Cycle Torque June 2014 by Cycle Torque

IN THIS ISSUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 2

THIS issue features a pair of kick-arse KTMs - the world-championship winning 350SX-F and the Super Duke R - 1290cc of V-twin naked muscle. And when you’ve consumed that double dose of Adrenalin, you can calm down, a little, with the grunty and versatile Triumph Thunderbird LT and then pick up the pace again with the BMW R 1200 RT. But then there’s more adrenalin in the Electric Superbikes article, Jack Miller winning Grands Prix and the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed. We motorcyclists do like going fast, don’t we? In this issue there’s also an advertisement for Cycle Torque TV - yep, we’re taking the magazine to the small screen - some of the videos in the iPad edition and on our Youtube channel are extracts of the features we’re making for Cycle Torque TV. The series is coming in Spring, and we hope you’re as keen to watch it as we are to make it. More news in future issues. – Nigel Paterson publisher@cycletorque.com.au

For the love of motorcycling

CONTENTS

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 3

REGU LARS

RIDDEN 2014 BMW R 1200 RT

2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

LAUNCH

05 NEWS TORQUE 16 SMALL TORQUE 18 EDITORIAL 19 DIRTY TORQUE 20 RACE TORQUE 21 GUNTRIP 62 MARKET TORQUE

2014 KTM 350SX-F

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

TEST

64 BIKE STUFF 67 USED & REVIEWED 77 BOOK SHOP 81 TORQUING BACK: LETTERS ON THE COVER: KTM BY BRIAN DYER. T-BIRD JEFF CROW

FEATU RES

BARRY SHEENE FESTIVAL OF SPEED

QUAD TORQUE

ELECTRIC SUPERBIKES

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 4

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 5

Miller, Marquez Magic SENSATIONAL riding has seen Townsville’s Jack Miller (KTM) move from ‘Great Rider’ to ‘Likely Champion’ in just the first few months of 2014, the 19-year-old taking three victories in five races this season. In the most recent race, Le Mans in France, Miller led home a pack of seven rider who crossed the line within one second. Collisions, politely described as ‘paint-swapping’, were frequent and the moves Miller made under brakes to remain with riders on faster machines were breathtaking. The Moto3 championship in 2014 has been spectacular – many different race leader (but only two winners), surprisingly few crashes and with almost no-one ever able to take advantage of a lead the winner has always been in doubt until the finish line is crossed. Miller now has a 30-point lead in the championship, thanks at least in part to Romano Fenati (KTM), the winner of two races this season, suffering an electrical fault and not finishing in France. Although the season isn’t even 1/3 completed, it’s looking at being one of the most sensational ever, and with a real possibility of Australia having a new world champion.

Marquez unstoppable In the premier MotoGP class, Marc Marquez (Honda) has simply been unbeatable. Even more dominant than Valentio Rossi at the peak of his ability, Marquez has won all five races this year, matching Mike Hailwood’s long-standing record and doing it a younger age than Hailwood, too.

Miller celebrates winning in France.

Even poor starts haven’t hampered the young world champion Spaniard. In France he started terribly, dropping down the field and handing Rossi a lead of around two seconds – but Marquez just put his head down and picked off the riders in front, including Jorge Lorenz (Yamaha) and teammate Dani Pedrosa. Within a few laps he was hunting down Rossi and simply sailed past, eventually taking an easy win. In MotoGP we are watching a phenomenon. In Moto3 we are watching some of the best motorcycle racing ever run. n Miller on the edge, almost crashing in the French GP, a race he went on to win.

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 6

Racing in turmoil?

AUSTRALIAN racing is in turmoil as Superbike races are being cancelled and Yamaha has announced its teams will not contest the Australian Supercross Championship, scheduled to start in September. Yamaha has withdrawn all three of its factory supported teams – CDR Yamaha, Serco Yamaha and GYTR Yamaha. The announcement comes a week after Motorcycling Australia confirmed the Darwin round of the Australian Road Racing Championship had been cancelled and that IEG (International Entertainment Group) would no longer be promoting the Championship. IEG is also the promoter of the Australian Supercross Championship. The press release announcing Yamaha’s withdrawal reads, in part, “The lack of precise, confirmed information surrounding the organisation and promotion of the championship has led to this unfortunate position. This is not a decision Yamaha and its teams have taken lightly but has resulted through our forced inability to plan and budget for events that cannot be confidently relied upon.” Cycle Torque has spoken to a number of people involved in Supercross racing who are also frustrated with the current management of the Championship, and are not surprised Yamaha has withdrawn. None of the other major teams we contacted would commit to the Championship. Scheduled to run over five rounds, the first is, ominously, in Darwin, one of the most expensive locations in the country to run a motorsport event. Two of the rounds are scheduled to be run over two days as support events at the Phillip Island MotoGP event, which is a great showcase but isn’t considered the best way to get in front of Supercross fans. As we went to press no comment had been received by Motorcycling Australia to Cycle Torque’s enquiries. n

Manufactured in Australia 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 JUNE 2014 - 7

Honda’s updated VFR & CBR AFTER a dozen years, Honda has updated its quiet achiever, the VFR800F. A great sports-tourer let down by an engine which wanted to be revved too much, Honda’s engineers have revised the V-TEC variable valve timing to improve low and mid-range power. The VFR800’s handling was good, but to make it better Honda has installed a new Pro-arm single sided swingarm and new 43mm forks, which ar ein turn fitted with radial-mount four-piston caliper brakes. Anti-lock brakes and Traction control have been added. The frame is unchanged, but the subframe has been redesigned to be 3kg lighter and the new design allows the seat height to be adjustable by 20mm. Up front a new set of instruments provides a lot more information than the old ones, and in front of that is an LED headlight. Options include panniers and a top box. The new VFR is priced at $14,599 + government charges.

A growing single Honda has upped the capacity of the very popular CBR250R, with the CBR300R hitting showrooms in July. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but there will be ABS-quipped and non-ABS models available. n

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 8

Phillips second in World Enduro Matthew Phillips is impressing everyone by putting his KTM on the podium of the E3 class on the World Enduro Championship at every round so far this year. He lies in second overall behind Spanish legend Ivan Cervantes. Phillips is currently 18 points adrift of Cervates, but 16 points ahead of Husqvarna’s Mathias Bellino from France. Phillips, from Tasmania, hasn’t been off the podium all year, although he’s only just started to take the top step, winning in Greece on day two. Expectations were high for Phillips when he joined the championship as the reigning Junior World Champion, but to be second overall and starting to take wins off Cervantes wasn’t something the Europeans predicted. Phillips is focussing his efforts on the Enduro World Championship this year while also taking in the major Australian championships with Motorex KTM Off Road team. He will take on the KTM Australian Enduro-X Nationals series, the Australian Off-Road Championships and the Australian 4-Day Enduro championship, as well as Hattah and Finke desert races with team-mates Toby Price and Peter Boyle. n

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 9

MotoHUB Ninja giveaway MotoHUB is now open, a new name and new owners taking over what was Hills Motorcycles in Castle Hill, Sydney. Established by long-term bike industry professionals, Gavin Taylor and Ryan Santoso, they aim is to be a big part or the motorcycle community, working with local riding groups in the Hills area and throughout greater Sydney. “We are confident we can supply motorcycles, accessories and workshop facilities to the local community at great prices and offer the best service and knowledge in the industry,” says Gavin. “This is a great location with Suzuki and Kawasaki franchises. MotoHUB has moved the Parts and Accessories down into the main bike sales showroom and increased the Accessories stock by 200% with more of the latest cool brands.” To celebrate the new business, there will be a free bike givaway on Saturday June 14. Be there on the day for the chance to win a Kawasaki Ninja 300 or one of many more giveaways. There will be test ride bikes, massive accessories specials, a sausage sizzle and vintage bikes display. MotoHUB Motorcycles & Accessories is located at Unit 7/4 Victoria Ave (facing Gladstone Rd) Castle Hill NSW 2154. www. cycletorque.com.au/more n

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

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

NEWS TORQUE

Brighter Learners NEW laws coming into force in October will see learners in Victoria forced to wear high visibility clothing.

The requirement for learners to be highly visible is, at this stage, restricted just to learner riders, but motorcycle lobby groups are coming out against the requirement, claiming the new rule will be the ‘thin end of the wedge’ and it could be brought in to be mandatory for all riders in the future. Cycle Torque is concerned learners are being targeted by this new regulation as was to discourage motorcycling, because riders won’t be able to wear what they want to and we question why, for instance why aren’t children on pushbikes required to be highly conspicuous? Inline with other states, newly licensed riders will be required to spend three years on the Graduated Licensing System - which means no pillion passengers, a requirement to have their headlight on at all times, no use of mobile phones etc. n LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS feedback@cycletorque.com.au

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 10

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NEWS TORQUE Bultacoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back, electrified SPANISH motorcycle manufacturer Bultaco is being resurrected with an electric bike, designed and built in Spain. The RapitĂĄn will be first sold in 2015 and is styled along the lines of a sports-tourer. It will have all sorts of fancy technology, like full regenerative braking, which harvests braking forces and turns them into electrical power to provide additional charge for the battery. There will also be a smartphone App which will let the owner know the battery charge and other features. At this stage no Australian importer has been announced.

Watch for the multitaskers NEW research from Woolworths Insurance is telling us what we already knew - far to many drivers are playing with their phones, navigations system or feeding themselves while driving, causing crashes due to the distractions. Monash University research indicates 16 per cent of crashes are a result of distracted drivers. The biggest culprits are eating or drinking (83 per cent), mobile phones (48 per cent) and navigation on their phone (38 per cent). Interestingly, the information provided to Cycle Torque indicates those numbers don't include people using their phones if they are mounted so they can be used handsfree, which is generally legal. Chris Cramond, Head of Woolworths Insurance, said: "Motorists seem oblivious to both the risk multitasking has on causing accidents and resulting increases in insurance premiums. Even minor crashes can result in increased insurance claims and rising premiums. Everyone's lives are becoming busier but drivers need to resist the temptation to pick-up anything whilst at the wheel - not lipstick, a sandwich, and especially not a mobile phone." Woolworths is trying to appeal to drivers' hip pockets, encouraging them to maintain their no-claim bonus by not having a crash while multi-tasking and therefore saving money. Maybe, however, we should punish people who run into bike riders while putting on their make-up a bit more harshly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it might make them feel a bit more comfortable with turning up au naturel. n

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 11

NEWS TORQUE

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Grab a great winter deal N Winter is a great time to buy a new bike - the bike shops are keen to get your business because all the sunshine heroes are to old to ride, and the manufacturers are offering some special deals to get you to sign on the dotted line. N Here are the offers we’ve found, in no particular order… take note, conditions apply to all the offers and you should talk to dealer about terms and conditions.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

APRILIA

Like to get into some American Iron? Harley has the Iron 883 for just $45 a week, and it’s the 2014 ABS equipped model, too. If you’d like a bigger Harley, the Street Bob is available for just $65 a week.

Two for the price of one! Well, not quite - but if you buy an Aprilia Dorsodoro for $18,990, Aprilia will throw in a SR MT 125 scooter valued at $2900, while stocks last. Also from Aprila is a free rack and top box with every SR Max 300, SR MT 125 or Scarabeo 200 scooter.

Go for a Road King Classic – a Project Rushmore Tourer – and you can be on the road for $98 a week and go into the draw to win a $5000 gift card. Indeed, anyone who takes a Project Rushmore machine for a test ride before July 31 will receive a free gift from Harley-Davidson. If you buy a Project Rushmore machine you go into the running to win a $5000 pre-paid gift card.

TRIUMPH Triumph is offering free panniers with its Explorer - you can pick one up for $20,490 + ORC. If you’re quick you can also secure some 2013 models at a hefty discount - there’s the Daytona 675 at $13,390 + ORC and the Speedmaster Black at $13,090 + ORC.

HYOSUNG There’s between $300 and $600 savings on the entire Hyosung range during the 2013 runout. Examples include the GT250R at $5990 rideaway, or the GT650R for just $2000 more.

POLARIS

new Polaris UTE 570.

Right now Polaris have a range of specials until the end of June including a 100 Litre sprayer valued at RRP $630 supplied free with the purchase of the all-

There are also deals on the RANGER SXS line-up including 0% Interest Free Finance on the Ranger Diesel HD and $5000 free accessories on the Ranger XP 900.

CFMOTO CFMoto is having a tax time promotion, with the CF500 Classic ATV priced at $6890 including $1200 worth of free accessories. With the CFMoto Z-Range of performance ATVs, there’s a free GoPro camera, and if you share that footage you could win $1000.

Continued on next page

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 13

Grab a great winter deal DUCATI

YAMAHA

Ever wanted an Italian thoroughbred? Here’s your chance to pick up a great deal on a Ducati…

For the sportsbike fans, Yamaha is offering a free exhaust for the YZF-R1, YZF-R6 and YZF-R15.

