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FEBRUARY 2012
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S: E R U T FEA 0R 1 X Z t jec ■ Pro que r o T d a ■ Qu D GO N A P U PACKEL FEATURE TRAUVDING TII’ P k c INCL a ay B W e h ■T hat W e v Ha ■ I’ll aving H s ’ e Sh
2012
Husaberg FE 390
ADVENTURE
+
50 R R
AL S BetaO RIDD 3 EN
ROAD
End rium uro p Tou h Ro ring cke t III
2012 Moto Guzzi Stelvio
February 2012 – 1
February 2012 www.cycletorque.com.au
Contents
FEATURES
RIDDEN
23 PACK UP AND GO : TRAVEL 31 COLIN WHELAN : THE WAY BACK
HUSABERG
41 BOOK STORE
TEST
FE390
48 PROJECT ZX-10R
18
50 QUAD TORQUE
REGULARS
Moto Guzzi
03 NEWS TORQUE
Test
STELVIO
12 EDITORIAL
20
13 RACE TORQUE 15 GUNTRIP 38 E-TORQUE
BETA
350RR
17 DIRTY TORQUE
Test
45 BIKE STUFF
36
44 USED & REVIEWED 51 TALKING BACK : LETTERS TRIUMPH
ROCKET III Test Cover photos: HUSABERG by Adrian Fowler MOTO GUZZI by Chris Pickett
Bum action
JAPANESE scientists have developed new technology which will know if the right bottom has sat on a particular bike seat. Apparently our bums have a unique signature, almost like a fingerprint. We wonder what happens if you put on a few kilos, but it could turn out to be a great anti theft device. If the wrong bum sits on the bike it can’t be started. That’s cool, but we’d rather a massage device in the seat so we can cover longer distances. At this stage it’s far from being a commercially viable product but sometime in the future... n
w
2 – February 2012
China grows
WHEN you think of Chinese roads you automatically picture thousands of mopeds, right? Well, that's old news, because new car registrations have now knocked the motorcycle off its perch as number one. There's still lots more mopeds running around Chinese roads, as the car still has some catching up to do but this is the start of the real change in how Chinese residents see their transport needs being met. The numbers might astound but there are something like 230 million drivers in China, with an annual average increase of nearly 20 million over the last five years. If you bundle motorcycles, cars and lorries in the mix there is 225 million vehicles in China. n
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NEWS TORQUE
Rider Toll Plummets THE national annual motorcycle rider toll has fallen below 200 for the first time in seven years according to the latest crash data released by the Federal Government. For the 12 months to 30 November, 2011, there were 192 motorcycle-related fatalities compared to 228 for the previous 12-month period, a 15.8 percent decrease. The last time the national rider toll fell below 200 was in 2004, which registered 195 fatalities. The declining national rider toll is now falling faster than the overall road toll, a remarkable turnaround given that the rider toll had been the only road-user group trending upwards on a five-year average until two years ago. The average annual decrease in the rider toll for the fiveyear period from October 2007 to 2011 inclusively was –5.0 percent while the overall decline in the total road toll for the same period was –4.9 percent. New South Wales has seen the largest decline in its rider toll, down 11 from 61 to 52 for the 12 months to 14 December, 2011. On a year-to-date basis, the Queensland and Victorian rider tolls had fallen by seven and six respectively. – Darryl Flack
Stoner’s Supercar Debut TWO-time MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner took his first step to a possible career on four wheels after he gives up bike racing after impressing in his recent V8 Supercar debut drive in the Australian championshipwinning TeamVodafone Holden Commodore at Norwell, Queensland. Guided by five-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes and his recently-crowned V8 Supercar Champion teammate, Jamie Whincup, Stoner demonstrated both passion and speed after coming to grips with the V8 Supercar in a solid 90 lap hit-out. “I didn’t expect to be in Craig’s actual race car,” said an excited Stoner. “To be behind the wheel of something that won a race a few weeks ago is very special and I appreciate it.” “With everything I have learned today, I had to forget everything I know about bikes and change to learn how to drive these cars, and it is the same thing going from cars to bikes. The hardest thing I have had to do is change
Editor CHRIS PICKETT Advertising DENNIS PENZO, 0420 319 335 dennis@cycletorque.com.au Design & PRODUCTION Dionne Hagan, THE D MEDIA DESIGN Accounts: Rebecca Eastment bec@cycletorque.com.au Managing Editor Nigel Paterson
whatever I know about braking and changing through gears. I am having to rethink it again.
V8 Supercars because it is one of the strongest categories in the world.
“It’s something I have wanted to do since I was quite young actually and the opportunity to finally get in one and have a go is something pretty special to me.”
“He did a really good job and is the ultimate professional it was an amazing experience to work with him,” said Lowdnes. “He actually knows more about us than what we do, it is quite incredible. Casey keeps a really keen eye on what we do.”
Stoner impressed key team personnel Whincup, Lowdnes, and team principal Roland Dane, who expects Stoner to make the switch to cars after he retires from MotoGP. “Casey did a great job today,” said Whincup. “Lowndsey did a few laps earlier in the morning to lay a bit of data down, then he handed the car over. While it was fun for him, I know he wanted to do a good job and he certainly impressed everyone here. “I think for sure Casey has something to offer V8s. I am not sure how close that is for him. Hopefully he goes on and does awesome stuff in MotoGP for a bit longer. Life after two wheels for most of those guys is car racing, and I am sure his eyes are set on
“I see no reason at all why Casey shouldn’t be very competitive in a V8 Supercar,” said Team Vodaphone boss Roland Dane. “When you have spent most of your life away chasing your dreams, you have to work pretty hard at it. I think Casey has developed a steely determination to succeed at anything he does. It is in his hands if he wants to drive a V8 Supercar one day. I suspect he will end up doing it.” Several years ago, Stoner’s manager and father Colin said that he expected that 26-year-old Stoner would walk away from bike racing by the age of 30. – Darryl Flack
www.cycletorque.com.au PO Box 687, Warners Bay, NSW 2282 Ph (02) 4956 9820 • Fax (02) 4956 9824 Email: info@cycletorque.com.au
Regular contributors: Darryl Flack, ADRIAN FOWLER, Bob Guntrip, Keith Muir, Alex Pickett, Darren Smart, Todd Reed, Friedemann Kirn, WWW.2SNAP.COM. Cycle Torque is published by Motorcycle Publishing Pty Ltd. ABN 91 085 871 147 Printed by RURAL PRESS, NORTH RICHMOND. Print Post approved PP255003/04198 ISSN 1441-8789 Cycle Torque is available from bike shops across Australia. If you can’t find our latest issue, call 0420 319 335. Subscriptions are available. $24.95 per year, call 02 4956 9820 for details. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including electronic, without written permission of the publisher. PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR BEFORE SUBMITTING FREELANCE CONTRIBUTIONS.
February 2012 – 3
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February 2012 – 5
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NEWS TORQUE Judgement Day
proving that last year’s Judgment Day victory wasn’t just a fluke, and also to show our community and ourselves that we were not going to let the devastating earthquakes of the past year prevent us from accepting the challenge and bringing our “A game”. The adversity we faced in this past year crippled or finished many weaker teams. Instead, the events of the past year have forged a stronger and more capable Rolling HARLEY-Davidson Australia recently announced the winners of the Thunder team exemplified by what we can produce with The Boss and ultimate dealer and rider customisation battle - Judgement Day The Bomber. I am immensely proud, privileged, and humbled to lead 2012. Almost 3,500 customers across Australia and New Zealand such an incredible crew,” said Chris Elles, Managing Director of Rolling battled it out, but the Kiwi reigning champions maintained their Thunder. winning title. The other winners of the build-off are Thomas Lee Motorcycles in Harley-Davidson challenged dealers across Australia and New Zealand Moree for best paint job and Harley Heaven in Adelaide for best low to put their original stamp on a 2011 Softail Standard. budget customisation. The overall winner, voted by the public, is ‘The Boss’, built by Rolling Mr Steve Lorimer of Karrinyup, WA is the overall customer winner, taking Thunder Motorcycles in Christchurch, who have taken the title for the home the 2011 Softail Standard grand prize. 75 other customers were second year running. also awarded with Harley-Davidson prizes in this year’s competition. n “Rolling Thunder Harley-Davidson was relentlessly committed to
Big bore Versys KAWASAKI has finally released the 1000cc Versys. Using essentially the same engine as the Z1000 naked, the Versys has longer travel suspension, long range fuel tank and adjustable windscreen. Because we are in the 21st Century, the Versys also comes equipped with the 3-mode traction control, and 2-mode power selection. It looks like stacking up as a great all road tourer, just right for Aussie conditions. The 2012 Kawasaki Versys 1000 is available now at Kawasaki dealerships in Pearl Stardust White at the RRP of $15,999 + ORC. n
6 – February 2012
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2012 WSBK champs take shape
Melandri is the reigning world No. 2, and was the only rider to keep the allconquering Checa in his sights during the 2011 season.
THE Superbike World Championship turns 25 in 2012, and the celebrations will kick off at Victoria’s Phillip Island circuit from February 2426 with a quality helping of fresh talent out to muscle up against seasoned veterans such as reigning world champion Carlos Checa. The two biggest names joining the production-based championship next year are 2009 250 GP world champion and former MotoGP punter Hiroshi Aoyama, who slots into the factory Honda team alongside Jonathan Rea, and resurgent American John Hopkins, who came agonisingly close to claiming the 2011 British Superbike title. Hopkins will pair with Leon Camier at the new British-based Crescent Racing Suzuki team, while another rookie squad is Aprilia ParkinGO, which is bringing hard-charging 2011 world Supersport champion Chaz Davies into the premier class. Of the remaining factory teams, Eugene Laverty and 2010 WSBK champion Max Biaggi at Aprilia Alitalia shapes as a golden partnership; Marco Melandri and Leon Haslam also form an extremely powerful line-up at BMW Motorrad; and Kawasaki has retained two of its three practitioners from 2011 -- Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes.
Checa returns with Althea Ducati to defend his title, with the team expanding its roster by adding promising Italian Davide Giugliano – the 2011 FIM Superstock 1000 champion. And in world Supersport, Australia’s challenge appears likely to be spearheaded by the experienced Novocastrian Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda), with 2011 European Superstock 600 champion Melbourne’s Jed Metcher making the switch on a Russian-backed RivaMoto Yamaha. Prior to the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island on February 24-26, the final official pre-season test will also be held at the Bass Straight circuit from February 20-21, which normally provides a strong form guide for the following weekend’s action. Super reasonable price for world superbikes, from family passes for three days to just a single day pass are available. There’s also camping available, and you can even ride your bike around the circuit to get prime viewing spots. Check out www.worldsbk.com.au, or ring 1300 728 007, for more info on tickets, where to stay, and also on VIP trackside packages. n
THE 7th annual QBE Barry Sheene Festival of Speed will be held at Eastern Creek on March 23-25.
The post classic racing association of NSW AND presents:
This event is one of the biggest meetings in the Australian road racing calendar. It’s billed as a festival and it’s exactly that. Besides the racing there’s displays from numerous clubs, a huge show ‘n’ shine, trade displays, and spectators can get right up close with the racers and their bikes. In 2011 spectator numbers were fantastic, and they have grown each year since the event’s inception. Former world champ, and Isle of Man TT winner Graeme Crosby will fly across the ditch from New Zealand as the team captain for his country. There is expected to be a big showing from the Kiwis, both with solos and sidecars. Croz will parade a machine for spectators, most likely an replica of the Suzuki XR69 factory machine he won a TT on, while fellow Kiwi, and America’s Cup skipper Grant Dalton will ride a Suzuki TR500. Other big news is that multiple Manx GP winner Bill Swallow, and his son Chris will ride in the event, on Nortons owned by Peter Lodge and Dave Kennahs. Both Bill and Chris Swallow are huge names in the classic racing scene in England and Europe, and no doubt many fans will turn up to see them ride.
The 7th annual
QBE barry sheene
festivalof SPEED eastern creek international raceway
23-25 March 2012
Besides the regular classes there will be the 2nd annual Trans-Tasman Challenge, where Team Aussie and Kiwi get it on, and for the first time the Ken Wootton Memorial P4 Unlimited races. There really is something for everyone at the Festival. If you’ve never seen a full on Period 5 classic racer blasting around the track you haven’t lived. Manx Nortons, XR69s, round case Ducatis, modern and classic sidecars, TZ Yamahas. They will all be there so take the opportunity to relive the past. n
FEATURING:
3 days of vintage, classic & historic motorcycle racing
ROUND 1 of the formula 1 & 2 australian sidecar championships www.barrysheene.com.au ma5e
February 2012 – 7
Gold Coast Expo
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NOT many more sleeps until the Australian Motorcycle Expo, presented by QBE, opens at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
jet ski riders will perform the latest in extreme water entertainment, throwing back flips, barrel rolls and 360s just metres from the water’s edge.
From February 17-19 the central Broadbeach venue will be packed to capacity with the latest leisure and commuting craft for the land and water from over 100 manufacturers and industry exhibitors.
Former World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss will be on hand to meet with fans, along with a number of other special guests to be announced in the leadup to the event.
Apparel, safety gear, aftermarket parts, memorabilia and media are just a few of the other industry exhibits that will be on display, with eventexclusive specials promised.
Stay connected with the latest news on facebook (facebook.com/ AustralianMotorcycleExpo) or visit the website at www.motorcycleshow. com.au.
Australia’s best action sports teams, including the Monster Energy Showtime FMX team, will put on a host of daily demos to thrill crowds, who can watch from the surrounding parklands or on a level vantage point from the venue’s open balcony.
Tickets are available pre-purchase at motorcycleshow.com.au or at the gate – Adults: $20 / Seniors: $14 / Children (5-15 years): $14 (Under 5 years free) / Family: (2 adults and 2 children) $48
But the action is not just on land. Australia’s best flat-water freestyle
Opening Hours: Friday Feb 17: 10am-8pm ; Saturday Feb 18: 9am-6pm ; Sunday Feb 19: 9am-5pm. n
On Safari THE 2012 BMW Touren Sport Safari will commence in Bathurst on May 13 and after twisting its way through some of the most magnificent roads in Australia, finishes on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on May 18. The BMW Safari is one of the longest running BMW Motorrad events in the world. First held in 1994, the BMW Safari has grown in popularity and is eagerly awaited each year by BMW riders around the country. In recent years the BMW Safari has been split into two separate and distinct events. The GS Safari for riders seeking off-road adventure and the Touren Sport Safari for BMW aficionados who prefer their riding with a more sporting or touring flavour on the bitumen. Riders receive daily route sheets to assist with navigation and the route is also arrowed. To make sure things run silky smooth BMW Safari 8 – February 2012
technical and tyre support vehicles are on hand to provide assistance if required. With the route winding through the Great Dividing Range, the Safari riders will get to experience some superb roads. At the end of a memorable journey the BMW Safari will end with a celebratory dinner in the heart of the Sunshine Coast. General Manager BMW Motorrad Australia and New Zealand, Tony Sesto, is looking forward to the BMW Safari. "A great tradition has built up around the BMW Safari, it is on the 'must do' list for many BMW riders. I am looking forward to meeting and enjoying the journey with them," said Tony. Registrations for the 2012 TS Safari are open via www.bmwsafari.com. In the meantime, to get the latest in the lead up to the event, go to bmwsafari. com and subscribe to receive BMW Safari News. n
PIT BITS
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KTM Gets Tooled Up
Bopping Goes Blue
ALL KTM Factory Race Team mechanics will begin using SW-Stahl professional hand and high tech tools from now on after the two companies formed a partnership recently.
