Cycle Torque November 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 2

BIG news this month as the new bikes season hits, with announcements from many manufacturers of new bikes for 2015 - check out the news pages and start planning your next new bike…

Talking of new bikes, the 2015 KTM RC390 is coming soon, and it’s going to be an awesome bike for anyone wanting a sporty, fun, economic machine, regardless of their age and experience, and we were at the World Launch. Check out the test in this issue and watch the video spot embedded in this iPad edition, which we made for Cycle Torque TV. The Triumph Street Triple 660 is also tested this issue, another great bike which is LAMS approved, and again, featured on Cycle Torque TV. And then there’s the Mercury 250, a beautiful, inexpensive machine which will appeal to a huge range of people with its retro custom style and affordability.

Fans of motocross will love to see the 2015 YZ Yamaha motocrossers in this issue, too.

Features in this issue include Ural Sidecar training while our regular segments Quad Torque, the columns and products - round out a great issue of Cycle Torque.

Hope you love this issue, please give us a rating and review on iTunes.

– Nigel Paterson publisher@cycletorque.com.au

CONTENTS

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 3

REGU LARS

RIDDEN KTM RC390

LAUNCH

33

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660 TEST

42

05 NEWS TORQUE 24 SMALL TORQUE 27 EDITORIAL 28 DIRTY TORQUE 30 RACE TORQUE 31 GUNTRIP

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F LAUNCH

MERCURY CAFE RACER TEST

50

58

69 BIKE STUFF 72 USED & REVIEWED 74 MARKET TORQUE 81 BOOK SHOP 85 TORQUING BACK: LETTERS ON THE COVER: KTM RC 390 SUPPLIED BY KTM

FEATU RES

SIDECAR TRAINING

65

78

QUAD TORQUE TEST – CFMOTO U8

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 4

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 5

Intermot 2014 BMW According to BMW’s press people, the idea was to create an even sharper S 1000 RR while at the same time making it easier to ride. Easy to say, not so easy to do. The bike now has six more horsepower (199) and is 4kg lighter.

With such an amazing array of electronics on the S 1000 RR this is where many of the changes have taken place.

The electronic Dynamic Damping Control suspension has been revised, there’s five instead of four riding modes and now even a pit lane speed limiter. Many of the features seen on the HP4 have now made their way onto the standard S 1000 RR. It’s even got cruise control, the first apparently, on a superbike.

The look hasn’t changed much but overall there’s every reason to expect this landmark sportsbike will rush out the dealership doors.

Kawasaki This is perhaps the biggest news from Intermot. A supercharged ZX-10R based riot machine called the H2R. Kawasaki has paid homage to the old H2 three cylinder two-stroke triple, building a machine boasting 300 horsepower. Now this is a track only machine, although there are rumours of a ‘de-tuned’ road version.

Just imagine that for a second or three.

300hp!

Anyway, the only thing really brought over from the ZX-10R is the basis of the engine by the looks of it. The frame is custom, as is the swingarm and rear wheel, and fuel tank.

Kawasaki is yet to really tell us the intricate details of the bike but once again the rumour mill tells us it will be in the region of 50k, for the basic model, whatever that is.

We can’t see many being sold but they will be built in limited numbers so our guess is they will all be snapped up quick by people with plenty of disposable income or people who think they can harness that sort of power, whoever they are.

Continued on next page

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 6

Intermot 2014 Triumph

Yamaha

Triumph hasn’t done too much with its Bonneville but there are three special edition models.

The T214 commemorates the 214 mph (344 km/h) land speed record set by Johnny Allen in 1956, the Newchurch is named for Neukirchen in Austria, the home of a huge Triumph festival, and the Spirit, which is named after what we don’t know. Anyway, they all look great and are basic styling upgrades from the standard Bonneville line with each model having its own colour scheme. The Newchurch does it for us though. Gorgeous.

We have to show two from Yamaha, firstly the 125cc three wheeled 01GEN concept trike, which uses the Tricity platform. It looks to be a sporty version of the Tricity commuter but Yamaha has no plans to release it at this stage.

Sweeter for us was the XJR1300 and XJR1300 Racer. We love the big air-cooled four cylinder retro rockets here at Cycle Torque and the new styling looks the business. It’s not a major styling departure from earlier models but ‘works’. The Racer has a bikini fairing and clip ons and some carbon fibre thrown in too. Bring it on we say.

Suzuki Finally Suzuki has built a sports touring bike using the engine from the GSX-R1000, one of the best sportsbike 1000cc engines ever built.

Both the GSX-S1000 and faired GSX-S1000F use a retuned version of the 2005-08 GSX-R donk, chosen for it’s torquier engine characteristics. According to Suzuki the engine has 176 horsepower, both bikes feature ABS and have a three mode traction control.

Continued on next page

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 7

Intermot 2014 KTM Hot on the heels of the outrageous 1290 Super Duke R is the Super Adventure, which now uses the full 1290cc engine rather than ‘making do’ with the 1190cc engine.

It has been de-tuned a bit, down to 160 from 180 ponies but has some great innovations, like the hill start assist, Bosch Cornering ABS and even LED cornering lights which guide the way around corners at night.

Ducati After all the build up we finally get to see the Ducati Scrambler in the flesh, or at least in pictures. It’s inspired by the single cylinder Scrambler models from the early 1970s and looks great we reckon.

There are four different models, the Icon, Urban Enduro, Full Throttle and Classic, all using the same platform just with different styling.

At first glance they don’t look too dissimilar from each other but on closer inspection you’ll see some have wire wheels and others alloy, and the exhausts are a bit different too, and of course the paint schemes...

It runs adventure style tyres, and the 803cc air-cooled engine straight from the 796 Monster.

Will it be a hit? Well retro is big at the moment, and this bike is retro in style but has lots of good modern gear on it, so we think it will sell well. n

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 8

MILLER TO MOTOGP AUSSIE Moto3 racer Jack Miller will make history by becoming the first rider ever to move straight from Moto3 to MotoGP, totally bypassing the intermediate Moto2 class.

Miller has signed a deal to ride a Honda RC213V-RS for LCR Honda for the 2015 season, sharing pit space with team-mate Cal Crutchlow.

As we went to press, 19-year-old Miller sits 25 points behind championship leader Alex Marquez in the Moto3 championship.

“I’m very happy to make the leap up to MotoGP next year, especially because I will do so alongside HRC. It’s a dream come true; I think that every rider would like to race at the highest level in the World Championship with a Honda,” said Miller.

“It is certainly a big jump from Moto3 to MotoGP, but I am convinced that we are ready and that, step-by-step, learning every day, we can do a great job.

It’s a fantastic opportunity and I’m very excited about starting this new stage of my career with HRC, whom I wish to thank together with CWM LCR Honda Team. I’m looking forward to working with them!

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“In the meantime, I remain fully focused on this season’s Moto3 World Championship. I will have to avoid any distraction in order to fight for the title.”

There are some similarities between Miller’s signing and that of fellow Australian Casey Stoner, who also rode for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team before moving onwards and upwards to his premier class debut with LCR Honda in 2006.

Valentino Rossi had this to say about Miller. “I like Jack a lot. He’s also one of our rivals of my team in Moto3, but I think he can win the championship. I like a lot his attitude, also out of the track, so I think he can have a very good career in the future,” Rossi said.

Miller’s future teammate, Crutchlow drew comparisons between Stoner and Miller and expects him to be a strong challenger for wins in years to come.

“He’s absolutely a special talent, on and off the bike. Hopefully soon he can start to come up and show us his true talent on a bigger bike. People are already comparing him to Casey (Stoner), but for sure he’s going to be there, and be a fast guy at the front of MotoGP in years to come,” Crutchlow said. n

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 9

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NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 10

ASBK Team

MOTORCYCLING Australia (MA) has announced an internationally experienced ASBK Management Team to spearhead a new era of the Australian Superbike Championship.

This dedicated management team brings a vast array of industry knowledge plus decades of motorsport experience to the championship.

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CEO of MA, Dale Gilson, has appointed a team of five industry experts to lead MA and the host Motorcycle Clubs from around the country in organising and conducting the 2015 Championship.

“Local clubs and the ASBK Management team will work cohesively to provide a first class championship for competitors across the nation,” Gilson said.

“I have the utmost faith in the team assembled and have no doubt we can work together with clubs and State Controlling Bodies to make the ASBK a prestigious Championship.”

Looking at the team it’s hard not to respect the decision by MA to involve them in the management team.

Peter Doyle, multiple championship winning crew chief, now MA’s National Technical Officer. Doyle is an internationally respected figure in the motorcycle racing industry, previously being in charge of the Kawasaki World Superbike team and Yoshimura Suzuki AMA team.

Denise Stronach has 30 years of promoting motorcycle events to her name and is an internationally experienced race official. Denise is the current Secretary of the Meeting of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Tom Williams is an FIM internationally accredited Clerk of Course. As a former road racer Tom brings a unique view with two decades as a race official. Tom will continue his role as the ASBK Clerk of Course and member of the ASBK Safety Advisory Group

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Bronwyn Sorensen, High Performance and Events Manager at MA. Bronwyn, with experience as a previous ASBK competitor will work towards providing the best possible outcome for riders, clubs and also spectators. She leads the full resources of the MA staff.

Simon Maas is the Director of Emergency Services at Australia’s premier motorsport safety provider, RACESAFE Australia. Simon takes on an advisory role for the ASBK Championship while continuing his current appointment as ASBK Safety Delegate and head of the RACESAFE Medical Team According to Gilson, the ASBK Management Team will work closely with the MA Road Race Commissioners Derek Rumble, Tim Hewitt and Gary Thomas, in addition to the State Controlling Bodies and the MA Board to produce a truly national road race championship.

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NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 11

Scout sells out

INDIAN Motorcycle has confirmed that the first shipments of the much anticipated all-new 2015 Scout have officially now all been spoken for.

Peter Harvey, Indian Motorcycle Australia’s Country Manager said once again they have been overwhelmed at the local response to the key model release.

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“Similarly when we launched the Chief last year, sight unseen and price unknown – the response to the Scout has been nothing short of incredible.

We knew there was a big following for the original Scout, though you never know how the modern interpretation will be received, I suppose selling out the first shipments confirms we are onto another winner for customers.”

“The interest is coming from a varied customer base in gender and previous types of bikes, with Scout’s iconic look, 100HP, low dynamic chassis and 253kg weight being major drawcards, add to that a rideaway price of just $17,995, it makes the Scout a very compelling motorcycle to own.”

The Scout comes in four colours: Indian Red, Thunder Black, Silver Smoke and Thunder Black Smoke are all very popular with a favourite yet to emerge.

“We just can’t wait to get the first bikes here, we can confirm that the first official public unveil will be at the Moto Expo in Melbourne late November.

We have already put our hand up for more bikes out of the US, so we can meet the expected demand into 2015,” Mr. Harvey said.

To reserve your Scout visit indianmotorcycle.com.au or call 1800 00 463426 for your nearest Indian Motorcycle dealer.n

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 12

Spyder F3

BRP has unveiled the new Can-Am Spyder F3 Roadster, powered by the Rotax 1330cc three cylinder ACE engine.

One of the features of the 2015 model is the Ufit system which allows riders to easily tailor the footpeg and handlebar positioning.

Like all Spyders the F3’s transmission can be used in both manual and semi-auto modes.

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

It is expected the Can-Am Spyder F3 will be available in the first half of 2015 but there is no stated price as yet. n

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 13

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NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 14

Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You It’s a phrase that motorcyclists at the receiving end in an accident have heard far too often.

For far too long, motorcyclists have been treated as the second-class citizens of the road; maligned, seen as nuisance and in many instances, literally run off the road by drivers.

Whether you’re riding through Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, or throughout regional areas, the anti-rider attitudes are the same.

Things need to change.

Which is where SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You) and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers come on the scene.

Maurice Blackburn launched this growing campaign to tackle discrimination against riders.

They do this in a variety of ways such as agitating for legislative change that specifically improves rider safety including lane filtering, promoting law reform around vulnerable road users, organising bold advertising and online awareness campaigns, and hosting the popular Stop Smidsy facebook page giving riders a voice on social media.

