Cycle Torque January 2014

FREE

JANUARY 2014

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F ALSO RIDDEN: TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER, YAMAHA MT-09, APRILIA SRV850

Oil Stained BRAIN

FEATURES: CLASSIC VIETNAM, TOURING OXLEY PT II, QUAD TORQUE, SHOP TORQUE, TROY STORY CONTINUES

IN THIS ISSUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 2

For the love of motorcycling

WE HAVE a couple of very special articles for you this month - one on bringing old bikes back to life in Vietnam, not a place you’d expect to cherish ageing motorcycles, and Oil Stained Brain, a feature which tells a story, in words and pictures, of beautiful machines built by back-yard mechanics, usually on the cheap.

Then there’s the bikes - from the latest Yamaha YZ250F and MT09 to the Triumph Explorer and the biggest scooter we’ve ever ridden, an 850cc Aprilia aimed more at motorcyclists looking for the convenience of a scooter than anyone looking for cheap transport.

We’ve also got the wrap-up of our Touring the Oxley feature, the usual gang supplying their opinions and lots more.

Let us know what you think of Cycle Torque’s January issue – feedback@cycletorque.com.au.

– Nigel Paterson publisher@cycletorque.com.au

CONTENTS

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 3

RIDDEN

REGU LARS 2014 YAMAHA YZ250F TEST

TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER

40

32

LAUNCH

APRILIA SRV850

YAMAHA MT-09

TEST

LAUNCH

48

56

04 NEWS TORQUE 18 SMALL TORQUE 24 EDITORIAL 27 DIRTY TORQUE 28 RACE TORQUE 31 GUNTRIP 106 BOOK SHOP 110 BIKE STUFF 114 USED & REVIEWED 115 MARKET TORQUE 117 SHOP TORQUE NEW 123 TORQUING BACK: LETTERS

WIN A 250cc HYOSUNG OF YOUR CHOICE

FEATU RES

COVER PHOTOS: YZ250 BY FOUR OH FOUR OIL STAINED BRAIN

BY KEVIN EELES.

64

72

118

CLASSIC VIETNAM

OIL STAINED BRAIN

QUAD TORQUE

17

120

TOURING THE OXLEY PT II

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 4

New from Honda

HONDA has expanded its middleweight 650 line-up, evolved the Fireblade range and built a new V4 cruiser/ tourer.

The naked CB650F is LAMS approved, has street-fighter style and will no doubt be a fun thing to ride, going on previous Honda LAMS machines we’ve ridden. It’s also a bike which will cater for a wide variety of rider levels.

Jazzing it up somewhat is the part faired CBR650F which uses the same platform as the naked CB650F.

A brand-new DOHC, 649cc four-cylinder engine has been developed for the two models, with the emphasis on low-mid range power, and torque.

Other features include PGM fuel injection, twin front and single rear ABS disc brakes as standard, and a seven stage adjustable rear monoshock.

The 2014 Honda CBR1000RR will have two versions available: the standard two-seat model and a track-focussed, high-spec single-seat SP model.

The engine features an extra three horsepower, thanks to reshaped inlet and exhaust ports.

The riding position has changed from the 2013 CBR, the handlebar and footpeg position making the ’blade feel more aggressive. As a racing-machine, the SP has no provision for a pillion and the sleek single seat cuts weight.

The SP offers Öhlins front and rear suspension and four piston Brembo monoblock front brake calipers, while the stock machine uses Showa suspension and Tokico calipers.

It is interesting to note Honda has not decided to go with a

NEWS TORQUE

traction control system on the new ’Blade. The ABS option will add 11KG to the 200kg claimed kerb weight of the standard RR, while the SP weighs in one kilogram lighter.

For the CTX1300 Honda has taken the engine from the ST1300, played with it so it produces more bottom and mid range grunt, and housed it in a new chassis. The styling is similar to the Goldwing F6B and the bike comes with loads of features as standard equipment. The ST1300 engine is one of the best ever built in our opinion, and we can see this being a big seller for Honda. n

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 5

SUZUKIBOULEVARD.COM.AU

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 6

C90T

Watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULmS8ETBwxU

NOT A STREET BIKE. A BOULEVARD. The All-New SUZUKI BOULEVARD C90T cruiser delivers an unmatched level of performance – and it’s ready to let you choose any road.

A liquid-cooled V-Twin engine, the most powerful in its class, built with Suzuki-technology delivers outstanding power and torque specially in low to mid-range. Long-range comfort is enhanced by fully integrated hard saddlebags, windscreen and multi-function instrumentation on the C90T model. This ride is ready to roll. On the road, or the boulevard.

C109RT

Also available as non-touring models.

C50T

NEWS TORQUE

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HESKETH RETURNS? WITH a new owner, development money and an interesting past, British bike manufacturer Hesketh is not just back, but producing a new model for 2014.

The Hesketh 24 has its styling inspired by the brand’s F1 car racing roots (James Hunt won the Dutch F1 GP in 1975 driving a Hesketh) while it’s being powered by a 1950cc V-twin producing about 120hp.

With Öhlins suspension, carbon fibre wheels and trick bits everywhere, the Hesketh 24 will certainly attract a crowd.

Hesketh introduced a couple of models in the early 1980s but the brand was launched into a defining motorcycle market and never caught on. One of the original engineers continued small-scale production for years and then in 2010 the company was reborn under new owner Paul Sleeman, who relocated the company and produced five bespoke Kingswood V1000 models in 2012.

The Hesketh 24 will be the first new bike under Sleeman’s ownership.

“The design of the bike itself is centred around the big V-twin muscle at the heart of the bike, with overhead air intakes inside the tank above and a 22.7 litre fuel cell mounted below the engine. To stay true to some original Hesketh features the front light offers a modern half cowl and the top tank follows the distinctive Hesketh shape.

“The limited edition Hesketh 24, of which only 24 will be made, is available from February and we will go on to develop and release a two seat version of this model shortly after,” Sleeman said in a press release. n

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 8

Kawasaki developing radical trike?

AN ELECTRIC leaning trike is on the drawing boards at Kawasaki, with concept drawings on display at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, but we’d be even more interested if the firm was proposing using the new supercharged petrol motor - which hopefully we’ll see powering future generations of ZX-10 and ZX-14 models.

The trike’s design has been inspired by the animated two-wheelers in the movie Tron and runs a sort-of reverse handlebar set-up - control levers rise up from each of the two front wheels and the handlebar are bolted on to the inside - so the rider still grabs handlebars, but they are independent of each other and there’s a gap between them.

Kawasaki is developing battery cell technology as part of its Heavy Industries group, and the trike is one way to show off a potential future use – but they will have to get a lot lighter and smaller to be useful.

Powering the trike with the new Supercharged across-the-frame four would be cool, but we’re keen to ride one if Kawasaki get around to bolting it into the ZX-14R chassis, too.

Kawasaki has been building Supercharged engines for aviation and marine use (notably in its 300hp Jet Ski) and Cycle Torque believes a Supercharged Superbike could be an awful lot of fun. n

Your road to the track The highly-anticipated Ducati 899 Panigale provides a new way to access the exclusive world of Ducati Superbikes with a ‘Supermid’ version designed to provide the thrill of the new generation 1199 with the refined character of an everyday streetbike.

The brand new Superquadro engine produces 148hp with 73lb-ft (99Nm) of torque to achieve an outstanding power-to-weight ratio and ride enhancing agility. With a dry weight of 169kg the 1199 silhouette underlines the family DNA while the Ducati Quick Shift, Ride-by-Wire, triple stage ABS, Ducati Traction Control and Engine Brake Control continue the benchmark introduced with the award-winning 1199 Panigale.

With carefully designed, rider-friendly features such as increased seat cushioning and performance enhanced gearing for mid-range rideability, the new model achieves a mix of Authentic Italian Performance with everyday useability.

The best of both worlds, road and track.

Visit your local Authorised Ducati Dealer to book a test ride and feel the thrill of the new 899 Panigale today!

www.ducati.com.au

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 10

EXTRA SPECIAL V7 MOTO Guzzi’s V7 Special is hugely popular with the retro brigade, and we can tell you there are plenty of modern riders who love their bikes retro.

But this particular V7 Special is extra so and is called the V7 Special Cafe. On it you will find an Agostini upswept dual slip on exhaust, café style solo seat and lowered clip-on handlebars valued at over $2,900 and is available as a fitted kit on MY12 V7 Special Café Edition in Black/Yellow or Red/White colours (while stocks last), with a ride away price of $15,590.

There are limited machines available so be quick. See your local Moto Guzzi dealer. n

It’s not where you’re going, It’s how you get there!

http://www.kenma.com.au/motorcycle_luggage.html

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 11

Yamaha’s Electric Concepts

THE Tokyo Motor Show heralded a display of electric bikes from Yamaha – a super-light road bike, a motocrosser and scooter.

The PES1 weighs in at just 90kg and comes with a switchable auto/manual gearbox.

The PED1 has similar drivetrain in a motocross-friendly chassis, and Yamaha’s even said the batteries would be interchangeable.

The classically-styled but electric powered Vino scooter complete the threesome.

It’s unlikely we’ll ever see these bikes even close to as they are being shown today, but it’s interesting to see which direction manufacturers are going with their development. n

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by Rideworx T 02 4271 8244 Find what fits your bike at:

www.barkbusters.net

TAP EACH PRODUCT ABOVE FOR MORE INFO

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 12

Troy Bayliss Classic Hots Up

TWO of the biggest names in international flat-track racing will contest the 2014 Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic at Taree Motorcycle Club on Saturday, January 18.

Two-time AMA Pro Grand National Singles Champion Henry Wiles and Japanese sensation Masatoshi Ohmori join 33 other star riders for the iconic event, which pits 36 legends of flat track, motocross, road racing, speedway and enduro against each other on a the fast 500m oil-based flat track at Old Bar, east of Taree.

The event will mark the first visit to Australia for Wiles, a nine-time winner of the world’s longest consecutive running dirt track race, the Peoria AMA Grand National Championship TT. “I am very honoured to race the Troy Bayliss Classic,” Wiles said. “To be able to race some of the best racers on the planet is an opportunity of a lifetime. I am curious to see the different styles of riding and the different styles of bikes. I am hoping I will be able to adjust fast enough to be able to race at the front.”

Masatoshi (Masa) is a YouTube star with over 300,000 views of his flat track sliding antics. Event organiser Troy Bayliss is delighted with the additions to the incredible galaxy of hot-shoes. “I’m really excited with our line-up for 2014,” Bayliss said. “Henry is one of America’s finest dirt-track riders and to see Masatoshi do his famous slides will be a real treat.

“I am certainly not making it easy for anyone, we have some of the best riders from around the world coming to the 2014 event,” he concluded.

The 2014 Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic riders’ list is: Troy Bayliss, Jason Crump, Karl Muggeridge, Chris Vermeulen, Shayne King (NZ), Jeff Leisk, Robbie Phillis, Henry Wiles (USA), Masatoshi Ohmori (J), Chris Watson, Darcy Ward, Stephen Gall, Josh Waters, Phil Lovett, Jack Miller, Cam Donald, Toby Price, Dave Armstrong, Barry Cockle, Damian Cudlin, Vaughan Style, Mick Kirkness, Anthony Gunter, Sammy Halbert (USA), Garry McCoy, Alex Cudlin, Troy Herfoss, Anthony West, Jamie Stauffer, Sean Giles, Chris Hollis, Paul Caslick, Wayne Maxwell, Josh Brookes and Josh Hook.

For more information, visit troybaylissevents.com. n

MY LEARNER BIKE MUST HAVE...

GT250

GT650

http://www.hyosung.com.au

H Y O S U N G . C O M. A U

NEWS TORQUE

First Aussie Indians INDIAN has begun deliveries of the first batch of new bikes in 65 years, with Ken Hagar and Graham Farmilo aboard their new bikes.

Indian hopes to deliver the majority of the bikes ordered by the first ‘111 Original Customers’ - the number chosen because that’s the engine capacity in cubic inches of the new bikes – before Christmas.

In other news the manufacturer has opened its doors in Brisbane at 632 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley The two storey showroom will house both Indian and Victory Motorcycle brands, with Indian positioned upstairs.

In addition to the bikes, the dealership will also stock an extensive array Indian apparel, genuine accessories and parts, as well as experienced sales, service and support staff.

Spokesman Peter Harvey believes that opening in Brisbane is a major development the promotion of the two brands, “The timing was fortuitous that we could open the new dealership and house both Indian and Victory motorcycles under the one roof.”

The Valley premises is located in the premium auto precinct, though Harvey expects to outgrow the building and is “Still looking for a larger, more permanent home”.

Cycle Torque has ridden the new machines and came away very impressed.

See www.cycletorque.com.au/more to read the review or download the December 2013 digital edition. n

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 13

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 14

MV Agusta returns to superbikes MV AGUSTA will make its official return to top-level international motorcycle competition next February when it lines up in the opening round of the 2014 Superbike World Championship at Victoria’s Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

The marque, which has a record 37 individual and 38 manufacturer grand prix titles to its credit, will be officially involved at world level with the Russian-based Yakhnich Motorsport Team. The outfit will run Italian Claudio Corti in world superbike with its F4 1000 RR, backed up by a two-pronged attack in world supersport with Jules Cluzel and Vladimir Leonov. Yakhnich Motorsport won the supersport title in 2013 with Sam Lowes at the helm, but he was on Yamaha machinery.

Corti took little time to get to work with the team testing at Jerez last week. The Varese-built Superbike was lapping at 1m42.9s by the end of testing, an encouraging result considering the engine is still undergoing preliminary

development and tuning and the chassis set-up is still being sorted.

“I’ve never ridden a bike with a front end that gives such great feedback. Moreover, the engine also feels extremely promising. I can’t wait to ride the completed, definitive version of the bike in the January tests, and I get the feeling we could get good results even in our very first year,” said Corti, post the Jerez test. n

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 15

BMW’s GTL Exclusive BMW is laying claim to class-beating specifications with the new K 1600 GTL Exclusive which includes central locking with an anti-theft alarm system, ESA II electronic suspension adjustment, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and an innovative new Hill Start Control feature.

A radio antenna embedded in the topbox lid maintains reception quality while enhancing the bikes appearance. The Exclusive model is more luxurious for a pillion, a larger seat providing better comfort over longer distances.

BMW is opting for a Keyless Ride system on the new GTL. The steering lock, ignition, fuel cap and central locking are controlled by a central unit, allowing it to remain in the pocket of the rider. This is a first for a BMW motorcycle.

Not to be confused with a parking brake, the Hill Start Control function allows the rider to remain at a stop on uphill slopes with the engine running, automatically releasing after pulling away on the 360 kilogram (unladen) machine in first or second gear.

Other highlights include new features such as more functional and legible instrumentation scales, LED daytime running lights compliment the adaptive xenon headlight and LED auxiliary headlights; the audio system is prepared for an optional navigation device (Navigator V) which is compatible with iPod, MP3, USB and Bluetooth.

The BMW 1600 GTL Exclusive is powered by a 160hp in-line six-cylinder engine, available in a four-coat paint finish.

Available to Australia later this year at price yet to be confirmed. n

NEWS TORQUE

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Biggest Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show in a decade THE doors have closed on the 2013 Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show, wrapping up what was the biggest motorcycle show in Australia in a decade.

Over three days, 28,000 motorcycle enthusiasts enjoyed everything the Show had to offer, including the latest motorcycles and scooters from leading manufacturers. The turnout was the largest for the motorcycle show since 2004.

A record 140 exhibitors showcased everything from motorcycles and scooters through to collectibles, as well as accessories, services and travel destinations.

Most manufacturers enveiled new models, and Indian made its official Australian debut at the show.

Paul Mathers, Event director said “We had to usher people out on Sunday Evening”. New exhibits and features were proving “Extremely popular with visitors and exhibitors alike”.

The inaugural Walk of Fame and historic bike collection was a point of difference for the 2013 show, the conversation pieces providing a great buzz for punters.