22 Year Old New South Welshman Lawson Bopping has signed with the CDR Rockstar Yamaha team to compete in the 2012 motocross and supercross series.
Pit Beirer, head of KTM Motorsports said the new partnership would be a strong one and an important element in supporting the company’s factory teams with the supply of superior quality tools. “Today’s international racing is a very specialized, high tech area, our riders are among the world’s best and we work hard to supply them with the finest factory racing bikes that feature the most advanced technology so it goes without saying that we want our mechanics to have the best available high tech tools to ensure they can look after our bikes and factory riders in the most professional way.”
Bopping will partner Josh Coppins in the 2012 MX Nationals and complete the two rider line up for the motocross season.
WSBK SUPPORTS
Ando Back To Yamaha
THE Supplementary Regulations (Supp Regs) for the 2012 World Superbike Championship Support Classes, incorporating the first round of the 2012 Australian Superbike Championship, have been released.
Craig Anderson’s Berry Sweet Lucas Oil race team will be on Yamaha machinery for the 2012 season with Louis Calvin joining Ando on the YZ450F while young Luke Arbon will be YZ250F mounted.
The season-opening round of the ASBK Championship will take place on February 23-26, with the Superbike, Supersport, Prostock 1000, Superstock 600 C+D, 250 Production and Australian Historic classes all competing.
“This is a huge moment for the team and it shows that we’re still moving forward and growing strong, “ Anderson said. “Having Yamaha come on-board is such a positive thing. I’ve achieved a lot in my career on the blue bikes with my best year ever coming on a Yamaha. I’ve ridden the 2012 YZ450F and love it already so it’s a bit like coming home.”
These Supp Regs are for the opening round of the 2012 ASBK season only.
Bopping finished seventh overall in the MX Nationals Pro-Open class with several race wins and podium positions and back that up with a solid fourth overall in the SuperX series with a round win at Maitland.
St George race dates GO TO www.stgeorgemcc.com for the club’s 2012 racing calendar.
Supp Regs can be found at: www.ma.org.au/suppregs
Sissis signs up
2012 ISDE Team Announced
16-YEAR-OLD Australian rider Arthur Sissis has signed to race on the factory KTM Ajo Motorsport Team for the 2012 Moto3 season.
MOTORCYCLING Australia (MA) has announced the Australian Team management and squad for the 2012 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) to be held in Germany from 24-29 September. Don Atkins has been appointed Team Manager with Luke De Graaf and Michael Carusi named Team Assistants with Denise Hore to serve as Jury Delegate. Among the provisional 22-rider squad 2010 GNCC Champion Josh Strang will be joined by 2011 ISDE Gold Medallists Matthew Phillips and Toby Price and the members of Australia’s podium-finishing 2011 Women’s Cup team. The 22-rider squad is: Mitch Bowen, Geoffrey Braico, Benjamin Burrell, Luka Bussa, Jessica Gardiner, Joshua Green, Mitcham Harper, Tanya Hearn, Christopher Hollis, Kirk Hutton, Glenn Kearney, Scott Keegan, Tom McCormack, Stefan Merriman, Daniel Milner, Alison Parker, Matthew Phillips, Toby Price, Lachlan Standford, Lana Stiller, Joshua Strang, Jemma Wilson.
Atcho signs for 2012 TEAM Grillini will be joining the 2012 Superbike World Championship starting-grid line-up after signing Australian rider Mark Aitchison from Tumbi Umbi (Gosford). After being involved in Moto2 and CRT projects for the last two years, Team Grillini will launch their campaign at the opening round of the 2012 championship at Phillip Island, February 24-26. Twenty eight year-old Aitchison will head the team line up, after gaining considerable experience in the Supersport and Superbike categories. Last year he raced for Team Pedercini Kawasaki, where he qualified for Superpole six times. Aitchison will line up at the start of the season on a new BMW S1000 RR machine.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Sissis. “This has been the best year of my life. I have learnt so much in the Rookies Cup. I was a speedway rider before and learnt everything about road racing in the Cup. I know that racing in the GP class is a new challenge but I’m ready for it.” Sissis finished 2nd in the 2011 Cup behind Lorenzo Baldassarri.
Kawasaki Ready 2012 MX/SX Season Scot import Billy Mackenzie will be joined by reigning Australian Motocross and Supercross Champion Jay Marmont and former Junior Motocross Champion Kade Mosig in the Monster Energy Kawasaki race team for the 2012 season. “I’m excited and up for the new challenge. It’s awesome to be on a new bike and I’m starting to gel already with the bike and the new team,” Marmont said. “So far the KX450F is unreal. It’s a very balanced bike and it feels really good on the track. The engine’s strong and the Monster Energy Kawasaki guys have been great getting me familiar with the bike. I’m really enjoying riding it and I’m optimistic and looking forward to the new year.”
Aussie Honda team TEAM Honda Racing has announced its rider lineup for the 2012 ASBK season. #27 Jamie Stauffer and #47 Wayne Maxwell will take to the grid on the new model Honda CBR1000RR. “I am really excited to be riding for Team Honda Racing in 2012 and to be starting the season on the new Honda CBR1000RR is fantastic. The development during the 2011 season has brought some great results, but I’m really keen to start testing the new model and see what it brings to the race track for 2012,” said Stauffer. n
February 2012 – 9
www.cycletorque.com.au TRAVEL FEATURE
Pack Up and Go! A smoRGAsboRd oF ExoTic
moToRcycLE TRAVEL dEsTinATions...
Helen works in Quality Assurance “Getting on a motorcycle was something I would never have considered on my own. In my mind it was always something other people did, but not me. My first time on the bike was with my boyfriend Sean – a gentle ride around the block. The block got bigger and bigger until we did a 700km return trip to Hervey Bay. I hung on so tight that my hips seized up. I felt as though I'd done a full gym workout by just sitting in constant anxiety.
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Viki “I soon became very relaxed on the bike and loved being with the I loved being a rider. After three weeks on the road as a pillion I one I love without having to say was hooked on the feeling of riding. Having had some lessons, I anything. A month after my first could really appreciate how well Sean rode and I learnt a lot from pillioning effort we rode from the the back seat. As soon as we arrived home I was keen to continue Gold Coast to Longreach. This is riding, so I had a few more lessons and got my licence. Two days where I first fell in love with being later I bought a GS500 (another Suzuki) – my first bike, in an on a bike. I could see all of the attractive blue (colour does matter). things you can't see from a car – bird's nests in trees and the finer “After spending three weeks with like-minded people in a foreign details of Western Queensland that country, bike riding became the glue of some fantastic new otherwise might go unnoticed. friendships. Having had my licence only a matter of weeks, one Only three months later my phone call from the great friends we'd made on the trip and relaxation levels had progressed so suddenly I'd committed to join another tour and ride around Helen much I could barely keep my eyes Morocco - on the front seat this time. open, especially after aAustralia. counter Planet Moto are now proud distributors of Delkevic in “In the nine months I had to prepare for the tour, I put 13,000km Continued from previous page meal. So I had my first bike lesson. on my bike. But the first day on the rented bike in Morocco I was COMPARE OUR PRICES TO THE COMPETITION and SAVE! “I still have my little Honda 250 because of my size (152 cm, 60 kg). “Even though each lesson had me feeling like a teenager learning petrified! Luckily the 650cc BMW had a bit more grunt than my I have found it hard to find a bike on which I can place both feet to drive again, the smile never left my face. Every new skill learnt GS500, otherwise I may never have rolled off the starting blocks. on the ground. I'm not keen on cruisers because of the weight; I was such a rewarding achievement. Next thing you know I'm cutting it up with the locals in the crazy would love a more powerful bike but have trouble with the seat Marrakech traffic. We rode in all sorts of conditions on all sorts “After a few lessons it was time to head off on an international height. My partner got a bike after I got my licence. I plan to retire of roads, waving enthusiastically at all of the Moroccan children motorcycle safari, where we rode two-up on a 650 V Strom soon and look forward to doing more riding and hopefully will and farmers. 3,700km later I'd be lying if I denied I shed a tear of (Suzuki). Being a pillion again I suddenly realised all of the reasons find a more powerful bike with a low seat height.
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10 – February 2012
SMALL TORQUE
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Manx GP GET Routed still has some spots left on its 2012 Manx GP tour to the Isle of Man. Be quick though, they are filling fast. Check out the piece on Get Routed in this issue's Pack Up and Go travel feature to find their contact details.
SuzI DR THE latest version of one of Australia's most popular street-legal trail bikes, the Suzuki DR650SE, has landed down under, sporting a brand-new look for 2012. The bike does offer fantastic value for money, and with the right gear is a great long distance adventure machine. It's now available in a distinctive all-new Solid Iron Grey colour scheme as well as the classic White colour scheme. Available now for a RRP of $7,990 + ORC, the Suzuki DR650SE is backed by a two-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
Victory bounds ahead VICTORY Motorcycles has proven it's a popular machine with Australians, with retail sales growth of 42 per cent in the 2011 calendar year. This is an amazing performance when you consider the 'Road Motorcycle' segment grew by just over 1 per cent in the same period. Victory's parent company, Polaris, also did exceedingly well with 24 per cent growth for the year in Australia.
World record broken 14 TEAMS and 43 participants completed over 20,000 laps of the 665m closed course Parklands track at the recent Insure My Ride Le Minz 24 Hour Scooterthon presented by TGB Scooter and the Australian Motorcycle & Scooter Expo. The reliability of 50cc scooters was tested to extreme measures, running non-stop from midday Saturday to midday Sunday. The best-performing team effort came from The Scooter Shop entry, but it was the super-human efforts of Wollongong local Mark 'Brownie' Brown that stole the show. Brown broke the mark for the longest distance travelled on a 50cc scooter over 24 hours, re-writing an official Guinness World Record with his 1189.685km effort. "It's the fifth time I've done Le Minz solo and I'm stoked to get the record back," said Brown. "This will be my last solo attempt but I'm looking forward to doing it again with a team." The event raised close to $2000 for its nominated charity, "Give Me 5 for Kids", supporting the children's wing at the Gold Coast Hospital. Many of the scooters will be on display at the Australian Motorcycle and Scooter Expo from the 17th -19th of February 2012, at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Ducati Riding Experience Snowy winner PERFECT weather conditions greeted over 3000 riders as they rolled into the Alpine Region for the annual Snowy Ride late last year but only one lucky winner was awarded the grand prize of a Honda VRF1200. Adrian Ikin, a keen motorcyclist almost missed the announcement of his huge win when it was announced in the sunshine at Thredbo, but he was sure not to miss the pick-up of his new Honda Sports Tourer from New World Honda in Victoria recently. "It was my first Snowy Ride and my friends and I had a great time even before the announcement of the win!" Adrian said. "The best thing about the ride was the sense of community, everyone was there for a common goal and everyone was open, friendly and chatty." Adrian said he and his friends were sitting towards the back of the crowd when the announcement was made and didn't hear his name called, "I was so excited that someone had won the Honda VFR1200 and was having such a good time relaxing that when my friend came running towards me screaming that I'd won I really didn't believe him."
Scooter sales up AUSTRALIAN scooter sales climbed 8.8 per cent in 2011 over the previous year. The greatest contribution to the market's improved sales figures was Italian brands Piaggio and Vespa.
YOU can now book your spot for the 2012 Ducati Riding Experience in Italy. Held at some of Italy's most famous circuits and offering the expertise of highly qualified professional instructors, the courses provide a complete fleet of Ducatis to sample while enjoying the track experience and being given expert tuition. Courses intended for more expert riders and designed to enhance track riding skills are offered in 'Racing 1' and 'Racing 2' aboard the Superbike 848EVO, while the 'Troy Bayliss Academy' and 'Master Racing' course, instructed by riders such as 500cc World Champion, Marco Lucchinelli, use the new 1199 Panigale Superbike. Go to dre.ducati.com for more information.
CTP goes down MOTORCYCLISTS across NSW are today celebrating the CTP cost reduction by the NSW Government. Rising CTP prices has been a contentious issue for motorcyclists, reaching flashpoint in August 2010 when a thousand motorcyclists converged on the NSW Parliament responding the former Labor government's CTP changes. The Motorcycle Council of NSW has been working with the NSW Government and the Motor Accident Authority's (MAA) CTP Working Group to reach this reduction, but says more can be done.
Christopher Burns, Chairman, MCC of NSW says, "This has been a long, hard slog by many people to redress an injustice done to "We are proud to announce the Piaggio Fly 150 as Australia's current riders across NSW, and it would appear that the new Government is number one scooter choice, a trend that reflects on the importance indeed listening and acting upon the concerns of NSW citizens." of the brand's Italian heritage and savvy pricing", highlighted This reduction announcement came days after CTP insurers sought Piaggio and Vespa Sales Manager Gavan Moody. permission to raise prices, and a week before Christmas. n February 2012 – 11
EDITORIAL
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The great Australian road bike “… I also think motorcycle riding Aussies in general are realising what the Europeans have known for years, that bikes like the Multistrada and the Stelvio are more suited for everyday riding.”
IT’S a long held thought by those who care to think it that Australian riders bow to fashion rather than form. What I mean by that is we would rather look cool and ride a sportsbike, even though our roads aren’t like racetracks, instead of riding a machine which is far better suited to our road system and the type of country we have. When you look at new motorcycle sales figures each year for sportsbikes there is a definite drop in sales trend. As a collective riding group have we finally realised that road lumps and bumps are soaked up better with longer travel suspension, and that a more upright riding position is more comfortable? As a motorcycle magazine editor you would think I’d have my finger on the pulse of everything motorcycling, but in reality I usually have plenty of other meaningless drivel blasting through the shrinking thing inside my skull. Having said that I have taken a bit of a look recently at what sort of motorcycles come past me on the road. The truth of it is I am seeing less and less sportsbikes come past, and more and more adventure style machines taking their place. 12 – February 2012
As a young bloke I lusted after SS Ducatis and early slab sided GSX-R750/1100s, wondering how I could afford to buy one. Now the thought of riding a modern equivalent leaves me a bit cold, unless I could afford a new Panigale or Gixxer purely for track days. Buy one for the road though? No thanks. Trying to keep these sorts of bikes at the speed limit is hard work. I remember one particular trip back from the GP with a group of mates where we pretended there were no speed limits for quite a long stretch of road. What a rush, but at the same time bloody dangerous and silly. But that’s where bikes like this come into their own. It’s what they are made to do. Recently I’ve spent some time on a couple of bikes which are marketed as adventure bikes but I like to think of them as Australian road bikes. You might have read about our long term Ducati Multistrada 1200. It’s got all the fruit; electronic suspension, panniers, traction control and power modes. Just before Christmas I rode it to Queensland and back with a couple of mates and had a blast. What a fantastic bike.