By providing riders with a strong voice Maurice Blackburn Lawyers want to turn the tide and change community perceptions. As Maurice Blackburn Principal John Voyage explains, it’s about better road safety.

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“There’s not enough recognition of riders as equals on the roads. We all need to take action to make our roads safer for riders,” Mr Voyage said.

“At Maurice Blackburn, we spend a lot of time listening to and working closely with several motorcycle representative groups, from the riding groups on the road like Ulysses, through to peak bodies such as Motorcycling Australia and the Victoria Motorcycle Council.

“Through our successful SMIDSY online campaign, our targeted advertising and sponsorship, and our ongoing lobbying of governments and road safety agencies such as TAC, we will continue to make the case to boost rider safety and increase the enjoyment of being on two wheels.”

Maurice Blackburn has more than 50 permanent and visiting offices around Australia.

For more information call 1800 810 812 or check out www.mauriceblackburn.com.au n

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NEWS TORQUE

MA Announces 2015 ASBK Classes

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MOTORCYCLING Australia (MA) has announced the classes for the 2015 Australian Superbike Championship.

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In addition to the Australian Championship classes, there will also be an Unlimited national support class with largely open rules for competitors with all types of solo machines above a capacity of 500cc. Additional announcements around MA’s support categories will be made in the coming weeks.

2015 sees the inclusion of the Club Challenge races, a format that allows each Host Club to select the most popular class amongst their members to contest at their respective ASBK Round.

MA President Braxton Laine is confident that the classes for 2015 will provide both stability and accessibility for a broad range of competitors.

“To provide a first class Australian Championship we need to focus on the core group of racing classes.” Laine said.

“For now, we’re confident the five core classes we have confirmed will provide top class competition for riders and thrilling racing for spectators.

“The addition of the Club Challenge this year will give our Host Clubs riders another opportunity to race in a different class to the five we’ve confirmed.” n

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DUCATI WINS 2014 SUPERSTOCK CUP A CHAMPIONSHIP fight that went all the way to the wire saw Argentinian rider Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado and the Barni Racing team power their Ducati 1199 Panigale R to title victory in the final round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup season at the Magny-Cours circuit in France.

The young Argentinian rider started the season in style, winning the opening round at Aragon in April. Scoring further podium finishes at both the Italian rounds of Imola and Misano. ‘Tati’ returned to winning ways at the penultimate round of Jerez, crossing the line first and scoring an all-important 25 points which meant that he would go into the final race weekend, at Magny-Cours, as the championship leader, with a small but significant five point advantage over second-placed Savadori (Kawasaki). It would be a two-way fight for the title, as the third- and fourth-placed riders Ondrej Jezek and Fabio Massei, both also riding 1199 Panigale R bikes with the Barni Racing and EAB Racing teams respectively, were no longer in the running mathematically.

During the nail-biting season finale, Mercado made an unbelievable recovery from eleventh on the grid (after a crash during qualifying), moving up through the field throughout the race to finish fourth.

Savadori, lying second on the penultimate lap, suffered a crash on the final lap, so Mercado was able to take the championship.

With a final tally of four podiums from seven races, Tati secured the 2014 title with a total of 117 points (to the 109 scored by second-placed Savadori). n

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 17

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 18

Gold Coast Harley Open ABOUT a thousand rev-heads from all over southeast Queensland and northern NSW attended the official Grand Opening of Gold Coast HarleyDavidson on Saturday, October 11.

The event featured a packed motorcycle Show ‘n’ Shine, a three band live music line-up, grand opening clearance specials and food vendors serving up traditional American inspired cuisine.

Adding to the atmosphere was the knowledge that a Gran Prize draw was imminent and that one lucky customer would win a Harley-Davidson Iron 883.

There were tears of joy for Louise Lucock when her name was called and it took quite a few moments for the shock to pass before she could get to her feet to accept her prize.

“I cannot believe that I won,” Louise said.

“I never win anything. This means so much to me.”

“It was totally surreal. I just felt like… it’s hard to explain! The anticipation of waiting and sitting, thinking maybe I have a chance, then the drum roll and then I hear my name and I just screamed! I couldn’t even get up – I had to put my head between my knees for a second! I was just in awe, it was so amazing!

It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me! Very, very, very, happy.

Thank you so much to Gold Coast Harley-Davidson.”

Louise, her husband Peter, who owns a Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, and their sons Liam and Zane were there to celebrate and welcome the new Harley into their family.

More than 50 entrants in the Show ‘n” Shine made for fierce competition with some very unique custom motorcycles on display.

“This is just the beginning for us, but what a great kick-off celebration it was!”

Steve Schilling, Gold Coast Harley-Davidson Dealer Principal said.

“Our events calendar is already filling up and we’ve established ourself as a true destination dealership and our Grand Opening proved just how much fun and exciting our events are going to be.” http://www.morganandwacker.com.au/gold-coast-harley-celebrates-grandopening-with-a-bang/ https://www.facebook.com/goldcoastharleydavidson

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 19

NEWS TORQUE

Guzzi Scrambler JOHN Sample Automotive, importers of Moto Guzzi motorcycles, has announced its collaboration with Italian accessories company “70 Tre” to make available a Moto Guzzi V7 Scrambler Kit. Just like Moto Guzzi, the history of the Scrambler is long and rich, before the introduction of mass produced dirt bikes motorcycle enthusiasts would convert their everyday road motorcycles into motorcycles that could handle all surfaces.

The Moto Guzzi V7 Scrambler Kit transforms the V7 model into a raw beauty. The Kit includes seat handles, high level exhaust, pillion pegs, leather tank belt, tank rack, alloy side number panel, MX style handlebars, headlight protector grill, fork leg protectors, metal front fender support and for a limited time only will also include a Moto Guzzi V7 genuine motorcycle cover.

Pricing and availability will be confirmed in coming weeks. n

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 20

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NEWS TORQUE

Buy a factory racer THE Yamaha Racing Team with Yamaha Motor Insurance is offering the deal of a life time and at the completion of the 2014 ASC racing season, will sell their factory 2014 R1 race bikes as they come from the track.

That’s right, you can buy the exact bike that the factory riders of Cru Halliday, Robbie Bugden and Rick Olson race at the final round of the Australasian Superbike Championship in full race spec. The bikes will be cleaned, serviced and then up for sale and can be picked up from the Yamaha Queensland warehouse from early December to the lucky buyers.

Six factory R1 YRT bikes will be available and each bike will also come with the road parts stripped for racing. Bikes can be purchased for $15,500. Price is non-negotiable with no dealer and trade discounts or warranty on race bike purchases and will be in ASC Superbike spec.

For further information on the YRT R1 opportunity, please contact John Redding on yrd@bigpond.com Or why not get down the final round of the ASC at Sydney Motorsport Park on November 22-23 and see how they go for yourself? Then buy your slice of Australian road race history!

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 21

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 22

Polaris dominates Australasian Safari POLARIS RZR vehicles have taken the top five positions at the 2014 Australasian Safari.

127 competitors entered this year’s navigational rally being the final Safari race, the first run in 1985. Polaris driver Jim Cairns was one of three competitors this year, who also raced in the very first event. Along with four wheel drives and motorbikes, five Polaris side-by-sides and one Polaris ATV took to the harsh red desert of Western Australia Mid-West and Pilbara, to the sandy dunes and coastal scrub of the Coral Coast covering 3400 kilometres over seven days.

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West Australians Robert Williams and Michael Hawkins of Team Titan won the side-by-side class by a comfortable three hours in their Polaris RZR XP 1000. In second place were Dylan Minear and Steve Syson in their RZR XP 900, from War Motorsports, with Simon Clifford third in a RZR XP900, 4th was RZR XP1000 mounted Alan Grier.

In fifth place was Jim Cairns, Jim is a passionate racer and off road enthusiast who had an incident many years ago which made him a paraplegic. Not deterred Jim has continued to enter races and this year raced a Polaris RZR XP 1000. Crossing the finish line at the final Safari event was a special moment for Jim who competed at the first Australasian Safari in 1985 as a motorcycle rider.

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This year also saw two Polaris RZR XP 900’s enter the non-competitive adventure tour part of the event.

The Polaris RZR XP 1000 vehicle raced by three of the competitors is the latest high performance machine direct from Polaris headquarters in Minnesota USA. The 999cc twin cylinder engine in the RZR 1000 pumps out a class leading 107hp, accelerating from 0-80km/h in 5.3 seconds.

Competitors add safety items such as CAMS approved roll cages and harnesses but the underpinnings of the RZRs are stock. n

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 23

Life goes fast-make a lasting impression on the new Victory Magnum, our boldest bike to roll off the line. This big wheeled bagger has the performance to turn heads, along with the style and sound to make people stop, stare and listen. It’s got a 21-inch wheel, slammed back-end, three-tone paint, and our best performing sound system EVER! Even sitting still, the Victory Magnum is never idle.

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SMALL TORQUE V-TWIN MAN JOINS POLARIS

MOTORCYCLE SALES STEADY IN 2014

FORMER Harley-Davidson head man Peter Nochar has joined Polaris’ Victory and Indian motorcycle network as Director of Sales and Network – Motorcycles.

ROAD motorcycles continue to be a popular choice in 2014, with Australians purchasing 10,744 new road motorcycles in the third quarter of 2014—bringing the year-to-date total to 32,416. The 32,416 sales represent a 3 per cent increase on September 2013 sales.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 24

Peter brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, and had this to say. “I am very excited to be joining the Motorcycle team and hope I can make a worthy contribution. Releasing the 2014 third quarter motorcycle sales figures, FCAI Chief Executive Tony “I have had the opportunity to ride the Weber said Australians purchased 79,548 new Indian Chief at length and was really new motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles impressed with the power, handling and (ATVs) and scooters between January and comfort.

September 2014; only slightly less (0.8 per “I am sure there is huge potential for both cent) than in the same period in 2013. the Victory and Indian Brands and I look forward to contributing to their success and having fun along the way.”

Peter is the second senior industry leader to STREETFIGHTER 848 join Polaris this year, with highly respected PRICED RIGHT former Suzuki GM Perry Morrison taking DUCATI Australia tells us the Streetfighter up the mantle of Executive Director – 848 is now available nationally for $18,990* Government Relations in April this year.

Rideaway. Cheap as chips as they say.

XMAS TIME THE United Tourers are again holding their annual Christmas Rally on the NowraBraidwood road, four kilometres south of Nerriga. Don’t worry, it’s on the weekend of December 6-7, so your Christmas day is safe.

Food and drink are available on site, lots of area to play and camp, a creek for swimming and all the usual rally games and awards.

Entry fee is $20.00 or $15.00 prepaid.

Mail entries to P.O. Box 800, Campbelltown NSW 2560, or call Shane on 0417 661 372 for more info. If unavailable call Ken on 0425 308 356 E-mail contact@unitedtourers.com.

“The 848 Streetfighter is an extremely exciting and enjoyable sport naked bike to ride,” said Warren Lee, CEO – Ducati Australia. “Now with our new Rideaway for RRP offer it’s even more attractive.”

Check them out at your nearest Ducati dealer.

HONDA FUN HONDA has some great fun bikes just right for Christmas time. Deals run from now until December 30 right across the whole fun bike range.

There’s a variety of Honda Dollar deals so check them out at a Honda dealer near you.n

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Your Performance... Your Kawasaki.

www.kawasaki.com.au/motorcycles/motocross

SMALL TORQUE MX NATS

As a very special offer to Kawasaki Team Green Australia Members, a “Come n’ Ride” THE provisional calendar for the 2015 MX track day is being offered for members at the Nationals has been released, with a 10-round unbelievably low price of $50 inc GST. (As a series to be run over four states next year. registered member riding a Kawasaki you will The schedule features three rounds in each of receive 6 x 15 minute sessions for this price.

Please note an additional fee for a day licence New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, with one round to be held in South Australia. may apply).

