Issue#7.1 Mar 2015

: ST -S TE ST AD ER ROPYD S

FIRST AUSSIE TESTS: INDIAN SCOUT, HD STREET 500

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

STREET

2015 (Vol. 7 No.1)

Aus $9.95* NZ $9.95 (both incl. GST)

WWW.CRUISERANDTRIKE.COM.AU

500

NEW BIKES TESTED

ON THE ROAD I SPYDER ROYALE I YAMAHA STAR RIDE I A DAY IN THE SADDLE

I INDIAN SCOUT I HD STREET 500 I HD ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL I KAWASAKI VN900 CLASSIC I HD ROAD KING CLASSIC I VICTORY GUNNER

PLUS: S&S-POWERED BON-TRIKE|TRIKES ACROSS MOUNT PANORAMA|AND OTHER STUFF!

CONTENTS NEW BIKES & TRIKES 12 26 34 42 61 70

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Indian Scout The engineers and designers have been working overtime.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Tested on Australian roads by Australians.

Kawasaki VN900 Classic Fat wheels and comfort to match.

Harley-Davidson Street 500 The first all-new platform from Milwaukee since V-Rod in 2000.

Can-Am Spyder ST-S Is it a sports or touring model? Either way, it’s bloody-good fun.

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic We’ve been waiting to get our hands on one. Sandbag reckons the wait was worthwhile.

Victory Gunner With such an impressive reputation, we were keen to get out and ride.

CUSTOMISED 102

Bon-Trike Rarer than uncooked pork, this S&S-powered Bon-Trike rocks!

34 ON THE ROAD 48

A Day in the Saddle The world’s flattest place.

Yamaha XVS1300AT Star Tourer

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PEOPLE & PLACES 78 80

96 106

Yamaha Star Ride All starry eyed in Sydney.

Spyder Royale Victor Harbor was left in one piece after the 2014 Spyder Royale.

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

Trikes on the Mount The biggest V8 Supercar event in Australia was invaded by trikes.

WITH YOUR HELP 8

Reader’s Ride We’re not going to spoil the surprise.

TECHNICAL NOTES 22 112

FYI News and products you need to know about.

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

COLUMNS 7 114

G’day Riding cruisers to distant places.

Sandbag Another area of challenge for Sandbag.

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Editorial

GRAB LIFE BY THE THROAT AND GET OUT ON THE ROAD. GO SOMEWHERE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE

T

he last couple of months have been great. Busy, but great. I’ve added more bikes and roadsters to my list of accomplishments. Riding has taken me to places that were just names on a map, or had been passed in the dead of night and seen through a window.

Life’s pretty good.

New Zealand was just a place across the ditch where a couple of mates live. Then I flew in and got to ride the awesome Indian Scout. That was a great trip, with mates, cheap rum and lots of laughs. Going to head back for a longer visit.

Off the plane and straight into the biggest drag race meeting of the season at Sydney Dragway before rolling the Yamaha XV1900 out of the shed and heading west across the Hay Plain and into Spyder Royale at Victor Harbor. I met a group of good people along the way and rode the second day in their company before spending a weekend surrounded by even more passionate ryders. My weekend at Royale ended straight after lunch on Sunday afternoon when I had to bail early. Stopped at a servo in Bordertown, I bumped into a group of Spyder ryders and we rode together until they bailed early at a motel. Crossing the border, I made it to Donald as the sun was setting and then suffered the worst Chinese meal I can remember. Cost a bomb, too.

Up and away relatively early, I had 1000km to go and made it home in 11 hours after five Cruiser & Trike

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fuel stops and a big lunch stop at the bakery in Holbrook.

The next couple of days were sombre as we farewelled a great man. The second one in a couple of months for my family and I. See ya Norm and Mac. I think I was home for a week or two before heading to Melbourne for the Moto Expo weekend. Wow, what a big event. Long days talking bikes followed by food, drinking and more talking about bikes. Just to top the weekend off, we got Troy Bayliss to press the button and find a new owner for Project Nuts & Bolts. Congratulations to Danny Duck.

It seemed as though I barely touched down before it was time to hit the road on the amazing Harley-Davidson Street 500.

In between all of that, somehow, this issue came together!

It’s been busy and sad in places but overall I’m very thankful for the opportunities that come my way. Grab life by the throat and get out on the road. Go somewhere you’ve never been before. You can thank me later when you share the pics on our Facebook wall.

Have fun, Mick Withers

Editor’ s Ride

EDITOR’S RIDE

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rdinarily, we run a pic of a reader’s ride here but not this time. This pic was shot by Mick just west of Donald in centralwestern Victoria. He’d hotfooted it the 500km from Spyder Royale at Victor Harbor and was planning to pull up for the night in Donald rather than dance with Skippy after dark.

There’ll be a full road test on the Yamaha XV1900 next issue but he wanted to share this pic because he likes it, and he’s the editor.

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

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

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

See offers at canamspyder.com

FOR PRICING & TEST RIDE CALL 1300 725 949

©2014 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Products are distributed by BRP Australia Pty Ltd. *Tested at a constant speed of 100 km/h. Fuel mileage may vary depending on the following: Spyder RT models, personal riding habits, weather conditions, trip length, vehicle condition, vehicle configuration and other conditions. Up to 325 kilometres tested at a constant speed of 120 km/h. Break-in mileage may also vary. See an authorised BRP dealer for details. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.

R

full comprehensive cover with discounts for low usage and experienced owner riders.

This policy does not cover the bike whilst in use.

we cover lams bikes for all age riders go to our website to check out our great prices.

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 & does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement 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 (“QBE”). Current as at 1 Feb 2014.

Editor Mick Withers Contributing Editors Tim Sanford and Paul Bailey Contributors Mark Hinchliffe, Tim Munro, David Cooke, Vince Broady Photographers Tim Munro, Mark Hinchliffe, David Cooke and Mick Withers Designer Jarrad McCallum Sub-Editor Anastasia Casey Editorial Email cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Subscription enquiries mailorder@universalmagazines.com.au Advertising Enquiries (02) 9887 0300 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

Circulation enquiries to our Sydney head office (02) 9805 0300.

Cruiser & Trike Vol. 7 No. 1 is published by Australian Publishing, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9887 0300, 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 MMXV ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au

HIGH-BALL

®

If it’s attitude you’re looking for, reach up and grab the handlebars of the Victory High-Ball®. This barebones bobber packs a one-two punch of cranked up performance and stripped down style that can’t be mistaken for any other bike. With whitewall tyres and a shorty front fender, the Victory High-Ball exudes confidence you won’t soon forget.

VictoryMotorcycles.com.au | P: 1300 721 360 | *Overseas Model Shown with optional accessories fitted. ^Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.

New Bike Test

Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

THE LIQUID-COOLED INDIAN SCOUT IS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO A FAMOUS NAME

Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

Words: Mick Withers & Mark Hinchliffe Photos: Gold & Goose

nticipation. That’s the word.

From the second that a pic of the all-new 2015 Indian Scout hit the screen, I was anticipating the first ride.

The reality of the situation from screen to metal was a few months but they were bloody long months. Reading and hearing what others thought didn’t help so I quickly stopped that. Wellmeaning mates who had ridden a Scout

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in the USA during the Sturgis season really weren’t helping either.

Heritage and history are both very big things in the Indian corporate corridors. Indian has made no secret of the fact that it’s looked to the past for its styling inspiration. It doesn’t replicate older models but there are certainly hints of the previous Scouts in this newer version. In my opinion, one of the key design points of the original Scouts was the use of taller, thinner section tyres. The new models Cruiser & Trike

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use short and squat 16-inch wheels with wide tyres at both ends. Was this a deliberate ploy?

There is no crossover between the Scout and the previously released Chief or Chieftain models other than the name on the tank. And everywhere else Indian could find to brand it. Yep, the pride shines through.

Tradition was well and truly walked away from with the Scout’s liquidcooled engine, the first in Indian history. Fitting this to the Scout was

New Bike Test

a brave move but the radiator is well hidden. Indian also resisted adding fake cooling fins, a trick used by most other manufacturers of liquid-cooled cruisers with exposed engines. The use of machined outer covers on the engine looks cock and matches the overall styling. Given the way that Polaris engineers made the Chief ’s 111 Thunderstroke engine look like a sidevalve, we shouldn’t be surprised.

Cues may come from history but the engineering is right up to the minute.

The 60° V-twin earns a pair of camshafts in each head along with four

Cruiser & Trike

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valves in each combustion chamber.

That’s a big part of why the engine produces an effortless 100hp (74kW) and 72.3ft/lb (98Nm) from 1133cc.

You won’t make that with antiquated engineering. Well, not for long anyway.

Keeping it all smooth is a balancer shaft inside the engine.

Power transmission from the crankshaft to the clutch hub is via a gear-driven primary drive. No chain to replace, ever. The transmission contains six ratios. Before riding the Scout, I was questioning this move as I honestly believe that five-speeds

New Bike Test and 100hp would be a perfectly fine combination. Part of the answer is market expectation. Six is apparently the number that makes buyers happy.

The frame is what holds it all together and sets the distances and locations for all the important stuff.

Indian revealed more of the heritage DNA in the “rigid triangle” frame design. This shows that the two axles, crank centreline and steering head axis are in approximately the same relative position as the original Scouts.

Attached to the part-cast and

part-forged aluminium frame is the bodywork, comprising fuel tank, seat and rear guard. The seat height is a low 642mm above ground — or, as Indian puts it, 25.3 inches — and is the lowest in the class. Fuelled up and with all fluids topped up, the Scout displaces 253kg on the scales, a figure that Indian claims is the lightest in class.

Part of the design brief was to make the Scout comfortable for riders from 5’4” to 6’0” in stock form, or 5’0” to 6’4” with accessories. Did they achieve that? Hang on until we get to the ride.

MICK’S GRINS

The engine is a thing of joy

MICK’S GRIPES

Rear shock absorbers

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While explaining to us how easy it was to fit a pillion seat, Indian and Victory Australia marketing manager, Adrian Givoye, mentioned that the cast-aluminium frame extended in a loop under the rear guard. With the included Allen key, he then undid the four exposed bolts and removed the rear guard to show us!

As mentioned, the Scout rolls around on a pair of 16-inch alloy mag wheels with Indian-branded tyres. The front wheel resides at the lower end of a pair of conventional hydraulic forks

New Bike Test and carries a single brake rotor and two-piston caliper. Above the wheel is a unique steel front guard. The rear wheel is mounted in a cast-aluminium swingarm with a shock absorber mounted either side. The rear brakes mirror the front equipment. Power is transmitted to the rear pulley by toothed belt.

Sitting on the bike, you’ll be pleased to know that the Scout’s tan leather seat features UV protection that is 40 times better than on previous Indians from the Chief and Chieftain range.

This added protection doesn’t seem to have affected the comfort of the seat. It’s wide enough to match this full-sized editorial arse and places you in a surprisingly comfortable position.

Reaching forward to the bars was a good compromise between upright and forward for this six-footer. The footpegs were a tad close for me but that’s a simple fix and certainly not a deal-breaker.

Looking forward over the top of the slim tank with its flat-topped filler cap, you’ll find a speedometer that will be

instantly familiar to anyone who has ridden a Victory with a bar-mounted speedo. The top centre reads 60, very handy round town. Bottom-centre is a digital screen with tachometer and other information such as odometer and a clock.

The cable-operated clutch is light and allows you to easily feel the takeup point of the clutch. Across on the other side of the bars are a fly-bywire throttle and a front-brake master cylinder. After leaving the master cylinder, the braided front-brake line

MARK’S GRINS

That glorious mill, the beautiful frame and the smooth transmission

MARK’S GRIPES

Rear shock, tyres and rear brake Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

MARK’S OPINION While the Chief was the first model in the revitalised Indian range and the Roadmaster is the flagship of the fleet, it is the Scout that will be the pin-up star and volume seller.

I rode the Scout for a short time at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August, and in December, I attended the Australasian launch of the Scout in New Zealand, the spiritual home of the Scout name made famous by Burt Munro and The World’s Fastest Indian movie.

So significant is this model and this location that Australian and Kiwi motorcycle media were followed by a contingent of Asian media. The event was also attended by the company’s Asia-Pacific and Latin America director, Ross Clifford.

My longer test ride in New Zealand not only confirmed my initial assessment of the Scout I rode in the US as a low and mean mid-sized muscle machine, but also opened my eyes to a few other traits.

First off, the engine is the main attraction here. It not only looks brilliant with its highquality sparkling and retro-style ribbed casings, but it’s also a firecracker unit that will send the opposition scurrying.

It has more power and torque than its opposition, is more refined, quieter and far more flexible. It will pull strongly from about 2000 revs and hits the meat of the torque at about 3500.

The six-speed transmission has a tall first gear and a short top gear making it a closeratio box, which is unusual for a cruiser.

However, it’s so smooth and fault-free, you can whip through the gears with alacrity.

The engine is also torquey enough to flick through to sixth at 80km/h without labouring the mill. At 100km/h in sixth, it is revving at 3300 so overtaking is a simple matter of rolling on the throttle.

Top end is stratospheric for a cruiser and you’ll never really need to go there unless you want to take it to the drag strip.

Riding position is also fairly aggressive for a cruiser, with the rider sitting on it, rather than in it. For my 185cm frame, it offers plenty of control and comfort. However, its low seat height and ergonomic rider triangle also make it appealing to a wide range of rider heights.

Optional handlebars, foot controls and seats will make it even more suitable for both taller and shorter riders.

It also feels very slim with no air filters Cruiser & Trike

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or protruding engine components forcing splayed legs. The handlebar grips are a little on the narrow side, but that will also cater for smaller riders and women, who are finally catered for by the venerable Indian brand.

My initial short ride felt comfortable but I was concerned about saddle time on a longer trip. Our longer NZ ride didn’t reveal any discomfort, although there is a windsock effect at 120km/h-plus. The optional tall windscreen reduced that, but added some buffeting. There are three screen sizes to choose from.

On the billiard-table smooth roads around Sturgis, I couldn’t fault the suspension or tyres. It felt compliant and plush without wallowing around.

However, the lumps and bumps of the wet and winding roads across the North Island and down to the Coromandel Peninsula revealed a few shortcomings.

The Korean-made Kenda tyres should be long-lasting, but they are not the best for grip, especially on the wet and slimy roads we rode. It seems farm machinery and old vehicles had left a rainbow of oil slicks.

Together with periodic showers, it made the ride “entertaining” to say the least. Several

New Bike Test

disappears along the frame under the left side of the tank and goes to the very well-hidden ABS control unit where the magic is performed.

THE RIDE

motorcycle journalists were highly critical of the tyres but the next day, the roads were drier and the tyres felt much grippier.

Road irregularities also showed the shortcomings of the dual-shock suspension. While the front coped quite well, except for some dive under brakes, the rear felt under-damped on both compression and rebound. This resulted in pogoing over and after some of the bigger bumps.

Some of the heftier journos among us also complained about bottoming out, but I didn’t experience it until the second day on a frivolous high-speed chase across the undulations down to Waiuku Beach.

Most cruiser riders should be satisfied with the stock shock but the lusty engine cries out for this animal to be ridden harder than normal, so an aftermarket set of shocks will be your first accessory purchase.

Another criticism I couldn’t agree with was the brakes. The steel braided brake lines give the front lever plenty of feel and the single disc seems to have enough effect for my 75kg weight.

If you weigh a bit more and option up to the dual seat and saddlebags, it may feel under-braked. However, the rear brake feels quite wooden and ineffective.

Yet I didn’t once lock up the rear wheel, even under hard downshifts. That’s mainly because the low-compression engine means you would really have to be hamfisted with your downshifts to encounter any dramas.

