Cycle Torque October 2012

OCTOBER 2012 : NEWS, REVIEWS, FEATURES, QUADS PLUS LOTS MORE BIKES TESTED

R O Z RA ARP013 SHSUZUKI’MS -2Z450 R

IN THIS ISSUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 2 COVER PHOTOS BY: PATERSON

High Performance ALTHOUGH our editor, Chris Pickett, puts a shot across the bows of all the manufacturers of sportsbikes in his editorial this month because of their comfort level, the smile on his face after he’d been out testing the Ducati Panigale S for this issue was wide and couldn’t be budged.

“It goes like stink” he told me as I peeled a GoPro camera off the fairing. “Pulls awesome wheelies, and sounds f***ing great…”. By this time he was basically mumbling to himself, lost in a high performance world where his brain was still catching up with the ride he’d just been on.

The Panigale is, put simply, awesome. Manufacturers have been creating bikes which surprise and inspire for over 100 years, and I hope they keep doing so into the future.

Our headline dirt bike for this issue is the Suzuki RM-Z450, and the 2013 model is a cracker. Suzuki has taken a great bike and put an effort in to make it handle better (SFF forks) and more reliable, as well as tweaking engine output, so the smile on Todd Reed’s face at the launch of the bike was almost as wide as Pickett’s.

And the performance theme continues in this issue with the naked BMW K 1300 R and Suzuki’s Boulevard M109RZ - high output naked and cruiser respectively.

We’ve also tested the Aprilia Shiver 750, which might not be so high performance but it sure offers a great bike at a great price.

Also in this issue is Pickett’s visit to the Isle of Man and lots of news, features and opinion.

KEEP Don’t be afraid to send us your feedback on any story or the whole magazine, and please UP-TO-DATE give us a rating and review on iTunes.

PRESS TO – Nigel Paterson Publisher

RECEIVE OUR

NEWSLETTER

CONTENTS

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 3

RIDDEN 2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 LAUNCH

DUCATI 1199 PANIGALE S TEST

24

APRILIA SHIVER SPORT ABS TEST

REGU LARS

34

56

SUZUKI M109RZ BOULEVARD TEST

62

BMW K 1300 R TEST

5 14 16 18 20 21 22 23 50 68 71 78 82

NEWS SMALL TORQUE PIT BITS EDITORIAL RACE TORQUE GUNTRIP E-TORQUE DIRTY TORQUE BOOK SHOP MARKET TORQUE BIKE STUFF USED & REVIEWED TORQUE BACK - LETTERS

FEATU RES

44

52

TOURING FEATURE – UK AND ISLE OF MAN – PT I

80

QUAD TORQUE TEST – 2012 CAN-AM COMMANDER SIDE-BY-SIDE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 4

NEW TO RIDING? WE WANT YOU! Motorcycle Boot Camp is an event perfect for that younger generation who have always dreamed of owning a Harley but haven’t taken the next crucial step – walking into a H-D dealership!

A social platform to connect with other riders, learn the basics and get the technical aspects of customisation and performance of your new Harley-Davidson.

WHERE WHEN WIN

GO TO

www.h-d.com

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 5

2013 green machines KAWASAKI’S 2013 ZX-6R will be available in early November.

There’s lots to like in the new model. Capacity is up from 599cc to 636cc, and now some of the technical extras seen on the flagship models are filtering down to the ZX-6R also. Try the 3-mode traction control, power mode selection, Showa Big Piston forks, slipper clutch, ABS. On paper the new ZX-6R is one of the most advanced off-the-shelf supersport machines ever built.

You will be able to buy the bike in either ABS or non-ABS spec, just like the ZX-10R, but prices are yet to be confirmed.

Kawasaki has also released the new Ninja 300, replacing the Ninja 250 which has proven to be one of the most popular LAMS bikes of all time in Australia.

Cycle Torque has recently tested a Ninja 300 so look out for the story in an upcoming issue.

Prices start at only $6,199 which is a bargain. The Ninja 300 is in Kawasaki dealers now. n

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

NEWS TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 6

Cycle Torque to Cambodia

S P E C IA L

OFFER

E TA P F O R M O R

FOLLOWING on from our very successful tour of Vietnam earlier this year, Cycle Torque and Vietnam Motorbike Tours are again teaming up, for a tour of Cambodia.

This time though, it’s an off-road tour, with most riders using an electric start Honda XR250. The riding is described as ‘Easy off-road’, mainly dirt roads with some bitumen.

This tour offers great adventure and a real insight into countryside Cambodia. Not only do you get to see areas and experience the culture in a way most tourists don’t, you’ll get to have lots of fun doing so. You’ll even get to see the famous Angkor Wat temple.

The Cycle Torque Tour’s five days of riding starts February 5; if you’d like a longer trip there’s an extended tour option available. The cost is $2120 per person which includes bike hire, twin-share accommodation, airport pick ups, some meals, fuel, back up vehicle, guides etc. Tour doesn’t include airfares.

In other words all you really need to do once there is ride the bike, enjoy yourself and pay for your some meals and drinks. We can tell you this doesn’t cost much.

If you are keen you can also pay a little extra and ride of the company’s Yamaha WR 250 or 450 machines, but there is a limited number of these.

On the Cycle Torque website (www.cycletorque.com.au) you’ll find full details of the trip, how to book and links to both the Cycle Torque tour of Vietnam and Vietnam Motorbike Tours.

Blokesworld has done the trip and it’s currently being featured on Channel 7 mate.

Our tour of Vietnam with the same company was one of the best motorcycle experiences we’ve ever had and we get the feeling Cambodia could be even better.

Download the April and May 2012 issues to read about that experience, see the pictures and watch the videos.

Links: www.blokesworld.com www.vietnammotorbiketours.com Contact: info@vietnammotorbiketours.com or 03 5975 6333

NEWS TORQUE Chris collects his RS4 prize CYCLE TORQUE’S RS4 iPad Edition competition winner Chris Donovan was very excited to pick up his prize from A1 Motorcycles in Ringwood, Victoria.

Chris’s entry was one of more than 30,000 entries received in the competition which could only be entered online.

He was very thrilled with his win and revealed that it’s not his first Aprilia.

“I’ve got an older two-stroke RS125 which I’ve been doing up as a project bike,” Chris said.

“I’ve had it for a few years now and it’s almost ready for the road,” he said.

“My prize is a great little bike. It’s very economical and a great commuter bike.”

Kris Matich, General Manager of Aprilia importers John Sample Automotive said he was very pleased with the promotion.

“Aprilia was very pleased to be associated with Cycle Torque’s bike give way promotion,” he said.

“We understand that the interest and entries for the promotion were very strong which says something about the popularity of our brand and also the great iPad initiative which Cycle Torque has created.

“We congratulate Cycle Torque on a fantastic publishing initiative and also the winner of the promotion Chris Donovan and wish him maximum enjoyment on his new Aprilia RS4 125 sportsbike.”

Pictured from left: A1 Motorcycles dealer principal John Buskes, RS4 competition winner Chris Donovan and John Sample Automotive Melbourne Manager Justin Richards with Chris’s prize. Photo by Nick Sage.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 7

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CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 8

Ikonik Ace recaptures the past

THE SkyTeam Ace is a 125cc retro-style café racer that offers the looks and style of one of the iconic racers of all time – Honda’s RC110 road racer of the early 1960s.

Honda itself thought so much of its RC110 racer that it produced its own replica in 2004 – the Honda Dream 50, which came in road and race form.

The limited-edition Dream 50 commands prices up to $10,000. Now, for around $2495 plus on-roads, enthusiasts can ride away on an Ace 125, The Ace 125 features a two valve four stroke engine with a bore and stroke of 59.5 x 49.5 and a compression ratio of 9.0 to 1. It is air cooled, has a CDI ignition and a five-speed gearbox.

There is electric and kick start with telescopic front forks and twin shock rear suspension.

Front brake is disc with a drum rear with 2.75-18 front tyre and 3.00-18 rear.

The fuel tank holds 10 litres, the bike’s length is 1910mm, width is 680mm and height is 990mm. Wheelbase is 1255mm For more information contact Ikonik on (08) 9302 2922 or check out www.ikonikmoto.com.au n

NEWS TORQUE BRP has received an Australian Good Design award in the Automotive and Transport design category for the 2012 Can-Am Spyder RS roadster with its unique three-wheeled architecture.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 9

A good design

“The Can-Am Spyder roadster defines a new paradigm for an on-road power sport vehicle. Combining the open-air benefits of a motorcycle with many of the convenience features of a traditional roadster, the unique three-wheel architecture provides stability at rest and in motion, with the right balance between performance and peace-ofmind. The Vehicle Stability System comes standard on the Spyder roadster and makes this vehicle user-friendly and accessible to many people who want to enjoy the open-air experience,� said Brendon Gien, Managing Director, Good Design Australia.

The Can-Am Spyder roadster was competing in a very challenging category with other prestigious products from such well known brands as Land Rover, Jaguar and Audi. n

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NEWS TORQUE AMA shifts up a gear

AFTER four and a half years of wide open action on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australian Motorcycle Accessories (AMA) Clearance Warehouse has shifted up another gear by opening its second store in Caboolture, halfway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

Queenslanders aren’t the only ones making the most of AMA’s recent expansion. AMA’s live website is also seeing plenty of traffic as riders from all over the country cash in on AMA carrying more stock than ever before.

With two warehouses to fill, the guys at AMA have been busy cutting deals with its Aussie suppliers to offer customers even bigger savings on some of the best brands in bike apparel.

While AMA is sticking to its original plan of selling the best brands at clearance prices, the range of current model riding gear has seen a significant expansion. A huge range of 2013 FOX MX clothing, boots and helmets adds to the excitement of AMA’s recent development.

So if you’re in Queensland, make sure you check out AMA’s new Caboolture store at 2/75 Lear Jet Drive (Phone: 07 5432 3999) or head south to the Gold Coast’s Yatala store at 6/4 Old Pacific Highway (Phone: 07 3386 1600).

Both stores are open to the public 7 days a week and if you’re anywhere else within Australia hit up the online store at www. amawarehouse.com.au.

Kel Backs 600 MotoGP

FORMER 250 world champion and six-time world 500cc champ team manager Kel Carruthers has backed Jeremy Burgess’s call for MotoGP to move to an open 600 formula. Speaking from his home in California, Carruthers revealed that Valentino Rossi has backed the idea that he believes would take GP back to the glory days of the late 80s.

“At Laguna, I spoke to a Yamaha engineer who

I’ve known for years and I asked him, ‘how big would a four-stroke engine need to be to produce the same horsepower that Eddie Lawson had to win his last championship [with Yamaha in 1988]?’, and he said ‘650cc’.

“I think 1000cc for a grand prix bike is crazy, you don’t need that much capacity. Litre street bikes are producing 170bhp, but who would ever need that much power on the street? You only need a 1000cc engine for a Gold Wing. I think a 600cc engine making 160-170bhp with no electronics on smaller rims would produce great racing and provide a big enough challenge for the factories.

At the moment, the bikes are producing so much power that they’re spending most of their time trying to control it with electronics to the point of being ridiculous.

“I asked Rossi would he like to race a 600 GP bike with no electronics, and he said, ‘yeah, sure’.”

Trans-Tasman

FOLLOWING on from the successful “TransTasman Challenge” at this year’s Barry Sheene Festival of Speed, over 20 riders and five sidecar teams are heading to New Zealand for round two of the TTC. The event will be held at Hampton Downs on New Zealand’s North Island over the weekend of October 20-22, and it seems due to the popularity with racers it will become an annual event, with round one at Eastern Creek and round two in NZ. Many of Australia’s top classic road racers are heading over for the trip, including Robbie Phillis, Rex Wolfenden, Glenn Hindle and Mick Neason. Sidecar stalwart Doug Chivas is taking his TZ powered outfit, and Darryl Rayner is taking his F2 outift over too, the same machine he used at this year’s Isle Of Man TT. The meeting is being run by the Classic Register of NZ along with the PARA of NZ and the Sidecar Racing Association of NZ. n

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 10

NEWS TORQUE ASBK back to the creek THE QBE Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) will return to New South Wales and the recently refurbished Sydney Motorsport Park from 2013.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 11

Highway Performance Bikes

Sydney Motorsport Park (formerly Eastern Creek raceway) has seen numerous upgrades in recent years, including an extension to the track which also allows the circuit to be effectively split in half with two events running concurrently.

Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) CEO Glenn Matthews said that the return of the Australian Superbike Championship was great for the sport, and for the facility.

“We’re very pleased to be able to welcome the Australian Superbike Championship back to Sydney Motorsport Park in 2013,” said Matthews.

“It will be fantastic to see Australian Championship motorcycle racing back at this facility, which has been very much improved since ASBK raced here in 2009.

“The many changes that have happened here have been in operational and physical forms, and the ASBK return demonstrates these changes in full effect.

“We can’t wait to have a full field of Superbikes racing here, and we’re sure that it will get great support from Sydney-based racing fans.” n

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CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 12

MotoGP time

NOT many sleeps until the Phillip Island round of the MotoGP Championship kicks off.

The AirAsia Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is on from October 26-28, and although Casey Stoner is injured, there’s still a real chance he will be fit to take on the rest at the best circuit in the world.