DUCATI MULTISTRADA
I don’t think I even got a jar up my back from one bump in 2000 kilometres. This is a bike made for our roads; you can keep high cruising speeds on shit roads and if the corners turn tight you can select sports mode and get amongst it. If you want to explore some dirt, no probs but don’t pretend it’s a dirt bike unless you are a very experienced adventure rider. The other machine we had over Christmas is the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200. You might remember the last time we tested one we wrote it off out the back of Bourke. I liked the bike but not everyone on our adventure trip last year felt the same, citing size and weight went against it. I reckon the 2012 model with the massive 32 litre tank is a better bike than the last model, and not just because it’s got a bigger tank. The fuelling seems better, the suspension feels better, and it just steers beautifully. The panniers might stick out a bit but you can always stick them in the shed if you aren’t on tour. Once again, the bike is marketed as an adventure bike but it’s a lot of motorcycle to take off road unless you know what you’re doing. It’s perfect for
our roads, and can rack up lots of miles in a day. Like I said, the great Australian road bike. What does the future have in store for the sportsbike? Many are bought for track days or racing, and if you’ve ridden any of the flagship 1000cc sportsbikes from any manufacturer on the track then you’ll realise that’s where they belong. I think there will always be a market for that type of bike here but I also think motorcycle riding Aussies in general are realising what the Europeans have known for years, that bikes like the Multistrada and the Stelvio are more suited for everyday riding. Of course there’s a multitude of bikes which fit into this category but the Multi and the Stelvio are good examples. So, now you know I have a preference for the allrounder motorcycle. I have shown you a window into the motorcycle part of my brain. Oh look, the bike transport man has just shown up with the new Aprilia RSV4 for us to test. Let’s start it up. Bloody hell, listen to that would you! Look how little it is. Quick, where’re my leathers? – Chris Pickett
RACE TORQUE
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First Lap “It was the first time I had heard a road racer talk about traction like a dirt-tracker…”
WHEN you’re getting on in years like I am, you tend to think more about what’s been left behind than what lies ahead. A few weeks ago I stumbled across the first race program I ever bought, which I thought had disappeared forever. The NSW Grand Prix at Oran Park on Sunday, 16 June, 1974 was the first road race meeting I ever attended, and it attracted Australia’s best and up-andcoming riders. My dad had raced cars until I was six years old and, as a very handy mechanic, he helped out a mate in the Tasman open-wheeler series until the early 1970s so I was no stranger to the noises and smells of race tracks. But this was my first experience as a spectator to a bike race, something I just had to see. Bikes had become my life. When the two-wheel craze was sweeping the nation in 1974, I was fanging around the bush on my first-ever bike, a Honda CL100. On Any Sunday had earlier filled local cinemas in 1973 to further fuel the boom that had been sparked by the off-road phenomena. Then there was the awesome
four-cylinder Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z1 that filled the streets. Yamaha’s ground-shaking TZ700 debuted in 1974 and got an almighty christening at Mount Panorama over Easter when Warren Willing edged out fellow 700-mounted Gregg Hansford in a thrilling Unlimited Grand Prix. Just two months later, the pair would face off at Oran Park. This was a must see. I had never sat in the spectator area at Oran Park’s BP/Energol Corner, so a whole new world opened up for me when the lightweight C-grade bikes completed their warm-up lap for their six-lap, push start race. Looking at the rider list, the first name to appear was a ‘Frank Pons’ riding the #18 Yamaha 250. I caught up with Frank at the final Formula Xtreme meeting at Eastern Creek in 2011, and asked if that was indeed him. A top enduro gun back in the day, the famed tuner turned suspension tech said he couldn’t remember when he gave road racing away. Oh well, one man’s stroll down memory lane is another’s senior moment! Another rider I unwittingly witnessed in that first race was Fraser Stronach, who
would later become chief road tester for REVS Motorcycle News, and someone I got to know after I became a moto-journo. Then there was Lee Roebuck, Rick Perry and Greg Drew. Fifteen years later, Greg became a wildcard entrant in the inaugural FIM Australian 500cc Grand Prix at Phillip Island on a creation of his own, which didn’t make race distance. My first impressions of motorcycle racing were indelible, and had more to do with what was happening off the track. Given the smallish and largely silent crowd, I soon realised that motorcycle racing was a minority sport that millions were missing out on. It was difficult to reconcile the spectacular action on the track with the languid onlookers, some of them picnickers, who were happy enough to idly watch on as they soaked up the warm winter sun. After attending top rugby league matches at the SCG which attracted raucous crowds of 60,000 screaming fans, it kind of hurt that my chosen sport, which I considered the most spectacular and death-defying in the world, was cradled by a much smaller turn out who nary raised an ‘ooh’ or an ‘ah’ all day. In some ways the small crowd atmosphere made it a more intimate affair, and bike racing was a kind of a secret we all shared. The gathering, however, made a beeline for the fence when Hansford’s Chesterfield Yamaha and Willing’s Grace Brossponsored Yamaha zipped around on the sighting lap for event eight, round one of the ‘Formula 750’ over 12 laps, clutch start. Despite the gaggle of TZ700s on the grid piloted by Ken Blake, Laurie Barnett, Rob Hinton, Rob Madden, Kiwi John Boote as well as Ron Toombs’ Kawasaki 750, it was the very senior Eric Debenham on his grunty Vincent 1000 that led that field into turn one and a time warp before Hansford and Willing slipped their sleek 700s through at
Suttons/Yamaha Corner. The pair pulled away to a lively scrap that worked course commentator Ross Pentecost into a lather, but the crowd, while more attentive to the 750s, was content just to look on in silent awe as the 90-horsepower four-cylinder, two-strokes sizzled down the front straight. The sidecars seemed to attract even more interest than the solos, led by the futuristic Kawasaki 900-powered Chesterfield wedge built and raced by the great Bob Levy. Mind you, it wasn’t difficult for the wedge to leap a decade forward to 1984 compared to other outfits that were conceived in 1964. And so it went, with a go-kart demonstration during the lunch break followed by the second round of the Formula 750, Willing and Hansford seemingly barely in control of their unruly 700s. Oh what the rest of the world was missing. My second meeting was the Pan Pacific Cup at Oran Park in November ‘74 that featured American star Pat Hennen on a Team Kawasaki 750 versus the legendary Ron Toombs. After their first race which Toombs just won, Hennen told the crowd over the PA that he was fighting to find traction out of some of the corners, trying different lines. It was the first time I had heard a road racer talk about traction like a dirttracker or motocrosser. In race two, the pair staged another tight dice which went to a wised-up Hennen. After the race, Toombsy told the crowd, “I showed him what to do in the first race, then the bastard shoved straight back at me!” Fifteen years later, bike racing truly came of age in Australia when 1987 world champ Wayne Gardner won the 1989 FIM Aussie grand prix at Phillip Island in front of a big crowd and a 300 million worldwide TV audience. It was worth the wait. – Darryl Flack February 2012 – 13
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14 – February 2012
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GUNTRIP
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On the road again Check out the crowd at an early Castrol Six Hour. Bob’s mate reckons we could get these numbers to a national event if we got rid of the Australian WSBK and MotoGP rounds. He’s probably right. THE year began brightly enough, with a run down the hill into Bathurst. The Management issued the injunction that she’d like to go for a ride, so off we pootled, into the teeth of a howling gale considerately provided by the summer that forgot to happen, there to seek amusement in one of the state’s more congenial inland burgs. We had a look at the memorial to the good Lieutenant Hancock of Breaker Morant fame, had a trundle up to Mount Panorama for a quiet look over the wall at Skyline, found some good coffee in town, where She later identified and bought one or two suitable items of attire to remind her of her visit. I gazed at the little community of motels perched on the edge of the CBD that seemed to feature so heavily in my life once upon a time, then back we came, calling in at Mount Vic and Blackheath to see how the locals had been managing without us. All in all I believe the outing was pronounced a success and more will no doubt be announced in due season when the Management has decided how to carry sufficient numbers of purchases on the homeward journey. In the days since this joint pipe-opener She has retired to bring hitherto forgotten
portions of the garden to heel, leaving me to worry about the remainder of 2012 and what it might contain. It’s easy to tell what I’d like to see – I’d like Rossi to tame his unruly Ducati and win the MotoGP title, BMW to take its first Superbike World Championship, Cam Donald to win the TT and set a blistering new lap record (I’d like to see Guy Martin break his duck, too) and Josh Brookes to nail the British Superbike Championship. And, naturally, I’d like $50 annual rego fees, new bike prices and insurance premiums slashed by 40 per cent, reduced income tax, eternal sunshine and free beer. Might not happen though. It looks to me rather more likely that Ducati and BMW will still have some significant problems to overcome, and while I’d cheerfully put a dollar on Brookes and Donald to stake their claims on history, that buck wouldn’t come from the RTA’s bottomless generosity. Also on the wish list are a better performance from said RTA in its eternal battle on road maintenance and the abiding hope that the Australian Superbike Championship might one day offer a better spread of rounds than three in Victoria, two in Queensland and one each in Western
Australia and the Northern Territory. Friend Paul advanced an interesting proposal the other day. He and I worked on Revs together donkey’s years ago, he has a healthy racing pedigree and, like me, he’s of the view that Australian domestic racing is a shadow of what it was. He remembers and pines for the days of vibrant championships, crowded racing schedules and the excitement of having interesting stuff happening all the time. Anyway, he came up with the following notion as a possibility of restoring some of its late glories. “We’ve had the Australian Grand Prix and a round of the Superbike World Championship for more than 20 years,” he points out. “How would it be if we now said, okay, enough’s enough, we don’t want them any more, and used the dosh we saved to promote local racing?” Well, it’s a thought. With the best will in the world the local production line of prospective champions seems to be running sluggishly at best. The best Australian finishers in last year’s Superbike World Championship were Troy Corser (15th), Mark Aitchison (19th) and Chris Vermeulen (21st). Broc Parkes took fourth in World SuperSport and Bryan Staring managed 11th in the FIM SuperStock Cup, and
that’s about picked the eyes out of it. On the other side of the fence, it’s true we can claim the current MotoGP World Champion as our own, and there’s no denying young Casey did a mighty impressive job of taking his second title. But he’s out there by himself in more ways than one, because his erstwhile Australian premier class playmates have gone elsewhere – Vermeulen to World Supers, Anthony West to Moto2 (finishing 22nd in 2011). And that’s about it. What do we do from here? Answers on the back of a postcard to the usual address, please. In the meantime I’m going to spend a little more time on the road, in quiet contemplation of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Mudgee next, I think, and perhaps the Riverina. Maybe the Japanese gardens at Cowra, while we’re on the subject of unattainable ideals. Meanwhile, I expect to receive the instruction any day now to start designing pannier frames suitable for transporting credible numbers of pot plants on the mighty Bandit. We’re all accountable to the greater good, after all. Well, most of us. – Bob Guntrip
February 2012 – 15
www.cycletorque.com.au CYCLE TORQUE BETA might be pushing the line that its new 350cc enduro model is simply 'the play bike' but the 350RR is far from just a machine capable of going out to have a play in the dirt. Its capabilities reach far higher than mere play. The Italian manufacturer is well known for its trials and scooters, especially overseas but has yet to gain any real foothold in Australia. Trying to take a piece of off-road pie from some of the larger and maybe more well known companies is no easy task, but the 350RR has the 'cred' to cut right into that slice. Overall its four stroke range of enduro bikes is well stacked to cover a variety of riders and riding levels, especially the 350RR which is the right capacity for the fast growing mid-sized enduro market in Australia, and indeed the rest of the world.
Engine
FEBRUARY 2012 - 41
clutch engages the transmission with a positive feel and it’s off and cracking. Powering up through the six speed transmission the 350 RR dishes out a smooth yet strong delivery of power, which would keep a smile on all but the harshest of critics. It's not aggressive but progressive right into the very top end of the rev range, where power finally flattens out. Of course there's no real need to rev the bike this hard, as max power is made before you hit the limiter, and besides the trees are whipping past at a rapid rate. Low down torque is also strong too, so you can be a bit on the lazy side without the fear of stalling or bogging the motor down. Those who are used to riding a 250cc four-stroke will love this aspect of the 350 RR, as it takes much of the hard work out of sticky and snotty situations. If there is one little criticism, after stalling on a hill the bike was a little slow to wind over on the starter while in gear with the clutch pulled in, but that is only a minor point. Whether you are going flat out through the trees or working hard in the tight stuff, the average rider will feel right at home in regards to seat, 'peg and handlebar positioning. An easy transition is made from sitting to standing and you can really get your weight well forward when required.