And if that’s not enough, Kawasaki will give The following is the schedule released for every paying participant a $25 food and next year: drink voucher!

March 29th VIC; April 12th NSW; April Remember this special offer is available only 26th VIC; May 17th SA; May 31st QLD; July to Kawasaki Team Green Australia members 5th NSW; July 19th VIC; August 2nd NSW; so join now to take advantage of this special August 23rd QLD and August 30th QLD. $50 Kawasaki Track Day offer. Head to the Upcoming Events section once you log on to www.kawasaki.com.au/kawasaki-teamHOOK TO SUZUKA green-australia for more information and to download your registration form.

TEAM Honda Racing rider Josh Hook is set to take on the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship at Suzuka in November.

The 21-year-old will make a one-off cameo in the MFJ series, complementing his full-time campaign in the 2014 Australasian Superbike Championship.

Hook will ride a CBR1000RR for Honda team FCC TSR in what will be the final round of the Japanese series on November 2.

“Racing in the All Japan Championship with Honda will be an incredible experience,” said Hook.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 25

E L A S T A C D L I W E V I S S A M 500

3 $ O T P U E V SA

AMERICAN BUILT

CRAZY SHIPPING

GET Routed’s bike shipment bookings for next year have recently gone crazy and Dave Milligan’s had to increase the number of containers necessary to move all the Aussie bikes to Europe next year. Once these extra two containers are full he’ll close bookings.

The two Get Routed shipments for 2015 are to Athens in Greece and Felixstowe in the UK.Containers will be loaded in Sydney, Melbourne and possibly Brisbane. There’s still room for a couple more bikes.

“FCC TSR is the best Honda team in the paddock by far. They are well experienced and they’ve got the best gear and mechanics. Most of those going to Felixstowe are taking in the Isle of Man TT festival before their “It’s definitely going to be an eye opener tours of Europe and the Athens shipment is to ride with such a great team, so I’m really for those wanting to explore South Eastern looking forward to that.”

Europe - Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Bosnia, Croatia and even the islands

of Crete and Cyprus. The Athens shipment will be loaded in Felixstowe for the return KAWASAKI TRACK DAY shipment back to Australia.

NOW this is happening a week or so after this issue goes to press so you can still make it to Anyone wanting more info should call Dave Milligan on 03 5625 9080 or email: dave@ Kawasaki’s track day at Winton Park (VIC) on getrouted.com.au. n Wednesday 29th October 2014.

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 26

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EDITORIAL

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 27

Farewell to an Aussie legend BEING involved in motorcycle racing for many years I’ve met and been involved with a number of tuners who have been able to do wonders with race bikes, whether it be road racing, dirt track, speedway or Motocross.

Racers are always looking for that bit extra but ‘speed’ wasn’t always easy to come by, especially 50 plus years ago, forcing many racers to push the boundaries of engineering, much of it in backyard sheds.

If you’ve ever watched the ‘World’s Fastest Indian’ you’ll know exactly what I mean. There’s an old saying, ‘it’s easy to tune it slower’, which goes to show not everyone got it right, in fact only the talented did so.

And think of the hours these successful guys put in their sheds, working on engines and machinery. It can at times consume their lives. One of my good mates, Ron Young, is such a bloke. He’s probably spent the best part of his life working on engines, mainly Ducati twins, but his engines are a work of art. I raced a Ducati 750SS classic racer for him for a number of years and the bikes were just put together ‘right’. A pleasure to look at, and to ride.

But look at the racing game, whether it be two or four wheels and you’ll find these mad scientists out there, plying their trade, often for minimal gain, trying to reinvent the wheel week in week out. Without them we’d all be racing bog stock bikes I guess.

Below is a piece written by Chris and Jane Sim about Bill Morris who recently passed away, and I thought it embodied the spirit of all these race tuners out there, the unsung heroes who make the racing scene go around.

‘In September the Illawarra motorcycling community

mourned the loss of Aussie legend Bill Morris: leading racer, tuner, engineer and businessman.

Born in 1919, Bill’s interest in all matters mechanical came from his father, who was forever tinkering with motorcycles and T-model Fords. As a young coalminer Bill undertook motorcycle repairs to supplement his income whenever strikes prevented full-time work.

Bill’s circuit racing career began on dirt tracks in the Illawarra before World War Two and by the mid-1950’s Bill was known as one of the hardest riding competitors in Australia, be that on the dirt or tar, on two wheels or three.

Some of Bill’s finest moments in road racing were at Bathurst including the solo handicap in 1947 on a Model 18 Norton updated with a Sturmey-Archer gearbox. Bill enjoyed the challenge of taking on the purebred racing models of the day with his home-brewed specials. In 1949, Bill legally enlarged his 500cc BSA Gold Star to 600cc by fashioning an aluminium spacer which fitted under the barrel. With a special piston, connecting rod and selfdesigned cast iron flywheels followed by careful attention to crankshaft balance, tuned to run on methanol, it could comfortably exceed 125mph down Conrod Straight!

Bill celebrated numerous dirt titles, was known for his spectacular broad-sliding style, held lap records across many NSW tracks and rode wheel-to-wheel with top riders of the era like Norm Fraser, Bill Mayes, Charlie Scaysbook and Tony McAlpine. Bill also dabbled in sidecar racing and was a force to be reckoned with when once again he put to work an outfit powered by his trusty 600cc BSA.

Bill is renowned for his innovative tuning in UltraLightweight racing on dirt and road. Additionally, he manufactured a large range of rear wheel sprockets, from 47 tooth to a 63 tooth monster used for scrambles. He also designed and manufactured an approved Bantam cylinder head, copies of which were cast for other Bantam-racing competitors.

In the late 1940’s, Bill left the mines and converted his part-time motorcycle repair business into a full time affair. Bill Morris Motorcycles at Corrimal was to become a magnet to Illawarra riders for more than 30 years as a Bantam and Suzuki franchise, along with his second shop set up later in Wollongong dealing in Yamahas.

Bill’s involvement in racing stretched beyond his own riding days. The challenge of developing and tuning raceware was irresistible. As early as 1950 Bill prepared the 350 BSA on which his Wollongong mate Syd Jackson won the Junior Clubmen’s race at Bathurst. He was a member of an elite group of Illawarra motorcycle engineers that included Clem Daniels and Kevin Cass.

Among those to throw a leg over Bill Morris-fettled equipment were Anthony Gunter, Jeff Sayle, Peter Stronach and Jens Olsen.

Bill’s motorcycling legacy lives on through Bill Morris Pty Ltd trading as City Coast Motorcycles. Beyond retirement, Bill visited the dealership regularly and assisted in the workshop well into his eighties. He passed peacefully with family by his side.’

– Chris Pickett

DIRTY TORQUE

Memories of Lagoon Park TO SAY that Mt Isa was a major part of the Australian motorcycle racing scene would be a fair stretch of the truth but there was a time when Lagoon Park hosted the biggest race meetings in Queensland and was the breeding ground for some of Australia’s best racers.

The mining town of Mt Isa in North West Queensland boasted sensational sporting facilities for anyone involved in Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Rugby (League/Union), Australian Rules, Cricket, Basketball or Motorcycle Racing. Mt Isa was a hot bed of activity throughout the 1970s and 1980s and was the home town for the likes of Pat Rafter, Greg Norman, Simon Black, Bruno Cullen and Scott Prince.

In the early 1970s a property on the West side of ‘The Isa’ was turned into a speedway and motocross facility and thanks to ‘Lagoon Creek’ running through the property it was called Lagoon Park.

A world class 402m speedway track with all of the fencing and banked grass spectator areas was constructed from scratch thanks to the tireless club members led by Alan Rubach who eventually had a house lobbed onto Lagoon Park where he and his wife Mary raised Alan Junior and daughter Sonya.

With Lagoon Creek running through the middle of the West side of the property it was decided that this was the perfect location for the motocross track and what came of that effort was an undulating, tree lined natural terrain layout that would be the envy of any club in Australia.

And above the motocross track the club

manufactured a sensational Flat Track that to this day is by far the best Flat/Dirt track that I have ever raced on.

My earliest memories of Lagoon Park was watching a local mine worker by the name of Johnny White blitzing his way around the track on one of the first mono shock Yamahas being chased by Husky mounted Johnny Walker and a gaggle of hard core motocrossers on all sorts of machinery. One of those riders was Col Riefle who raced each moto with a cigarette hanging from his bottom lip.

White would go on to win the Queensland 250cc Motocross Championships in 1975 and was the dominant force around North Queensland for many years until Danny Nixon turned up to take over where ‘Whitey’ left off. Mt Isa riders dominated the North Queensland scene for more years than the riders from Cairns through to Townsville care to remember.

Our club championship was as hard fought as any race series I have ever competed in and the club hosted the annual Ironman and Junior Ironman Championships and at times the Queensland and North Queensland championships with riders from all over Australia having tasted their fair share of Lagoon Park soil.

Lagoon Park was a family affair with my dad and his three sons all racing alongside the Foot brothers, the Mitchells, the Fossyns, the Murphys, the Rubachs, the Wrights, the Louies, the Perkins, the Ladbrooks, the Davies, the Felhabers, the Kerwins, the Miltenbergs, the Constantinides’,

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 28

the Korpes, the Baldwins, the Billeaus, the Grants, the Nixons, the Fretwells and the Humes to name a few.

Speedway played a major part of our social scene in Mt Isa with the solo and sidecar riders reaching celebrity status on the local front.

Saturday nights was a big night out for 1000s of local fans with a full program of racing that included Sprint Cars, Super Sedans, TQs, Solos and Sidecars so there was something for everyone and I can remember people screaming for their favourite riders or drivers throughout the night.

Ivan Mauger’s Golden Helmet tour and the British team made their way to Mt Isa in the early 1980s so this wasn’t just a dusty ol’ country affair, the Mt Isa Speedway boasted 30 plus solo riders in its heyday and the top riders from Lagoon Park were among the best in Australia.

One stand-out was solo star Tommy Davie who made his way to Europe and won the Scottish National Championships while Ronnie Schliebs and David Foot were a couple of young riders who battled with the world’s best riders during World Champion Bruce Penhall’s tour of Australia in 1981.

My family were at Brisbane’s Ekka Speedway to watch Penhall and the best speedway racers from all over the world and we were rapt to see that Schliebs and Foot had driven down for the meeting. Well, we just about wet our pants when in one of the heat races young Ronnie led Penhall out of the gate and throughout the race they went toe-to-toe until Schliebs’ chain let go leaving the

win to Penhall.

Then, later in the night David was lined up against Penhall and superstars John Titman and Stan Bear but Foot sensationally grabbed the holeshot and all four riders battled tooth and nail until Penhall took the win from Titman by half a wheel with Foote and Bear right up his clacker.

The whole crowd was on their feet and right in the thick of the action was a young kid from ‘The Isa’.

And let’s not forget Johnny Cash, Brad Rolf and Pancho Fapani. These guys were Mt Isa’s best sidecar riders who travelled all over Australia to chase down more competition and they more often than not came away with a lion’s share of the victories.

For whatever reason Lagoon Park was deemed no longer viable as a motocross facility in the early 1990s and the speedway track was left dormant for years until the final fall from grace in 2012 when a fire ripped through the entire property and destroyed everything but the memories.

Even after all of these years I can clearly recall the sound of one of the Foot brothers holding his 500cc solo absolutely flat out all of the way around the track as well as the comforting feel of my dad’s hand on my shoulder as I lined up for my next race.

I could write a book about Lagoon Park but you get the drift…..

– Darren Smart

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 29

Attractive purchase opportunities now available on many of our most popular models including:

See your local Authorised Ducati Dealer or visit ducati.com.au to discover how your Ducati dream can be reality.

Offers available from 1st October to 31st December 2014 or while stocks last.

RACE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 30

Wacky Races THE Aragon Grand Prix will go down as one of the wildest, wackiest and most entertaining races for many a year.