On closer and longer inspection of the build quality, I am totally besotted with this bike. My favourite combination is the silver paint that closely matches the beautiful frame and is nicely offset by the tan leather seat. I also like the brown saddlebags that have a serviceable shape to stow plenty of gear and a lid that stays open without having to hold it.

If I owned a Scout, I’d option up the bags, pillion seat and sissy bar that are all quickly removable.

I’d also swap out the shocks, change the tyres, bob the fenders, raise the seat, option the closer foot controls, get higher bars and then find a nice secluded beach like the one at Waiuku and relive Munro’s glory days.

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For me, the riding position felt instantly familiar. There are hints of other bikes with similar dimensions and it all felt homely. The one thing I forgot to do was take a tape measure with me to measure the triangle. I’ll try to sneak onto the Indian stand at the Moto Expo in Melbourne this weekend. [Despite best intentions, I forgot. Sorry, MW].

As mentioned above, the clutch action is light and synchronises nicely with the fly-by-wire throttle. The exhaust note was quietly legal but still maintained a hint of what a more open pair of mufflers will release. You’ll have to add your own soundtrack enhancements.

Rolling out of the place we stayed at, the roads were reasonably hilly with a variety of gentle and not-sogentle bends blended in. On either side, it was mostly green. As the black bit rocked up and down, we got to explore suspension capability. Let me make this clear, the Indian Scout is not a sportsbike, it is a cruiser. It wasn’t designed to be ridden at a licencethreatening pace by overly large blokes hell bent on keeping up with riders half their weight. Stay within the design parameters and it is great. Up the pace or load and the rear shocks will protest — not a deal-breaker but something to be aware of. There was a low level of

New Bike Test metal grinding on the road surface but that had more to do with a large rider’s riding than any design flaw.

Looking at the rest of the bundle of joy, you’ll find an engine that is happy to operate anywhere in the rev range between idle and redline. “Operate” is a harsh word that doesn’t really do this engine justice. It’s a bloody-good thing.

Plenty of torque off idle made it happy to punch out of corners a gear higher than you would if you were cruising.

Overtaking in top gear from 100km/h is a good test of any bike and the Scout passed easily. Top gear at 100km/h never felt strained and neither did the same speed in fourth. It really is a surprisingly flexible engine. In days of old, I had a Sportster with 95hp and it wasn’t anywhere near as flexible on

the road. EFI, liquid-cooling and much better ignition control makes a massive difference, as does 20 years.

Backing the amazing engine is a six-speed transmission that also does its job without any fuss. Squeeze the clutch and shift. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Finding neutral was never a chore and there were no false neutrals or missed shifts.

Perhaps I’m not as hard on the brakes as some others on the launch but I never had any problems with the two-piston calipers. Squeeze and slow down — simple. The only issue I noticed was when the brakes were being squeezed at the same time as the throttle is opened and the engine control module’s software overrides the throttle input. Steps are underway to

IF I OWNED IT…

I’d be changing the rear shocks and tuning the front suspension to suit my weight. A set of more free-flowing mufflers would be first on the list. MW

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resolve this US Government-mandated annoyance. Purely in the interests of being able to report fairly and accurately, I rode past a group of other bods and stamped hard on the rear brake while travelling moderately fast.

Skid, roll, skid, roll, skid and roll. That wasn’t me releasing pressure; it was the ABS. Perfectly straight.

The tyres drew a few negative comments from others. Mostly from blokes who spend much more time on sportbikes rather than aboard cruisers. From a regular cruiser rider’s perspective, they were fine within the design parameters. The piece of road where we did one lot of photos was covered with oily rainbows on wet tar. Maybe not the best place for spirited cornering.

New Bike Test

Quickspecs Model: Indian Scout Price: $17,995 (ride away) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 60º V-twin, four-stroke, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, 60mm throttle body Bore x stroke: 96 x 73.6mm Displacement: 1133cc or 69ci Compression: 10.7:1 Power: 74kW (100hp) @ 8100rpm Torque: 98Nm (72.3ft/lb) @ 5900rpm Transmission: six-speed, gear-drive primary, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks, 120mm travel. R: Twin shocks, 76mm travel.

Back on drying roads, the tyres were fine, although at one stage, the bike in front and I both broke traction riding through a slippery wet section.

A short hop along a highway showed that the Scout is going to be fun if you commute around any of our nation’s capitals or larger cities. Slender with pretty good throttle response is a good basis for an urban cruiser if that’s a part of your own list of wants and needs.

Who’s going to buy the Scout?

While many may be thinking that this is a direct competitor to a V-Rod or a Sportster, we reckon it falls somewhere off to the left of both.

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Brakes: ABS F: Single 298mm rotor with twin-piston caliper. R: Single 298mm rotor with single-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 130/90-16 R: 150/80-16 Wheels: Cast F: 16 x 3.5” R: 16 x 5” Frame: Forged and cast aluminium Seat height: 635mm Wheelbase: 1562mm Length: 2311mm Weight: 253kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 12.5 litres Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

Performance far surpasses a Sportster off the showroom floor and would be on a very even par with the heavier but more powerful V-Rod. But performance is only one part of the very complicated equation presented by the Indian Scout. Here is the first new model after the Chief and Chieftainbased models. Polaris engineers have a pretty impressive track record with the Victory and Indian brands. Starting with a blank piece of paper and lots of ideas is always a challenge but to bring this completely new model to market just 12 months after releasing the 111 Thunderstroke-powered Models is impressive. C&T

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.

2015 SPYDER MUSTER

BANKSTOWN MOTORCYCLE SHOW 2015

The first Spyder Muster is being held March 27-29, 2015, at Talbingo in New South Wales.

Within an easy day’s ride from both Sydney and Melbourne, Talbingo is nestled in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains beside the Tumut River.

The Snowy Mountains Highway offers lots of corners as well as fantastic scenery. Be wary after dark as Skippy and his cousins like to come out and say g’day.

To get a bit of an idea on what to expect when Spyder ryders get together, check out Spyder Royale on page 80 in this issue.

Visit the website for more info (spydermuster.com.au) and we’ll see you there.

Make a big mark on your calendar, the 25th Annual Bankstown Motorcycle Show will be held on April 3, 2015 (Good Friday).

Sydney’s biggest motorcycle show has something for everyone but this year, there is a new trophy on offer for Best Metric Cruiser.

Obviously, it’s sponsored by Australian Cruiser & Trike. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this class has ever been offered in Australia. As an added bonus, we’ll be doing a feature on the winner.

Tell your mates and get them fired up.

Of course, there’s more good news. We are also sponsoring Most Outstanding, which is decided by the judges, making it the most prestigious award on offer. Unlike many other bike shows, all bikes entering MUST be rideable. No empty engines here.

We’ll be there selling Cruiser & Trike t-shirts, magazines and subscriptions as well as taking Aussie Hardarse Association entries.

There will be a variety of entertainment including stunts, a flat track demo, V8 dirt drags demo, live band, various feats of strength, agility and bravery as well as loads of trade stalls and other on-stage entertainment. Something for everyone.

The Bankstown Motorcycle Show is all undercover so it’s on rain, hail or solar eclipse. There’s secure parking available on-site as well as food, drink and alcohol on sale. That means no BYO. No dogs, either.

The all-important website for up-to-date info is hardnfast.com

NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL NUMBER PLATES The Art number plate range was launched for cars in 2013 and due to motorcyclist consumer response, it’s now available for bikes.

This is the first time we have seen graphics on motorcycle plates in New South Wales. Backgrounds have been dramatically enhanced with the introduction of tattooinspired art and symbols such as the rose and skull as well as tribal designs.

You can restyle your existing plate to the Art range for a one-off order fee of $155.

To choose your own letter and number combination additional annual fees start at $99.

Other styles and colours are available with order fees for bikes starting from as little as $80. To see the full range, head to myplates.com.au

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SECURITY & SOUND The Kovix Security KDL6 alarmed disc lock is the ultimate in disc lock security, with a high-quality stainless-steel hardened pin system designed for resistance against any form of attack.

The zinc alloy body has been double-coated, ensuring corrosion resistance in any weather and is available in black, yellow or orange.

The 120dB alarm is powered by a CR2 lithium battery with a life of up to 12 months. Fitment is easy.

The disc lock magnetic system senses your rotor as you slide the lock over it. After a short moment, the lock beeps to notify you it is armed. After a further five seconds, it will go live and any movement will trigger the warning tone, followed by the loud 120dB alarm.

The alarm is easily disabled for situations where the alarm is not required yet the lock is, while the entire alarm assembly is easily removed with the included Allen key.

Replacing the battery is also quick and easy. The assembly is waterproof and suitable for use in any weather conditions.

Kovix Security disc locks retail for $69.95 and are available at your local motorcycle shop.

We’ve got one here that we’ll try and report back on it next issue. If your local shop doesn’t have them, check out proaccessories.com.au or old-school style on the telephone at (07) 3277 0693.

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ELITE PRODUCTS

MUSTANG SEATS CROSS THE POND In a case of American craftsmanship meeting a bike from merry olde England, Mustang Motorcycle Seats now offers a range of replacement seats and accessories for the Triumph America and Speedmaster. Engineered to improve the ride quality, Mustang’s seats also flow with the long, low lines of this pair of air-cooled parallel twins. Now the best of both worlds is available to riders around the world.

The best way to achieve this goal was to add comfort to these classic cruisers with Mustang’s renowned design and quality. Technically speaking, the 14.5-inch-wide seat sets the rider slightly back. The 11-inch-wide passenger seat is designed with the optimal seating angle for long-distance travel. There is also an extensive selection of options and accessories for the America and Speedmaster seats, including fender and tank bibs, backrests and sissy bar pads.

The following seats fit Triumph America 2002-2015 and Speedmaster 2003-2015: #76015 – Two-piece Studded #76018 – Two-piece Vintage #79002 – Two-piece Studded with driver backrest #79005 – Two-piece Vintage with driver backrest For more details, check out mustangseats.com

Elite Products has relocated its complete trailer operation to New South Wales and has closed its Queensland operation.

The company is now located in Helensburgh Business Park, Unit 11, 21 Cemetery Road, Helensburgh. Delete any old numbers and use the following: 1300 734 700; 02 4294 2598; or if they don’t work, 0414 942 598.

“We will be manufacturing and selling all of our trailers and accessory items at this address.

We will also be offering maintenance and upgrades to all trailers such as battery and charging system installations, and front pod installations,” says Elite Products’ Steve Melchior.

New innovations are also on the way. “We will also be manufacturing stainless-steel fuel tanks that will be fitted under the trailer. Keep an eye on the website — eliteproducts.com.au — for photos and further details.

“Drop by anytime you are travelling up or down the coast to check out the operation and have a cup of coffee.”

You can also send him an email: steve@eliteproducts.com.au

PROJECT NUTS & BOLTS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING We were a bit sad to see our Yamaha Star Bolt being loaded into one of Allwest’s vans by Steve, but it was time for it to go.

The last job to be completed was a set of Delrin riser bushes that were made and fitted for us by the good people at Trooper Lu’s Garage. The stock rubber bushes were fine with the standard flat bars but as soon as Mick fitted the Ventura ape hangers, the extra leverage made for a bit too much movement. Justin and his crew knocked the final job over and then it was despatched to Danny Duck, the lucky and deserving winner of the random draw from our list of subscribers.

Danny has been a subscriber since the earliest days of Cruiser & Trike and has seen it go through a few changes over the years, but he has stayed loyal and we thank him for that.

We’d also like to thank our build partners for their input in the way of parts and services, especially Staintune and Sydney Dyno whose stickers weren’t fitted along with the rest.

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New Bike Test

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL A bike with a fairing that splits the wind and opinions Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

f the old saying “beauty is only skin deep” is true, then it must also hold true as a depth assessment for ugliness. Am I saying that the 2015 Road Glide is ugly? Well, let me put it this way, the Road Glide isn’t, to my eyes, a beautiful machine, but it gets by.

Our test Glide was in Black Denim, which is a seriously matt black. Oh, there are some nice thin red stripes to offset the

I

darkness. Do you get the impression that I’m not thrilled about the look of the bike?

You’re right, but does it matter? No. This is a Harley in which the requirements of function – with few exceptions – have taken precedence over form.

This is a machine designed for riders whose idea of a day in the saddle is all day in the saddle; where the covering of great distances is an end in itself and for Cruiser & Trike

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this vast country, that is a very good thing.

This is a bike to ride, not to sit and look at. It’s also a bike that Harley-Davidson has chosen as the platform to display its mastery of modern technology in all manner of ways in search of a better riding experience.

Let’s have a look at it. The engine is an excellent 103-cubic-inch unit that sends its power through a chain drive to a hydraulic

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clutch, then to the six-speed gearbox and then to the rear wheel by a quiet belt drive.

Certain aspects of this drivetrain are nearly perfect: the engine is superbly powerful with a long lope at cruising speeds and when it’s stationary, it gives off that very satisfying and visible vibration that rumbles “I am a big V-twin” to everybody watching; the hydraulic clutch is as good as they get with smooth take-up and very precise control but also a rather strong pull to begin the disengagement; the gearbox is precise with every change letting you know by the sound of its loud “clunk” that large masses of precisely machined American steel have been shifted from one ratio to the next; and, finally, the belt drive is as unobtrusive as it should be.

The road manners of the drivetrain translate into almost-instant grunt whenever

and wherever you need it and with the gearbox (and here’s a first), there’s none of the usual Sandbag carping about the sixspeeds; in fact, I found myself rolling along quite often in sixth with the motor rumbling away below but ready at a twist of the wrist to get me out of trouble. Yes, the bike accelerates harder if you’re in fourth but the delivery in fifth and sixth is none too shabby.

Pleasing, that.

The stopping department is by Harley’s use of the excellent Brembo brakes and on the Road Glide they are extremely effective, requiring only moderate finger pressure to have all the discs hauling off speed most satisfactorily. Added to the stopping department is the technology of ABS plus electronic linking of front and rear brakes.

The term “confidence-inspiring” might be a Cruiser & Trike

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trifle overused but it is very appropriate here.

The bike is called the Road Glide and the name describes the bike’s progress across the blacktop very well, even when said blacktop resembles a lunar surface rather than a billiard table. The front forks are always plush but you can fiddle with the rear settings quite easily and it needs only a few minutes to adjust the suspension to suit the surface you plan to travel on. I found that the settings the bike came with were good enough so I didn’t need to fiddle. This bike engages with the rider very quickly and I really enjoyed every minute of riding it.

And what can we say about the ugliest aspect of the bike? I speak, of course, of the fairing. Well, be assured that the fairing is the ultimate ugly ducking because, although it looks like a nightmare when the bike is

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parked, as soon as you are travelling at speed — and here I mean any speed — the effectiveness of its weird shape and all of those oddly contoured airways comes into its own and the glide through the air takes on a new and strange dimension: it doesn’t matter what velocity you choose, the airflow over your body and helmet stays the same. Some fairings I have tested were absolutely bliss to ride behind at 80km/h but became diabolical at more than 110. Not the Road Glide. The speed may change but the low level of turbulence stays the same and it makes for a very quiet and relaxed ride. It will also take care of those riders with long beards who prefer an open-face helmet because there is none of the “beard-in-the-face” spectacle with this fairing. In my view, although the fairing is the ugliest part of the motorcycle, it is also the most practical. If you want to cover long distances and arrive fresh, this fairing is the one for you. To date, I think it only comes on the Road Glide but that may change.

A glance back though my notes shows that overall, the Road Glide left a very positive impression. Here are some extracts:

The gauges are white with white needles and that makes them almost unreadable in daylight but at night, they are backlit with a soft orange glow making them much easier to read.