Stoner has an amazing record at Phillip Island, and we’re sure he’d like to go out with a win there in his final year.

Tickets prices start at $45, with grandstand tickets from $285, and VIP Hospitality packages from $900.

If you’ve never been the spectacle is simply amazing, and this could well be your last chance to see Stoner in action.

Visit www.motogp.com.au for more information, including accommodation options. n

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NEWS TORQUE Running the numbers IN RESPONSE to a call for the introduction of motorcycle front number plates by Victoria Police, the Road Safety Camera Commissioner, Victorian Auditor General and Vicroads, motorcyclists have hit back claiming that the agencies have misrepresented the truth and have misused statistics to mask other agendas.

In a transparent push to plug a 0.4 per cent issue, the call for FNPs would cost the Victorian community $29m to retro-fit today’s motorcycle fleet. This does not include the cost of developing safe and reliable identification which Vicroads research (conducted between 2000 – 2008) proved was not technically feasible.

Rider representatives believe that the figures used as justification for FNPs are an attempt to mislead the public and misrepresent motorcyclists. The claims that 60 per cent of allegedly speeding motorcycles have failed identification due to a lack of frontal identification are false. Traffic Camera Office data shows that the actual figure is half what’s claimed and that these failed detections represents a paltry 0.4 per cent of all motorcycle and motorcar speed camera detections.

The push for FNPs for the sole purposes of the camera enforcement system would make Victoria singularly unique in the world and impose a complex Australian Design Rules problem for Australia.

Peter Baulch – VMC Chairman said, “Simply turn the cameras around and take the pictures from the rear.” He went on to say, “The logic that frontal identification is required to save lives is elusive. Riders have recorded solid fatality and injury reductions without FNPs, which flies in the face of the hyperbole around there being more speeding motorcyclists. There’s never been a safer time to ride a motorcycle – clearly there’s some other agenda at play.”

Rob Smith of the Australian Rider’s Division cautioned, “Untested retro fitted number plates could lead to safety and stability issues on some motorcycles increasing the risk of injuries and even deaths.”

Rob Salvatore from the VMC said, “Is it the Government’s contention that spending $29m to fix a 0.4 per cent issue is really the best way to improve safety and lower the road toll?” Rob went on to say, “The agencies are trying to blame riders for an inherent camera system flaw that’s been there from day one.”

Like all other road users, motorcycles have experienced a greater number of speeding detections over the last decade. Coupled with the proliferation of speed cameras, motorcycles have also experienced an explosion in kilometres travelled and a massive 70 per cent increase in registrations.

“The apparent increase in failed detections from the front is a numerical artefact from an increased probability of detection. The agencies however, have spun the figures in a negative light to vilify riders.” Rob Salvatore said. “Relatively speaking, it’s no worse than the situation in 2002, where we have our last solid piece of research.”

Recent results from the reputable Yellow Flag/Black Flag study showed that motorcyclists were generally law abiding road users and actually recorded a decrease in average speed during the study period, directly contradicting the inferences made by the agencies. In light of these independent findings, the VMC calls for the agencies to retract their misrepresentative statements, drop the misleading campaign and to start talking and working with rider representatives frankly and honestly towards a shared goal of safer roads.

“Of course we understand the speed issue and do not condone speeding, but road safety involves more than one dimension. Road safety is a shared responsibility. Our agencies should never be playing fast and loose with the truth in the area of road safety and should be called to account for vilifying motorcyclists, a legitimate road user,” said Baulch. n

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 13

SMALL TORQUE SPORTSCYCLES ON THE MOVE

LONG standing Newcastle motorcycle workshop, Sportcycles Dynotune and Performance Centre (est in 1994), is moving from Adamstown, its home for close to 20 years.

An all-new premises at 2 Teran Cl, Whitebridge has been purchased and will still house all the staff and equipment Sportscycles has been known for.

Cycle Torque caught up with Jamie Stubbs to see what will change for customers. “Nothing really, we will still offer dynotuning, servicing, repairs and tyres, all the stuff customers have been coming to us for years for. We have just replaced our dynotune with the latest model, and the premises has lots more parking and is more modern,” said Jamie.

The new shop will be open from October 2, and the new number is 02 4943 2030.

MOTO MOJO

IN THE most recent results released by industry data specialist ERG International, CFMoto sales have grown once again with a 110 per cent increase from the January – August period in 2011. The sales of CFMoto motorcycles, scooters and ATVs has gone in to overdrive since it was officially introduced to the Australian market under two years ago..

CFMoto’s ATV range has captured just over nine per cent of the market during August, according to data provided

by ERG International. This caps off an impressive August result for distributor Mojo Motorcycles who grabbed 3.5 per cent of the entire national motorcycle market with its range.

BLACK DOG

FLUFFY tutus and feather boas are not terms usually associated with Harley-Davidson, however this October 14th, motorcyclists will be taking a more glamorous approach to riding as they participate in the annual Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride in both Sydney and Melbourne to raise money for breast cancer research.

Harley-Davidson will be supporting the Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride for the third year running and is looking forward to another successful fundraising event.

This year’s ride in Sydney will depart from The Mean Fiddler, on the corner of Commercial Road and Windsor Road, Rouse Hill on Sunday, 14 October 2012 at 9am (registration from 8am).

Both female and male riders are encouraged to register for the 2012 Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride at www. pinkribbonride.com.

THE 2012 Black Dog Ride to the Red Centre touched down in Alice Springs recently – the final stop of the week-long motorbike ride.

The Ride, a national movement raising awareness of depression and suicide prevention, has seen over 500 motorbike riders from all around Australia take part in some way. Over 200 riders reached the Red Centre.

The Ride has evolved from a solo motorbike ride around Australia just three years ago, to a national movement. In addition to raising awareness, the Ride also aims to raise vital funds for mental health support services.

This year’s target is to raise $250,000 for the Black Dog Institute. Funds raised currently sit on $224,921.31.

To make a donation, or for more information about the Ride, go to www.blackdogride.com You can find out more information about depression, bipolar disorder and suicide prevention at www. blackdoginstitute.org.au. If you need urgent help or support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

NORTON MANIA

BAG AN EXPLORER

PINK RIBBON

THE annual Norton Day will be held at Speers Point Park, right next to Lake Macquarie near Newcastle.

All bikes are welcome, but of course Norton machines will get special treatment.

According to Hunter Valley Norton Owners Club secretary Kerrigan O’Neill the Show N Shine will have lots of different classes where you just might win a trophy.

So if you have a bike which you think is cool bring it along on Sunday November 11, from 8am - 2pm. Entry is free.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 14

TRIUMPH Australia has just announced free factory panniers with every alloy wheeled Tiger Explorer sold.

“This equates to around $1100 of added value to the Tiger Explorer” commented Triumph Australia’s Mal Jarrett. “The Explorer already represents fantastic value for money with its massive list of features, such as ride by wire, traction control, cruise control and switchable ABS all as standard. The addition of free factory panniers makes it even more amazing value”, commented Jarrett.

This offer only lasts until 30/11/12 so get into your authorised Triumph dealership to organise a test ride today. n

PRESS

HERE TO SE E F OO TA GE

SMALL TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 15

TEST RIDE

Through hard work and persistence, Paul has become one YAMAHA Australia has a new test ride program where you of the elite players in the NRL. His standing in the game is also evident through captaincy roles at the Cronulla can win $1000 worth of gear.

Sharks and New South Wales State of Origin team, as well The Time to Ride promotion invites customers to as vice-captaincy of the Australian Kangaroos. participating Yamaha dealerships via YMA’s website to “Ever since I was young I have been passionate about book test rides on selected road registered motorcycles. bikes, which is why I am so excited about getting on board After customers have tested a Yamaha, they are invited to as an ambassador for Fraser Motorcycles,” explains Gallen. enter an online competition for the chance to win a $1000 gear voucher - offered once every week during the promo. Paul will soon take delivery of a custom-designed 2013 Harley-Davidson.

And at the end of the promotion, one customer will win back the purchase price of his/her bike.

SUPER BIKER All Time to Ride participating dealers and their demo PIRELLI has released a new upgrade for the Diablo Super models are listed on YMA’s website at http://www.

Biker app that allows all existing and future users who yamaha-motor.com.au/demobikepromo. Customers are have already installed the application, as well as those asked to select a bike and contact a dealer to organise who will install it in the future, to download and view the a test ride, then revisit the website to write about the experience. If you go on to buy a bike you just might win routes recorded with their mobile devices directly to their computers or iPads. the purchase price back.

Launched by Pirelli in August 2011, Diablo Super Biker is The Time to Ride offer ends on 31 October 2012. the application for two wheel enthusiasts who want to measure their performance in real time, whether on the BREAKIE TIME track or the street.

THE 8th annual “Breakfast Torque” motorcycle event All the users who already have the application will be able will be held at Loftus Oval, NSW on Sunday 28 October 8.30am-1.30pm. Including “Show and Shine” and “A Hard to check for the upgrade directly from their mobile device Ride”. Hosted by Jonesy. Details at breakfasttorque.com.au. and the first time they use the app after installing the upgrade they will be asked to enter data in order to access Breakfast Torque is one of the draw cards during the on-line site http://www.pirelli.com/diablosuperbiker Motorcycle Awareness Week and is expected to attract where they will be able to view their routes on a monitor 1,000 riders. larger than the one on their mobile device.

CITY PARKING

INSUREMYRIDE has been busy getting their message to motorcycle riders in some of Sydney’s motorcycle parking hot spots.

The street-wise scooter ad campaign hit 422 bike spaces per-day for five days throughout the CBD and inner suburbs of Sydney, including Darlington, The Rocks, and Ultimo.

“It was very exciting to be hitting the streets with this campaign, especially at a time of the year when there are more riders on the road. It’s an opportunity for riders around the inner Sydney metropolitan area to learn about how much they can save by choosing comprehensive motorbike insurance with InsureMyRide, which can be for as little as $1 per day,” said InsureMyRide spokesperson Mark Behr.

SHARK ON A HARLEY

FRASER Motorcycles has announced Rugby League star Paul Gallen is its newest Fraser Harley-Davidson Ambassador.

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FINANCE A CRF

HONDA’S all-new CRF250L reaches dealerships nationally this week and Honda is offering you a chance to grab it from just $36.75 per week with no deposit through Honda MPE Financial Services.

This new dual-sport machine from Honda has a competitive introductory price of $5,990 (MLP).

MOTOCROSS

ITALIANS ON THE CENTRAL COAST

JOHN Sample Automotive, Australian importers of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi ,has announced the appointment of a new Dealer in Gosford. Worthington Motorcycles and Scooters officially commence representing the Moto Guzzi motorcycle and Aprilia Scooter brands on 1st September with an impressive showroom and fully trained technical department.

Worthington BMW are no fly-by-nighters either, being a BMW Car and Motorcycle Dealership for the past 11 years. Check out the new showroom at 5 Kangoo Road, Kariong.n

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CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 16 HELMETS RULE

THE Reece Bancell Scholarship has helped many a MA has issued a Rule Interpretation Bulletin road racer since 2004 when Gareth Jones was the pertaining to helmet approvals and fittings – recipient of the scholarship. additional allowed helmets.

Unfortunately the founders of the scholarship, David and Jill Bancell, have decided it’s too hard to continue. Here is their statement: “It is with great sorrow that we announce the cessation of the Reece Bancell Scholarship for the immediate and foreseeable future.

“It is now 9 years on from Reece’s tragic accident on August 31, 2003, and we thought that losing Reece and trying to keep his memory alive through the Scholarship and the Association would get a little easier with time, when in fact it has not.

“Particularly over the past two years we have found it increasingly difficult to be directly involved with the sport and only reached this decision to not continue over many, many months of contemplation.

The Bulletin pertains to Appendix 1, 30.1.1 – 30.1.2.2 and notes that DOT approved helmets and SNELL 2005 approved helmets will be allowed for competition until further notice.

JUNIORS GET 4TH

VICTORY WEEKEND ESCAPE TEST RIDE PROGRAM INCLUDES FREE ACCOMMODATION & A FREE TANK OF FUEL

TEAM Australia has taken out an impressive fourth place finish at the 2012 FIM Monster Energy Junior Motocross World Championship in Sevlievo, Bulgaria recently.

TAP TO BOOK A TEST R IDE

The Aussie charge at the prestigious event was led by rising WA star Caleb Grothues, who thundered his way through a first-class 65cc field to collect the gold trophy and Junior World Championship title with a perfect 1-1 result.

Grothues was joined on the exclusive 65cc world podium by New South Wales pilot Riley Dukes, “The Reece Bancell Scholarship, along with the Reece Bancell Association has, we believe, created who claimed silver with two third place finishes.

Australia’s 85cc World Championship contenders a huge ‘leg-up’ for many aspiring champions as well as providing safety and support to Race Safe, Mitchell Evans and Hunter Lawrence, both from Team Medical, Phillip Island race track, and many, Queensland, delivered blistering performances across the two motos to post results on the many others in safety and counselling services.” top half of the board. Evans finished the Cycle Torque personally knows a number of the riders who have benefited from the Reece Bancell Championship in overall 9th (15-9) and Lawrence Scholarship, and we can only applaud David and in 13th (13-13).

