiser & Trike mag

Take a pic of you Take a pic at each and your ride with a servo you stop at along recognisable background the way along the way

Final selfie of your worn-out head

HOW DID YOU GET TO THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER? WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?

WHAT EXTRAS DO YOU OFFER CUSTOMERS TO GET THEM TO TRAVEL TO YOU?

I started out as an apprentice motor mechanic and at that time, there was no such thing as a trade in motorcycles. I remember my TAFE teacher laughing at me for wanting to work on motorbikes.

It didn’t take me long to gravitate to Goulburn Street and Wentworth Avenue, the hub of Sydney’s motorcycle community.

That was a long time ago.

I can fit various mods and parts for customers that don’t want to do that themselves. I also offer a pick-up and delivery service.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN UP SHOP?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES YOU SUPPORT AND PROMOTE?

I had spent some time in the UK during the late ’90s at a first-class tuning workshop where there were two dyno rooms in full operation working on GP, World Superbike and many other race bikes along with a lot of road bikes.

Road racing, Track Day Tragics, and Bike Night at Sydney Dragway.

HOW LONG HAS THE SHOP BEEN GOING? I started the business, Sydney Dyno Pty Ltd, in February 2000

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN YOUR SHOP? That’s a no-brainer! My Dynojet 250i Dyno and the dyno room. I’ve got my room set up so that everything I need to work efficiently is within easy reach.

WHAT DRIVES YOU? The desire to succeed while providing my customers with the kind of service that I would like to receive.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Being self-employed, I don’t have any “bean counters” messing with the shop so I can concentrate on tuning bikes and making customers happy.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? Staying put at Worthington Motorcycles. I have a long-term lease for my dyno tuning business in the workshop that is just 25 minutes along the M1 from Wahroonga.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS?

A lot of them are repeat customers who get me to run-in their brand-new bikes or re-tune slightly modified bikes. They are mostly road riders from the Central Coast and across the Sydney metropolitan area.

Then there are the competitors who are searching for every last sustainable drop of power. They are the customers who travel from all over the map.

WHAT BIKES DO YOU OWN OR PARTOWN? A mix of Japanese and British superbikes.

Seven all up.

OWNER David Holdforth

LOCATION Inside Worthington Motorcycles Workshop 5 Kangoo Road, Kariong NSW 2250

PHONE 0418 224 000

WEBSITE www.sydneydyno.com.au

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Shop Talk

Long-Termer

YAMAHA XV1900AT SHARING THE JOY WITH NON-CRUISER RIDERS

Words: Ken and Mary Collin

y regular rides are not cruisers but I always look forward to riding the new ones as they have improved dramatically in recent years. The XV1900 was no exception. It looked big and it felt heavy lifting it off the sidestand. The finish looked good and I didn’t mind the silver paint and chrome trimming. It had aftermarket Cobra pipes, which set the bike off a bit. They not only looked good but I was also impressed with the low rumble they produced at idle. The two huge pistons could be heard thumping along and I wondered how loud it might get riding it.

For this ride, I had a pillion. I’m 90kg and my wife is 65kg and we just carried some

M

basic gear in the saddlebags: camera, iPad and wet-weather gear. Mick tells me it is a five speed. I thought he was joking at first, until we got going.

Left Sydney on a cold, damp day and it wasn’t long before we stopped and the wife put her wet-weather gear on to keep the cold and drizzle out. Headed out to the freeway and on to the Hume. I soon realised the five gears were evenly spaced and never went looking for a sixth gear. My concerns about the pipes were for nothing as it rumbled along. It was quite audible under the helmet just cruising and when passing vehicles but it sounded great. I reckon it was probably the right sound to let motorists know you are there but not too loud for the police to bother you about it.

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Out on the highway sitting on 110km/h, it just cruised along. It stayed in the lane, and wheel tracks and potholes didn’t deter it. Speeding up to overtake was effortless for this big engine. No need to drop it back, just give the throttle a small twist and it quickly picked up 10–20km/h and made passing easy. The bike had a standard seat and it was one of the more comfortable seats I’ve ever ridden on. Mary wasn’t moving around much on the back so I figured she was happy with the standard seat and the back pad on the sissy bar.