The oddly shaped LED headlights add to the weird styling of the front end but they add enormously to the bike’s practicality as they are brighter than older lighting systems and they use less power. Low beam has a good wide spread and when you flick to high beam, its light is added to that widespread low light, giving you heaps of light. On the subject of power drain, I noticed that I had to be careful when leaving the bike with the ignition in “locked” because on one occasion, I found that the parking lights were still on. LEDs don’t consume a lot of power but leaving the lights on goes against the grain for me. (It takes me back to the endless pushing of bikes with flat batteries but that’s another story.)

The hard panniers are good and quite capacious and they are very easy to use with a neat, chromed handle that you flip up to open and down to close. Locking is a simple turn of the key.

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Removing the panniers is just as simple: reach inside and give the two securing screws half a turn and then lift the panniers up and off the bike. The only part you need to watch is that it’s very easy to lose the washers down amongst your luggage. I’d put a dab of superglue onto the washers to keep them in place.

Two side pockets in the fairing are not lockable but they are very useful to keep the things you need at each stop: phone and wallet etc. There is a USB plug in the right side, and under the left-side pocket there is a cigar-lighter-type plug, which you can use as a power source to recharge your laptop and other gadgets requiring electricity.

The riding position is very comfortable with a triangle of seat, bars and footboards that fitted the Sandbag’s 185cm frame well.

Interestingly, the reach to the touchscreen was a stretch, but more about the screen later.

Rider’s seat is excellent and is much more than a cruiser seat; it will stay comfortable for a good time of touring. As for the pillion seat, well, expect your passenger to be always hanging onto you because of the seat’s

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GRINS The screen The clearance The lope and power of the engine

GRIPES The white-on-white instruments Can’t look at it when it’s parked — too ugly

rearward slope. Although it might be great for style, the slope means that the pillion will always be sliding backwards. – not at all comfortable for a long ride. No doubt you can get another more suitable seat, which will spoil the line but make the passenger happier.

Pillion pegs are big and well placed.

Cruise control is the best I have used. The operating button on the left switch block is so simple and so effective: press the button and it’s on, press it again and it’s off. Up for faster, down for slower. Some other manufacturers should use this system.

The bike shows its weight at low speeds

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and it needs care and precision to bring it to a stop smoothly. If it is on uneven ground, the weight can quickly get the better of you so take care on that point because it is quite a lift.

The information screen. Oh dear. This thing will give you lots of information but although I have misgivings about this sort of technology, let me tell you what it will do for you. It’s the focal point to let you know what is happening with all of the information systems that come with this bike. If you want to listen to music, then you may choose a station from the screen either as a favourite

New Bike Test you’ve stored previously or one you can seek while riding and lock into. Or you can use your phone or other device and let Bluetooth talk to it so that it becomes your music source. Complementing all that are two big speakers set into the sides of the fairing and they certainly pump out the audio power.

That power is automatically controlled in relation to your speed by altering the volume (not new, but there anyway) and it modifies the frequency range so the sound is more audible. I couldn’t find a stereo turntable to play records while you’re rumbling across the Nullarbor but ask Harley and it’ll probably do one for you as a special option.

The bike has a great satnav system that updates your position very quickly so there is next to no chance of you ever going past a point and having to retrace your steps. The screen shows your position as a little Road Glide icon, which I really like. The whole thing is very clear and very easy to read.

So there you are, riding along in bliss and suddenly the screen changes and warns you that you are low on fuel. The next thing you can do is ask the bike’s nav system to locate the nearest servo for you and it will do just that. Will it set out the route to the servo and give you directions on the screen and through the sound system? Silly question!

You can also ask it for cafes, motels, mechanic locations and who knows what else. Endless fun.

All of the things that are shown on the

screen can be accessed via the screen – with gloved fingers no less. They can also be accessed by pushing the various buttons on the switch blocks in various directions. This is quite a complicated procedure but I became pretty familiar with it over the test so as an owner, it would become second nature very quickly. Some of the features can also be accessed by voice recognition.

Now for the misgivings. The screen has an amazing amount of information available but is it distracting? I think so. Harley tells us that the justification for the technology – and especially the sound system – came as a response to owners who said, “Why can’t the infotainment system on my motorcycle blow away the ones the car companies put in their cars?”

I happen to ride a motorcycle precisely because it is not like a car and, for me, the idea of using the sort of technology that has become a feature of the distractions forced on car drivers is not appropriate (or safe) on a motorcycle. And for Harley to explain it as a mechanism to bring its bikes into the same realm is, to me, a backward step. I know that many readers and riders will disagree with me but I see riding as a fully focused activity just for simple survival.

So there. (Sandbag prefers to do his waltzing in the front parlour — MW) So much for the technology, what’s it like to ride? In one word: brilliant. Despite my negative and perhaps draconian views of

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New Bike Test the technology, as a big long-distance tourer, this Road Glide is an excellent bike in every situation. Straight roads it will deal with (you can listen to music instead of singing) and when it comes to the bends, you’d get to nearly twice the advisory speed before anything skims and that is quite a compliment for a bike of this size. Fuel consumption over the test period with just me riding it, no pillion, came out at 17km/L, which is pretty good for a bike this big.

So, with the Road Glide, you get big bike comfort, lots of power, brilliant brakes and very good suspension and they all make this one of the best big cruisers Harley has made. Oh, and there’s the ugly but best-in-thebusiness screen. Perth, here I come! C&T

Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Price: $34,495 (ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, high output twin cam 103, 45º V-twin, four-stroke, two valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1690cc or 103ci Compression: 9.7:1 Power: 64kW (86hp) @ 3500rpm Torque: 138Nm (101.8ft/lb) @ 5010rpm Transmission: six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks. R: Twin shocks Cruiser & Trike

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Brakes: ABS F: Dual rotor with four-piston calipers. R: Single rotor with four-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: Dunlop D408F 130-19 R: Dunlop D407T 180-16 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat Height: 695mm Wheelbase: 1625mm Length: 2430mm Weight: 385kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 22.7L Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

New Bike Test

Kawasaki Vulcan

LIKE A CUSTOM BUT WITH A FAT FRONT END

900 Classic

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New Bike Test Words & Photos: David Cooke

ot bike,” She says with a cheeky smile, leaning over and talking to me through the passengerside window.

And there it was. The answer to the question I didn’t even realise I’d been asking, delivered by a very tasty-looking young lady in a white Mitsubishi Lancer during the drudgery of my morning Parramatta Road commute.

We’d stopped at traffic lights when she wound the window down and spoke those evocative words to me. I replied

“H

with, “You’re hot too.” She smiled.

“Wanna ride?” I asked. She smiled again and nodded. The lights went green and I took off, feeling smug that an early 20s nubile nymphet in a hatchback thought my bike was hot and, ergo, I obviously increased on the hotness scale as well. And it wasn’t even my bike. I was smiling.

On Parramatta Road. At peak hour.

On a 900cc cruiser. There’s a message in that.

My week on Kawasaki’s Vulcan 900 Classic was coming to a close and it had just dawned on me, all thanks to the

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young lady in the Lancer, what this bike was all about. For a week, I’d been riding the bike around town, on some country roads, the freeway, all the usual stuff, getting lost in the details of the bike. As sometimes happens when people road test bikes, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the details and fail to see the real picture. Now, it was all clear.

The Vulcan 900 Classic is a “middleweight cruiser”. And that’s probably the bit that makes you think.

It was certainly the bit that had made me think. Sure, you can buy the big

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large-capacity cruisers. Everyone makes them, and everyone gets them. They make sense — big, loud, muscular and imposing cruisers. So what is to be made of a cruiser that has styling reminiscent of a Softail Deluxe and an engine that is only 900cc, and that is made more than a little asthmatic thanks to ADRs? Kawasaki even makes the “900” written on the air cleaner almost impossible to read unless you really look for it.

There is a cultural cringe targeted squarely at these mid-capacity cruisers.

Is it justified?

A couple of years ago, I was looking for a new bike, and was contemplating a move from the Triumph Speed Triple

I owned at the time to a cruiser. I was looking at Super Glides (I’ve always been a fan) and the then-new Victory Judge. Then I took a Harley FortyEight for a ride. A friend who knows about these things, and knows how I ride, advised me that I wouldn’t be happy with anything other than a “big American twin”. It made sense.

The 1200cc Forty-Eight spoke to me, but not in the way the big-capacity Harley and the Judge did. I concluded that a mid-sized cruiser was OK, as long as it had some unique styling cues, as the Forty-Eight does, or Harley’s newer Seventy-Two, and had some advantages in terms of weight and handling to go with the lower power output. These Cruiser & Trike

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bikes have a distinct character and are designed to take advantage of being lighter than the big-capacity bikes. They work, but in a different way to the big bangers.

So what then do we make of the Vulcan 900 Classic, a bike that has all the disadvantages of a smaller-capacity motor and wraps it with big-bike styling?

Surely that makes no sense …

Make no mistake, the Vulcan is no middleweight in any department other than its motor. It is a big bike. It looks and feels like a large-capacity cruiser and is an imposing unit when parked up next to something like a Harley Sportster, as I discovered when I took my better half to Coogee for dinner on it.

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It looks like a large-capacity cruiser.

It just doesn’t quite go like one.

But does that really matter?

These are the type of questions I was pondering all week. So let’s talk about the bike for a bit.

Straight up, it looks ace. The styling on this thing is lovely, the paintwork is understated and stylish, the look of the rear-end works a treat, the blackedout motor gives it a brutish feel, and the spoked wheels and whitewall tyres are all class. It looks like a bike $10k dearer than it is. By the way, you’ll find them for around $12,500 plus on-road

costs.

To sum up the appearance, let’s just say I reckon it’s the best-looking cruiser in the Kawasaki fleet and, given all the Japanese manufacturers have copped their share of flack over the years for their cruiser styling, it’s safe to say Kawasaki got it right now.

(All of the bigger manufacturers are making good-looking cruisers but anyone can have an off day — MW) In terms of how it sounds, from the rear, it sounds pretty good once it’s warmed up. When you first start it from cold, it sounds a little wheezy but

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it starts to throb a bit once it’s warm and sounds good when you’re on the gas. Oddly, it throws very little noise out in front of it, as I discovered by the number of pedestrians who stepped out in front of me in town without even hearing me coming. That is partly because the bike is water-cooled as well as air-cooled, which calms some of the mechanical noise you get with air-cooled twins. Speaking of watercooling, usually radiators on cruisers stand out like a radiator on a cruiser.

But this one blends in pretty well. You know it’s all working when you’re

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sitting in traffic and the fan kicks in, blowing hot air all over you. Once you’re moving again, it settles back down quickly and is a nice, cool ride.

The bike I had was fitted with the optional leather saddlebags and pillion backrest/rack. They are very goodquality items and really work well with the styling of the bike.

The motor makes just less than 80Nm of torque and around 50hp, not that horsepower matters much on a cruiser. Torque is where it’s at. And here’s where you get to the issue of the whole concept of a 900cc V-twin

Quickspecs

Model: Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic Price: $12,490 (plus ORC) Engine: Liquid and air-cooled, 903cc, V-twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 88.0 x 74.2mm Displacement: 903cc Compression: 9.5:1 Power: 37kW @ 5700rpm

cruiser. Is there really any point?

In short, yes.

It has enough power to easily despatch city traffic, cruise at highway speeds with little effort and can carry a pillion and gear easily. Sure, it won’t do it as brutally or as effortlessly as a bike with double the cubes, but it is effective nonetheless.

The 20L tank will give you a range better than the one your arse has, even though the seat is very good. Pillion accommodation is good, too, and people actually want to come for rides on this thing.

Torque: 78Nm @ 3700rpm Transmission: Five-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 41mm telescopic forks. R: Uni-Trak with seven-step preload adjustment Brakes: F: Single 300mm rotor with twin-piston caliper. R Single 270mm rotor with twin piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 130/90-16 R: 180/70-15

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It handles like a cruiser with fat tyres. That said, once you get used to how a cruiser with fat tyres handles, this is one of the better ones.

Steering from the wide bars is very light, and the bike responds well.

Suspension travel is very, very good for a cruiser, giving a much more compliant ride than most bikes in this class, especially at the rear. Damping control could be a little firmer, but I’m a fairly big lad so I get that with a lot of bikes — I’ll forgive it.

You’ll want to keep both hands on the bars when slowing down only using

Frame: Steel double cradle Seat height: 681mm Wheelbase: 1645mm Length: 2465mm Weight: 281kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 22.7L Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 6000km or 12 months

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engine braking from highway speeds, as it does get a bit of a head wobble going if you leave it to its own devices.

It’s no big deal and with both hands on the bars, you won’t even experience it.

The footboards are nicely placed and angled and give you good opportunity to move your feet around on the highway to help avoid fatigue in the legs. Gear change works well and Kawasaki’s Positive Neutral Finder system is, as always, a welcome feature, particularly in the city. Clutch action is nicely weighted and offers good feel, and the throttle springs are equally well weighted.

The brakes work well and there’s nice feel from the rear brake pedal, which obviously does a fair bit of work. Both brakes will lock if you’re ham-fisted, or ham-footed. I managed to lock both at once near Sydney’s casino when a pedestrian tried to impale themselves on the Kawasaki’s headlight, but the whole show came to a stop nicely without trying to throw me down the tarmac. It had been a firm squeeze at both ends and was pulling up well, but I was a bit keen and kept

increasing the pressure, so both ends locked at once. The inherent stability of the chassis was a big part of the bike staying upright. That, and I had almost come to a stop anyway. ABS would be a fantastic addition to this bike, especially in the wet, and would inspire a lot more confidence in nasty situations. Meanwhile, leave a bit more space. Cruisers don’t stop like sports bikes. But you know that already.

Headlight is OK, switchgear simple and effective, and much of the vile plastic chrome that has adorned Japanese cruisers throughout history is gone and has been replaced with better-quality gear. (Can you tell it’s been a few years since Dave rode a non-American cruiser? — MW) Kawasaki has also done a nice job of dealing with how things such as the electrical loom are managed and hidden on this bike, and it cuts a clean figure in terms of how it has been put together. There’s been a continual improvement in terms of attention to detail from Kawasaki on its cruisers and for me, it has culminated in this bike. This is simply the best-looking Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS

Well-designed seat Well-sorted suspension Big-bike looks on a small budget

GRIPES

Asthmatic in standard form Love the whitewalls, hate cleaning them Low fuel warning light is easy to miss

IF IT WERE MY BIKE WHAT I WOULD CHANGE…

I’d let it breathe through a more open exhaust and air cleaner, along with a fuel controller cruiser Kawasaki has built to date, to my eye at least.

So, the answer to the big question, is there really a point to middleweight cruisers? Hell yeah. I had the bike for a week and it was one of the most fun weeks of motorcycling I’ve had in a long time. This bike makes a trip to the shop for milk and bread fun. Things that can become a chore on other types of bike are a joy on this thing.

I loved riding it. (The excuses that can be found for riding are only limited by your own imagination – MW) Sure, it could do with a set of pipes, a new air filter and a tune to suit, but

what standard bike wouldn’t benefit from that? I love the whitewall tyres and spoked wheels. They set this thing off beautifully.

Would I own one? For sure. I’d probably still need a sporty tourer in the shed as well for the more adrenaline-inducing stuff, but this bike is fantastic for day-to-day motorcycling. It’s a joy to throw your better half on the back and go out for dinner. This bike draws attention and looks like a large-capacity cruiser of American origin, and I reckon that’s a big tick in the “job done” box for Kawasaki. Oh, and random hot girls Cruiser & Trike

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will want to climb on and come for rides with you.

Enough said.

The Vulcan also shatters the stereotype that these middleweight cruisers are only great bikes for the ladies. While it would be a great bike for a lady rider, I had a ball on it too.