Starting seventh on the grid, Jorge Lorenzo found some great speed to stick it to Marc Marquez in the early going. Then there was the scary crashes involving Valentino Rossi and ‘Crazy Joe’ Iannone. Up front, Lorenzo seemed to be biding his time but then it began to drizzle and he dropped back behind Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, the Repsol Honda duo playing a nail-biting game of chicken as to who could push the hardest, and who would blink first and pit for their wets-shod bike.

As the laps wound down, the rain became heavier and MM and Dani’s game of chicken forced them onto the horns of a dilemma. With six laps to go, third-placed Lorenzo pitted to change bikes with Dovi closing down on him. “It was spitting, so I didn’t have much confidence, I was very careful and the others were going away in front,” said Jorge. “Andrea was catching me and I thought I was going to be fighting for third or fourth position. But finally I had an intuition; every lap I felt the spotting was worse and it was very dangerous and easy to crash. When I saw Marc and Dani keeping on racing without going into the pits, I said ‘ok, I will take a risk and enter’”.

The Honda duo had reached a point of no return. The curious thing was that at no point did Marquez look behind him to check what Pedrosa was doing. Also, MM either missed his pit board calling him in to pit, or ignored it. Marquez and Pedrosa have sat 1-2 in the championship, so they obviously didn’t figure Jorge into their race equations. Dirt-track whiz Marquez believed he would be able to slither his way to victory with just six laps to go, but the rain, which had been heaviest on the front part of the track, was now hosing the back sections.

Pedrosa went down first in an extraordinary spill spearing into turn one at enormous speed. The bike slid all the way to the Pyrenees, but Dani remounted to finish 14th. Marquez tucked the front-end a lap later and Lorenzo inherited the lead and a stunning victory, Yamaha’s first ever at Aragon. Aleix Espagaro made it a tuning fork 1-2 aboard the Open class Forward Yamaha with Cal Crutchlow claiming a much-needed third for Ducati. It was the first time in 2014 that a Honda failed to slip into parc ferme. Stefan Bradl likewise enjoyed a

figurative moment in the sun with a fine fourth, with Tech3 Yamaha’s Bradley Smith edging team-mate Pol Espagaro with a long, wet wheelie across the line. It was a crazy end to a crazy race, and showed that Marquez’s confidence can sometimes count against him with a 13th place finish.

JACK BE NIMBLE

In Moto3, it appeared that Jack Miller hung himself to dry in the midst of a close dice with Alex Marquez at Aragon. On first glance, it looked like Marquez had run wide into Miller, bringing him down. After several more replays it looked more like a risky move by Jack to hang on the outside in the slightly damp conditions.

Both the aerial shot and front-on shot showed that Marquez simply drove off the corner as he is entitled to do, and made accidental contact with Miller’s KTM. Race direction agreed and no action was taken against Marquez, who sprang to an 11-point lead over Miller.

Of all the GP classes, Moto3 demands the most precarious balancing act between aggression and discretion, and Jack has done a great job keeping his slightly slower KTM in the hunt on the Moto3 tight-rope. It’s easy to sit back and say Jack shouldn’t have stuck it in at Mugello or hung it on the outside at Aragon. He’s taken risks all year and most of them have come off. Now he’s taking perhaps his most audacious risk, bi-passing Moto2 to go direct to MotoGP from 2015 with LCR Honda, sparking a debate about his bold move to the high rollers’ room in the two-wheel casino.

Marquez and Rossi have both played a straight bat to questions about Miller’s move. Tellingly Marquez has revealed that his experience in Moto2 helped him develop aspects of his radical cornering entry, principally his ‘pivot’ move that Freddie Spencer first created. It’s simple enough. You brake hard enough into the corner to get the back wheel off the

Marc Marquez ground then delicately pivot the back-end around the steering head with your hips in order to shorten the corner. See, I said it was easy. Honda’s Livio Suppo has already said that Miller won’t have any expectations placed on him in the first two years of his three-year HRC contract. Jack being Jack, he’ll be smart about his transition to the 360km/h MotoGP missiles, but he’s racer’s racer who won’t be content to be fighting for tenth for too long. No matter what everyone reckons, Jack will do things in his own distinctive way, and that will ensure the best outcome in MotoGP for this unique Aussie talent.

THE OTHER JACK

Over 50 years ago on August 30, 1964, Jack Ahearn won the Finnish Grand Prix aboard his private Norton on the way to claiming second in the world 500 championship behind Mike Hailwood’s factory MV Agusta. In a remarkable career, Ahearn sits alongside the late Gregg Hansford as Australia’s two bestever riders to never win a world championship. Jack turned 90 on October 8. He’s in good health and continues to get around in his 1974 Mercedes 450 SEL on the far-north coast of NSW. Fiercely independent and determined, Jack is a national treasure who remains lucid, self-deprecating and as honest as ever. The two Jacks have a lot in common. Let’s hope Jack Miller can go one better and win that title.

– Darryl Flack

GUNTRIP

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 31

Warriors for the working day

Shane Byrne at the 2014 British Superbike Championship

READERS of these musings might be aware that I’ve never had all that much time for Formula One (the cars, that is, not the ancient, undernourished and largely forgotten competitor for Superbikes). Certainly, as a schoolboy I acknowledged the sublime talents of Jim Clark and marvelled at the excellence of the Cosworth DFV (still do, as a matter of fact).

More recently I watched open-mouthed and captivated while Prost and Senna tore lumps out of one another. But that’s more or less it. The soporific effect it has on me these days can be laid at the door of Michael Schumacher and his five titles on the trot, together with my frustration at Alonso’s comparative lack of success. And while I hope young Daniel does great things for his team in 2015, I hold out little hope for exciting racing of the sort we routinely see in MotoGP. Or did, until the Spanish wunderkind came along and began adapting the Schumacher effect for two wheels. Of course, it’s difficult catching up on your shut-eye when people are rushing around on the TV screen 60+ degrees out of vertical while delicately feeding 250bhp through a contact patch the size of a (small) smart phone, but it’s easier than it used to be since it’s become painfully obvious that Marquez is in a class of his own.

And yet, motorcycle sport being the many-faceted beast we know and love, there are always alternatives.

As I write this, Tom Sykes has just had an unhappy day splashing around the admittedly tricky Magny Cours circuit in central France to bag two fourth

places in the penultimate round of the Superbike World Championship. With just an afternoon’s entertainment in the Losail sandpit to come, the Brit’s relatively comfortable lead in the title pursuit has dwindled in the past couple of rounds from 40+ points to a mere dozen over Aprilia’s newest star, Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli, who found the Gallic wet entirely to his liking and shared the wins and second places at his home round with team-mate Marco Melandri.

So there’s that: after eight months of toil the Brit Kawasaki man and the French Aprilia jockey are neck-and-neck going into the last meeting of the year.

Meanwhile, a little further north the Brit Superbike Championship is likewise coming to a nail-biting conclusion with a dozen points also separating Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Beemer) at the top of the table. The pair swapped paint and places to take a win and second apiece at Silverstone in the penultimate meeting of the season’s proceedings. Both have won the title three times before and Byrne was set to make it four this time last year until the precocious Alex Lowes whipped his Honda under Byrne’s nose at Brands Hatch in the final round and in so doing snatched the title. Will Kiyonari do the same at Brands?

At home Wayne Maxwell has a little more breathing space at the top of the Australasian Superbike Championship, leading by 33 points over fellow Honda punter Troy Herfoss in what’s clearly been a competitive season, though Jamie Stauffer (another Honda man) took fifth round honours at Wakefield Park. So it’s on to Eastern Creek – sorry, Sydney Motorsport Park – for the last of the six-round series on the weekend of 21-23 November.

Draw from that little lot what conclusions you will, but it’s clear there’s competitive rivalry to be found in the road racing world as long as you’re prepared to look beyond MotoGP. Long may it remain so. Since the first rough-hewn generation of superbikes did battle at Winton and Daytona 30+ years ago, they’ve always provided value-plus entertainment. While grand prix racing over the same period has demanded the talents of a gifted handful – Roberts, Spencer, Lawson, Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan, Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner, Marquez – to move its story forward, down on the second tier the party has been bigger, lasted longer and shows no sign of slowing down.

For as much as we need MotoGP, we need superbikes too, and the people who ride them. Just ask yourself: if the opportunity arose, who would you rather have a beer with – Marc Marquez or Troy Bayliss? It wouldn’t take me long to decide.

On the other hand, I would certainly like a chat with the technical director of the FIM. Because if different people were winning MotoGP races every weekend you’d still have the unhappy knowledge that before long the FIM will start meddling again, and decide that for the next five years MotoGP will be a class for 270cc threestrokes running front and rear shopping baskets and an onboard FM radio broadcasting selections from Puccini’s operas.

Superbikes, on the other hand, are likely to keep their 1000cc engines for the foreseeable future. It’s a tough, hard-working class that appeals to hard-working people.

Or perhaps I just see it that way because I’m a peasant at heart.

– Bob Guntrip

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 32

KTM RC 390

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 33

KTM RC 390

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

The KTM RC 390 doesn’t hide the fact it’s a race track refugee.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 34

KTM RC 390

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 35

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

N TEST BY MATT O’CONNELL, PHOTOS BY KTM N RIDING GEAR: ZEUS HELMET, ALPINESTARS LEATHERS, ALPINESTARS BOOTS.

GREAT news for all of you researching your first bike - KTM has stepped into the learner bike arena and it has done it with style. The RC 390 pushes the envelope in the allowable power to weight ratio for the LAMS class while keeping in step with the edgy looks the distinctive orange road bikes are known for.

If you have already checked out the 390 Duke, don’t be fooled - this is not a Duke with fairings bolted on, it is a completely new bike.

Big bore style The RC 390 is set to become instantly recognisable due to its angular RC8R inspired styling. If you want a bike that stands out from the crowd (and we all do), the RC 390 will make that statement.

its small road bikes. It makes commercial sense - the Asian and sub continent markets are huge.

But take a look at the impressive build quality - the images show the detail in the swingarm and trellis frame. In the flesh it looks even better - lots of attention to detail showing that KTM takes its smaller road bikes very seriously indeed.

Power is delivered by a 375cc single cylinder four stroke engine producing 32kw The ride - through the street at 9500rpm. It weighs in at 147kg dry, and if you do the math (even against KTM has a habit of picking out the most iconic locations in the world to show larger capacity LAMS bikes) the RC 390 has the goods power wise. off its new bikes.

KTM went out of its way to give the RC 390 a class leading power to weight ratio, and in the suspension department it beefed things up as well - fitting the Maranello. Italy. It’s the home of Ferrari and that’s where the assembled media were able to sample this bike - living the dream I say! front with fat 43mm forks from WP Suspension. The rear is also handled by WP and is adjustable for preload.

We began with a group ride in the morning straight out of Maranello and after a few kilometres it was time to attack the hills.

The pillion seat is almost worth a paragraph in itself. It is shaped like a single seat cowl, but it is made of a rubber you can sit on. It’s a really innovative touch Tiny little towns paved with cobble stone, and cafes everywhere - you could and certainly looks the part. have pulled the scenery straight from a movie.

Finally I want to mention build quality. KTM has teamed up with Indian The 390 was absolutely loving it, punching through the tight stuff and manufacturer Bajaj (who are a shareholder in KTM) to produce the majority of stretching out on the (limited) straight sections.

Continued on next page

The overall package gave me a confident feeling straight away - but I’ll mention a few stand outs.

Firstly, the engine. For an entry level machine, the power available is going to make you want to ride this bike as often as possible, so warn your family - you’ll be out riding a lot.

Mid range is where it was at for me. I loved the way the power rolled on right in the middle - it was lots of fun to hit those tight sections and find the sweet spot.

The gearbox stood out for me too, really tight and responsive. It had great feel going down the gears, and the single cylinder engine has nice engine braking, which helps setting up for corners.

The riding position is definitely sporty, but the handlebars don’t feel completely extreme, which means you could easily live with this bike for the daily commute.

The big 43mm forks up front were a good design call. They gave a lot of confidence tipping into corners - so right from the start there is no reason to hold back (which is a good thing during this ride, because around the tight Italian roads you need to be well alert)!