Controls and gauges were basic but that is how I like things. I especially liked the speedometer. It is one of the few bikes where I can see the numbers clearly and know exactly what speed I am doing. I wear

A PILLION’S PERSPECTIVE Having had major back surgery over the years, I don’t get to go riding much with Ken anymore. When he said it would be a steady six-hour round trip with a long break in the middle, I figured I would give it a go. Mick put the standard seat and the sissy bar and pad back on it for me. This was the most comfortable bike I have ever been on the back of. The seat was the right size and the back bar was in the right position. Ken has a lot of bikes and none

glasses to read but not to ride so reading the speedo without glasses is a plus for me and probably a few other ageing riders.

As a cruiser, I was impressed with the bike.

It is not exactly how I would have it set up but it was pretty close. The suspension was just right for the two of us and our small amount of gear.

My negatives. I don’t like the style of handlebars. They feel OK for short distances but for me, they don’t lend to low-speed riding and gave me a sore neck when riding for a couple of hours. I must admit, I am not used to high bars like these ones.

However, I recently rode a Victory Cross Roads 1000km in 11 hours and didn’t get a sore neck, so the first thing I’d do would be change the bars. My next negative is the

size of the fuel tank. It looks big but a quick run of your hands under it and you can feel it curve up over the air box and other stuff.

You get 200km out of it but not much more.

The fuel gauge on the one we rode was not very accurate, which might be confined just to this particular bike but the top half of the gauge moved slowly down while cruising.

When the needle reached the half-full mark, it quickly dropped. This nearly caught us out when we left Canberra with just over half a tank heading to Goulburn. I eased off the throttle halfway there when I realised we might not make the 80k trip without running out of fuel.

No more negatives. Overall, a very good bike that, like any bike, just needs to b be adapted to individual preferences. C& C&T &T Cruiser & Trike

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Long-Termer

of them have a back seat as comfortable as this one. You don’t look like you are sitting on a perch with your ankles up level with your butt. The saddlebags were in the right place and I could stretch my legs out on the footpegs and lean back on the pad. I felt a few jolts in the travel when the road surface levels changed but that night, I didn’t feel as though I had been on a bike for six hours. No negatives from me, this was a practical and comfortable seat and position for a pillion.

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

The shed

THE SHED

HEADLIGHT PROTECTION CHEAPER THAN REPLACING A HEADLIGHT INSERT.

here are products that we especially like, simply because they make sense. Headlight protectors are a prime example of that, and the first addition we make to all of our long-term bikes.

Let’s look at the positives: they’re cheap, quick and easy to fit, and provide a barrier between your expensive headlights and the crap thrown up off the road. The list of negatives; can’t think of any.

You could think of a headlight protector as an insurance policy for your headlight. Landed in our PO Box, an AMHP CY38 is $52.30 plus $15 postage. Compare that to a replacement headlight for our

T

Yamaha XV1900, which is a 5C4-84320-00 with an RRP of $607.15, according to Trooper Lu’s Garage’s online parts store. I know which bill I’d much rather pay!

All of AMHP’s headlight protectors are made from 3mm-thick plastic sheet. I asked what type of plastic sheet was used and the only answer I got was a smile. The edges are smooth-polished so you won’t catch your skin and leave blood traces when you pop it off to wash your bike. The 3M Dual Lock fasteners that AMHP supply are perfectly happy to be separated and reattached when you take the protector off at bath time.

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The shed AMHP is an Australian-owned company that manufactures all of its headlight protectors in-house on the NSW Central Coast. It posts the protectors in a sturdy cardboard box full of bubble wrap.

Have a look at the website (amhp.com.au) to find the right protector for your own bike or trike. As well as the model-specific protectors, there are universal sizes for a variety of naked and faired bikes.