It’s for everyone and it’s super fun. Isn’t that what bikes are all about? And that was the real answer to the question I hadn’t realised I was asking. This bike reminded me of why I ride.

Oh, and if the young lady in the white Lancer reads this, I owe you a ride. Call me. C&T

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The first new platform from HarleyDavidson since the release of the V-Rod Cruiser & Trike

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INDIAN CONNECTION

The bikes we rode were all from the Harley-Davidson factory at Bawal in India. None of them fell apart and nothing fell off any of them. The factory is wholly owned by HD and the same standards apply as they do in any of the American factories.

Words: Mick Withers

hen the creative folks at the Willie G Davidson Product Development Center in the US set out to do their part of the all-new Street project, they had a HD XLCR to use as inspiration. The XLCR was a Sportsterbased cafe racer released by HD in 1977.

At the time, it was a huge departure from the accepted norm. Them good ol’ boys had to open their eyes to the fact that Harley was breaking out of the mould and not so much heading off in a different direction as it was adding another weapon to its arsenal.

The XLCR was a good choice for that reason as well as the obvious styling cues.

W

The Street 500 is the first of a new family of Harleys. It’s a step into an area that Harley has stayed away from since the Buell Blast, a 500cc single that was built between 2000 and 2009. Being a Buell, it was obviously a sports bike whereas the Street 500 is a purebred cruiser.

With an espresso in hand, the Street 500 was carefully considered. It is a part of the Dark Custom, well suited to the short black I was drinking. Chrome is minimised, as are the non-essential bells and whistles.

The speedometer is a prime example of minimisation. It shows you the speed and scrolling through the odometer shows you distances. That’s it. Tachometer and engine operating conditions aren’t included. The switch blocks are also Cruiser & Trike

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minimal. There’s no cruise control, stereo, alarm or immobiliser either.

The liquid-cooled Revolution X engine includes gear-drive between crankshaft and transmission. Another departure from accepted tradition. From the front quarter, the radiator is obvious but from the side or, more importantly, the seat, it blends in and isn’t an obvious point.

The sweepy two-into-one exhaust draws an obvious influence from the XLCR. One of the bikes in our mini-fleet was fitted with a Screamin’ Eagle slip-on muffler from SuperTrapp. Slightly louder than stock, it was a definite improvement in note that shouldn’t introduce you to every copper you pass. Speaking to the riders that tried this particular bike, they both

New Bike Test said that it was nowhere loud enough to be annoying but that it offered a slight performance increase. It sounded good from behind. Please, don’t expect a bigbike exhaust note; remember that this is only a 500cc engine.

The mini fairing suits the style and shape of the Street very well. Another of the bikes on our day out was fitted with a HD accessory screen. The rider reckoned it was good, especially out on the highway when it was raining. I preferred the stocker.

The front forks felt very soft and plush whereas the shock absorbers were surprisingly firm with good damping. All of the mini-sized riders under 100kg had the spring preload on their shocks set on one but for my slightly more robust physique, position two was tried and that’s where it stayed all day. Around town and down the freeway and back roads to Scarborough, the suspension was comfortable without

SCREAMIN’ EAGLE STUFF

More horsepower and torque is always a good thing. Harley-Davidson recognises this fact and there is already a package worked out for the Street 500 that includes the Screamin’ Eagle SuperTrapp muffler, an air filter kit, and a Screamin’ Eagle Race tuner. Maps have already been devised for this package. From personal experience, the HD maps are going to be fine for most people.

Something else to consider is that there will also be a Street 750 available in other markets. Swapping out a 500 and replacing it with a bolt-in 750 would render it non-LAMS but potentially a lot more fun. Something else to consider.

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being soft. Granted that it was raining most of the time and we weren’t pushing hard, my footpegs remained ungrounded.

The Street-specific shock absorbers are definitely better suited than certain other models over recent years.

Equally basic in specs, the twin-piston caliper and single rotor at each end worked well at the speeds we were travelling at.

That may change if you’re bombing into corners at 9/10ths but in that case, you’re on the wrong bike.

The Michelin-shod 17- and 15-inch seven-spoke mag wheels aren’t the fattest on offer but they suit the style of the bike.

Relatively narrow at 100 and 140mm, the Michelin Scorcher IIs worked very well, wet or dry.

Sitting on the well-padded seat for the first time, the narrowness and reach to the bars made the Street feel bloody small.

The bars felt as though the handgrips were

New Bike Test

GRINS It’s a fun bike Great value for money Superb styling

GRIPES Rear brake lever Short-stem mirrors

IF IT WERE MY BIKE, WHAT I WOULD CHANGE… The bars and mirrors, and I’d fit the Screamin’ Eagle hot-up kit

just in front of me. They weren’t. It was just a case of me adapting to a more compact seating position than my recent rides offered. The cable-operated clutch felt light and stayed that way all day with good feel of the take-up point. Rolling the throttle increased performance but not the noise level. If you get caught out in a higher gear at 100km/h, tap the gear lever and get the six-speed transmission back to fourth. Fifth or sixth are fine on flat freeways but too long for hill-climbing. Use the gear lever, that’s what it’s there for.

Checking mirrors before riding off was a waste of time for me as all I saw were the sleeves of my jacket and a sliver of life behind. A 50mm longer stem would make a world of difference. OK, so after a head check, it was safe to pull out into traffic. The first thing I noticed was that

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the distance between seat and footpegs is short. My knees were pointing up higher than I’d like but I made it through the day without any aches or pains.

Changing gears is easy and performed without conscious thought, unlike the rear brake pedal, which was set slightly lower than I’d like, but it was the spongy feel and long travel that annoyed me. It always stopped without a problem but never felt right.

The front brake lever offered span adjustment to bring the lever in closer to the bars for smaller hands, or outwards for monsters. The hand levers themselves felt thin but not uncomfortably so. Squeezing the brake lever made the Street slow down without any problem and offered good feedback as to what was happening at the other end of the braided brake lines and

New Bike Test the bottom of the fork legs. There’s no ABS on the Street 500 and it was never missed.

The handlebars are 7/8 inches in diameter compared to the HD-accepted standard one inch. There is a multitude of varieties available from the HD Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories catalogue. The standard bars are a bit short for me but will be very easy to change with external wiring. If you can’t find bars to suit you, try harder.

Our day’s ride from Alexandria to Scarborough and then back into Sydney city was only about 130km but included a good mix of urban riding with freeway and a bit of twistiness added in. One notable exception was a fuel stop. The Street’s fuel tank holds 13.1L and it sips from this tank very frugally.

The established fuel economy is 27.7km/L. The calculator says that you can travel 362km between refills. When we get our longterm Street 500, we’ll explore those claims, probably while racking up an Aussie Hardarse Association 1600 in 48 Challenge.

Along the freeway, we were doing photographs beside the accompanying van.

When I was done, I went to accelerate away and that’s how I found that sixth gear is a big overdrive. Just remember that 100km/h in sixth is ambitious if you expect the 500 to pull away hard.

The million-dollar question: is the Street 500 any good? Yes. Harley-Davidson has achieved an entrylevel, LAMS-approved motorcycle that is just $9995 ride away from any HD dealer in Australia. That’s good value for money. C&T

Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Street 500 Price: $9995 (ride away) Engine: Liquid-cooled, Revolution X, 60ºV-twin, SOHC, Mikuni single port fuel injection, 35mm bore Bore x stroke: 69 x 66mm Displacement: 494cc Compression: 11:1 Power: No one’s saying Torque: 40Nm (29.5ft/lb) @ 3500rpm Transmission: Six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

R: Twin shocks

STATISTICS As of mid-December, there are in excess of 300 deposits already placed on Street 500s with supply expected to start in early February.

Of those deposits, 33 per cent of them are from women and 39 per cent are from young adults, which, in HD speak, are 19 to 34 year olds.

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Brakes: F: Single rotor with twinpiston caliper. R: Single rotor with twin-piston caliper.

Tyres: F: 100/80R17 R: 140/75R15 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat height: 709mm Wheelbase: 1534mm Length: 2225mm Weight: 218kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 13.1L Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance with roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

A Day In The Saddle

A DAY IN THE SADDLE THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B. WE ACTUALLY TOOK THE SECOND MOST POPULAR ROUTE!

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A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

Words & Photos: Mick Withers

his trip was booked in 12 months before the bike shed door was even rolled up!

When the venue for Spyder Royale 2015 was hinted at, my interest level was elevated as I’d never ridden into South Australia. I’d flown and driven in but the ride had somehow eluded me. Between late 2013 and late 2014, the plan to ride was rolled around and looked at from different angles. Truth be known, I was excited about the upcoming trip but more excited by the multiple routes it offered. There were new roads and places to explore, or at least look at while riding past.

In this digital age, I didn’t even bother with my stash of paper maps,

T

turning instead to the interweb and Google Maps. After punching in Victor Harbor, three options popped up on the map. The difference between the three was less than an hour and 123km.

Surprise, surprise, the most boring was also the quickest.

The most popular route is also the one most travelled by overnight truck drivers heading to Adelaide. Head south from Sydney on the Hume Freeway before turning west onto the Sturt Highway past Gundagai and on through Wagga Wagga to Hay, Balranald, Pinnaroo and Murray Bridge. Just up the road, turn left and head south through Strathalbyn to Victor Harbor. That’s a 15-hour-and59-minute trip of 1372km, according to the interweb.

The third option was to follow the Hume Freeway all the way to Seymour and then head west through Bendigo, St Arnaud, Donald, Warracknabeal, Dimboola, Nhill, Bordertown, Keith, Tailem Bend and then through Murray Bridge and down to Victor Harbor. The predicted timeframe was 16 hours and 50 minutes with the odometer clicking up 1493km.

But I had to be different and chose the 1357km option, alleged to be one minute quicker than the Victorian route. The real reason: after hitting the climb up Lapstone Hill, there were no more freeways for well over 1000km.

This way takes you through Bathurst, Cowra and West Wyalong before joining the Sturt Highway at Hay and then on the same way as option one.

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Surveying the bike shed, our Yamaha XV1900AT Star Tourer was chosen. The screen was sitting on a shelf and I decided to stick it back on and see what it was like with the Ventura Fat Man bars that have you sitting up straighter than the standard bars. Also, if it was annoying, I could ditch it in Cowra on the way out.

See, I’m a thinker.

At the start of the day, my aim was to hit Mildura and camp there overnight but things happened; I had a better idea and didn’t make it that far.

The trip over the Blue Mountains and down into Lithgow was knocked over in a business-like manner. No frills or fancy coffees. The only time my feet touched the ground was at traffic

A Day In The Saddle

lights. I had to get past this section as quick as I could without a speeding ticket. Why? Too many people in cars taking their 2.4 kids to school before rushing off to see the therapist or herbalist. The average driver in the Blue Mountains council area appears to be lacking in depth perception or an understanding of the rules pertaining to our highways. At the end of the downhill left-hand sweeper after the lights at Lithgow are the 100km/h signs, which indicate that you’ve now escaped the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area. Not sure if that’s official or not but, either way, it’s accurate.

With a constant watch for Commodores adorned with red-and-

blue flashers, it was time to settle in and cruise past the site of the old Mount Lambie roadhouse. Further down on the left is a new joint with sad food and a motel. When the road straightens out for the run down into Bathurst, don’t be tempted to crack on.

The point-to-point speed cameras may only work with heavy vehicles more than 4.5 tonnes but you’re still on the Mid-Western Highway, one of the most heavily policed roads in NSW. Riding from one side of Bathurst to the other takes longer than it used to. The houses are extending further east and west.

Feet stayed on the floorboards until Blayney where the big Yamaha told me that it was thirsty. After we’d both had a drink — 12.99L for 197km — Cruiser & Trike

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A Day In The Saddle we headed further west through the villages of Mandurama and Lyndhurst then the slightly larger Cowra. For the first time in my life, I passed through Cowra without so much as setting a foot down at either of the two sets of lights. Out the other side of town and still on the Mid-Western Highway, I had to stop for roadworks. While sitting there, I was kicking myself as I could have turned left or right earlier and run out past the roadworks on parallel roads. Damn, my fault for not paying closer attention.

As the road started to climb into the hills through Bumbaldry, guilt overtook me and I had to stop and take pics. Within 10 seconds of stopping, I regretted that move. Flies. Mongrel bloody things were desperately searching for moisture and I was it. Still got the pics but there was no hanging round to admire the view from the hills.

For the first time in years, I rode down the main street of Grenfell.

For some reason, I’m normally in a rush and blow straight through the birthplace of Henry Lawson like a loaded dog. But not this time. There was a bit of family nostalgia flowing through my thoughts and I was curious about which of the empty shops was formerly my grandparents’ general store. No clues, so I fuelled up with another 128km showing on the “A” trip meter. The “B” had been reset to zero when I headed off and now registered 325km after four hours on the road.

Caragabal appears on the plains past the Weddin Mountains. My grandparents had their first shop in this tiny village that typifies so many with most of the shops long closed.

There was a general store, pub and agricultural supplies with fuel bowsers, but that was it.

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With pics taken, I was quickly back on the road to Marsden, which is the name of the locale where the MidWestern and Newell Highways merge and continue west. A brief stop was made at Kalms Lane for pics before hitting the Luxor Cafe in West Wyalong for lunch. Local taxi driver and Aussie Hardarse Association member Murray Thomas had been following my day on Facebook and stopped in to say g’day.

He was heading off the next day on his 1600km in 48 hours Challenge. He mentioned that I could have ridden from Grenfell to West Wyalong via Quandialla and Bimbi for a quieter and more peaceful trip. There’s an excuse to head west again soon.

Fuelling up before leaving West Wyalong was a requirement on the XV1900. It was only 107km since the last fuel stop but the next chance to fuel up was 150km away in Goolgowi.

A Day In The Saddle With just 17L of capacity, there was no way I could stretch it to more than 250km. With 432km showing on “B”, I poured 9.56L in the tank and refilled my hydration backpack.

Just 90 minutes and 150km later, I pulled up at Goolgowi Roadhouse.

Somewhere in the middle of this stretch was Rankins Springs but it barely rates a mention, except for the pub on the right as you pull in.

That was tempting but there was still daylight and destinations on my agenda so I kept going.

Goolgowi was the only servo of the trip where I had to stick a card in the self-serve pay station before I could pump fuel. Apparently, they’ve had drive-offs in the past. Standing there scratching my head, I finally decided that $30 should cover the fuel and hoped that the pay station would only take what I spent. The remaining $9.79

was credited back to my account.

Cool. The 150km brought the “B” up to 582km.

Leaving Goolgowi, there’s a roundabout where the Mid-Western Highway crosses the Kidman Way but Hay was my next destination so I kept going west.

Over the years, I’ve read and heard people say what a boring trip it is across the Hay Plains. This was my first daytime crossing and the first time I’d ridden across. Between you and me, I was actually excited about the next stretch. The Hay Shire covers 11,348km² (including the One Tree Plain, which is the official name but we’ll continue with the more common one) and has a total variance of 17m from its lowest to highest point.

As Goolgowi rapidly disappeared in the mirrors and with near-on 400km to Mildura, the vegetation decreased until

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there was bugger all besides saltbush.

Looking ahead, I could see semitrailers way off in the distance and with no fences or trees to indicate where the road was, they appeared to be driving through the middle of paddocks. There are corners and a couple of wellsignposted bumps that may send an XV19 skyward if hit at higher speed.

One of the surprises for me was just how many planes were leaving vapour trails overhead. I reckon I saw more planes than cars! Apparently they were flights between Sydney and Adelaide or Perth. Busy bit of airspace.