On the Panigale 1199 or Panigale 1199 S you can choose between a $3000 Termignoni Titanium Muffler Kit plus free fitting kit or a $1500 tradein bonus, or rideaway savings of $1500. On the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak or the Multistrada 1200 S Touring, choose between a Free Granturismo Accessory Kit (valued at $1,894) or Termignoni Exhaust System plus free fitting (valued at $3,500), or a rideaway deal - save up to $1500.

On bikes such as the YZ450F and WR450F, you can get low 2.14 per cent (comparison rate) finance. Yamaha is offering free on-road costs for selected road bikes, which could save you up to $2000 depending on the model and which state you live in. Yamaha has rolled-back the pricing on selected ATV models - you can now pay less for a YFM450F (now $9999), YFM450FA ($10,999), YFM350A 2WD ($6,999), YFM 350FA ($7,999) and the family fun bike TT-R110E ($3,199).

Ducati is offering a free semi-rigid Top Case valued at $962 on the Hyperstrada, or a $750 trade-in bonus or rideaway deals which could save you $750.

And for the farmers Yamaha is offering extended warranties on some ATV models, YMF 3% Farmer Finance Packages and RM Williams gift cards on many machines in the Utility ATV, Rhino, AG and TT-R230 ranges.

If you’d like a Monster, the 796 is being offered with a Termignoni Carbon Fibre Muffler Kit (valued at $2,200) or trade-in/rideaway bonus of $1000. The Monster 696 has a trade-in/rideaway bonus of $750 available.

ARCTIC CAT KTM Pick up a 2013 model KTM and save between $500 and $2500. Save $500 on the 65SX, 200 Duke and 690 Duke, save $700 on the Freeride 350, save $1000 on the 200EXC, 250EXC, 250EXC-F, 350EXC-F, 450EXC and 500EXC, save $1300 on the 250SX, $1500 on the 125SX and a huge $2000 on the 250SX-F and 350SX-F. The biggest discount is reserved for the 450SX-F, with a discount of $2500.

BMW German manufacturer BMW is offering ride-away deals on selected models until June 30. Included is the G 650 GS Sertão ($10,990), the F 800 R ($12,990), F 800 GS ($16,990), S 1000 RR ($21,990) and 2013 model K 1600 GTL ($36,990). BMW is also offering free panniers with the F 800 GT, valued at $1060.

Tax Time Savings on selected 2013 Arctic Cat machines are available, including the 450 ATV at $7390, the 550 ATV at $8990, the 700 DIESEL at $13,390 and the Prowler 550 XT $14,490.

HONDA Until June 30, Honda is offering the non-ABS CB400 for a rideaway price of $9990. LAMS approved and well suited to city and country use, the CB400 is very well suited to learners and returning riders. The VT750S is on sale at $8990 ride away. A V-twin powered cruiser which is a nice, easy bike to ride and enjoy. Honda’s CRF45R and CRF250R are available at bargain prices, too. The 2014 model Honda CRF250R is now available with a Ready to Ride price of $8690, and if your taste runs to something a little bigger, the championship winning Honda CRF450R features a Ready to Ride price of $9190. Continued on next page

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 14

Grab a great winter deal VICTORY

SUZUKI

Victory is offering free on-road costs on all its bikes until the of June, which could easily save you $1500.

Suzuki is celebrating Matt Moss’ exceptional start to his 2014 MX Nationals title defence by offering a $2,250* Championship Bonus on its motocross models, the Suzuki RM-Z250 and RM-Z450.

HUSQVARNA The last of the ‘Made in Italy’ bikes are all going out the door at heavily discounted prices they are 2014 model machines, brand new, but built in the Italian factory before the move to Austria was made. See your Husqvarna dealer.

Available now for a limited time, any new Suzuki RM-Z250 or RM-Z450 purchased and delivered before June 30 will be eligible for the $2,250 bonus which can be taken off the purchase price or spent on accessories, apparel, bling and even servicing.

MY13

Suzuki has extended its championship bonus offer of up to $1500 available on the GSX-R range of sportsbikes.

DEMO

Until June 30, every Suzuki GSX-R1000 customer will receive a $1500 bonus. And fans of the GSX-R750 and GSX-R600 sportsbikes haven’t been forgotten; they will be eligible for a $1000 bonus if they purchase before the limited offer expires. n

CLEARANCE

CAN-AM As we go to press special offers were being finalised, check the website for details.

MV AGUSTA

VICTORY Cycle Torque Retail SALE 10% Half Page_275x200mm.indd 1

1300 721 360 | www.victorymotorcycles.com.au /VictoryMotorcyclesAustralia *Offer valid while stocks last or until 31/03/2014. ^Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

2/18/2014 4:53:50 PM

MV has cut thousands of dollars off the prices of its four-cylinder machines. You could pick up a Brutale for $17,990, a Brutala RR for $21,490, an F4 for $22,990 or and F4 RR for $31,990. All prices are ride-away.

KAWASAKI During June you can pick up a Kawasaki motocrosser and get a nice cashback from the manufacturer. Buy a KX450F and you’ll receive $2500, pick up a KX250F and you receive $2000. TAP for web links to more information about the promotions on this page. www.cycletorque.com.au/more

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 15

Ride a S1000 RR at School BMW’s widely successful S 1000 RR will be available for students of the California Superbike School to hire while learning to go faster. The S 1000 R naked will be ridden by the on-track coaches. From September at Phillip Island, you’ll be able to throw a leg over a BMW while at the School. n

www.sharkleathers.com.au

SMALL TORQUE TIGHT AT THE TOP OF WSBK

You can catch the Superbike World Championship on SpeedTV, but if you’ve missed it so far you might not realise Kawasaki’s defending champion Tom Sykes is second in the standings after Honda’s Johnny Rea doubled at Monza, which put him in the championship lead by a scant four points. Sylvain Guintoli is in third, just 16 points adrift of Rea.

CHECK OUT FXSUPERBIKE

The remaining rounds of the FXSuperbike Championhips are June 27-29, Queensland Raceway, August 1-3, Winton, September 12-14, Wakefield Park and November 21-23 at Sydney Motorsport Park. Those rounds are also the four rounds of the eFXC Championship.

BMW’S PRICING CONFIGURATOR

With the myriad of options available for many BMWs, the company has launched an online pricing configurator to help you determine the ride-away price of the bike you like, set-up the way you want. Follow the link from www. cycletorque.com.au/more.

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 16

POLARIS SPORTSMAN ACE AVAILABLE Polaris’ single-seat off-road sports machine, the ACE, is available from Polaris dealers now. The machine, which has ATV-like wheels, width and performance with a single rally car style seat, steering wheel and roll cage has been one of the most anticipated new machines in years.

FIAT & MV AGUSTA?

Rumours are abounding that Fiat, the French car maker, is interested in acquiring MV Agusta. Most recently owned by Harley-Davidson, MV is doing OK but is short of cash, while Fiat likes the idea of having a premium motorcycle brand in its stable.

YAMAHA GOES TRIKE

Yamaha is building the Tricity, a scooter-powered leaning 3-wheeler. Similar in concept to the MP3 machines from Piaggio, the Tricity is aimed at being cheaper, smaller and just the ticket for commuters - but it’s unlikely we will see them in Australia, at least until they develop a larger version than the 125 being launched in various markets around the world. n

http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au/#

SMALL TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 17

GS EXPERIENCE RETURNS

Grab a test ride on one of BMW’s adventure machines during the GS Experience coming soon to Queensland, NSW and Victoria. With demonstrations of the bikes’ capabilities and the chance to ride both o bitumen and trails, the GS Experience will give you a chance to really get to know these bikes. Follow the link from www.cycletorque.com.au/more.

SUZI’S CHEAPER PAD…

Suzuki has lowered the price of many of its brake pad a shoe sets by over 30 per cent. Expect to pay $39.95-$79.95 per set, depending on your model. Unlike most nongenuine aftermarket pads, Suzuki Genuine Brake Pads feature a precision anti-squeal shim in order to prevent the high frequency vibration which can cause excessive brake noise. See your Suzuki dealer.

RATS IN COFFS

Triumph’s RATs will be invading the NSW coastal city of Coffs Harbour August 22-24 for the annual RAT RALLY. With 400 riders attending last year’s RAT Rally and the organisers taking this year’s event up a peg, it should be a fantastic event. Hosted at the grounds of the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, Rat Rally attendees will receive a commemorative RAT patch, event pin, T-shirt and Stubby holder. “Last year we thought we would warm into the event with a bit of Karaoke, it was such a hit that we’re bringing it back again this year.” Kersey added. “Saturday is going to be all about the bikes kicking off with a Show and Shine, some Demo Rides on our fleet of Triumphs, and a Mystery ride in the afternoon to name a few. But Saturday night is the big one, so our Trumpy owners better pack their best footy shorts, their oldest bluey, their favourite flanney and grow the best mullet because its a night of nights with BOGAN BINGO!”. www. cycletorque.com.au/more

RIDE WITH ‘LUCKY’ LUCCHINELLI

MV Agusta and 1981 World 500cc Champion Marco Lucchinelli have teamed up to run safety and sports-oriented riding courses over the warmer European months at various tracks in Italy. The special guest for the first course will be Noriyuki Haga… www. cycletorque.com.au/more

FOLLOW JACK & BROC

Aussie racers Jack Miller and Broc Parkes have websites, Facebook pages and Youtube videos so you can keep up with their efforts racing in MotoGP. Jack has a slick website, FaceBook page, Youtube channel and is on Twitter. Broc writes about his experiences, there are photos of the man in action and his videos tell the story too. The links are at www. cycletorque.com.au/more

HOLDER LOOKS FOR WORLD TITLE

Aussie Chris Holder is looking to chase down injured World Speedway championship leader Krzysztof Kasprzakv and Nicki Pedersen to take the 2014 crown. Kasprzaky has been the man to beat in 2014, but a recent knee injury will make it hard to stop the likes of Holder, Pedersen, Jaroslaw Hempel and Greg Hancock chasing him down. The racing, which is being broadcast on SpeedTV, has been fantastic this year and is well worth checking out. Links at www.cycletorque.com.au/more. n

www.kawasaki.com.au

EDITORIAL

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 18

Thanks for your support WITH only two weeks to go before I fly out to the Isle of Man for my son Alex to race in the TT things are certainly hotting up. He’s racing for an Isle of Man based team, one we met while at the Manx GP last year. But while the team is supplying two of the bikes, Alex has to get himself there, pay for tyres and fuel, accommodate himself and of course there’s the myriad of incidentals that will crop up while over there. Alex asked if he could hijack my editorial column to thank many of his supporters before he sets off for certainly the biggest challenge of his young life so far, so it’s over to him. “I had no real expectations at the Manx GP last year. Before going over I thought if I achieved a 104 mph lap I would be very happy. To go another 10 mph over that was almost unbelievable. “I also thought if I raced on the Isle of Man just that once I would be happy. As I said I really didn’t know what to expect and didn’t have any real plans for the TT circuit and myself after the event. “That definitely changed after I qualified

fastest for the Newcomers A race and people started taking notice of this young rider from Australia. I am aware Australians have a rich history at the TT, going back many decades, and I also understand that with Cam Donald, Josh Brookes and David Johnson racing this year I am the new guy from Australia. I look up to those guys and it does make me feel a bit special that I am in a pretty select group. “But without the help of a number of friends I wouldn’t be able to compete this year. Even though a couple of the bikes are supplied by the team, DP Coldplaning/TCR Honda, I do have to fund the 600 Supersport ride and pay for fuel etc. “I had contemplated selling my car to pay for at least some of it but when friends started offering to help me financially to get to the TT I thought maybe I’d still have a car to drive when I got back from the TT. “Whether it be $20 or thousands of dollars, I appreciate the help each and every person has given me for this trip. It all started with Jacko who was the first person to donate to the cause. Denis from Glenugie Peak Organics,

The Manx crew - Glenn, Alex, Chris and Shaun.