HAMMER S AMERICAN MUSCLE WITH AN AGGRESSIVE SOUL
New for 2012, the 350RR receives an upgrade to the camshaft bridge along with clutch components to increase durability of the motor. To further the longevity of the 349cc engine which features a bore of 88 millimetres and a stroke of 57.4 millimetres are two oil pumps which supply the lifeblood lubricant to separate parts of the engine. One pump feeds oil to the engine, while the second supplies oil to the transmission. Also new for 2012 are new fuel tank shrouds, front and rear guards, headlight shroud and fork protectors. The frame also sees an upgrade with extra gussets and an increase in diameter of the lower frame tubes to improve stability and reduce flex. The upgrades and improvements don’t just finish there as the brakes, clutch, suspension and exhaust all receive the treatment as well, but that will be covered shortly. As with many enduro bikes these days, firing the Beta 350 Powering up RR (Race Replica) is a mere through the case of turning on the fuel tap six speed for the Keihin FCR-MX-39 carby and hitting the starter, transmission the which worked sweetly the 350 RR dishes entire time we had the bike. out a smooth yet VICTORY MOTORCYCLES VICTORY MOTORCYCLES Beta hasn't gone down the fuel strong delivery @ VICTORY MELBOURNE @ VICTORY SYDNEY injection route as yet but there of power, which were no fuelling issues. Idling over quite sweetly, the 350 RR would keep a produces a clean and crisp smile on but the exhaust note, thanks no doubt harshest of critics. to the new exhaust. The new Brembo adjustable hydraulic
106 CUBIC-INCH (1,731CC) V-TWIN – 113 FT/LBS TORQUE | 6 SPEED OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION 250MM REAR TYRE | 18-INCH FAT FRONT TYRE | REMOVABLE PILLION SEAT COWL INVERTED FRONT FORK WITH DUAL-DISC BRAKES | RED WHEEL STRIPE
AVAILABLE IN RED & WHITE, SUEDE BLACK & RED AND LIMITED EDITION MATTE BLACK Suspension and the rest
It's fine to have plenty of usable power on tap but it has to work well with both the suspension and braking systems to be a complete package and be competitive in the enduro market. Beta has certainly not skimped in either of those areas. Front suspension has been supplied by Sachs, which has developed the 48mm USD forks specifically for Beta, and features TFX MOTORCYCLES VICTORY antiVICTORY stiction technology. Of course the forks MOTORCYCLES @ BRISAN’S NEWCASTLE @ ROLLIES BRISBANE are completely adjustable with compression and rebound adjustment, and are easily set up to a rider's ability. The forks certainly felt firm yet progressive and not too harsh, no doubt thanks to the above mentioned technology and the harder you pushed the better they felt. The steering was not compromised either as the 350 RR was a good turner in the tight stuff, but steered equally as well across high
1300 721 360
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16 – February 2012
VICTORY MOTORCYCLES VICTORY MOTORCYCLES @ REDLINE MACKAY @ VICTORY PERTH speed trails and through rocky and rutted areas. For those
stepping up from a smaller capacity bike, you may notice some additional weight, with the 350 RR tipping the scales at 114.5kg dry. It might sound heavy and did in fact feel heavier to push around than a couple of other featherweights we had in the Cycle Torque shed at the same time, but it is well balanced and
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Continued on next page
DIRTY TORQUE
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Husqvarna Is back THE tumultuous history of Husqvarna motorcycles is an interesting story and since the purchase by BMW in 2007 one would have to have their head up their rear end to have not taken notice of what’s been going on with a legendary marque, both worldwide and right here in Australia. Here’s how I see it. OK, for the knuckleheads out there, here is a brief history lesson. Originally founded in 1689 in the town of Huskvarna, Sweden, the company initially manufactured weapons for its Swedish king before venturing into hunting guns, household appliances, white goods, power equipment and finally producing its first bike in 1903. After decades of producing road bikes and scooters the factory produced five special dirt specific machines in 1959 which featured a 250cc 2-stroke engine and a 4-speed gearbox on which Rolf Tibblin went on to win the European 250 Motocross Championship. By 1962 Husqvarna had won the first of many world championships with Torsten Hallman winning the World 250cc Motocross Championship and in 1963 Husqvarna produced 100 ‘Hallman Replicas’. These models instantly sold out and the production of motocross and enduro Husqvarnas started in earnest and with success on the
world motocross scene the American market was the next obvious step. In 1966 Edison Dye imported two Husky 250 machines into America and flew Torsten Hallman over to showcase the machines. Hallman won every race he entered in what came to be known as the 23-Moto Streak that put Husqvarna on the map in the US. American enduro riders like John Penton, Malcolm Smith and Dick Burleson were instrumental in Husqvarna’s success in America while Mark Blackwell, Mike Hartwig, Brad Lackey and Kent Howerton all won on Husqvarnas in the AMA Motocross Championships throughout the ’70s. The ’60s and ’70s were definitely the heyday for the Swedish marque with a raft of World 250cc Motocross Championships (1962-67 Torsten Hallman, 1976 Heikki Mikkola, 1979 Hakan Carlqvist) and world 500cc motocross titles added to its list of achievements (1960 Bill Nilsson, 1962-63 Rolf Tibblin, 1969-70 Bengt Aberg, 1974 Heikki Mikkola). Right here in Australia we had a Swedish rider by the name of Pele Granquist using Husqvarna machinery to win the 250cc and 500cc Australian Motocross titles in 1978 and 1979 as well as narrowly missing out on two Mr Motocross crowns behind Yamaha legend Stephen Gall. I can also remember Robert ‘Beetle’
Bailey blitzing everyone in 1980 at the Queensland 125cc Motocross Championship at Tivoli Raceway on what can only be described as a ‘well used’ Husky CR125. Things started going pear shaped when Swedish white goods powerhouse Electrolux purchased Husqvarna in 1977. The motorcycles department was ‘thrown in’ as part of the deal and the production line was soon pulled down and transferred to a separate factory in Odeshog. This move had a negative effect on the motorcycle division and in 1986 the Castiglioni brothers, Gianfranco and Claudio, purchased Husqvarna under the Cagiva banner, moving the entire operation to Varese, Italy. Success on the race track all but dried up with only three World Motocross Championships in the ’90s (1993 World 500cc Motocross Championship - Jacky Martens. 1998 and 1999 125cc World Motocross Championship - Chicco Chiodi) and unfortunately there have been none since. Despite all of the doom and gloom it is a true testament to the tenacity of the enthusiasts that Husqvarna has continued to win numerous world enduro championships though. I won’t bore you with all of the gory details but from the time the Castiglioni brothers took over Husqvarna until BMW’s purchase in 2007, there were some tough times for Husqvarna dealers worldwide and their loyal customers. Unfortunately it was only a matter of time before even the most diehard Husky fan had to move on as production in Italy ground to all but a halt. So now here we are, BMW Motorrad purchased Husqvarna on July 19, 2007 and has made serious inroads into putting Husqvarna squarely back on the map through aggressive changes and upgrades to each model, introducing new models, overseeing quality control, local, national and international racing teams, reliable distributors and a more dynamic dealer network.
STEVE MCQUEEN
Significantly Husqvarna completely redesigned the 250 and 310 enduro models and have gone on to win the 2010 E1 World Enduro Championship with Antoine Méo at the helm and backed that up with the 2011 E1 World Enduro Championship with Juha Salminen as well as the 2011 E2 World Enduro Championship with Antoine Méo riding the 310 against the 450s. Again, here in Australia the Paul Feeney Group has been having a fair throw at the stumps racing wise. Polish Champion Bartosz Obluki, Glenn Kearney and Luke Bussa all contested the 2011 AORC with Kearney and Obluki finishing second and third in the E2 class while Bussa finished third in the E1 class. Three riders, three podiums. As far as the World Motocross Championship goes 2011 saw Team Husqvarna-Ricci Racing step up with a two rider team and they will again be in action for the 2012 season with Nick Tries and Alessandro Lupino contesting the whole series on the new TC250. Production wise, from 2009 to 2010 BMW increased its manufacture of Husqvarna motorcycles by 22.8 per cent to over 13,000 units worldwide and to over 15,000 units for 2011 and 2012. Like KTM did 15 years ago, Husqvarna is laying the foundations that will hopefully see the once dominant marque return to its former glory days. – Darren Smart Next month: With the help of the crew at the Paul Feeney Group I will look at Husqvarna here in Australia. The past, the present and the future. February 2012 – 17
18 - FEBRUARY 2012
CYCLE TORQUE www.cycletorque.com.au
Cycle Torque Test - 2012 Husaberg FE 390 n TEST BY Chris Pickett PHOTOS BY Adrian Fowler
70 Degrees It might be a cliche but Husaberg’s FE 390 really does show that less is often more.
n RIDING GEAR: Vemar helmet, Scott nylons, Alpinestars boots.
IT DOESN’T really matter if you are a gun enduro racer or a weekend trail rider, Husaberg’s FE 390 will step up to either plate. The surprising thing is there are no real modifications needed to spec the bike up or dumb it down. The bike’s inherent traits, light weight, flexible engine and extremely capable suspension, will appeal to riders at either end of the ability scale.
Why a Husaberg and why a 390?
Husaberg has been around since 1988, and then was purchased by KTM in 1995, but buying a Husaberg was pretty much left to riders who liked their dirt bikes a little left of centre. It didn’t help that engine reliability problems hampered sales. In late 2008 the 18 – February 2012
brand took a major leap forward with the new 70-degree engine which has proven to be a reliable and powerful motor in a variety of capacities. When first released the 70-degree engine came out in 450 and 570cc capacities only, with the 390cc engine first released for the 2010 model year. It seems to be a path a number of manufacturers are skipping down because many riders realise they will be smoother and faster on smaller bikes. There’s no doubt a 450 or 500cc enduro bike will take more out of the rider in the bush than a 350-400cc machine will, even if the weight difference between the bikes is negligible. Of course how this all pans out depends on the rider’s ability, fitness etc. I think Husaberg has built a 390 for a couple of reasons, one it is a
capacity which sets it apart from other brands. If someone says they have a 390 then you know it’s a Husaberg. The other reason is the company has been able to use a shorter stroke crankshaft to reduce the capacity. This makes sense because the piston is the same as the 450’s, and you get a quicker revving engine in the process, without designing a new powerplant.
Mechanicals
It might look like an oddball engine but the crankshaft sits very close to the centre of the bike, the idea being to give the bike as neutral a feel as possible. Other than the obvious cylinder inclination the engine is much the same as others in the class; four valves, liquid cooling, electric start etc. Keihin EFI is fitted, and
the engine has two oil pumps to keep it lubricated. Back in the dark past a number of Euro four-stroke offroaders had no oil pumps. No wonder they had reliability issues. The FE 390 uses a perimeter design steel frame, and is a mix of round and flat sections. There’s no alloy rear subframe either, it’s made from polyethylene which is not only strong it’s very light too. Plus there’s a number of electrical It didn’t matter if it was tight single track or open stretches, I found the FE 390 a pure delight to ride. components embedded into the subframe which keeps them in place and out of danger – smart. WP suspension is used front and
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WP suspension is used front and rear. The forks are 48mm closed cartridge units which are fully adjustable, while the rear is fully adjustable too, including high and low speed compression damping. Fuel tank capacity is 8.5 litres but the tank design is all about getting the weight of the fuel as close to the centre of gravity as possible, much like the design ethos of the crankshaft. Looking at the bike with the seat and tank shrouds on you might not notice it that much but it’s easy to see the tank extends back under the seat when they are taken off. It’s clear too, so you can see how much fuel you have without needing to unscrew the tank cap. It’s not a new idea, but it’s a good one all the same. With the seat off you get easy access to the air filter. Because of the engine layout the filter sits above the top frame rail, just behind the fuel cap. Care will be needed though, to keep dirt particles out of the injection throttle body when cleaning the filter. Quality of finish is high, and even though our test bike obviously had some use it had been well looked after and still scrubbed up well.
The 70 degree engine.
Clear tank extends underseat
In the bush
While the FE 390 feels very light pushing it around the shed it’s on the trail where you appreciate it. It had been quite a while since I had been trail riding and even though I thought it might not be the case I quickly felt right at home on the 390. I really like this mid capacity style machine because you get somewhere near the feel of a 250 four-stroke enduro bike but with more power. It’s still a very flickable machine but you don’t need to keep the engine on the boil as much, you can actually be a bit lazy with it. You can crack open the throttle and have a blast without the frantic pace of a 450-plus machine in the same situation. I guess it’s the intimidation factor which the 390 doesn’t have. Having said that, the 390 would be a very fast machine with the right pilot at the controls, and is still a very quick bike. The only thing on the ergo front I might change would be the handlebar bend. Neken tapered alloy ’bars are fitted standard, and they can be mounted in four different positions. Overall the riding position is fine, but like any bike you might need to change the setup if you have Orangutan arms or something. Suspension settings as tested were a little firm for me to begin with, even at my 95 kilos. As
S p e c i f i c at i o n s: 2012 husaberg fe 390 Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single Capacity: 393cc Transmission: 6-speed Fuel Capacity: 8.5 litres Frame Type: Steel double cradle Seat Height: 985mm Wet Weight: 114 kg Front Suspension: 48mm USD WP Rear Suspension: WP-PDS Brakes: Single disc front and rear Tyres: 90/90-21, 140/80-18 Price (RRP): $12,495 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more
Blue rims match the bike
expected the forks and shock felt better as I got faster during the day. And even though the tracks were quite rocky after our area had received lots of rain, neither the forks or shock displayed ‘skittish’ tendencies. On one rutted hilly section I played around with fork settings and had a few runs up and down the hill, and found I could easily dial in the feel I wanted from the front end.
Unique frame design
Verdict
There’s no reason to dismiss Husaberg as a boutique brand anymore. They are well built and well finished, and should give years of service if looked after. The $12,495 FE 390 is a bike which would suit riders of many different levels. It didn’t matter if it was tight single track or open stretches, I found the FE 390 a pure delight to ride. And if you don’t think it looks the dogs bollocks there’s something wrong. n
Easy fork adjustment
WP rear shock
Call 2012 for a quote February – 19
1800 24 34 64
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Cycle Torque Test – Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V NTX n TEST BY Daniel Ballantyne PHOTOS BY Chris Pickett
Adventure road
It’s not only the bigger tank which makes the 2012 Stelvio sweeter than previous models.
AFTER a thousand-plus kilometre two day trip, some of it freeway, some back roads, some dirt, and a fair chunk of it two up, I believe the Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 is a vastly underrated adventure bike which is not only well built and well equipped, but also very capable. The why The big Moto Guzzi adventure bike is now in its third incarnation, and was a perfect mount to carry my mate Craig
and I to Canberra, to pick up my new BMW F 650 GS. The idea was then to take turns riding both on some interesting back roads home the next day to Newcastle. Two adventure bikes, different as chalk and cheese, both with great qualities, depending on your mission. The bike and the ride Craig and I became familiar with Moto Guzzi’s Stelvio NTX while riding a second generation model during the Cycle Torque Outback Adventure last May. n RIDING GEAR: Zeus helmet, Motodry jacket, Ixon gloves, Drayko jeans, Thomas Cook boots.
20 – February 2012
very well, is tuned for relaxed There’s a lot of good feeling out there toward Moto Guzzi use and is easy to manage from a dawdle in tricky dirt as it goes about modernising the big air cooled 90-degree situations right up to highway truck passing speeds fully V-twin, now with 1151cc and laden two up. CARC keeps four valves per pot, controlled the rear planted, eliminates by an up-to-date engine torque reaction, and is aided management, including new for 2012 lambda sensors for by a new for 2012 engine speed monitoring traction control, each exhaust all helping keep which joins switchable ABS, the fuel injection informed, smooth and the emissions low. to complete a comprehensive safety package. Unusual for A fat, torque-filled output with 105bhp available feeds through an adventure bike are radial a solid clutch action to a chunky mounted high spec Brembo four pot brakes, these hang but easy-going five speed gearbox. A shaft drive takes from 43 mm inverted forks while out back a single disc over transmission duties and is housed in a stunning to look at and Brembo two pot calliper is neatly integrated into the big single sided swingarm with an unfortunate sounding acronym swingarm, together they pull up a big machine (231 kg) plus a stamped on it. “CARC”, for two up load just fine. CArdano Reattivo Departing Compatto or “The Stelvio NTX Newcastle late CArdan Reactive comes fitted r he ot ar Compact. Friday we preloaded ge with rs re tu ac uf man The engine with ” the solid yellow charge extra for… CARC swingarm adjustable rear shock that’s easily is genuinely accessible through big distinctive, it works
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Cycle Torque Test – Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 8V NTX
Spot lights are great for spotting roos.