You know when you’re getting closer to Hay because trees start appearing and then you ride alongside the Murrumbidgee River just before you ride into town. Hay is at the junction of the Cobb and Sturt Highways and is at the western end of the Mid-Western Highway. A left onto the Cobb Highway

A Day In The Saddle

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A Day In The Saddle

took me down into the centre of town and a servo on the right just before the bridge over the Murrumbidgee.

For a change, this was a servo with a workshop specialising in mowers and other small-engined vehicles. The shop was full of bicycles. When I pulled up at 5.30pm, they were packing up for the day but the lady behind the counter came out and we started chatting. When I said I was heading for Mildura, she gave me the sort of look normally reserved for idiotic children and pointed out that as soon as the sun sets, emus and kangaroos like to come out and play on the road. While filling the tank, I thought about what she’d said while trying to remember distances. I was another 112km along the road, bringing the “B” to 694km.

After refilling the hydration pack, I rode across the Murrumbidgee and then turned right onto the Sturt Highway at the big roundabout. Less than 100m later, I pulled up outside the Shearers’ Hall of Fame to take photos.

A signpost on the side of the road said it was 130km to Balranald and the speed advisory sign behind that told me the limit was 110km/h.

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A Day In The Saddle

Obeying that limit all the way, about 45 or 60 minutes later I came to the reasonably famous and extremely well-photographed Hells Gate property entrance on the right.

As many have done before, I stopped and parked the XV19 while fighting off flies so that I could take pics. The friendly little bastards made my stop less than enjoyable. With pics taken, I rode off while trying to get a couple of bloody flies out of the eye port on my Bell. Persistent little buggers.

Pulling into Balranald after 7pm, I’d already decided that this would do

me for a day. A two-storey building on the left had a huge sticker of a Harley Ultra Classic trike on the wall, almost from ground to roof. Looked like a friendly town, this did. The first servo I found saw the tank topped off and an additional 134km added to the odometer for a total of 828km for the day.

A very small stone’s throw up the street was the Balranald ExServicemen’s Club and attached motel.

That was me sorted for the night. While I was checking in, a glance out the window of the office revealed a crowd Cruiser & Trike

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of Can-Am Spyders! Checked in, I rode through and parked outside my room and started talking to the Spyder riders who seemed a bit shocked that I was also heading to the Spyder Royale at Victor Harbor. A big feed of Chinese in the club next door was followed by an early night after making plans to meet up for breakfast at 7am.

My day didn’t work out as originally planned but it was a good day of riding and scenery topped off by a meal with other riders. Yep, a much better idea than dancing with our coat of arms iin n the dark on the way to Mildura. C&T &T

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

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

Footboards/Heel Toe Shift

Hard Panniers

Touring Screen

Pillion Backrest & Rack

Spyder ST LIMITED roadster shown

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

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

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

New Roadster Test

CAN-AM SPYDER ST-S

IS IT A SPORTS OR A TOURING MODEL? IT’S BOTH, AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Cruiser & Trike

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New Roadster Test

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New Roadster Test

Words & Photos: Mick Withers

very time I step aboard a Spyder it feels more familiar and comfortable. Before my first ride, I was warned not to expect an instant connection.

Words that Ray Moody from Western Motorcycles also offered when he ran me through the Spyder basics before I set sail on a Spyder ST Limited. My first open-road Spyder experience almost ended in a puddle of motion sickness. From that point, I quickly learned to relax and stop trying to fight a Spyder into submission. It will win every time. It took me a non-stop trip from Sydney to Lorne, Vic, for Spyder Royale 2013 to really get a feel of Spydering. Jump in the deep end!

Since then, I’ve clocked up a few big days in Spyder saddles including a 1680km ride from Sydney to Chinderah for lunch and back to Sydney for a late dinner. Most of that day was on freeway or freeway-like conditions.

Bashing across back roads and lesstravelled routes is where you find out more about a test bike, but we’ll get to that later.

There was a shortage of Spyders on the media fleet for the week leading

E

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up to Spyder Royale in 2014 at Victor Harbor, SA. My plan of spending the whole week Spyder-mounted ended right there. Thankfully, Simon Kendrick from BRP Can-Am managed to find me an ST-S to ride during Royale.

After checking in and parking my Yamaha XV1900 at McCracken Country Club, I was handed the key to this particular 2014 Spyder ST-S. Walking around the cognac beauty, I was even more impressed with the colour in the flesh. Print or online doesn’t really do this colour full credit.

It looks bloody good. With that out of the road, I started snooping and found that there was no clutch lever and that it was an SE5, an electrically shifted five-speed semi-automatic. Sitting here and having a think about it, every Spyder I’ve ridden so far has been an SE5. Might have to try an SM5 one day with foot shifting and a clutch lever on the left-hand handlebar.

ST is short for Sport Touring and is a good midway point between the Refined Touring offered by the RT and the Really Sporty RS. I don’t think they are the explanations used by Can-Am but they’ll do for now.

An ST SE5 comes with floorboards

New Roadster Test

GRINS

The colour Seating position V-twin engine

GRIPES

Suspension on rough roads

IF IT WERE MY BIKE, WHAT I WOULD CHANGE…

The exhaust, and I’d tune the suspension

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Heather Ware

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New Roadster Test that move your feet 125mm forward of where the RS footpegs place them. The floorboards are great as you can move your feet around while on the road. A big benefit when you’re putting in big days, or just have big feet and like to stretch.

On an SE5, your left foot is there purely for decoration. It has nothing to do other than transfer a bit of weight or act as a brace under braking and cornering. The right foot, however, gets to do all

of the braking through the brake pedal. That’s right: all. There is no hand lever for you to drape your fingers lazily over.

Other ST-S features include new machined six twin-spoke carbon black front wheels, above them are front guards that have been shaved and fitted with LED lights. The A-Arms have also been painted to match the front spoiler.

As an ST-S, the panniers of the Limited are not a standard feature.

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All of your luggage-carrying capacity is to be found in the front storage unit, or the front boot as we prefer to call it. Except for what you can fit in your pockets, of course.

That still measures out at 44L. More than enough for a week or two on the road. Without panniers, the side profile is much slimmer and shapely. It’s not until you see an ST without the bags that you realise what a great-looking unit it is. While checking out the side

New Roadster Test view, have a look at the new airflow side panel design.

That’s enough looking; it’s time to ride.

Stepping aboard the ST-S, the suspension felt plush. Dropping my butt onto the seat and reaching forward to the bars felt natural. Natural in an “all day in the saddle comfortably” kinda way. The triangle between floorboards, seat and handlebars creates a riding position that would allow me to eat up big distances and still be able to walk semi-human like at the end of the day.

It had been a while since I’d last ridden a Rotax V-twin-powered Spyder but the feel of the engine and driveline

was instantly familiar. I know that we’re all lusting after a new 1330 Ace-powered F3 or RT but there’s still plenty of life left in the 998cc V-twin.

Apart from a trip downtown and back, I didn’t get a chance to really ride the ST-S until I set off on the scavenger hunt in company with Dick Bates and his modified V-twin-powered RT. The early part of the afternoon’s ride was in and around the urban area of Victor Harbor. In that area, things were good aboard the ST-S. Moving out into semirural areas was where things changed.

The quality of South Australian roads varies dramatically from billiard table to camber change mid-corner with

corrugations leading in and out. As the quality of the road deteriorated, so did the ride. I vividly remember one straight section of road leading into a small village that was corrugated for some distance. From years of travelling on dirt roads, I know that the best way to handle corrugations on a dirt road is to accelerate across them. While I was bouncing across the road, I looked in the mirror and saw Dick sitting up on his RT as casually as you’d expect on a freeway. To be fair, the suspension and ride height on his RT have been modified and set up to suit him. Later on, the pace picked up and we encountered a series of tight corners that included lots of bumps mid-corner and on the exit. Can’t say Cruiser & Trike

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New Roadster Test

what was happening behind as I was rather busy. Dick did mention that it was entertaining to watch from behind.

The ST-S I was riding was fitted with the Fox Podium shocks that offer increased performance compared to stock. But this ride highlighted the fact that with the equivalent of an averageweight rider and pillion, the suspension will require setting up to suit you and your riding style.

When the road surface was more like a normal country road, the suspension action was pretty good, although the nose did bottom-out a couple of times.

What did become obvious at the higher pace was a different performance from the Rotax V-twin than what I’d experienced before.

Quickspecs Model: Can-Am Spyder ST-S Price: $25,490 (ride away) Engine: Liquid-cooled Rotax V-twin Bore x stroke: 97 x 68mm Displacement: 998cc Power: 74.5kW (100hp) @ 7500rpm Torque: 108Nm (80ft/lb) @ 5000rpm Transmission: SE5. Five-speed plus reverse, semi-automatic, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive (as tested). SM5 also available with manual clutch and foot shifter Suspension: F: double A-arm with anti-roll bar. R: swingarm with monoshock

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Brakes: Foot operated with ABS. F: 270mm rotors with Brembo fourpiston calipers. R: 270mm rotor with floating Brembo single-piston caliper Tyres: F: 165/55 R15 R: 225/50 R15 Frame: Tubular steel cradle Seat height: 737mm Wheelbase: 1711mm Length: 2667mm Width: 1506mm Height: 1332mm Weight: 392kg (dry) Fuel capacity: 24L Warranty: Two years, unlimited km Servicing intervals: 5000km

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New Roadster Test

With the tacho needle operating below 6500, you’ll make progress. But from that point to 7000, it made more rapid progress. Beyond 7000, the progress rapidly increased all the way to redline past 9000.

Did we mention that the ST is a Sports Tourer?

All current Spyders are equipped with an electronic system that is lovingly referred to as “Nanny” by experienced ryders. Nanny steps in when the feedback from the sensors says that you’re starting to delve into an area of operation that could result in you hurting yourself.

Can-Am refers to it as Vehicle Stability Control and it includes traction control, ABS, Dynamic Power Steering and the Stability Control System. For example,

you may enter a corner on a dirt road and use more throttle than Nanny deems necessary. Instead of the tail sliding in a controlled display of oversteer, Nanny steps in and closes the throttle bodies until the silliness stops. Where am I going with this? Simply to say that I’ve now met Nanny and she stopped me from being silly on a dirt road. Nanny will certainly be helpful for newcomers to Spydering if they start to get in over their ability level.

Back on roads with more enjoyable corners and better surfaces, the ST-S was brilliant. Perhaps the pace may have lifted at certain times amongst other Spyders, and the upper reaches of the tachometer range explored.

With the cruise control on, the

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ST-S is a good way to cover ground comfortably. The adjustable screen with wind deflectors allows you to be as isolated or exposed as you want. Great feature. As is the colour gauge panel in the centre of the dash, except for when the sun is behind your head and you’re trying to make sense of the screen, which is common for most bikes with digital screens these days.

A Spyder feature that we really like are the brakes. No matter how hard you push the pedal, they won’t lock. The ABS takes over and the ST-S just sucks itself to the ground and stops.

That ability to stop is evenly matched by the steering on smooth roads. Just when you think you couldn’t possibly turn any harder or tighter, pull the inside bar a bit more and relish gravity. Having heard a fair few V-twin-powered Spyders, we know how good that Rotax engine can sound. You really need to ride one with the Akrapovič muffler from Can-Am. Better. Much better.

Don’t be put off by the experiences I had with rough roads. Any suspension shortcomings due to weight could be easily solved with either better setup or replacement parts. On sensible roads, and ridden sensibly, the Spyder ST-S is a bloody-good unit. Try one ne for yourself. C&T

New Bike Test

HD

ROAD

KING

CLASSIC OLD-WORLD STYLE AND CHARM WITH THOSE MODERN TOUCHES WE LIKE

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New Bike Test

Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

ne of the endearing attributes of Harley’s Road King is that it looks like an old bike.

Beautifully restored, yes, but an old bike nonetheless. The style of the bike harks back to the era when massive mudguards protected the rider from road mud and crash bars protected the bike in the event of a small whoopsie on a dirt road.

Saddlebags carried whatever luggage you needed and a big clear screen kept away the bugs and wind.

The Road King Classic for 2015 has exactly that old-time look, but under the brilliance of the paint

O

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New Bike Test and the gleaming of the chrome is a motorcycle that lacks for nothing in the realm of modern technology. More than that, while the technology is well hidden and therefore unobtrusive, it is used to enhance the experience of riding the bike without the rider ever being really aware of its presence. And while the 2015 Road King may look simple, it is indeed a highly developed and very competent machine that delivers something so simple yet so desirable: the uncomplicated joy of riding.

So, to the motorcycle itself. Looking at the pics, even the photographic skill of Tim Munro is insufficient to convey the imposing presence of this machine.

Sitting in the sun, it almost dazzles with its paint and chrome finishing and wherever I parked it, the bike elicited a

positive reaction. “Wow, that’s a greatlooking bike” was a frequent and welldeserved response. Our test bike was in silver pearl and rich black but it’s also available in red, off-white, black or blue.

Of course, the paints all have flashier names than that but regardless of your choice, the basic point is still the same: in any colour combination, the bike is a real head-turner. Not only that, but somehow the bike has a certain presence that springs from the marriage of the paint and chrome — it has radiance where other shiny motorcycles just look glitzy.

So it’s good in the looks department but what about the go department?

Take a 103-cubic-inch V-twin engine and couple it to the usual big Harley drivetrain and you’ve got exactly what you need: something that pulls like

a train. I found that the bike’s road manners were very good but they fell short of how good they could have been — and no doubt usually are — because our test bike had a slight glitch in the engine management system that made it slightly jerky to ride in low-speed, low-throttle situations. It was at its worst in slow traffic and it detracted from the ride. Two things need to be said of this glitch: first, once the throttle was opened wider it disappeared; and second, I have little doubt that it was a feature of this particular bike and not the model in general. Remapping the CPU would banish the problem.

This is a heavy bike, but twist the throttle and let the engine spin up to the rev limiter and it accelerates very Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

rapidly. So much so that with the screen attached, the speedo needle needs watching because after a couple of upchanges, you will soon find yourself in licence-loss territory if employees of the revenue-gathering agencies are watching — so take care with that one. Upshifts, either at full power acceleration or at more sedate speeds, are smooth, reliable and usually quite silent. I did encounter some changes with a clunk but they were in the minority. I liked the box and the heel-and-toe shifter worked well.

Same with the clutch: cable operated, it is smooth in use, precise in control and fairly light to pull in.

The level of equipment on the Road King is functional but not excessive.

The big speedo on the tank is below

eyeline when you’re riding but it is big enough to read with a quick glance. The numbers are slightly larger than before and that helps a lot. Not so easy to read is the small digital indicator that tells you distance travelled (with total kilometres as well as Trip A and Trip B), the time or distance to reserve fuel, the gear you’re in and the engine revs. All of those are visible but it takes slightly longer to get the information. On the left side of the fuel tank is a dummy fuel cap, which carries a small but accurate fuel gauge whose readings are reinforced by a little yellow glow when you get down to reserve. Harley has evidently redesigned its switch blocks and all I can say is that until I read about the redesign, I hadn’t even noticed them. That means they Cruiser & Trike

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GRINS The refinement The versatility The “ride me!” feeling

GRIPES Hmmm

IF IT WERE MY BIKE, WHAT I WOULD CHANGE… Nothing. I like it just as it is

work without the rider being aware of them doing their job and that’s how it should be.

A very good feature of the bike is that with the undoing of a few fasteners, you

New Bike Test can significantly change its character.

The big, clear screen does an excellent job of keeping the wind off your body at cruising speeds and even into serious speed territory — some turbulence, yes, but not to the level of unhappiness.

The drawback with the screen for those with long, flowing beards and open-face helmets is, of course, the old whiskersin-the-face irritation, and I can hear your derisive comments already: “Hey Sandbag, get out the razor!” But there’s a simpler solution, which involves lifting the two spring-loaded clips on either side of the screen then lifting up and forwards and, in an instant, the screen is gone. So easy and quicker than shaving the beard off.