Mick and Carmel, and Phil and Totti from Wagga, and Tim from Hunter Valley Paintball have been big supporters and I feel indebted to them. They are all good friends but I feel honoured that they believe in me as a person. That means a lot to me. “Stuart from Australian Motorcyclist Magazine (yes I know he’s the competition) has been behind me all the way, freely giving me his time and helping me financially too, even though I never expected him to. Every little bit helps. “Family friends Glen and Sue from Active cleaning. They have believed in me from day one, and helped me last year. Glen was my fuel man at the Manx GP and has always been behind me with racing. If I need anything they are always there for me. They have offered to support me again this year and I can’t thank them enough. “Then I heard last night that a group of local friends who have a regular ‘Bible studies’ night had had a whip around to help me. I live and have grown up in a small Hunter Valley community and really love it here. In many

ways Paterson Servo/Café is a bit of a hub for our community and all things mechanical are spoken there. For the owner Mark to do this for me also makes me feel proud of where I live and the friends I have here. Just before I left Mark, Con and Ian had a bit of a presentation for me and we had a blast, enjoying a few cool beverages around the fire. “And then there’s KP catering who paid for my air fare, and Maggie and her family on the Isle of Man who is putting us up for free, and of course my own family who have always done the hard yards for my racing. I know they have gone without. “I’m going to do my best at the TT this year, and I know lots of my friends will be watching me, at least on live timing, to see how I go. I really don’t know where this road racing journey will take me. I’d like to do the North West 200, the Macau GP and even the Classic TT. Who knows, I’ll just give it my best shot and go from there. But as I said earlier, if it wasn’t for all my supporters the 2014 TT just would not be happening for me. Thank you.” – Chris Pickett

DIRTY TORQUE

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Family ride

COMBINING dirt bike riding and camping has been a part of our Australian culture for the best part of a century, but how do you carry all the bikes, and where can you do it legally? As far as my family goes, growing up in the North West Queensland mining town of Mt Isa had many advantages. Without the hindrances of living in the more populated parts of Australia we were able to combine dirt bikes and camping at will so my mother, father, two brothers and I more often than not joined other families at some of the most ideal destinations the outback has to offer. Fast forward 30 plus years, I now live in Brisbane and thankfully my two teenage daughters have inherited my family’s love of dirt bikes and camping but I am now faced with the very challenges I mentioned above… how do I get three dirt bikes, all of our dirt bike related gear as well as my small mountain of camping gear into one trailer and once loaded up where the bloody hell do we go for a weekend away? Ok, first things first, after a couple of years of struggling with a three bike motorcycle trailer and at times borrowing the work ute we bit the bullet and looked seriously into what was going to serve our purposes over the next five years or so. The fact that I work at Lifestyle Camper Trailers gave me a bit of a head start as far as seeing what so many other people have done over the years but still, trying to fit three motorcycles onto any set-up was always going to be a challenge but once I decided that I was definitely going to go with a camper trailer it was just a matter of getting the design and set-up right. To cut a long story short, I ended up with Lifestyle’s Delux Gen2 camper trailer that has a 100% Australian made chassis with a tent the was designed in-house yet

manufactured overseas. Having handed 100s of these units over to customers over the last couple of years I was confident in the package on offer so we extending the drawbar by 300mm to be able to mount a two bike rack and I purchased single motorcycle bike rack to mount one motorcycle behind the tail gate. Now the girls and I are now able to get all of our motorcycle and camping gear along with our personal belongings into the camper trailer and the fact that the Delux Gen 2 comes with a 12 foot tent with a full annex we have plenty of room to sleep and live. Our camper trailer also features 160 litres of water storage in two water tanks, a 2-burner SMEV stove, a water pump, a pantry draw, a utensil draw and a full 12 volt system for the lighting and fridge so our set-up is bloody sensational. Loading and unloading now is a complete breeze compared to a motorbike trailer or ute and the Gen 2 tows like a dream behind my Hilux. The first time I fully loaded the camper trailer my tow ball weight was just below 140kg but after some shuffling around I got that down to just over 110kg. So, now that we have the camper trailer that will take us where we want to go we have to start looking at viable destinations and thankfully there are plenty of opportunities throughout Australia, I have listed the main destinations below. A simple google search will find all of these places. Queensland - Glen Echo Dirt Bike & Camping Park - Gunalda (Gympie) - Glendon Station – Located 38km west of Warwick on Cunningham Highway. - Manar Park - Boondooma - Motocross Mountain - Cooyar

- Pratten MX – Located 20 minutes West of Warwick - Queensland Moto Park – Coulson - Off BeaudesertBoonah Road) - Springbrook Host Farm – Goomeri - The Farm – Located 14km from Blackbutt NSW/ACT - ACT Motorcycle Club - Fairbairn Park - ATV and Trailbike Territory - Narrabri area - Binacrombi Dirt Bike Farm - North of Goulburn - Catombal Range Dirt Bike Farm – Wellington - Free Flight Motocross Park - Gulgong area - Hartley Valley Holiday Farm - Lakes (Lake Macquarie Motor Bike Club) - Central NSW Coast - Lochmaree Trail Bike Farm - North of Goulburn - Louee Enduro & Motocross Complex - Near Rylstone - Macarthur Motorcycle Club – Appin - Nowra & Districts Motorcycle Club Motocross Complex - Pacific Park – Maroota - Tugalong Station - NW of Bowral - Stockton Beach Recreation Area – Newcastle Victoria - Bunyip State Park – East of Melbourne - Yarrawonga Recreational Motorcycle Park – Wangaratta NOTE: Victoria has different rules to the rest of Australia and offer recreational registration for dirt bike riders so there is huge amounts of land for camping and riding so trail bike parks aren’t as necessary as they are in other states. Tasmania Contact: - Southern Forest - Forestry Tasmania (03) 6374 2102 - Brady’s SF - Forestry Tasmania (03) 6374 2102 - Griffin Camping Area - Forestry Tasmania (03) 6374 2102

- Peron Dunes - Parks and Wildlife Service (03) 6376 1550 - Dazzler Dunes - Forestry Tasmania (03) 6374 2102 - Granville – Pieman - Parks and Wildlife Service (03) 6376 1550 - Montezuma Falls - Forestry Tasmania (03) 6374 2102 - Ocean Beach – Henty Dunes - Parks and Wildlife Service (03) 6376 1550 - Mt McCall - Parks and Wildlife Service (03) 6376 1550 Western Australia Dirt Rider Heaven – Mogumber West Moto Park - Wyalkatchem Western Australia Off-Road Park – 1 Hour from Perth West Coast Trail Bike Park – Kirup Ducks Nuts Motorbike Park – Popanyinning Note: There is a large hunk of Western Australia where you can just head bush and enjoy your camping and dirt bike passion without having to worry about annoying neighbours or copping the wrath of the powers to be. Northern Territory Note: I spoke to several people up in the Northern Territory and they are still camping like I did as child in Mt Isa, they just take off into the bush, find a spot and they can ride motorbikes and camp as they see fit - but don’t blame me if you get caught. So, there you have it, no matter where you live in Australia there is a plethora of opportunities to get out and combine camping with dirt bike riding, now you just need to get off your arse, find the right set-up, plan the next adventure and make it happen. I just did most of the hard work for you so there are no excuses. – Darren Smart

RACE TORQUE

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Giacomo Millerari It’s been a lot fun watching Jack Miller as his morphs from gangling Townsville teenager into the hottest property in the MotoGP paddock. It’s refreshing to see a rising star so unconscious of his larrikin ways who makes you laugh every time he opens his mouth. Witness the latest chapter in the Jack Miller Show. In the two races up to Jerez, he affected some sort of involuntarily Latin persona in his post-race interviews. Jack’s not taking the Mick, he just seems to have adopted a whimsical Italo-Aussie dialect. The moment he starts saying things like ‘for me’, ‘for sure’, ‘I make a good race’ and ‘I arrive’, well, we may as well consider him lost to Italy and call him Giacomo Millerari. What hasn’t changed is Miller’s classleading pace, but the events of Jerez highlight potential threats to Australia heralding its first ultra-lightweight world champion since Tom Phillis in 1961. Miller has a big heart and even bigger talent. He’s also a lot bigger than his diminutive rivals. Standing a shade under 180cm, Jack must be giving away anywhere between 5-15kg to his Latin quarry and it showed at Jerez. After getting the best possible start from pole, Jack was passed on the entry to Dry Sack twice in a matter of laps. Hauling down 10kg more at this level is significant; as is hauling both bike and rider off first gear corners. Miller claimed he had better corner speed than anyone else on the track, and while that is true, his extra weight means he runs slightly more wide – maybe 10cm – to achieve that; doesn’t sound like much but it is enough

for the others to get on the gas a tad earlier while Jack is picking his bike up a nanosecond later. This is why Jack wasn’t able to capitalise on his superior single-lap speed and eke out a lead after such a great start. Indeed, he went from first to fifth after five laps and finished a frustrating fourth. His number-one nemesis Romano Fenati, who nerfed him out of a win in Argentina in a move straight out of team owner Valentino’s Rossi play-book, qualified a lowly tenth leaving him unlikely to figure at Jerez. Wrong. Fenati levered his way forward methodically and cleanly in the early going and was in the lead by the time Jack was back in fifth. Jerez has two very slow corners with heavybraking approaches; Dry Sack and Ducados. While Jack was brilliant in consistently nailing every corner on the track, his size killed any momentum he needed to worry the leaders. When Jack wasn’t running slightly wide in a bid to hold his pace, his rivals were doing the same in what he called “crazy moves”. I watched Miller very closely and I was amazed at how hard he worked to maintain his pace. The moment he apexed a corner, with both suspension and rider under maximum load, he would thrust his noggin behind the screen and tuck his long torso across the tank and snap his elbows in way before his rivals. He had to. It was tiring just watching how hard he was working. “I tried to ride as clean a race as possible, but there are some riders who sometimes pull out some crazy overtaking moves,” not-so-happy

Romano Fenati runs into Jack Miller in the dying stages of the Argintinian GP. Fenati won, but was penalised a point for his aggressive riding.

Jack said after the race. “Every time they got in front of me we lost almost two seconds and I was trying to conserve my tyres at the same time. I had to overtake them and push, and then they got back past before running wide. Then the same routine started all over again. “On the last lap I had a good pace. I had saved my tyres enough to fight and I felt confident that I could overtake the top three riders. However, Viñales got past me, went wide again and pushed me so far off-line that I couldn’t make up the ground. It’s as simple as that. I was also by far the fastest on most corners and was overtaking well besides on the straight and the tricky Turn 11.” The next round at Le Mans (at the time of writing) may pose similar problems for Miller, but the following GPs at Mugello, Catalunya and Assen and beyond will offer the faster, flowing layouts that best suit Jack. But make no mistake, Miller is the hunted and the Fenati/ Rossi combination will be hatching plans to make his life as difficult as possible until the final chequer is thrown out at Valencia in November. The battle for Moto3 honours promises to be the most absorbing of the season. The same cannot be said of MotoGP, which looks like being the most lopsided contest

since the days of Agostini and Doohan. Given his total dominance thus far, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Marc Marquez could clean-sweep the entire season barring injury or mechanicals. Several years ago, Andrea Dovizioso coined the term ‘Alien’ for the über elite corps of Stoner, Rossi, Lorenzo and Pedrosa. Right now, Marquez is Alien in its most hideously and powerful form, the others mere bit players trying in vain to destroy him; Valentino ‘Ripley’ Rossi, Dani ‘Pvt Vasquez’ Pedrosa and Jorge ‘Bishop the Synthetic’ Lorenzo. Which brings us to Casey Stoner. He’s been travelling through the USA in his first year off in who knows when. He reportedly told an autograph hunter at a AMA Supercross race in response to whether he was considering a return to MotoGP that he would, if didn’t have to do any PR. When Casey quit the MotoGP paddock, he said he would only entertain a return if CRT bikes were gone. They are. The fact is that none of the riders liking doing PR, and simply grin and bear it, but Casey developed a particular distaste for it. Here’s a very short press release: Don’t expect a Marquez-Stoner showdown anytime soon. – Darryl Flack

GUNTRIP

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The Wheel Thing ON THIS weekend, the 20th anniversary of what’s widely considered to be the worst few days in the history of Formula 1, the papers are full of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger: reconstructions of their fatal Imola crashes, interviews with their contemporaries, annotated reprintings of their last words, respectful assessments of their legacies to the sport. An entire industry has developed around Senna in particular, raking over the minutiae of his career in search of insight into the complexities of this famously difficult character. It can be obsessive – almost hagiography – and a phenomenon not even our devotion to the deeds and the character of Mike Hailwood can approach. But as confronting as it can sometimes be, the history of the sport is as rich and rewarding as any; both challenging and intricate, laden with romance and drama. It’s the future that’s the problem. In the same issue of British magazine Autosport that deals with ‘F1’s Deadly Weekend’ there’s a small piece under the title ‘Push to Make F1 More Exciting’. ‘Teams are pushing to make Formula 1 cars more spectacular with the return of sparks, glowing brake discs and vapour trails all under consideration,’ it begins. Perhaps we’re all so familiar with it we don’t notice any more, but the F1 car has long been reduced to its vital elements: a cylinder containing powerplant, transmission and driver, bounded by four black rubber cylinders. With that as your starting point, would glowing brake discs really add dramatically to the spectacle? Surely the answer is to heighten the excitement of the racing, and that’s a problem that needs a more considered and systemic response than Christmas-cracker gimmicks. I look forward to discovering what that might be, but whatever it is it’s unlikely to challenge my devotion to motorcycle sport in its various forms. Not, of course, that, bike racing is without its problems. On the same weekend that the final moments of Ayrton Senna returned to the headlines, MotoGP was suffering from its current and apparently intractable curse: who will stop Marc Marquez? As precocious and presumptuous as ever, this 21-year-old Spaniard controlled the Jerez race as he chose, after an initial

Rossi, Marquez, Pedrosa.