If you’re so inclined, AMHP can also provide any of its protectors in fancy colours. Tinted protectors are offered in yellow, amber,

red, green, dark smoky tint, smoky tint, dark blue and blue. The latest additions are black or white. These are a solid colour and can be shiny or matte to the outside. They don’t allow any light to pass but are an option. Mick uses a black protector that he puts on his Hayabusa at the drags. He rides it to the track and then puts the protector on his headlight complete with his race number.

Obviously, riding on the road with a black or white protector is not legal. Check with local rego authorities on the legality of tinted protectors on your local roads. C&T

FOLLOW THE STEPS Like an old-time dance lesson, follow these steps for fun and success: 1. Start with a cold headlight.

2. Clean the headlight lens with warm water and a bit of dishwashing liquid. That will clean off any residual wax or dirt.

3. Dry the lens.

4. Use the included 3M Surface Wipe. It’s soaked in isopropyl alcohol that won’t affect the lifespan of the 3M Dual Lock fasteners.

5. Dry the headlight again with a clean cloth.

6. Think carefully about the next step so that the fasteners on your headlight protector are more even and aesthetically pleasing.

7. Peel the backing plastic from one side of the 3M Dual Lock fastener and apply to the outer edge of the inside face of the protector. Repeat until you’ve run out of fasteners and they are evenly spread.

8. Be neater than Mick when you’re placing the fasteners. He’s hopeless.

9. Peel the backing plastic off the 3M Dual Lock fastener thingos and carefully press the protector into position on your headlight. Only apply pressure where the dots are, not in the centre of the protector. Mick, again.

10. Sit back and admire your handiwork for 10 hours before trying to remove the AMHP protector from the headlight.

11. Ride and then reward yourself with a hot or cold one.

Welcome to The Shed, the section for Cruiser & Trike readers who want to get off the lounge and out into the shed. Shed time should be happy time. We’re gonna show you stuff that some will find easy and other stuff that leaves us scratching our collective heads. Not every job is simple and we all have a point where we call in the experts. There are no hard and fast rules about what we will or won’t cover in The Shed. If you’ve got an idea or would like to contribute your own shed stuff, shoot an email to cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Cruiser & Trike

111

The Clas sic Moto rcycle

Simply classic.

Where it all

began

The Clas sic Moto si tor orc cy yc cl le e

a motorcycl e which norm ally states motorcycle the be powered wheel and by an inter combustio an nd there nd nal here n engine – re were no no brakes! a fact whic commonly es e ! It not kept up onlly It is more ly recog h perhaps recog more gnise with the deve nised nised as has mode as the tth precurs lopm motorcycles rn car, cu urso ca ar, rather tthan he prec orr for fo the or other techn ent of electric han ha an n moto mo motorcycl Perhaps r ycle rc ologi In 1884 Edwa e howe s the how ver th he stron vver. er. nges rd Butler even cal advances… was gest ges es st claim clai of the Butler Petro howevve he created his e era ver er er in 1894 l Cycle, whic when en n Hilde Hild Wolfmüllerr ilde h was a three lde d wheeled affair e eb bran brand rand nd d and an patented their pa incorporating eir liqu li liquid iquid1489cc twin id-co d-cool with rotary ccoole coo a 600cc flat-t o ooled twinoled o led l ed n-cyl n d -cylin cylin valves and inder der invention, win a float fed tion, which traditional as being liquid carb, as well used u us steps tep-tthr ed da throu hrough -cooled. Drive gh bicyc connected le e frame, a foot lever was controlled e con directlyy tto d conro n ds that raised o a crank on by and heav irectl and lowered n the rea rearr a y du duty uty rubbe the rear axle err bands run cylinders to run outside assis a ssistt comp the ression on s Liquid cool strok troke kes ke cooli es. es lling ing ng was vvia ia a water built into the reser ervoi e rvvoir voirr vo re guard rear and run jackets arou n to coo co cooli ooling n nd ng d the ccylin ylind ders ers,, while a whopping ile e prod p pro pr r ucing 2.5bh 2.5 ..5 5bhp ng p at 240rpm! would beco Their inven me e known in tion in Germany Motorrad and as the iitt was prod uced in Fran Germany, with a ce and actua ctuall prod uctio estimated on figures to lie e e bet betw ween een several 2000 moto al hund undrred rcyclle red and re es, e s, wi nd d with th a few still surviving rrare are exam a mpl mple ples to o tthis d es es main while the value his day, ainly inly ly in m muse useu ums, ms, off tthese o hese bikes kes is esti the region estim est e stima iima ma m of $15 ated te in ted $150 50,0 n 0,000 ,000.