World-renowned motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman conducted a live tour on-site, making numerous appearances on stage and at exhibitor stands. ‘Lukey’ Luke wowed the Darling Harbour crowds with stunt shows, along with daredevil tricks from the Jack Field’s Hell Team inside the halls of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Next year’s Australian Motorcycle Expo will be held in Melbourne, 21-23 November. n

Cycle Torque/Hyosung giveaway

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Entries close noon January 6

Enter in the iPad edition or at www.cycletorque.com.au

Terms and conditions: Entrants must be over the age of 17 years. Entry is free. Only one entry per person per day is permitted. Entries open 9am September 23 2013. Entries close midday Monday, January 6 2014. Prize will be drawn 3pm Monday, January 6 2014 at Cycle Torque offices, Warners Bay, NSW. Entry is by online form located at www.cycletorque.com.au or via iPad/digital edition (eMag). Prize is not redeemable for cash. No employee or family members of an employee of Motorcycle Publishing Pty Ltd or associated companies are permitted to enter. The single (1) prize is a choice between either a GT250 Hyosung OR a GT250R Hyosung OR a GV250 Hyosung motorcycle valued at up to $4990. The prize is to be collected by the winner at their nearest Hyosung dealership, and includes vehicle registration and on-road costs (value variable dependent on the winner’s address, age, driving record and experience). The prize will be awarded to the first complete, legible, random serial number selected from all the serial numbers allocated to each online entry. The winner does not need to be present at the draw. The winner will be telephoned and emailed at the conclusion of the draw. Winner to be notified by telephone and email. Name to be published in February 2014 editions of Cycle Torque print and digital editions and online at www. cycletorque.com.au. The promoter is Motorcycle Publishing Pty Ltd. The name of the promotion is Win A 250cc Hyosung of Your Choice. NSW Permit Number LTPS/13/06788.

SMALL TORQUE CHANGES TO ASBK REGS

A RAFT of changes to the technical regulations for the Australian Superbike Championship has been confirmed by Motorcycling Australia.

The changes include the provision of a single superbike class for 2014 which will incorporate aspects of the previous Superstock 1000 class.

These changes will initially only apply to the ASBK with 2014 set to be a trial year. Potential developments in future years will depend on changes at international level to make superbike racing more cost effective.

In the ASBK superbike single class for 2014. The following items must remain as OEM manufactured equipment: camshafts, valve springs, valve retainers.

Race kit ECUs will remain but the standard ECU may be re-flashed. All other superbike regulations will remain as per 2013 Manual of Motorcycle Sport.

purpose built track giving kids a unique insight into the exciting world of motorcycling.

NOISEGUARD BACKS DEMMERY IN 2014

MELBOURNE-based company Noiseguard has thrown its support behind Brandon Demmery, 2013 Australian 250 Production Champion as he looks to back up his success in 2014.

Noisegard owner George Themistoklis is very pleased to support Demmery, who is seen as a rising talent in Australian Road Racing. The company’s manager Johnny Themistoklis sees strong determination and desire in Demmery and is “Looking forward to assisting Brandon to take the next step in what we are sure will be a stellar career”.

The 16-year-old from Wagga Wagga has had his ups and downs this year, from having a trailer full of gear stolen in Melbourne this April to gaining BAYLISS LAUNCHES MOTO EXPO racing an invitation to race the SIC support class of the THREE time Superbike World Champion, Troy Bayliss Malaysian MotoGP in October. is about to launch into a new era of motorcycle expos, one he hopes will take bike shows in a new direction The custom designed ear plugs will be used by Brandon when racing. The company also make custom from the past. moulded in-ear speakers for Apple and Logitech Moto Expo’s first event will be in Brisbane from products.

March 21-23 at Brisbane’s RNA Showground, and then Melbourne from November 28-30 at Melbourne Showgrounds.

ANGE HOUSE SITS FOR MICK ANGELINA Jolie is currently house sitting in Mick Already a number of bikes have been confirmed by major manufacturers to be seen for the very first time Doohan’s palatial residence on the Queensland Gold Coast as she directs her second film, Unbroken. Jolie in Australia during Moto Expo Brisbane.

The other big news for Brisbane is the announcement and her family minus husband Brad Pitt have been in Australia for several months, and were joined by of the inaugural Baylisstic Scramble Team Challenge her bike-loving husband on 8 December on a cruise to be held in the 20,000-seat RNA main arena on Saturday night. Five teams of four riders will compete around Sydney harbour. Pitt has been shooting a film in the UK, Fury. for points to determine the team’s champion. Four of the team’s captains have already been announced Jolie opted for Doohan’s 16-hectare property at Coomera due to its proximity to Moreton Island that including Jason Crump, Chris Vermeulan, Stephen will replicate Japan in the film, as well as the nearby Gall and host Troy Bayliss. General entry to the Expo Warner Bros. studio at Oxendon. also includes a seat at the Scramble and makes the Brisbane expo a true motorcycle spectacular.

Doohan’s house was built by his brother Scott and was completed in 2005. It features a helicopter hangar, 20-metre pool, tennis court, a theatre and an 800m JUNIORS TO CLIPSAL 500 go-kart track. Good friend Michael Schumacher has HONDA is bringing the hugely popular Junior GP raced around the track in the KTM450-powered karts, Challenge to the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in 2014. Aspiring as has brother Scott. motorcycle fans aged between six and ten years old will be offered the chance to throw a leg over Honda’s Just where Doohan and his family are currently residing is not known. In August, his property in the CRF50F and learn the basics of motorcycle riding.

Tallebudgera Valley south of the Gold Coast was Kids can simply visit the Honda Junior GP Challenge passed in at weekend auction. The 65 hectare spread area in the GoPro TrAction Zone during the Clipsal 500 with a two bedroom worker’s cottage was passed in to take part. Supplied with full safety gear, qualified on a vendor bid of $1 million. n instructors will instruct 20 minute try it sessions on a

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 18

RIC ANDREWS

MOTORCYCLES

TR I UMPH AND YA M AHA PR ICES

TOO HOT TO PRINT

CH ECK OUR W EBS ITE FO R R I D E AWAY PR I CES

CENTRAL COAST TYRE CENTRE LOYA LT Y PROG R A M M E . CH ECK O UR W E BS ITE FO R D E TA I LS

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SMALL TORQUE WORLD DUCATI WEEK 14

FROM July 18-20 next year thousands of Ducati lovers will descend upon Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy.

This will be the 8th running of the massive event, with over 65,000 lovers of the Bologna brand visiting this year’s World Ducati Week.

Fly in, ride in, bus in, or even walk in, this is a must do if you are a die hard Ducati fan.

More info can be found at www.ducati.com over the coming months.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 19

The Honda VIP Marquee will be fully catered with hot lunches, morning and afternoon tea, free non-alcoholic drinks are provided and a cash bar is available for alcoholic drinks.

Cost is $640 per person, and would make a great Christmas present. Find out more at www. cycletorque.com.au/more.

SOFALA GOLD

THE Historic NSW town of Sofala will again be the venue for the annual motorcycle show-nshine on Sunday February 23. The event is held as part of the Sofala and District A & H Show.

REPSOL CBR600RR Plenty of awards for most genres of bikes, British, NEXT month the limited edition Repsol CBR600RR will be on the floor in selected Honda Japanese, European, American and so on. In fact there are 12 categories. dealers.

Entry to the show is $10 for adults, cheaper for At $14,690 + ORC (RRP) it’s sure to blast out dealers’ doors. There will only be 30 available to students and pensioners.

Aussie buyers so be quick if you want one.

STAY UPRIGHT GOES BLUE SUPERBIKE DATES

DATES for the 2014 Australasian Superbike Championships have been released.

Kicking off with round one at Wakefield Park on March 14-16, the series will then continue with Mallala on May 16-18, Qld Raceway on June 2729, Winton August 1-3, Wakefield Park again on September 12-14, and finishing up at Sydney Motorsport Park on November 21-23.

BE A VIP

HONDA has VIP tickets now available for the WSBK round at Phillip Island on February 21-23.

With a three-day pass from Honda, guests will enjoy the fast-paced action of the World Superbike Championships in style and comfort.

Located on Gardner Straight, the Honda VIP Marquee offers sweeping views of the circuit, inside, outside and elevated seating as well as flat screen televisions inside the marquee and a direct view of the circuit super screens.

Exclusive paddock access is offered on Friday for autograph opportunities and guests are invited to a pit walk on Saturday.

YAMAHA and well known rider training company Stay Upright have joined forces, with Stay Upright adding YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 supersports bikes plus MT-03 street motards and Ténéré adventure bikes to its 200 strong fleet of motorcycles it uses to train 25,000 motorcyclists a year.

The MT-03 will be used to provide learner and provisional rider training, while the supersports models will be used in advanced riding courses and the 660 and 1200 Ténérés for Stay Upright’s adventure riding courses.

TASTY DUKES

A HOST of delectable road and racing Ducatis will be up for auction by Bonhams in Las Vegas on January 9, 2014.

Many of the machines are from the Silverman Racing Museum. Bikes like these do not come up for sale very often. How about a brand new 1978 900 NCR or a 1984 750 TT1 racer? Then there’s a 1974 Green Frame, and a 1973 750SS. Fantastic collectible motorcycles, if you have deep enough pockets that is. n

www.kawasaki.com.au

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 20

Troy Story Continues FIVE years ago, freshly-crowned Troy Bayliss rode his last-ever WSBK event at Portimao winning both races by over five seconds. Bayliss’ victories were normally knock-em-down, drag-em-out affairs, but there would be no fairing banging this time. Some champions leave racing injured or worse, others burned out and racked by regret and dreams unfulfilled. Bayliss’ last wins were so convincing, so dominant, there was a Zen-like quality as he circulated like clockwork around the undulating Portuguese layout. It was an incongruous end to a battle-scarred career as he left the world’s best WSBK riders in his wake, gathering his final thoughts as the laps counted down.

“When I crossed the line at Portimao, so many mixed emotions went through my mind on the slow-down lap, I can’t begin to tell you,” says Bayliss. ‘Relief’, ‘sadness’, ‘peace’, ‘pride’, ‘family’, ‘Kim’, ‘the kids’, ‘the team’, ‘joy’, ‘rivalry’, ‘work’, ‘normality’, ‘wealth’, ‘fear’, ‘fame’, ‘the fans’, ‘the media’, ‘trepidation’, ‘adulation’, ‘anonymity’, ‘missing body parts’, ‘expectation’, ‘void’, ‘testing’, ‘Australia’, ‘home’, ‘Europe’, ‘turning 40’, and ‘now what?’ may have been among them. Perhaps the biggest emotion, or greatest hurdle, was Bayliss’s near addiction to going fast and testing himself against the best riders in the world. Could he go cold turkey and become a sane middle-aged ex-world champ enjoying a tranquil retirement on the Gold Coast? The short answer is no. Even before Portimao, Bayliss was seriously reconsidering his decision to retire.

Following an exhaustive search lasting most of the season, perennial WSBK bridesmaid, Noriyuki Haga, was announced as Bayliss’s replacement.

However, the Haga signing may have never happened thanks to the neversay-die Bayliss and the idea of his beloved Ducati being occupied by another rider. Bayliss revealed he was prepared to contest the 2009 WSBK out of his native Australia, but the inevitability of retiring and going out on top eventually torpedoed the idea.

Bayliss said the lure of earning top dollar was another incentive to continue.

“Then I thought, ‘What am I thinking?’” he said later in 2009. “So now, I’m completely clear on exactly what we want to do. But deep down, I’m going to miss my bike.” True, but Bayliss was now part of Ducati’s official MotoGP and WSBK test rider team. He was able to “stick a needle in my arm,” as he has often

NEWS TORQUE said. The trouble was that Bayliss’s times at Mugello were so good that he was convinced he was still quick enough to compete in WSBK. And so the pang for the red mist continued right up to 2012 when he was angling for a ride with the struggling Effenbert Ducati outfit.

Sliding doors Bayliss spent 11 years in the UK and Monte Carlo, but it was never meant to be that long. Talk about sliding doors. As a Team Ansett Suzuki ASBK rider in 1997, Troy filled in on the Team Molenaar Suzuki RGV250 in that year’s Australian Grand Prix. After sitting on provisional pole in his 250 GP debut, Bayliss duelled with front-runners Ralf Waldmann and eventual winner Max Biaggi and led for a few laps before eventually finishing sixth after hitting the final straight in third for the team’s best result of the year. “After that I thought I might end up in grand prix. Barry Sheene and Bill Woods were giving me a big push.

People were interested but I had to come up with money, $400,000-$450,000, so it wasn’t going to happen. I was sitting twiddling my thumbs at home and Darrell Healey from the GSE team rung up and said, ‘What are you doing?’, and I said ‘nothin’. So he said ‘come over here’ and I said ‘No worries!’ Kim and I and the kids, we had to do something. We thought ‘God, we should give it a go.

Even if it’s a bad year, we can see a bit of England…’”

His first year in BSB on the GSE Ducati 996 was a struggle. Despite finishing a distant eighth overall thanks to six mechanicals, Bayliss’s go-for-broke style won him many admirers. In 1999, with the team gelling around him, Bayliss claimed the British Superbike Championship against a quality field including Steve Hislop, Niall Mackenzie, Chris Walker, team-mate Neil Hodgson, John Reynolds and James Haydon. One enduring image from that year was Bayliss kicking the crap out of the tail-section of Haydon’s GSX-R750 after the Brit highsided in front of the Aussie at Knockhill with the championship still in the balance.

From there, it was onto the AMA Superbike Championship with Vance & Hines Ducati, and a possible move to WSBK a few years after that. Bayliss shook the American race establishment to its core when he recorded the fastest time

at the annual Dunlop tyre test at Daytona in his first ever visit to the track.

After catching Mat Mladin and Nicky Hayden in the 200, Bayliss’s drive chain stretched and starting jumping sprockets, a nightmare in slow corners and on the banking. He lost the front-end doing what Troy does; never giving up.

Just as he was settling into life in America, the seemingly indestructible Carl Fogarty’s career was halted at Phillip Island and Bayliss was seconded to take his place almost immediately.

Contemplating where to live, Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi advised Bayliss to base himself and his family in Monte Carlo. It was a bit of an eye-opener for a “country bumpkin stepping around all the dog shit,” as Bayliss described his first days in town. He soon settled into the millionaires’ playground and the unfeasibly steep hinterland up which he would ride his racing bicycles. Since he was living in a French-speaking principality and riding for an Italian factory, the former spray-painter from Taree undertook to learn both languages. “The French are a bit funny,” Troy says. “They pick you up on everything so that makes [learning] a bit difficult, but you learn enough to get by.” Bayliss often gave press conferences to the Italian media throughout his WSBK career, impressing Anglo-speakers with his apparent command of the Latin tongue.

“Don’t let that fool you,” Bayliss warns. “My Italian is the same level as a threeyear-old. The best place for me to learn was sitting around the table at night with the guys from my team, not so much with them in the paddock. The Italians admire you for having a go at learning their language, and they will laugh and have a bit of fun with your mistakes, but they will help you for having a go. They’re a bit like Australians in that way.”

After winning the 2001 WSBK championship in his first full season, the plan was to go back-to-back in 2002 and head back to Australia with Kim and kids.

He didn’t regain the title and he didn’t return home either. Colin Edwards edged Bayliss out in that classic showdown at Imola, and Ducati courted him to join Loris Capirossi in Ducati’s inaugural MotoGP team for 2003. “When Ducati started talking to me with all that Marlboro money, I couldn’t say no.”

He finished third in only his third GP, banging fairings with Valentino Rossi, and ended 2003 as a genuine grand prix rider in sixth place, just two points behind fellow GP rookie Nicky Hayden. But 2004 and 2005 would prove difficult for Continued on next page

NEWS TORQUE

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Continued from previous page Troy and he returned to WSBK in 2006 in blazing form, winning his second title then claiming the last 990cc era MotoGP at Valencia, his one and only grand prix win.

Life on the Goldie The Bayliss clan has been living on the Gold Coast for five years now. They were attracted by its climate, hinterland and good schools. Eldest son Mitchell has followed in his dad’s footsteps and is doing an apprenticeship (“without the attitude” his dad says), while daughter Abbey is completing high school.

Youngest son Ollie raced go-karts for several years with dad playing crew chief, but earlier in 2013 he swapped four wheels for two and took up dirt-track racing. Asked if Mitchell ever raced, Troy says, “No, because we were living in Monte Carlo at the time, so he missed out on all that.” Taree born and raised, Troy now calls the Gold Coast home. Whether he considers himself a Maroon or a Blue, he hesitated, paused, seemed to consider his position and said “…a Blue”.

Bayliss has been involved in the Australian Motorcycle Expos firstly as an ambassador who took part in the 24 Le Minz Scooterthon, but more recently has taken on a more dedicated event management role “I’ve been working with Peto (Mark Petersen) bringing in some ideas and things I’ve seen in the big motorcycle expos in Europe to help bring our shows up to world standard,” says Bayliss. He’s also been promoting the Troy Bayliss Experience with Ducati, attended a number of World Ducati Week events and in 2010 he competed in the Old Bar Twilight meeting at his home track. It got him thinking about how he could help his old club, and he came up with the Troy Bayliss Classic pitting the legends of motorcycle racing against the best dirt-track hot shoes.

Despite rain seriously threatening the inaugural 2013 event, the meeting was a stunning success attracting around 5000 spectators.