Marquez puts the lean on his Italian rival.

scuffle clearing out to a four-second lead and maintaining that almost to the flag, leaving Rossi, Pedrosa and Lorenzo floundering in his wake. The dice for second fell in intensity as Lorenzo dropped back in fourth and Rossi did a good enough job of conserving his tyres to fend off Pedrosa’s half-hearted lunges in the final laps, leaving us watching Bautista, Espargaro and Smith’s dust-up for sixth, which all but carried them as far as the back wheel of Dovizioso’s fifth-placed Ducati. Not, perhaps, the most interesting of MotoGP races in, so far, a less than compelling season, but still something to behold: it’s one thing to lay rubber in a car, something else again to do it on a motorcycle – and then while cranked more than 40 degrees out of vertical with the front wheel on the point of aviation. It’s difficult to think of anything F1 has to rival that, and it’s not as though F1 cars are any faster these days. Perhaps F1 fans might take comfort from the fact that their sport is simply too big to disappear. With annual revenue around the $3 billion mark it’s hardly in the same league as Wal-Mart or Shell (both running at more than $400 billion per year) but on a par with Premier League football and way

ahead of MotoGP’s trifling $250 million. There’s a simple rule of thumb: if it’s big enough to attract Rupert Murdoch’s attention, it’s big enough to count at the councils of the mighty. Well, long may MotoGP fly under the radar. Mr Murdoch’s interests rarely coincide with mine, so the longer he looks elsewhere for acquisitions to his empire, the happier I shall be. None of which solves the thorny problem of Senor Marquez. With four wins from four this season and no apparent deficiencies to his game, there is every chance he’ll end 2014 with enough wins to secure the championship and leave the rest squabbling over the crumbs. I had hoped to see Jorge Lorenzo add to his bag of titles this year but I’m not about to put the house on that, not now. For Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Dovizioso et al, I suppose the good news is that diverse Formula 1 teams are no doubt already speculating about wooing the Spanish buccaneer into one of their driver’s seats with the promise of a fatter pay cheque than he’s ever likely to see in MotoGP. Well, let’s allow them that: they need some excitement in their lives, the poor loves, beyond the current talk about Bernie Ecclestone’s financial affairs, and Marquez will need to make a living somehow when he’s a little older and his reactions are a little slower. – Bob Guntrip

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2014 BMW R 1200 RT

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Sporting Luxury

2014 BMW R 1200 RT

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The R 1200 RT might be classified as a tourer but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a decent dollop of sports in it too.

2014 BMW R 1200 RT

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Sporting Luxury N REPORT BY CHRIS PICKETT, PHOTOS BY JEFF CROW N RIDING GEAR: KABUTO FF5 HELMET, IXON JACKET, HORNEE JEANS, DRIRIDER WET WEATHER SUIT, RFX4 GLOVES BY FIVE GLOVES, AXO FREEDOM GT BOOTS.

BMW has been an innovator for many years, and the fully-faired R 100 RT was one of the first proper touring bikes made. Ever since, BMW has had a tourer on the books, whether it be a flat twin or in later years a flat four, and then an upright four. One thing’s for sure, BMW has never let go of that flat twin layout and the new generation ‘wasser boxer’ RT is by far the best yet, mechanically, technologically and in real world performance.

Big Three This is the third new generation BMW to be fitted with the air/oil/liquid-cooled boxer engine. Both the GS and GS Adventure have already been released to much acclaim with the partially liquid-cooled engine and the new 2014 RT has benefited from it too. It’s amazing how a basic change in the engine can create a different feeling from it. As each of the wasser boxer powered models have been launched they have had heavier crankshafts. The GSA got an extra kilo of crank weight over the GS, and now the RT has another half a kilo added. This gives the RT better low down response which is perfect for the bike’s intended role of touring and a bit of sports when the road dictates such riding. The RT engine produces 92kW at 7,750rpm with a torque of 125Nm at 6,500rpm. Some changes to gearbox ratios also contribute to a slightly more ‘flexible’ feeling from the RT.

Techno Plus The latest RT is packed full of technology. Never before could you buy a boxer BMW with so much of it standard. There’s two riding modes – ‘Road’ and ‘Rain’, and there’s also ‘Dynamic’ which takes the performance of the bike up a notch. This is part of the Pro Mode

which includes the Hill Start Control function. Simply put, as you go from ‘Rain’ through to ‘Dynamic’ the performance of the bike is greater. And Hill Start is perfect for two-up fully loaded starts on dodgy inclines. Did you think quick shifters were the domain of the race track? Wrong! BMW isn’t the only manufacturer to put quick shifters on its road bikes but it’s the first to put one on that operates both up and down. And on a tourer no less. That in itself is a good indication of the sporting prowess this bike actually possesses. BMW calls this the Gear Shift Assistant pro. Now, don’t forget this bike also has ABS, Automatic Stability Control (ASC), semi-active suspension in the form of Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) and for sound lovers a stereo which is one of the best I’ve sampled on a bike. You can pair your phone into the system too. Right, what else is new? Well, there’s the new bodywork of course, new chassis, new electric windshield, new instruments including the onboard computer (the dash even has two positions), new headlight and a new host of accessories.

Fully Loaded BMW has worked out most RT buyers want their new bike kitted out with all the fruit. Basically you won’t be able to waltz in to your local dealer and order a bog stock 2014 R

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2014 BMW R 1200 RT

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1200 RT. All Australian delivered bikes basically come with everything, and besides what’s mentioned above includes Cruise Control, RDC Tyre Pressure Monitoring, alarm, heated grips and seats, and a spot to plug in the BMW GPS system. A no cost option is the High or Low rider’s seats. There are numerous accessories available, from the Akrapovic slip-on muffler to a colour-matched top box and tank bag. The test bikes were all fitted with the accessory navigation system and even accessory clear film on the pannier lids. The bike costs $29,990 in standard specification but when you see what those standard specs are I think you’ll see this bike is very well priced for what you get.

Highways and Byways There were two restrictions to exploring the limits of the RT’s road-holding during the launch. One was the rain during the two days and also my wife on the back. Luckily for me I remember the previous RT launch which had us riding the previous generation of RT – an amazing machine by the way – in a way probably never envisaged by BMW. I can’t emphatically say the latest RT handles better than the previous model due to the conditions but I believe it will, mainly because I had already experienced the Dynamic ESA. This semi-active suspension system works very well and to be honest I find it hard to fault. There were times I had the system set in soft and this tended to take some weight off the front and therefore reduce the steering feel. But, this was because I wanted to give my wife a softer ride for her crook back. When I had it in ‘Normal’ setting I could feel the improvement in steering but generally I was happy to have it in soft for the type of riding I was doing two-up. Seeing it was raining almost all the time I was able to test both the ABS and ASC. Once again, both are very hard to fault. You can basically slam the brakes on and just pull up, even in atrocious conditions, and likewise you can whack the throttle open while leaned over and the ASC will stop you from high-siding. Nothing’s infallible and I’m sure you could outfox the system if you so desired, somehow. But for me, both ABS and ASC work brilliantly. Other things I liked were the feather light hydraulic clutch, electric screen which is easy to use and very well shaped, and the Hill Start. This just requires you to pull the front brake on hard before the ‘off’ and then concentrate on getting the bike rolling without having to worry about co-ordinating the clutch, throttle and brakes. As you roll off the brake releases and away you go. You might think the quick shifter is a bit naff for this type of bike but I liked it. It does work better at some revs than others, and going from first to second gear wasn’t always smooth. I found the system worked best when riding slightly more aggressively than just cruising

along. I didn’t use it all the time, rather I used a combination of clutch or quick shifter depending on how and where I was riding. Overall I think most people will like it when they adapt themselves to getting the best out of it. It’s a comfy jigger too. Both rider and pillion seats are heated, and you can adjust the rider’s seat in two positions. I would like the footpegs to be slightly wider for me but this is a personal thing. Really this bike is built to do lots of kilometres in comfort. My wife found the bike very comfortable and said she would like the top box to use as a back rest. Probably a better indication of the RT’s pillion comfort is the last time my wife and I did a full day’s ride on a sports tourer her back gave her plenty of grief for days after (she does have a back condition) but two full days on the RT gave no such problems.

Verdict This is the best RT yet. The engine is an absolute beauty, you can ride it hard and it loves it or you can be real lazy with the gears and it still loves it. Handling is also a real strong point of the new RT, as is the comfort and the technology. I could go on but if you are in the market for a tourer or even a Sports Tourer you should test ride the new R 1200 RT. n MORE

2014 BMW R 1200 RT

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www.cycletorque.com.au/more www.bmwmotorrad.com.au

Panniers have the central locking system and are cavernous.

Best boxer engine yet.

Adjustable screen.

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : BMW R 1200 RT Engine Type: Air/liquid-cooled flat twin Capacity: 1170cc Transmission: 6-speed and shaft drive Fuel Capacity: 25 litres Frame Type: Two section frame Seat Height: 805/825mm Wet Weight: 274kg Front Suspension: BMW Telelever Rear Suspension: BMW Paralever Brakes: Twin discs with 4-piston calipers on front, twin piston caliper on rear Tyres: 120/70-17, 180/55-17 Price (RRP): $29,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

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1300 721 360

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2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

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Transformer

2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

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Is it a cruiser? Is it a tourer? You choose...

2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

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N REPORT BY NIGEL PATERSON, PHOTOS BY JEFF CROW/TRIUMPH N RIDING GEAR: AXO BOOTS, IXON JACKET & PANTS, NOLAN HELMET

Transformer CRUISERS can make good touring bikes, although anyone who thinks Fonda and Hopper would have been comfortable on the choppers in Easy Rider obviously hasn’t done serious miles on such a machine - screens, bags and a less-radical riding position make life a lot more comfortable. While the standard Triumph Thunderbird is a far cry from the Easy Rider choppers, spending long days on a naked cruiser can be tiring as you hold yourself into the wind blast. So Triumph has built the Thunderbird LT, a cruiser which transforms to a tourer in a matter of minutes.

The transformer When you ride your new Thunderbird LT out of the dealer’s yard, you’re likely to be riding it with a screen, leather saddlebags, dual seats… maybe even a pillion backrest. When you get home, you can pop the screen off, without tools, in seconds – making your tourer into a bagger. Whip out the spanners and a few minutes later you’ve got a cruiser - solo seat, no bags, no screen, cool style.

headlights; laced wheels and white-wall radials; passenger footboards; the 2.5mm-thick leather saddlebags; passenger backrest; screen and lots of styling and details changes to make everything work right. As a touring bike, the Thunderbird LT is comfortable - Triumph has put a lot of effort into the sculptured multiple-foam type seat – and effortless to ride. The handlebars offer an upright riding position while the footboards are set forward, but not radically so. With the screen taking the brunt of the wind blast off your chest, the LT is fun to ride on freeways and winding roads.

Make a shopping trip through the Triumph accessory catalogue and you might transform it back to a tourer with heated handgrips, crash bars, highway pegs, a taller screen…

The bike’s handling is very good. Equipped with the world’s first white-walled radials (yep, I had no idea either…) the big LT rolls nicely over through fast or low speed turns, giving you the confidence to have fun and wear out the replaceable inserts in the footboards, which touch down during spirited riding, and often on roundabouts.

The tourer

Spirited riding is made safer with the standard ABS working in conjunction with the three big discs to haul the LT down to speed quickly if the need arises.

The first of the bikes to land in Australia featured lots of accessories, so you’re not seeing stock bikes on these pages - and it turns out Triumph owners don’t usually buy bikes stock much either, often choosing to have their dealer add a few accessories during pre-delivery.

For the LT Triumph uses dual rate rear springs with a longish-stroke – 109mm. This means its suspension works better than most cruisers, especially over poor road surfaces.

Standard, the changes from the Thunderbird Commander are significant - including the change to a single headlight with running lights, rather than the Commander’s twin

At 185cm, I found the standard screen to throw most of the airflow over my helmet, but not all of it, so occasionally I’d notice a bit of buffeting as the turbulent air swirled around

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2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT

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CYCLE TORQUE

my lid. Adding the taller, optional screen reduced this turbulence and made the ride even quieter, but it is so tall I was forced to look through, rather than over, the screen. This is fine most of the time, but as the weather deteriorated, I was left looking for the windscreen wiper switch. “It’s next to the cruise control button,” another journo told me, as I quipped the tall screen needed a wiper. He was, of course, pointing out the most glaring omission of the bike, its lack of cruise control.

On the road The LT has a new frame, a modified version of the older Thunderbird’s chassis to allow a lower seat, so they could add 30mm more seat foam, which has resulted in one of the most comfortable seats ever fitted to a motorcycle. Being nice and low allows of easy manoeuvrability of the 380kg machine, being sculptured and heavily padded makes it wonderful on the long haul.

The Thunderbird LT is comfortable enough to ride 1000km in a day, but a cruise control would make such a task even easier, but there isn’t one available.

There are three different foam densities built into the seat, and the design features lumbar support. I found it even more comfortable with the pillion seat removed.