Green and gold pilots Joel Milesevic and Egan Mastin battled it out with the world’s best in the tough 125cc World Championship class. Mastin, who hails from NSW, wrapped up overall 17th GET YOUR TICKETS NOW place with a 21-11 finish while Victorian rider CALLING all race fans. It’s time to rally your mates Milesevic finished the Championship in 31st after and get planning now for World Superbikes 2013. taking a 29-27 result.

The strong individual rider results saw Team Tickets are already on sale for Australia’s opening round of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Australia, who were managed by experienced Team Manager Mark Willingham, finish the Championship, to be held February 22-24 at Championship in fourth behind the Netherlands, Victoria’s scintillating Phillip Island.

Italy and USA. n With tickets cheaper in advance, go to www. worldsbk.com.au or ring the SBK toll free Hotline on 1 300 728 007 to book your pass.

Jill for their hard work and dedication. We hope life away from racing gets a bit easier for them.

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PIT IBITS AUSSIE WILDCARDS

MOTORCYCLING Australia (MA) has announced the wildcard recipients for the 2012 AirAsia Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix to be held at Phillip Island from 26-28 October.

Two wildcard positions have been awarded for the event, with one rider selected by MA and one rider selected by the FIM. Queensland rider Lincoln Gilding will take his place on the Moto3 start grid as the MA wildcard, fresh from a standout season in the Australian Superbike Championship Moto 3 class.

Gilding will be joined in Moto3 by Western Australian young-gun Sam Clarke, who has been awarded the FIM wildcard ride for the event.

PIRELLI IS CHAMP

PIRELLI has helped Jeffrey Herlings and Antomio Cairoli win both the MX1 and MX2 world MX championships.

“The success of Cairoli and Herlings reaffirms the quality of the Scorpion MX,” commented Pirelli Racing Service Manager Giovanni Gatti. “Thanks to those combinations we were able to reach a total of 58 World Championships. This season they have dominated every kind of track from soft mud to sand to hard-pack and wet conditions and we’ve taken 27 of the 30 motos in MX1 and all 30 in MX2. This is better than we could have hoped for and proves the performance of our tyres.”

BE A HOST

MA IS seeking applications from suitably qualified clubs and/or promoters who are interested in hosting certain Australian Motorcycling Championships in 2013.

Below is a list of Australian Championships now available for hosting to suitable applicants: · Australian Quad Motocross Championship · Australian Senior Long Track Championship · Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship · Australian Junior Long Track Championship · Australian Mini Moto Championship Application forms can be found at www.ma.org. au/forms, and should be returned by COB Friday 5 October 2012.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 17 DREAM WIN FOR HOOK

TAP

AUSSIE young gun Josh Hook has taken victory in race 2 at round 4 of the Asia Dream Cup recently at Autopolis Circuit in Japan.

The ASBK Supersport rider started the weekend well, ranking first and then second in the two free practice sessions respectively. Qualifying in fourth, it wasn’t until race two when Hook was able to really shine racing an almost perfect race to take the victory.

Speaking from the Japan circuit, Hook said “The race was really tough with a lot of slipstreaming and jostling. Yesterday, I tried to stay out of the heavy battling up in front but today I just concentrated trying to stay in the lead. Victory had eluded me all season long so far, with a bit of bad luck here and there, so I am really excited about this win today.”

Fellow Australian Josh Pickering rode consistently over the weekend taking an 8th and a 12th place finish in race 1 and 2 respectively. For Pickering the Asia Dream Cup is his first foray into road racing.

TAP

TAP

SILVER FOR U21S

TEAM Australia has claimed the silver medal in the 2012 FIM Team Speedway Under 21 World Championship, after a gripping final battle against Poland, Sweden and Russia in Poland recently.

The green and gold team of Darcy Ward, Sam Masters, Dakota North, Alex Davies and Nick Morris amassed an impressive 44 points across the final, but were beaten out by home team with a total score of 61.

Sweden picked up third place and the bronze medal with 26 points, while 2011 World Champions Russia fell to fourth with 17 points.

“To finish second is a very encouraging result,” Team Manager Mark Lemon reflected after the final on Saturday night.

“The previous day practice was washed out due to rain – this hindered track time and experience and set ups on the wide open Polish tracks.

“Our riders slowly got to grips with the conditions and soon dialled themselves in toward the later stages of the event, gaining invaluable experience for future continental events.” n

TAP

LEARNER APPROVED MOTORCYCLE SCHEME

TAP

EDITORIAL

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 18

A painful experience

The 1992 Honda CBR900RR is more comfortable than many modern racetrack refugees.

SPORTSBIKE sales in Australia have been in decline for a number of years and quite frankly, in my opinion, the manufacturers have only themselves to blame.

The age group of motorcycle licence holders in Australia is an ageing one, and at the moment it’s around the late 40s mark. I wonder if the manufacturers realise this when they trot out the latest and greatest race replica?

As each new model hits the roads it’s obvious they are becoming sharper and seemingly more track focussed than before. And, as a result, they are increasingly uncomfortable and tiresome to ride.

While many of us may consider Australia to be small fry when it comes to worldwide sales you don’t have to go back too far in years to an era when Australia was one of Ducati’s biggest markets, and Japanese companies produced bikes especially for the Castrol Six Hour race, the Honda CB1100R being perhaps the most famous example of that.

nature is supposed to be about soaking up road irregularities, not bounce off the bloody things.

On quite a few occasions I’ve had to ride these sportsbikes on very average bitumen roads, but roads like this are common, and when you find the bike feels dangerous at 100km/h because it is bucking and jumping, you have to wonder what the hell is going on. When you can safely traverse the same roads some 30km/h faster on something with more suspension travel then you can’t help but think the manufacturers are getting these sportsbikes totally wrong.

But does it have to be this way? I say no. I’ve just come back from the UK and during that time BMW generously loaned I wonder how much testing any of the major manufacturers me its new Sertao adventure bike. When I picked it up from the BMW dealership I noticed an S 1000 RR fitted with a flat actually conduct in our country? Not much I’d guess, especially when it comes to pure sportsbikes. In many areas handlebar conversion, giving the rider at least another inch higher ’bars. Also there’s no reason why spring rates can’t our country roads are in diabolical shape, especially NSW. be softened for regular street use, and have slightly lower And a number of sportsbikes I’ve ridden in recent years footpegs. Regular Cycle Torque road test helper Billy Newton are plainly unsuitable for our road conditions, and in some conditions I consider them to be almost dangerous to ride at has a 2004 Yamaha R1 set up with slightly lower ’pegs, and slightly softer suspension than standard. I can tell you it the open speed limit in this country. would take a very good rider on anything new to take him Just about every sportsbike I’ve ridden in recent years has and that bike on down the Putty Road for example. Not been over-sprung to the point of ridiculousness. I weigh 100 only does it go like stink, it’s actually fun to ride because it kilos and if I’m being bounced out of the seat and having my doesn’t try to batter you senseless. And please don’t write spine compressed I would hate to think what that’s doing in that we are using the Putty Road as a race track, I’m just to someone weighing 75 kilos. If you’ve done any rider using that as an example. training that’s worthwhile you would have been instructed And who is buying them anyway? Who are the to keep your vision on the road ahead, to look through corners, scan for dangers etc. The aggressive riding position manufacturers targeting when they build these types of bikes? Barring racers, and there’s not too many of them in of sportsbikes makes this difficult anyway because your Australia who lash out for new bikes each year, the majority head is facing downwards, but when you actively have to look for every pothole and bump in the road to save yourself of buyers that I know are cashed up and the purchase is as much about street cred as it is on road performance. And to from being physically battered by the bike then this adds be honest the number of riders I know who have this type another level of danger altogether. Suspension by its very

of bike is very much in the minority. Most got over riding around like a half opened pocket knife years ago, and are going for something more comfy.

A mate mentioned this to me the other day also, asking me how many hard core sportsbikes you see at the GP or WSBK rounds at Phillip Island. Not many I said, with most being more rider friendly.

I love these sportsbikes on the track because that’s where they are designed to shine. I get that totally, but I see their relevance for our everyday conditions diminishing each and every year. Despite the fact my best ever day in motorcycle journalism was testing the Ducati 1098R and Desmosedici at Phillip Island, I think the manufacturers need to rethink what they are doing so they can sell more bikes.

I have now got to the point where I generally trailer these types of bikes to my desired road test arena, get it off the trailer, get my leathers on and then enjoy the road. The reason for this is because I just cannot cope with the painful commute to these roads anymore.

Call me soft, but if it’s not fun riding bikes then why bother do it at all?

– Chris Pickett

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 19

ip-inspired h s n io p m a h c e th u’ll see d Look deep and yo 013 RM-Z450 an 2 e th to e d a m upgrades Suzuki ce helping racers n e ri e p x e f o rs a e m, Suzuki RM-Z250. From y iu d o p e th f o p to reach the around the world high-performance f o r e w o p e th understands that n in the details. e ft o is g n ri e e in g n e . New exhausts. s rk fo A W O H S w New engines. Ne out, Suzuki RM-Z d n a e d si In . re o m New frames and sight to behold. a re a s le c y rc to o m

RACE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 20

Who’s Watching?

IF WATCHING Dani Pedrosa’s defeat of Jorge Lorenzo at the Czech Grand Prix was difficult to take for Casey Stoner fans, spare a thought for the man himself. Forced to withdraw due to the ankle injuries he sustained at the Indy Grand Prix, the race was an ominous portent of what life will be like AC (After Casey). Retiring from MotoGP racing at year’s end, Casey’s decision has nothing to do with burnout or becoming bored of ‘going around in circles’ as Niki Lauda famously said heading into his first retirement.

It has everything to do with the general direction of MotoGP, and the politics and personalities in the teams for whom he has raced - Ducati and Honda. The actual riding and racing is what Casey loves, and he would rather walk away from all the bullshit rather than have that love sour. As we watched Pedrosa stalk and pounce on Lorenzo in the closing stages at Brno, one could not help but sense that Casey would be at home watching, burning with frustration that he couldn’t be out there mixing it with his great foes and plotting to vanquish them. Making the frustration all the more palpable is that Casey’s hopes of defending his 2012 world championship are over, and the chatter problems that have so bedevilled the Honda all year appeared to disappear at Brno.

The timing of the race was also poignant.

Almost 25 years to the day, Wayne Gardner won the 1987 Czech Grand Prix at the newlybuilt Brno Autodromo, a result that went a long way to sealing Australia’s first world 500cc championship. In the years since, Australian riders have enjoyed tremendous success in the blue ribband class with grand prix wins to Kevin Magee, Mick Doohan, Daryl Beattie, Garry McCoy, Troy Bayliss, Chris Vermeulen and Casey Stoner for a total of eight world championships. With Casey leaving, the 25-year hegemony of Australian riders at the elite level is coming to an end with Arthur Sissis and Jack Miller fighting a swarm of Moto3 hopefuls to even get a shot at a top MotoGP ride, perhaps several years

down the track. That’s a tough one for Aussie race fans.

The decision to put Casey on a 125GP bike 14 years ago, rather than go through the accepted path of Supersport and Superbike, It is also tough for Stoner, who has four or proved to be the correct one. Gardner, Magee, five more good years in him, but he simply Doohan, Beattie and Bayliss all cut their teeth cannot stomach the introduction of CRT and on Superbikes, but the Stoners opted to go the mistrust with sections of the GP paddock. for the quarter-litre option when moves to Nobody would be feeling Casey’s imminent a 1000cc four-stroke GP formula were first absence from MotoGP more than Casey, mooted. Fourteen years later and it is coming which is why Wayne Rainey says he doesn’t to an end, along with Australia’s influence understand Stoner’s decision to quit. The best as a road racing superpower. Sure, we have way to rationalise it is this; just say Casey was Josh Brookes giving the BSB a huge shake this the world’s best CEO earning millions beyond year, but in all honesty, our standing in world his wildest dreams, and after ten years in the championship competition is in decline. It job, he was getting fed up with the politics, happened in tennis in the late 1970s when the back-stabbing, and the lack of recognition Aussie legends John Newcombe, Rod Laver, that exists in most industries. Why, he even Tony Roche and Ken Rosewall all retired, found out that his company wanted to dump ending a 25-year run as a tennis superpower him when he went on extended sick leave, alongside the USA. Since then Pat Rafter so he left for greener pastures to work for and Lleyton Hewwit have been the only the world’s number one company, achieving Australian men to be ranked number one in extraordinary success again. Then when the world (Rafter’s reign was so short he never confidential conversations of his contract played a match as world number one). What negotiations were leaked to force him to happened in men’s tennis is what’s happening make a decision, he cried enough is enough, in world championship motorcycle racing. and basically said, ‘I don’t need you or your Both sports were dominated by Australians money anymore, I’m outta here. I love what I and Americans for over two decades, but do, but I’m sick of all the crap that goes with other nationalities have emerged making it’. The analogy with a regular job is important; both sports truly international. America’s last most elite GP riders retire because of injury, world number one, the recently-retired Andy burn-out or declining form, all internal factors.