At the rear are twin saddlebags, which are made from moulded plastic and then covered with leather. They close with what appear to be massive old-style buckles but rest easy, under the massive buckles hide the quick-release and quickconnect plastic connectors. The bags are totally waterproof and although they look the part on this bike, they’re not quite as practical as the hard bags

on other Harleys with their easy flip-up latches. Like the screen, they are simple to remove — just reach in, turn the two screws and lift them off. Putting them back on is just as simple. Unfortunately, our test bike seems to have been used by ham-fisted riders because two of the screws had had their little wire handles pulled off and the remaining two were loose. The bags could still be removed without the clips, though, we just needed

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a flat-blade screwdriver. Between the two saddlebags are rubber mounts for a top box so, if you’re so inclined, you could upgrade the luggage-carrying capacity to make it a full tourer. Then just six clips will transform the bike back into a barebones street machine.

There is a sense of refinement about this motorcycle which is belied by its retro styling. It encourages you to ride it and the more I rode it, the more I wanted to.

New Bike Test

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New Bike Test

The well-hidden technology includes the suspension, which is plush up front and air–assisted at the rear. A small note of warning here: the rear suspension gets its air via a Schrader valve on the left side which connects with both shocks. Lowering the air pressure is dead simple – you just press the pin in the valve. Increasing the pressure is quite a different matter, however, and it requires the use of either a Harley-Davidson air pump or a similar-pressure pump with a gauge.

Please don’t use the airline at the servo or you will blow the shocks for certain.

So the rear ride is certainly adjustable but only if you are carrying a pump. I tried various settings and I found that 10psi worked well for solo riding; at 35psi, the ride was firm but not too hard and at 0psi (which you could end up with if you don’t have a pump), the ride was soft but bearable as long as traversing bomb craters was kept off the riding menu.

Another outstanding bit of techno-assist comes in the braking department. The stoppers are Brembo (which is Italian for Brilliant Braking Performance) but they have HD logos.

The brakes are linked by electronic magic that will add the stopping power of the front brake if you just stand on the rear pedal — it works in reverse if you only use the front brake lever. I found that, although this bike weighs in at around 371kg, I could get it into ABS stopping mode with just one big heavy finger on the front lever. The bike stopped like a giant hand had grabbed it but with no fuss and no skid. Top marks for that!

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The riding position was comfortable for my long frame but with the screen on, I felt as if I was slightly too close to the bars. Without the screen, the natural lean into the wind counteracted that. The footboards are rubber-topped and spring-loaded so they completely absorb any vibrations and they are located so that it’s easy to get your feet off them and down onto the ground when you stop. Incidentally, I rode the bike in very hot weather (36ºC) but the

New Bike Test

heat of the day never worried the bike, which took it all in its stride — better than the rider did.

With this Road King, you get several riding options. You can strip it down to the bare bike and cruise the cafes, luxuriating in the admiring glances and comments of approval by passers-by. Be sure to take a good pair of sunglasses to guard against the gleam. Or, you can clip on the screen and bags and go out riding through the countryside where you will find that the bike absolutely revels in long, straight roads — but it shows no fear in the twisties. I found that the bike was amazingly nimble and throwing it into corners was a delight. It is very capable in bends and you can get quite aggressive with it if you want to, although it is happier if you relax back to a fast cruise through the sweepers.

It will manage tight corners without drama thanks to the excellent steering, which is light and precise at speed, and if you do get caught by surprise and find yourself approaching a corner too fast, that’s when you’ll be grateful for the Brembo (sorry, Harley-Davidson) brakes. The last option is to add a top

Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson Road King Price: $32,495 (Ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, High Output Twin Cam 103, 45º V-twin, fourstroke, two valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1690cc or 103ci Compression: 9.7:1 Power: 64kW (86hp) @ 3500rpm Torque: 138Nm (101.8ft/lb) @ 5010rpm Transmission: six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

box and go long-range touring. The ride and seat are comfortable enough to let you cover respectable distances and the bike is extremely happy to roll along all day at the national speed limit, or higher if you wish.

At $32,495, the Road King Classic can’t be called a budget buy but you get a lot of bike for the money. You can pay more to get a Harley with more Cruiser & Trike

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

Tyres: F: MT90B16 R: 180/65B16 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat height: 715mm Wheelbase: 1625mm Length: 2450mm Weight: 371kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 22.7L Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months

equipment but, in my opinion, you will lose a bit of the purity of the riding experience, which is what the Road King is all about. It feels smaller than its more expensive stable mates and it is more versatile thanks to the easily removable screen and bags (the others let you remove the bags but not the screen), so it gives you ou u more riding options. C&T

Yamaha Star Ride

THE FIRST YAMAHA STAR RIDE WENT REALLY WELL AND HERE’S THE EVIDENCE. NOW THEY’RE GEARING UP FOR THE NEXT ONE

ollowing the success of the NSW Yamaha Star Ride Day on December 7, 2014, Yamaha Motor Australia is committed to keeping the wheels turning and is pleased to announce that on Sunday February 22, 2015, it will be holding another Yamaha Star Ride Day as a Sydney/Hunter region combo. Affiliated Yamaha Star dealers will host the ride, and both officials and experienced riders will be on hand to help all levels of riders and make sure everyone gets as much out of the day as possible.

F

This time, there will be two start points. The Sydney Ride will start from Richmond in north-western Sydney and the Hunter Ride will start from Yamaha in Islington, Newcastle. Yamaha Star owners, riders and pillions will be able to participate in either of the 200km rides with lunch supplied and great prizes to be won at a secret location in Wollombi, NSW. Every participant in this ride must make new friends and take the opportunity to show off their Yamaha Star Cruiser over lunch. That’s what it said in the press release.

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Yamaha Star Ride

We are currently looking at gaining commitments from all valued Yamaha Star customers and riders so we can make sure that everyone is catered for and ensure a successful ride.

For those of you in the Sydney or Hunter region who’d like to join in on the second Yamaha Star Ride day, register your details here at yamaha-motor.com.au/content/ star-ride-registration-sydney-hunter-region Registrations close on Thursday February 19, 2015.

The first Star Ride was great and the NSW Yamaha Star Ride Day should be even bigger and better.

Keep up to date with Star Motorcycle news and events, share your photos or create a ride by joining the dedicated Star Motorcycles Facebook page: facebook. com/StarMotorcyclesAustralia C&T Cruiser & Trike

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2014 Spyder Royale

2014 SPYDER ROYALE

THE PEACEFUL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COASTAL TOWN OF VICTOR HARBOR WAS CHOSEN AS THE VENUE FOR THE FINAL SPYDER ROYALE Cruiser & Trike

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2014 Spyder Royale

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2014 Spyder Royale

Words & Photos: Mick Withers

pyder Royale began in Balranald when I booked into a motel that was already half booked out by a group of Spyder ryders. I tagged along for a 500km ride across the last bit of far-west New South Wales, the north-eastern corner of Victoria and then a slice across the middle of South Australia before reaching Victor Harbor and the official events.

It was a fun ride and that tone stayed for the whole weekend. From the time we lapped Victor Harbor before someone decided to use electronics to find our location and the McCracken Country Club, it was laughter.

Ryding down the driveway into McCracken was an eye-opener, everywhere you looked there were more than 200 Spyders of all shapes and sizes ridden by ryders of all ages; from those who looked young enough to be asked for ID at the bar to their spritely grandparents!

With my bags chucked into the room and myself freshly showered, it was time to hit the bar and restaurant.

Shortly after leaning on the bar, the

S

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2014 Spyder Royale

group that I travelled in with arrived and the evening meal became a big session of laughter mixed with drinks.

I’ve been to drive-ins before, albeit not for a very long time, but I’d never been to a Ryde-in movie before. Ryders were encouraged to Spyder into the outdoor picture theatre and watch Wild Hogs from the comfort of their own personal seat. With a few under my belt, I elected to borrow a chair from the restaurant. Popcorn and soft drinks were handed out to those who wanted them but I was happy with my own stash of rum and coke. The mozzies annoyed a few people but I was lucky enough to escape their attention.

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for a show and shine. Warland Reserve next to the horse-drawn tram was the open-air venue. The surrounding coffee shops did a roaring trade while Spyder ryders and the general public wandered in and around the Spyders.

Judges circulated and they were easy to spot as they each wore a sombre expression and carried a clipboard.

A total of seven categories were judged with People’s Choice decided by people writing on a piece of paper and dropping it in a box — as it should be. The organisers were actively encouraging passers-by to have a look and vote as well.

With the judging completed, and while I was waiting for a coffee from Victor Harbor’s slowest barista, a group

2014 Spyder Royale

SPYDER MUSTER 2015 Australia’s first Spyder Muster is being held in Talbingo in the Snowy Mountains on 2729 March, 2015.

Here’s a letter that we received from the organising committee.

BRP approached my husband and I — Laurie and Trina Christensen — to ask if we would take on the project of running a CanAm Spyder owners event, so we formed a small committee of Spyder riders to help with the project. And so the Spyder Muster concept was born.

Centrally located for east coast Spyder owners; Talbingo is a small town at the edge of the Snowy Mountains, next to the Tumut river, 410m above sea level.

With outstanding scenery and fantastic roads, the 2015 Spyder Muster is sure to satisfy everyone.

Easy to get to via the Snowy Mountains Highway, the 2015 Spyder Muster will definitely be one to remember.

We have gathered a few sponsors to help kick this event off. BRP is the major sponsor for the event. Canberra Motorcycles, Western Motorcycles, Melbourne Sea-Doo and Cove Print have also jumped on board so far.

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When entrants arrive at the event, they will be given a welcome pack and a welcome drink on the Friday night at the lodge (meal is not included). Both Saturday and Sunday breakfasts will be provided by the dealerships. Members of the Talbingo P&C will be whipping up lunch on Saturday, and the evening meal is being provided by BRP at the Talbingo Country Club, which offers entertainment as well as great dining.

Spyder Muster Committee members will be making lunch on Sunday. We have a great line-up planned and you will not be disappointed.

We’re very happy that we have finally got this Spyder owners event off the ground. It’s the result of months of hard work by the committee that I am proud to be a part of. This event is only catered for Can-Am Spyder ryders.

Thanks, Trina Spyder Muster Committee So, now you know a bit more. Check out the website for all of the up-to-date info. We’re going. See you there. spydermuster.com.au

2014 Spyder Royale photo was taken alongside the horsedrawn tram’s bridge across to Granite Island. Don’t look for me in the pic.

Next on my agenda was the Spyder Tech Talk, mainly about the coming Spyder F3. The more I hear about this new model, the better it sounds.

Sadly, we all have to wait until the leaves are falling off the trees and the temperatures are dropping before we’ll get to try one. Dammit! The other function of this session was a chance for owners to question BRP staff about any problems they might be having

with their Spyders. It made for an interesting morning.

Next was lunch, one of my three favourite meals.

The afternoon was taken up by the Spyder Challenge, a ryde that took the better part of three hours and covered a fair chunk of the Fleurieu Peninsula. It was a seek-and-find mission; a bit like a scavenger hunt but without the souvenirs. All that had to be collected was information. Along with Dick Bates, we wandered around at various speeds to suit the roads

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and gathered all of the info before handing the answer sheet in. While we were wandering about, we kept bumping into other Spyder ryders who all approached the hunt from different angles and starting points. It was a great way to see the local area as well as trying the loaned Spyder ST-S out over a wide variety of roads. More about that in the road test that starts on page 61.

Dinner and the evening’s entertainment were on the agenda for Saturday night, as well as trophy

2014 Spyder Royale presentations following the morning’s show and shine. Halfway through the meal, I realised that I was sitting next to the comedian who was to be the evening’s entertainment. Lucky he was funny or I’d have pinched his dessert.

With dinner done and dusted, we got into the trophy presentations as well as awards for other stuff. The napkin I wrote everything down on disappeared along with my empty plates, so I can’t tell you what all of the other awards were or who won them. But I did hang onto the list of trophy winners and

they’re listed in a box around here somewhere. I just remembered that two of the awards were for the biggest distances travelled since the previous Royale. Mike and Kookie were the male and female winners.

At a later stage in the evening, an announcement was made that we were attending the very last Spyder Royale to be promoted by BRP CanAm. The shocked silence was replaced with applause when Simon Kendrick announced that Spyder Muster was replacing it and it was being organised

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by Trina Christensen and a crew of helpers.

Sorry for missing out the other names.

Much later in the evening, the bar closed and it was time for bed.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, we all assembled for a group ride around the bits of the Fleurieu Peninsula that we’d missed on Saturday. So that I could get pics, I left early and propped myself on a likely looking corner in Goolwa. After taking pics there, I joined in on what I thought was the tail of the pack and started snapping while riding along.

2014 Spyder Royale

TROPHY WINNERS Best RS Best ST Best RT Best Theme Best Graphics Best Paint Outright Best Custom People’s Choice

David Christine Geoff Trina John Rob John Christine

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2014 Spyder Royale

Coming over the crest of a hill, there was a 4WD coming out of a side road on the left and parked across the road. Like all in front of me that I could see, I made a left and headed down the road until I came across a group of parked Spyders and ryders who were busily trying to change direction and organise. A bloke beside me reckoned he knew where he was and how to get back to where we were supposed to be, so I followed him and another bunch of Spyders. By the time we got back to the coast, the group had thinned and I again found myself riding with the travellers from Friday. A group decision was made to pull up at Port Elliot for a cuppa and pies.

Great decision but it meant that we missed the parade through Victor Harbor. Aah well, we got back to McCracken in time for lunch so we were OK with that.

After lunch, I had to get going and make a concerted effort to get as far up the road towards Sydney as I could due to family reasons. Pulling up for fuel at Bordertown, I bumped into Terry Smyth and his travelling companions. We rode together for a while before they turned off into a motel. My day ended at a cheap motel with a bad Chinese meal in Donald, but that’s a whole different story. C&T Cruiser & Trike

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New Bike Test

VICTORY GUNNER LESS IS MORE

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New Bike Test Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Tim Munro

ictory is gunning for new riders with the Gunner, a no-nonsense grab for the youth market that is all about simplicity, rather than chrome embellishments and hi-tech gear.

Some might call the cut-down, solo-seat bobber a “parts bin special”, being made up of a Vegas 8-Ball rolling chassis, Hammer handlebars and Judge pegs, wheels and dimensions. But the Gunner is somehow so much more than the sum of its parts. It turns heads everywhere it goes and I reckon it’s the best Victory cruiser yet in both style and substance.

It hits the market at a tempting $19,995 ride away, and for that you get a fairly basic bike. There’s really nothing fancy here, just invaluable “bad-assitude”.

V

I rode it across the border into northern NSW, ploughed through the back hills, dropped into a couple of bikie pubs, through a police RBT and down to the seashore.

Everywhere it went, it attracted appreciative nods, whether it was from the boys in blue, the boys in black or the surfy chicks in not much at all!

The Victory Gunner features “suede titanium” paint, white-letter high-profile tyres, blackened slash-cut exhausts, black beach bars, conventional forks, 24-spoke wheels, a low 635mm solo red seat and weighs in at a comparatively svelte 294kg. Like all Victory motorcycles, it’s motor-vated by the Freedom 106 (1731cc) 50° V-twin engine, a six-speed transmission and carbon-fibre belt drive.

It looks a little like the macho Judge machine and has similar steering and frame geometry measurements. Even the

GRINS

Bad-assitude in looks, name and performance

GRIPES

Lower cornering clearance than its handling allows No fuel gauge

IF IT WERE MY BIKE, WHAT WOULD I CHANGE… The ride height for cornering clearance

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tyre sizes are the same as the Judge. And like the Judge, you ride with an aggression that shouts at passers-by, “Get outta my way, ya punks!”