Technology in general is hidden away behind the classic styling of the LT. There’s the ABS I mentioned, but there are no badges advertising that fact. There’s EFI, there’s a smart engine management system… but the only outward signs of it all is an LCD panel in the tank-mounted instruments which can display various trip and fuel-related information, and myriad of idiot lights which are only visible when lit up, and that’s often only if something goes wrong.

The stretch out to the foot controls is pretty easy - they are set forward, but not ridiculously so. In fact, I think this bike caters well for a big variety of sizes and shapes of rider - I’m tall and found it comfortable, but shorter riders will still be able to ride this bike easily, although it’s definitely a heavyweight machine.

Triumph has done as awesome job of building a very modern cruiser which the muggles will think is a restored classic.

The power Triumph’s Thunderbird engine is the world’s biggest parallel twin at 1699cc. It’s watercooled, with the radiator hiding between the frame rails. It has a 270-degree crank to produce an offset firing order, which means it feels more like a V-twin than a classic parallel twin to ride.

On tour Luggage is the big bugbear of touring, for not all of us want to travel with a toothbrush and a credit card. While not as touring-focussed as the latest Trophy, the LT (which stands for Light Touring) can certainly take you places. The twin 23-litre bags will swallow a decent amount of luggage and the optional carry rack behind the pillion seat is suited to an overnight bag without fuss. Solo, more gear can go on the pillion seat, but the tank design means a tank bag isn’t an option. The panniers include integrated internal pockets, waterproof liners are available, and a 12v power adaptor is available too.

Smoothing it all out are twin balance shafts, but thankfully they don’t rob the bike of its heartbeat.

If you want GPS navigation, you’ll have to add it to the handlebars…

The four-valve motor is more about effortless torque than huge horsepower, but the LT will fire away from the lights hard if you want it to, while the six-speed ’box makes for relaxed touring, too. Top gear is an overdrive, and interestingly the T-bird is the only Triumph to feature helical cut gears.

Two for the price of one?

Triumph only claims 91bhp and 151Nm of torque for the LT, but with peak power arriving at just 5750rpm and more than 90 per cent of its torque available at just 2000rpm, there’s always grunt on tap. The burnt gasses exit via a new set of unique pipes – triangular in shape as though flattened along the top edge, so the panniers have more room. Final drive is by toothed belt.

This isn’t the first bike to offer the quick-change scenario of switching from tourer to bagger to crusier, but it’s one which does the change very well. The bike looks great stripped back, more functional and classic when dressed up. In Australian conditions, this combination offers a lot of benefits. Time for a winter tour? Tall screen, wind protectors and driving lights. Summer evening cruise? Strip it back… Priced at $23,490 plus your state’s on road costs, you can choose between blue/white or ruby red, and you get a lot of motorcycle for your money. n

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TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT Engine Type: Liquid-cooled parallel twin Capacity: 1699cc Transmission: 6-speed and belt drive Fuel Capacity: 22 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel, twin spine Seat Height: 700mm Wet Weight: 338kg Front Suspension: Showa 47mm telescopic forks Rear Suspension: Showa twin shocks Brakes: Twin discs with 4-piston calipers on front, twin piston caliper on rear Tyres: 150/80-16, 180/70-16 Price (RRP): $23,490 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

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Engine pulls like a train.

Rear styling looks a treat.

Footboards make life easy.

Leather panniers are easy to remove.

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2014 KTM 350SX-F

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KTM’s Little Big-Bore

2014 KTM 350SX-F

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With its appetite for revs, the 350SX-F offers the fun of a 250, with more go...

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2014 KTM 350SX-F

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KTM’s Little Big-Bore N TEST BY TODD REED, PHOTOS BY BRIAN DYER

KTM’S 350SX-F is an open class machine with a mid-sized engine, the perfect compromise for many riders in the motocross paddock. Introduced in 2011, it has slowly gained popularity among riders and has become a major seller for KTM. In 2013, KTM gave the 350 a massive overhaul which turned a lot of heads and really made the mid-sized KTM a bike to consider. For 2014 we see some minor updates and of course, bold new graphics. It’s priced at a very reasonable $10,995.

Features Placed in a very competitive open class market the 350cc DOHC four-stroke engine has a number of well engineered features, which when combined as a package makes the mid-sized KTM a very attractive prospect, and an underrated one. The engine is similar to that of the KTM 250SX-F; the two engines actually share a host of components and an almost identical bottom end design. They differ in the top end where the bore and stroke are obviously quite different, which requires a whole host of parts unique to a 350cc engine. The cylinder head and valve train components are also slightly different. The simplicity of a plain bearing design in the bottom end of the crankshaft and a direct pressure lubrication system that ensures maximum lubrication, gives the 350cc engine considerable performance gains and drastically improved reliability. In some cases this gives KTM 350 owners up to double the life out of their crank when compared to some of the other motocross bikes on dealer floors. A durable 5-speed gearbox and compact steel clutch go hand in hand to deliver precise shifting and maximum traction at the rear wheel. In what is an

interesting design, the counter-balancer shaft on the 350 acts a multi-function shaft, as it also drives the timing chain and water pump simultaneously. This all leads to less moving parts, less weight and as a result, improved reliability. The Keihin electronic fuel injection system, together with a revolutionary new injector position developed by KTM, ensures that the 350SX-F is responsive and punchy at the throttle. Further attention has been paid to the wiring harness on the new KTM, a simpler design with more durable plugs, connectors and rubber grommets improving the reliability of the electrical system. The electric starter features a new starter freewheel, simply this is designed to improve the lifespan of the electric starting system. Continued on next page

2014 KTM 350SX-F

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The chromoly steel chassis and WP suspension remain very much the same as what we saw on the 2013 model. 48mm WP closed cartridge bladder style forks soak up the bumps, and are housed in black anodised CNC machined triple clamps which offer precise handling and flex characteristics in the front end. Not to mention, they also look really cool. An updated suspension valving spec in both the forks and shock give the 350 a more improved feel for the rider over previous years. The rear linkage system and WP shock have been underneath the KTM motocross bikes for a few years now and the combination has proven to be as good as anything else on the market. The cast aluminium swingarm is a very technical and complex design, which offers very precise handling on the track.

On Track In the past, jumping on a KTM usually required the rider to adjust a little bit to the characteristics of the Austrian machinery. Nowadays, the KTM has much more of a conventional setup and riders will adapt very quickly to the orange rocketships. The Renthal 827 Fatbars are comfortable, and the Brembo brakes and hydraulic clutch further elevate the performance of the cockpit. Once you build some speed on the track you will quickly fall in love with the brakes and find yourself pushing your corner entry speed to an all time high. The newer, firmer seat will be quickly noticed by almost anyone who has thrown a leg over a KTM in the past few years. Its not really much different to the past, now it’s just more comfortable. The engine power output is smooth and controlled, but this engine loves to be revved. It’s like riding a really fast 250 four-stroke. Sure, the 350 is good off the bottom, but the mid-sized KTM really shows it colours once you get into the midrange and keep twisting the throttle. The 350 SX-F will rev to over 13,000 RPM, so don’t be scared to give it some stick and see what it can do. Year after year, the Austrians continue to improve the WP suspension and this year is no exception. Small changes to the internal valving have improved feel for the rider and the standard setting will be quite good for most people.

The standard spring rates are quite heavy when compared to some of the competition, however they don’t at all feel stiff once you are on the bike. The big jumps and bumps aren’t a problem either, and the 350 offers good bottoming resistance. Under acceleration and at slower speeds the KTM stays straight and maintains its line well. A few clicker adjustments and setting the sag correctly at 102mm will keep most people satisfied. Overall the KTM 350SX-F suspension does the job well and will keep riders happy for the most part, but we look forward to further improvements in the suspension department from the folks at WP and KTM.

Verdict It’s an in-between bike you will either love or hate. If you are a serious big-bore open class 450cc rider then the 350 is probably not your bike. For everyone else, the KTM 350SX-F is a real contender. The sharp handling paired with the fast, fun and punchy 350cc four-stroke engine makes the mid sized KTM an absolute blast to ride. To top things off its one of the most reliable bikes on the market and comes straight from dealer floors in race ready condition. n

2014 KTM 350SX-F

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2014 KTM 350SX-F

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Brakes are unchanged from 2013.

Mid sized rocket.

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : KTM 350 SX-F Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single Capacity: 349.7cc Transmission: 5-speed and chain drive Fuel Capacity: 7.5 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel frame Seat Height: 992mm Dry Weight: 104.9kg Front Suspension: WP USD forks, fully adjustable Rear Suspension: WP monoshock, fully adjustable Brakes: Single disc front and rear. Tyres: 80/100-21, 110/90-19 Price (RRP): $10,995 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more

Engine loves to rev.

New graphics for 2014.

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Closed Chamber forks work well.

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KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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Season Of The Beast

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KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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It might be an old CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 50 cliche but KTMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all new Super Duke R really is an iron fist in a velvet glove.

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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N TEST BY CHRIS PICKETT, PHOTOS BY NIGEL PATERSON N RIDING GEAR: SHOEI HELMET, IXON AIRWAY JACKET, RFX4 GLOVES BY FIVE GLOVES, AXO FREEDOM GT BOOTS, HORNEE JEANS.

Season Of The Beast BEFORE riding the KTM 1290 Super Duke R I had it in my head it would be a firebreathing thing with minimal road manners and not much in the way of any creature comforts. The reasoning behind this was a video I watched on YouTube which showed some European bike tester flipping the bike big time. He was all Steve McQueen cool too, stepping over the seat of the bike as he rode off, then giving the bike a shot of throttle which ended up in the new 1290 cartwheeling up the pit lane of some nondescript circuit in Euro Land. Bloody hilarious if you ask me. After watching the video about 20 times I made a mental note not to turn the traction control off when I ended up riding the orange monster.

(that’s serious), and an electronics package with fly-by-wire, which allows three different riding modes. You can choose between ‘Rain’, ‘Street’ and ‘Sport’ modes. Both ‘S’ modes give you full power up top, with ‘Street’ a softer initial throttle response. ‘Rain’ limits power to 100hp and a softer throttle response again.

But don’t take my word that it’s a monster. A quick look at the specs sheet says it all. Try 123kW (180hp) and 144Nm of torque. Peak power is delivered around 8800 rpm while torque is at 6500rpm. It weighs under 190 kilos without fuel so here we have a bike which doesn’t weigh much but has stonking grunt. And as we all know, that’s a great recipe for a fast road bike.

Traction Control (MTC) is part of the electronics package, as is ABS. The MTC changes for each riding mode, the sportier mode you select the less MTC input. The ABS remains constant in its input through the modes but you can either turn it off or go into ‘Supermoto’ mode which keeps ABS working in the front but not the rear. Basically you can engage ABS on the front while simultaneously locking up the rear as you slide it into a corner. Good luck with that. For the real thrill seekers out there you can also turn off the MTC.

Engine

Chassis and ancillaries

KTM has produced its big capacity V-twins for years now and besides some early teething problems seems to have them really sorted in recent years. Using the old RC8 R engine as the basis, KTM increased capacity to 1301cc. Some of the highlights of the engine include twin spark heads, which is nothing new but does improve power and smoothness, a slipper clutch, 13.2:1 compression

I reckon it’s great to see KTM sticking with its tubular steel frame, which is a mix of oval and round chrome-moly thin walled steel, and an alloy bolt on rear subframe. It works and it’s light so there’s never been a need for KTM to go alloy twin spar, which is arguably no better anyway.

Continued on next page

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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KTM owns WP suspension so it’s natural it’s on the Super Duke R. The 48mm forks have separate damping circuits and are fully adjustable. At the rear KTM has gone the single sided swingarm route and it wins plenty of points on looks alone. And the WP shock is fully adjustable also.

Ride Time The two things which immediately piqued my interest when I first rode the bike were the footpegs which were mounted further back than I expected, and how smooth the engine was as I rode off down the road. Not long after that I noticed how good the fuelling was. I’d have to say pretty much all KTM V-twins I’ve ridden have suffered from poor fuelling, some worse than others. They were very on/off and bumpy roads exacerbated the problem if you were cruising along. Ride them hard and it was far less of an issue. Now before KTM lovers crucify me, Cycle Torque did own a 990 Adventure and we all loved it, so I do have some runs on the board here. The 1190 Adventure R I tested was much better than early ones but the new 1290 Super Duke R seems to be better again. Spot on, in fact. We’ve already ascertained that on paper the beast has lots of horsepower. In real life it feels very strong. Crack this baby open and you are accelerating real fast. It doesn’t feel litre sportsbike fast, despite the output claims, but it’s not far behind. The short wheelbase makes it lots of fun too, with slight bumps in the road lofting the front wheel. Of course there might have been some throttle provocation involved but the 1290 does not mind lofting the front, which is fine by me. The bike is slightly over-geared I think, with top gear (6th) too tall for sitting on 100 km/h. This is an engine which doesn’t really like to be laboured so I found myself cruising along in 5th mostly. On one long section of twisties I alternated between 3rd and 4th gears most of the time and the engine was real happy. Despite what I’ve just said, the engine is quite flexible, I just think adding 1-2 teeth on the rear would make it better. I liked the fact you could ride quickly without really trying. Sit in 4th gear, don’t

hang off, use the engine braking to slow you down and you will find this bike is quick. The riding position allows you to ride like this very easily. Take it up a notch and it becomes an altogether different animal. Turn the MTC off, start letting the engine rev right out, smash the Brembos late, hang right off and you’ll find the Super Duke R lofting the front out of corners with gay abandon. Hang on for the ride ’cause this baby likes to run free and hard. It’s rare you can get a bike which has such extreme personalities. You will love commuting on the 1290 because the power is so smooth, the gearbox slick, the riding position comfy and a seat height to suit a wide range of people. At the other end of the scale the bike can be a real beast and you will love it for that too. KTM even makes a good range of accessories for the 1290, including some touring kit. The plastic tank is 18 litres and even if ridden spiritedly this will give a range of near 250 kilometres. Not bad for this sort of bike.