Roddick, recorded just one major victory Stoner’s motivation is common or garden in his career, the 2003 US Open, with no US variety career change that thousands of up-and-comers on the horizon. Likewise, US people contemplate every year, one forced riders have won only four MotoGPs in the last upon him by external factors.

10 years. The difference is that in GP racing,

organisers, teams and sponsors are actively pushing for more American and English riders to enter the fray to increase TV ratings and broadcast revenues in those markets - the reality is that Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo winning and Valentino Rossi losing has been bad for MotoGP ratings in Europe.

The other reality is that Australian fans have been able to cheer for Aussie riders ever since SBS beamed the very first live grand prix Down Under when Eddie Lawson bested Gardner in the 1986 Misano GP. In WSBK, Troy Corser and Bayliss flew the flag for well over a decade thanks to Fox Sports, with Andrew Pitt, Karl Muggeridge, Chris Vermeulen and other Aussies doing likewise in WSS. Without a genuine world title contender in 2013, we’ll still keep watching but perhaps with less cheering.

– Darryl Flack

GUNTRIP

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 21

Read all about (a bit of) it EXACTLY why sports literature is so disappointing is hard to fathom. Certainly all the ingredients are there: heroism, sacrifice, emotion, drama by the truck load, even forensic science. Yet outside cricket and – so I’m told – golf, and with honourable mentions to soccer and boxing, we’re a bit short of good reading from the sporting arena. Things might be different across the pond, of course; I know people who place great store by baseball writing, but it’s not for me. Attending parties where you don’t know anyone, dislike the music and find the wine distasteful is boring.

But even this desert has its oases and if motorcycle sport might be short of good books it’s never lacked for quality writers, a precious few of whom have packed their thoughts, reminiscences and opinions between hard covers to give themselves a chance of lingering for posterity.

My pick of the current crop are, without doubt, Michael Scott and Mat Oxley. Each has made sturdy contributions to the recorded history of the sport and I look forward to their infrequent offerings. Scott’s biographies are rewarding reads, and I take particular pleasure in Wayne Rainey. That the three-time world champion’s career was much more turbulent than he made it look is tribute to Rainey; and Scott’s recording of the story, through Rainey’s difficult final years with Yamaha to his careerending crash and beyond, is accomplished with great skill and understanding. Scott’s life of Barry Sheene is likewise as skilled, and his approach to Sheene’s relationship with his nemesis, Kenny Roberts, is intriguing.

Scott brings out the substance of his stories and has you, the reader, stand at his shoulder as he watches Rainey’s struggles with his ’92 YZR500 and his season-long battles with Kevin Schwantz, Eddie Lawson and Mick Doohan.

Mat Oxley’s viewpoint is different. For one

thing he’s riding the bikes that define their periods, he races himself and, perhaps more important, brings his own, highly cultivated form of Brit iconoclasm to the table. The Fast Stuff is an assembly of his offerings on a variety of subjects from biographical pieces and interviews to bike tests and tech. He has the precious ability to coax memorable pronouncements from everyone he approaches, from Graeme Crosby to Jeremy Burgess and Valentino Rossi. More than that, he makes it entertaining.

Every bit as entertaining in his own way was Ed Hertfelder, veteran enduro correspondent to the now long-defunct US Cycle magazine.

Ed remains the only writer on motorcyclerelated matters able to make me laugh out loud. Hertfelder too must have done plenty of laughing which, when you think about it, is probably the only rational response to being lodged high on a desolate, rain-swept hilltop, frantically trying to kick your crash-damaged and mud-caked dirt bike into life during the last moments of daylight on a bleak winter Sunday somewhere in New England.

the great on the AMA road racing circuit. He remains arguably the best technical writer of his generation, able to make complex issues comprehensible to the hoi polloi (eg, me) with a few deft strokes of the pen. The first collection of his writing was published a few years back under the title Top Dead Center, and it remains one of my favourites. In the unlikely event anyone will ever ask you how to coax the best from a KR750 Kawasaki, this is undoubtedly the best place to start.

More than four decades ago now, your humble scribe wobbled up to the imposing gates of Mallory Park circuit in the English midlands, on my first bike, a 79cc Suzuki K10, to attend my first road race meeting. It was an exhilarating introduction to the sport I came to love above all others. I saw Mike Hailwood clean up in his last meeting on the old Honda 350 four, watched aghast as my hero, John Blanchard, fell in an unseasonable snow flurry and break his collarbone, and was still perched, shivering, in the Shaw’s Hairpin grandstand when tragedy stuck later in the day and Swiss sidecar ace Fritz Scheidegger was killed when a brake linkage failed on his BMW Rennsport outfit and he and passenger John Robinson slammed into the wall at the apex of the bend.

Elsewhere in the pages of Cycle magazine during the same period Kevin Cameron was doing his stuff. During the 1970s Cameron was an eminent two-stroke tuner who routinely rubbed shoulders with the good and It was a relatively minor international meeting

at the beginning of one year in a truly momentous decade, all of which is described heroically by former sidecar racer and bike builder Colin Seeley in the first volume of his imposing autobiography, Racer … and the Rest, published a couple of years back. As a record of the 1960s – strewn with fantastic photographs, program covers and the like – it’s beyond price and I’d recommend it to anyone with the slightest interest in the history of road racing.

So … five favourites from the threadbare tapestry of the recorded history of motorcycle sport. We deserve more, much more, and who knows – maybe we’ll get it. One day.

– Bob Guntrip

E-TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 22

New Smartphones EVERY Motorcyclist should have a smartphone.

Having internet access, a halfdecent camera and maps in your pocket can be a lifesaver.

I saw this scene when the only camera I had was my iPhone: it worked out fine!

Of course the iPhone really set the benchmark a few years ago, and now the iPhone 5 is out, and it looks pretty special - but motorcyclists should also have a look at the new Nokia smartphones, at least in part because they can be used with gloves on.

I’m still using my iPhone 4S, and I hate going riding without it. It can track trips with the built-in GPS, it can pump music and podcasts to my custommade Earmold earplugs, and it can give me verbal directions with the TomTom maps App.

having a smartphone on the move without draining the battery.

Apple introduced Siri voice recognition with the iPhone 4S, so it’s possible to start calls by just talking to your phone, which is occasionally very, very handy.

And no, I don’t like talking on the phone while riding, I pull over to the side of the road to take the call, but I do like listening to music, especially while droning down the freeway.

For touring, a smartphone is really handy. Check Unfortunately things like GPS tend to suck the the weather forecast anytime. Use Glympse to allow battery dry pretty quickly, so I love it when bikes others to track where you are. There are numerous have power available – I’ve recently scored a Bikes & list apps to help you remember everything, and Bits Importers USB charger which we’re mounting on others to help you share your trip on social media like the office CBR1100, so I can use all of the benefits of Facebook and Twitter.

Off the bike you can share your internet connection with an iPad or other tablet device, which I consider to be a computer anyone can carry on a bike. After all, you need to carry your iPad on tour so your can read the Cycle Torque iPad edition on the road…

There are also heaps of Apps available with specific location information from great publishers like Lonely Planet on the places you might like to visit.

With a smartphone or tablet you can book you night’s accommodation from your lunchtime stop.

– Nigel Paterson Check out www.cycletorque.com.au/more for info on the items mentioned above.

DIRTY TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 23

MX Nationals lowdown THE 2012 Australian MX Nationals will go down as one of the best series in recent history with some riders really stepping up to the plate in the quest for glory while others did laps and got paid – let’s see who did what?

MX2: At 26 years of age Ford Dale (Carlton Dry Honda) finally won the MX2 championship and some (many in fact) have already mentioned that there was a fair amount of luck that went in Ford’s favour to out-point Luke Styke (Serco Yamaha) by two points at series end.

Then, just as I thought Styke had Cachia’s pace covered the young KTM pilot ripped out an amazing few laps then blitzed one of the tight right handers to come out in front of the surprised Styke.

Styke had basically led the series from the second round at Coonabarabran right through to the 9th round at Moree when a flat tyre, a mechanical failure, a crash and perfect points from Dale cost the former under 19s champion the points lead going into the final round at Coolum.

From there history was made, Cachia held off Styke’s late charge while Dale held on to third to win the championship by a mere two points, with Cachia just another four points back from Styke.

let Waters by and followed the Suzuki pilot all of the way to the finish line to wrap up his only championship outside New Zealand since he started on a PW50 back in the late ’70s.

Other notables for the season are Kirk Gibbs who won the opening round at Conondale before getting injured while Adam Monea scored a moto win at Wanneroo and Cheyne Boyd took his privateer Honda to a moto win at the Murray Bridge round.

Carlton Dry Honda’s Pommie import Brad Anderson’s only win for the season came at Wonthaggi, Lawson Bopping proved his worth to the CDR team by winning the Hervey Bay round, and Kiwi Cody Cooper who was spectacularly fast enough to claim five moto wins for the year.

With Coolum being Dale’s home track there was a general train of thought that all the Honda pilot had to do was turn up and ride to somewhere near his potential and the championship would be his but that is not how it panned out.

In moto one Styke took a solid second place behind the flying Josh Cachia (JDR KTM) and then won the second moto, while Ford wobbled around for a pair of sixth place finishes which reduced his lead in the series from 21 to just 2 measly points with one 30 minute moto remaining for the season.

Honourable mention has to go to Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kade Mosig who managed to grab several top three moto finishes. I think he will join Cachia as championship favourites for next year.

Josh Coppins won the big prize.

Defending champion Jay Marmont started the year injured, took some time off mid season, and then came back to win a moto at Wanneroo. His team-mate Billy Mackenzie claimed to have been in the best shape ever coming into the opening round only to get smoked, then the former GP regular got hurt MX1: After the entire field was made to look fairly pedestrian The start of the final moto of the year saw Styke hit the lead

by Ben Townley at the opening round, Josh Coppins predictably and that was that. just ahead of Cachia, with Ford back in fourth before red flags jumped into the championship lead with round wins at Jake Moss was his usual spectacular self in some motos and started flying and all riders had to make their way back to the Coonabarabran and Wanneroo, but from there on the former decidedly mediocre in others yet somehow won two motos in starting line after Kirk Gibbs’ string of poor luck and injuries world number two would go toe-to-toe with Todd Waters in the Coonabarabran and joined Anderson in the ‘also ran’ category continued with a huge crash just after the start. fight for the championship. for the rest of the races.

With Gibbs on his way to hospital the MX2 final moto got under In fact Waters took an emphatic win at Murray Bridge then Unfortunately the 2012 season was the end of three great way for the second time and once again Styke hit the lead backed it up two rounds later with another win at Horsham careers with Coppins, Dan Reardon and Craig Anderson all ahead of Cachia but this time Dale was back in 9th spot and the only to have Coppins bounce back to win Appin and Moree to retiring. Unless there is some talent pulled from the lites class championship looked all but shot. salvage a narrow 14 point lead into the final round at Coolum. this will leave a huge hole in the MX1 class in 2013.

Styke pushed hard for 20 minutes as he tried to drop Cachia Coppins is no slouch in the sand and looked comfortable on 2013: At the time of writing there are a heap of rides that while Dale threw caution to the wind (finally) and got to third the soft stuff at Coolum but had to settle for second in the have yet to be finalised for 2013 and that will all fall into place by the half way mark. But by then he was too far behind the opening 15 minute moto at Coolum to Waters which cut his between now and Christmas. We know that the Carlton Dry leading duo to even contemplate catching them. championship lead to 11 with two races to go. In moto 2 there Honda team have already signed Ben Townley and Ford Dale was a steely determination about the Kiwi as he pulled the for the MX1 championship but KTM, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki The equation was simple, if Styke could keep Cachia at bay he holeshot and never let Waters even get a sniff of his blue rear and some of the more prominent privateer teams have yet to had the title, if not, Ford would be champion and as I stood in fender. finalise their teams for 2013. the middle of the track watching the Styke/Cachia freight train I was really impressed with the pace and composure of both So with only the final 30 minute moto to go in the – Darren Smart riders. championship Coppins ripped the holeshot then basically

2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450

Launch CYCLE TORQUE REPORT

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 24

CYCLE TORQUE C Y C L E T O R Q U E OOCCTTOOB BEER R 2012 - 25

More power with more control.

Suzuki delivers what you want for 2013.

MORE

2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450

Launch

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 26

CYCLE TORQUE REPORT

WHAT looks like only minimal updates for the 2013 Suzuki RM-Z450 from the previous model was quickly dismissed when we rode one at the recent launch. It’s obvious there’s been lots of work by the engineers, below the skin of Suzuki’s open class bruiser.

n TEST BY TODD REED : PHOTOS BY NIGEL PATERSON

n RIDING GEAR: SHOEI HELMET, FOX NYLONS, ALPINESTARS BOOTS.

Engine The RM-Z 450 is already known for being a fantastic open class bike with all the right attributes to makes this bike a race winner. Engine performance was the first item on Suzuki’s to do list and in the past, reliability has also been an issue for some, so Suzuki went to work on improving both aspects of the 2013 engine package. The magneto and ignition coil were drastically modified to increase the RM-Z power generation capabilities, this allows the ignition system to scan the intake and engine sensors much more frequently which in turn provides improved response, better throttle control, and an engine that runs cleaner and more efficiently. A new piston was designed which is claimed to be stronger and more rigid, as well as being 13 per cent lighter than the previous model. Suzuki didn’t stop here though, the entire crank was pulled down, with the crank pin, connecting rod, and piston pin all being replaced for newer, more durable and higher performing items. Finally the Suzuki engine developers finished off by slightly modifying the intake cams to have increased lift, and bolted on a new exhaust system to meet the ever changing sound limits required for closed course racing.