On the track We were lucky enough to score an afternoon session at the Autodromo di Modena. It is the kind of modern track you wish there were more of in Australia - you could compare it to somewhere like Morgan Park in Queensland - tight, technical and a lot of fun.

The track sessions really amplified my original thoughts.

The power in the engine was impressive and the suspension was a pretty close match for me as well (I’m about 180cm and 80kg).

They actually lower the power output of the bike for the race version.

I would have liked to tweak some settings, but the reality is it was easy to really hook in on this bike very quickly.

Finding the sweet torque spot was a breeze, the gearbox ratios are well thought out and so usable.

In a nutshell, KTM has put a lot of effort into creating a sporty motorcycle that can suit so many different sized riders - no easy feat when you think of the possibilities of physical dimensions it would have to plan for.

It’s pretty cool to think you can jump on a bike, have a good scratch through the hills and then push so hard on the track without making any changes.

I will say I would have liked more bite in the front brakes, however I did get used to them after a while. They stood up to some hefty punishment and of CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 36 course, ABS comes standard.

If you were going to run this bike at the track often you would grab some softer rubber, but the fitted tyres (110/70 on front, 150/60 on the rear) got up to temperature nicely and gave good feedback.

The bike is light and flickable making it easy to get cranked over and start some fun slides.

And that is one reason I really loved this machine - it was way easier for me to find my own limits on this bike than on large capacity machines. It means you are in for a fun day’s riding and most importantly, be able to learn a lot in the process.

It will be interesting to read what other riders feel about the lack of adjustment in brake levers and suspension - but there is always compromise - and for me, it wasn’t a huge impact. The reality here is that the RC 390 is such a well engineered package out of the box, you will spend a long time exploring the limits of this bike without worrying about adjustments.

The main thing I took from the afternoon was this - during a track session any bike is put under a lot more stress, and the RC 390 stood up to the pressure really well, which says something for the build quality.

The verdict KTM deserves to make a big impact with the RC 390. This is a quality motorcycle at the right price. It was also good to have a chat with the KTM engineers who designed this bike - it really has a holistic approach to design, and are in tune with what its riders want.

All I kept hearing over the weekend was, ‘if only I could buy one of these when I was 17!’

KTM has put a lot of effort into pushing the limits of performance for what is available for a young rider - and I love that approach, something that is sure to generate brand loyalty.

The RC 390 is a genuine quality motorcycle that is going to let you find the limits of your own ability and make a perfect stepping stone to a supersport bike.

At $8295 there are cheaper LAMS bikes on the market but realistically I don’t think that will matter. People will buy this bike because of what it is and what it offers, rather than from a price point. n

KTM RC 390

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

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KTM RC 390

Launch

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WATCH VIDEO NOW

www.cycletorque.com.au/more S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : KTM RC390 Engine Type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke single Capacity: 373cc Transmission: 6-speed, chain drive Fuel Capacity: 10 litres Frame Type: Tubular space frame Seat Height: 820mm Dry Weight: 147kg Front Suspension: WP USD Rear Suspension: WP Monoshock Brakes: Single 4-piston caliper on front (300mm disc), single piston caliper on rear Tyres: 110/70-17, 150/60-17 Price (RRP): $8,295 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more

www.ktm.com

No cheap parts here!

Even the indicators are special.

The art of design is strong.

ABS is standard.

Instruments show everything you need.

CALL FOR A QUOTE

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

Muffler looks and sounds the business.

KTM RC 390

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

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KTM RC 390

Launch CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 40

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

Test

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TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

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Test

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HOT on the heels of the very popular Street Triple 675 is the LAMS approved Street Triple 660.

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

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Test

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N

TEST AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS PICKETT

N

RIDING GEAR: KABUTO HELMET, ARLEN NESS GLOVES, M2R JACKET, SARTSO JEANS, RST BOOTS.

EVERYONE’S in on the LAMS act these days, and Triumph already had the basis of its machine, the Street triple 675. A few tweaks here and there, and the Street triple 660 was born.

Australia is one of the very few, if not the only, country with a 660cc capacity limit and power to weight ratio system for learner legal motorcycles. It’s a well thought out system generally, and for Triumph to build a bike specifically for this market shows how serious they take Aussie sales.

On the stand On face value you’d think Triumph has just lopped 15cc off the 675’s capacity but that wouldn’t get the engine into the desired power to weight range needed for LAMS compliance. The engine has been revamped quite heavily for learner riders, with an output of 40.6kW (55 hp) quoted by Triumph. This brings it ever so slightly under the required 150kW per tonne power to weight LAMS ratio. Specifically the engine has been destroked by 1.2mm to get the desired capacity decrease, there’s been changes in camshaft spec and the ECU has been changed to suit it all. You can’t tamper with the ECU so any thoughts of ‘boosting’ power levels back towards 675 territory are wishful thinking.

The Street Triple was updated recently, and the LAMS ST has received many of those changes, including a lighter chassis, wheels, a low mounted exhaust, and of course the new styling.

The LAMS ST uses an inline three cylinder engine, like the regular 675 does. In fact there’s lots of similarities here. Fuel injection, four valves per cylinder, six

speed gearbox and so on. If the bikes were sitting side by side you have to look hard to see which one’s which.

It’s a basic sort of model, so there’s not much adjustment on the suspension.

Kayaba gear is used fore and aft, with the 41mm USD forks having no adjustment, while the rear shock can be altered for preload.

Brakes on the mid sized Trumpies have always been one of their strong points and the 660 ST is no different. Nissin calipers up front, not the big radial four piston jobs but good nonetheless, and a single Brembo at the rear. Switchable ABS is an option too.

The instruments come straight from the full power Street Triple and have everything you need,including a lap timer and adjustable shift light for track work, twin trip computers and a handy gear indicator. High tech is the go too, with a coded key immobiliser system to stop thieves walking away with your ride.

Continued on next page

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 45

Test

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Hey I thought this was a LAMS bike? Well, check out some of the accessories.

You can option up the bike with a quickshifter, a Tyre Pressure Monitor (TPM), belly pan, mini screen up front, heaps of polished and anodised stuff, and much more.

Lastly there’s a 12 month unlimited parts and labour warranty, and service intervals are 10,000 kilometres.

On the road Now I’ve ridden plenty of Street Triples and love them by the way. The three cylinder engine is glorious, with lots of low down and mid range punch. They sound tough too, like a banshee wailing when you are screwing the throttle to the stops. Sorry, I got distracted there, let’s get back to the LAMS version here.

Yes, the ‘full house’ Street Triple is a great bike, but so is the LAMS version, the 660. It feels very similar to ride, with the only real noticeable difference being the power. It handles the same, brakes the same, sounds the same, and even looks the same as the 675 version.

Around town the 660 is a delight to ride. It feels very light so negotiating traffic and parking it are dead easy. The seat height at 800mm is ok for most people, and the reach to the handlebars and footpegs is pretty good. I could have more room but I’m six foot. That said, I still found it comfortable and had no complaints at all, even after two hours straight in the saddle.

Talking about time in the saddle, there’s 17.4 litres of space in the tank, giving you a range of around 300 kilometres. By all accounts the fuel consumption is much the same as the 675 ST, I guess that’s because you still tend to screw the throttle on when there’s nothing happening. Over the first half of the throttle you don’t notice too much of a difference between the 660 and the 675, but the top end is quite different, as it should be. I simply didn’t bother wasting my time trying to rev it too hard, just keeping it in the sweet torque range. When in attack mode the bike handled and stopped like its bigger brother, it just didn’t have the punch out of the corners. It hasn’t lost any of the banshee wail though, which is nice.

Verdict I think this is a bike you’d obviously buy for your learner period but it’s that good plenty of riders would be happy to just keep it way after the full licence is obtained.

It really is an easy bike to like, there’s no problems or issues to speak of and I can see lots of people putting their hard earned down for one. And speaking of hard earned, the bike is at the pointy end of the LAMS pricing scale, $12,490. At that price though, it’s still a massive bargain in my book. n

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

Test

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TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

Test

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

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : Triumph Street Triple 660 Engine Type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke triple Capacity: 660cc Transmission: 6-speed, chain drive Fuel Capacity: 17.4 litres Frame Type: Alloy beam twin spar Seat Height: 800mm Dry Weight: 181kg Front Suspension: Kayaba 41mm upside down forks 110mm travel Rear Suspension: Kayaba monoshock with 124.5mm rear wheel travel Brakes: Twin 2-piston Nissin calipers (ABS available), single piston Brembo caliper on rear Tyres: 120/70-17, 180/55-17 Price (RRP): $12,490 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

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

WATCH VIDEO NOW

Seat is good for rider, ok for pillion.

Rear shock has adjustment for preload only.

Instruments are the same as used on the 675 Triples.

Forks also offer no adjustment, but work well as do the 2-piston brakes.

660cc engine is a gem.

Muffler looks great and sounds good too.

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 660

Test

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 49

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

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Test

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Rocketing Forward

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

Test

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Both of the

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 51

YZ four-strokes

are faster and

stronger

for 2015

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 52

Test

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Rocketing Forward N TEST BY TODD REED, PHOTOS BY JEFF CROW N RIDING GEAR: TROY LEE DESIGNS HELMET AND APPAREL, ALPINESTARS BOOTS.

IN 2014 Yamaha redeveloped its four stroke motocross bikes from the ground up.

For the first time the controversial rearward slanting, backwards engine design was introduced to the 250, and further refined on the 450, where it was first introduced in 2010.

At the time of release in late 2013, many were questioning Yamaha’s vision and design. 12 months later however, most would agree that both of the 2014 Yamaha YZF four strokes have proven to be an overwhelming success.

For 2015, Yamaha has taken this success and run with it. Both MY15 bikes see a host of small refinements which will only further solidify their position at the front of the pack.

Specs Kayaba has been taking care of the suspenders beneath the Yamaha YZFs ever since they were introduced. Since then, it would be fair to say that KYB has delivered top notch suspension components that have kept both riders and suspension tuners quite happy. So what changes for 2015? Almost nothing, except for a few inner valving changes to both bikes, Yamaha has made the courageous move to stay with the traditional SSS, twin cartridge, mechanical spring fork.

The Pneumatic Spring Fork, or Air Fork if you will, is certainly in development at KYB and is something we might see down the road from the iconic blue brand, but for now Yamaha has left the many teething problems of the Air Forks to their competition to sort out.

The chassis, like the suspension, remains relatively unchanged on both bikes. The 450 receives some new engine mounts, which are now a stronger design. The purpose of this is to add rigidity to the chassis, and believe it or not, the design of the engine

mounts in some cases can considerably change the handling characteristics of a bike.

Over the years, Yamaha has developed a reputation for having strong, reliable engines that have offered quality over performance. This is not to say that the YZs have been slow, but up until last year, the production model Yamahas certainly haven’t won any horspepower races either. In 2015 Yamaha has broken that ‘slow and steady’ mould, with the YZ250F and YZ450F both offering extremely fast powerplants and class leading reliability.

As you would expect, Yamaha do the small things right, and the 2015 Yamaha four strokes are no different. New features include oversize tapered handlebars, rubber mounted adjustable handlebar mounts, Nissin brakes, oversize footpegs, gripper seat cover, “In-Mould” sublimated graphics, and updated quick release fasteners on the airbox which allow the rider or mechanic to gain access to the airbox without the need or use of any tools.

On the track With a smooth, fast track layed out in front of us we were real keen to see what the changes for 2015 actually did in the real world. But before we got ahead of Continued on next page

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

Test

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CYCLE TORQUE

ourselves, we made some personal adjustments to get comfortable, moving the handlebars, adjusting the controls, and setting the sag at 105mm (as recommended by Yamaha). It only took a few laps and it seemed like we were chugging along at full steam on the big bore YZ450F. The few small updates, being the heavier fork springs and new engine mounts, together make a surprisingly big difference to the handling. In 2014 we enjoyed the YZ450F, but in stock trim we really felt like the suspension needed some attention to get the best handling out of this bike. On the 2015 model, we immediately felt more comfortable with the setup and could attack various sections of the track with much more confidence. On paper the forks and chassis are stiffer, but don’t be worried about this folks. The 2015 changes did not introduce any harshness or create any other unwanted dramas.