Final word I almost find it hard to believe how good modern bikes are and the 1290 is no exception. In fact it’s brilliant. $23,500 sounds expensive for a KTM but that’s because most people think dirt bikes when they think KTM. If you’ve never sampled a KTM road bike then try this one. You’ll be blown away. n

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R

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S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R Engine Type: Liquid-cooled V-twin Capacity: 1301cc Transmission: 6-speed and chain drive Fuel Capacity: 18 litres Frame Type: Tubular space frame Seat Height: 835mm Dry Weight: 189kg Front Suspension: USD WP, fully adjustable Rear Suspension: WP Monoshock, fully adjustable Brakes: Twin discs with 4-piston calipers on front, twin piston caliper on rear Tyres: 120/70-17, 190/55-17 Price (RRP): $23,500 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 54

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1800 24 34 64 WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*

Front styling mimics the MX models.

Selecting riding modes is simple.

Standard muffler sounds beasty.

Special R.

KTM 1290 CYCLE TORQUE SUPER DUKE R Test

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KTM 1290 CYCLE TORQUE SUPER DUKE R Test

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Cycle Torque Feature Bob Blythe

Beautiful bikes, a carnival atmosphere and lots of people, it must be the Barry Sheene Festival of Speedâ&#x20AC;Ś

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 59

Cycle Torque Feature

HISTORIC racing is going from strength to strength in Australia and while the on track action, and the carnival atmosphere in the background is all part of the fun, it’s perhaps the people in the background of these events which have the most interesting stories to tell. The Barry Sheene Festival of Speed started life as a Bob Blythe-run InCA meeting. Blythe organised riders of the calibre of John Cronshaw to come out from the UK and showcase his talents, or for Aussies to test themselves against one of the best exponents of classic road racing in the world. During Blythe’s time he managed to bring out numerous Phillis, Campbell big names, including Jim Redman and this Honda six cylinder GP bike from the ’60s. This of course brought many paying customers through the gate to see such exotica. Plenty of riders lined up to and Blythe made sure the racing classes made for great racing. After a few years Blythe moved on as the promoter of the meeting, and the Post Classic Racing Association NSW(PCRA) basically took it on.

An English fan living in NZ made this plaster wall hanging of Phil read and sent it with the NZ team captain.

The Prize.

Since then the meeting has attracted many great names from the past. The bikes have got faster, the riders more current, and the action as full on as any modern bike race meeting. If you think old bikes are slow then think again. Some of the times riders like Shawn Giles, Cam Donald and Michael Dibb are doing on their Period 5 Unlimited machines would make many a modern bike racer weep. Cycle Torque caught up with current BSFoS organiser Peter MacMillan to see what goes on behind the scenes and hear about some of the ups and downs over the last decade and a half. “I have been organising the BSFoS for four years but the PCRA will have been the promoters for 10 years at the 2015 meeting. I took over when the person organising stood down due to work commitments and no-one else had the time to devote to it. I had no organising experience other Continued on next page

Event Commentator Robert Johnston dragged out his Black Sheep suit to help make the Kiwi’s feel at home.

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 60

Crosby, Magee

than a keen interest in motorcycling road racing and a belief that the BSFoS was something special and had to keep going.

Marcus De Caux

, Phil Read

“Getting sponsors on board has been difficult at times but QBE and Honda have both shown their faith in us and the meeting by being a part of it for more than four years. Getting interstate riders to the event has also been challenging, as well as encouraging more spectators to the event. I think it would be good for the meeting and the sport if former Australian champions attended the event, like Graeme Crosby does for the New Zealand leg. Getting media involved in the event hasn’t been easy either but we do have growing support from two of the main motorcycling media publications. The other big challenge has been transitioning it from a PCRA club event to a serious international event. I believe we are well on the way to that. “The biggest success is undoubtedly the introduction of the Trans-Tasman Challenge which has developed into a truly international two round series (Round 1 at Eastern Creek and Round 2 at Hampton Downs in New Zealand). The 2015 meeting will be its 5th year and although the Kiwis have won the last three years there is a great rivalry developing. This year it was great to see New Zealand and Aussie flags flying throughout the pits. Continued on next page

Cam Donald

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 61

Cycle Torque Feature From the spectators point I think the Spectator Parade laps have been a great initiative letting people who only dream of riding on a race track feel the adrenalin rush in a controlled environment for no more than the entry price to the event. Also the introduction of the trade stands has given traders a place to show their wares and the spectators something to look at between races. It has also added a more carnival atmosphere to the pit area. “We are now getting less of the earlier period machines which is a real shame. I think the main reason is due to the machines getting too old to be used in anger and the riders getting older too. Some of these bikes are to valuable to risk which is a shame. Also interstate riders are not keen to travel to NSW despite many NSW riders making the long journey to interstate meetings. “I think the racing is definitely better now than before. This year we had competitors from New Zealand, Japan and England. You only had to be at the meeting this year to witness the great battle between Cam Donald and Michael Dibbs with Cam setting a new track record. The spectators couldn’t have wished for better racing. We are also becoming oversubscribed in certain classes which is a good problem to have. “Making sure the BSFoS maintains momentum and improves each year isn’t easy. We scrutinize every aspect and look at what worked well, worked OK and didn’t work at all. Although there really isn’t the time to dwell for too long on the bad, all we can do is pick ourselves up and build on the things that worked and make them better for the next year. Not all decisions are popular with riders but for the sake of the meeting’s survival we need to sometimes make choices with certain classes which their participants may not like. Take the Barry Sheene Memorial race where the fastest 40 riders in up to Period 6 classes battled it out. This race was very popular and had some fantastic racing. In 2015 we are looking at running the Barry Sheene Memorial race over legs with an increase in race distance for both legs. “I started racing in 1970 and retired in 1982. I started racing again in in 2013 and do so when I have the time. Organising the meeting hasn’t diminished my passion for motorcycle racing but it does leave me a lot less time to devote to racing. “I am very proud of what we have achieved with the BSFoS and I think the 2014 event was one of the best yet. It’s the first time we’ve had invited International ‘stars’ and that has moved us into a new area with all the learning that goes with that. We are already planning the 2015 event and there’s lots happening. Until we have contracts signed we can’t say who our guest or guests will be but as they say, ‘watch this space’. We really can’t go backwards now can we!” n

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MICHELIN’S Pilot Road 4 tyres have pushed even further the wet weather performance and longevity of the old Pilot Road 3. In fact Michelin state the Road 4 lasts 20 per cent longer than the Road 3, and stops 17 per cent faster than its closest competitor on wet roads. Available in 17, 18 and 19 inch front, and 17 inch rear sizes to suit modern motorcycles. PRICE: See Michelin stockists for prices. AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CLASSIC STYLE HARLEY-Davidson has some great new shirts out just in time for winter. Check out the Genuine Classics Long Sleeve Tee which is 100 per cent cotton with an Allover garment wash, Raglan sleeves and an embroidered graphics on the front.

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AUSSIE oilskin is a fabulous fabric that develops a stylish patina over years of use. It does, however, have some downsides. It’s greasy and essentially a clothing fabric so as a bag fabric it wears more rapidly that nylon fabrics at stress points and corners. The simplest solutions was to replace the fragile bits with really tough ones. They have also move to new generation ‘oilless’ oilskin. Officially called Fortress it turns 100 per cent cotton fabric into a microporous, hydrophobic, breathable, washable bag that looks just like old fashioned oilskin. This is now the one and only fabric option for Andy Strapz Sholda Bagz.

PRICE: $949 + shipping AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Direct from Mototoys MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

SUPER ADVENTURE

WINGS has produced slip on mufflers for the new KTM 1190 Adventure and 1290 Super Duke. Cycle Torque knows first hand the build quality of the Wings exhausts. They are built to last, are lighter than standard exhausts and sound awesome. Fitting is easy, and the muffler comes with all the kit you need to change it over. And Wings distributor Mototoys will warranty the muffler for as long as you own your bike.

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CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 65

IBIKE STUFF

BARRED FOR LIFE

PROTECT hard-working ATVs from the sort of damage these vehicles are subject to everyday in the tough rural environment. Be it impact damage or your stock rubbing on the vehicle, even just careless operators, Ventura bull bars will save $$$ lost on repairs, downtime and trade-in value. Ventura ATV bull bars are super-rugged, featuring thick-walled steel tube construction and top quality workmanship. Hot-dip galvanised for an extremely hard wearing finish and ultra-long life. To suit all 2014 HONDA TRX420 Rancher and TRX500F Foreman models. PRICE: $589 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Leading motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

LADY BLADE

THE Airblade Pro ladies fit jacket has built in Panasonic ear phones (For Ipod, Phone, GPS, etc..) The jacket has cool ‘airflow’ safety mesh and 600 denier heavy duty polyester keeping the elements sorted, helped by the dual liner system – water proof and thermal winter. It also has quality zips which last, CE approved body armour and a heavy duty foam back protector Two external and internal pockets have loads of room and includes an integrated mobile phone / MP3 player “arm pocket”. The double stitching keeps them in place. The Scotchlite 3M night safety reflectives keep PRICE: $225 you nice and bright too. AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

PRICE: $159.95 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: From good motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CARBONISED

USING real carbon-fibre, Barkbusters has manufactured a product suitable for most street applications. Carbon protects the rider’s hand from flying stones and debris while offering protection from the elements. Finished with a gloss coated resin the Carbon Handguards are UV stable and will not fade or yellow over time. Carbon can be fitted in several different fashions and can replace existing Storm, VPS or JET plastics. With fitting kits available for most bikes this sophisticated product adds that carbon touch with a practical application at an affordable price.

PRICE: $220 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Direct from Earmold or certified agents MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

EARMOLD Australia’s fourth generation Recreational Stereo wires sound great, fit great under your helmet and stay in place, even when exercising. The updated system uses a single Knowles balanced musician’s driver and is built to handle the rigours of everyday use. It’s cased in a waterproof hard resin casing and covered in rubber to prevent tapping and wind transfer noise. The total length of the system is around 60cm, and there are optional extension cables, volume control cables and microphone cables available.

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 66

http://yshop.yamaha-motor.com.au

USED & REVIEWED CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 67 CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 67

Freedom GT I’ve worn AXO’s Freedom GT in a number of different styles of riding recently. Firstly I inadvertently grabbed them for an adventure bike launch and although I realised my mistake I had no choice to wear them. This was on steel toothed footpegs and over some pretty rough terrain, much of it while standing up. I was impressed the boots, and my feet for that matter, took that punishment considering these boots are designed for road touring. I like the way the boots feel when on the bike and also when walking, as you tend to do a bit when you are touring around. I can confirm they are waterproof even when I cleaned them with the hose to get three days of dirt off them. If styling is a factor in your buying decisions you should like the Freedom GT boots. There’s plenty of suede on the outside, which I particularly like, and they just look cool. The boots are fitted with the BOA TECHNOLOGY ratcheting system which closes up the shin flap against your leg. Using it is easy, and I suspect it’s there for two reasons, for added waterproofing and mainly for added support in the event of an accident. Since then I’ve used the boots on everything from the naked KTM Super Duke R I’m currently testing, my old Honda VF1000 and also our long term Moto Guzzi V7 Stone, and in all kinds of weather too. Overall they fit well, look great, keep the water out and don’t get too hot on a summer’s day.

PRICE: $299.95 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: From good motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

Cool Air NOW, many people riding motorcycles in Vietnam might not usually wear protective clothing but I do, and the Ixon Airway HP jacket was the perfect jacket when I did the tour through Vietnam earlier in the year. As you would expect it can get a bit warm in Vietnam and the ‘Air Flow Process’ mesh panels made life easier and less sweaty I can tell you. But the jacket’s still got CE armour on elbows and shoulders, and a built in back protector too. It comes with a rain jacket which can be worn either underneath or over the top of the jacket. I did use this on one occasion in Vietnam and it is waterproof. I also like the high visibility green striping which really more in vogue these days, and it fits in well with the styling. I’ve since continued to wear the jacket back in Australia as the weather has still been a bit warm, and the Airway really is a summer jacket. So top marks from Ixon. The Airway jacket is comfortable, and it’s cool, in more ways than one. It comes in a variety of colours and sizes.