00..

THE TOPIC OF THE FIR ST MOTORC ONE,, WITH YCLES, IS A VAR VARIE IET TY A Y OF DIFFE DEGR RE EE E OF CLAIM RENT MACH CONTENTIOUS TO THE TIT INES MAKIN OFTE EN N LACKING LE IN THE EARLIER YEA G SOME SO ME OF THE FE CONS SID RS, BUT IDE ER RE ATURES TH ED D PART OF AT ARE NO A TRUE MO W TORCYCLE WORDS: KRIS .

HODGSON

The most st common claimant is Gottlieb Daim of course ler Daimler Reitw who, in 1885 created his agen (tran s. riding car), 264cc singl ngle e-cyl -cyliinder a nder that ran fuel but incor on benzine porated two additional side mou unte nted sprung d wheels for stability. It wood fram ame was a ed d affair, with spoked wood reinforce ed d with meta wheels l banding, test the engin designed to e it carried.

Needless it bears only to say the slightest resemblance our mod dern ern motorcycl to es despite the engin having ne e slung g low in the th even the f fram e, without e most basic principles trail thatt are of rake and so integral handling g of motorcycl to the design and es today and even bicy bicyc ycles indeed les at the time.

Earlierr still creations whic be comm h have failed mon only ly accepted to into the moto categoryy inclu rcycle ded steam powered veloc such as tthe Michaux-Perr ipedes, eaux velociped steam ipede de which origi nated in Fran only had a ce and single mode l built desp version a ite a tric appearing tricycle later. Sylve twin-cyli ster Roper’s cylin inder der ste steam powe red velocipede another exam a ple also found is with several in the late 1860s models built during this as well as one later in period, 1884 frame to Rope . Whether the r’s invention is oftenpurp or repurpos üller’s creation wasycle ose built ed rema and Wolfm motorc ins dispu Hildeb usedrand ted but. his a an example of a true twist early throt ylinder bike as tle cooled twin-c shown sorts bars , with the entir a liquid-of twistedd–byone e and was powere way for acce other leration, the for braking.

Roper woul attack, eithe d die of a hear r as a caus t e of, or the crashing his result of machine in 1894.

Lucius Cope land even adap boiler to a ted a steam penny-farthing in 1881 and later mate one to an Ame would rican Star wheeler. The highmain reaso n for their however, lies exclusion in our mode rn definition of

“PERHA STRONGES PS THE T OF THE ER CLAIM HILDEBRA A WAS ND AND WOLFMÜL LIQUID-COLER’S OLED TWIN...”

I 1 In 1887, John Boyd Boyyd Dunl Dunlo lop, a Scott inventor and ish one of the founders of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company invented the , first practical tyre, using inflatable a sheet of rubber shap into a tube ed and then inflat ed. The whee showed much l better rollin g capabilitie when teste d against the s metal whee the time on ls of a tricycle and he then move on to bicyc les. He paten d ted the inven in 1888, howe tion ver Robert William Thomson had already paten in France and ted the idea the US much rendering Dunlop’s paten earlier, t invalid.

Dunlop did however go the first tyre on to crea te factory in 1889 and it’s of no doub t that this leap forward applicable in wheel and tyre techn had a very ology positive effec t on the motoring indu stry that was strengthen starting to around the world.