As expected, the YZ450F motor absolutely rips. It’s fast, but not aggressive, and runs clean and crisp without being snappy and jerky. Off the bottom and through the mid, the engine gives that ‘grunty’ feeling as you feed the throttle on. It’s strong and torquey and will carry tall gears easily. Once you open the throttle up and get higher up in the RPM range the YZ still has a considerably strong top end. It will rev hard and maintain solid power output right through ’till it signs off.

It’s a combination that works very well on the Yamaha, and if you are looking for power, look no further than the 2015 YZ450F. The Yamaha engineers have really done their homework when it comes to engines. Later in the day when we jumped on the YZ250F, once again this was one of the most noticeable features of the small bore thumper.

The YZ250F almost mimics the 450 style powerband, albeit a bit slower. With good bottom end power, really

strong ‘grunty’ mid-range and a very capable top end.

It does tend to pull a bit harder further up in the rev range, but that is a trademark of high revving small bore four strokes these days. This combination of power makes the YZ a very fast and fun package to scream around your local motocross track on.

Once you move past this fun loving engine, you quickly realise how easy this bike is to ride. It has a great chassis and suspension that is very easy to get used to and requires minimal setup for most riders to become comfortable and feel right at home. At our test, we barely changed a clicker setting on the suspension all day and felt quite satisfied with the standard setup.

Now for a look at a few of the finer details. Both bikes have capable and reliable braking systems, and as we have said in previous years, they work good, but not great. Yamaha offer an oversize front rotor in its GYTR aftermaket catalogue which would be a welcome addition to the production model. It is interesting to notice that Yamaha has included this 270mm oversize front rotor as inclusion in the ‘free’ race kits which are offered with the sale of their 2015 Two Stroke YZs. The tapered handlebars are a comfortable bend and the rubber mounted adjustable handlebar mounts offer four points of adjustability, we liked the standard position most, but it is a great feature for those who are a bit shorter or taller than the average rider.

Previously, the airbox was held down by three, 6mm bolts with an 8mm head. For 2015 Yamaha changed these out for quick release bolts with a ring pull on top of the head. This is certainly a nice addition for all of us who do our own maintenance. The airbox is now easily removed, and put back on without the need for any tools. In what is another nice touch, if you have a 2014 model and would like to upgrade to the quick release bolts, the kit is readily available through your Yamaha

dealer in the GYTR catalogue and will set you back just under $50.

While we didn’t use the GYTR power tuner on the day of our test, we have used it in the past and have found great success using this tool. Again it is available through your local dealership, and it will give mechanics and the tinkering minds out there more accessibility to fuel and ignition settings.

Verdict If you’re in the market for a new motocross bike, take the trip into your local Yamaha dealer and have a serious look at the Yamaha YZ four strokes. You can’t go wrong with either as they are both two of the best motocross bikes on the market. If you’re a bigger guy, who enjoys rolling the throttle on and letting the bike do all the work than the 450 is for you. While the 250 is suited to a wide range of riders, riders who tend to be a bit younger and more aggressive will shine on the little blue thumper. Price of entry is $11,999 for the 450, and $10,999 for the 250. n

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

Test

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 54

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

Test

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S P E C I F I C AT I O N S : 2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & (YZ250F) Engine Type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke single Capacity: 450cc (250cc) Transmission: 5-speed, chain drive Fuel Capacity: 7.5 litres Frame Type: Bilateral beam frame Seat Height: 965mm Dry Weight: 105kg (99kg) Front Suspension: USD forks, 310mm of travel (330mm of travel) Rear Suspension: Monoshock, 310mm of travel (315mm of travel) Brakes: Single disc front and rear Tyres: 80/100-21, 120/80-19 (100/90-19) Price (RRP): $11,999 ($10,999) www.cycletorque.com.au/more

TAP TO PLAY

Stiffer chassis for 2015.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 55

Black rims look great.

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

Both the 450 and 250 retain the forward induction engine layout.

2015 YAMAHA YZ450F & YZ250F

Test

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 57

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MERCURY CAFE RACER

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 58

Test

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Budget

Cafe Racer

MERCURY CAFE RACER

Test

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This cool little 21st century cafe racer doesn’t just look the part but it actually runs very sweetly too.

N TEST BY DENNIS PENZO, PHOTOS BY NIGEL PATERSON N RIDING GEAR: BELL CUSTOM 500 HELMET, MATADOR EQUIPMENT JACKET, GLOVES

BY FIVE GLOVES, SARTSO JEANS, FALCO BIKER BOOTS.

LET’S face it, retro is king at the moment, and young riders are as much about style as anything else. We knew straight away the cool Mercury Cafe Racer was going to turn heads and our initial impressions were borne out in a very short space of time, when several young guys approached our test crew during shooting at Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle, thinking that the bike was an old era bike that had been brought back to life.

And how much fun was it to kick over a street machine again. Ah, the memories. So it definitely meets Penzo’s first Rule of Retro - thou shalt have a kick-start.

On the stand

Many manufacturers now produce lots of models that cater to that desire for the retro look.

The engine’s compression ration is 9:1 so you’re not going to have too much trouble kicking it over - there’s a knack to it but it’s not hard to master.

From that perspective the Mercury Cafe Racer will certainly tap into what is a growing trend in the motorcycle world.

The Mercury Cafe Racer has some features on it that you’d only expect to find on much more expensive machinery.

Continued on next page

Test

CYCLE TORQUE

MERCURY CAFE RACER

Things like the rear seat cowl that covers the pillion seat, and the other feature we liked was the gear position indicator.

I reckon they should be mandatory on learner bikes.

The indicator lights for the blinkers are separate lights which I think is a better idea for learners than a single light doing duties for both sides.

There’s only the one centrally mounted instrument on the handlebars and it contains everything you need including, high beam, analogue speedo and trip meter. The indicator warning lights are actually on the instrument’s mounting bracket.

Hitting the road

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 60 With a fuel tank capacity of 12 litres you might wonder how far you’ll have to travel between drinks. Well, she’s a frugal little sipper, and 3.2litres per 100km will see you travel a long way before you need to pull over for a fuel stop.

The 48mm telescopic forks up front don’t have any adjustment and will allow 140mm of travel. The rear comprises twin conventional shocks with 70mm travel.

And really, for the kind and style of bike that this is, the suspension is quite up to the kinds of tasks you’ll put this bike to. I weigh in at 70kg and the given total weight of the bike is 115kg. The bike definitely did not struggle to do its cafe racer thing.

Modify Me

Sol Invictus and braaap, the distributors of this bike, have a range of customisable The riding position is quite comfortable in relation to pegs and handlebars with the rider components so you can modify the Mercury to your own taste - such components leaning slightly forward and even passes muster for slightly longer trips in the saddle. include handlebars, seats, exhausts and much more.

There are pillion pegs and there is a pillion seat hidden under that rear cowl. The rider’s And speaking of cafe racer, for those who are disposed to such design features, the rake seat is quite firm, but not uncomfortably so. The seat height is 760mm and even a is 27degrees while the trail is 60mm. person with short legs is not going to have any trouble at all feeling comfortable on this machine.

The bike is available in matte black, gloss black or gloss red and is promoted as being endlessly customisable with a range of components including bars, seats, exhausts and The Mercury cafe racer is very nimble around town with a lively little motor. Although, more. having said that, this bike is still capable of the odd jaunt on the freeway.

In standard trim the bike looks very smart, very retro. I reckon all that’s missing is a set of We had a new one as our test bike so we didn’t want to wring its neck (well, not bar-end mirrors and voila, instant cool. completely), but it saw 110kmh easily on the freeway and there was obviously more room in hand to better that. The distributors claim 130kmh and we didn’t think it was unreasonable to expect that flat out. Bearing in mind of course that one doesn’t ride Verdict machines of this capacity flat out on the freeway all day, just sayin’. The little 250 has a bore and stroke of 65.5 x 66.2 giving power of 12kW @ 7500rpm and torque of 17Nm @ We are leaving the very best till last - yes, it’s only $3,999 plus on-road costs, and 6000rpm. there’s even an option for an extended lifetime warranty, now that’s cool! For that sort of money you don’t expect much but the Mercury Cafe Racer exceeded all our The gears are well spaced and the five-speed gearbox is nice and smooth with no expectations, by quite a bit too. ghostly false neutrals that can be so annoying on some Chinese machinery.

Our test bike was supplied by Sol Invictus Motorcycles, 151 Hunter Street, Newcastle. Ph: The single-cylinder SOHC motor has a nice throaty beat to it, bearing in mind that the (02) 4023 5575 or check out www.solinvictus.com.au exhaust on our test machine had a slight modification to improve its note and also help the engine breathe that little bit easier.

The bikes are actually bought into the country under a joint arrangement between Sol Invictus in Newcastle and braaap in Frankston, Victoria.

It’s all held together within a mild steel tubular semi-perimeter frame with 17inch spoked wheels.

So if you’re south of the border you can check out www.mercurycaferacer.com or ring 1300 27 22 27. n The brakes are quite up to the task at hand, featuring a 300mm single disc with twin calipers on the front and a 210mm single disc with single-piston caliper on the rear.

MERCURY CAFE RACER

Test

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MERCURY CAFE RACER

Test

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S P E C I F I C AT I O N S: Mercury Cafe Racer Engine Type: Air-cooled 4-stroke single Capacity: 250cc Transmission: 5-speed, chain drive Fuel Capacity: 12 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel Seat Height: 760mm Weight: 115g Front Suspension: 48mm Non adjustable USD Rear Suspension: Twin shocks Brakes: Single disc front and rear Tyres: 110/70-17, 130/70-17 Price (RRP): $3,999 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more CALL FOR A QUOTE

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

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 62

www.cycletorque.com.au/more www.mercurycaferacer.com

Thou shalt have a kick start.

Sporty tail.

Almost like a Vincent visage. Single disc works well.

No dramas with old school carb.

Simple 250cc air cooled single.

MERCURY CAFE RACER

Test

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 64

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 65

Cycle Torque FEATURE : URAL SIDECAR TRAINING

Teach me

Sidecars

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 65

Not exactly a sidecar virgin, although pretty close to it, Chris Pickett learns to ride a sidecar.

TAP TO PLAY VIDEO

TO BE honest I’ve never really got sidecars. They look unwieldy, underpowered, and just plain hard work. This opinion of mine has come about by me riding one, once, over 20 years ago. In that situation it was a first model Honda Goldwing fitted with a chair, and with minimal instruction I set off around a closed section of road. I had close to no idea what I was doing really, and it was hard work just trying to stay on the road. After a few laps I handed it back, never to actually ride one again.

Around the same time I wasted valuable thought time contemplating going classic racing on one, with my lovely wife Kerrie as the swinger. She had no history as a swinger, that I knew of, and not surprisingly had no real interest in being one. So, that fanciful idea was quickly scrapped.

Then, a couple of years ago I was speaking to an old workmate who had a chair put on his fairly new Goldwing. He lasted all of about 15 kilometres before he speared off the road and into hospital, with a broken limb. I did ask him if he received any instruction before being let loose in the wild and he said, “no.” And possibly even worse was the fact he never bothered to ask. Now, that proved to me that even if you are a good solo rider, as is the case with my old work colleague, that doesn’t mean you will automatically ‘gel’ with the threewheeled beast.

Armed with all that knowledge I firmly believed sidecars were to be avoided at all costs, as they are dangerous, and all sidecar riders ‘different’.

So, looking at the pictures here you can see I’m riding a sidecar. What gives? Well, the opportunity came up to test a Ural sidecar, which I was interested in, but I did need some instruction before going on the road proper. Luckily, the Australian Ural importer Jon Taylor is a handy sidecar rider, and also a handy sidecar instructor, having long ago worked out it wasn’t great business to have people let loose on his machines with no specific knowledge Continued on next page

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 66

Cycle Torque FEATURE : URAL SIDECAR TRAINING on how to ride them, getting a fright and then telling all their friends not to buy one. But more importantly Jon is just a nice bloke and wants to see people taught properly and then enjoy his product.