PRICE: $209.05 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: From good motorcycle stores MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 68

QUAD TORQUE NEWS CAN-AM has gone all out with its new six wheel drive Outlander 1000 XT. Can-Am bill it as a work and recreational vehicle, and with an extra axle allowing both extra length and a decent sized tray area, the 6x6 Outlander will go places even the bravest of 4WD ATV owners will think twice about tackling. Powering the Outlander is the regular 82 horsepower Rotax V-twin engine which is fuel injected and liquid cooled. With extra low gearing from the CVT transmission the six wheel beast can tow 750 kg. The extra long bed can carry over 300 kg and the front rack 45 kg, so this is one serious ATV load hauler. Talking of the bed, it can be configured in multiple ways and it also has tilt assist to make tipping much easier. Using a lengthened version of Can-Am’s SST G2 frame with nearly 30cm of ground clearance, the 6x6 travels sweetly in the rough stuff due to the long overall wheelbase. This is helped

WHEELS GALORE by double torsional trailing arm independent rear suspension. You can adjust the rear suspension by a quick-release sway bar and five-way preload adjustable shocks. Likewise up front, the 6x6 Outlander uses independent long travel suspension, and operating it all is a snap with the tri-mode dynamic power steering system, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, and a Visco-Lok QE auto-locking front differential. It comes standard with a skid plate and winch, and weighs in just over 500kg without fuel. Other features include powerful headlights, mulitfunction gauges including a tacho, and a massive alternator for power accessories making sure you don’t get stuck out in the back blocks due to a flat battery. n

E K IN F N O E K A T POLARIS RACING TO

AFTER recently winning the first round of the 2014 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) SXS (Side by Side) Challenge in Western Australian Polaris Racing Australia has announced its entry for the first time into the 2014 Finke Desert Race. Four time Asia Pacific Rally Champion and Polaris Racing Team Driver Cody Crocker and Co-Driver Greg Foletta are excited to take on the Alice Springs desert race for their first time. “I can’t wait to spend two-days racing off road in the Finke Desert Race. It has been something I have wanted to do for a very long time and I am excited that Polaris has decided to enter Finke this year. At the recent first round of the ARC in WA I got to race for the first time the team’s new Polaris RZR XP 1000. This machine is just incredible and I look forward to tackling the desert in it,” said Cody Crocker. Last year 12 SXS raced in the Finke Desert Race, eleven of which were Polaris RZR vehicles. Polaris teams took out the first four places with the RZR XP 900. This year many competitors will race the newly launched RZR XP 1000. It will be an exciting race on the 7-9 of June and all the action will be posted from the event on Polaris Australia’s Facebook pages, and also on Team RZR’s. n

QUAD TORQUE NEWS

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 69

AUSSIE DESIGNED POLARIS says it has released the first ever ATV designed from the ground specifically for Australian and New Zealand markets. The UTE 570 offers the typical capabilities of a ute combined with the nimbleness of an ATV, according to Polaris. Based on the Sportsman ATV, the UTE 570 has Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) with 24.1 cm of rear travel and On-Demand True All-Wheel Drive (AWD), adds a utilitystyled tipping rear dump box, characteristic of the hard working farm ute, and offers the package at an attractive $9995 price point. This is an enormous leap forward for ATV development,” said Polaris Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Peter Alexander. “This is a vehicle that not only offers the ultimate utility and versatility, but also heavy duty features designed specifically to withstand the rigours of our market.” To develop the Polaris UTE 570, Polaris management and engineers visited Australia and New Zealand to hear from dealers and customers about what they expected from their ATVs in Australia and New Zealand’s unique conditions. The Polaris UTE 570 was the result. Powered by the same 567cc, fuel injected engine as the recently-released Sportsman 570 EFI, and with 556 kg of towing capacity and 180 kg tilt tray capacity, the UTE 570 is definitely no slouch where it matters. The UTE 570 is available in Polaris dealers now. n

TAX TIM E CFMoto Australia are making tracks toward a major milestone in the company’s history, aiming to sell its 10,000th vehicle before the end of the financial year. To help get them there, CFMoto has launched a national Tax Time Bonuses campaign where buyers across the country receive $500 worth of free goodies when they purchase a CF500 or X5 Farm Spec ATV. CEO Michael Poynton said he is extremely proud of the company’s achievements and selling 10,000 vehicles is a landmark occasion worth celebrating. “Aussies have really responded to the brand, the value for money it represents and the quality of the vehicles.” Poynton said. Customers who purchase a new CF500 or X5 Farm Spec ATV until June 30 will be eligible to claim an exclusive tax pack worth $500 including: - A ‘first service kit’ with front and rear brake pads, oil and Uni Filters. - An approved open face helmet. - A genuine CFMoto, heavy duty ATV cover. A wide variety of accessories, normally valued around $1200, come standard on CFMoto ATVs, including a winch, towbar, hand guards and quality six ply tyres. Priced at $6,890 ride away, CFMoto reckon it is Australia’s best value ATV. n

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Cycle Torque Feature

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 71

ev moto r cycle .o r g

Three years on from their inaugural race, novelty has given way to the competitive spirit of motorcycle racing in the electric class. Jason Morris riding the Varley Electric Superbike

Cycle Torque Feature

Fuelled by sheer determination, zealous optimism and zero carbon, these pioneering teams have beaten all the odds to bring electric motorcycle racing to the main stream. It’s an exciting place to be. The fourth season of Electric Racing will see the field increase to a potential seven machines on the starting grid. In addition to the Ripperton, Varley and Catavolt offerings, we will see the return of Voltron, and brand new offerings from both Solar Power Australia and a new Sydney based team.

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RIPPERTON Power vs reliability

But is it power alone that wins in electric racing? Danny Ripperton, the 2013 electric champion, has proven time and again that his electric R1 has the reliability, stamina and cornering speed to win championships. “We’re probably the first race team to win a title with the mechanic riding the bike, but for 2014 we have finally levelled the playing field by getting a rider” The Ripperton Quad-Stack motor has been ultra-reliable, handling an entire racing season without fault. A liquid cooled 90kW Ripperton powerhouse coupled with 7kWh of hot swap Lithium may not be the most powerful package on the grid. Competing against the more powerful Varley Electric CBR600RR in 2013, Ripperton still won the championship. Testament to the fine-tuning skills of Danny’s engineering talents. For 2014, Danny Ripperton will step down from riding to concentrate on the engineering function. “I’m just too heavy to be competitive. I have brought the bike as far as my racing skills will allow, and now it’s time to play mechanic to a faster, and lighter, rider.” The contemplative pragmatist Danny Ripperton announced recently. Nothing is sacred in Danny Ripperton’s quest for weight reduction and efficiency. With at least 40kg removed from the rider/bike package, the equivalent of 16 house bricks, the Ripperton machine promises to be a tough contender for 2014.

Cycle Torque Feature

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WWW.VARLEYGROUP.COM

An old master

Now with one season under their belt, Varley are determined to secure a place in electric racing history. An old master in the electric vehicle space, Varley have a strong agenda for the demonstration of their technology. With products ranging from high power Ultramotive motors to Tritium power electronics and chargers, the stakes are high for Varley. Varley will be running two machines for 2014. The familiar modified CBR600RR and a new Ducati based machine. Both bikes will be based upon the 80kW Ultramotive Carbon electric motor and Tritium WS200 controller package. While both machines will feature 448 V DC, they will be using different battery chemistries. The 2013 bike will use Lithium Polymer while the 2014 bike will use A123 LiFePo. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely that Varley are taking advantage of the high stress racing environment to test variations of Lithium cells. In 2013 success came late for Varley. Having overcome many technical obstacles, Jason Morris managed to secure two race wins in the final round at Eastern Creek. With Jason now firmly embedded into the team, it will be exciting to see whether Varley can continue on their winning streak.

Cycle Torque Feature

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Fresh metal

In addition to an already exciting electric grid, two newcomers are set to make an entrance. Solar Power Australia are likely to enter a production Brammo machine and a new Sydney based team owned by Mark Arnold of Miark Innovations will have a 100kW Yamaha R6 based machine. Will these new machines be competitive? Only time will tell. 2014 is set to be watershed year for electric motorcycle racing in Australia. The teams have finally figured out the ideal configurations for the bikes and development has reached the point where reliability woes have been replaced by steady increases in performance. In 2013, these electric machines were consistently competing at over 200kmh however with the new electric hardware coming online we should see consistent racing speeds exceed the 250kmh barrier. A testament to the efforts of these electrical pioneers.

www.formula-xtreme.com.au

Danny Ripperton riding the Ripperton R1 Electric Superbike

Cycle Torque Feature

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Electric Superbike Grid RIPPERTON

Chassis Modified Yamaha R1 Battery 7 kWh Lithium-Ion Voltage 175 V DC Motor Custom quad stack AC Controller Dual Kelly 600 amp 180 V Cooling Liquid Power 90 kW continuous Torque 300 Nm Transmission Direct Chain Weight 170 kg Charger 4 kW off-board Recharge 2 Hours Top Speed 210 kmh Development 5 Years Cost $50,000

VOLTRON EVO

Chassis 07MY Honda CBR600RR Battery Lithium Polymer Voltage 448 V DC Motor Ultramotive Carbon Controller Tritium WS200 Cooling Air Power 90 kW continuous, 130 kW peak Torque 500 Nm Transmission Direct Chain Weight 190 kg Charger BRUSA 4 kW off-board Recharge 2 Hours Top Speed 230 kmh Development 2 Years Cost $60,000

CATAVOLT

Chassis Modified Yamaha R6 Battery 12 kWh Lithium-Ion Voltage 151 V DC Motor 6 Stator Controller Dual Kelly 600 amp 180 V Cooling Ram air forced cooling Power 100 kW continuous Torque 900 Nm Transmission Direct Chain Weight 190 kg Charger 4 kW off-board Recharge 2 Hours Top Speed 280 kmh Development 5 Years Cost $40,000

GASSLESS

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY

WINTON RACEWAY VIC

Skill Level Speed Distance Length: 3.12km Lap record: 1:24.273 Date: 25th August 2013 Record Holder: Danny Ripperton - R1 Electric Superbike

Skill Level Speed Distance Length: 3.0km Lap record: 1:58.215 Date: 4th September 2011 Record Holder: Dr. Chris Jones - Voltron Electric RG

ROUND 3 Chassis Custom bimetallic chrome-moly trellis Battery 9 kWh Lithium-Cobalt Voltage 620 V DC Motor Evo AFM140-4 Controller Rinehart Motion Systems PM150DZ Cooling Liquid Power 80 kW continuous, 150 kW peak Torque 400 Nm Transmission Direct Chain. Final reduction 2.59:1 Weight 215 kg Charger 4 kW off-board Recharge 2 Hours Top Speed 250 kmh Development 3 Years Cost $45,000

Chassis Modified Ducati Battery A123 AMP20 LiFePo Voltage 448 V DC Motor Ultramotive Carbon Controller Tritium WS200 Cooling Air Power 90 kW continuous, 130 kW peak Torque 500 Nm Transmission Direct Chain Weight TBA Charger BRUSA 4 kW off-board Recharge 4 Hours Top Speed 240 kmh Development 5 Months Cost $80,000

Chassis Modified Yamaha R6 Battery 12 kWh Lithium-Ion Voltage 151 V DC Motor 4 Stator Controller Dual Kelly 600 amp 180 V Cooling Ram air forced cooling Power 100 kW continuous Torque 300 Nm Transmission Direct Chain Weight 190 kg Charger 4 kW off-board Recharge 2 Hours Top Speed 280 kmh Development 5 Months Cost $40,000

ROUND 4

WAKEFIELD PARK NSW

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK

Skill Level Speed Distance Length: 2.2km Lap record: 1:09.032 Date: 5th May 2013 Record Holder: Danny Ripperton - R1 Electric Superbike

Skill Level Speed Distance Length: 4.5km Lap record: 1.48.254 Date: 6th October 2013 Record Holder: Jason Morris - Varley Electric Superbike

Cycle Torque Feature

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 76

100% ELECTRIC

Forget everything you know about electric vehicles and take a ride with Victor G Fenech on a journey to understand electric superbike racing. This four-part TV series offer’s you a glimpse at a racing future where every second counts. A future where there are no predefined rules and no off-the-shelf solutions. With only three short years of development time to call upon, electric motorcycle development is backed by the passion and dedication of a small, but growing group of electrical engineers whose challenge is to build, the ultimate electric racer.