Chassis An all new chassis was developed for the 2013 model along with an all new Showa SFF fork, updated rear shock and all new rear linkage ratio. The

aluminium frame and seat rails have been modified to further improve the bike’s stability at speed and manoeuvrability on the race track. The SFF fork has been in production from Showa and has been seen on rival brands for the past few seasons now, however this is Suzuki’s first foray into the Showa SFF concept. The SFF fork separates the traditional fork as we know it, with the left leg housing the damping system and the right fork housing the main

spring. The rear shock linkage has a new ratio for 2013 and is claimed to be more progressive and reduces harshness through the rear end and chassis. According to Suzuki, the updated rear shock valving complements the new chassis, fork and linkage changes to further improve the RMZ’s capabilities on the race track.

game in the big bore 450cc CYCLE class, and the Suzuki does a great job of making sure the power comes on in all the right places. It comes on nice and smooth with no aggressive hit and continues steadily right through the rev range. The 2013 bike has On the track more poke off the bottom It only took a few laps to settle in and feel at home and pulls harder through the mid than ever before on the RM-Z, after taking some time to warm up but seems to sign off a little and get a feel for the yellow thumper we quickly earlier than in years gone gained confidence and started to throw down some laps to see what was really under the hood of by, that being said, it felt like the new FIM spec muffler the 2013 RM-Z 450. Although the list of mods and was choking things up changes were long and sophisticated, the overall when the RM-Z was really feel hasn’t changed a whole lot from the 2012 revving hard up top. We also model. The Suzuki is now a much more refined tested the quick connect package that does all of the little things better couplers, which change the and makes the rider feel more comfortable and confident out on the track. The SFF fork works very bike’s power characteristics.

The change is certainly well in stock trim and suits the characteristics of noticeable to go from the the new chassis well, you get the feeling that the chassis and SFF fork were built and tested together standard setting to either as a package not just a new set of forks bolted onto the more aggressive or less aggressive option. The more aggressive option brought the power to life a a frame. We stayed put on the standard setting bit faster and brought a bit more oomph to the roll for quite a while with the race sag set at 102mm but towards the end of the test we began to make on power, however seemed to rev out faster than the standard coupler. The less aggressive option the fork a bit stiffer using the clickers, to avoid mellowed out the power nicely for us when our hard hits in the whoops and to hold the bike up test track got slick and hard packed at the end of more on the hard landings. The new linkage ratio together with the updated rear shock is set up well the day, the power was softer all round and when for the average rider, we enjoyed the feeling in the the conditions were becoming tough the RM-Z became that little bit easier to ride. rear end as it held its line and stayed put without jumping around in the choppy stuff or wallowing The Suzuki is a comfortable steed, with all the on the big hits. As usual the Suzuki has razor sharp controls and levers feeling exactly the way we’ve turning capabilities and is one of the easiest open come to expect things from the Japanese giant. In class bikes to flick around the track. the seat, the RM-Z is narrow and sleek and when on the track it is very nimble for an open class bike.

Getting the power to the ground is the aim of the

TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 27

The brakes work well and have no great flaws but it would be nice to see a larger front disc up front to help pull up the almighty roar that these modern day 450s have. The Renthal Fatbars are top quality and give the rider a nice roomy cockpit.

Verdict It’s hard to look past the new RM-Z 450, it’s got some fantastic features rolled into its all new $11,790 package. Suzuki has listened to the consumers and has addressed the issues that have been the downfall of this machine in the past.

Performance is once again top notch and anyone who throws a leg over this machine will walk away impressed with a smile from ear to ear. n MORE

2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 Launch CYCLE TORQUE REPORT

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 28

Graphics: A completely new graphic design in conjunction with the new bodywork.

Single function front forks have made it to the RM-Z450.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 29 The yellow coloured parts have all been updated or replaced.

The rich and lean couplers are colourcoded.

Suzuki’s 450 produces plenty of punch.

Lean and rich couplers are easily swapped over.

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2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 Launch CYCLE TORQUE REPORT

Preload on one CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2 012 - 30 side, damping on the other.

The new piston.

More midrange power and lots more torque for 2013.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 31

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2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 Launch CYCLE TORQUE REPORT

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CYCLE TORQUE TEST

APRILIA SHIVER

SPORT ABS

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 35

They say there’s no substitute for cubes but the Aprilia Shiver Sport proves that theory wrong.

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CYCLE TORQUE TEST

APRILIA SHIVER

SPORT ABS

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 36 n RIDING GEAR : ZEUS HELMET, ARLEN NESS JACKET, IXON GLOVES, BULL-IT JEANS, JOE ROCKET BOOTS.

MOST riders these days wouldn’t consider a 750cc machine to be a big bike. As the world has gone on to bigger and bigger capacities, and insane power outputs, it’s nice to ride a bike which makes do with a moderate capacity and power output, but is also loads of fun to ride.

Aprilia’s middleweight Shiver Sport proves you don’t always need a big engine to put a big smile on your face.

The brief The 750cc Shiver Sport is a very easy bike to ride, it’s relatively light, handles well, and the V-twin engine with 95 horsepower doesn’t feel too aggressive or come on too strong. If you want that from a V-twin Aprilia then take the 1200cc Dorsoduro for a spin (test in an upcoming issue of Cycle Torque). But we can’t help asking the question why Aprilia didn’t build a LAMS version of this very bike, say a 650cc unit, with a reversible power reducing system, pretty much like Hyosung’s LAMS 650 range. If Aprilia’s head honchos say the Australian market is too small to warrant the cost of developing such a bike then fair enough, but if such a machine could get them more sales it could be worth it. I would think a smaller bore etc wouldn’t be too hard to develop. Of course there are more considerations for such development of products than we’ve just come up with but....

A decent capacity Aprilia which is LAMS approved, like the Ducati 659, would be a good seller we reckon, if it was priced right of course.

n TEST & PHOTOS BY CHRIS PICKETT

Hanging below as a stressed member is the 750cc fuel injected and liquid cooled V-twin engine. It has all the things you expect in a modern engine, four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts etc. A six speed gearbox and chain drive complete the drive train.

Fly-by-wire technology is used by Aprilia on many of its models, and the Shiver is no different. This enables the rider to have access to three different engine maps, Sport, Touring and Rain.

In the showroom Of course Sport gives full power while Rain doesn’t. You really need to ride In what is becoming reasonably common place these days, the Shiver Sport one to see what the differences are because you can definitely feel them. It’s a uses a mix of a steel trellis and alloy frame. Not sure why this type of system great idea too, and while the 750cc Shiver Sport could be safely ridden in the is produced these days, other than it gives a point of difference which might rain in Sport mode, it does give the rider an extra degree of safety. help in sales. Maybe it works better? Whatever the reason, it looks cool.

Sachs is getting the nod for suspension on lots of European bikes, and Aprilia

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 37

uses the German company’s products for both ends of the Shiver. Up front the rider gets non adjustable 43mm forks, and the rear offset Sachs shock only gives the rider the choice of preload and rebound damping adjustment. We guess the reason Aprilia has continued to go down this route is to reduce the cost of the bike. True, the majority of riders will be happy with the suspension but those who want to push the boundaries of the bike’s handling might find the suspension lacking in certain circumstances.

The bike isn’t lacking in brakes though, with radial four-piston calipers up front and tipping in at well under 200 kilos it doesn’t take a massive pull on the front brake lever to stop the Shiver pronto. And ABS comes standard.

Tank capacity is only 15 litres (includes 3 litre reserve) but the bike is pretty frugal and will give a range of over 300 kilometres if you’re cruising along. We remember Honda’s VTR1000 having a similar sized tank and giving a range of only 150 kilometres so that gives an indication of the economy of the sweet 750 engine.

On the road As we said before, the Shiver Sport is easy to ride. The riding position itself is nigh on perfect for most riders, and it’s light to boot. No dramas pushing this around the car park. It’s hard getting off the hyper bikes we tend to ride so often here at Cycle Torque and being totally happy with ‘only’ 95 horsepower.

That said, it all depends on how the power is made. In the Shiver’s case it’s all usable, you can either plod along using the torque of the engine, but to make any real rapid headway you’ll need to rev the engine harder, but the good thing is it likes it, being happiest between 7-8,000 rpm when giving it a spurt.

Revving it any harder really isn’t necessary.

Throttle response in Touring mode is a little less than if in Sport mode, while Rain reduces it by around 16 horsepower so you do notice that drop-off.

Gearing is quite tall too, so this does reduce top gear acceleration. If you have enough room the Shiver is quite happy pulling out in top, but shifting down a cog is the go for rapid overtakes.

Looking at the bike you might get the impression it’s not all that comfortable but you’d be surprised. A 200 kilometre stint in one hit is pretty easy, and fitting an accessory screen would make it easier again. Even the seat is reasonably well padded. Bikes like this aren’t really designed for touring but the Shiver Sport does a pretty good job doing it. You can always go for the Shiver GT which is basically the same machine but with a frame mounted half fairing.

Verdict We liked the Shiver Sport. The engine likes to be used hard but is happy cruising along as well, which is something not all larger capacity V-twin engines in the modern day can boast.

It almost has an old school feel to it and it’s nice to ride because of that. Of course the V-twin sound is intoxicating as well. With standard pipes it sounds nice, fit some slightly louder ones and you’ll want to be changing gears all the time to hear the engine change its note.

If there was anything to fault it is the lack of front suspension adjustment but as it costs only $12,990 there is a price to be paid, and we feel that’s it.

Should it stop you from trying one out? No way, most riders will be happy with the suspension as it is, and for the price it’s literally a bargain.

Don’t forget, it’s Italian too, so people will look at you just a little enviously when you pull up. It’s one of the intangible benefits of owning such a machine. n MORE

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

APRILIA SHIVER

SPORT ABS

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 38

SPECIFICATIONS:

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 39

n ENGINE TYPE: LIQUID-COOLED V-TWIN n CAPACITY: 749.9CC n TRANSMISSION: 6-SPEED n FUEL CAPACITY: 15 LITRES n FRAME TYPE: ALLOY & STEEL TRELLIS n SEAT HEIGHT: 810MM n DRY WEIGHT: 189 KG n FRONT SUSPENSION: SACHS USD n REAR SUSPENSION: SACHS OFFSET PROGRESSIVE, ADJUSTABLE.

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n BRAKES: TWIN 4-PISTON CALIPERS ON FRONT, SINGLE CALIPER REAR

www.aprilia.com

n TYRES: 120/70-17, 180/55-17 n PRICE (RRP): $12,990 + ORC

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USD, ABS, wave discs… all trick.

Who said high pipes is Old Hat?

Single offset Sachs shock - well positioned for easy adjustment, but it’s a shame you need tools.

V-twin is snug inside the chassis.

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

APRILIA SHIVER

SPORT ABS

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 40

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 41

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 42

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 43

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

BMW K 1300 R

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 44

Grunt with comfort

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 45

Who says you can’t have it all?

Power and handling with comfort is the K 1300 R’s mantra.

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CYCLE TORQUE TEST

BMW K 1300 R

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 46

Grunt with comfort IF YOU like your bikes big and brawny, BMW’s K 1300 R roadster fits that bill perfectly. It’s extremely powerful, handles very well, is more than capable of getting you through a 1000 kilometre day without killing you in the process.

While the looks haven’t changed that much since the K 1200 R was introduced back in 2005, the basic design has been continually updated up until the current 1300cc machine.

Basic design All the things you would want in a modern big horsepower naked bike are there in the K 1300 R. Besides the fact the 173 horsepower liquidcooled inline four can propel you into the distance at an incredible rate, it also has the brakes and suspension to match the power.

The engine has been around for a while now, and various forms of it power a number of the models, and even BMW’s 1600 six cylinder engine seems to have roots in the four cylinder donk. Of course the S 1000 RR motor is entirely different, and where it’s designed for a screaming top end the K series motor is all about usable horsepower.

It has plenty of low down and mid range mumbo, but also has a blistering top end as well, if you can hold on hard enough to try it.

The lack of any reasonably sized frontal protection does make testing the top speed an interesting proposition.

The K 1300 R tested was fitted with ESA II electronically adjustable suspension, and this comes standard on both the base and limited edition K 1300 R models. ESA just makes life so easy, and you can adjust it on the fly. From sports to soft, you can really notice the difference

n TEST BY CHRIS PICKETT PHOTOS BY NIGEL PATERSON

n RIDING GEAR: SHARK HELMET, BMW JACKET, IXON GLOVES, HORNEE JEANS, DRIRIDER BOOTS.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 47

in the suspension, and adjusting the preload for a pillion and luggage at the touch of a button is part of the ESA allure too.