Back to school Usually sidecar students go to Jon’s rural property near Armidale in the Northern Tablelands area of NSW. Instruction is done over a full day, more if needed, on a variety of road surfaces. Jon and I though, organised to do a bit of training just north of the township of Barrington, at the Breti recreational area. This suited us perfectly as there was some dirt roads, some large grassed areas and even a river crossing. And even better it was all legal like.

Jon showed me how a sidecar worked, with a scale model and a table. He told me that to turn left you need to power on and to turn right you needed to decelerate. There was more to it of course, but he said most people got themselves into trouble on left hand corners by going in a bit hot, backing off the throttle and then hitting the brakes, all of which want to make the sidecar go right instead of successfully going left.

Armed with all this knowledge I played around on a course marked out with witches hats and once I had the gist of that I started to move further afield on the dirt roads and even off road next to the river. Once I got some confidence Jon showed me how to get the third wheel off the ground, and I can tell you I was keen for that. Half an hour or so of those shenanigans and it was then to the river crossing. Despite getting wet I massively enjoyed that too.

On the road training As we were filming this for Cycle Torque TV we had intrepid photo journo Brian Dyer with us to record the event, but he was decidedly against getting in

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 66

the chair with me. Luckily Jon had brought along a second outfit, and with Jon’s experience Brian felt much more comfortable getting in with him. Although Brian went soft, my old mate Dave Longbottom, an irregular contributor to Cycle Torque magazine and TV, was brave enough to come along for the ride.

We set off the next day from a chilly Gloucester and I felt confident on the road with Dave in the chair. I was happy cruising along at around 70 km/h, not really confident to go much faster because I was definitely out of my comfort zone.

Over the course of the day, and numerous photo stops I started to get the hang of it somewhat, and the enjoyment factor was right up there.

I really did start to ‘get’ what riding a sidecar was all about. I did still have to think about what I was doing but got to the point of doing a few brake slides in the dirt, and getting the chair high up in the air, all with Dave still in it. I did have a couple of minor incidents though. While we were doing the photos I managed to nearly run over Brian on a downhill off-camber grassy slope. I hit the brakes and the outfit slid down the hill, Brian managing to dive out of the road at the last moment. It was all at a slow speed but still, it let me know I was still a novice. The second one was a bit more action packed. As my confidence grew so did the use of the throttle. While negotiating a left corner at a reasonably good pace the chair, with all 100 plus kilos of Dave on board, came up in the air.

The first reaction is to shut the throttle, which makes the outfit want to go right. No probs, get on the throttle again, the same thing happens, and so on.

The end result was a few of those get off/get on the gas moments and I was quickly running out of road.

Continued on next page

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 67

Cycle Torque FEATURE : URAL SIDECAR TRAINING It was all good in the end though, although Dave looked a little paler than he did a couple of minutes before. The lesson here is to not get too ‘cocky’ before the skill level is where it should be.

Suitably chastened by myself and Dave, the run back to Gloucester was less eventful. I have to say I really enjoyed my couple of days learning to ride an outfit and can see why people love them. It would take some experience before someone like myself could feel at home on one, as I do on a solo, but the idea of cruising along with the bride on board, a picnic in the boot and a piece of grass beside a babbling brook really does sound good.

The experience has also changed my opinion on the dangers of riding a sidecar. Yes they are different but if you get the right training and take it easy until you are experienced enough then you’ll be right. There’s a three-wheeled world waiting out there for those looking for something a bit different. n For more info call Ural of Oz sidecar training on 02 6778 7436 or visit www.uralofoz.com.au

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 67

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 68

INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 69

IBIKE STUFF GUARD THE MT-07

RAD Guard now have a Yamaha MT-07 radiator guard available. Rad Guard have designed this guard to be easy to fit, using an existing mounting point on one side and using the pin system on the other to hold the Rad Guard in place. The expanded mesh sits off the radiator core approximately 10-15mm so even if there is a direct hit from any road debris it will not hit your radiator. Rad Guard has still implemented their robust frame system to hold the expanded mesh in place. Don’t leave home without your protection. Grab a Rad Guard today.

ALL-TERRAIN SPORTS

WITH high-tech materials that make it very lightweight and extremely safe, the new GS helmet is specifically designed for all-terrain sports riding. This is also reflected in a firstclass enduro ventilation system. The enduro helmet’s shell is made of 100 per cent carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). This provides excellent impact absorption and keeps down weight, which is particularly important off-road. In fact, the GS helmet weighs in at just 1,500 grams or so.

Available in Light White and Black Matt, and in Xplore, Comp and One World trims.

Sizes 52/53 to 62/63.

PRICE: TBA AVA IL A BL E F ROM: BMW Motorrad dealers MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

PRICE: On special at $156 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Rad Guard (Ph 02 6658 0060) MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

FULL POWER KATANA

IPONE has reinvigorated its product range with new bottles, new labels and most importantly, brand new formulations to ensure that every motorcyclist has the best experience possible, no matter what the machine. Full Power Katana is Ipone’s 100 per cent Synthetic solution for road going engines (there’s a specific racing range) where performance is paramount. By utilising advanced esters with a focus on “Speed & Easy shift” you will notice the difference as soon as you ride away, with faster and smoother gear changes.

Available in both 1L and 4L bottles: 5W40, 10W40, 10W50, 10W60, 15W50.

PRICE: 1 litre: $24.95, 4 litre: $79.95 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good bike shops MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

REDLINE IT!

REDLINE batteries are an Australian owned and operated business. They guarantee the best prices in Australia on performance batteries and can supply batteries for every make, model and year of motorcycle, atv and jetski. Redline batteries offer FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in Australia and provide 12 months warranty on every battery in the range and they dispatch twice daily.

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INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 70

IBIKE STUFF WATCH HOW TO CLEAN YOUR DNA FILTER

DNA FOR CF MOTOS

DNA has developed its new filter for NK650 and TR650 CF Moto models in co-operation with national distributor Kenma Australia. The advanced full contour design (FCd) allows the filtering material to follow precisely the contour of the airbox and uses the complete airbox as “active filtering area” increasing airflow and filtering efficiency. The new filters have an extremely high filtering efficiency of 98-99% with four layers of DNA cotton. The flow of the new DNA filter is 33.90% more than the CF Moto stock foam filter.

PRICE : From $109 AVA IL A BIL I T Y: From leading motorcycle outlets MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

LOCK IT UP

ABUS has released the Detecto 7000 RS1 brake disc lock which even warns you when you lift the bike off the stand to prevent an unintended ride-off with the lock in place. You can also order the lock keyed alike to other locks. It features a 3mm x 5mm square steel bolt made of specially hardened steel, as are the locking body and other supporting elements. It can even be transported in a locked state without activating the detection system. A multifunction LED and acoustic signals also inform you about battery, activation and alarm status.

PRICE : $119.95 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good bike shops MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

ART FOR YOUR BIKE SLIP ON A COBRA

THIS unique 4-inch muffler features advanced acoustic tuning technology for a deep, rumbling sound. The matte titanium finish on the aluminium tip matches the colour of the stock bike’s heatshields. And the satin black muffler includes a custom heat-shield to smooth the transition from the stock header pipes to the Cobra muffler. The muffler comes with a 3-inch core encased in proprietary Cobra sound tuning materials with specific acoustic damping and thermal insulation PRICE : $549 properties, ensuring a deep bass exhaust note AVA IL A BL E F ROM: Good bike shops without being too loud.

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

THE myPlates Art range of number plates is now available for NSW motorcyclists. This is the first time that graphics have appeared on NSW licence plates with backgrounds dramatically enhanced with the introduction of tattoo inspired art and symbols such as rose, skull and tribal designs.

There are five styles available. You can restyle your existing plate to the Art Range for a one-off fee of $155 or choose your own letters and numbers (additional annual fee of $99).

Other styles and colours are available with order fees for bikes starting from as little as $80.

PRICE : From $80 AVA IL A BL E F ROM: www.myplates.com.au MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 71

USED & REVIEWED CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 72 CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 72

Torture Test - 2013 THOR Core pants and jersey

I hear ya EARMOLD Australia make earplugs for all kinds of uses with all kinds of features. Last year we had a set made for our advertising manager who is not only a keen motorcyclist but also a keen surfer. Having had a burst eardrum in the past, he’s very “ear conscious.”

The Insta-Mold Custom made plugs were made on the spot by the Earmold Australia crew and have been put through their paces, virtually daily in the surf. They work a treat and have even been put to use in the surf off Thurso (northern Scotland) so they are now officially North Sea approved. They take only minutes to make and fit your ear precisely and you wear them same day - none of this waiting around for weeks! You can get them in 10 solid colours as well as multi-colour combos. We had ours done in Balmain Tigers colours.

PRICE: $70 AVA IL A BLE FROM: Earmold Australia or their agent (07) 3314 6932 MORE INF O: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

OK, it has been almost two years since I took delivery of my THOR Core Motocross pants and jersey so I figured now is as good a time as any to share how they have fared after all the use and abuse.

2013 and 2014 have been a busy time.

Throughout 2013 I had the KTM 450 SX-F to test while enjoying plenty of weekends at Queensland Moto Park with my daughters as well as racing a 1981 Yamaha YZ465H at some of the more prominent classic motocross events around South East Queensland.

2014 saw me take delivery of a KTM 250 SX 2-stroker so that has kept me busy and we are now racing a Yamaha YZ490U as well as the 465 in the classic racing so over the last two years the THOR riding gear has seen plenty of action.

And I am pleased to say that there would be at least another year or two of wear in both the pants and jersey with no tears in the stitching and other than what you would call normal wear and tear the THOR Core gear is looking sensational and the fit is as good as the first day I put them on For what it is worth, 10 out of 10 from the ol’ Smarty.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 73

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CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 78

QUAD TORQUE TEST – CFMOTO U8

QUAD TORQUE

FLASH WORKHORSE

Who says you can’t work in style?

N TEST AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS PICKETT

WHERE once bruised and battered 4wd utes dominated the farming landscape, there is now a changing of the guard to the humble utility vehicle. ATVs have been on farms for decades now but the side-by-side UTV is definitely taking some of the sales, gaining a strong foothold with farmers.

And why wouldn't they? Besides being able to take two people, they can carry more stuff and tow greater loads too.

There are some basic UTVs on the market but the CFMoto U8 Tracker 800 is not one of those. At first glance it almost looks like a sport UTV but CFMoto already has one of those, the Z8, with better suspension and more sporting capabilities.

In the shed

Besides being a handsome beast, the U8 has a high level of standard equipment, including a 3500 lbs winch. In fact there's $3000 worth of accessories which come as standard equipment, something the Australian importer has decided to do. Besides the aforementioned winch you get a roof, windscreen, doors, tow pack and alloy wheels.

There's no feeble engine here, the U8 is powered by a liquidcooled 800cc eight valve V-twin engine with fuel injection and a CVT transmission.

The transmission has selectable drive modes and making sure as much power as possible gets to the ground are differential locks. In short, the U8 is no toy.

It's got dual A-arm front suspension and independent rear suspension, which is pretty much the norm these days on good quality UTVs. And the suspension at both ends is adjustable.

Most people probably wouldn't bother mucking around adjusting the shocks but it's a good feature nonetheless. And lastly, keeping the A-arms intact are guards to deflect the hardest of hits.

Crawling over rocks and whatnot is made easier by the 280mm ground clearance, and during the test we never scraped the bottom of the U8, but to be fair we did try and negotiate the best way through the rough stuff, as most

Continued on next page

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 79

QUAD TORQUE QUAD TORQUE TEST – CFMOTO U8 owners would do themselves.

Other features which help when you're working the U8 hard is the tilting rear tray, which is gas assisted for easier use.

Most buyers of a U8 will be either on the land or work-sites like mines etc. Safety is a big issue, especially mining locations so CFMoto has put a horn, indicators and a rear vision mirror on the U8 - great standard features.

protection. The roof and windscreen did a good job at keeping the worst of the elements at bay, and being standard is a top feature of the U8.