This 2014 event will be loaded with even more stars and a more streamlined event schedule, and better entry and exit points into the venue. Bayliss said event promotion “evolved” rather than being workshopped for what he

wanted to do with himself. A very accomplished road cyclist, Bayliss dipped his toe into promoting a criterion event, the Troy Bayliss Invitational & Scenic Rim Gran Fondo, that while satisfying proved frustrating. “When you are planning road cycling events, you need to work with quite a number of organisations to make it happen – councils and the police to seek approval and their assistance as well as other organisations, sponsors and community groups, and those processes are very long. To be honest, organising the Troy Bayliss Classic with the Taree Motorcycle Club and the police and other groups has been much easier because the event is centred in a closed race venue, whereas a cycling event covers many kilometres on public roads. I think events like the TBC will be my focus in the future.”

The TBC can only get bigger, and the most obvious move is getting the event on TV. Asked what steps he had taken to make that happen, Troy declined to give details but did offer this. “What I will say is that I would love for it to be on TV. I would love for that to happen.”

– Darryl Flack

WHAT TROY BRINGS “Troy is honest and hardworking, the two most important things when it comes to business,” says Troy Bayliss Events manager and Motorcycle Expo chief Mark Petersen. “Troy's adapted perfectly to event management. His 150 percent attitude is no doubt similar to the determination that gave him so much success on the track. His knowledge of events after years of attending everything from local charity events to the world’s biggest motorcycle events, racing and non-racing, is second to none.

“He brings fresh ideas and for the Australian motorcycle industry, Troy brings an attitude of giving back. The Troy Bayliss Classic is a perfect example. It is grass roots racing being promoted to the world, and people are excited. You just need to look at the rider line-up to understand he is not only respected by race fans but also fellow riders from champions to world champions in all forms of motorcycling racing.

“Troy has the ability to bring people together on all levels, from other world-class athletes across many sports to help promote events, charities to encourage children onto motorcycles and into other sports.”

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 23

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EDITORIAL

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 24

Professionalism

I HAD an experience with a business the other day which left me more than pleasantly surprised. During the recent Sydney Motorcycle Show I had my car parked overnight in a parking station near the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre. Sometime Thursday night some bastard threw a piece of concrete through the window of my ute and rifled through the car, taking nothing.

Not that there was anything to take but the inconvenience of having an unlockable car far from home was a real pain.

Luckily I was able to store the car safely nearby until I could get the window replaced. A late night phone call to O’Briens Glass had me booked in for lunchtime the next day, and barely a 15 minute drive to their workshop. When I arrived at the allotted time I was greeted in a very friendly manner, and introduced to the technician who would be working on my car. He was also very friendly, and barely one hour later I was driving out of the workshop.

What struck me was the professionalism of the team there, and when I mentioned that to the workshop foreman he thanked me and simply said it’s the result of a lot of training by the company. Well done I thought.

But it had me thinking about some of the experiences I’ve had in the motorcycle industry in recent times. I’m not trying to pick on the motorcycle industry but it’s one I’m involved in, and one I have some degree of knowledge about.

You can tell a well run motorcycle shop as soon as you walk in because you are greeted in a friendly manner, and you are offered help in whatever it is you entered the shop for. If I walk into a bike shop and am ignored then I’m pissed off. And I’m sure the shop

owner would be well pissed off too, at his staff that is, unless he or she is as apathetic as their staff.

I’m not going to mention particular shops but there are a few I have reason to visit where I think the staff do not do their job properly. Recently I was in a store dropping off Cycle Torque magazines when I spoke to a salesperson I’ve never met before, and that was after I approached him. When we got onto the subject of Cycle Torque readers picking up the magazine, I was given the line: “they just come in and pick up the magazine and don’t buy anything”. When I mentioned that maybe moving the stand from the door to the counter might encourage Cycle Torque readers to look around when

they got their copy, and maybe, just maybe, give the sales staff the chance to engage or interact with them. “Oh, they are too hard to sell stuff to.”

I was astounded to say the least, and if it was my business I would be an unhappy bike shop owner.

This is not an uncommon problem, but when you do enter a shop which is obviously run in a professional manner it’s like a breath of fresh air. It should not come as a surprise either the well run shops had the most floor traffic when I was there.

It’s not rocket science either, you just need to lead by example and train your staff properly.

The next step is to supervise them well without micro managing them. This is something I learned in a previous working life. Good managers are like gold, all you need is the right attitude to be one. And the right attitude starts at the top of a motorcycle shop, with the owner.

It doesn’t matter if the shop is big or small, I’ve had good and bad experiences in both.

People like to bag the big shops, saying the ‘buying experience’ isn’t as personal but I would dispute that. It all depends on who is behind the counter, or the sales desk.

I’ll let shop owners in on another little secret I’ve worked out over the years: while your staff are looking over their shoulder waiting for the next kick up the backside they are highly unlikely to be enjoying their job. A happy worker is a good worker because they want to be there, and they value their job. It’s not hard to work out what an unhappy worker is thinking.

– Chris Pickett

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DIRTY TORQUE

CC YC YC L EL ET O TO RR QQ UU E ED JE A CN EM UA BR ER Y 2014 3 - 27

A huge 2014 ahead HERE we go again, the 2014 AMA Supercross Championship is kicking off right about now and before you can say ‘Husqvarna is back’, we will be into the opening rounds of the World Motocross Championship, the Australian Motocross Championship and the rest of the major national motocross championships across the world. Here is how it should all come together over the next 12 months.

The AMA Supercross Championship enjoys several months of uninterrupted attention at the beginning of every year and thanks to the series being run like a well-oiled machine, great TV coverage and sensational racing there is no better way to start the year for us moto fans.

Obviously most of the interest is showered on the 450 class and you can look no further than the rivalry between Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and James Stewart to get the blood bubbling. Right on their heels this year will be Justin Barcia and Chad Reed while class newcomers Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen have already proved they have genuine speed on the 450cc machines and will be contenders.

Even with Davi Milsaps and Trey Canard sustaining injuries during December there are still seven potential race winners at any of the 16 rounds while Andrew Short, Ivan Tedesco (Milsaps replacement), Jake Weimer, Matt Moss, Justin Brayton, Josh Grant, Mike Alessi, Malcolm Stewart, Jimmy Albertson, Josh Hill, Matt Goerke, Wil Hahn, Brock Tickle and Weston Pieck will all be vying to be the ‘best of the rest’. It is going to be very crowded at the pointy end of the field.

The East and West Coast 250 Supercross Championship classes are full of potential winners like Dean Wilson, Marvin Musquin, Zach Osborne, Justin Bogle and Zach Bell, Taylor Potter. And ex GP stars Dean Ferris and Valentin Teillet will be thrown to the wolves for their rookie supercross season.

When the Supercross Championship hosts its final round on the May 3 in Las Vegas we instantly start looking toward the AMA Motocross Championship which kicks off this year at the famously undulating Glen Helen facility on May 24 and all of the riders mentioned above will all be on the starting gate and ready to do battle over the 12 round series. Both classes will be intriguing.

Before that happens though the World Motocross Championships kicks off on the March 1 at Losail in Qatar for the

first of 18 rounds of the most gruelling travel schedule for any championship of any major sport on the planet.

The funny thing about the World Championships is that we kind of already know who is going to win the 2014 MXGP and MX2 championship with Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings absolute favourites to defend their respective titles if they can stay fit for the whole year. Hang on, they don’t even need to do that, both were injured in 2013 and still easily won a World title each.

Of course plenty of riders will be trying to stop Cairoli’s dominance of the MXGP (Formerly MX1) class while Herlings will have to contend with riders the calibre of Jordi Tixier, Jose Butron, Christophe Charlier and Glenn Coldenhoff if he wants to ‘three-peat’ the MX2 class championship.

Once the World Motocross Championships is two rounds old all eyes will turn to Broadford in Victoria for the opening round of the Australian MX Nationals and if the last two seasons are any indication, 2014 should throw us plenty of great racing.

The Open class will see some of the old heads like Billy Mackenzie, Jay Mamont and Cody Cooper having to take on Matt and Jake Moss, Ford Dale, Adam Monea, Kirk Gibbs, Jacob Wright and class newcomer Broc Winston on a 450 Husqvarna.

Based on his 2013 form you would be hard pressed to bet against Matt Moss to win the title again if he can stay fit and healthy but 10 rounds and the best part of five months is a long time to stay on the ball so it will be a survival of the fittest and most committed once again this year. Jake Moss, Kirk Gibbs, Broc Winston and Adam Monea are my pick to give Matt Moss a hard time during the year while Dale, Jay Marmont, Cooper and Mackenzie will need to lift their game substantially to win this title.

The 250 class will see a Serco Yamaha rider enter as the favourite with Luke Clout being the most promising talent to take over from where Luke Styke left off but I can see his team mate Jay Wilson learning a lot from this year’s Under 19 campaign to put himself right in the hunt alongside Ryan Marmont, Nick Sutherland, Kale Makeham, Kane Lamont, Wade Hunter, Dyland Long, Geran Stapleton, Daniel McCoy and Kade Mosig. Josh Cachia will be many people’s favourite for the championship but until he improves on his consistency he will struggle to be a true championship contender, like Matt Moss did this year, he could

prove me wrong.

Those are the main championships that we moto-heads here in Australia seem to follow but now Brett Metcalfe is racing the Canadian Motocross Championship we will keep an eye on what is going on there while the Italian, Dutch, German, Belgian and British Motocross Championships will all see some of the World Motocross Championship stars take on the local heroes to claim their home country titles.

Once all of the above is over our attention turns to the Motocross of Nations which this year will be held at Kegums in Latvia on the September 15 and I think 2014 is the year Australia can choose from world class riders like Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, Matt Moss, Todd Waters, Luke Styke and Dean Ferris to have a dead-set crack at winning the overall. Yep, I am serious.

With the MXoN out of the way the season is far from over with the Australian Supercross Championship kicking off and we can only hope that going into its third year the promoters will continue to improve on a package that has put up some great racing over the last two seasons but at the time of writing no dates or venues have been confirmed for 2014.

As we all start looking forward to the Christmas holidays our superstars are still busy with a series of one-off supercross events starting with the sensational Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas and the Bercy Supercross in France followed by a series of European Supercross events in Sheffield, Stuttgard, Geneva, Chemintz, Munich, Dortmund, Genova, Milan and Chenitz.

Wow, what a year! It is all ahead of us now so we can just sit back and enjoy the action. Bring it on!

– Darren Smart feedback@cycletorque.com.au

RACE TORQUE

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Singing From Freddie’s Hymn Sheet IT ALL came down to the number-one Honda rider versus the number-one Yamaha rider and defending world champion. To re-claim the title, the Yamaha rider had to win the final race of the year and the Honda rider finish third or worse. But if the Honda rider finished second or won, he would become the youngest ever winner of the premier class. The nail-biting decider was set-up because of a desperate last corner passing move by the young tyro that would prove crucial to the outcome of the championship.

In a case of extraordinary déjà vu, this precise scenario played out in both 1983 and 2013 championships, and both times the Honda rider would finish second behind the winning Yamaha rider to claim the title and so become the youngest ever 500/ MotoGP world champion. In 1983, it was Freddie Spencer defeating three-time world champion Kenny Roberts by two points to become the youngest-ever 500 champion at 21. In 2013, it was 20-year-old Marc Marquez over Jorge Lorenzo by four-points.

There are other similarities. As the hot favourite, Roberts planned to slow the pace for rookie team-mate Eddie Lawson to edge ahead of Spencer at the final round of Imola but Lawson was short of Freddie’s pace. Lorenzo needed nine-time world champion and team-mate Valentino Rossi to finish ahead of Marquez but despite the Italian superstar’s status as the Greatest Of All Time, that was unlikely given his moderate form in 2013.

That’s where the stories diverge. The only real reason Lorenzo was in with a shot was because of the controversial disqualification handed to Marquez at the chaotic Australian Grand Prix. Conversely, the battle between Roberts and Spencer was a fraught season-long affair, the pair splitting six wins, DNFs, pit-board stumbles and mechanical woes. Mounted on the nimble and lighter Honda NS500, Spencer hared away at the start of the season before Roberts hit back towards the end. The twists and turns in between were positively excruciating and made all the more profound because 1983 would be 31-year-old Roberts’ final season. After winning three-straight championships from 1978-1980, Roberts had generated a huge following in the UK and Europe, particularly in Italy. It was only fitting that King

Kenny went out as world champion at Imola.

Everyone wanted it, but just as fascinating was the incredible speed of young Frederick Burdette Spencer Jnr, who was in just his second full season in Europe.

Hailing from the unlikely grand prix crucible of Shreveport, Louisiana, Freddie was a devout Christian. Pleasant and articulate, Spencer was, however, hermetic and an unrevealing interview subject. On the flip side, Roberts was the highly-quotable, wise-cracking goof-off from Lodi, California. Kenny’s off-track shenanigans reportedly made Freddie blush. During 1983, Roberts often referred to Spencer as “that choirboy” to journalists. It was an epithet that he would probably regret.

Freddie dominated the season opener at Kyalami then led home a Honda 1-2-3 at Le Mans. Roberts carded a second then a fourth in France after being slowed by a broken expansion chamber. Spencer blitzed Monza and Roberts DNF after earlier running off the Parabolica and fighting his way back up to fourth before running out of fuel on the last lap. The Japanese mechanic responsible was sacked. KR bounced back at Hockenheim to score his first win of the season, but only after Spencer gave up a sizeable lead when he slowed to claim fourth because of a broken expansion chamber. He made up for it at Jarama with a narrow 0.55sec win over Roberts after saving an almost certain front-end lose with his knee. Roberts and Lawson made it a Yamaha 1-2 at the Salzburgring, taking advantage of the superior top-end of the V-four YZR500 at the fastest track of the year. Spencer DNF due to a broken main bearing, his 21-point cushion now down to six. Every nuance would prove critical. At Rijeka, Roberts’ slowstarting Yamaha took 20 seconds to bump start, but he fought back to fourth some 17 seconds behind Lawson with Spencer in the lead. That’s how they would finish, despite Roberts’ pit apparently signalling for Lawson to slow. The mix-up has never been fully explained, but Roberts was furious. “Those two points don’t mean much now,” he said. “But if I lose by two points, it’ll be a different story.”

Photos: Leo Vogelzang

Roberts cleaned up at Assen, and it was Honda’s turn to fumble team orders. Spencer’s team-mate Takazumi Katayama forged past the American into second and leapt away by six seconds but wasn’t asked to slow. By the time Roberts claimed Spa convincingly from Spencer, both riders had four wins each, a DNF, been slowed to finish fourth due to exhaust problems and been denied crucial points for lack of team orders. The record show Spencer finished 4.11 seconds behind Roberts at Silverstone, just nine hundredths ahead of Randy Mamola’s HB Suzuki on aggregate times. The race was run in two parts following the horrific double fatality that claimed the lives of Peter Huber and Norman Brown, and Spencer eked out just enough speed to claim a few extra points to be up 117-115 heading into Anderstorp.

Passing Fred on lap six, KR led for the final 24 laps but he made two crucial mistakes. He wheelied out of the second last corner and lost speed and left the door slightly ajar at the final 90-degree right. He hit the brakes later than ever but so did Spencer who ran into him, sending both riders into the dirt. Fred recovered and won by just 0.16sec. He apologised to KR on the podium.

“I underestimated him,” a rueful Roberts said. “It was so crazy.

We were both lucky we didn’t get hurt. If that’s how it’s gonna be, I’m glad I’m retiring.” The Choirboy was now a hit man. He gate-crashed Kenny’s farewell and stole a remarkable world title, Honda’s first-ever 500 crown. KR was so convinced that the V3 had such an advantage that he later built one himself, the Modenas. Its lack of success at Anderstorp proved that Freddie was a Soprano, not a soprano.

– Darryl Flack feedback@cycletorque.com.au

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CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 30

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GUNTRIP

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 31

Yesterday’s hero NOT long ago I heard myself saying I’d lived through one golden age of grand prix competition (1988-1994) and three silver ages (1965-7, 1978-87, and 2002 to date).

Each of those periods was dominated by riders with an abundance of natural talent – Mike Hailwood, Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, and now, it seems, the precocious Marc Marquez.

In their different ways each has been a wonder to behold (it might take my brain a while to get used to the angles of lean young Marquez is using), as have others, equally talented, who for different reasons didn’t quite make their mark at world championship level – Gregg Hansford is the classic example here.

But the riders who have really interested me over the years have been the blokes who have been a notch down from genius level in talent, yet could still make it to the top by combining riding ability with other key attributes – critical intelligence, for example, or class-leading determination.