As you ride, your backside’s very low to the ground, nothing in front of you but a simple speedo dial and your knuckles punching the wind.

It’s quite an aggressive riding position with the mid-mount controls from the Judge, but it seems to work. Despite being a “windsock” pose, I find it eminently comfortable on the highway and even after an hour’s stint of boring motorway work, I didn’t feel numb with pain from hanging on.

Instead, the nicely scooped-out firm saddle and easy reach to the bars make for a very comfortable pose. Although my knees stick out a little with the mid-mount controls, I found the peg position handy for

New Bike Test supporting my weight a when the bike hit some cavernous potholes on my extended ride into NSW. Around town and around the twists up in the canyon passes, the mid-mount controls help you grip the tank and get some purchase for more aggressive duties.

Ride and handling are great for a cruiser because the wheels and suspension work together off the solid and stiff chassis. The high-profile tyres make the ride a little more plush than you would expect and the almostmatched front and back tyre widths mean it turns a corner sharply without the front wanting to go one way and the back another.

It simply tracks through corners with the wheels in concert. The fat front tyre also instils extra grip confidence when pressing into a corner.

Some might find that the relatively narrow

Quickspecs Model: Victory Gunner Price: $19,995 (ride away) Engine: Air-cooled, 50ยบ V-twin, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101 x 108mm Displacement: 1731cc or 106ci Compression: 9.4:1 Power: 72.3kW @ 5000rpm Torque: 153Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission: six-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.

R: Mono shock Brakes: F: Single rotor with four-

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piston caliper. R: Single rotor with four-piston caliper.

Tyres: Dunlop 491 F: 130/90B16 R: 140/90B16 Frame: Tubular cradle Seat height: 635mm Wheelbase: 1645mm Length: 2372mm Weight: 294kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 17L Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

New Bike Test

Americans sure know how to name their cars and bikes. Over the years, there have been many great macho names that thicken the veins in your neck just saying them.

Victory, in particular, has hit the jackpot with some of its gambling terms but this time, it’s gone all military.

The Victory Gunnner is named after Hollywood actor Ronald Lee Ermey who played Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket.

The boisterous sarge is in real life a decorated former Marine Corps drill

sergeant. He served in Vietnam for 14 months and served two tours of duty in Okinawa, Japan, rising to staff sergeant before being medically discharged in 1972 for several injuries in action.

He is also a decorated Hollywood veteran with a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the gritty 1987 Vietnam War movie directed by the late Stanley Kubrick.

In the past few years, Gunny has been featured in American TV advertising for the Victory and now he’s been immortalised with this bike.

rear tyre doesn’t work aesthetically with the fat rear fender, but the 140mm rubber gives the bobber a nicely balanced feel and easy turn-in. You simply don’t have to put a lot of effort in at the bars to get good turning results.

The only limiting factor in handling is the cornering clearance. For a start, it has

the lowest static upright ground clearance of any cruiser. The Jackpot, Hammer and Vegas have 135mm, the Judge, Highball and Boardwalk 120mm, while the Gunner has only 119mm.

And with mid-mount controls that stick out fairly wide, it’s easy to scrape hero blobs, footpeg brackets and the bottom

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exhaust pipe, even on roundabouts. While I like the aggressive look of the mid-mount controls, I’d be replacing them with forward controls and using spacers on the forks and a longer rear spring to gain more cornering clearance. Then it would be one of the besthandling big cruisers on the market.

Victory’s six-speed transmission is still a little industrial but is becoming smoother every year and feels very positive in the Gunner. Shifts are true and deliberate with no false neutral and no need to go searching for neutral when you want it. The cogs are also nicely spaced for plenty of flexibility around town. Out on the highway, you can roll on in sixth if you don’t feel a sense of urgency.

Otherwise, you quickly drop a cog or two for blistering overtaking.

The spread of ratios works well on the Gunner with three gears ideal for the city and three for the highway. What could be simpler?

There is only one brake disc up front and no ABS on any of the Victory cruiser models.

However, the Gunner does have braided steel lines, which give plenty of feel, and the bike’s lighter weight means prompt stopping from the single 300mm discs front and back is not a huge issue. The wide front tyre also helps put a decent footprint on the tarmac for maximum braking grip.

Instruments are basic, with a single dial that has a speedo, plus an LCD screen that includes odo, trip and revs. You can toggle between these screens with a button on the back of the left handlebar. There is no fuel gauge so a “range” display would be a handy addition.

Despite its Judge inheritance, the closest thing to the Gunner is the Harley Slim with similar boulevard credentials, Dunlop tyres, 16-inch wheels, 32° forks, long wheelbases, bare-bones looks, forward controls, pullback bars, low solo seats and compromised clearance angles.

They are both rugged, bare-knuckled models that fight for the same young demographic. Flip a coin.

Despite some minor concerns, Victory certainly has scored a victory with this “parts bin special”. C&T

Shop Talk

BUNBURY

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 at cruiser@unversalmagazines.com.au There are shops that go out of their way to help customers. Todd Patterson has been picking up bikes from Perth Motorplex, taking them back to the workshop in Bunbury, tuning them and then delivering them back to the customers at the track. And he’s been doing the same for riders living in between with bikes that need work. He’s a chip off the old block who has a knack for making bikes run happily.

HOW LONG HAS THE BUSINESS BEEN GOING? We bought the dyno about 10 or 11 years ago to use it to test our Ducati 900 SS turbo drag bike. Previous to this purchase, after drastic modifications, we would drive 30km from our town, unload the bike and fit up the wheelie bars.

Then we would tear up and down the chosen road with the least cars that was on the way to the dragstrip 150km away. If the bike went good, then we would continue on, if it went bad, then homeward bound we went.

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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 LONG HAS THE SHOP BEEN GOING? We opened up Bunbury Dyno as the tuning and performance section of Wayne Patterson’s Motorcycle Centre about 10 years ago — the dyno being located in a Ducati dealership that has been trading for 23 years. We are also located beside a large Harley-Davidson dealership. Bunbury Dyno soon became a trusted tuning centre with bikes coming from Geraldton (600km north), Albany (400km south) and everywhere in between.

With our interest in drag racing and performance street bikes, metric sportsbikes and cruisers are a common sight in our shop.

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN YOUR SHOP? Of course, the dyno is very important to us.

We have a very well-set-up dyno room that always has the latest software and tuning tools. The cooling and extraction fans are very strong to keep bikes cool and to simulate riding conditions.

We have Dynojet Tuning Link [software], which takes all the guesswork from the tuning process and makes it a simple task.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I like the positive feedback we get from satisfied bike owners that may have had

the bike for a long time and can feel the difference when they ride home after a tune.

After tuning literally hundreds of bikes, I bought a new Harley 48 Sportster and made a custom exhaust pipe and intake, like everyone does. With no custom tune and standard oxygen sensors/ECM, my bike was horrible to ride with these mods.

It was surging and generally had bad manners. I fitted a Power Commander V and custom mapped it. It instantly became smooth and fun to ride, so I got to feel it from a customer’s perspective and rediscovered what improvements are to be obtained by correct fuelling.

I love improving people’s pride and joy.

Shop Talk

I have been a bike mechanic at Wayne Patterson’s Motorcycle Centre, the shop that Bunbury Dyno is based out of, for the last 22 of my 36 years, and am still very keen to learn and evolve with the new technology that comes in the future. Also working at a Ducati dealership, electronics are a very big part of the brand so you must stay with the times.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD: We offer power, torque and air/fuel testing, custom mapping of Dynojet Power Commanders, Screamin’ Eagle Super Tuner and Tuneboy.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

BLOKE IN CHARGE

I have a plan to build a turbo kit for a 1200 Sportster and finish a few projects that I have on the go. My turbocharged Ducati 1098 Streetfighter should be up at the drags soon for the Whoop Ass Wednesdays so I can play silly buggers with the other guys.

We are also helping to build a Ducati 848 Evo turbo drag bike in a proper chassis, and then there is Wayne’s 749R turbo bike that is continually evolving and keeping us busy.

The kids race motocross, and drags are on every other weekend, so most of my life is spent burning petrol.

LOCATION

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Todd Patterson

Wayne Patterson’s Motorcycle Centre, aka Ducati Bunbury 1 Cornwall Street, Bunbury WA 6230

PHONE

08 9721 7470

WEBSITES

bunburydyno.com ducatibunbury.com.au facebook.com/BunburyDyno

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ER CRUISERS ISERS AND POW THERE ARE CRU IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN IS BUT THE DIAVEL

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Retromod

1984 SUZUKI 750 KATANA

1984 SUZUKI 750 KATANA

E E T K AT STR N Named d

The skill of the custom builder lies in achieving a cohesive whole from disparate parts, and then having it all work together on the street.

If you didn't know better, you'd swear it was stock but it's anything but

DESIRE How to turn an $800 pile of junk into a work of road-riding art

At Your Fingertips

WORDS JUSTIN LAW | PHOTOGRAPHY OWEN STUART

WANT to hide those pesky switchblocks? Do what Dave did and wire in a set of GripAce digital pushbutton controls. It’s a simple strip unit that fits into any grip or can be mounted on the handlebar next to it, with a single wire routed through the handlebars to the CPU. Holding the left grip, you can feel a row of four small buttons under your fingertips. From right to left, the first button is for your right indicator, the next the horn, the third button is the left indicator and high and low beam is controlled with the last.

Hold in the first two (horn and right indicator) to start the bike.

“I wanted clean bars, and after a friend showed me GripAce digital switches, I decided that this would be ideal,” Dave says. He couldn’t find a local distributor so now sells them himself through his Keband Custom Parts business.

Visit www.gripace.com.au or phone Dave on 0419 378 461.

T

HIS Suzuki Katana is wonderfully minimal.

The original pop-up headlight and bikini faring is gone, the CBR600 F4 ducktail sharpens the rear and the cockpit view is free of clutter.

Owner David Anderson has realised his vision of a retro street fighter that he’s dubbed Street Kat from a bike that started as a basket case.

There was something about the 1984 Suzuki Katana GSX 750 that appealed to the Melbourne bike parts distributor.

The bike was highlighted in Aussie flick Shame and that’s where he saw it and started imagining how it would fit in with his penchant for café racers and love of Suzuki’s stylish classic.

“I had an ’81 650GS Katana for 15 years and when I saw this on eBay I thought, yes, this is the one,” he says.

“Going to a basic street fighter was the idea. The original ducktail was damaged and I saw some pictures of an 1100 from Germany that was similar – it had the CBR tail, but still with the Katana fairing. I wanted to clean the front right up.”

The bike he’d found was identifiable only by the owner’s description because it was hardly in a condition you would call an ideal starting point. “It was just 10 boxes of parts – it had been completely butchered. It was a rolling frame with an engine in it and that was how I got it.

“Someone had started working on it as a street fighter and done a terrible job. They sprayed the frame while the engine was still in it, so half the engine was covered in paint. It was an absolute mess.”

That meant a quick, cheap sale with David picking it up for $800 and going straight to the professionals – Bikecraft in Mordialloc, Victoria.

“Another guy had started rebuilding the subframe but it was just a horrible job with bird shit welds everywhere,” says Bikecraft’s Brad Wiseman. “The instruction from Dave was to pretty much do what we did, but we had to start by getting rid of all the work that had been done before.”

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Retromod

The engine was sent to Dynobike to install a Wiseco big-bore kit that Dave had imported from the US, taking the original 747cc out to 810. That was the only real modification to the powerplant, with most of the work going into the rolling stock and subframe.

To transform the old Kat’s handling, it was decided a 2002 GSX-R1000 K2 had all the necessary parts – it was a class leader at the time. The original 16-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels are now a pair of 17s, and the old rebound-only adjustable conventional forks (with their fabulously ineffective hydraulic antidive system) have been replaced with the K2’s sexy upside-down fully adjustable items.

The front end wasn’t such an issue because Bikecraft makes its own billet triple trees (with a neat design flourish) to suit. The trouble was fitting the new rear end to the old square-tube cradle frame.

The first-generation single shock was replaced with the Gixxer Thou’s awesome fullyadjustable unit along with the substantial alloy swingarm it’s attached to. “I wanted a wider rear wheel and the only way to do that was to replace the swingarm,” Dave says. “To make it fit we also had to modify the front sprocket, which I had done in the US.” The 530 chain conversion sprocket, with a spacer to offset it for the wider rear wheel, was sourced from Rob Wilton (www.parts.suzukikatana.com) who stocks a bunch of useful upgrade bits. However, fitting the swingarm was more involved.

“We had to modify the frame to mount the swingarm and shock,” says Brad. “That was the tricky bit and took a bit of trial and error, but we got there.”

Once that was done, it was time to move onto the sitting bit. “We fabricated the whole subframe – it was time consuming to get it all right,” Brad says. “Dave had the idea of using the Honda CBR600 F4i tail and we sat it on there and looked to see where we could go with it.

“The tail piece had to be trimmed and welded to make it match up with the tank, so it isn’t totally original, and we made the sections between the tailpiece and the tank as well.”

The old two-up Katana seat was cut in half and the front section re-covered in custom leather, while the F4i’s pillion pad under the cowl was re-covered in red to match the Suzuki lettering on the tank. “It kinda keeps that old Katana red and silver two-tone thing going,” Dave says.

With the Honda’s silver cowl on, the ducktail is neatly matched to the height of the iconic fuel tank. It was the first of the ‘hornet thorax’ look with the aggressive lines resembling a sword – hence the name Katana – and it set this model apart from the rest when it first appeared.

Keeping that style was important and in this reimagining has been enhanced with the sharper tail, which makes up for ditching the trademark fairing and pop-up headlight.

“The headlight wasn’t with the bike when I got it,” says Dave. “The units on it now are Dominators from the UK.” Brad custom-made

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Custom trike

BON-TRIKE A MACHINE THAT GOES LIKE A GO-KART AND ITS PROUD AUSSIE OWNER

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Custom trike Words & Photos: Mark Hinchliffe

t flies in low over the horizon, its twin headlights beaming in your eyes and its wide countenance telling you it’s a custom trike, probably a German Rewaco chassis. But as it comes closer, there is a distinctive Harley-esque rumble that you don’t expect. As it passes by, its rear end surprises you with a prominent V-twin, not the usual 1200cc or 1600cc Vee-Dub flat four.

You have just witnessed a very rare sighting indeed; the only Bon-Trike HS6 in Australia powered by an S&S V-twin engine, according to its owner, Reiner Gudd of outer Brisbane.

He says only two Harley B-powered HS6 trikes were imported into Australia in 1999 in pieces and without the Harley B engines. Reiner also says that BonTrike general manager, Karsten Bonitz, bought two S&S engines in Sydney and fitted one to one of the two trikes to use at motor shows as a showpiece.

“It did run but vibrated badly so he never tried to sell them to the public,” the Santa Claus lookalike says in his soft and lilting German accent from his native Duisburg near the Dutch border.

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Custom trike

“When Bon-Trikes shut its doors in 2002, one of the two trikes was sold to somebody in NSW. That trike was converted to a VW trike because they couldn’t sort out the vibration problems,” adds Reiner, who bought the other trike as “a basket case”, along with one of the twin-cam S&S 107 engines.

“Back in those days, everyone wanted to put a Harley motor in them but with the engine running east-west, it vibrated like hell and they never got it to work properly.

“Every time you accelerated, it tried to tip the bike over. The problem was it was mounted at the top and bottom like in a Harley frame, so most of the vibration came through the chassis.”

He says the inspiration that sparked a revolution in handling and vibration came from the Harley-powered Morgan threewheeler, which mounts the engine from the centre of the crank.