This is in conjunction with the time-tested Paralever rear and Duolever front ends. If you’ve never had anything to do with the quirky looking BMW front end you will most likely find it all slightly odd, especially to look at. Once you test it for real you will again be a convert. With minimal dive from the front under brakes the bike is ultra stable, and in our opinion is one of the great inventions on the modern motorcycle.

Looks wise it’s very much a personal taste thing. It has that Post Apocalyptic look which seems a little popular, with no real flowing lines on the bike. That’s cool, and the bike’s that good you should test one before you make any decision based on looks alone.

road bikes hasn’t always been great: generally speaking they work better the faster you ride, with shifts becoming rough if you were just tootling along. The system fitted to the K 1300 R is nothing like that. You can be as lazy as you like and it just works seamlessly. To be fair quick shifters on other brands are much better these days too, but there’s no doubt the shifter fitted to the big K is one of the best out there.

As said earlier the engine has bulk grunt on tap, up in the realms of the Suzuki B-King and bikes like that. It has a harshness to it that most other big four cylinder engines don’t have but it’s not overly intrusive or off putting. In any gear this engine will pull away from minimum revs, and if you like carving through your favourite piece of swervery in one gear then that’s fine by the K 1300 R. If you want to play racer with the quick shifter that’s fine also.

It’s very stable in turns too. You would expect a bike of this size – yes it’s a big bike – to be a little hard to turn in but it’s happy in tight turns, and even happier in fast sweepers. But if the road is bumpy mid turn the bike behaves superbly. It’s no pocket rocket and does require you to do some manhandling when riding quick in tight stuff but it’s not hard work if you get our drift.

Fitted with a maintenance friendly shaft drive, which has good all-round gearing, the K 1300 R is very easy to live with. If you are keen to travel BMW has loads of accessories, such as panniers, tank bags etc, and some sporty accessories too if that’s the path you want to go down.

Verdict

This really is a great bike. Sure it’s a road bike first and foremost, but it is also a formidable track day machine as well. With extras like stability control and partially integral ABS this is one bike which is very happy in sports or tour mode.

The base model will cost you $24,190, with the Limited Edition model costing The ride $25,740. BMW does have a cash back deal going until September 30 this year You would think only race bikes should have a quick shifter fitted but the K (after this edition comes out) which gives you a return of $3,975. That makes it 1300 R comes with one standard. Our past experience with quick shifters on a lot of machine for your moolah. n MORE

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

BMW K 1300 R

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 48

SPECIFICATIONS:

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 49

n ENGINE TYPE: LIQUID-COOLED INLINE 4 n CAPACITY: 1293CC n TRANSMISSION: 6-SPEED n FUEL CAPACITY: 19 LITRES n FRAME TYPE: CAST ALMINIUM n SEAT HEIGHT: 820MM (790MM OPTION) n DRY WEIGHT: 217 KG n FRONT SUSPENSION: DUOLEVER n REAR SUSPENSION: PARALEVER n BRAKES: TWIN 4-PISTON CALIPERS ON FRONT, DUAL PISTION CALIPER REAR n TYRES: 120/70-17, 180/55-17 n PRICE (RRP): $24,190 + ORC LIMITED EDITION MODEL $25,740

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Analog instruments are classic.

Small screen is more for style than function.

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2. CROZ LARRIKIN BIKER – $35.00

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CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 51

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Mike Hyde’s goal was a motorcycle trip - 50 states in America in 60 days, and Twisting Throttle America is the result. This is a classic roadside tale of an ordinary Kiwi bloke doing it alone, on the smell of an oily rag and cholesterol pills.

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UK AND ISLE OF MAN – PT I

Touring CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE CYCLE TORQUE O OC CT TO OB BE ER R 2 20 01 12 2 -- 5 52 2

FEATURE

A rider’s paradise in more ways than one, the Isle of Man is a place you keep going back to.

I’VE always been captivated by the Isle Of Man, not the island itself I guess, but the TT races, the personalities and the whole ‘craziness’ of it all.

Joey Dunlop has always been my motorcycling hero. Maybe that’s too strong a word, but his ability to win races well past his use by date, and the fact he was an everyday person with no airs and graces. He wasn’t called Yer Maun for nothing.

It was this desire to see the TT which sent me there in 2006. I can still feel the goosebumps I had when Irish road racer Martin Finnegan came past the crowd at the end of Cronk-y-Voddy straight for the first practice session.

Even though I had long dreamed of racing on the Isle of Man I had also pretty much given up the idea.

That was until my son Alex decided he was doing the TT whether his mum and I liked it or not.

I couldn’t let the opportunity pass, and I had the bright idea to race the Manx as well.

After contacting the TT organisers we decided Alex should contest the Manx GP which is run on the full TT Mountain Course, with a view to doing the TT after that if everything worked out. Of course

It’s a very big undertaking to tackle the Manx GP or TT, and as I found out it takes lots of knowledge and preparation to be within a shot of actually finishing the race, let alone trying to win it. The Senior Manx

GP, for example, is for modern motorcycles up to 750cc for four cylinder machines, and 1000cc for V-twins. It is run over four laps of the circuit, which equates to just over 240 kilometres.

The Manx GP is considered an amateur event, at least for the modern classes, but it also has historic classes

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 53

nothing to do on a motorcycling front. And when there is you can always do a lap of the TT course or grab an ice cream down at Laxey. which are popular with the crowd. After having been to both the TT and the Manx it’s easy to see that there are two distinctly different crowds which go over to watch. A similar comparison here in Australia is between the Phillip Island MotoGP and WSBK rounds. The World Supers is more low key, and has less people, and it’s the same at the Manx GP festival, which goes for two weeks and incorporates the Two Day IOM Trial, Jurby Classic Festival, numerous historic vehicle and club runs for motorcycles. There’s not many days during the fortnight where there’s

We are almost getting ahead of ourselves though.

Alex and I agreed it would be a smart idea to go to the Manx this year to see what was required in regards to bike preparation, and generally how the event was run so we could be best prepared for our racing trip in 2013.

A couple of bikes were required so we could learn the circuit so we were lucky enough to borrow a new F 650 GS Sertao from BMW UK. After arriving at the Vines BMW in Guildford, southwest of London, we loaded it up to the hilt and did the two-up trip

some 40 miles down the road to Wimbledon – yes, where they play tennis – to pick up our second BMW ‘loaner’. Gerry Samuel is the owner of the R 850 R we were to borrow for the three weeks. Gerry has travelled extensively throughout the world and is part of the Trans Atlantic Bike Share group. Cycle Torque contributor Dave Mason is friends with Gerry and asked on my behalf for a bike. This share deal means you can borrow bikes from members worldwide and it doesn’t have to be a direct swap deal. In other words, I borrowed Gerry’s bike, and I might then loan my bike to another member of the club who comes out to Australia, and when Gerry is in America he borrows a bike from someone there, and so on. Check it out at www.bikeshareworld.com.

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UK AND ISLE OF MAN – PT I

Touring CYCLE TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE CYCLE TORQUE O OC CT TO OB BE ER R 2 20 01 12 2 -- 5 54 4

FEATURE

It was started back in 1992, and serious ‘swappers’ even have spare bikes which have been bought for this particular purpose.

After a cuppa with Gerry and Pat, both retired school teachers, Alex and I saddled up and headed north along the London North Circular.

Lucky for us Gerry had a Durham Castle spare GPS unit. Yes, there were a few moments of slight panic getting out of London, especially one moment where Alex got cut off by a car and forced to stop at a set of lights. Among the chaos he saw my helmet in the distance, caught up and a disaster was averted.

It doesn’t look that far on the map Our first port of call after leaving London was Mickleton, a tiny almost Medieval town in North England. We were visiting my old mate Daryl and his family. We grew up together, did our apprenticeships together and he was best man at my wedding. You could say we have a bit of ‘history’. Daryl has lived in the UK for over 20 years now and we hadn’t seen each other for five years, so it was great to be able to catch up.

Getting there on the first day was a chore though.

Straight up the M1 motorway, on Friday arvo saw us get caught in numerous traffic jams. We threw caution to the wind and rode down the breakdown lane, otherwise we might still be there crawling along. Yes, 300 and something miles doesn’t seem that far but it took us over seven hours. Love that TomTom though.

A very pleasant four days were spent in Mickleton, checking out the local scenery, having picnics, drinking a few pints, visiting a local fair, and even attending a christening. People did give us some funny looks when we walked into the church with Daryl, Sara and the kids.

Mickleton is situated right near a mountain range called the Pennines which runs quite a distance through the middle of northern UK. We had a great ride up through this mountain pass where the

scenery is simply spectacular, and it’s hard keeping your eyes on the road ahead. You have to be careful though because sheep wander along right next to the road, and apparently like to lie down in the middle of it. Luckily there were no ‘surprises’ for us along this road.

We turned up just before the annual Romaldkrik Village Fair, within walking distance of Mickleton.

There were lots of games to play and things to do, like drinking pints, and at one stage Alex, Daryl and I decided to take on the Welly Boot Challenge. Neither of us got close to the furthest throw but Alex’s lack of any co-ordination saw one of his boots flying through the crowd, at 90 degrees to the direction he was supposed to be throwing it. Despite landing in between a crowd of people no-one was injured. I think they just thought we were crazy Aussies.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 55

Mickleton Viaduct

To the boat We had a ferry to catch so it was lots of cuddles and waves goodbye, and a 90 minute ride to Heysham to catch the Steam Packet ferry to the Isle of Man. It’s not cheap catching the ferry during peak season and the cost for us was close enough to $350 return

Peel Castle

each! The journey itself is close to four hours but the ferry has a bar, cafe and even a newsagent so there’s enough to do during the trip. There were hundreds of bikes on the boat, and as we were riding off the ferry into Douglas on the IOM I could feel my pulse quickening. Dave Milligan from Get Routed had organised our accommodation and was at the ferry terminal to meet us, and another two Aussies – Jane

The Pennies

and Steve – who were finishing up a four month tour of Europe, Jane on her Aprilia Tuono, and Steve on his Hayabusa.

From there it was to our digs at Peel, with anticipation of seeing racing bikes on the Mountain Course the next day. But more on that next month.

– Chris Pickett

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

DUCATI 1199

PANIGALE S

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 56

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 57

Ducati is pinning its hopes of

world superbike domination on the new 1199 Panigale

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CYCLE TORQUE TEST

DUCATI 1199

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 58

PANIGALE S

IF THE Panigale isn’t in the top five prettiest motorcycles ever built then I must be cross-eyed.

But it’s no supermodel which only looks the goods from outside, it has perhaps the most potent V-twin engine ever housed in a production machine.

When I picked the bike up I took it up the beach and had a coffee. Yes, I know, us bike journos have a hard life. But I couldn’t believe the number of people who stopped to check the bike out, especially young women. If only I was 20 years younger, had a full head of hair and wasn’t married, maybe I could have taken advantage of the situation.

A big update Ducati knew it had to give the 1098/1198 design a decent makeover when it planned on building a new model to entice buyers.

I bet not many punters thought it would be such a totally new design. Yeah, I know, manufacturers always say that and no-one really believes it, but this bike not only has new looks, it has an all-new engine, chassis and suspension to match.

Ducati wanted the Panigale to be 10 kilograms lighter and have 25 more horsepower than the outgoing 1198 model, and it claims to have done so. And without having the two different bikes and a set of scales it’s hard to qualify if Ducati’s claim is true, but by the seat of my pants I reckon it can’t be too far from the truth.

The guts of it While the Superquadro engine is still a 90 degree V-twin, it has been rotated slight rearward which allows it to be moved further forward by 32mm. It has an ultra short stroke at 60.8mm, and a bore of 112mm. You don’t often see engine bore/stroke ratios like that and that’s the main reason it likes to rev like a lunatic. Valve sizes have been increased substantially over the Testastretta engine too, with inlet and exhaust valves increased by around 3.5mm.

Crankcase design is quite different from the Testastretta, with wet liners fitted inside the cases, allowing the heads to be bolted directly to the cases themselves. This isn’t new technology really but it is pretty uncommon in motorcycles. The crankshaft also uses plain bearing big ends which Ducati says has only been used in the V4 Desmosedici before, but Ducatisti will know the Mille engine of the mid ’80s used this type of set up also, albeit much more archaic a design I guess.

There’s much more technical info I could give you but I would soon run out of room before telling you how it actually goes on the road.

But, some other interesting points are the bike uses a wet clutch, the first for some time on the top of the line Ducati sportsbike, it’s got a six speed gearbox of course, fly-by-wire which allows you to select different power

n TEST BY CHRIS PICKETT PHOTOS BY NIGEL PATERSON

n RIDING GEAR: REEVU HELMET, JOE ROCKET LEATHERS, IXON GLOVES, ALPINESTARS BOOTS

modes and control engine braking, and an all important engine decompression system which makes life a little easier in the starting arrangement. It still struggles a little on the initial engine turn over, but it’s nothing like

Cycle Torque’s 1992 Ducati 851, which has you doubting it’s ever going to turn over at all, even with a fully charged battery.

If you think the engine is trick you should

see the chassis. Once again it’s not new technology but the monocoque chassis bolts directly to the cylinder heads and everything else is either attached to it or the engine. The monocoque chassis also acts as the airbox, and the bottom of the alloy fuel tank seals the airbox itself. A fair bit of the weight saving from the previous model comes from this, and Ducati says the system is very similar to what’s used on its MotoGP machine. Racing improves the breed they say, and it’s hard to argue with that.