There have been plenty of examples, but I’m thinking of one in particular, a Brit whose racing career began one morning in June 1956 when he eased his temperamental 350 single two-up across the Pennines to catch the Liverpool ferry, raced the same bike to third place in the Junior Clubman TT, rode back to Yorkshire and returned the bike and himself to their daily commuting duties.

By the following year he had acquired proper racing hardware – if antiquated – and by the year after that had taken the journey to the top step of the podium after winning the Junior Manx Grand Prix, embarking on his career-long association with AJS and Matchless machinery.

After a couple of seasons in British domestic racing he set his sights on the world championships, in particular the 500cc title. He knew, of course, that winning the championship was out of the question – deep in the period of MV Agusta’s more or less unchallenged

supremacy, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Mike Hailwood would win the 500 title, as Gary Hocking and John Surtees had done before him.

So if you were one of the legions riding British singles, the first and most important achievement was to make yours the first thumper home, and therefore give yourself a chance of taking the win should the MV suffer one of its rare failures.

Years later, he told Mike Nicks of Classic Racer exactly how he planned to be the first single home in the 1962 Senior TT. He started 20 seconds ahead of Hailwood’s MV and reasoned that if he could get as far as Ramsey, 40km out, before Hailwood got past, he could stay with him as far as the bends at Guthrie’s Memorial, then get a tow up the Mountain. Of course, the MV would get away sooner or later, but by then our man could have gained several seconds on his thumper-mounted rivals. Problem was he was a little too good for the task, lapping at 100.86mph from a standing start, so there was no sign of Hailwood at Ramsey, or Creg-ny-Baa, or Governor’s Bridge; in fact he didn’t hear the howl of the MV until he was rounding Quarter Bridge for the second time – and then hastily revised his plan, believing he could stay with the Italian four as far as Union Mills and then get a tow up the long rise to Glen Vine.

The plan came undone at Braddan Bridge, which he went into too hard and fell, but it made little difference to his year: he finished fourth at the Dutch TT while still sore from his IoM tumble, ran second to Hailwood at the Belgian, Ulster and East German grand prix, and then struck for a win at the Finnish GP after Hailwood fell in the 125 race.

The formula was the same for 1963, this time having to contend with Gilera’s 1957-spec bikes, ridden by Derek Minter, John Hartle and Phil Read, as well as Hailwood’s MV. The outcome was the same: second place in the championship, a Pommie fox in an Italian hen house, and another four shrewdly judged GP podiums.

Another insight into his methods: “On every bend at the TT I would look down at the rev counter and check the reading against what I had achieved on previous laps. If I could gain 50rpm by taking a slightly different line, that was great,” he told Mike Nicks.

The attitude, the vision, the results inevitably led to invitations from factory teams. MZ came knocking, and he gave Walter Kaaden’s water-cooled twin a win at the 1964 US GP; and then Honda called, asking him to go to Japan for tests with a view to spearheading the team’s assault on the world 250 title. He was astounded by Honda, and by the bike; he was not so impressed by the 350 four Honda had also asked him to ride, to investigate a nasty case of the wobbles. He awoke in hospital, two weeks later, with the news that he had a fractured skull.

The 350 had indeed wobbled and his career was over.

He died in 2007, aged 71, leaving an elusive legacy. His name was Alan Shepherd and if you can find a colour photograph of him on his trademark Matchless, you’ll have done better than I could. Sic transit Gloria mundi, as I believe they say.

– Bob Guntrip feedback@cycletorque.com.au

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 32

Test

CYCLE TORQUE

REVERSE ENGINEERING

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 33

Yamaha’s 250 motocrosser has finally followed up on the trail left by the reverse head YZ450F, and what a follow up!

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 34

Test

CYCLE TORQUE

N TEST BY TODD REED, PHOTOS BY FOUR OH FOUR N RIDING GEAR: TROY LEE DESIGNS HELMET AND APPAREL, ALPINESTARS BOOTS

YAMAHA has aimed to set a new benchmark for all 250cc four-stroke motocross bikes with its new YZ250F, which is essentially all new from the ground up. To stand out in the ever changing 250cc MX market the bike has to be real good. The 2014 YZ250F is real good.

What’s New Lots of manufacturers like to say their bike is all new but besides the obvious styling and reverse head, the 2014 machine really does look very different to the previous model. Yamaha’s vision was plain and simple, make the fastest and most reliable 250cc four-stroke motocrosser on the market. Beginning with a clean slate, the Yamaha engineers used a reverse cylinder engine design, very similar to what can be found on the successful YZ450F. Exactly why the 250 didn’t get the reverse head treatment at the same time as the 450 is Also new, is the ability to connect the GYTR Power Tuner. The power open to conjecture but our take is Yamaha wanted to see how the bike would tuner is a small electronic handheld device, which connects to the engine be accepted by buyers before going in boots and all with two models. management system. This allows the rider or mechanic to alter the fuel and ignition settings without the need of a computer or any advanced software.

This design allows for the Airbox and Keihin fuel injection system to be mounted at the front of the engine, allowing for a very straight intake tract, Using 10 different types of forged, cast, and extruded aluminium sections, and a massive boost in engine performance. The exhaust exits out the rear the new YZ250F chassis has quite a complicated design which aims to of the cylinder, before wrapping back around the front of the engine and provide the ultimate balance of strength and rigidity. A larger front axle has continuing out the rear in a more conventional style. A new DOHC 4-valve also been introduced to increase front end stability, and when coupled with head was developed to match the new engine, creating a more efficient the new chassis design the new generation YZ now handles better than ever. combustion cycle, which also adds more horsepower.

One of the few things that isn’t new and groundbreaking is the KYB

REVERSE ENGINEERING

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 35 suspension. The twin chamber speed sensitive spring forks are very similar to what we have seen on the previous model YZ250F and are some of the best front forks to roll off the production line. The rear shock is also quite similar, with an updated shock body that now positions the bladder and clicker adjuster on the left hand side of the bike instead of the right hand side. The internal valving spec has been updated in both the fork and shock to match the new chassis characteristics.

All new bodywork finishes off the YZ250F, which are not just for looks but also have some function. The new graphics are integrated into the airbox and radiator shrouds do a great job of scooping in that all important fresh air, whilst still looking very cool from the outside. The fuel tank is mounted further back which helps with Yamaha’s mass centralisation concept, neatly tucked away under the seat. A small piece of the seat unclips at the front of the bike to allow for easy re-fuelling.

EFI settings to conform to the strictest noise and environmental pollution policies of the modern motocross world, it claimed to have done this while still maintaining maximum engine response and horsepower. This is a line that some of the manufacturers pull, and as soon as you jump on the bike and wind up the power it feels like someone left a rag stuck up the exhaust pipe. Not so on the new Yamaha, all the development has paid off, so fair enough, the company reps deserve to be able to brag. The engine is very responsive and feels as good as any race-tuned rocketship. Early reports even have aftermarket exhaust companies struggling to outperform the standard system.

Once we got past the fun factor of having a blazing fast, small bore high revving engine, it was quickly apparent that all these claims about increased stability and turning weren’t just some fancy words thrown together for a new brochure. This was for real. Our test track proved to be quite the proving ground for the new YZ, with lots of ruts and bumps forming during the day of our test. Throughout the entire day, the YZ was always predictable and very On the track manageable through all the conditions that came our way. The front end was The bike certainly lives up to the hype from the moment you roll out onto very stable and we had quite a good feel through the front end. We slightly the track. The engine is sharp and responds quickly, whilst the chassis and stiffened up the front fork to hold it up better on some of the downhills and suspension give a very stable feel right from the get go. on harder landings, but it was only a few clicks that made the difference. The YZ turns very well and was it was a breeze to steer the small bore Yamaha in You still get that ‘Yamaha’ feel, but in an all new vibrant kind of way. The controls are all the same as in years gone by, and with a few personal touches and out of any ruts and berms we could find. The rear shock works very well and we never had to make any major adjustments. The back end tracks well like adjusting the handlebar and lever position we felt very comfortable in the cockpit. The Yamaha technicians set the sag (rear shock spring preload) at and stays planted to the ground for maximum traction when you need it.

102mm and we were away.

Once we warmed up a little bit and started pounding out a few laps, it became impossible not to notice how good the new engine is. It has a very broad spread of power from bottom to top, and with a flick of the clutch any old rider will be able to grab handfuls of power at almost any RPM. In particular the YZ feels very strong through the mid and when you start feeding it some higher revs it really shines. For us the standard gearing was a little bit off and we sometimes found a big gap in between second and third gear. Depending on the rider you could easily combat this by going up or down a tooth or two on the rear sprocket, just as Serco Yamaha’s factory supported 250 rider Luke Clout did on the day of our test.

Yamaha boasted it had spent a lot of time developing the exhaust and

Verdict

It has been a long time coming but the new generation YZ250F is finally here, and you can buy one for $10,999. We knew this was going to be a good bike, but after our first ride we came away even more impressed that we thought.

Yamaha has come up with a very complete package and the bike shines in almost every area possible. With great power and handling, the YZ is both comfortable and confidence inspiring. If anyone is in the market for a new 250cc four-stroke, it would be very hard to look past Yamaha’s latest offering.

If anyone from Yamaha is reading this, feel free to send a YZ250F to the Cycle Torque garage. n MORE

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F

Test

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video

http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=55e6RJ6gN6s

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CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 37

www.yamaha-motor.com.au

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S: 2014 YAMAHA YZ250F Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single Capacity: 250cc Transmission: 5-speed and chain drive Fuel Capacity: 7.5 litres Frame Type: Alloy twin spar Seat Height: 965mm Wet Weight: 105kg with full tank Front Suspension: Adjustable USD, 330mm travel Rear Suspension: Adjustable single shock, 315mm travel Brakes: Single disc front and rear Tyres: 80/100-21, 100/90-19 Price (RRP): $10,999 www.cycletorque.com.au/more

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F

The SE model is $100 extra.

Test

CYCLE TORQUE CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 38

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 39

http://www.aprilia.com.au

TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

CCYYCCLLEE TTO OR RQ QU UEE JJAAN NU UAAR RYY 2 20 01 14 4 -- 4 40 0

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SPOKED

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Adding a spoked wheel option to the Tiger Explorer adds a new dimension to the big bore adventure tourer

TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

N REPORT BY CHRIS PICKETT, PHOTOS BY JEFF CROW N RIDING GEAR: ZEUS HELMET, IXON GLOVES, TRIUMPH ADVENTURE SUIT AND TKD JEANS, FORMA BOOTS.

GET

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 42

SPOKED

SERIOUS adventure tourers will usually go for a wire option over cast alloy wheels every day of the week. The reason is the wire wheels are usually tougher, and manufacturers usually grace such models with larger diameter front wheels, thus giving said serious adventure riders more offroad oriented tyre options.

When first released you could only get the Explorer with cast wheels, 19 inch front and 17 inch rear wheels with 110 and 150 series tyres respectively. I rode that first release Explorer from Uluru to Adelaide over four days, down the Oodnadatta Track and loved the bike. There were a couple of dented rims from some big hits on the trip and I did wonder at the time if a wire wheel version would eventually come. That said, there were no deflated tyres from the dents, and for most adventure riders it’s part of the territory.

Desert to mountains While the first Explorer launch was about the desert, the spoked wheel version was all about the mountains, and the five day ride took us from Melbourne, through Dargo, Thredbo, Mansfield, and back. Some of the best adventure riding country you’ll get. Two days of mostly dirt and the rest mostly tar.

top three gear ratios seem close, so I often found myself in either 4th, 5th or 6th gear, without realising which one I was in. There were times I even used 6th gear on fire trails.

You can rev it hard if you like but there never seems any point, power is there all the time.

A neat thing about the engine design is the fact there are no external oil lines. Designers even put the oil and water pumps into one unit, which is housed in the sump. That’s The ride through the high country got me back into the groove with a bike I rate as one something you don’t see every day, and if you are sceptical about the long-term issues of the best I’ve ever ridden. I know that’s a big statement, but as a bike for Australian conditions I believe it is. There are other fantastic bikes on the market too, especially in the with this set up you’ll be pleased to know Triumph has had no warranty claims with the design. direct competition to the Explorer, and you need to be honest with yourself with regards to what you want out of the bike, and your ability, before making a choice.

Service intervals are car-like too, with oil change services required every 16000 kilometres, and valve clearances checked around double that. Now that is an unstressed engine, and it’s something you can feel when you ride it.

A mechanical revision

What really makes me love the Triumph so much is the flexible engine and the comfort.

The 1215cc three cylinder engine was purpose built for the Explorer, it’s got around 130ps and torque is ‘ample’. Very few engines I’ve ever sampled will let you ride at as ridiculously slow speeds in top gear as the Explorer can. Part of the reason, besides the torque, is the

Ride-by-wire technology is used, and this allows the use of traction control, which can be turned off. Levels one and two are available, with one being the most intrusive. ABS is standard too, and can be turned off as well. While on the subject of the dash, there’s loads of information available from the trip computers and the like, and just below it is an accessory power outlet, handy for the GPS unit. Cruise control is standard also, and works

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 43 much like a modern car system, easy to initiate and is cancelled by the usual touching of the brakes, clutch lever etc.

The shaft drive is perhaps the best I’ve ever sampled too, in smoothness terms. If you didn’t know

you’d think there was a chain driving the back wheel. The main reason is the design incorporates a metalastic shaft, which reduces vibes while still being strong, helped along by the torsional damper, which reduces loading in the transmission. Yes it sounds technical but it works in the real world.

accessory range doesn’t stop there though, you can buy lots of stuff, including a top box and an Arrow muffler which my test bike was fitted with. The Arrow does sound great and isn’t too loud. It’s fully legal and your ECU will adapt the fuelling to suit. The centrestand comes standard as well.

What’s not to like?

I’ve owned numerous adventure tourers over the years, and the big Explorer is burned into And for those out there who want to run everything off their Explorer, including a flat my subconscious as a bike I could have in my garage in a heartbeat, mainly because of screen tele, there is a massive 950w generator to run all things electrical. You’d be working the engine and the comfort level. I would use this bike for everything. There are a couple hard to overload that. of things I didn’t like, and it hasn’t changed from the first time I rode the model. Firstly the bike’s brain goes back to standard ABS and Traction Control settings every time you turn Ever since I first rode the Tiger 800 I have believed it’s the best seat I’ve ever sat on, and the bike off. In the dirt I preferred ABS on and TC off, as I found TC 1 far too intrusive, and the Explorer is no different. Yes, it will eventually be a pain in the backside but it just even TC2 a bit too intrusive for me. I know lots of adventure riders hate ABS in the dirt but takes longer to do so. There are two seat positions, 840-860mm but you can get a bigger the Explorer’s works well, so after an incident with a slippery corner, me daydreaming, range from accessory seats, 810-895mm. The standard screen is manually adjustable and and the ABS off I decided to leave it on for the duration. But the system requires you to go gives quite a varied range, and the handlebars are too. Besides the rolling forward of the through the settings to your preferred ones every time you restart the bike. On the road it ’bars you can also turn around the mounts which move the ’bars forward or rearwards.

Footpegs have removable rubber inserts, and the riding position as a whole is absolutely wasn’t an issue but in the dirt I needed to change it every time. There is an argument that spot on for me, at six foot. Sitting down or standing up, the transition is easy, and once on it’s a safety issue and I accept that but I found it a bit of a pain. the dirt I found no need to even think about ’bars risers, the bike just ‘worked’ for me in all The other thing I found is the rear brake is too touchy, especially with off-road boots on, planes of riding. which limit the ‘feel’ you have. Adjusting the rear pedal’s height and freeplay will help here, Kayaba suspension is fitted either end, with the 46mm forks having adjustment for preload only, while the rear shock has adjustment for preload and rebound damping. In most situations I found the suspension almost faultless. On rough tar roads it just seems to soak things up, and the rear shock preload can be wound off simply with the remote hand adjuster. One of the harder riding testers on the launch had more preload put into his forks but I left mine alone. If you hit a decent bump off road while under brakes the suspension would blow through the stroke quickly, pretty much bottoming out. This happened to me a couple of times if I got caught out but generally getting off the brakes before the ‘hit’ gave the forks, and me, an easier time. Depending on how serious an adventure rider you are, you could get the valving changed. My opinion is most Explorer riders will be well happy with the standard setup. Same goes for the shock, I had no issues with it whatsoever, and we took the bikes places most Explorer owners would not venture.

In the case of the Explorer it’s designed as an all roads adventure tourer rather than a big trail but you can take any adventure bike some pretty rough places – no, not a Kings Cross pub – depending on your ability. It’s got some pretty serious travel for a bike like this too.

190mm up front and 194mm at the rear.

Accessories Triumph has got a cracking deal at the moment, where for free, that’s right, free, you get panniers, bash plate, engine guards, tank protector, and headlight protector. The

so you don’t have to be as mindful of the pressure you are applying.