Series one broadcast dates Monday 26th May 2014 at 8:00pm Repeats on Saturdays at 3:30pm and Sundays at 11:00am

Series two race dates

Round 1: 27th - 29th June Queensland Raceway Round 2: 1st - 3rd August Winton Raceway VIC

Round 3: 12th - 14th September Wakefield Park Raceway Round 4: 21st - 23rd November Sydney Motorsport Park As seen on

DVD COMING SOON “This is the research in the development.”

www.facebook.com/australianelectricsuperbikes ev moto r cycle .o r g

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CALL 02 4956 9820 FOR MORE INFO

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1. Charley Boorman Extreme Frontiers – $29.99

EXTREME FRONTIERS: CANADA is Charley Boorman’s brand-new adventure/ travel book. Travelling mainly on his much-loved bike, Charley will explore the world’s second largest country - home to some of the most stunning and challenging terrain known to man.

2. The Riders – $35.00

Australia′s love affair with motorcycle racing and its fearless heroes was meant to be. Two things have made it so enticing. The first is the inherent love of freedom, speed and adrenalin - that wild feeling of the wind whipping your face as you fight to take the machine as fast as it can go. The second is the ingrained Australian desire to test ourselves against the rest of the world - to be the quickest of all.

book brings together essays, photos and behind the scene glimpses from the sports current pros and past champs, told by motocross insider Billy Ursic and framed by photographer Simon Cudby. From profiles of the hottest names in the sport to insight about the changes in the sport from up and coming young guns, it’s all here in the stirring words and images of the biggest names in Supercross - East Riding Mail/ Yorkshire Post/ Hull Daily Mail Supercross is the ultimate motorcycle sport, and rapidly growing in popularity.

7. 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.

3. Lost on Earth – $29.99

8. Harley-Davidson Buyer’s Guide – $29.99

4. Geoff Duke-The stylish champion – $29.95

9. BMW Cafe Racer – $49.99

“The only way I am coming home is by bike or by box,” Steve Crombie writes when he first hits the road, travelling 90,000kms from Australia to the Arctic Circle via South America. It takes him two years. He suffers from dehydration, starvation and disease. He rebuilds his motorcycle four times. Along the way Steve not only tests his limits but meets the world head on - waking up behind iron bars in Tierra Del Fuego. The winner of six world titles on British and Italian machinery, Geoff Duke was the first post-war superstar. Geoff Duke: The Stylish Champion is a hardcover book running to over 250 pages documenting the riding life of the handsome Brit. Featuring many images of Duke in action, statistics of Duke’s results and lots more, this is the definitive guide to one of the most successful racers motorcycling has ever seen.

5. Freerider MX’s Ultimate Guide to Freestyle – $19.95

As freestyle motocross continues to capture the imagination of the mainstream public and motorcycle sales soaring, more riders are focusing their attentions on riding FMX than ever before. With the racing scene becoming more competitive than ever, more people are opting for the lifestyle and fun factor of freestyle, and as a result, amateur classes at events are burgeoning, and letters from readers eager to make a career in freestyle motocross are flooding Freerider MX Magazine’s inbox.

6. Supercross Unleashed – $39.99

Supercross Unleashed is an all-action, packed out read with everything to keep even the most hardened supercross fan occupied for the winter months --T+ MX News This

Perhaps the greatest appeal of the motorcycles that Harley-Davidson manufactures is that they are not throwaway machines. With proper care and maintenance, a modern Harley can outlive its owner. Most of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles built over the past 25 years are still on the road, which means there are many used Harley’s bought and sold every day. 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.

10. 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.

11. Triumph Motorcycle Restoration – $44.95

As popular as the Triumph Twins were in the 60s and 70s, they are quite possibly more popular now. This book offers complete start-to-finish assembly and restoration sequences on two Triumph Twins, a 1963 Bonneville and a 1969 Bonniville. Also included is the start-to-finish assembly of the 1969 engine and transmission. With over 450 color photos, How To Restore Your Triumph offers 144 pages of hard-core how-to help for anyone who wants to repair or restore their own Triumph twin.

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CALL 02 4956 9820 FOR MORE INFO

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12. The Complete Guide to Motorcycling Colorado – $44.99

Motorcycling in Colorado takes you past high snow-capped rocky peaks, into deeply cut canyons, through lush mountain meadows, over sagebrush-covered open rangeland, rolling hills, and grassy plains where you can see forever. All through this great variety of terrain run roads perfect for motorcycling—roads that twist and turn through canyons and swoop up and over mountain passes.

13. Long Way Down – $22.99

After their fantastic trip round the world in 2004, fellow actors and bike fanatics Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman couldn’t shake the travel bug. And after an inspirational UNICEF visit to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth.

14. Custom Bike Building Basics – $37.50

Custom Bike Building Basics is the basic bible that at-home builders need to build and modify their own motorcycles.Â Readers will learn everything from the basic workplace and tool set to working with steel, welding steel, choosing a donor bike as the foundation, creating a plan, sheet metal fabrication, upholstery, wiring and more.Â Custom Bike Building Basics is the one book you need before you tear into that donor bike and begin the process of creating your own motorcycle.

15. How your motorcycle works – $19.99

The modern motorcycle is a fascinating and complex piece of machinery, easily as complex and diverse as the modern car. With clear, jargon-free text, and detailed cutaway illustrations, this book explains exactly how the modern bike works.

16. Motorcycle Journeys through the Pacific Northwest – $49.95

Motorcycle Journeys through the Northwest, 2nd edition, by Bruce Hansen, is an important update to his very popular first edition. Hansen’s enthusiasm for motorcycle exploration comes through in this full-colour, fully detailed tribute and guide to the great roads of America’s Northwest. Both visitors to the region and lifetime locals will enjoy and learn from the exciting trips that Hansen has planned and perfected.

17. Motorcycle Journeys Through The Southwest – $42.99

In this new, updated edition, motojournalist Marty Berke provides detailed routes to the best scenic, curving roads the great American Southwest has to offer. From Pikes Peak Highway, the Million Dollar Highway, and Route 66, to Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks, unforgettable roads and adventures await those wanting to explore Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah on two wheels.

18. Motorcycle Journeys Through Western Europe – $44.95

Europe is high on everyone’s travel list. It has great roads, beautiful scenery, centuries of history, and is relatively safe. A potential stumbling block for some motorcyclists is the false perception that it costs too much and they don’t know exactly where to go. Toby Ballentine maintains in Motorcycle Journeys Through Europe that you can rent a bike in Europe affordably. It has great roads, beautiful scenery, centuries of history, and is relatively safe.

19. Weekend Warriors 1 & 2 – $44.95

About five years ago Shaun, Andy and I (Jake) started to run out of places to ride. We were sick of riding the same places time and time again so we decided to pay a visit to the Melbourne Map Centre in Chadstone to see if there was a guide book on the subject. Much to our surprise there was nothing to be found. Sure there were heaps of 4WD and Mountain Bike books but, alas, no trail bike books. The guys in the shop were also surprised, as they had had a lot of enquiries from other trail bike riders. This gave us an idea....... Why not write our own book? And that is exactly what we did!

20. Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel – $55.00

This book is written to help motorcyclists prepare themselves and their motorcycle for travelling long distances over extended periods. Whether you are getting ready for a weekend trip beyond your home turf, or for a transcontinental odyssey lasting several years, Coyner’s book details the fundamentals for riding in comfort, safety, and convenience.

21. Don Cox Circus Life - Signed – $99.00

Welcome to the gypsy world of the Continental Circus private entrants - warts and all - with the joys, camaraderie, heartache, laughs and low acts. It was a time when rider usually had to be truck driver, mechanic, cook and start-money negotiator as well. And management help? You wish! In the 1950s, it was considered un-Australian to push your own barrow.

22. Essential Guide to Dual Sport Motorcycling – $55.00

Everything you need to buy, ride and enjoy trail and adventure motorcycling. Sections on riding gear, tools, riding tips and safety and maintenance keep you well informed for the trip ahead. Exploring and navigating are also covered in this comprehensive guide book.

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 81

LETTERS Clear and crisp

K C A B I G N I U Q TO R

WITH thanks to ever-helpful, Lithgow’s Bike Stop, I can sit in the sun with a coffee or what ever, with a pen and Cycle Torque, and circle, make appropriate comments or just tear out pieces that interest me and not be in front of a screen or computer. Too much computer and not enough open air. Now just to roll out the ZZR and clear the cobwebs. Cold in Lithgow but great riding. Thanks for the magazine – tops. Barry James

Hi from China

WRITE A LETTER!

CYCLE Torque is a great mag, especially because it can be read anywhere in the world. It comes a close second to actually riding my bike at home but nevertheless, the beginning of each month is awaited with bated breath! I recently bought an e-bike, Chinese style? You know the ones with small wheels, max speed slower than Usain Bolt, horrible lighting, short range battery that needs regular re-charging, no brake lights, mirrors with limited adjustment? But it’s still fun as long as it’s ridden like the locals - with complete disregard for all road users, especially pedestrians. In China, there’s a pecking order for everything - ebikes are above push bikes which are above pedestrians. But cars and the dastardly minidelivery vans give us a tough time! Haha! It pays to also ride with complete disregard for road rules as one has to ride like Mad Max in order to survive and make progress. We race along in the bike tracks that run between footpaths and the road. But these ‘bike’ tracks are often taken up by suicidal, deaf and blind pedestrians and the occasional bus, truck and numerous cars and vans. Why? Because the roads get crowded and anything goes! As for suicidal pedestrians, they’re migrants from the countryside who have no idea about traffic, as none exists in their villages! So, for example, you often find a couple of them standing in the middle of the track having a chin wag. Zooming through this bedlam kinda substitutes for lack of twisties and can be as adrenalin-charging as riding the Oxley - NOT! Traffic lights are for four wheel vehicles and are ignored by ebike riders regardless of whether there’s a cop standing in the middle of the intersection flapping his/her arms. Likewise, pedestrian crossings are fair game for us. It’s also OK for pillions to ride side saddle, which I find

WIN A GREAT PRIZE This month Andy Walker 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,

surprisingly well balanced. Go figure. BTW, have you ever considered organising rides for your readers where we can sample the NSW 2282 or email glorious roads that you have ridden (excluding chris@cycletorque.com.au. the Isle of Man)? I know, I know, there are all sorts of time and legal constraints but where there’s a will there’s a way, no? Future Spectators Cheers mate! REGARDING your article, ‘Future Spectators’, in the May Ozzy Mick in China edition of CT, here’s two bobs worth. Hi Mick If more bikes sold then maybe there would be more Glad to see you are ‘green’ in your adventures interest in motorsports. There’s more distractions now, overseas. We have thought about doing the organised then add in the nanny state of mind, plus sometime, ride things, and haven’t disregarded it. We were back social researcher, Hugh Mackay, stated young people also offered the chance to something in Eastern are into keeping their options open, i.e. commitment to Europe, similar to our two trips in Vietnam and one something beyond a once off is out. in Cambodia, but it never happened for a variety of I watched the two DVDs, “The History of the TT 1907 – reasons, not the legal type though. 2013 and the first thing that struck me was the speed You never know what the future holds I guess. Ed. increase from the old bikes to the new ones. A person who is not a speed freak would ask why do I need a 600cc Rent me a Harley that can do 200-plus and doesn’t have a roof? Our roads MYSELF and nine mates just got back from 6250km across are not made for the current crop of bikes. USA, Orlando to LA on rented Harley’s (don’t dream To persuade more people to buy bikes the capacity needs about it, do it, it was the best trip I’ve ever done), to be smaller; as I asserted in CT some time back and anyway there were times when we weren’t so concerned the message seems to be getting through to the hob knobs about the speed limit, travelling sometimes at 10at the top. The news Yamaha SR400 is being imported to 15mph above but only when we believed safe to do so. Oz is an excellent start. We passed loads of cruisers (cop cars) and not once Price is the next issue. $9,000 plus on road for the were we pulled over, nor flashed or waved down. We saw SR400 is too high. Good used cars are cheaper. loads of people pulled over, they must have really Riding a bike needs to be seen as cool. been going for it. When we wanted to change lanes we Finally the, ‘Big Five’ events, as you put it, are were courteously let in. I tried to spot a pothole but maybe all the market will handle at present. And there’s couldn’t. We never saw a speed camera apart from some probably little profit for the energy outlaid. red light cameras in LA. My point is, when I got back John Da Rin I had a $200 fine waiting for 4km/h over the limit, I P.S. Nothings forever; circumstances change. We need hit every pothole on the way to work and was cut off to ensure we don’t do what our parents and their by some idiot who then proceeded to abuse me. parents did – say things were better back then. Let Ok, I sped, I pay the price. Please spend it on our each generation have their day and us oldies should roads, don’t let some moron politician divert it to get with the programme or move on. some drug addict’s welfare centre. Hi John Please be courteous to your fellow road users, a wave All good points, especially that of our kids who need is far better to receive than a finger. to, and will, make their own choices. The biggest Most of all, get on your bike and do that trip, drama I find is the nanny state thing. Promoters of wherever it is. various events want to get stuff happening but do find Andy Walker it tough to get councils and police to support them. Mt Martha Ed.

CYCLE TORQUE JUNE 2014 - 82

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