In 1895 Mich elin would introduce first autom the obile tyres , despite Andr Michelin havin e g earlier said, little futur “he saw e” : Morio automobile magefor Im the comp s. By 1900 any’s prod uction beca purely tyres me . The Mich elin tyres beca a particular me breakthrough due to being removable and easily repairable, than requiring rather the lengthy specialist services of to patch. a

ycle cyc rc rcy sic Moto The Clas gen, despite The Daimler Reitwa claim , makes some its additional wheels motorcycle, with to being the first engine. stion internal combu

rcycle sic Moto The Clas

YCLE Y OF MOTORC S WA E NUMBER “BY 1914 THCTURERS IN THE US ILAR SIM MANUFA AT 200, WITH BMW’s ...”the R 32 mayPE not have been RO produced, first motorcycle ESTIMATED THE UK AND EU but it provides ever a great insight influenced the into how early IN motorcycle scene design today. Many of features are still e,, e de, d de NUMBERS ad ade a cca cad eca ec e deca dec de found on some bike’s ngthed ng iing in wi w wing win ow o llow lo BMWsfollow in the today.

14 |

iitttss R ufacturers ith its wiit w wit 3 with 23 2 923 92 9 19 rcycle man scene in 1923 largest moto ts its ng its ing on the ing riin ur uring uring tu turi attturin a aturi yea eat eatur e fe finally arriv 1924, featu ging. Harle e| .15 vve. ve iive riiv rrive riv with BMW market in driv drive aft d h haf ha s were chan shaft shaf sha d ssh nd Royal an and d reach the e an ver many thing 1911, with 32 which woul sed twin-cylinder engin ntt n en e ent tent is istten sis sisten first twin in nsi n ns By 1914 howe o on cons co ccon ly oppo duced their e introduce would be a loce ontal intro Veloc drive had horiz saw shaft d Davidson 1912, 1913 engine and me which woul ing suit in iill ttil nti The boxer – a name ent. until un r ar a ette ear e ea pres p pear pea pe p appe ap app a Enfield follow the t Veloc ot s n not e into stroke, the with Jame ver, would rt port port BMW them ssp nspo n ns nsp an ansp a rans trra e trans on bllle ble their first twoabl dable dable in Japan howe into liquidation rdab rd r Nort or o as affor affo Four y goes any on Big mpan Nort The e the comp War II when orre effo efo befor b be t,, befo et, e stick, while ke ket ket, k rket rrket, ing World ark reforming estimates mark ma m Bob Shelley in 1913 are the ‘50s, follow issue for the domestic me me ime im tim in ttime Norton and ntt in oint es for the US point po major ed a p uction figur ver 100,000 nsstt inst became a ains ain ai are over ga y. This mark again ag a lly. e c nally nal n nce there onc o once on tiona Motors. Prod le e p pe natio a ccape ca dsccap inter i terna rcycles, while ing lands ay ay way aw aw awa expanding g away vving ovi o er movi mo at 70,000 moto tered in England. the motorcycl err m wer we w numb ower owe o ow see powe pow p po d of the ce woul with regis d, red red, which the balan motorcycles ar I is decla change, with World War ated at 200, estim e drastically US. TCM In August 1914 facturers ers in the US Horses pe and the e manu o in Europe. from Euro also of motorcycl rcycles, he UK and the numbers in erss using moto rider with similar despatch ride that by ing ced mean repla war, w d, ellld e eld he hel not held are generally was wa s n es during the TT wa roles rs increase n TT rers cture factu for combat anufa Isle of Man manu ma 191 0. 1914 20.