Verdict I had so much fun on this bike, and as I’ve spent nearly two weeks riding this bike on two launches I feel I have a good knowledge of how capable it is.

I like the idea of the wire wheels, especially the design, which has the spokes nearly vertical, as you’ll see from the pictures, making them look trick but more importantly making them bloody strong. During the launch I never saw or heard of one dent. The design is for tubeless tyres too, and the fact the sizes are the same 19/17 inch as the cast alloys allows you to go with either decent road tyres or more aggressive ones. Sure you won’t be fitting knobbies but you’ll still have good choices. My bike was fitted with Metzeler Karoo 3 which I found to be good all rounders. Grip on the road is good unless you are going mental, and they are good in the dirt as well, unless you are going mental.

They should last around 3-4,000 kilometres but you can wear them out much quicker if you are an aggressive rider.

I would buy the wire wheel version over the cast alloy model, because I would want to use the bike off road as much as possible, plus they look great. The cast alloy model costs $20,490, while the spoked wheel model costs $20,990.

Man alive that’s a lot of bike for the money. n

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TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER

Launch

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 44

CYCLE TORQUE

WATCH VIDEO NOW

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S: Triumph Tiger Explorer Spoke Wheel Engine Type: Liquid-cooled inline triple Capacity: 1215cc Transmission: 6-speed and chain drive Fuel Capacity: 20 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel trellis Seat Height: 840-860mm Wet Weight: 258kg with full tank Front Suspension: Kayaba 46mm adjustable USD Rear Suspension: Kayaba adjustable single shock Brakes: Twin Nissin 4-piston calipers on front, single Nissin caliper rear.

Tyres: 110/80-19, 150/70-17 Price (RRP): $20,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

1800 24 34 64 WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 45

www.cycletorque.com.au/more www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Super smooth shaft drive.

Crash bars and bash plate are part of a free Aussie Explorer upgrade.

Wire wheels allow tubeless tyres, and Arrow accessory muffler is street legal.

TRIUMPH TIGER CYCLE TORQUE Launch EXPLORER

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 46

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 47

YAMAHA MT-09

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

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Not everyone wants a Starship Enterprise type of motorcycle and Yamaha has noticed.

YAMAHA MT-09

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 50

N REPORT BY CHRIS PICKETT, PHOTOS BY YAMAHA N RIDING GEAR: BELL HELMET, IXON GLOVES, RST LEATHERS, ALPINESTARS BOOTS.

AFTER riding Yamaha’s MT-09 recently I can’t help thinking the naked bike is really making a comeback. Yamaha has a great history with naked bikes, and the MT-09 is something I could live with long term. Not only does it go well, it handles well without being too harsh, and as an all-round bike is very good.

A future from the past The two stand-outs on the MT-09 are the styling and the 850cc inline three-cylinder engine. History buffs would know this isn’t the first time Yamaha has produced such a machine. In the ’70s the three cylinder XS750 was released to much fanfare but missed the mark sales wise despite being widely regarded at the time as a very capable machine. It’s hard to know whether the MT-09 will have a similar sales fate to the XS750 but it deserves to sell well because it really is a nice motorcycle. People who buy bikes purely on their real world performance will line up for the MT-09, especially at only $10,999. Looks wise the bike won’t suit everyone, and this is a bike, which really does suit some colours more than others. Those with a penchant for street motard/post apocalyptic styling will love it. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the styling, but as we know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

In the showroom The heart of the matter is a torquey 850cc engine, which is an absolute delight to use. It has all the bells and whistles you expect in a modern fuel injected engine, and is designed for usable performance. Yamaha’s press blurb says it uses ‘crossplane philosophy’ but it sounds nothing like the crossplane crank equipped Yamaha R1. It does have loads of bottom end stonk, and even with standard road gearing likes to climb over its rear sprocket when you are twisting the throttle in anger. You can lug it in a taller gear if you like and it’s happy doing that but the engine is also happy being thrashed. It doesn’t rev into the stratosphere, that’s not what this engine is about but it does not mind being ridden hard.

The MT-09 makes around 115 PS at 10,000 rpm, giving a good indication of how ‘friendly’ the engine is.

Three power levels are available (Yamaha D-Mode) – Standard and A and B modes. I preferred A mode which coincidentally is the most powerful. The main reason was in A mode the throttle seemed smoother to use. Having the extra bottom end poke was fun though. B mode has the lowest power output and is for rainy days and the like, having a softer bottom end but still retaining full power top end.

An alloy twin spar chassis houses the compact engine, using it as a stressed member. Suspension is fairly basic in the sense there’s minimal adjustment – rebound damping at both ends, preload too – but with the very reasonable price of the bike this is to be expected.

According to the specs sheet the bike is actually lighter than an R6, at 188kg with the 14 litre tank full of fuel, with the tank running dry around the 200 kilometre mark. Seat height is 815mm and as a whole the bike does feel compact, but at six foot I had plenty of room to move around. I think the size of the bike and its seat height will suit lots of different sized riders.

limits of the bike without things turning pear shaped quicker than you realise.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 51

It’s got a very nice spread of power too. Out of tighter turns the bike was just as you would expect from a street motard style of bike. It just loved to wheelstand in first and second gear in A mode, and was quite controllable doing so. Revving out to its red line there were no flat spots and acceleration was strong without making you go ‘wow’! That’s in line with the bike’s design ethos, to have strong bottom Easy rider end and mid range power. As said earlier you could As soon as I jumped on the MT-09 I thought this is a also be very lazy with the MT-09, lugging it out of bike I could do lots of kilometres on. Sure it doesn’t tight turns in a high gear with the only complaint have a small fairing or screen standard (Yamaha does being a slight ‘rumble’ from the low-slung exhaust. an accessory screen) but it’s very comfortable with regards to the handlebar/seat/foot pegs relationship.

On our test circuit the bike felt sure-footed and nimble. Being ‘only’ a three-cylinder the bike feels like you can lean it over forever, until the footpegs touch down at any rate. The other limiting factor to how fast you can ride this bike is the suspension.

Not being designed for track work you can relatively easily get to the suspension’s limit, but having said that you will still be travelling at a fair clip. You will find the forks starting to complain first and it’s this which brings you back to reality rather than the shock or the brakes letting you know they are not happy. On the four-piston brakes, I found them to be very good, with enough power and a nice feel for the job at hand. These brakes are not top spec sports type units but are more than up to the task of controlling the MT-09.

From what I’ve just written you might think I don’t like the suspension but that’s not the case at all.

First and foremost this bike is a road bike, not a track focused machine, and as such Yamaha has got the suspension spot on for the bike’s intended role. There feels to be just the right compromise, letting you explore the bike’s capabilities without smashing you on rougher roads. There’s plenty of feedback from the suspension too, so you are aware you are finding the

Overall

Plenty of manufacturers are going back to ‘grass roots’ type of bikes. There will always be a market for extreme performance motorcycles but more and more riders are looking for motorcycles which are good everyday performers.

In this regard the MT-09 should be right in the sights of those riders. It has a great spread of usable power and a suspension package, which is just right for our roads. Goldilocks must have been head designer on this one.

In recent years the 750-900cc market has been all but forgotten but it’s making a comeback, and with bikes like the MT-09 the market sector is looking pretty good.

One of my favourite bikes ever is Yamaha’s MT-01 but it just was never a big seller. Maybe the price had something to do with that, but most riders would have to see the MT-09 as a bargain, especially after riding one. n

YAMAHA MT-09

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 52

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 53

Watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcj5b7pfdyc

www.cycletorque.com.au/more www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Yamaha triples are back!

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S: YAMAHA MT-09 Engine Type: Liquid-cooled inline triple Capacity: 847cc Transmission: 6-speed and chain drive Fuel Capacity: 14 litres Frame Type: Alloy twin spar Seat Height: 815mm Wet Weight: 188kg with full tank Front Suspension: Adjustable USD Rear Suspension: Adjustable single shock Brakes: Twin 4-piston calipers on front, single caliper rear.

Tyres: 120/70-17, 180/55-17 Price (RRP): $10,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

Alloy-twin spar chassis.

1800 24 34 64 WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muVumsxMbZs

YAMAHA CYCLE TORQUE MT-09 Launch

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CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 55

APRILIA SRV850

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 56

Test

CYCLE TORQUE

Super Scooter

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 57

Super scooter re-writes the rules

APRILIA SRV850

Test

CYCLE TORQUE

Super Scooter

N TEST BY ‘AUNTY’ MAL CHERLIN, PHOTOS BY CHRIS PICKETT

N NOLAN ‘TRILOGY’ HELMET, MATADOR EQUIPMENT JACKET, GLOVES BY FIVE GLOVES, BULL-IT JEANS, FALCO ‘BIKER’ BOOTS.

THE Aprilia SRV850 sat waiting in the Cycle Torque shed. As the garage door opened I thought I saw an RSV4, then realised the long, sleek ‘bike’, was, in fact a scooter? And what an amazing device it is. The RSV4inspired fairing, with triploid headlight, the rangey wheelbase and sticky Pirellis, all pointed at performance.

Then there is the 850cc mill. How could such a beast be called a ‘scooter’? An earlier incarnation from the Piaggio Group lacked the electronic enhancement package, and also the spiritual high performance link to Aprilia.

As well as a stonking engine this unit boasts ABS brakes and dual mode traction control, switchable on the fly.

The future is now

hails from the discontinued Aprilia Mana 850 motorcycle. Our test machine had standard pipes, but there is a performance option consisting of a delicious titanium bodied, carbon fibre-tipped Arrow muffler that I would have to go for.

Scooters often have parking brakes, and this one is no exception. Useful when used in circumstances where the nose is downhill.

You can’t select first and leave her there, just use the parking brake. Simple. The transmission is a CVT item with torque server, with the engine and transmission rotating in the opposite direction to the wheels, somewhat counteracting the net gyroscopic forces in order to benefit change of direction manoeuvres.

Certainly the rangey wheelbase imparts wonderful high speed stability, complimented Here was a platform that dripped performance by nippy handling at the helm. Impressive. and technology, and provided both in a The tank holds a useful 18.5 litres, giving our package that was at once versatile and user not quite semi-step through machine a range friendly. At 250kg dry, it’s no lightweight of 250/300k. Touring and sportsriding can be however the mass is low as is the 780mm seat accomplished here, no problem. There is an height. The ‘bars, sporty but wide enough accessory top box, and the pillion comfort is to make low speed handling a breeze, never very good. ‘Super-Pillion’ exclaimed: “This is once feeling ponderous. The 90-degree V-Twin more comfortable than anything we’ve got!”.

850cc engine makes the best part of 80hp, and High praise indeed. The rear suspension is

adjustable for preload and rebound damping, however I didn’t need to go in search of a good compromise. As delivered, the SRV was nigh on perfect solo or two-up. It was an engine young in miles, however two-up, in ‘standard’ mode it pulled like the proverbial train all the way to 190km/h and was still piling on the coals with authority. I have no doubt whatsoever it will see off 200+ given the right ‘closed road, demonstration purposes only’, conditions prevailing, of course! Acceleration is wonderful, very few will ask for or need more performance.

The brake package consists of dual 300mm semifloating Brembos up front and a single unit at the rear, all with ABS, and combined with the Pirelli Corsa tyres and dual mode traction control, wet or dry, solo or pillion mounted, I couldn’t fault the set up. Certainly, as is usual these days, I couldn’t outrun or faze the ABS. I may have fazed myself however trying to do so! The SRV has a great braking package.

It has, dare I say it, ‘heavy duty street cred’, from the pilot seat anyway. A scooter that looks a bit like a superbike, and certainly outperforms all other The SRV850 is a highly developed sophisticated scooters, and I wonder how many motorcycles? It item, the water cooled engine mounted with, is possible to be impressed by a scooter – ride an (forgive the old Norton term) ‘Isolastic’ mounts. The SRV850 and you’ll see what I mean. It combines V-twin rumble is there but the harshness is not, technology, quality finish, high performance and plush rather than raunchy. (Would love to try that user friendliness. Most importantly it’s fun and it Ti’ muffler though). would be a mistake to get caught up in the ‘neither Many scooters run an enclosed belt final drive, fish nor fowl’ debate. I wonder, as time goes by if however in this instance we see a beautiful the ‘line’ between bikes and scooters will continue alloy rear swingarm and conventional chain and to blur? sprocket. Another pointer to the fact we are really I must admit I was well impressed in all aspects looking at a scooter for motorcycle riders. although I feel the sidestand could be a touch The SRV850 is the most powerful scooter in the longer. It’s a personal preference, as the current world, it carries design references from the RSV4 one is serviceable but leans the super scoot a little superbike, at the front, with the triploid headlight further than I feel is needed, meaning a ‘little’ more and the Dorsoduro, at the rear with the LED rear heft is required to right the beast. This may not signalling array. apply to younger and stronger riders of course.

‘Aunty’s opinion’ The SRV 850 deserves to succeed, whether or not it will in this country remains to be seen. At $15,990 it’s not a cheapie by any means, however, performance, quality and a unique platform to access awesome fun, seldom is. It is the heavy hitting class leader in all respects. If you love technology, can think outside the square, and have an open mind when it comes to your riding this just could be the ultimate (sporting) compromise.

To label it ‘just a scooter’ is to entirely miss the point. Just remember, when you nail it, prepare your pillion, and hang on tight ‘coz you’re riding a Super Scooter. n

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APRILIA SRV850

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Think all bikes in Vietnam are scooters? Well, you’d be wrong.

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THERE are few places in the world where the motorbike has thrived as much as it has in Vietnam. Sure motorbikes are popular the globe over, but in Vietnam, the two wheeler forged a rural revolution, gave the masses a cheap people carrier and wove its way deep into the very fabric of society and culture.

And yet there is more to the motorbike’s story in this ever-changing land, that once, not so long ago, was closed off to most of the world. Sit on any street corner in Hanoi, Saigon or Danang and I guarantee you will see classic bikes go zooming by in staggering proportions – Honda 67s, CD Benlys, Lambrettas, Vespas, a Minsk here and there, a Ural, Mobylettes, Cubs. Vintage bikes are quite abundant.

Each motorbike has its owns story, each its own reason why it came to Vietnam, how it survived through the various wars and the economic disasters that followed, and why each remains to be loved.

Most famous and enduring out of all the motorbikes would be the Vespa, and to a lesser extent, the Lambretta. Much like the need for a cheap people carrier in Italy, Vietnam also embraced the scooter revolution. By the mid ’50s, nationals as well as French servicemen stationed here were importing Vespas into Southern Vietnam. Saigon was an affluent city and these bikes, like other beautifully designed bikes (think 67s and Mobylettes) were a dichotomy for consumers at first. The bikes were both a prized possession and had to be ‘used.’ What transpired was a sizeable split in the population – one keeping the bike and all its parts in pristine condition, the other, quite literally driving the bikes into the ground.

As motorbikes and scooters began to flourish, Vietnam’s well-documented wars occurred, and the country closed. Inside Vietnam there were no mechanics, no spare parts and no gasoline. Bikes were put away or left outside to rust and rot. The guys who loved their two-wheelers continued to keep their bikes pristine if they could, some even disassembled their bikes and wrapped each part in plastic to protect the ‘entire’ bike from the elements. It was a hard time, for sure.

From the ashes Yet as one motorbike storyline was placed on pause, another was created, built from the country’s hardship. As Vietnam forged ties with other communist countries, its citizens began to go to East Germany and the USSR for school and work. These people were able to buy goods unavailable or inaccessible to the everyday Vietnamese, motorbikes included. Thus, bikes like Urals, Minsks and Simpsons began to enter Vietnam with those returning or sending them to family as gifts.

One man who had a firsthand experience of the country’s post-war turmoil was Mr. Vinh, owner of Classic Moto Café and the founder of the country’s Harley-Davidson Club. From an early age Vinh showed an aptitude to understand and fix anything mechanical. He

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CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 67 Memories of youth The Mobylette too has a fascinating story behind it. During the time Vietnam’s borders were mostly closed, one young man, Mr. Cuong, decided one summer’s day in 1977 to bring down his father’s two Mobylettes that were simply hanging on the walls of the family house. The French introduced the Mobylette into South Vietnam, and it was, at the time, the luxury scooter to have. Only those with money could afford them. They all but disappeared after the war.

Cuong had fond memories of the scooter, for his father used to drive him around town on one. He became dead-set on learning how to repair both bikes and get them running again. Much like Mr. Vinh, Cuong found it easy to understand how they worked and restored both. Cuong believed that given enough time, the Mobylette would make a comeback and become popular once again. As a hobby, he began to fix his friends scooters, and would venture out into the countryside seeking out parts and buying up broken bikes. never had a chance to go to school and thus taught himself everything he knows.