Generally these sort of accessories cost plenty of cash, but not here.

We didn't bother testing the rear tray On the job out but CFMoto The U8 has selectable 2wd and 4wd, and also says it can carry up high and low range, so getting most to 150kg. We did lift places won't be an issue. We found this to be the case during the test, with it up to check out the engine at one stage, and this is easily done, as is the U8 having no problems tackling lifting the seats up. It's quick and easy everything we put it through. The getting to the mechanicals in this way toughest terrain required low range for servicing, if it's something you and the diff locked but in that set-up the U8 crawled its way anywhere and tackle yourself.

It's not a small vehicle but feels everywhere, and like we said earlier, relatively so when you're in the the ground clearance was a strong driver's seat. To give you an idea of point too.

Comfort wise there's plenty of room the size of the U8, it's just under 3m for the occupants, and all controls are long and 1.5m wide (wheelbase is 1830mm), and it weighs in at 556kg well positioned. The test period was without fuel. after some extended rain periods so we were able to test out the weather

Alloy wheels are standard.

Suspension is easily adjustable.

Verdict

Overall, the U8 has to be one of the best value for money UTVs on the market. It has a high level of standard equipment, is well built and very capable in its intended work role.

We've sampled a number of work UTVs over the years and the U8 is definitely one of the better ones, with one of the standout features being the suspension. On some work UTVs we've tested the suspension is best described as agricultural at best.

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1. Advanced Custom Motorcycle Painting – $44.95

6. Motocross and Off-Road Motorcycle Setup Guide – $34.99

2. Advanced Custom Motorcycling Assembly & Fabrication Manual – $39.95

7. Motorcycle Electrical Systems – $34.99

The subject of custom painting is always important for the simple reason that motorcycle owners can't leave their bikes alone. Bike owners want a custom paint job, and they want to learn how to apply custom paint in their own small shop, without having to pay someone else two to five thousand dollars for a candy job or really nice set of flames. This new book is the only how-to-paint book that includes specific directions and tips from Dave Perewitz.

What started in the mid-90s when a few people decided to build (stock Softails÷ from aftermarket parts·because they couldn’t buy one at the dealer·has evolved into a full-blown industry. Today, every small town has a Chopper or Custom bike shop and every cable TV channel has a Biker Build-Off series. No longer content to build copies of stock motorcycles, today’s builder wants a motorcycle that’s longer, lower, and sexier than anything approved by a factory design team. Wolfgang Publications and Tim Remus were there at the very beginning of the trend with their Ultimate V-Twin Motorcycle book. Today they’re back with their new book, Advanced Custom Motorcycle Assembly & Fabrication. Part catalog, part service manual, and part inspiration, this new book offers help with planning the project, getting the right look and actually assembling that custom bike you’ve dreamed about for years. Three start-to-finish sequences show not just how the best bikes are bolted together, but how the unique one-off gas tanks are shaped and then covered with candy brandywine paint.

3. The Castrol Six Hour Production Race – $39.95

For 18 years, the Castrol Six Hour Production Race was the biggest event on the Australian motorcycling calendar. Controversial, important and exciting, the Castrol Six Hour Production Race was one of those rare events which had bikes and tyres developed specifically to win it.

4. How to Tune and Modify Motorcycle Engine Management Systems – $39.99

From electronic ignition to electronic fuel injection, slipper clutches to traction control, today’s motorcycles are made up of much more than an engine, frame and two wheels, and just as the bikes themselves have changed, so have the tools with which we tune them. How to Tune and Modify Motorcycle Engine Management Systems addresses all of a modern motorcycle’s engine- control systems and tells you how to get the most out of today’s bikes.

5. Race Tech’s – $49.99

Based on Thede’s world-famous Race Tech Suspension Seminars, this step-by-step guide shows anyone how to make a bike handle like a pro’s.

For many motorcyclists, the most popular part of a cycle magazine is the question-andanswer section dealing with maintenance, modification, and setup how-to information. The Motocross and Off-Road Motorcycle Setup Guide eliminates guesswork by providing setup and maintenance information every rider needs in a series of step-by-step photo sessions and to-the-point chapters.

A motorcycle’s electrical system can be daunting to even the most adept home mechanic. And yet, the more complex these systems become—and the more important to a motorcycle’s function—the more useful, even critical, it will be to know something about them. That’s where this book comes in with a user-friendly guide to understanding, diagnosing, and fixing the electrical systems and components that make a bike run . . . or falter.

8. Motocourse 2013/2014 – $89.95

The World’s Leading Grand Prix and Superbike Annual reaches its 38th year as the indisputable leader in its field, covering the world of motorcycle racing like no other publication. The 18-race MotoGP season is covered with its usual meticulous attention to detail as it also includes coverage of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes.

9. That Near-Death Thing – $22.99

A life-affirming journey to the heart of the world’s most dangerous race, this account gets inside the helmets of four leading motorcycle racers as they battle fear, fire, and family tragedy for a gritty sort of glory.

10. At The Alter of the Road Gods – $29.99

His mother may not know it but Boris Mihailovic has lived a fast, furious, often politicially incorrect life chasing the epiphanies of speed (the sensation not the drug). For Boris, motorbike riding was the rite of passage into manhood he’d been searching for. Now, nearly 40 years since he first rode a bike, the wisdom of age has provided the perspective for Boris to look back and realise some pretty wild shit went down.

11. TT Talking- The TT’s most exciting Era – $34.99

The decade between 2004 and 2014 was one of the most dramatic eras in the centuryold history of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, which began with the races in decline, and many observers fearing that they would soon be killed off by a combination of rising costs, political correctness and logistical practicalities. But, just a few years later, the triumphant 2007 celebration of the races’ centenary launched the TT into a whole new era of public and commercial success.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 83

Terms & Conditions Apply: Promotion begins 1st November 2014 and ends close of business 30th November 2014. Service appointments must be booked between start of business 1st November 2014 and close of business 30th November 2014. Any bookings made before or after this period are not eligible. All service to be completed by 30th November 2014 unless otherwise arranged by the service location. No other alternative product will be offered. By taking advantage of this offer you accept and agree to the above terms and conditions.

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Moto Roost Defectors Evolution Debris Defectors – wide – for those that don’t want to bend for lever room and “U” clamps for feel claustrophobic. Multiple better cable and hose clearance, various colours $70 bar fitting $85 Add the bolt on Evolution Roost Deflector for $35 Multiple colours.

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KTM Heim Joint Tool – $70

Ultra Disc Guard – with complete Carrier for superior strength $120

Axle Pulls Spoke Wrench – front or – $25 rear $35

Upgrade Wheel Bearing Kits – front $70 rear $60 rear with spacer $70

High Quality, High Performance Off-Road Motorcycle Products

Speedo Guard – $90

Billet Shock Spanner Wrench – two types $35

Clutch Slave Cylinder Protector – Protects from a thrown chain or side impact $50

Radiator Braces – Strong and light to protect from twisting and bending without sacrificing airflow $120

Bar Riser Kits Upgraded – Adjust your life Lower Shock 5-30mm for a Bush Kit – $40 custom fit $50

• All the features and benefits of the EXP with the addition of High grade CNC machined billet, hard anodized aluminium clutch components.

• CNC laser cut drive plates giving longer clutch component life, smoother engagement/disengagement, and less clutch hammering, virtually eliminates notching.

• Centre clutch design with innovative oil flow for cooler operating temperatures for less fade and longer clutch life.

• 17-7 stainless steel precision wound and heat treated pressure plate springs provides consistent clutch torque capacity eliminating clutch slip.

• Rekluse billet aluminium clutch cover with added oil volume offers greater impact protection and lower operating temperatures.

Grad Handle – keep your hands away from a hot exhaust $45

• STEERING DAMPERS • FOOT PEGS • KICK STANDS • CARRY RACKS

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 85

LETTERS

WRITE A LETTER!

Day Glow

This month Mick Haller has won has won an Airhawk mid-cruiser seat for his bike, valued at $159. Airhawk seats make riding a lot more comfortable by putting a cushion of air between you and your bike. Check out www.airhawkguy.com for more information.

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

K C A B I G N I U TO RQ

THAT’S right Phil, the idiots that don’t indicate, don’t check the mirrors and basically drive as they would in a paddock, will always remain a danger, not only to motorcycle riders, but to all traffic users.

I have been riding for about 40 years and drive a van every day for work for the last 14 years. Reflective clothing, in my opinion, is not an answer to poor driving habits.

It must all start when a young person sits behind the steering wheel and is told time and time again, until it becomes a habit, to check mirrors, blind corner... etc... and keep the I-phone in the glove box.

The motorcycle riders might be forced to wear fairy lights, but that will be no cure for poor driving habits.

Sly

Cool Coolant

I’VE been loving Cycle Torque TV but especially so when I saw the piece on Evans Coolant.

In my case it was for my Mitsubishi Pajero but I wanted to say I enjoyed the informative piece on coolant and when I contacted Evans Coolants for a stockist near to me they were very helpful.

Well done.

Mick Haller

Yo from China

YOU were late with your October issue.

I HAVE a bit of a predicament, living in China, missing out on my fav bike mag, the posts in fb and twitter cuz they’re not available here. Nor is Youtube. Nor can I

WIN A GREAT PRIZE

open your TV show. In other words, Cycle Torque is not userfriendly in China (or vice versa!).

I know (I think) that only a small proportion of the Chinese populace ride anything resembling a half decent motorbike.

But what’s the number? 20 mill? Maybe more?

Dunno.

What I do know is that the ones whom I’ve met ride cool bikes like RZ1s, Harleys, GSRs and the like and they drool over photos of my Bandit (the original with carbs!). Most ride illegally, as big bikes are banned in most cities so camo riding gear will sell well. I’m still not sure how this works because the major factories, as you know, are (or have) set up shop in the major centres. Do their customers load up their bikes on trailers, drive out of town, then go for a wild ride in the countryside?

Hmmm...don’t think so. A local told me that they ride ‘quietly’ thru the city to avoid unwanted attention. Is this happening in Oz, the Police State?

The bikers that I’ve met are fanatical about riding, take great pride in their steeds, but lack technical know-how or access to good service. So they ride until things start to wobble or rattle then sell their pride and joy and buy another. These guys (haven’t met any gals on bikes yet) have plenty of the folding stuff. You can spot them a mile away cuz they’re the ones kitted up just like racers in their leathers, Shoei helmets, Dainese boots, etc.

Now, get this, they even have to buy engine oil on the black market for an emperor’s (or should I say Party Leader’s) ransom. This oil is imported privately at some risk. And

these boys know their oils. No Flying Rabbit rubbish but the likes of (here’s a plug) Motul.

You get the drift, Picko? Is this an untapped market for Cycle Torque? Should you promote your mag in the Middle Kingdom?

Are you aware that a gazillion Chinese substitute fb, twitter et all with their versions such as QQ, Wechat, taobao, Baidu, and heaps more? You’ve heard of Alibaba?

Will your advertisers benefit from exposure to the Chinese market? You bet. Nearly ALL Chinese under 30 years of age can read and write English. Not so hot on speaking it (that’s why I’m here, passing on some Strine at a uni.) But they’ll figure out what products are good for them and their bikes.

Another idea…why don’t you organise Ozzy rides for groups of (super) wealthy Chinese?

Hey, maybe I should do that!

I know what you’re thinking…this guy is insane. After four years over here, you may be right (just kidding) but it’s nowhere as insane as you guys publishing a mag and GIVING IT AWAY! I think it’s called a paradigm shift, yeah? That’s all I can remember from my uni all those years ago. Is that what it’s still called? Or ‘thinking outside the box’. Or ‘Shit, there’s a big potential market and I want some of it’?

You’re to blame for this rambling of an idle mind for being late with the October issue.

So there!

Happy and safe riding Mick in China

p fo ay We r ca bi sh ke s

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 86

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Now on iPhone

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Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

CYCLE TORQUE NOVEMBER 2014 - 88

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