“Over 12 months, I put it together and with the help of some smart people, we sorted out the vibration problem and made it work. Now there is no torque effect, but it does have a lot of torque pulling trough the gears. It still has some limited vibrations but nothing to worry too much about.”

On VW-powered HS3 Bon-Trikes, the engine hangs off the chassis-mounted gearbox like an outboard motor. But on the HS6 trike, the short four-inch drive shaft from the 107-cubic-inch V-twin goes through an adaptor plate to the Beetle gearbox. The

adaptor is mounted to the frame, so the engine vibrates around the crank, reducing shudder through the chassis.

“I spent a lot of money on this to get it right,” says Reiner. “I bought it when the company closed in 2002 and 12 years later, it’s still running well.”

The Bon-Trike is driven through a Beetle gearbox with four speeds and reverse. Instead of a gearshift in the middle of the tank where it looms ominously on most Bon-Trikes, the stubby shifter is located innocently down by the left leg.

It’s an H-pattern transmission that you depress and move toward second to select a true-geared reverse, not an electronic alternative.

The American S&S engine comes as a surprise for a native German whose garage is stocked with mainly air-cooled German vehicles. There’s a 1968 Beetle, a 1983 square-shaped Kombi T3, a 1989 BMW 525, a current BMW F 800GS and a 1982 BMW R 100.

“I always liked the S&S motor and I like the way [the Bon-Trike] looks and handles, plus I like riding something a bit unusual,” explains Reiner who got into trikes “by accident” in 1995.

At the time, the Yamaha TT rider was a contractor for Australia Motorcycle Adventures selling dirtbike tours. He remembers first seeing the Bon-Trikes at the Big Boys Toy Show in Brisbane Cruiser & Trike

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Custom trike

and started talking to Karsten, a fellow German immigrant.

“I thought it was a shopping trolley,” he says. “Karsten was a bit offended and suggested I try one. He left one here for me to ride and I couldn’t believe how it handled; just like a go-kart. I became the Queensland distributor for Bon until it finished in 2002.”

Reiner then goes into a long and emotional tale about the demise of the company and the legal wrangle over the Rewaco name that he says nearly killed the trike industry.

He went back to his camper trailer business but has kept the trike, which he takes out for occasional rides into the Gold Coast hinterland or wherever there are plenty of corners. “I like lots of corners,” he says.

“They don’t lift a wheel, they squat on the opposite wheel.

They go like a go-kart. Push them too hard in a corner and they drift. You can easily do donuts.”

He says he took his trike to Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick but the officials wouldn’t let him on with the motorcycles. So he talked them into letting him on the track during the lunch break. “People were going away to have their lunch but they quickly came back to watch me doing opposite-lock power slides.

We go through the corners much faster than the bikes. It was such a spectacle, the officials asked us to come back.”

On a short trot through the southern suburbs of the Brisvegas metropolis, the trike behaves with impeccable manners. Even using the boundless torque at low revs, it doesn’t shudder and shake, but pulls with a grainy rumble.

In the corners, it sits flat and rather than picking up the inside wheel, it just squats a little on the independent coil-over rear suspension. From the pillion perch, there is only a slight lurch and it doesn’t feel like it wants to catapult me into the bushes.

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“If you push it too hard, it does understeer,” he says. The 17-inch front wheel is fitted with a fat-section rear motorcycle tyre. It has a high 70 per cent profile so as you turn, it provides a bit of camber on the road surface for improved lateral cornering grip.

He says he runs a low 18psi in the front to improve traction, and similar pressures in the rear unless he wants to get it to drift. Then he pumps up those wide rubber hoops for some sideways fun.

Reiner explains that most trikes have an 80 per cent rear brake bias. This one is fitted with two drum brakes in the rear, which are effective in impeding progress on the 480kg beast. The front has a disc brake but a little WD40 keeps the brake bias in check.

He confesses that he is ready to sell the trike he’s had for the past dozen years, but says he warned off one potential buyer who wanted to ride it around Australia. “You don’t buy a trike like this unless you are prepared to spin the spanners.”

Almost prophetically, the trike then breaks down on the photo shoot. Reiner explains that the carby is gravity fed and can have some fuelling problems because this trike has a fuel pump. After cooling down and a bit off carby tickling, the S&S fires back into life, attracting the attention of passers-by. Reiner slips it into gear and eases back out into the traffic, all eyes on his oddly shaped rear end … the trike’s, not his! C&T

United Trikers Australia

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United Trikers Australia

TRIKES ACROSS MOUNT PANORAMA FOR FANS OF V8 SUPERCARS, BATHURST IS STILL THE BIGGIE. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN TRIKERS WERE GIVEN A GO AT THE LEGENDARY BATHURST LAP

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United Trikers Australia

Words: Vince Broady

he scene was set after an invite from Mr Brian Wood of the Motorcycle Council of NSW and his discussion with the Australian V8 Supercar Racing promotions people.

V8 Supercars asked the Motorcycle Council of NSW to provide 26 multiseat trikes for the Supercheap Auto 1000 drivers’ parade lap at Bathurst.

An email was received from Brian, and the call went out to members of United Trikers Australia to gauge the interest in attending the event. Within

T

six hours, there were 20 replies in the positive.

Contact was made with the organisers and discussions held over the number of trikes and the mix available of single and multi-seaters.

The club advised them it could provide more than enough seats for the event.

The rest is history.

THE LAP On a cool 6°C Bathurst morning, the silence was broken around 6am by the sound of 61 trikes gathering from all locations around Bathurst in the Racing

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Museum car park that had been set aside for us. The mood was electric for the riders, as members from Qld, SA and all over NSW signed in.

Soon a crew from the events coordination office appeared out of the gloom and introduced themselves. The excitement started to build, walkietalkies started to click as the day’s program got underway and we were asked to be ready to roll towards the paddock by 7am.

One of the coordinators jumped on the lead trike and directed us out of the car park onto the road out towards

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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

Cruiser & Trike

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41

AND POWER CRUISERS ITS OWN THERE ARE CRUISERS IS IN A CLASS OF BUT THE DIAVEL

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United Trikers Australia

the tunnel, under the track and up onto the hill. There were rows and rows of campers woken by the sound of the trikes winding their way towards the paddock, where we would form up and be allocated our passengers.

Multi-seaters were pulled out of the convoy to lead, with promo girls allocated to them for their rides. One special multi-seater was given the job of carrying last year’s winners, who had to pick the trophy up from the navy helicopter and deliver it to the podium.

The rest waited, then the cards were handed out. The buzz was who has who, who got what driver, co-driver … there were sighs, cheers and the “buggers” regarding Ford and Holden.

Most were set to enjoy the moment.

We waited to move to the next stage, watching the utes go out for their race around the track. They rolled back in and another group rolled out for their run, and then it was “mount up”, maintain your positions, we are moving

to the marshalling yard to wait for the pit lane to open.

A couple of crashes, a wait for the track to clear, doctors stood down, helicopter shut down, gates opened and we were off to pick up. The pit lane was clear except for us as we parked in our positions. The garages opened and people began to emerge and walk around the trikes.

The control car pulled onto the pit lane, Supercheap trucks formed behind, drivers were chased out of the garages to mount up, spare seats were filled with pit lane people and we were off on the greatest thrill that you could experience as a triker on Bathurst Day. The roar from the huge crowd was overwhelming as we started our lap, with drivers and trikers enjoying the scene. And before it even started, it was over and the race was underway.

Special thanks go to the United Trikers Australia members who travelled from far and wide to attend

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the event. We would also like to thank the V8 Supercars for honouring us with the opportunity, and the Motorcycle Council of NSW for putting us forward. C&T

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

Cruiser price guide Can I afford it?

N

ew bike prices can go up and down like the stock market, so in every issue we’ll bring you the sticker prices. To be completely up to date with things such as factory discounts and incentives, check the Cruiser & Trike website (cruiserandtrike.com.au) where we will bring you all the special deals, bonus offers and cashback promotions.

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

BRAND & MODEL

BOLLINI

WE SAY

HONDA

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

HUNTER

PRICE

urbanmotoimports.com.au

spyder.brp.com/au/home

Roadster Spyder RS ........................ Corner muncher ......................... $19,990 Spyder RS-S .................... With more .................................. $23,990 Spyder ST ........................ Sports tourer.............................. $22,990 Spyder ST Limited ........... Sports tourer plus ...................... $28,990 Spyder RT......................... Touring........................................ $30,490 Spyder RT-S ............................Ultimate Touring ...................$38,990 Spyder RT Limited...................Touring luxury .......................$39,990

CF MOTO

cf-moto.com.au

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

DUCATI

ducati.com.au

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

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

huntermotorcycles.com.au

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

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

CAN-AM BRP SPYDER

honda.com.au

harley-davidson.com

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

Bad boy ..............................$33,995

HYOSUNG

hyosung.com.au

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

INDIAN

indianmotorcycle.com.au

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

KAWASAKI

kawasaki.com.au

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

KYMCO

kymco.com.au

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

LARO

laro.com.au

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

LIFAN

motorcycle-city.com.au

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

MOTO GUZZI

motoguzzi.com.au

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

PAGSTA

pagsta.com.au

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

SUZUKI

suzukimotorcycles.com.au

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

Cruiser & Trike

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

TORINO

torinomotorcycles.com.au

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

TRIUMPH

triumphmotorcycles.com.au

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

VICTORY

victorymotorcycles.com.au

Cruiser Vegas 8 Ball............................. Sink the 8 ball ...................... $19,995 Vegas Jackpot ......................... A pearler .............................. $24,995 Highball.................................... Ol’ skool cool ....................... $19,995 Judge....................................... R U ready to be judged? ...... $19,995 Hammer 8 Ball......................... Hammer that 8 ball .............. $20,995 Hammer S ............................... Hammer it! ........................... $22,995 Boardwalk Black...................... Dark classic ......................... $21,995 Boardwalk White ..................... Cool classic .......................... $22,495 Hardball ................................... Bad ass ................................ $23,995 Cross Roads ............................ Robert Johnson cool ............ $24,995 Cross Roads Classic ............... Chromed up cool.................. $24,995

Cross Country . ....................... Hard panniers....................... $24,995 Cross Country Zach Ness ...... Let’s see it ........................... $29,995 Cross Country Tour Cory ........ Poster material .................... $31,995 Cross Country Tour ................. Tour in comfort ..................... $27,495 Vision Tour ............................... Space age looks................... $29,995 Vision Tour Arlen Ness ............ Hot rod touring..................... $32,995

VIPER

urbanmotoimports.com.au

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

YAMAHA

yamaha-motor.com.au

Cruiser XVS250 Virago........................ Great small package ............... $6499 XVS650 Custom ..................... Popular custom .................... $10,499 XVS650 Classic ...................... And as a classic ................... $10,990 XVS650 Bobber ...................... $2500 kit plus fitting and bike .. $Ask XVS950CU Bolt ...................... Basic Bolt............................. $11,999 XVS950CUSP Bolt R.............. Bolt plus ............................... $12,499 XVS950A................................. Mighty mid-ranger ............... $13,999 XVS1100A Custom ................. Thin tyres ............................. $14,699 XVS1100A Classic .................. Fat tyres ............................... $15,699 XVS1300A............................... Favourite of many riders ...... $15,999 XVS1300AT Tourer.................. With more features .............. $18,299 XV1900A Roadliner ................. Art Deco piece ..................... $21,499 XV1900AT Star Tourer ............ Editor’s current favourite .... $24,099

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

COMING SOON...

Cruiser & Trike

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Sandbag

The “art” of painting Knowing one’s limitations Words: Tim Sanford ike shows are fabulous events where I like to wander between the rows of gleaming machines and contemplate the incredible amount of work involved in either bringing some ancient motorcycle back to magnificent glory or taking a modern machine and transforming it into a vivid expression of the customiser’s imagination.

Both activities involve extensive mechanical work and many hours of workshop time but the final touches — the crowning glory, if you like — come from the combination of paint and chrome to make the bike a vision of splendour. The lustre of the paint, the delicate shades used and the amazing pictures that form part of the customiser’s palette are what make the finished machine so stunning.

I can easily relate to the mechanical work because that’s something I can do but I think that the reason I am so much in awe of the paintwork is that I am hopeless at it. When I say hopeless, I’m not talking about the more lofty arts such as airbrushing, which is a word I’ve heard painters use but I actually have absolutely no idea what it means. No, even the most rudimentary aspects of painting are quite beyond me so I don’t attempt them.

This, I like to tell myself, is called “knowing my limitations”.

Looking back on my early years, I can’t remember anybody in my family who was any good at this stuff either so, at a pinch, I could blame this gap in my abilities on

B

the fact that I had no early mentors. As convenient as that would be as an easy slide away from accepting any personal responsibility for this particular failing, this column has become a notable place for me to face the facts of life and in this case, there were some spectacular and utterly regrettable indications at an early age that painting was not my forte.

My earliest memory of painting involved some “beautification” of the family home.

The elders of the Sandbag tribe had decided on the colours to be used and they were full-bodied and rich. Some way through the proceedings, several rooms had been completed in various rich colours and the timberwork was being painstakingly painted in various full-bodied but contrasting tones.

One of the painters asked me to assist: “Here, lad, can you just thin this paint down a bit for me please? Don’t use too much” were the cryptic instructions. I had seen this mystical “thinning” process performed before so I knew that it required the addition of some clear liquid to the paint. I went out to the laundry and added some clear liquid as I had seen the painters do. Clear liquid, as in out of the tap. Oddly enough, it didn’t mix very well when I stirred it; in fact, it was hopelessly streaky and all in droplets when I pulled the stick out. Then I had a brainwave! I had seen the painters use a propeller-attachment whizzo on the end of a drill so I grabbed that and stuck it into the tin of paint and water. As always, things are Cruiser & Trike

114

simple when performed by an expert but rather more complicated when performed by a simpleton — an expert would have selected an appropriate (ie slow) speed for the drill, the Simpleton Sandbag just squeezed the trigger of the drill, which happened to be set at maximum speed. The beautifications of the family home were not helped by the fact that the room in which this task was carried out had already been carefully painted. They took a further downturn when I arrived with my high-speed paint mixer and its tin of “unmixable” oil paint and water. It took only a few seconds to nearly empty the tin and splash its contents all around the room and although I thought that the resulting patterns, which coincidentally predated the psychedelic artistic manifestations of a few years later, were quite charming — if a little unconventional — in this opinion, I was definitely in the minority. Thereafter, whenever painting was planned, an essential part of the plan included a holiday somewhere far distant for the young Sandbag.

Have you ever read the instructions on a spray can? They detail the range of temperatures suitable for the application of the paint. Some years later, a much older (but sadly no wiser) Sandbag was tarting up his car in the hope of passing rego inspection the following morning. This process involved extensive rust repairs using those substances beloved of bodgers: good-old fibreglass and body bog. The day was hot and the resinous repairs were quickly affected.

After some patient application of the wetand-dry sanding process, the “repaired” surfaces were smooth to the touch and a joy to behold. After a cup of tea and some other distractions, there was one small detail to attend to before the vehicle could be presented for inspection: the painting.

You will know that body bog is generally a creamy colour and therefore such a colour was quite an unsatisfactory contrast to the deep blue of the subject machine. No problem: all was well because the proper colour match had been obtained in the spray cans; all was also well in that the temperature was still comfortably within the stated range; all was not quite so well in that there was a small amount of rain falling from the sky.

Would the Sandbag permit a few drops of rain to stand between him and a “perfect paint job”? As if!

Next day, the Sandbagmobile passed its rego inspection. The Sandbag was very pleased as he drove away but the question from the inspector was still puzzling him: “I didn’t know you could get that blue paint in Hammertone”. C&T

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