After the Vietnam War ended, Vinh, who had started a business fixing sewing machines (a hugely important commodity to any family who owned one) would drive between Saigon and Hanoi selling his services. Surprisingly, he was so talented that he quickly made a fortune, and it was at this time, as Northern service men began to drift back to Hanoi from Saigon, that Vinh started buying scooters.

He was able to understand the mechanics of the bikes and started modifying them to be either more reliable, or as it is with most youth’s wishes, he made them faster. He changed 50cc bikes into 65 and 70cc ones, using essentially the most rudimentary of tools. They were immediate hits – everyone wanted one. He relates one story, “There was one time when I was driving back to my parents’ house outside Hanoi and I had someone stop me halfway there and ask to buy my bike. I stood to make a good profit, so I did and took a bus back home. I grabbed another modified bike and again, about halfway to my parents’ house someone offered to buy the bike from me. I sold this one as well and went home to get a third bike. Again, I left home and someone stopped me and asked to buy this bike too. Needless to say I was very late arriving at my parents house, but I made a lot of money that day.”

Vinh now owns over 200 classic bikes and each one has a story behind it. He collects anything that he considers has a good design or is rare. He states that there is no single bike or model that is his favourite, for each one has its own memory or moment. He simply likes all of them. When pushed to name his first love, Vinh jokingly says “my wife,” until he opens up about his Mobylette AV 89, which he still owns and has restored to perfection. “The only people who had these were the Vietnamese who came back from New Caledonia. The design is incredible - only 50cc, but it can reach up to 70km/h. The fastest bike we had here at the time was 70cc – but this bike overtook them on the highway. It’s fast, rare and looks stunning.”

When asked what it is about the Mobylette in particular that fuels consumer appeal, Cuong answers, “they are unique, very few have them and they are antiques. Funnily enough they are even reliable antiques! In Vietnam, owning one is a way to be an individual - to be seen.” Fast forward 22 years and Cuong’s predictions have come true, especially in the North. Every fashionable and trendy youth in Hanoi clamors to own a Mobylette. They are popular in Saigon as well, and their re-emergence all stems from Cuong’s one simple action to fix his father’s bikes. His hobby turned full-time career, Cuong’s motorbike repair shop is busier than ever. “I am proud of what I have done.”

Cuong says, “I knew it would happen, but did not know how long it would take. I kept all these original parts for many years, but it was like I could see the future. I’m glad it finally has come true.”

Minsk mayhem By the late ’80s and early ’90s, Vietnam had started to change. In the cities, people owned scooters, mostly Simpsons, and if you ventured out into the countryside, the mighty Minsk ruled the landscape. The Minsk to this day remains popular with the scrappy backpacker crowd, especially those who venture into the northern mountains. But there was a time when it was the only bike you’d see along the barren rocky and dangerous roads outside Hanoi. But the punk rock romanticism that is associated with this practically indestructible bike might never have happened if it was not for an unlikely trio.

Markus Madeja and Digby Greenhalgh met at their unreliable Minsk mechanic one day in 1995 by circumstance. They got to talking, became friends and started to go into, the then undiscovered, land. There were no maps of the country, new roads were being built everywhere and they along with a few like-minded adventurers would just

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go out exploring. By 1998, both realised they were onto something, as Markus puts it, “We were experiencing a real authentic Vietnam, one that encapsulated the times.

The bad roads, the unknown of where we were to eat or sleep, never knowing if you were going to get busted by some badass border cops and the immensely sublime scenery. From our trips a few hours out of Hanoi, the Minsk club was born. Our motto was ‘in the pursuit of happiness and adventure.’”

Finding a good mechanic to help fix their Minsks and get parts was a pain, until they were told about a famous Minsk mechanic named Cuong. He was, apparently, the “Minsk Messiah”, and Markus and Digby went in search of him outside Hanoi. What they found was indeed just that. “He just knew the bikes - he had the feel. We used the club to promote Cuong’s skills,” Markus recalls. The three partnered up and the Minsk club thrived. By the mid ’90s however, Vietnam opened its doors to trade, and a flood of Honda Wins, Dreams and Cubs pushed the Minsk out of the picture.

Yet what is the Minsk’s persistent quality, one might ask? Digby speaks of his experience, saying, “You always want to be on a bike that can be easily fixed when you are driving on hairy roads. New bikes are designed to be difficult to repair. I enjoy the satisfaction of fixing a Minsk – and they always happen to break down in beautiful places.” Digby has a thousand stories about the bike’s durability. Two such ones he relates, “Once a frame cracked on me and the whole bike bent. I was in the middle of nowhere, all alone and in trouble. I ended up using my spare clutch cables to tie the frame back together and was able to ride the bike to a place where there was at least traffic and waited all day for a cop to pass to help me. There was anther time we had customers who stopped to go to the bathroom and a mining truck came by and literally ran over the bike. Turned it into a pancake. Yet we were able to beat it back into some sort of semblance and actually drove back into the nearest town.”

Truly the Minsk is the AK-47 of all two-wheelers (both are made in the same factory).

Past becomes present In recent years, Vietnamese society has taken on what is best described as a nostalgic mood. Starting in 1995, the country has undergone massive change. With all the clogged motorways, pollution and noise, it’s little wonder some people like to look back to simpler times. Patrick Joynt from Saigon Scooter Centre is the founder of the city’s Lambretta club says, “In the last 6-7 years, the scooter scene has really revived, maybe for the first time since the ’60s. And I think that over the last 10 years 90 per cent of the bikes have either left the country or moved up to Hanoi.” He continues, “A recent event in the beach resort city of Nha Trang had 500 scooters on display. It was the first time I’ve seen something so well organised, sponsored and attended.”

As Vietnamese look to their past, it’s increasingly evident that it is the motorbike, in its

many shapes, sizes, models and makes that tie this nation together. Bikes, in some form or another have helped mould today’s ever-modern society. The motorbike has influenced Vietnam’s very culture. Although rarely talked about, some families own a lucky bike – a bike that when it was bought, maybe something lucky happened that day and the owner believed the bike to be the harbinger of the positive karma.

That bike sits somewhere in the house or place of business. It may look old and worn down. It may be covered in dust and rust, but no matter what, not even for a million dollars, will the family sell it. The belief goes that deeply and that strongly.

There is a sense amongst many collectors here that Vietnam’s motorbike history should be preserved. At Hung Cuong restaurant, the owner Mr. Tuan, is doing just this. All over his property there stand 100s of bikes in mint condition. Each is organised by make and model. He even has a glassed-in room with the most rare and most pristine of his collection. Why has he gone through this effort, you ask? “These bikes are a part of my country,” Tuan states. “And as such, I want my fellow Vietnamese to learn about each bike’s importance in shaping our nation. This restaurant is going to have a museum attached to it, with proper signage detailing the history of each model in Vietnam. This is our past and we should never forget it.”

So unlike almost every other country in the world, where people only wish to buy the newest and shiniest bike that rolls off the assembly line, the future of all vintage bikes in Vietnam is a bright one. They will remain relevant and sought after for years to come, which, considering the country’s recent past, is just how it should be.

– Dave Lemke Dave Lemke is a freelance photographer/journalist who lives in Vietnam.

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celebrating the custom motorcycle lifestyle and classic moto brands.

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Cycle Torque Feature C Y C L E TBuilder: O R QRyan U E Mischkulnig JANUARY 2014 - 76 Occupation: SUUS – Furniture/Pushbike/Misc Reimaginer Bike: BSA Bantam Plunger / 84 Yamaha XT 250 Build Time: 3 Months

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Ryan bought the Bantam frame at a swap meet in 2010 for $20. It had no parts aside from bent forks and a steel bar welded across it for foot pegs. Ryan went looking for more parts and found a dented Bantam tank as well as forks, front wheel and a few bits and pieces at a swap meet in Bendigo. Three years later He found a 1982 XT Yamaha and proceeded to morph the two into his creation on show. The seat was custom made from a dragster bicycle seat and the cover was hand stitched from a second hand leather jacket. According to Ryan the whole bike was fabricated, painted and assembled in the backyard with basic tools and rattle can paint. n

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WHILE Gai was pissing it up in Flemington because a horse race stopped most of the nation, on the other side of town, a handful of bike enthusiasts were brown-bagging it together. Hairy tattooed bikers were trying to break the mould of being… hairy tattooed bikers. It was the second Oil Stained Brain art exhibition (OSB) at the Kustom Kommune in Collingwood. They ran it last year over in Lonsdale Street and must not have gone broke, moving into the new digs meant the exhibition could be bigger this time around.

The OSB and Kustom Kommune are the Frankenstein brainchildren of writer ‘Richie’ Baldwin and marketing guy Jimmy Goode. They reckon the idea came one day when they went into the street to look at each other’s bikes and thought they have to show the amazing two-wheeled creations nobody gets to see. The OSB exhibition featured 30 bikes, hand picked by the guys’ large network of bike builders who wanted their bikes on display.

The Kustom Kommune is a community project for people who want to share the café moto culture, mainly inner city Melbournites who don’t have a garage, kitchen or tools. They can work on their barnyard finds, listen, learn, drink beers, work on their beard and come home dirty — all at their own leisure. This is where people get together and help each other to make their rust-buckets shine.

N STORY BY KEVIN EELES N PHOTOS KEVIN EELES AND STEVE TOWNSEND

In a 24 hour build, Mark Hawwa transformed an ’02 CB250 into dragbike: ‘The Nutbuster’. He spent $350, did a few laps around the block on council clean-up day, ate lots of pizza and voila! The front cowl is actually an old bread bowl, a non-functioning turbo replaces the air filter and the seat is a beer drip-tray. Riding it would be guilt free

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gushing. Mark will thrive after an apocalypse or zombie takeover. Hell, he probably even dreams of the day.

If Australia Post decides to update its image, management should get Jim Clark from Champion Motorcycles to do the dirty work. He works out of the beer garden of the Yarra Hotel humpty-dumptying ex-postie bikes.

Unlike all the king’s horsemen, Clark can pull them to bits and put them back together. He re-builds engines, chops fenders and adds leather, rubber and a lick of paint to create a unique spin on the usually highly functional CT110. Jim’s white Postie is named ‘The Tomboy’ and has been purpose-built for a switched-on girl who will use it as her flagship in a mobile hairdressing business. Buzz cuts all round.

There are no awards at OSB, which means there’s no ego or wankers. The builders are just as enthusiastic as someone who has just bought their first bike off eBay. The building methods are often rudimentary with raw welds, surface rust, cable ties and hand-painted parts all serving a purpose on the build and add to the bike’s story. Chrome was all but obsolete. What those other bike shows don’t understand is what makes the bikes extensions of the owner’s personality, pieces of art. They shape their tools which in turn shape us.

Ryan Mischkulnig hand-stitched an old leather jacket onto a dragster bicycle seat on his BSA hybrid. The Bantam frame cost him 20 bucks at a swap meet. Years later he found an XT250, hit his thumb, shook a paint can and put it all together in three months.

Dr Paul McIntosh’s claim to fame besides his pre-nominals is that he owns the world’s fastest Vespa. After being clocked at 132.29km/h on Gairdner Salt Lake, Paul increased the power from 8.7 to 32hp. A labour of love,

the little Italian should be able to break 160km/h. Paul wants to put a supercharger in it and if his calculations are correct, the Vespa will have more output than a double shot ristretto.

‘Diamond’ by name, tattoo artist by nature, used some old tubes from his job as a clutch pedal on his ’69 Harley named ‘Dirty Rat’. He found the oil tank in a rubbish pile, stole the wheel covers off an old Ford Falcon wreck and painted shark-teeth on the tank of a BSA Bantam. It’s only ever been started once and it scared the shit out of him.

A socially diverse cross section of life took to the Kommune’s art display.

Some walked on the wild side of it, others had trades and engineering degrees. It wasn’t just bikes, there was a photo exhibition, custom painting and vintage leathers on display over the two-day event. Sailor Jerry and Asahi came to feature heavily on Saturday’s lu’au/launch party.

DJs played other people’s music, a band played their own. Jimmy and Richie put on a good spread.

Organiser Jimmy Goode could be found guilty of trying to flog his Honda GB400 by featuring it at the show. It’s currently for sale on eBay if anyone has a spare 16.5k lying around. I’m sure he will have no trouble getting rid of it. It was built by Raider Motorsport and has a custom flaked paint job that really is one of a kind, though anyone who went to OSB would have learned time, money, a garage and mechanical know-how are all meaningless factors when you get the inspiration to customise what is essentially another man’s trash and your newfound treasure. n

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Karl Stehn, KDS Designs.

Cycle Torque Feature Builder: Thomas Gheorghiu • Occupation: Builder

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Bike: 80 Yamaha SR500 ‘Silver Bullet’ • Build Time: 2 Years Originally purchased from a Tasmanian farmer for $2500 in 2011 Thomas was only planning to do very little to the bike but after pulling it down decided to do a complete rebuild. “To me my bike resembles a bullet that perhaps Dirty Harry used to fire from his iconic .44 Magnum. It’s a powerful, lightweight and minimalist bike that cuts through the complexity of life … as well as traffic. It always puts a smile on my face and that’s why I call it the ‘Silver Bullet’. n

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Cycle Torque Feature Builder: CYCLE TORQUE JANUAR Y 2 0Gary 1 4Geremia - 86

Occupation: CEO Noisette French Artisan Products Bike: 81 Ducati Pantha 500cc ‘Boss’ Build Time: N/A Bought as is on Ebay. Originally built by Mike Day at ONE EYED JACKS in Port Macquarie NSW. n

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Builder: Diamond • Occupation: Tattoo Artist • Bike: 69 Genny Shovel ‘Dirty Rat’ • Build Time: 4 Years Originally purchased off EBay the bike has spent the last 4 years undergoing a makeover and moving between QLD, VIC & NSW. The bike has been made up using treasures from some unusual places. The tank is originally from a BSA Bantam, the Oil Tank from a hard rubbish pile along with the rear wheel covers which are from a Ford Falcon. The kick start is from a Wooden Lamp, the Clutch Pedal is a tattoo tube whilst all the brass bits are from antique chandeliers. The seat was hand made in the lounge room. According to Diamond the bike has only been started once and has “an attitude and mood swings that would test the resolve of a nun.”

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Builder: Dallas Augustine • Occupation: Engineer • Bike: 47 Harley Knucklehead • Build Time: Ongoing Originally built in Excello Missouri in the USA Dallas has only made a few modifications so far just focussing on making it more comfortable to ride. In regard to future work he says “I’ve changed my mind a heap of time as to what to do next with this bike, so for now I’m just going to ride it!”

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Builder: Sam Rogers • Occupation: Crank Coffee/Mad Tinkerer • Bike: 57 Honda Z50 J1 ‘Zeddie’ • Build Time: 6 Months Originally acquired from Paul Stacker of Stacker Motorcycles who was originally planning to restore it for his then 3 year old daughter. Sam rebuilt the bike at Trade School and at Ace Motor Cycle Wreckers over 6 months although it still awaits a final paint. A special feature is the skull of a Vervet Monkey on the handle bars.

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Builder: Jim Clark • Occupation: Champion Motorcycles Abbotsford Vic • Bike: Ex Postie Honda CT110 • Build Time: 3 – 4 weeks Jim runs a bike shop in Abbotsford in the beer garden of the Yarra Hotel and over the last 4 years has been renovating ex postie bikes. Jim strips them down and then totally rebuilds them. Bikes can be bought from Jim and usually take around 3 – 4 weeks to build. The red bike on display was named ‘The Pinko Bastard’ whilst the white ladies version, ‘The Tomboy’ was made for a female client who will use it for mobile hairdressing.

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Builder: Jimmy Goode • Occupation: Oil Stained Brain Event Organiser • Bike: Honda GB 400 “SLS” • Build Time: 12 months by Raider Motorsport “I added a new carb, lowered the front, changed the speedo and had Thom Armstrong add the old school flake paint job to make it more my style”.

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Builder: Walt Siegel / Justin Todd • Occupation: Entrepeuner / Hospitality & Property • Bike: 86 Ducati 900 SS C • Build Time: 6 Months Walt was commissioned by Justin to do this build with the two collaborating on the design throughout the build. Commenting on the custom Ducati Walt said, “ Timeless is a word that gets bandied around too much but it fits this machine perfectly. It looks modern yet ‘old’, without being faddishly retro.

I wanted to use classic sport/racing design elements that are clearly recognisable, from exhaust through to frame design.”