20 20. as well as 920 1920. d War I the es by some ver their un l 1920 un During Worl the last until of motorcycl r cases howe d d, ed, ed e ced, cced uce uced duce d oduc production race being trodu nd.. In other intro mand and other ts in ets et me mets me rnment dema with the 1914 e munitions ctive helm ad ea head he creatte d hea ed to meet gove otice first prote notic er n in order to ner ne dner d rd Gard also saw the is stopped t. officer – Eric e s. er ders. production iid rider rid g rri he war effor ng mon amo a medical ded an y am rials for the after provi injur I mate r on War e ired he h tthe e th ke k requ ak g World ma be a comm ing to mak while TT to Man TT vidson durin injuries to ary forces, a ly dly dly ed edly rted Harley-Da the Isle of orted po urp purp ines to milit hines H iderr p id He convinced one rrider 15,000 mach 30,000 Type estimated ulsory, with et. Itt ded over 3 large he h helmet. he helm he th rcycles provi also sold a helmets comp injury by the d to Triumph Moto s. Indian had ente en ed a serious sse sent sen ese e es re res government pre s pres to allied force riderrs saved from he American the th s ons – motorcycles sssio ss rted that no ussio u ncccu ncus tages in ble bikes to ith conc with was also repo er at the TT wi their available ed great shor caussed to portion of that offic l! uted ral! attrib evera I, in a move the medical seeing sseve ng t has been ing in sing ssi using usin us usi rtss u rt for World War tarts start sta to normally – a fact that rica’s Officce also compared ion as Ame stic market posit p their dome British Post the war – rop from the rers drop In 1915 the rer following delivery. turer factu the manufactu e manufact es for mail a result. ycle motorcycl motorcycl er base as mer cusstom number one gen)) agen ty of their custo ft-Wa aft-W the loyallty -Kra pf-Kr (Dampf ’s having lost I DKW (Dam world War the d of Worl me one become Following ny to beco any erma ge in Germ would emer

hler öh ö im Köhle him cchim oach J Jo e: Joa e: ge age: a ag mag mage Ima Imag Ima & Klement An 1899 Lauren g a 239cc Republic, boastin h. speed of 35km/ engine and top

FREE GIFT

| 23

22 |

The Classic Motorcycle is a celebration of classic motorcycles from as far back as the very first genuine bike, the 1885 Daimler Reitwagen. The first 100 years of motorcycling certainly produced some incredible bikes, most of which are featured in this 160-page celebration of the classic motorcycle.

No matter what your era, brand or region, we have covered it in The Classic Motorcycle. There are sections on The British Classics, The European Classics, The American Classics and The Japanese Classics, as well as a chapter called Where It All Began, which documents the history of the motorcycle. There are some stunning racers in here, as well as a comprehensive model index.

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Cruiser Club of SA

MANNUM RUN

RIDING MOTORCYCLES WITH A GROUP OF MATES AND MATE-ETTES IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. SHARING EXPERIENCES WITH LIKEMINDED FOLK IS ONE OF LIFE’S GREATEST JOYS

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Cruiser Club of SA

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e awoke to the sound of rain. For a short while, we wondered if we really wanted to do this, or roll over and go back to sleep. But fortune favours the brave and the rain stopped just as we headed out at 8am. Arriving at Cafe De Villi’s, we met 24 other brave Cruiser Club members.

Before long, we were heading up the South Eastern Freeway. While the roads were wet, the rain held off and soon we found ourselves in Murray Bridge enjoying a well-deserved hot beverage. The bikes looked a treat parked side by side, bookended by a red trike at each end.

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Once thawed, we headed off over the old bridge and followed the river to Mannum, where we crossed over on the ferry. We found a place to park near the river before enjoying a meal at the local Community Centre.

Once everyone was well rested and fed (and Mark found his key), we set off through the Adelaide Hills through Birdwood and Gumeracha under nice blue skies. We spotted another member out for the day, at the Big Rocking Horse, who joined us for coffee back at the president’s residence.

For more info on the Cruiser Club of SA, log onto facebook.com/pages/ Cruiser-Club-of-SA-Inc . C&T

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Price Guide

Yamaha XVS1300AT Star Tourer

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

PRICE

urbanmotoimports.com.au

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

CAN-AM BRP SPYDER

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

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 ...................Baseline 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

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

HONDA

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

huntermotorcycles.com.au

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

HYOSUNG

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 ..................Learner’s 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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honda.com.au

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................ Even better 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.