Shaft drive gearing is spot on.
S p e c i f i c at i o n s: 2012 moto guzzi stelvio 1200 8v ntx Engine Type: Air/oil-cooled V-twin Capacity: 1151cc Transmission: 6-speed Fuel Capacity: 32 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel Seat Height: 820-840mm Wet Weight: 257kg Front Suspension: 45mm USD Rear Suspension: Monoshock Brakes: Twin disc front and single rear Tyres: 110/80-19, 150/70-17 Price (RRP): $22,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/ more
2012 model has 32 litre tank.
1200cc engine is all about torque, but it doesn’t mind a strop to the top end.
Call for a quote
1800 24 34 64
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silver frame rails, we left the forks as they came. Craig was prepared to suffer as pillion but he didn’t, it was a breeze, the Stelvio is purpose-built for this work. With its broad and relatively low seat I sat well forward Front screen is manually upright and comfortable while Craig held onto adjustable. big well-shaped alloy grab rails. Set above a classic styled instrument cluster with LCD data display is an easily adjustable screen when set to full height created a turbulence free cockpit. The bodywork has been restyled and loses the bug eyed look of previous models. Handguards come standard. The Stelvio NTX comes fitted with gear other manufacturers charge extra for: running lights, side crash bars, a substantial bash plate and a rear carrier, all up representing great value. Perhaps the significant 2012 feature is the new 32 litre tank promising a very handy 430km range. We had the included NTX panniers on board and were the only aspect of a complete package which jarred, they are wide, pushed a pillion’s feet forward and the locks are fiddly. And if you can dismount without scraping the top of the panniers you are doing very well. After an overnight stay in Goulburn the highway delivery duties were over as we rolled into Canberra early morning and headed straight in to collect my bike from Rolfe Classic. Not so sure how the Stelvio was perceived by the team at BMW Motorrad, spending face time with their competition! With Craig now solo on the Stelvio we headed into Canberra’s Civic centre to plot our path home while polishing off an excellent eggs and the lot breakfast. Where it belongs Summernats was in town requiring us to thread through a traffic jam to get past the showgrounds. By now we were chaffing at the bit to get on the road to Crookwell, Taralga and Oberon. Before long we hit our first bit of graded dirt and Craig was up on the pegs powering on, the big NXT stable and easy going. Not wanting to press the new BMW, just yet, I lost sight of the Stelvio until the tar resumed. We hung together up through state forests and hill climbs where on a hairpin turn Craig ran the Stelvio wide and the lighter quicker handling BMW dived inside passing easily and then took off. At Oberon by early afternoon and after the essential burger with the lot we swapped bikes. I’m back on the Stelvio as we rode through
stunning countryside, it’s been a season for rain and everywhere was Panniers have lots of internal lush and green. We rode through space but stick way out. rolling hills, there were few cars and plenty of bends. As a tourer now the Stelvio was in its element, maybe swap between third and fourth gear if you wanted something to do. Hanging out for a dirt challenge we put up with traffic through to Mt Victoria and the Bells Line of Road. When opening up a booming Stelvio Front brakes work great for to pass cars, it was great watching intended role. ABS can be switched off. drivers sit up and notice, that Guzzi sound is a safety feature. Turning left just after Bilpin Craig led on the BMW as we hit a challenging dirt track descent to the Upper Colo River. The Stelvio’s wide bars when up on the pegs kept everything under control, hard dabs on the brakes had the ABS working on some tighter entries. We swapped back again for the run along the Colo River, and by now Craig was getting a foot down on some bends, a bit dicey considering the Stelvio’s weight, but he wasn’t worried given the way the bike handled. We got lost and then got unlost, the BMW almost ran out of fuel, but not the Stelvio with its 32 litres. Got to Hornsby after taking the Galston Gorge Road and then home via the F3. It’s true, you really don’t need to go far for an adventure ride. It’s a doer Overall it was a revelation to move so easily between two such different bikes, especially when riding some challenging dirt situations. It is a credit to Moto Guzzi’s design team to have developed the Stelvio to such a high standard. Coming fully equipped and ready to go the $22,990 NTX is now a serious, and character filled, adventure bike. There might not be too many major changes between the new Stelvio and the one it replaced but it feels as though there is. I wish the dash and therefore the traction control system was easier to navigate though, but once you read the owner’s manual it will be easier than trying to figure it out for yourself. Keep it up Moto Guzzi, the Stelvio NTX deserves to do well amongst riders seeking to tackle an all roads two up long distance continent spanning adventure, or just a day ride to February 2012 – 21
TRAVEL FEATURE
Pack Up and Go! A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
Travel Directors - a different experience
TRAVEL Directors offers fully inclusive adventures to make your international motorcycle trip not just memorable, but as fuss-free as possible. The company, which was the first in the world to take a tour group on the newly completed Himalayan Express rail line from Beijing to Tibet in 2007, has expanded its range of tours to include motorcycle adventures and it all came about through a sequence of unexpected events. “Four years ago I was escorting a group across the Himalayan Plateau. We had just crossed into Nepal when we learnt of a truck drivers’ strike which had closed the road from the Tibetan border to Kathmandu,” said Tony Evans, one of the company directors and a fanatic for motorbike touring with a difference since he rode around Europe at the age of 17. “I was able to use helicopters to evacuate the group, but the light started to fade through the mountains, leaving a journalist and me stranded at the border,” he said. “As I watched a small motorbike go past I realised this was the way I could evade the road blockade. “I quickly hired a bike and four hours later we were in Kathmandu. The thrill of that ride made me realise that with our vast knowledge of the region, together with all our contacts and ground operators, we could create a sensational motorcycle portfolio. Sometimes adverse events can inspire the most innovative ideas.” With the Travel Directors experience you just rock up at the airport with your bike gear, personal insurance
and personal spending money, and you’re ready to go. Absolutely everything else is covered: flights, accommodation, meals, visas, taxes, tips, gratuities, bikes, fuel, mechanics and support vehicles, entrance fees and sight-seeing, tour leader, local guides – the lot.
Tony has put together three road teams for each of the three motorcycle tours, all of which promise exhilarating riding and adventure in spectacular locations. ‘Ride on the Roof of the World’ – from Lhasa in Tibet to Kathmandu in Nepal – is an awe-inspiring ride on Royal Enfield 500cc Bullets taking in a side trip to Everest Base Camp. ‘The Trail of Genghis Khan’ begins at mighty Lake Baikal in Siberia, riding through the grasslands of beautiful Mongolia and into China, riding triumphantly into Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Exotic locations are a speciality!
Old technology, new technology.
‘Heart of Africa’ begins on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda and finishes on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, via Rwanda and a close encounter with its famous mountain gorillas. For more information about the holiday experience you can enjoy through Travel Directors check out www.traveldirectors.com.au or ring them on 1300 856 661. They can also help with corporate travel and wholesale travel. Travel Directors guarantee you will have the Adventure of a Lifetime! For more information about the holiday experience you can enjoy through Travel Directors check out their website via www.cycletorque. com.au/more or ring them on 1300 856 661. n
Leaving Gyantse on route to Shigatse.
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TRAVEL FEATURE
Pack Up and Go! A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
All points of the Compass
COMPASS Expeditions was formed off the back of a fundraising ride across Siberia several years ago. The company started with five bikes, an old Toyota support vehicle and a huge amount of enthusiasm for motorcycle travel. Today the company operates 25 tours covering 36 countries on four continents with registered offices in Chile and Australia. There is now a fleet of BMW motorcycles and support vehicles but one thing remains the same - the true passion for motorcycle touring and the wonderful sense of achievement in providing incredible, fascinating and, sometimes, life changing travel experiences. Compass Expeditions offers the world’s largest range of motorcycle tours in South America on new, or near new, BMW F650 GS twins - that’s their standard bike. It became the first motorcycle tour company to ever successfully complete the epic Road of Bones in the far east of Siberia as part of its 105 London to Magadan Expedition.
Compass Expedition rides have been internationally recognised by one of the world’s most prestigious organisations - National Geographic. In 2011 the Compass Expeditions best selling Patagonia Explorer ride made it into Nat Geo’s “Top 50 tours of a lifetime” list. Inclusion in this list, amongst the giants of the worldwide travel industry, made Compass Expeditions the only motorcycle tour company to have been included in this list, EVER. One of the world’s foremost adventure magazines, Outpost, has been nominated magazine of the year, and it has nominated Compass Expedition’s epic 125 day circumnavigation of South America as one of the top 100 adventure travel experiences on Earth. US Playboy chose Compass Expeditions to research their article on the growing
adventure motorcycle touring industry. Last year Compass also gained the coveted “BMW Travel Partner” status making it the only motorcycle tour company in Australia to be part of this exclusive group. “The secret to our success has been our innovative, all inclusive tours, value for money rides that leave our many clients wanting more, hence our expansion of tours beyond South America,” says Compass Expeditions Director Mick McDonald. “Whether it’s riding across Patagonia, crossing the Andes, exploring the Australian Outback, or visiting Gallipoli, and so much more, Compass Expeditions has it covered,” he said. For more information check out the link from www.cycletorque.com.au/more or contact the company on 1300 887 327. n
Offroad on the Coffs coast COFFS Harbour and the North Coast of NSW boast all types of terrain which makes for some absolutely awesome riding. From sandy trails to leafy rainforest with fast flowing trails; from tight single-lane tracks to big hill climbs, Boris Everson and the crew at Coffs Harbour Detours can tailor the ride to suit any rider's needs.
Boris aims to make sure that when you ride with Coffs Harbour Detour you will not be disappointed, and his tours are all inclusive. "We provide you with the best trails on the North Coast, highly experienced local trail guides, all meals, all fuel after the first tank, trailside lunches and snacks, accommodation on overnight tours, and a support vehicle that carries your overnight bags as well as food and fuel," he says.
"Whatever you want mate, we offer a range of trail bike tours in the Coffs Harbour Region Bikes must have current road registration and riders must be licensed. and surrounding North Coast," says Boris. "From one-day to seven-day rides to areas including Bellingen, Taylors Arm (The Pub with no Beer), Dorrigo, Mt Hyland, Arrawarra Beach, Brooms Head and much more," he says.
For more information contact Boris and the crew on 0407 300 690 or (02) 6654 4690. Email and website links at www.cycletorque. com.au/more. n February 2012 – 23
Pack Up and Go!
www.cycletorque.com.au 24 - FEBRUARY 2012
TRAVEL FEATURE
A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
Only 10 years left to see Borneo!
Take to the High Country THE experienced crew at Mt Buller Motorcycle Adventures offer exciting trail bike adventures in the Victorian High Country for beginners or the hardened experts. Go offroad in Victoria's Alpine National Park and surrounding state forest where you can admire not only breathtaking scenery but also challenge your riding skills. Mt Buller Motorcycle Adventures cater for private groups, or you can join others, whether you want to go for a day or a week, you can get a ride package to suit you. Tours include accommodation, meals including light snacks and refreshments (excluding alcohol), fuel after the first tank, fully equipped support vehicle, applicable forestry fees, experienced guides, sweep riders and support crew, first aid, communications and the ride of a lifetime. The Mt Buller Motorcycle Adventures team has been operating Victorian High Country trail bike tours since 2003. The company operates all year round and executes its tours from the base of Mt Buller Ski Village, Victoria's premier ski resort, located just two and a half hours northeast of Melbourne. All riders must hold a current motorcycle licence, have a registered motorcycle and complete various indemnity forms prior to tour. For more information about Mt Buller Motorcycle Adventures ring 0412 587 011 or follow the link from www.cycletorque.com.au/more and check out the picture galleries of the amazing scenery you can expect to enjoy, read testimonials from satisfied riders, and learn all about the experienced crew, check out their calender of events or even book a gift voucher for that passionate offroad rider in your family. n 24 – February 2012
BECAUSE that’s how long before the motorcycle playground in Kota Kinabalu clogs up with the inevitable traffic and motorisation.
personal preferences. Whether it’s on-road or off-road, scenic or cultural, we will build you a personalised adventure of a lifetime,” Bryan said.
“Your adventure begins when you arrive at KK airport. Of course we’ll advise how to get the best out of your time while staying with us, but, ultimately, you choose what you would like to see and do from a list “They said: write a short piece that is both long and diverse,” he about what you offer to your discerning customers and why they said. “Either Terry or I will help you plan would be enticed to your idyllic your adventure and incorporate as motorcycle playground,” muses many of the sites as possible, then Bryan. “I’d need a whole lot more room to show you the beauty that Sabah do justice to Sabah and its endless has to offer. Or at least that’s the view of Bryan who lives in Borneo in the beautiful hills overlooking Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, and the home of Borneo Biking Adventures.
miles of motorcycling bliss,” he said. “In our Paradise, and we believe this is how it should be, it’s all about the “The reason for our great success, personal touch.” apart from the fantastic roads, outstanding scenery and our 14,000ft mountain is that there are amazingly friendly indigenous people living here in Borneo. “Borneo Biking is run very differently to other bike tour operations and I believe this has been the key to drawing so many bikers to Sabah.” The people from Borneo Biking Adventures live there all year round so they don’t have to set departure dates for their tours, nor do they have set routes. “We tailor every trip around your
For an in-depth insight into what Borneo Biking Adventures can do for you check out their website via www.cycletorque.com.au/more to see what their customers and other motorcycle publications have written about them. n
www.cycletorque.com.au 25 - FEBRUARY 2012
TRAVEL FEATURE
Pack Up and Go! A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
Timor, the world’s newest destination EAST Timor has been described as the world’s “newest destination” but that is a little unfair as it has been recognised for its world class diving for over a decade and this year marks the 4th Tour de Timor - the toughest international mountain bike race in the world. So what is motorcycling in East Timor like? Dave and Shirley Carlos, who lead all the tours, say that the people are friendly and pleased for you to visit. The scenery is beautiful and features a mountain range with a peak of 3000m and long stretches of coast. The environment is pristine and it’s warm. East Timor is easy to get to as it is just a one hour flight from Darwin, but it’s a real adventure to get around. The culture is unique and the history is incredible and outside of the capital city of Dili the roads are quiet. The roads are in poor condition and distances are measured in time, not kilometres, and there are farm animals on the road and the people wave to you when you travel through villages - it’s nothing like riding at home. East Timor might not be the world’s newest destination, but it is certainly the world’s newest motorcycle destination and 2012 is special as the country celebrates 10 years as a new nation. Timor Adventures operates 7-day tours for $1625, 12day tours for $2780 and a special 14-day tour in May for $3190. Tours generally run between May and November. Pricing excludes airfares and there are discounts for group bookings. Airlines fly from Darwin, Denpasar and Singapore. Tour prices include all the stuff you would expect bikes, fuel, support vehicle, local speaking guide, all meals, accommodation (twin share), airport transfers and even a local mobile phone. For more information check out the links to their website and email contacts at www.cycletorque.com. au/more or call on 0448 514 333. n
Get Routed
GET ROUTED has been in the business of shipping bikes to various world destinations for 13 years, but to call them ‘Shipping Agents’ would be far from the truth.