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Builder: Dr Paul Mcintosh • Occupation: Senior High performance Computing Consultant • Bike: 01 Vespa PX ‘Vespalabs Dry Lake Racer’ • Build Time: 2003 – Ongoing In 2007 Paul decided to dedicate himself to making the fastest Vespa in the world via Salt Lake Racing at Lake Gairdner. The bike has been officially clocked at 82.201mph making it the fastest officially timed Vespa in the world. “We have increased the original horsepower from 8.7 to 32 which should equate to a top speed of 105mph although that is yet to be proven.” A Rotrex C8-8 Supercharger is being fitted which should boost this to a theoretical 76Hp. More info can be found at www.vespalabs.org.

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Builder: Ric Corinaldi • Occupation: Ficus Constructions • Bike: 92 BMW R80 ‘The Fox’ • Build Time: Unknown “On fathers day last year I sat down with a coffee, a sheet of paper and a pencil and set about drawing my dream bike,” stated Ric. Two days later he bought the bike for $4k, rode it for a few weeks then stripped it down, redesigned it and rebuilt it to the bike you see today.

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The idea to travel the world on a motorcycle did not ‘come out of the blue’. Monica’s husband Simon had this dream for 30 years. The opportunity to go arose after their three children had left school and home. Monica had a motorcycle licence but no mechanical skills and very little riding experience. She didn’t even have a motorcycle. At the end of a focussed year of preparation sandwiched between two busy jobs as a social worker she was more or less ready to go.

10. High Road Rider

WHEN veteran riders Mike and Jo Hannan decided to explore a ‘must-ride’ destination, the Alps... on a motorcycle... they never imagined the adventures that would unfold.

The Alps quickly swept Mike and Jo away, impressing them with folk stories, natural beauty, and endless contradictions. The majestic 1200 km mountain range passes through eight very different countries – Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, Italy and Monaco – and has played a major part in the turbulent history of each nation.

Illustrated with personal photographs, and written in Mike’s lively, personable voice, this book describes the diverse peoples, languages and landscapes, majestic passes, and verdant valleys of the Alps... not to mention the breathtaking hairpin turns!

High Road Rider is a gripping, funny and true account of one couple’s epic ride, and the wonders they encountered along the way.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 108

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TAP NUMBERS FOR MORE INFO OR CALL 02 4956 9820

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1. BMW Cafe Racer – $39.99

Covers the evolution of the BMW sports bike to the BMW cafe racer. This title commonly associated with the cafe racer scene, the growing trend of custom BMW cafe conversions is illustrated in detail with images of sporting, racing, and ‘cafed’ BMWs.

2. Four-Stroke Motocross and Off-road – $34.99

This thorough how-to manual helps the off-road motorcycle enthusiast get the most out of their machine. This one-stop reference covers everything from basic maintenance to performance modifications, including: • Engine rebuilding• Transmission rebuilding• Clutch repair and rebuilding• Big-bore kits• Cam kits and valve timing and tuning• Tuning stock suspension• Suspension revalving and kits• Jetting and tuning carburettors• Tuning electronic fuel injection• Wheels, tires, and brakes• Chains and sprockets• Cooling systems • Electrical systems

3. Harley-Davidson Museum Masterpieces – $24.99

Ask just about any motorcycle fan, and they’ll tell you that Harley-Davidson builds the ultimate motorcycle. And the motorcycles housed in Harley-Davidson’s Archive Collection represent the best of the best.

4. Italian Custom Motorcycles – $39.99

Many books have been published about Italian motorcycles, but none has focused exclusively on the Italian motorcycle-based chopper, bobber, trike, and quad custom bike scene – until now.

5. SuperBikes and the 70’s – $49.95

Superbikes and the ’70s, by Dave Sheehan, captures the spirit of those heady days. It tells the story of a Britain emerging from the dull, grey years of post-war austerity into the colourful, gritty and psychedelic reality of the ‘70s. Despite a backcloth of dubious fashion, rampant inflation, oil embargoes and wild-cat strikes these lightening-fast, chromium-plated polychromatic motorcycles suddenly became affordable in an age of full employment. For motorcyclists the ‘70s meant reliable, beautifully-designed machines delivering record-shattering performance!

6. The Triumph Bonneville Bible – $69.99

The story of the Triumph Bonneville - its conception, design and production, how it compared to the competition (British and Japanese), and how it was seen at the time. A fascinating history of a British icon.

7. 365 Motorcycles You Must Ride – $24.99

These 365 must-ride motorcycles range from classic gaslight-era bikes, racers, and modern sportbikes to oddities that have to be ridden to be understood (or believed). From the 2007 Ducati 999R to the 1909 Harley-Davidson Silent Grey Fellow, promising hours of entertainment to any motorcycle enthusiast.

8. Motorcycle Camping – $34.95

More and more motorcyclists have taken to camping, both to reduce travel costs and to add an extremely enjoyable dimension to their adventures. Motorcycle camping offers an inexpensive, comfortable, relaxing way to see the country, enjoy nature, and share stories with your friends around a campfire.

9. How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles – $39.99

Off-road riding is one of motorcycling’s most popular pursuits and also one of its best training grounds for improving street-riding skills. Off-road riding takes many forms, from motocross and enduro racing, to dual-sport day trips, to trail riding, to adventure tours. No matter the specific pursuit, all dirt riding (and much street riding) shares the same basic skill set.

10. How to Build a Chopper – $49.99

Choppers are hot again. All you need to decide is what style you want and this book will guide you through the building sequences. It shows how to build a genuine old chopper or a chopper that looks old and has the conveniences of today, such as electric start and functioning brakes.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 110

RIDE ON

SCAN ME

AFTER a Bex, a cuppa tea and a lie-down Riding Shirtz have been pressed back into service.

Andy found T-shirts aren’t that comfy under bike jackets. The modern jackets’ armour tends to rub and chafe away at the elbows. The Riding Shirt was born. A long sleeved, heavy weight cotton T-shirt.

A cheeky faux dictionary definition of a motorcyclist is printed on the back for a bit of fun. Terrific as a base layer on cool mornings, offers some sun protection and who doesn’t love cotton?

Generous fitting sizes – Small to XXL.

FOR MORE PRODUCT INFORMATION

IBI KE

HAIL THE DUKE

OGGY Knobbs has produced a kit for the KTM Duke 200 and 390, 2013-2014 models.

In the kit you get everything to bolt the Knobbs to your Duke, and they are easy to fit.

Of course you also get the famous Oggy Knobb protection, and we can attest to trying out the abilities on more than one occasion. They work.

There’s also a front and rear axle Oggy Knobb kit available. The rear axle kit has race stand pick ups.

PRICE: $28 plus postage AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Direct from Andy Strapz MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

PURE-SPORTS

SHOEI’S new NXR is the successor to the XR1100 in its range, and has been created to be the finest pure-sports helmet Shoei has ever produced.

The NXR is a lighter, more aggressive and more compact helmet design.

This new shape results in improved aerodynamics and ventilation while the new 3D liner is designed for maximum comfort and to block the invasion of noise. The NXR also features the EQRS Emergency Quick Release cheek pads, plus a new revised, stiffer visor and base plate system for a perfect visor PRICE: $699 solid colours; seal. Sizes available from XXS $719 for metallics; $799 for graphics. to XXL. AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Leading motorcycle stores

MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

PRICE: Full kit $299, Frame kit $199, Front axle $65, Rear axle $65.

AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good bike shops MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

FILTER YOUR MT-09

DNA high performance filters have already produced a high flow air filter for Yamaha’s new MT-09.

It’s a full contour panel type design, which has a lifetime warranty and offers a 28.20 per cent increase in flow over the standard filter.

PRICE: $136 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Leading bike shops M O RE INF O : www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 111

INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

STUFF PRICE: New Year Special $65 (normally $98.50) AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Remar Motorcycle Spares MORE INF O: (03) 5633 3219 or 0418 109 201

SHINING STANDARD

MARK from Remar Motorcycle Spares has a huge range of motorcycle new old stock parts and accessories including LED lights, which are all tested before being sold to the public. Remar Motorcycle Spares imports the quality CREE LED lights aimed directly at motorcyclists to make them more visible on the road to other road users. The most popular LED for motorcycles are the MCR-950 which are small, compact and outshine the rest. the MCR 950 (motorcycle round) uses a 10watt (USA CREE) chip and packs 950 lumens. Measuring 51mm x 51mm x 61mm it has a “spot” type beam with a throw of 50100m. It’s dust and waterproof and the shell is die-cast alloy with a 304 grade stainless steel bracket. An optional handlebar bracket ($25) is available.

PRICE: New Year Sale $156 (Normally $195) AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Direct from Rad Guard MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

RAD MT-09

RAD Guard has got into the act quick smart, producing one of its quality radiator guards for the all-new Yamaha MT-09.

Rad Guard’s radiator guards are designed with a strong, robust frame that supports the aluminium expanded mesh that gives you ample airflow to your radiator’s core. The robust frame also acts as a brace just in case the bike is dropped (whoops).

Available in Polished Alloy or Powder Coated Black, these are cheap insurance against any type of road debris.

STRIKER

AXO has introduced its urban riding shoe: the Striker 9to5. Built for maximum comfort on and off the bike, the Striker 9to5 utilises an innovative BOA® Closure System instead of the bulky buckles and dangerous laces.

And when the ride is over, the AXO Striker 9to5 is just as easy to take off with an amazingly simple quick release opening system.

The Striker 9to5 comes equipped for the ride with ergonomic ankle protection and a durable shift guard.

PRICE: $179 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good bike shops

M O RE INF O : www.cycletorque.com.au/more

DRAGONDA RIDER safety is paramount and Honda’s new Draggin Jeans offer riders the ultimate in comfort and protection thanks to the revolutionary patented knitted hybrid of Military Grade Kevlar and Dyneema fabric constructed into a stylish jean cut for men and women.

The new Honda Draggin Jeans are seamless yet breathable and feature knee and hip armour pockets for extra protection and have custom Honda embroidered logos.

PRICE: $299 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Honda dealers nationwide MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 112 INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

IBIKE STUFF EASIER TYRE CHANGING

SCAN ME

FOR MORE PRODUCT INFORMATION

OIL ME UP

TYRE Pliers has awesome products to make tyre changing easier, including the Aussie designed and made levers, which feature a shape to pop the tyre back on the rim instead of riding up the lever, a valve fishing tool which threads through the hole in your rim and screws into the valve so it’s easy to pull though and the motorcycle bead keeper, which makes re-fitting tyres a lot easier and helps prevent rim damage.

PRICE: Levers $54.95 pair, Fishing tool $30, Bead keeper $15 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: From good bike shops MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

LUGGAGE FOR YOUR 1190

ANDY Strapz now has a narrower soft luggage set up for the new KTM 1190 Adventure.

Andy says his challenge was to create a system that would allow owners of the big new Kato to slip along narrow roads without taking out swathes of scrub.

Owners have a choice of a set of Traveller Pannierz for a neat balanced looking package. Option 2 is mixing one Traveller and one Expedition Pannier to ensure a few more litres of space.

PRICE: 2 x Traveller $325, Traveller + Expedition $355, Frames $370 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Direct from Andy Strapz MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

MOTUL has an addition to its 7100 range of motorcycle oils.

Motul 7100 10W60 is a high performance oil that has been designed to suit specific Husqvarna and KTM engines requiring SAE 10W60 viscosity.

Creating perfect engine cleanliness and low oil consumption due to its low Noack volatility, the 7100 10W60 minimises internal engine friction, resulting in increased acceleration capabilities and ease of gear shifting. Compatible with both integrated and nonintegrated gearboxes, the 7100 10W60 is 100 per cent synthetic based and is designed to cope with high revs and temperatures to enable longer engine life.

PRICE: $24.90 for 1 litre, $89.90 for 4 litres.

AVA IL A BL E F RO M : Good bike shops.

M O RE INF O : www.cycletorque.com.au/more

Suzuki’s New DL650 MC Cruise (V4 ) the latest release of the world’s leading model-specific Motorcycle Cruise Control system, is now available in limited stock for Suzuki’s New DL650.

(Now available with new fully electric throttle servo.)

Also available on Boom Trikes, Honda VFR1200X and VFR800X

www.mccruise.com

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 114

USED & REVIEWED

DUNLOP GEOMAX MX51 AND MX51F IN THE old days we would basically throw the OEM tyres away as soon as our new motocross rigs turned up but times have changed for the manufacturers and the tyre companies. A good tyre is now a marketable item for the manufacturers and for 2013 KTM decided to go with Dunlop's new Geomax MX51 and MX51F tyres.

The Geomax MX51 and MX51F replace the trusty old D756 tyres so for some riders this has taken some getting use to but according to Dunlop the new tyres offers technology not around when the D756 was first brought onto the market.

Some of the changes are obvious, some not – there is an allnew tread pattern which is designed to offer more straight-line traction, more corner grip, better handling and longer tyre life.

Dunlop has also said, “The MX51F front tyre’s tread blocks feature recessed edges providing improved traction and better grip while both front and rear tyres feature cross-stitch shoulder block distribution for more traction and grip in medium/medium-hard riding conditions and the shoulder block bases have a larger radius for increased strength and durability.

“The ‘tie-bar’ design connects and reinforces the tread blocks for greater durability, chunking resistance and overall better performance while the shallow recessed areas between the tread blocks is designed to provide better rider comfort.”

Well, to be brutally honest I didn’t know any of that until I started doing this test but I did know there was definitely a different feel underneath me and my initial thoughts were quite positive. But as it happens quite often some of my old biases from yesteryear can quickly sneak into my head.

You see, there was a time when Dunlop tyres were only great when they had a fresh edge on them and once slightly worn I found it hard to ride to my full ability so as a Pro rider that purchased my own tyres I saw no real value in buying Dunlop tyres. My plan with the Dunlop tyres on the KTM was to ride with them until the edge was off and get rid of them pronto.

So here I was four or five rides into my time on the KTM and the tyres were still hooking up on the medium to hard packed tracks at Queensland Moto Park. After another few rides the front tyre was still in good shape but the rear was starting to really round off but instead of replacing it I decided to just keep riding with

them until they got unrideable and bugger me dead I was still getting reasonable drive out of corners when the rear was well passed what I would think as useable.

Throughout my time on the Geomax MX51 rear I found that it worked really well in that transition period from accelerating hard to braking and leaning into the corner and once back on the gas again the rear felt planted and secure. At QMP each of the tracks have their hard packed and loose sections so it is as good a test area as any for tyres and in all honesty I think that the rear Geomax MX51 is by far better than the old D756.

The MX51F front tyre did absolutely nothing wrong but I did find myself hunting ‘something’ to secure it when belting into a corner. It is not that the tyre was breaking away or losing traction but it just felt so much better if you had a rut or berm, no matter how small, to lock the tyre into and turn off. Hope that makes sense.

In saying that, it could have something to do with my riding ability and track conditions as much as the tyre’s performance, remember, I am riding a 57HP beast and I have the throttle control of a five-year-old so the corners are coming up real fast.

Both tyres handled hard landings off jumps, braking hard into

corners, hitting square edged bumps and cross rutting with no objections and in the whole time I rode with them I did not get one puncture. I run 14psi front and rear by the way.

So here is the big question, would the ol’ tight-arse Smarty buy the Dunlop Geomax MX51 and MX51F tyres to go racing with?

Absolutely, having one set of tyres on a high powered 450cc motocrosser last for ten or so good weekends of riding and still offer good traction is more than good enough for me.

So it’s a massive thumbs up from Smarty, well done Dunlop.

PRICE: See stockists for prices AVA IL A BL E F ROM: From leading motorcycle stores.

MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

MARKET TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 115 CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 115 Order online or call direct Ph: 07 3869 3016 120a Hoskins St, Sandgate, QLD

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CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 117

SHOP TORQUE

Highway Performance Bikes BOB HOUGHTON of Highway Performance Bikes is a mechanic by trade, having started his working life on cars.

He raced bikes for about 12 years "unsuccessfully" by his own admission, mostly RD Yamahas, a 900 Bol D'Or and Z1 Kawasakis.

His early forays into the motorcycle retail world came through Cycle City, Graeme Hartman Motorcycles, Hurstville Motorcycles and then Caringbah Motorcycles before the establishment of Highway Performance Bikes.

The impetus to start Highway Performance Bikes 16 years ago actually came by chance.

Every day he used to ride past the site his business now occupies. Back then it was called Rockdale Bicycles and it used to have a huge Penny Farthing bike on the side of the building.

"Back then I used to ride a lot of KTMs and a local KTM dealer had shut its doors," Bob explains.

"The temptation of having my own KTM shop was too much," he says.

"I thought I could just put my feet up and retire," he laughs.

"The bicycle shop site was owned by a 90-year-old lady and she let me rent out the shop on the corner, but it had a heap of bays attached to it.

"The shop as I rented it initially was just a tiny floorspace and it was my showroom, front counter, workshop, everything.