COMING SOON...

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Sandbag

HARD CASES?

Hard cases? Or just the modern and slightly soft version.

Words: Tim Sanford ook, I hate to burden you with this but I just have to get it off my chest. A little while back, the Esteemed Editorial Personage let loose the information that the Australian Hardarse Association had been formed under the auspices of this splendid magazine. Next thing you know His Magnificence, mounted upon a luxurious Spyder, performed whatever feat deemed necessary to become a member of this “association”.

My gleanings are that entry to the hallowed halls of this exclusive club of Revered Members of the Union of Armour-Plated Bottoms is merely the incontrovertible proof of having travelled 1600km in any one period of 48 hours.

Here’s my gripe: we’re in the 21st century and just because some handbagcarrying Nancy-boy or girl can stay awake long enough to cover the distance in the said time seems to me to be poor cause for applause. Cruise control? Four-way sound system? Heated seats? Sat nav? All of these modern devices, not to mention the actual machines themselves, make this a blight on the real men and women who have ridden bikes across this wide brown and, dare I say, occasionally accursed land.

Let’s take a look at one of the trips that

L

might allow one entry to this most-respected “association” — the short jaunt from Sydney to Perth. In anybody’s language, it is a) a bloody long way and b) just about the most boring journey you can imagine. A quick Googling reveals that the said shortcut between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans is just less than 4000km as the road flies.

One of my mates, whom we’ll call Bill, because that’s his name, has an interesting collection of Harleys, which he has used for all sorts of interesting trips so when he decided to ride from Sydney to Perth, he opened the shed door and cast his eye over the collection seeking a suitable motorcycle for the planned hop across the continent. Available were various largecapacity V-twins, all in superb mechanical and cosmetic condition, but was one of these his choice? No, indeed not, he rode down to the local servo, filled the tank of a WLA Harley and set off west. It goes without saying that the trip was totally free of mechanical troubles but it was not at all free from incredulous remarks as he pulled the Walla in for fuel at numerous servos across the land. One such tale relates that at a road house close to the border between WA and the east of the world, a significant population of riders of modern machines (mind you, of course, any Cruiser & Trike

122

motorcycle is “modern” when compared to a WLA) were preparing to continue their overland trek when up chuntered the said side-valved machine with its dustencrusted rider. They resolutely refused to believe that Bill had ridden the bike from Sydney and insisted that he must be some local with a penchant for early Harleys.

Another good friend of mine, whom we will call Marj, for the same reason given for Bill, took it into her head that riding across to Perth with a couple of mates would be a grand plan. So off they all set, the mates riding whatever were the modern machines of the day and Marj straddling the 1950 Matchless 500 single, which had been her sole means of transport for many years prior to this trip and was to remain the same for many years afterwards. Indeed, to my knowledge, she still has it but now it has a sidecar tacked on the side (for the shopping, you see). By the way, Marj’s machine had one singular advantage over Bill’s WLA: rear suspension. Bill’s only defence against the vagaries of the roads was the wide and leather-covered sprung saddle of the big sidevalve.

You will not be surprised that Marj’s trans-continental frolic was completed successfully and with some remarks similar in tone to those directed at Bill, but one of her comments on the ride has always stuck in my memory, “We had nine flat tyres in one day. NINE!” I have omitted the expletives for this Family Publication.

So where does all that leave us? Well, from my point of view, it’s all very simple: if you have a motorcycle, then you should get out and ride it. This country abounds with fabulous roads on which epic journeys can be undertaken and there are really only two elements that you need to consider: first, are you going to enjoy it and second, when are you going to do it? The best memories are those forged from experiences that have elements of difficulty, even hardship, to overcome.

You can be certain of one thing: if you’ve got a motorcycle and you have dreams of an epic ride, get out and do it. There is nothing more soul-destroying than the wistful contemplation that comes from “I had the opportunity to do that but I didn’t take it. Now I wish I had”.

Don’t wish, do it! C&T

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