The Panigale on test is the ‘S’ model and as such it uses Öhlins suspension front and rear, while the standard Panigale uses Marzocchi forks and a Sachs shock. The big thing with the ‘S’ suspension is it’s controlled electronically, very much like the suspension on the Multistrada 1200 S. It is used in conjunction with the power modes – Race, Sport, and Wet. When you select a particular mode the suspension changes automatically to suit the type of riding you are intending to do. You can get further into the system and change damping settings, and it’s easy enough to do via a button on the indicator switch.

There’s also DTC (Ducati Traction Control), EBC (Engine Braking Control which is like a slipper clutch in action), DQS (quick shifter) and ABS, all of which can be ‘tuned’ if you like

via the left handlebar switch. It all sounds very confusing but is easy to use once you are shown how.

In race mode you get 195 Hi horsepower, and in Sport you get 195 Lo horsepower – Lo has less throttle response down low. In Wet mode you get ‘only’ 120 ponies to play with.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 59

Road burner In the right conditions this bike is almost mind-blowingly good, and in the wrong conditions almost completely opposite. Even in wet mode the bike is way, way oversprung and doesn’t handle the bumps very well at all, and that means your body won’t handle them very well either. After doing thousands of kilometres on our long term Multistrada 1200 S (and loving its suspension) I expected the Panigale to be more compliant than it is.

In my opinion there’s no excuse for it either.

But the riding position isn’t that bad. Yes, it’s aggressive but even though the bike’s about the same size as a supersport machine it actually has enough room for the average six foot rider. It’s surprisingly better than expected in this regard.

The engine.

Wow, does this thing boogie or what? If you reckon you need more grunt than this,

ever, on the road, you are playing with yourself. I found that corners were coming up very quickly indeed. Luckily the brakes are potent, and on the few occasions I found myself coming up to corners quicker than anticipated the brakes pulled me up and the bike remained stable under heavy speed retardation while on initial tip in.

Now is it faster than a 1098R? I don’t know, Ducati reckons it is but in the real world I’m not so sure because the 1098R is one very mean mother in the power stakes also.

And how good does it sound? The underslung exhaust may fry less bottoms but it also looks great where it is. The engine sounds totally different to the Testastretta but still sounds like a V-twin, a very angry one.

Verdict The Panigale S is a very exciting bike to ride, on smooth roads. On rough roads it’s also

exciting, for the all the wrong reasons. But you can re-spring the bike if you like, and I would do that If I owned one. Plenty of 1098/1198 owners have done this which makes the bike a much better prospect for regular usage. But I don’t get why some manufacturers sell you a race bike with lights and almost expect you to ‘dumb it down’ for the road. When the race market is so small wouldn’t it make more business sense to make it the other way and let the racers do their own thing?

But for smooth road action or track days this bike is ultra desirable. It will set you back $33,990 + ORC which is a lot of cash but you get something pretty special for it. If you want the standard Panigale ABS it costs $26,990, with the Limited Edition Tricolore costing $39,990.

Oh, for those interested, the warranty is two years unlimited kilometres. n MORE

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

DUCATI 1199

PANIGALE S

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 60

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 61 SPECIFICATIONS: n ENGINE TYPE: LIQUID-COOLED V-TWIN n CAPACITY: 1198CC n TRANSMISSION: 6-SPEED n FUEL CAPACITY: 17 LITRES n FRAME TYPE: ALLOY MONOCOQUE

www.cycletorque.com.au/more www.ducati.com.au

n SEAT HEIGHT: 825MM n WET WEIGHT: 188 KG n FRONT SUSPENSION: 43MM OHLINS USD n REAR SUSPENSION: OHLINS TTX36 n BRAKES: TWIN 4-PISTON CALIPERS ON FRONT, SINGLE CALIPER REAR n TYRES: 120/70-17, 200/55-17 n PRICE (RRP): $33,990 + ORC

WWW.CYCLETORQUE.COM.AU/MORE CALL FOR A QUOTE

1800 24 34 64

WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*

Tubes to the forks carry the electronic adjustment information.

Underseat exhausts are history, the muffler now sits under the motor.

The design doesn’t completely hide the motor.

Quickshifter.

Offset Öhlins shock on the S-model.

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

SUZUKI M109RZ

BOULEVARD

thrill

Dressed to

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 62

Sometimes having a beastly

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 63

abundance of power

just isn’t enough.

MORE

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

SUZUKI M109RZ

BOULEVARD

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 64

thrill

Dressed to

n TEST BY DENNIS PENZO : PHOTOS BY CHRIS PICKETT

n RIDING GEAR: RXT HELMET, ARLEN NESS JACKET, IXON GLOVES, BULL-IT JEANS, JOE ROCKET BOOTS.

IT’S often been said that you can never have too much horsepower and that’s cool. But there comes a time when you want the savage grunt - but with a little finesse.

And that’s where the Suzuki Boulevard M109RZ comes into the picture. It’s all well and good to lust after the original M109R with its powerplant metaphorically rippling with muscles and its awesome performance.

But the M109RZ is dressed to thrill with its sparkling blue colour scheme with white centre stripe, black mag wheels and clear indicator lenses. I mean, you don’t just turn up to the formal in a pair of board shorts do you? Of course not, sometimes you need that little bit extra.

Inside the beast As a self-confessed cruiser aficionado from way back I’ve had the good fortune to ride a fair few of the Boulevard range over the last few years and I can’t help but be just a little bit gobsmacked by the smoothness of the power delivery in these things. For a cruiser of its dimensions and capacity you wouldn’t expect the words “quick” and “smooth” to leap to the forefront of your mind, but

on the Boulevard they certainly do!

This is the most powerful cruiser Suzuki has produced and the all-new liquid cooled 1783cc donk with four valves per cylinder and SDTV digital fuel injection give you all the go-go you need.

This well dressed beast has the biggest pistons

of any production bike you can find on good ole planet Earth with huge 112mm forged aluminiumalloy pistons with their short skirts and cutaway sides to reduce friction.

Then there’s the sassy lubrication system. Well, I actually meant SASS (Suzuki Advanced Sump System) which is a compact dry sump lubrication system designed for reduced engine height, lower

crankshaft position and lower centre of gravity. And being the height-challenged person that I am this was pretty important for me. Because big bikes are nice, but they are even nicer if your short legs are comfortably close to the ground.

The seat height at 705mm is quite comfy.

On the road The ground clearance is 130mm which seems a little low but in reality I was surprised at how infrequently I touched tar - I think I only scraped one side just once in all my travels on it.

My travels included everything from just putting around town (the boss still sends me out to pick up the mail occasionally; the life of the minion, you know) and a few other lengthier jaunts around the Hunter Valley. Which is a pretty thorough testing ground, apart from the utter crap that passes for roads up here, and the Boulevard certainly handled them admirably.

The Boulevard’s power is kept suitably in check with sportsbike performance kind of brakes that include radially mounted opposed four-piston front brake calipers and dual-piston rear. When I say “suitably” I mean they work superbly well.

Inverted front forks with race proven internals in 46mm tubes grace the front while the back end is suitably supported with cast aluminium-alloy swingarm with progressive linkage and single rear shock with adjustable spring pre-load.

The rear tyre at 240mm is the widest ever on a Suzuki motorcycle. I’ve ridden a couple of bikes over the last 12 months that feature huge rear tyres and when

I looked at the Suzuki I knew that I would have to take it for my mandatory “roundabout test”. That’s the one where you tip it into the roundabout and it won’t take long to find out what kind of manners the bike has. I was quite pleased to discover that the big rear tyre is quite well behaved in the kind of slow, controlled turn most roundabouts require, so the big Suzi passed my test with flying colours. There’s no denying the big rear tyre does affect the way the bike behaves in tight corners but I didn’t particularly find it an issue, and it doesn’t take long to get used to it at any rate.

The five-speed box was solid and smooth and the shaft drive kept that smooth theme happening.

The sporty solo seat cover can be quickly swapped for the included passenger seat.

And of course the cockpit has your usual tank-mounted analogue speedo, LCD odometer, dual trip meters, fuel gauge and clock.

The fuel tank holds 19.5 litres. I actually thought it looked a lot bigger until I checked the spec sheet.

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 65

On the wallet The Boulevard M109RZ comes with a two-year unlimited kilometre warranty and is priced at $19,490 plus on-road costs.

This compares with the base model M109R that comes in at $18,990 plus onroads so the paintwork, black wheels, clear lenses, embossed seat are not costing a lot extra. I reckon I’d go for the blinged up RZ. n MORE

CYCLE TORQUE TEST

SUZUKI M109RZ

BOULEVARD

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 66

www.cycletorque.com.au/more

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 67

www.suzukiboulevard.com.au

SPECIFICATIONS: n ENGINE TYPE: LIQUID-COOLED V-TWIN n CAPACITY: 109CI (1786CC) n TRANSMISSION: 5-SPEED n FUEL CAPACITY: 19.5 LITRES n FRAME TYPE: STEEL n SEAT HEIGHT: 705MM n WET WEIGHT: 347 KG n FRONT SUSPENSION: USD n REAR SUSPENSION: LINK TYPE

The rider’s perch is comfy: you need to remove the seat cowl to expose the pillion accommodation.

n BRAKES: TWIN 4-PISTON CALIPERS ON FRONT, SINGLE DISC REAR n TYRES: 130/70-18, 240/40-18 n PRICE (RRP): $19,490 + ORC

WWW.CYCLETORQUE.COM.AU/MORE CALL FOR A QUOTE

1800 24 34 64

WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*

Tacho, gear indicator and idiot lights are in the headlight shroud: the speedo’s on the tank.

The engine looks like it’s aircooled…

…but there’s a radiator behind the shroud.

The headlight shroud is for appearances and neatness only.

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Visit Andy Strapz first. 



internet shopping for you & your bike andystrapz.com

®

®

• NEW & USED BIKES

The world’s only TRUE folding traile r.

• PARTS & ACCESSORIES • SERVICE & WORKSHOP

THE EVOLUTION OF THE TRAILER STEP 1 WHEEL OUT

Ph: 02 4422 9683 www.nowramotorcycles.com.au 132 Princes Hwy, Nowra, NSW 2541

STEP 2 UNFOLD

STEP 3 STRAP ON

TO FIND YOUR NEAREST RETAILER GO TO OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT US DIRECT:

www.foldingmt.com or call 08 9468 0315 phc@foldingmt.com

LINK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS Link straight to your website from your advertisement in the Cycle Torque iPad edition.

Click here to email Dennis Penzo for more information.

MARKET TORQUE MOVE YOUR BIKE The Motorcycle transport professionals

1300 663 266

www.moveyourbike.com.au

C CY YC CL LE E T TO OR RQ QU UE E O OC CT TO OB BE ER R 2 20 01 12 2 -- 7 70 0

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IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 71

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDS

1

THESE Lee Parks Design gloves feature 2.75+ oz US deer skin on the palms and 4oz elk skin on the backs with a double layer on knuckles for additional abrasion protection. Seamless palm for optimum feel and dual Velcro wrist closures provide a custom fit around narrow or wide jackets. Hand washable deer and elk hides stay soft even after drying. Only four seams in the whole glove means fewer weak points. Extra wide long gauntlet expands to go over virtually any jacket.

Very supple, very comfy.

PRICE: $130 (others in the range from $95) AVAILABLE FROM: (02) 6689 5703 or www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 72

POWER ME NOW!

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THE PowerBank is a portable battery to supply extra power to charge small electronic devices such as the Replay XD1080, mobile phones, iPod/iPhone, tablets, cameras and more.

Comes with a number of USB connections to suit most devices including an iPhone/iPod/iPad Connection, micro and mini USB. All this in a small compact size weighing around 85 grams.

Use it to charge your items on the go, overnight trips, camping, on the train, in the car, the list is endless. Range of colours available.

PRICE: $31.95 AVAILABLE FROM: Direct from Tomcat Distribution MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 73

FASHION WITH PROTECTION TKD JEANS feature the Removable Protection System (RPS) which is a removable 100% 350gsm Dupont loop pile brushed kevlar liner that can also be used in any other TKD jeans of the same size. There are also pockets for optional CE knee armour and the jeans have full coverage protection with a single seam inside the leg to prevent seam burst.

PRICE: Various AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

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IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 74

BILLET THE last thing you want to be doing is mucking around with a lockable fuel cap when you are racing.

This is where Bikes Connect come in. Its billet alloy race caps save around 70 per cent in weight compared to the OEM caps. They are a breeze to fit and simple to use. We have one on our racer Ducati 848 so can attest to their quality.

PRICE: $129 AVAILABLE FROM: Direct from Bikes Connect MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

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IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 75

ANTI-GRAVITY POWER

1

ANTIGRAVITY offers lithium motorsports batteries in two case sizes; the “small case”, which is the smallest, lightest battery format available, or its newest “Direct OEM” replacement size for those wanting a stock drop-in fit replacement battery. With either battery case style there is a dramatic weight loss and much better starting performance. Antigravity batteries offer over twice the cranking amps as lead/acid while offering a weight savings of up 80% and be half the size. There is a three-year warranty for normal use and one year for race use.