Prior to putting bikes in containers and sending them to exotic destinations, Dave Milligan and Maggie Wolfenden actually ran Isle of Man tours (and still do), so real road racing fans could check out the TT and the Manx GP. As a result if you want to do the TT there’s no better tour company than Get Routed to do it with. If they haven’t got it right by now then there’s something wrong. Obviously adaptation is the best way to survive long term, so Get Routed have now got more destinations you can have your bike shipped to, including New Zealand, UK, USA, South Africa, Turkey and and Spain. Some of the tours the company has run have included checking out some race events on the British mainland, motorcycle museums, the Triumph factory etc. In fact if you have enough
people keen to see something specific you can always call Dave and Maggie to see if they will organise a tour to suit. Because their IOMTT tours are so popular you do need to book well in advance, and the Manx GP is a hot bed of activity on that front too. You need to check with Get Routed for shipping dates to and from your chosen destination, but don’t worry if you can’t stick around for a couple of months touring Europe, you can return your bike to the depot and it will be stored safely in readiness for the big trip home. One last word is if you love motorcycle racing you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen the IOMTT in the flesh. It is simply breathtaking, as is the scenery on the island itself. Call Dave and Maggie on 03 9351 0612, 0412 689 849 or 0423 289 573. Email and weblinks at www.cycletorque.com. February 2012 – 25 au/more. n
www.cycletorque.com.au
Pack Up and Go! A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
Brazil - more than just coffee and motorcycles
TRAVEL FEATURE
Aussie Biker tours WHETHER you are looking for motorcycle rental, self-guided tours or guided tours to the Moto GP or even Queensland’s Tropical Coast, then Aussie Biker can put you on the right track. The 15-day guided Tropical Coast and Country Tour (July 31 to Aug 14) covers 5200km through bustling outback towns like Longreach, Winton and Hughenden plus the Tropical resort towns of Cairns, Townsville and Airlie Beach with a day trip further north to Cape Tribulation.
VERY few people realise that Brazil is South America’s biggest country and as such it has a colossal coastline spanning some 7,500 kilometres. Brazil is a tropical paradise that features stunning rainforests, infamous beaches, endless rivers and mountains and a large network of roads connecting the traveller to some of Brazil’s most exciting cities, rich in culture, colour and celebration.
motorcycle road in Brazil with its 240km of continuous corners, visit the spectacular Iguacu Falls, ride across the mighty Parana River to the largest wetlands in the world and tons more. Brazil On Bikes also has a Sydney office and the company’s team of Brazilians and Aussies can guarantee an exciting look at one of South America’s most fascinating countries.
The company operates its own fleet of bikes, based in Sao Paolo, Brazil and they include BMW 650 GS, “We run our tours for small groups Kawasaki Versys 650, Yamaha XT 660 only - you and me and four others with the same attitude to adventure,” R, Honda XL 700V Transalp, BMW says Brazil on Bikes founder Renato. F800 GS and Triumph Tiger 1050. Brazilian born Renato has ridden over not only the 26 states of Brazil, but many other countries in Latin America as well. “The idea for the company originated on the road after several years and thousands of kilometres being marvelled by Brazil’s landscape, food, culture and friendly people,” Renato said. The places to see and things to do are too numerous to list - stroll along Ipanema and Copacaba beach at sunset, explore the 400 waterfalls of Ilhabela, ride the best
26 – February 2012
Tour prices include space in support vehicle for rider’s luggage, fuel for all riding days, magnetic tank bag and third party bike insurance. For a look at some of the amazing destinations and tours available in Brazil, check out www.cycletorque. com.au/more or ring their Sydney office on (02) 9418 9928. n
Then there’s the guided 8-day MotoGP tour from Oct 21 to Oct 29 which takes you from Noosa to Phillip Island, then Melbourne, then fly back to the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane Airports. There’s a host of self-guided tours from 10 to 21 days covering everything from Sydney, Canberra, Red Centre, Outback/ Birdsville Track, etc. Check the Aussie Biker website for information on rental bikes, Kickstart discount offer, one-way rental specials, bikes, breakdown assistance, insurance etc. Aussie Biker Tours and Rentals, now trading as Aussie Biker, was founded by current owners David and Michelle Pearce in 1997. David, a lifelong motorcyclist, has an extensive history as a former franchised motorcycle dealer, technician and motorcycle sidecar and accessory manufacturer. The business rapidly outgrew its first two premises and in 2003 relocated to modern premises in Noosa with showroom, offices and a fully supported workshop in-house. In 2007 the motorcycle accessory retail shop, Aussie Biker Shop, opened and is a fully stocked retail outlet with a full range of motorcycle apparel and accessories. For more information on the complete range of tours and services from Aussie Biker check out www.cycletorque.com.au/ more or ring David and the crew on 07 5474 1050. n
Cycle Torque Touring Feature
The Way Back Pt2 www.cycletorque.com.au
“I focussed on the pain, the only thing that’s real” Johnny Cash “Hurt”
If you have a serious injury, work out what you can’t do and a scale of immediacy in which you want to do them. I couldn’t feed myself with my right hand, couldn’t apply deodorant and couldn’t wipe my butt Pain...getting it to near after the toilet. unbearable levels was the The exercises targeted these movements and it was core of the rehab regime. no problem reaching the pain eight threshold! Each Photo by Robb Cox circuit took 15 minutes and I did eight circuits. At the end I had to sling my arm and wait for the pain to subside but though it would return to around four, it wouldn’t further diminish and so I’d drop some PKs to enable me to sleep. But I wanted to get off the meds! If this happens to you, shift your rehab to the mornings. I began setting the alarm at 5.30 and doing my sessions at 6am rather than 4pm. Daytime activities distract you from the pain and by the time you turn off the lights, its down to 1-2 and you can sleep. About three weeks in I became very depressed. Friends had stopped calling and I’d begun to focus on what I had been able to do pre-prang. The realisation was dawning that there was much I’d never do again. This is a common and crucial error! You have to begin your life again. You have to LAST month I wrote about my accident in Western Queensland resulting in a shoulder which had to be replaced, a pinned pelvis, remember what you couldn’t do last week but can do now. You a smashed wrist and a couple of broken fingers. It also scored me have to adjust your rearview mirrors to see only the near past, not the distance! I could already apply spray deodorant and use toilet an evacuation in the Westpac chopper to Toowoomba and then paper. a flight with the Flying Doctor back to Sydney. This month we This is where the diary/journal came into its own. I went back continue the way back and start rehab. a week and read what I couldn’t do just seven days prior. On The easiest way to be pain free after major trauma is to do day 19 I’d been able to move my right elbow laterally about two nothing, take painkillers (PKs) and veg your days away. centimetres from my waist, now on day 32 I could move it almost But if you are serious about rehabilitation, you must make peace eight. On day 26 for the first time I’d been able to lift my broken with pain. You must learn to manage it like a troublesome, noisy demanding child. You must make pain a friend coz often, usually at shouldered arm up to my nose and on day 40 I managed to brush night, when the music stops and the tv’s off, and your friends have my teeth for the first time with my right hand. Sure, the pain lifted to over seven each time, but I was the master of the pain, not it me. gone home, pain is all you have. I had moved up from rubber bands of minimum resistance to at Liz, my physio, has worked with national men’s and women’s sporting teams, from rugby league to water-polo and I put my trust least one level stronger in most exercises. I was controlling the pain, moving it to a tear-welling eight for most movements and then in her. We decided on physio sessions three times a week and a two hour exercise regime on the other four days. For the next three feeling it slide back to three. Riding again still seemed distant, but, once I’d refocussed, once I months. concentrated on the baby steps I was making, I knew riding was in She then explained pain management. Pain was to be considered my future. I knew that the way back is a long journey but I knew, and discussed on a ten point scale with one being negligible even without a GPS, that I was on the right track. ‘sleepable’ and ten extreme. Pain above eight is doing you harm, less than four during exercise Satnav recording: Satnav GPS units are a great tool to get you to your destination is not doing you much good. We aimed to push the pain to a level and to keep you up to date with progress and time and distance to of around seven during physio, maybe up to eight during exercise the next fuel stop. and having it reduce to 3-4 within a couple of hours without any But when you have an ‘off’ a good unit can really prove useful! painkiller assistance. I use a Garmin 550 which, while expensive, is reliable, visible I bought some exercise bands: long rubber bands that come in and waterproof. I use Garmin RoadTrip software in my laptop to graduated resistance levels and we settled on a dozen movements upload all the data after each ride so I can share it with readers and that were to be targeted. mates. We also got a page per day diary to keep as a journal for my The unit survived the prang unscathed and was returned to me a thoughts and to help chart my progress. This is incredibly few days after I got home from hospital. We immediately plugged important. If you have a mate who’s come down hard, forget the it in and trolled the data. It showed that I hit the 20 metre strip of flowers, turn up at intensive care with a new diary and a nice pen! 5cm deep gravel at 16.16.36 (4.14pm), just over a quarter of an hour February 2012 – 27
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The Way Back Pt2
Keep a detailed notebook, your exercises, your weight, the pain level, the limitation causes, it’ll all help your doctors and physios. Photos by Robb Cox
after the workers had knocked off and left and without leaving a single warning sign. Crucially it also showed that when I reached the crest where the gravel began, I was travelling at 83kph on this 100kph road. Data from previous rides on the same road showed that each time my speed on that curve was between 82 and 89 kph. I was amazed that my riding is so uniform! The importance of this evidence is obvious for my impending legal stoush with the relevant council. If you are in the market for a GPS, make sure the unit you buy comes with computer software enabling you to store your routes and places of interest and to analyse every part of the telemetry of your ride. Unfortunately one day you may need it! On the chopper One of the most common questions asked post-op is what thoughts raced through my head as I was being choppered out and then flown back to Sydney. The most common thought I can remember having is being grateful for this happening in Australia. My riding buddy had told 000 that he had no idea where we were other than the last town we were in and our destination. Despite this, paramedics and firies and cops (no towie!) were with me within 10-15 minutes. The Westpac chopper left Brisbane to collect me less than an hour after being called in. The Royal Flying Doctor Service picked me up from Toowoomba later that day once I’d been stabilised and plastered. They certainly asked for my health cover but at no time was there any thought that if I was not covered then I’d not be cared for. This is unique to this wonderful country! Without them I would not be writing this. I will always be in their debt. The Westpac Chopper and the RFDS are now my two central charities. If you ride out into the guts of this country, chasing the tight curves or the wide open spaces, I’d suggest you consider them for your donations too. – Colin Whelan
The tightness of your scar will limit the early movement. Keep it rubbed with Vitamin E. Data from my Garmin left no doubt that my speed at impact was legal.
February 2012 – 29
www.cycletorque.com.au FEBRUARY 2012 - 30
TRAVEL FEATURE
Pack Up and Go! A smorgasbord of exotic
motorcycle travel destinations...
I’ll have what she’s having The stereotypical international motorcycle tourist is a bloke. These ladies break the stereotype. ‘Chicken Lyn’ she calls herself.
MIKE AND Denise Ferris run Ferris Wheels, a motorcycle tour company which will take you to some very exotic places throughout the world. Many riders dream of one day undertaking such a tour but the ladies in this feature have lived the dream with Ferris Wheels, and kept living it, showing that neither age or gender should be a barrier to enjoying a motorcycle, whether it be at the controls, or on the pillion seat. These are their stories.
“I was asked by my friend Kerry to be a pillion. She wanted to take a motorcycle safari in Turkey and her husband couldn’t go. I had only been on the back of a bike once in my life in Bali and that was over 30 years before. She took me for a trial ride from Murray Bridge to Renmark in South Australia one afternoon when it was about 40 degrees. I enjoyed the ride and so I said I would go, having never done anything like that before. The Turkey experience was great; a real adventure. I loved being on the bike and would have loved a go at riding but I considered my age was against me as I was getting close to 60. When we left Turkey Kerry let me keep the helmet I had been wearing. Back home in Adelaide I kept looking at bike riders and feeling jealous. I missed the experience so I made some enquiries about getting my licence – I already had the helmet! I purchased a CB250 Honda and after my second try I got my Learners and
Lyn
got my licence. I was so thrilled I couldn’t stop smiling. “I still have my little Honda 250 because of my size (152 cm, 60 kg). I have found it hard to find a bike on which I can place both feet on the ground. I’m not keen on cruisers because of the weight; I would love a more powerful bike but have trouble with the seat height. My partner got a bike after I got my licence. I plan to retire soon and look forward to doing more riding and hopefully will find a more powerful bike with a low seat height.
bike. I could see all of the things you can’t see from a car – bird’s nests in trees and the finer details of Western Queensland that otherwise Helen works in Quality Assurance might go unnoticed. Only three months later my “Getting on a motorcycle was something I would relaxation levels had progressed so much I could barely never have considered on my own. In my mind Helen Vikikeep my eyes open, especially after a counter meal. So I had my first bike lesson. it was always something other people did, but started taking rides along the coast. not me. My first time on the bike was with my “Even though each lesson had me feeling like a “One day coming back from a very enjoyable boyfriend Sean – a gentle ride around the block. teenager learning to drive again, the smile never ride I stalled on a steep hill because I was in The block got bigger and bigger until we did left my face. Every new skill learnt was such a the wrong gear. I tried to start off again but a 700km return trip to Hervey Bay. I hung on rewarding achievement. unfortunately the bike was too heavy and I fell. so tight that my hips seized up. I felt as though “After a few lessons it was time to head off on Putting my arm out to prevent breaking anything I’d done a full gym workout by just sitting in an international motorcycle safari, where we on my bike, I broke my elbow instead. constant anxiety. rode two-up on a 650 V Strom (Suzuki). Being a “One year off 60 with a bolt in my arm and still on “I soon became very relaxed on the bike and pillion again I suddenly realised all of the reasons my Learner’s everyone kept telling me to give up, loved being with the one I love without having I loved being a rider. After three weeks on the to give my bike riding a miss. Instead I waited for to say anything. A month after my first pillioning road as a pillion I was hooked on the feeling of my elbow to mend and went back to the riding effort we rode from the Gold Coast to Longreach. riding. Having had some lessons, I could really course several months later, passed the test, and This is where I first fell in love with being on a 30 – February 2012
appreciate how well Sean rode and I learnt a lot from the back seat. As soon as we arrived home I was keen to continue riding, so I had a few more lessons and got my licence. Two days later I bought a GS500 (another Suzuki) – my first bike, in an attractive blue (colour does matter).
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“At the end of 2009 to recognise our approaching retirement we went along to BMW and ordered two more new bikes: a red F650GS for me, a white F800GS for him. Wow. For me it’s been three new bikes in three years!