"Then as we grew and I realised there's no way I'm going to be able to put my feet up and just watch money roll in, I went back to my landlady and asked if I could rent out the adjoining bay.

"Well, the business expanded, and as it did I had to keep renting out the adjoining bays one by one."

Eventually Bob bought the whole site from her and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Yes, I have to admit that old cliche that I started as a mechanic and ended up making my hobby my career," Bob says.

Highway Performance Bikes always rates well on KTM surveys.

"More than 90 per cent of new bike sales come from either return customers or word of mouth," says Bob. "And now here I am, possibly the only Sydney bike shop within walking distance of a railway station, park, pub, kebab shop and brothel."

Highway Performance Bikes always has a huge range of second hand bikes available as well as new bikes, service and parts and Bob gets plenty of support from his dedicated team of Julie and Rick.

At the time of going to press Bob and the team should have the demo four-stroke and two-stroke KTM Freeride available so now is a good time to contact the shop.

Located at 309 Princes Highway, Rockdale you can contact the shop on (02) 9599 0011 or check out their website on www.highwayperformancebikes.com.au. n

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 117

QUAD TORQUE NEWS EMERGING MARKETS “KTM is experiencing greater success in emerging markets than we ever thought was possible,” he continued.

“Considering the current economic development of China and how the motorcycle market is maturing here, we feel that this move fits our globalisation strategy right now.”

Also speaking at the announcement, CFMOTO President Mr. Lai commented on the similarities between CFMOTO and KTM. “Both CFMOTO and KTM emphasise high-end performance motorcycles that form part of the riders lifestyle,” he said.

“With this shared philosophy, CFMOTO and KTM will co-operate to promote the orange brand in China.”

Chinese motorcycle association chairman Mr. Li, a special guest at the announcement, said the collaboration between CFMOTO and KTM reflected the rapidly shifting local motorcycle market.

“The Chinese motorcycle market is going through a structural adjustment and the products on offer are being updated as a result.

“The rise of the motorcycle as a lifestyle is upon us, which highlights the need for companies such as CFMOTO and KTM.

X R T D E T A D P U HONDA has come out punching with its 2014 TRX420 middleweight workhorse. Updates include suspension, styling and performance.

The TRX420’s longitudinally mounted liquidcooled engine has been taken a step further for 2014. New fuel injection settings lead to improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and dependable crisp performance, according to Honda.

Featuring an all-new chassis with a redesigned frame, the TRX420 now has longer-travel suspension for a better ride and feel in rough conditions. A brand new enclosed axle swingarm has been developed too.

The new chassis is wrapped in all-new bodywork which has distinctive styling. A new plush seat made from thicker, softer foam teams up with better rider ergos making long hours in the saddle an easy task. Other updates have made their way through too, like the more powerful headlights and electronic instrumentation.

These two changes might seem minor but every bit helps out there on the land.

One of the good things about the TRX420 is you can choose between semiautomatic foot-shift manual transmission or easy to use fully automatic transmission and if easier, more responsive handling will lighten your workload, you can opt for the Honda’s Electric Power Steering (EPS). n

IBEAR ATTACK

CFMOTO has announced a new relationship with KTM that will see the two companies work collaboratively to offer the local Chinese motorcycle market a range of KTM machines under the trademark KTMR2R. Under the terms of the collaboration CFMOTO will be responsible for the distribution of KTM motorcycles in China and will assemble selected models from imported knockdown kits.

The joint announcement was made at the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition (CIMA) where KTMR2R showcased a broad range of on and off road KTM motorcycles to the Chinese public.

Speaking at the announcement, KTM CSO Mr. Trunkenpolz said the move into China was a logical next step as the organisation executed its globalisation strategy.

“The rapid development of the Chinese economy is giving rise to a new type of Chinese customer, one who demands product differentiation,” he said.

“KTM has the product to fill this gap in the market and the perfect partner in CFMOTO to see the process through for the long-term.”

Mr. Trunkenpolz also noted success in other emerging markets as a driver for their entry into China.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 118

“Personally, I have a lot of confidence in this co-operation between CFMOTO and KTM, one is an internationally famous brand, and the other is a local firm that insists on a differentiated development strategy.

“I believe this co-operation will be a breath of fresh air in the Chinese motorcycle market and provide Chinese customers a higher quality product and service,” added Mr Li. KTMR2R has already opened stores in Shanghai and Beijing with the full KTMR2R product range expected to be available in store early 2014. n YAMAHA has announced a new Grizzly 700 FI EPS with improved comfort and new engine settings. The Grizzly has a reputation for toughness and is popular with buyers looking for a big bore farm or work hack.

The 2014 Grizzly 700 gets a wider tread width - 60mm wider overall - and new longer suspension stroke on both the front and rear shocks delivering a more comfortable low speed ride without losing the overall handling while maintaining the Grizzly’s great overall handling, according to Yamaha. There are new Electronic Power Steering settings too.

The Grizzly 700’s power comes from a 686cc engine with a new four-valve head and a higher 10:1 compression ratio, with maximum torque delivered just when an ATV like this needs it, carrying or towing a load, or on challenging tracks. The Grizzly also features Mikuni fuel injection with a 44mm bore and throttle position sensor which makes for smooth throttle response and easy starts even in cold weather and at high altitudes.

The Grizzly Yamaha’s three-position On-Command 4WD system gives the rider control between 2WD, limited-slip 4WD and a fully locked differential 4WD - all with the push of a button. It has a fully automatic Ultramatict transmission with dual-range (Hi/Lo) drive and reverse.

Also new on this year’s Grizzly are redesigned wheels with the inner lip rolled in providing more durability to complement the machine’s nearly 11 inches of ground clearance.

The Grizzly 700 features a digital instrument panel with a multifunction LCD display showing speedometer, odometer, dual trip meter, hour meter, 4WD status, transmission position, clock and fuel gauge. Racks also come standard on the big Grizzly which can carry more than 130 kgs, and a heavy-duty trailer hitch capable of towing around 600 kgs.

We might get Drop Bears in Australia rather than Grizzly Bears but the flagship of Yamaha’s work ATV range has already shown why it’s popular, with the 2014 updates making it better again. n

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 119

CYCLE TORQUE TOURING FEATURE

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 120 CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 120

THE

OXLEY

PT I I

This is where we tackle the Oxley proper

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 121 LAST issue we over-nighted at Walcha on the high plains, and after a big breakfast we head down the mountain towards Wauchope and Port Macquarie.

You always need to treat the Oxley Highway with some caution but even more so during certain times of the year. In winter time water can lie in some corners, and a good chunk of the road is in the middle of one of the most beautiful rainforests you will ever see, so the sunlight doesn’t always get to the whole road. Wildlife is also an issue, and if you find yourself on the road after dark be very wary of kangaroos.

Gingers Creek store

I like to have a decent breakfast at Walcha then head towards Gingers Creek around 9am. If you’ve never seen them it’s worth checking out Apsley Falls which is about 20 kilometres east of Walcha and in the direction we’re heading anyway.

The delightful village of Comboyne

I always stop at Gingers Creek which has great food, and fuel too. It’s run by a husband and wife team who know how to look after you, there is bunkhouse accommodation on site and a unit. I’ve stayed there a few times now and can recommend it. It’s worth calling first to make sure you can stay – 02 6777 7511. I stop there regardless because it’s my favourite bike-friendly café anywhere in Australia. The scenery is amazing and it’s so tranquil. It takes about an hour (80 kilometres) to get there from Walcha. From Gingers Creek the road does tighten up quite a bit with plenty of 30 km/h corners. Be careful of grey nomads towing big vans, as invariably you will find one slightly on your side of the road somewhere, and the same goes for logging trucks. Not a big deal as long as you are aware of it and prepare yourself. Along here the Triumph Daytona 675 was in its element, with great brakes and the torquey engine making a mockery of the curves.

Once the road opens up you’ll soon find yourself at Long Flat, a sleepy little town on the Oxley Highway. There’s fuel there too. Not far from here we turn right and head up to the mountain town of Comboyne. The run up the hill is great fun and the road surface pretty good. If you have an adventure or enduro bike there are a few other routes you can take to get from the Oxley Highway to Comboyne, and they are spectacular.

At Comboyne you will probably be ready for another coffee stop, seeing you’ve travelled about 160 kilometres from Walcha. Lucky for you there’s a top cafe in the heart of the town, which isn’t that big so you’ll struggle to miss it.

Down the hill From Comboyne we head down the mountain to Wingham, which lies just west of Taree. There’s around 20 kilometres of dirt but every time I’ve been on it the surface is pretty good and easily done on a road bike, and our Continued on next page

Coffee at Comboyne

CYCLE TORQUE TOURING FEATURE

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Continued from previous page Daytona, obviously a sports bike, had no issues. Take it extra easy if the surface is wet. Once at Wingham there’s plenty of eateries and fuel if you need it, but usually I press on from here back to Gloucester. This takes us back onto the Buckets Way, and once again the road is awesome, with great scenery and generally a good surface. If you are dirt bike-mounted you might like to take a detour through Bundook which is a picturesque little spot.

By Gloucester you’ve done 270 kilometres and would be ready for fuel if you haven’t already topped up. Back down the Buckets Way we head and there are a few choices from here as to which way you head back to Sydney. We chose to go back via the Yarramalong Valley near Wyong. This means a run down the freeway, so we go right to the end of the Buckets Way and turn right onto the Pacific Highway, and weave our way through Hexham and onto the M1, which used to be called the F3 Freeway. Why change it, who knows, but I can’t get F3 out of my head.

By the time we’ve reached the turn off for the Yarramalong Valley (Wyong exit) we’ve travelled 170 kilometres from Gloucester and it’s taken us around two hours with no stops. The smart go, depending on your fuel range of course, is to fuel up at the Twin Caltex service stations on the freeway, only a few kilometres before the exit. The road through Yarramalong used to be atrocious, and fit for adventure bikes only in my opinion but thankfully the local council has done some major road works to the area and the road is generally in good condition.

It’s a very pretty area also, and full of turf farms. The senses go into overdrive as your eyes and nose soak it all up. At Yarramalong we turn left and head up Bumble Hill towards Kulnura. Here the road goes back to the dark ages and plenty of bike riders have come unstuck sprinting up the hill so take it easy.

From here though it’s a short run to the main road which runs from Central Mangrove to Wollombi. We turn left, heading towards Central Mangrove. If you turn right it’s a short trip to Jerry’s Café which is very motorcycle friendly, popular with riders far and wide. Good coffee and food too.

Our next stop will be Wisemans Ferry so we take a turn just before we get to Central Mangrove and that takes us onto the Wisemans Ferry Road which meanders through a few hamlets before we finally get to the ferry crossing. It does seem to take forever, as the road is narrow and speed limits relatively low, but once again take it easy along here. Cars tend to run wide in bends along this road so be aware of that, and on weekends you will find lots of motorcycles on it. You travel beside the river for some of the ride, and it’s spectacular, like travelling back in time.

Depending on whether you stopped at Jerry’s Café or not you may well need a break at Wisemans Ferry, a picturesque riverside village which I’m sure most Sydneysiders will have visited on more than one occasion.

On Sundays if you are there for lunch be prepared for a queue because it is popular with bike riders and tourists, but there are some nice cafés there as well. Kilometres so far are 259 from Gloucester, and 528 for the day from Walcha.

Once again you can go a few different routes back to Sydney and seeing we’ve done a few kilometres by now we are going to head back via the Old Northern Road to Windsor, via Dural. All up kilometres for the day are 580, and 1050 for the two days.

Plenty of riders have done this trip but if you haven’t, it’s well worth doing so.

The Oxley Highway is just part of the fun, and seeking out some alternative ways to get to the Oxley can make all the difference.

– Chris Pickett You can read part 1 in the December 2013 edition.

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LETTERS Cruiser or sports?

WRITE A LETTER!

K C A B I G N I U TO RQ

I REALLY enjoy reading your magazine. Just one comment I’d like to make - you query why sports bikes are the generic machine used in safety signage whereas many accidents involve cruisers. You then later add that in your experience too many riders treat the road as a race track. In my observation, those who do treat public roads like a race track ride naked sports bikes like angry young men with too much speed, power and testosterone and they are definitely not old men on cruisers. Would you not agree?

Regards, Jamie Thomas Hi Jamie Firstly thanks for the feedback. I didn’t mean to imply cruiser riders treat the roads like a racetrack, rather they seem to be a natural choice for returning riders, and older riders. I think a fair number of crashes involving cruisers are down to a variety of factors, one being riders getting caught out in corners by the inherent design aspects of cruisers, those including a lack of cornering clearance and short travel suspension. Like any motorcycle, cruisers are perfectly safe and enjoyable as long as you ride them within their design parameters.

In addition to that I have found people can get ‘caught’ in the moment when riding with friends, regardless of what they are riding.

Ed.

Beautiful, or not?

I READ the review of the new 675 Daytona. While I agree the new Daytona has definitely improved and looks competitively priced, the one thing that stands out for me is that the rear end just looks ugly. I think Triumph lost their way with the Daytona’s styling when they put the pipe down lower and the Fender Eliminator just looks like an add on.

Of course I am biased as I own a Black and Gold 2011/2012 model that I wouldn’t part with.

Mine is not without its issues and it took me nearly six months to get the suspension right for the road.

At 167cm tall I always feel like I’m sitting in the bike but the seat height can be challenging coming to a stop. I love it now and get it out on the

occasional track day where I pump up the suspension.

Anyway love the magazine and the articles, so keep up the good work.

Cheers, Lloyd

WIN A GREAT PRIZE This month Jamie Thomas has won a Cargol Turn & Go puncture repair kit.

Available from better bike shops everywhere and there’s a video of one being used on the Cycle Torque website.

Send your letters (and/or great bike pictures) to The Editor, Cycle Torque, PO Box 687 Warners Bay, NSW 2282 or email chris@cycletorque.com.au.

Eyes Wide Open

MANY thanks for the gripping story about your trip to the Manx GP. I was on the edge of the lounge chair last night, good journalism.

Regards Dennis Burt

Eyes Wide Open 2

I WAS delighted to read the Pickett saga. I did it in the early ’70s.

Yours was a so much more professional initiation than mine!

I wrote my low key adventures for Motorcycle Sport back then and your adventures prompted me to exhume my articles. The contrast is vivid, and I really appreciated being prompted to look back... In fact I’m going to scan them into PDF for my live files now...

The aspect I was most struck by when I did my MGPs was how they were ‘our races’ to the Manx people and how they adopted young riders and helped them. The ‘come overs’ and the TT people were not the same they said.

My best TT memory is of the 10 lap international production race in 1975 when my partner on the Bennett’s Honda came into the pits and said it pulls to the right be careful. He was a northerner and what he meant was that he had crashed at Quarter Bridge on the first lap, twisted the forks, remounted and hammered on. I found out what he meant at the bottom of Bray Hill... Very exciting. We finished somehow...

I don’t wish that on Alex but it was great to share in a small way with his adventures...

Marc Wigan

Books and racing

Chris, it was really good to catch up with you at the Sydney Motorcycle Expo. I became deeply engrossed in both the books that I bought from Cycle Torque’s stand.

George in The Old Mechanic is just a little after

me. I started my apprenticeship in 1955 and put the tools away in November 1964, so only nine years spinning spanners. This book, although a work of fiction interlaced with facts, was a walk down memory lane for me. It reminded me of much I had forgotten.

George was pretty smart, I could recall some not-so clever tricks but lessons to learn from. I have good memories of the 350 horizontally opposed Douglas twin and the Sunbeam in-line twin, two of my many favourites. It is very nostalgic and I could bore you to death. It is suffice to say that I think Peter Uren has done a simple but great job.

That Near-Death Thing by Rick Broadbent is another book that I could not put down. In the early-post WW2 years I was introduced to road racing at Esholt Park and Olivers Mount, Scarborough. Here I was introduced to the death-defying IOM riders recognisable by the speed at which they ran the curbs and near-scraped the walls. For someone who follows road racing the riders mentioned are household names and this book does what it sets out to do very well. Though I have not managed to get to the Isle of Man yet I have been to three of the main races in Ireland in recent years, wet or dry the Manx stars fly and stand out from the crowd. It is an excellent read and you must have learnt a few lessons from him as a journalist.

Your feature Eyes Wide Open Pt2 is first class and deserves an award. Not only do you tell the story well as a journalist but you tell it as one who has been there and done it, no one can take that away from you. As a rider you know and understand just what Alex was up against. How well he did as a parent you have to be doubly proud. Thanks for your brilliant article and a very good magazine.

Bob Pearson The books Bob mentions are available from Cycle Torque. Check out our latest ad on pages 48-49 or call the lovely Bec on 02 4956 9820 to order your copies.

CYCLE TORQUE JANUARY 2014 - 124

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