PRICE: Start from $149 (AG401) AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops or call (02) 9820 4444 MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 76

PACK MY PANIGALE

2

VENTURA has designed a Bike-Pack System for the 2012 Ducati Panigale 1199 and 1199S. It’s designed to maintain modern sporting motorcycle performance and handling while giving great load carrying capacity.

They are available as kits with a range of packs in several sizes and configurations.

Accessories such as grab-handles and the smaller sports-rack and 10 litre Sports Packs are also available. The Mistral 47 litre Touring Kit is shown.

PRICE: Start from $389 AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com. au/more

IBIKE STUFF

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 77

HEAVY DUTY

3

EBC’S new range of high lustre brake rotors feature stainless steel brake rotor rings/blades and a polished stainless steel centre hub.

Rotors feature a contoured and slotted rotor profile which improves pad break-in and reduces rotor damage (rotor galling). Stainless steel centre hubs are used to suit the extra weight of large capacity American cruiser style machines. All components are stainless so there’s no rusty rotors with EBC’s new deluxe American motorcycle range.

EBC’s patented S-Drive System features heavily on most rotor models, as the square sided drive button system completely eliminates the chance of rotor warping, extends rotor life and improves consistency of brake effect. The EBC V-pads are specifically designed to suit the abuse metered out by such heavyweight machines, offering stable braking, minimal pad and rotor wear and minimal wheel dusting. Free set of pads given away with each rotor till the end of November.

PRICE: Rotors $249.95 each, pads $54.95 set AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops or call (02) 4226 2999 MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

USED & REVIEWED TANKS FOR THE FUNCTIONALITY WE HAVE been using our MotoDry TourNav tank bag for a while now and just love the functionality of this design. The bag features a GPS Navigation Holder and Mobile Pocket as well as an integrated rain cover with its own built in clear window - that’d be so you can read the map you’ve slid into the map holder in the top! The bag is expandable from 35 litres to 47 litres and also has a secondary map holder on the base. The TourNav bag is suitable for metal tanks and features strong Rare Earth magnets on a non-slip base, and has straps if your tank is plastic or alloy.

There are dual large side pockets so you’re not going to run out of nooks and crannies to put stuff, and when it comes time to take it off the bike there are adjustable shoulder straps to make life easy. And it looks really schmicko too!

PRICE: $148.99 AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops.

MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more

C Y C LCEY C TL OER Q UR E QOUCET O OC BTEORB 2 0 1220 1 2 - 7 8 TO ER

USED & REVIEWED

C Y C LCEY CTLOER T QOUREQO OCBTEORB E 2R 0 1220 1 2 - 7 9 UCE TO

NANKANG HANDLES TOUGH COMMUTE WE FITTED a set of Nankang Roadiac WF-1 radial tyres to our Suzuki GSX-R750 and they are still hanging in there after almost 9,000 kilometres. Our test rider Shayne subjected them to a daily commute of 19km each way to work five days a week since February. For at least two months he had two trips a week down the F3 to Gosford and back (about 160km round trip) and some of that commuting was done over a few weeks of really heavy rain in May and June. He reports that the tyres handled as well as most other tyres he has run over the past few years and he never lacked confidence that they would do their job in the wet or dry.

The rear tyre is almost done but the front probably still has a few thousand kays of life left in it.

The Nankang Roadiac range uses modern two-component mixing dual-compound technology with the use of a soft rubber mixture for the shoulders of the tyre and a harder mixture in the middle. A good blend particularly for the sport-touring motorcyclist.

PRICE: From $145 front and $185 rear AVAILABLE FROM: Good bike shops.

MORE INFO: www.cycletorque.com.au/more MORE

QUAD TORQUE

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 80

CYCLE TORQUE TEST - 2012 CAN-AM COMMANDER SIDE-IBY-SIDE

CAN-AM HAS NO SHORTAGE OF SIDE-BY-SIDE MODELS, AND THEY HAVE NO SHORTAGE OF POWER EITHER. SIDE-by-Side ATVs are becoming a more viable option for farmers and off-road hoons alike and Can-Am’s 1000cc Commander range has what it takes to attract a large chunk of this highly competitive market.

of storage in the glove box and the cavity under the seat and 37.8 litres of fuel on board when full.

All four models, including the standard Commander 1000 share the same electric start, CVT sub-transmission with high, low, park, neutral and reverse with standard Motion Control shocks, 2WD/4WD shaft drive with Visco-Lok front differential, 2-inch diameter ROPS-approved steel safety cage, Double A-arm with dive-control geometry front suspension, and Torsional Trailing arm Independent (TTI) rear suspension with external sway bar.

front bumper, rugged bed rails, mud guards and a leather steering wheel.

Instrumentation features a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip and hour meters, fuel, gear position, sport mode, seat belt OK, I will try and convey this the best I can. Can-Am has four 1000cc Commander models available. The 1000, the and 4x4 indicator, diagnostics, clock, auto shut off. There is also the anti-theft D.E.S.S. 1000 XT, the 1000 X and the 1000 LTD. Fortunately, the power plant for all of the Commander models is the 85hp (Digital Encoded Security System) and liquid cooled, V-Twin Rotax engine with four valve SOHC wiring for a winch. heads fed by dual 54mm Siemens fuel injectors which in The Commander 1000 XT features the turn are activated by iTC’s (Intelligent Throttle Control) following upgrades: A 4000-pound winch, throttle-by-wire set up.

14-inch cast-aluminium wheels, heavy-duty

Front brakes have dual 214mm discs with two-piston calipers while the rear brake is a single disc and caliper unit. The towing capacity is 680kg while the cargo box capacity is a massive 272kg. There is also over 30 litres

limited seats, custom steering wheel, Garmin GPS and a The Commander 1000 X package includes fully sound system with four speakers…um, yes, a GPS and a adjustable front and rear Fox Racing Shox HPG piggyback sound system. shocks, a front sway bar, 12-inch (30.5cm) aluminium beadlock wheels, 27-inch (68.6cm) Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 In the rough tires, updated gauge, heavy-duty front bumper, rock OK, driving the Can-Am Commanders takes some sliders, leather steering wheel and X-package seat trim getting used to because, for the inexperienced, our and graphics. only reference to four wheels is our family cars but once The all new Commander LTD package includes front and you figure out how stable these beasts are and that the rear Air Control Suspension (ACS) with Fox Racing Shox, suspension will soak up almost any hit you can start a two-piece roof, a half windshield, a rear net, removable

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 81

GPS, audio…

COMMANDER 1000 COMMANDER 1000 XT

Trick shocks and running gear.

playing a little harder.

Power wise, 85 horsepower is plenty, so let’s put that aside straight away. There can be no complaints about the motor. It’s smooth, works a treat and that’s that.

COMMANDER 1000 LT

D

But, it is not just a matter of jumping in and banging your foot hard down on the accelerator and I reckon the ‘Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC)’ throttle-bywire set up was the first feature I fully appreciated. It is really hard to stop your foot from hitting or bouncing on the accelerator when you’re going over bumps and the iTC somehow detects unwanted bounces and filters the input, resulting in more throttle accuracy. Amazing really.

After a few drives in the different Commander models I soon appreciated what the appeal is with these side-by-side ATVs because they are so much fun and you really feel bullet proof once you get the hang of the phenomenal suspension, steering and what the suspension will deem acceptable.

Brakes are also a winner. You hit them hard and this 585kg machine stops more or less in its tracks thus compressing suspension that over the model range gets better quality shocks as the spec sheet gets longer.

For the off-road hooligans who want to go bashing around the bush tracks I can’t imagine there would be too many complaints while I am sure the farmers would appreciate all of the features and the large amount of

COMMANDER 1000 X

storage each model offers.

Can-Am offers two 800cc versions of the Commander models so all up there are six models to choose from starting at just over $18,000 for the Commander 800R through to just under $27,000 for the Commander 1000 LTD. n

LETTERS Classifieds

K C A B I G N I TO RQ U

LOVE the iPad app especially as I’m not getting to the bike shop that often One gripe though. Where are all your classified ads? Looking at getting tyres for my Kawasaki 1400 GTR and would like to shop around. What tyres would you recommend?

Keep up the good work.

John Galea Hi John What tyres would I recommend for your GTR? Well, that’s a loaded question in this industry. To be honest it comes down to the sort of riding you are doing. On a heavyweight bike like the GTR you want something which will cope with the awesome power that bike has and last longer than a few thousand kilometres. Pretty much all brands have a tyre that would suit your bike.

Some we have tested recently include Pirelli’s Angel ST, Michelin’s Pilot Road 3 and Nankang’ Roadiac. All three sets have proven to be long lasting and good in both dry and wet conditions.

Remember though, that’s what we have tested ourselves recently.

I believe it’s important for you to go into your local bike shop and speak to them, tell them how you ride, what you expect out of your tyres and go from there. I see many riders go for tyres too soft for the type of bike and riding they have and do, they wear out ultra fast, and the rider is unhappy and doesn’t go back.-Ed

New school

YOUR iPad version of Cycle Torque has given the fading magazine industry a new lease on life! 10/10 keep up the good work team.

Haydn Williams

New school 2

THANK you for the iPad edition. I have finally found a magazine worth using on my pad.

Great interactive features, really easy to use. I often find it hard to get the magazine edition so this is really welcome. I will not be missing an edition, only problem will be getting the iPad off my teenager so I can read it as he loves the magazine too. One of the only things he will read voluntarily…

Thanks Jamie Buck Honda ST rider, Goulburn

New Honda

HEY fellow riders, I have bought the new Honda NS700D Integra. What a great midrange tourer bike/scooter. I had hard panniers fitted, a top box, and I have a very comfy bike with lots of poke to handle the hills, cruising roads, and wet weather!

Excellent fuel economy and servicing is every 10,000kms. I am an older rider and I find the Integra comfy and suited for the city commute or touring duty. It’s like a replacement for the Deauville. A six speed semi auto gear box and chain drive with 17-inch wheels give the Integra a very motorbike feel and handling.

Go on try one!

David Cauchi Kilburn SA Hi David Are you a Honda dealer by any chance?

Seriously though, we had a long term Deauville a number of years ago and loved it.

An underrated bike.-Ed

Noisy nuisance

I THINK you can install an agreeable sounding aftermarket exhaust that isn’t a nuisance to your fellow citizens. The problem arises with selfish owners (the ones you have to speak louder to because they’ve ruined their hearing) with straight thru pipes that attract the attention of legislators intent on curbing the freedoms biking offers.

What do Royal Enfield owners say about their clattery engines? “Loud tappets save lives”.

John Ishmael SE Asia I agree John. Many cruiser riders put obscenely loud pipes on their bikes and they sound crap. You can have a bike sounding ‘Fruity’ without it being over the top.-Ed

Triumph test

I AM writing to advise you and your staff on how disappointed I was after reading the test on the Triumph 1200 Explorer.

I own a ten year old R 1150 GS with 130k on the clock. most of which was done touring Australia on and off road. It’s a magnificent bike, but due to its age, I am in the market to update.

Your test praised the motorcycle but those comments were not supported by facts. Your advice on economy was ‘at your first fuel

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 82 stop’, then you mentioned the bike has a 20 litre fuel tank. After 2000 kilometres surely you would have established the economy of the bike.

This is important for outback long distance travel. Also important is what octane does the bike run on, as most areas in the outback do not supply 95 or higher octane fuels.

You talked about how good the suspension is, but do not mention the travel. How much is there? I need to know! I’m spending $25,000 and I want to know all this! The distance of travel was not mentioned to support your comments on how good it was.

Dennis Penzo normally covers these areas including the revs shown at 100km/h. You mention the bike has a ‘torquey motor’, well does that infer top gear is an overdrive gear to improve economy?

What is the gearing, you never mentioned it?

After much investigation, the local dealer got back to me and advised that I should get 51 MPG from the bike. I don’t like assessments and would have preferred it from you in the real world.

Most importantly, what is the warranty and what does it cover? The specifications supplied by the factory are basic and at best lack detail.

In essence, the article is full of praise but offers little in substance. The Victorian RACV magazine uses a check list when testing vehicles and rates them in different categories. At least that way, the testers cover all bases. Maybe you should adopt something similar.

Regards George Ognew Hi George All your points are something to be considered by us but space is often limited in magazines, therefore many tests are not as in depth as we and possibly our readers would always like.

That said, your issue about suspension travel my be specifically applicable to you but if I mentioned it was 120 or 130 mm for example, I would still expect prospective buyers to test the bike themselves rather than take our word as gospel. Same deal with the torquey motor. In my mind that means it’s very flexible, meaning you can pull away in a high gear without much complaint from the engine.

Thanks for your input though, believe it or not, it’s nice to get feedback on what we write.

Oh, our definitive road tester Dennis Penzo now has a huge head thanks to you.-Ed

WRITE A LETTER!

WIN A GREAT PRIZE This month George Ognew has won a copy of Troy Bayliss: My Story, the autobiography of one of our greatest racers.

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

D TAP TO S E N LETTE R N OW

CYCLE TORQUE OCTOBER 2012 - 83

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