2500km in eight days in the South Island of New Zealand on similar bikes followed, no downs, “After spending three weeks with like-minded no dramas and great fun. Apart from those people in a foreign country, bike riding became thousands of kilometres I did as a pillion, by my the glue of some fantastic new friendships. reckoning my personal riding total is now about Having had my licence only a matter of weeks, 40,000 in less than four years. Most recently this one phone call from the great friends we’d made includes 4,000km along the Dalmatian Coastline on the trip and suddenly I’d committed to join Lesley √ê my 60th birthday celebratory tour and my another tour and ride around Morocco - on the our return I decided to renew my scooter licence. first full international motorcycle ride on the front seat this time. One of our by-now adult sons had one in the front seat! No downs, no dramas, awesome fun! “In the nine months I had to prepare for the garage that I thought we could share. There were “I’m now 60, I’m 162 cm (not tall) I weigh 55-60 tour, I put 13,000km on my bike. But the first day whoops of excitement and support with my kilograms (depending on how many holidays on the rented bike in Morocco I was petrified! decision. we’ve been on recently) and not particularly Luckily the 650cc BMW had a bit more grunt “It was a slow process getting competent and athletic, adventurous or risk-taking. I get scared than my GS500, otherwise I may never have confident. So many times around the block, on sailboats even though I swim well. I’ve got a rolled off the starting blocks. Next thing you around the park. Finally, I took a scoot up university degree, four adult children and I work know I’m cutting it up with the locals in the Mount Coot-tha, then Mount Glorious, which part-time for pleasure. I’ve learned a lot about crazy Marrakech traffic. We rode in all sorts was a major achievement, a benchmark in myself – that I do it in baby steps. I am proud of of conditions on all sorts of roads, waving Brisbane motorcycling. Six months later after my achievement and happy that my husband enthusiastically at all of the Moroccan children one particularly torturous descent however, and I can share this hobby now in a way a pillion and farmers. 3,700km later I’d be lying if I I resolved that some engine braking would cannot. I can do it. I want to!” denied I shed a tear of amazement, pride and be useful. So off I went again to Q Ride for an confidence in myself, and a bit of relief. I learnt Lesley - a pillion.... for now upgrade. I’ll never need a bike bigger than this, I that the more uncomfortable something is, the Lesley’s story is a little different. She works as a said of my new Honda CBF250. more you’re getting out of life and the better is PA, she’s in her early ‘50s and she doesn’t have the experience. “Our next international foray was to Turkey in her motorcycle licence . . . yet. 2008 and again I was a happy pillion. However, I “Another nine months later and there’s “My first experience on (the back of) a bike was participated in every corner, every gear change now 31,000km on my GS500. Next year we over 30 years ago, back in 1978. It was mostly on that V-Strom and longed to get back to my have already planned another international inner-city commuting, mixed in with touring motorcycle safari, this time to the Himalayas – to own bike, thinking I would have forgotten all my the eastern coast of Australia. My longest skills during our time away. No, it was fine and ride the Khardung La, the highest motorable journey was a return trip from Melbourne to the road in the world, with some of the same friends in the 18 months that followed I put 13,500km Whitsunday Islands. In 2007 I finally discovered we met on the first overseas tour we did. What an on that bike. Conversation ensued on whether the joys of overseas motorcycle travel. my 250 was up to a particular journey, so with amazing life motorcycling has opened up! “Having now visited India, Turkey and Morocco little surprise, along I went for the final step to “Riding is soaring freedom, peace, challenges, two-up with David (my husband) I don’t want a proper unrestricted licence. The new more independence, smiles, heartbeat and to travel any other way. It was great to have the powerful bike that followed was a trendy triachievement. It opens up a whole new world colour Honda 400/4 (ABS model). Finally I would opportunity to get to know some female riders. of conversation. You’re never short of friends Some of the women had a fair bit of riding when you ride. Women are more than capable of be able to keep up with everyone. experience, but there were those that didn’t and “Before it was delivered we joined another riding, why should men have all the fun?” they jumped in and got on with it anyway. I was international motorcycle safari to Morocco; Viki - retired but not retiring again I was registered as a pillion. After a couple impressed by the intrepid attitude. In Turkey there were at least three female pillions who “I’d thought my riding days were over. I’d had of days on the road I had the opportunity to were in the throes of getting their bike licences. a ‘bike’ (Honda 90 step-through!) when I was ride on our tour leader’s BMW F650. I loved it I started thinking… hmm, why not moi? I think young in Brisbane in the early ‘70s. It was handy and managed fine, right side of the road no it was a competitive instinct and this can be a for getting around, to uni, to work, and my problem, the bike wasn’t too heavy or too tall. I good thing. husband had a bike when I met him. was dancing for joy when I finally relinquished “Scroll forward two decades, living overseas and four kids later. In 1997, I was surprised, pleased and supportive when my husband rolled home on a brand new BMW R1100GS on our 25th wedding anniversary. ‘Our’ bike did many kilometres, solo and two-up, on road trips and BMW Adventure Safaris. I was a happy pillion and was proud to be called his ‘pillion in a million’. We met other like-minded couples and would go for weekend overnights to country pubs. I always said I was happy on the back and I was – boredom was sometimes an issue but never comfort or enthusiasm. “With another couple we decided to get a bit more adventurous; a motorcycle tour of Rajasthan in India followed in early 2007. Upon
the bike. A few days later one of our group was experiencing back problems so I found myself riding his bike out of the imperial city of Fes. His back problem continued and I was given the option of concluding the tour by riding back into Marrakech – I could hardly sleep I was so excited and nervous and even the snow between there and our destination couldn’t deter me. I had joined the Riders’ Group. “On our return from Morocco we collected the new Honda 400. What a treat, but again the process of becoming familiar with the bike and how it feels, gaining confidence on tricky turns and learning to feel comfortable. Another 14,000km but this time it only took seven months.
“So I’ve made the decision to learn to ride and have begun the process. Several riding lessons have involved early morning sessions at a big local car park, supervised by David on his 1967 BSA Royal Star.
“I’m looking forward to a full motorbike licence and moving to the front seat!” If you’d like to find out more of what Ferris Wheels can offer the touring motorcyclist call them on 02 9970 6370 or email safari@ferriswheels.com.au. www. ferriswheels.com.au – Denise Ferris February 2012 – 31
www.cycletorque.com.au 32 - FEBRUARY 2012
CYCLE TORQUE
Cycle Torque Test - 2012 Beta 350 RR Enduro n TEST BY Shaun Moloney PHOTOS BY Adrian Fowler
Beta’s
better option
n RIDING GEAR: RXT helmet, MSR nylons and boots.
350cc might be smack bang in the middle of the enduro market but it’s where Beta starts its enduro range.
BETA might be pushing the line that its new 350cc enduro model is simply ‘the play bike’ but the 350RR is far from just a machine capable of going out to have a play in the dirt. Its capabilities reach far higher than mere play. The Italian manufacturer is well known for its trials and scooters, especially overseas but has yet to gain any real foothold in Australia. Trying to take a piece of off-road pie from some of the larger and maybe more well known companies is no easy task, but the 350RR has the ‘cred’ to cut right into that slice. Overall its four stroke range of enduro bikes is well stacked to cover a variety of riders and riding levels, especially the 350RR which is the right capacity for the fast growing mid-sized enduro market in Australia, and indeed the rest of the world. 32 – February 2012
Engine
S p e c i f i c at i o n s : 2012 Beta 390 RR Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single Capacity: 349cc Transmission: 6-speed Fuel Capacity: 8 litres Frame Type: Steel double cradle Seat Height: 940mm Dry Weight: 114 kg Front Suspension: Sachs 48mm USD Rear Suspension: Sachs monoshock Brakes: Single disc front and rear Tyres: 90/90-21, 140/80-18 Price (RRP): $11,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more
receive the treatment as well, but that will be covered shortly. New for 2012, the 350RR receives an As with many enduro bikes these days, upgrade to the camshaft bridge along with firing the Beta 350 RR (Race Replica) is a clutch components to increase durability mere case of turning on the fuel tap for of the motor. To further the longevity of the Keihin FCR-MX-39 carby and hitting the 349cc engine which features a bore the starter, which worked sweetly the of 88 millimetres and a stroke of 57.4 millimetres are two oil pumps which supply entire time we had the bike. Beta hasn’t gone down the fuel injection route as yet the lifeblood lubricant to separate parts but there were no fuelling issues. Idling of the engine. One pump feeds oil to the over quite sweetly, the 350 RR produces engine, while the second supplies oil to the a clean and crisp exhaust note, thanks no transmission. Also new for 2012 are new doubt to the new exhaust. The new Brembo fuel tank shrouds, front and rear guards, adjustable hydraulic clutch engages the headlight shroud and fork protectors. The transmission with a positive feel and it’s off frame also sees an upgrade with extra and cracking. gussets and an increase in diameter of the Powering up through the six speed lower frame tubes to improve stability transmission the 350 RR dishes out a and reduce flex. The upgrades and smooth yet strong delivery of power, which improvements don’t just finish there as the would keep a smile on all but the harshest brakes, clutch, suspension and exhaust all
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of critics. It’s not aggressive but progressive right into the very top end of the rev range, Powering up through the where power finally flattens out. Of course six speed there’s no real need to rev the bike this transmission the hard, as max power is made before you 350 RR dishes hit the limiter, and besides the trees are out a smooth yet whipping past at a rapid rate. strong delivery of power, which Low down torque is also strong too, so would keep a you can be a bit on the lazy side without smile on but the the fear of stalling or bogging the motor harshest of critics. down. Those who are used to riding a 250cc four-stroke will love this aspect of the 350 RR, as it takes much of the hard work out of sticky and snotty situations. If there is one little criticism, after stalling on a hill the bike was a little slow to wind over on the starter while in gear with the clutch pulled in, but that is only a minor point. Whether you are going flat out through the trees or working hard in the tight stuff, the average rider will feel right at home in regards to seat, ‘peg and handlebar positioning. An easy transition is made from sitting to standing and you can really get your weight well forward when required.
Suspension and the rest
It’s fine to have plenty of usable power on tap but it has to work well with both the suspension and braking systems to be a complete package and be competitive in the enduro market. Beta has certainly not skimped in either of those areas. Front suspension has been supplied by Sachs, which has developed the 48mm USD forks specifically for Beta, and features TFX anti stiction technology. Of course the forks are completely adjustable with compression and rebound adjustment, and are easily set up to a rider’s ability. The forks certainly felt firm yet progressive and not too harsh, no doubt thanks to the above mentioned technology and the harder you pushed the better they felt. The steering was not compromised either as the 350 RR was a good turner in the tight stuff, but steered equally as well across high speed trails and through rocky and rutted areas. For those stepping up from a smaller capacity bike, you may notice some additional weight, with the 350 RR tipping the scales at 114.5kg dry. It might sound heavy and did in fact feel heavier to push around than a couple of other featherweights we had in the Cycle Torque shed at the same time, but it is well balanced and really not any major issue, other than you noticing it a little in tight terrain. On the rear, suspension is again handled by an adjustable Sachs shock, which features high and low speed compression damping and adjustable rebound. We found it to be compliant across all terrain other than the odd kick on square edged bumps every now and then. We are sure that with more play time and a little more fine tuning with the suspension, this would be a mere blip on the radar though. 2012 sees the 350 RR receive new disc rotors with a 260mm floating front rotor clamped by a Nissin double piston caliper, while on the rear a 240mm single piston floating Nissin caliper handles the job. The brakes are well matched with the front being progressive and strong and we really liked how well it worked and felt, and while the back end doesn’t receive the accolades accredited to the front, it works very efficiently. In true European style there are a number of small yet very nice touches which make the 350 RR very easy to live with. Integrated grab handles within the rear guard and seat junction allow the rider to grab hold of the rear end and move it without any major fuss, even if it’s to drag it across the back of a ute or get it on a stand. We especially liked the tool-less removal of the seat whereby the push of the sprung button, the seat lifts and exposes the battery and air filter, and it’s these little things that can make a difference to the everyday trail rider and racer alike.
Verdict
Beta’s 350 RR is certainly a very good trail bike and it is starting to makes its mark on the podium both locally and around the world. For riders looking for a bit more power than a 250cc machine and who don’t want to step up to a more aggressive 450cc, this capacity machine really does hit the mark. And if you intend to throw it into the deep end of competition, or simply trick it up, there are a host of components available from your Beta dealer to make your bike a standout. Unless you are specifically after a larger capacity off road weapon, the 350 RR can cater to most riders needs whether they are an average punter or someone blazing a swathe through an enduro competition. A 350 RR will cost you $11,990 and Beta makes three other enduro models; 400, 450, 498, with the price going up slightly as the capacity increases. Warranty is six months parts and labour, unless you are subjecting it to race use of course. n
Compact instruments are less likely to get smashed.
More than a 250, less than a 450: nice balance.
Beautiful swingarm and Nissin brake.
Fat forks, new brakes, nice steering.
Push button to pop off the seat.
February 2012 – 33
E-TORQUE
BIKES are better than cars, movies are better than TV, the iPad is better than a magazine. Maybe not always true, but generally so, although the last one is going to be contentious, but I honestly believe it: the tablet computer, of which the iPad is the first and so far only real platform to display a great digital magazine. Cycle Torque is advanced in its development of an iPad version of the magazine, but it won’t be just pages of the magazine redesigned for a 10-inch screen: rather, it’s an immersive experience of photos, audio, video, and, of course, the printed word. Cycle Torque’s tablet/ iPad edition will offer so much more than a printed version ever could, at least without putting a DVD on the cover of each and every edition. We plan to put you in the saddle of test bikes with on-board footage, let you listen to the latest models with recordings of their sounds, show you more of each bike with galleries of images, from close-up detail images to our great action photography. Soon you’ll find Cycle Torque in the Newsstand section of your iPad, and you’ll be able to subscribe free, of course. Once you’ve subscribed each new issue will download automatically when it becomes available. It will feature all the articles in the print edition (which will continue
34 – February 2012
A better experience
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to be produced, see below) enhanced with extra content – the audio and video we’ve mentioned but also lots more photographs, extended articles and more. You’ll be able to integrate with social media like Facebook and Twitter as well as email directly to friends and advertisers. It’ll be great for advertisers, too. As a reader you’ll be able to click on a helmet ad and see a gallery of all the different colours and graphics, in full screen, for example. You’ll be able to go straight to the advertiser’s website for more information and even share the ad with a friend. At least initially you’ll need an iPad to experience this though. While we realise that while the iPad has been phenomenally successful, not everyone has or wants one, which is why the print edition will continue to be available in your local bike shop every month. I really think the people who try out the iPad edition will prefer it, because it offers so much more than the printed page, doesn’t consume any trees and requires no commuting to get it! As for inevitable “What about Android?” question, well, when there are lots of Android tablets out there we will develop for that platform too, but until then… And if you’re still reading and would like to become a beta tester for the iPad edition, please drop me an email to publisher@cycletorque.com.au. – Nigel Paterson
www.cycletorque.com.au
February 2012 – 35
1. www.cycletorque.com.au Motorcycle Camping
Bookshop
Motorcycle camping offers an inexpensive, comfortable, relaxing way to see the country, enjoy nature, and share stories with your friends around a campfire. With the wide choice of high quality products now available, camping by motorcycle has never been easier. But camping by motorcycle isn’t just a matter of buying high- tech equipment. This new edition is loaded with up-to-date, practical information such as evaluating your current bike for space and load-carrying capacity, what to look for in gear and how to use it, finding motorcycle-only campgrounds, planning and packing for your trip, dealing with “critters” at camp, learning how to cook without a microwave, and even some recipes. An extensive resource directory lists dozens of equipment suppliers to orient you in the overwhelming sea of information available today on gear, luggage, clothing, and even trailers.
$34.95 2. Billy Connolly’s Route 66
Having always dreamed about taking a trip on the legendary Route 66, Billy Connolly is finally heading off on the ride of a lifetime. Travelling all 2,488 miles of this epic road, known as ‘The Main Street of America’, the Big Yin will share the experiences of the countless travellers who have taken the journey before him. The tales he’ll gather on the way, from the skyscrapers of Chicago through the Wild West badlands of Oklahoma and Texas, and on to the beaches of the Pacific coast, will tell the story of modern America. And they might just inspire a few readers to get on their bikes as well.
$35.00 1
2
3. Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel
This book is written to help motorcyclists prepare themselves and their motorcycle for traveling long
distances over extended periods. Whether you are getting ready for a weekend trip beyond your home turf, or for a transcontinental odyssey lasting several years, Coyner’s book details the fundamentals for riding in comfort, safety, and convenience.
$55.00 4. Motorcycle Journeys Through Europe
Europe is high on everyone’s travel list. It has great roads, beautiful scenery, centuries of history, and is relatively safe. A potential stumbling block for some motorcyclists is the false perception that it costs too much and they don’t know exactly where to go. Toby Ballentine maintains in Motorcycle Journeys Through Europe that you can rent a bike in Europe affordably. It has great roads, beautiful scenery, centuries of history, and is relatively safe.
3
$44.95 5. Motorcycle Journeys Through Southwest 2/e
A detailed guide to the best riding roads in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Covering areas such as Seattle and Portland, the coasts of Washington, Oregon and Northern California as well as the volcano areas, desert areas of Oregon and even up into British Columbia. With spectacular scenery and awesome roads, the Pacific Northwest is an excellent place to go on tour.
$42.99 6. Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps and Beyond 4/e 4
5
This fourth edition of John Hermann’s classic alpine motorcycle touring guide is the complete resource for any traveller to the high and twisty roads of Europe. Covering more area than any previous edition, Hermann’s fun-to-read text has been thoroughly updated and expanded. New trips to the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa mountain ranges in Spain have been added, the maps now have mountain relief backgrounds to highlight the topography, and many spectacular new pictures have been added. Every region of the Alps is covered: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and even special alpine lookalike places such as Corsica and Slovenia. Each recommended trip has a detailed route description, easy-to-follow maps, advice on places to stay and things to do, and unique photographs.
$65.00 7. Motorcycle Journeys Through the Pacific Northwest
6 36 – February 2012
Motorcycle Journeys through the Northwest shows visitors to the region and lifetime locals exciting trips that author Bruce Hansen has planned and perfected. This book, designed from top to bottom for motorcyclists, includes: relief maps for each trip, section, and chapter; photocopy-able spreads with detailed maps and directions for easy placement in a tankbag map window; more than 30 great trips that span 5 states and parts of Canada and include the twistiest, most scenic roads the Northwest has to offer; and the best places to eat, sleep, and pitch your tent.
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$49.95
ThE gREAT AusTRALIAn $32.99 ROAD bIkE 9. 2010 Ducati MotoGP & Superbike www.cycletorque.com.au
8. Twisting Throttle America
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.
“… I also think motorcycle riding Aussies in general are realising what the Europeans have known for Through words and images we can relive the most exciting moments of the year, the 2007 World years, that bikes like the Multistrada Champion Casey Stoner and Noriuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio in the Superbike championship. This and the Stelvio are more suitedyear foris presented in a collectors edition which symbolises all theDUCATI emotional prestigeMULTISTRADA of a marque that has written and continues to write some of the most exciting chapters in the history of world everyday riding.”
IT’S a long held thought by those who care to think it that Australian riders bow to fashion rather than form. What I mean by that is we would rather a day. Like I said, the great Australian road a jar up my back from one bump look cool and ride a sportsbike, even though motorcycle racing. bike. in 2000 kilometres. This is a bike our roads aren’t like racetracks, instead of What does the future have in store for made for our roads; you can riding a machine which is far better suited the sportsbike? Many are bought for track keep high cruising speeds on shit to our road system and the type of country days or racing, and if you’ve ridden any roads and if the corners turn tight you can equivalent leaves me a bit cold, unless I we have. When you look at new motorcycle of the flagship 1000cc sportsbikes from select sports mode and get amongst it. If you could afford a new Panigale or Gixxer purely sales figures each year for sportsbikes there is any manufacturer on the track then you’ll want to explore some dirt, no probs but don’t for track days. Buy one for the road though? a definite drop in sales trend. As a collective realise that’s where they belong. I think pretend it’s a dirt bike unless you are a very No thanks. riding group have we finally realised that there will always be a market for that type experienced adventure rider. Trying to keep these sorts of bikes at the road lumps and bumps are soaked up of bike here but I also think motorcycle The other machine we had over Christmas speed limit is hard work. I remember one better with longer travel suspension, and Name______________________________ Book Title: __________________________________ Qty:____ Price:_______ riding Aussies in general are realising what is the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200. You particular trip back from the GP with a group that a more upright riding position is more the Europeans have known for years, that might remember the last time we tested one of mates where we pretended there were no comfortable? Address___________________________ Title: __________________________________ Price:_ _____ bikesQty:____ like the Multistrada and_the Stelvio are we wrote it off out the back of Bourke. I liked speed limits for quite aBook long stretch of road. As a motorcycle magazine editor you more suited for everyday riding. Of course the bike but not everyone on our adventure What a rush, but at the same time bloody would think I’d have my finger on the pulse P/C___________Ph:_______________ there’s a multitudePrice:_ of bikes which fit into this trip last year felt the same, citing size and dangerous and silly. But that’s where bikes__________________________________ of everything motorcycling, but in reality Book Title: Qty:____ ______ category but the Multi and the Stelvio are weight went against it. I reckon the 2012 like this come into their own. It’s what they I usually plenty ofVisA other meaningless cardhave type: M/card Exp. date: __/__ CVC___ good examples. Price:________ model with($10.00 the massive 32 litre tank is a are made to do. drivel blasting through the shrinking thing Postage & handling: or Free if more than $100 spent)_ Card __ _ _that _ _ I_have _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Recently _ So, now you know I have a preference for better bike than the last model, and not just I’ve spent some time on a couple inside myNumbeR: skull. Having said the all-rounder motorcycle. I have shown because it’s got a bigger tank. The fuelling of bikes which are marketed as adventure taken a bit of a look recently at what sort more than 3? List them on a separate sheet. included:________ Signature_________________________ you a window into the motorcycle part of my seems better, the suspension feels Total better, andAmount bikes but I like to thinkWant of them as Australian of motorcycles come past me on the road. Cheques or money orders should be made out to Motorcycle brain. it just steers beautifully. The panniers might road bikes. You might have read about our The truth of it is I am seeing less and less Send your order to: Multistrada Book Sales, Cycle Torque, POout Box Warners Bay, NSW Publishing Pty Ltd. stick a bit687, but you can always stick them2282 Oh look, the bike transport man has just long term Ducati 1200. It’s got sportsbikes come past, and more and more shown up with the new Aprilia RSV4 for us in (02) the shed if you aren’t on tour. Once again, all the fruit; electronic suspension, panniers, adventure style machines taking their place. Ph: (02) 4956 9820, Fax: 4956 9824 to test. Let’s start it up. Bloody hell, listen to the bike is marketed as an adventure bike but traction control and power modes. Just As a young bloke I lusted after SS Ducatis that would you! Look how little it is. Quick, it’s a lot of motorcycle to take off road unless before Christmas I rode it to Queensland and and early slab sided GSX-R750/1100s, where’re my leathers? you know what you’re doing. It’s perfect for back with a couple of mates and had a blast. wondering how I could afford to buy – Chris Pickett our roads, and can rack up lots of miles in What a fantastic bike. I don’t think I even got one. Now the thought of riding a modern
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$75.00
To Order Call 02 4956 9820
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Shop online at www.cycletorque.com.au
www.cycletorque.com.au w ww.ccycletorquuee.ccom m.a .aau
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February 2012 – 37
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INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
Get on the Roadiac
Retro cool
CHECK out these shirts from Stance & Style. Both the SWS Evil1 Moto jersey, and the SWS Moto Genuine parts shirt are made from breathable material which is cool for summer. There are plenty of styles and sizes available too. Price: Moto Jersey – $45, shirt – $35 Available from: Direct from Stance & Style on 07 5477 7650. More info: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
NANKANG has recently expanded its range of Roadiac sports touring tyres, introduced in 2011, to cater for a greater range of sizes. The Nankang team has also continued to develop its ‘Jointless Space Belt’ technology. Cycle Torque has recently fitted a set to a Suzuki GSX-R750 to see how they fare in the real world. Many sizes available. Price: Fronts from $145, rears from $185. Available from: Good bike shops and accessory stores More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
Tiger cans
Afterburner
LET’S face it, we all like to wear cool helmets but we also like to know they are good quality items that will cut the mustard if we have a crash. KBC helmets are top quality items, we can attest they feel nice to wear, and the new VR2R Afterburn helmet certainly looks cool. It comes in sizes to suit everyone. Price: Graphics models – $299, solid colours – $279. Available from: Good bike and accessory stores More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
38 – February 2012
MC PERFORMANCE Mufflers has some trick new mufflers for the Triumph Tiger 800 and 800XC. We’ve used a number of MC Performance’s mufflers over the years and found them to be top quality products. If you like shiny go for the stainless steel mufflers, if you like the dark look go for the carbon fibre with titanium ends. Price: From $650 for s/steel – $790 for c/fibre. Available from: Direct from MC Performance on 03 5633 1845 or 0418 549 730. More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
Shark protection
I WILL admit to having been pretty lucky while riding on tracks for more than 20 years, having had more than a few close call but only two crashes, the second one being recent, painful and My Own Stupid Fault. I was testing a machine and decided to adjust some of the controls while on the move… which meant I got to the next corner too early. I handled that problem OK, but while trying to get back on line from a low speed the bike bucked me off, throwing me up and over… I came down on my head and right shoulder. One cracked rib, a badly bruised shoulder and some scratched gear (and bike) was the result. Surprisingly, I didn’t have a headache. The Shark RSR 2 carbon helmet I was wearing really did it’s job, saving my scone despite a big bash on the bitumen. Until it was put the ultimate test, the RSR 2 was my choice of track helmet: very lightweight thanks to its carbon-fibre composite construction. A snug fit, a high back so it didn’t bash into neck padding on leathers, excellent visibility and ventilation and a plush, fully washable liner, the RSR was hard to fault - which is good, because it’s a high-priced, top of the range lid. Now, if only I could get one to protect my ribs... – Nigel Paterson Price: $995.95 (but there’s a new model coming, so ask for a deal!) Available from: Good bike shops and accessory stores More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
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Ladies only
THE Honda Heritage Collection offers vintage inspired styles that pay tribute to the early days of Honda while the Team Honda Racing collection is inspired by Honda’s iconic racing association. A variety of different style and products are available, from the ladies Vintage Racing hoodie to the ladies Cuban cap. Price: Hoodie – $79 Available from: Honda dealers nationwide More info: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
Travel proof
THESE terrific dry pouches keep valuable stuff like phones, passports, wallet, medications, iPads and maps perfectly dry and dust protected. Essentially a hi tech zip lock bag, the Loksak bags are flexible, re-sealable, and come in a variety of sizes. Price: 4 pouch multi pack set $20 Available from: Direct from Andystrapz 03 9770 2207. More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
Sweet tunes
Packed up
ONE of Cycle Torque’s occasional contributors has fitted a set of Staintune Teardrop mufflers to his new Triumph Bonneville. They do look pretty neat but it’s the sound and increase in performance which make them cool. Fitting is easy, and with most fuel injected bikes you shouldn’t really need to alter fuel settings unless you are looking for every little extra bit of power. Most noticeable is the extra grunt in the mid range. The pipes really do look and sound fantastic, and the sound from the Teardrops are different to the reverse cone megaphones. Both look good but it all depends on the look you are after. Price: $1200 Available from: Good bike shops and accessory stores, or direct from Staintune More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
YAMAHA Racing has a new back available, just the shot for carrying gear whether you’re on the bike or not. It has multiple storage compartments, and even an iPod/MP3 or similar pocket with ear phone gate. Price: $79.53 Available from: Yamaha dealers nationwide More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more
No hard ground
HOW much is good night’s sleep worth? Ask someone who’s just spent an uncomfortable, cold night in a tent. We happily pay $150 for a motel room to use a lumpy bed once so why skimp on a camping mattress? Exped are arguably the world leaders in the inflatable mattress field and DownMats are the top of their game. The integrated pump ensures swift and intuitive inflation of the mat. Two thicknesses, and two sizes in each thickness are available. Price: $180-$255 + postage. Available from: Direct from Andy Strapz on 03 9770 2207. More inf o: www.cycletorque.com.au/more February 2012 – 39
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Cycle Torque Test - Triumph Rocket III Touring ABS
Cruising tourer
n TEST BY Chris Pickett PHOTOS BY Nigel Paterson
Is the Rocket III Touring a cruiser or a tourer? It’s both. n RIDING GEAR: Zeus helmet, Triumph jacket, Draggin Jeans, Razor boots.
Origins
Based on the Rocket III which was first released back in 2004, the Touring finally came to Aussie showrooms for the 2008 model year. During that time the bike hasn’t changed much. It still has the monster inline three cylinder engine which has around 105 horsepower and 203Nm of torque available to the rider. No, the 203Nm isn’t a misprint. I suppose with car-like engine capacity you would expect car like torque figures. But when it’s in a machine weighing lots less than your average four cylinder shopping trolley, you can be assured this bike hauls arse from idle. I was never a fan of the IN THE motorcycle engine capacity Rocket III if truth be told, stakes not much can take on the Triumph it didn’t like to corner and was extremely Rocket III. With 2294cc in the three engine uncomfortable. I can understand why pots giving the rider no end of torque, you people like them though, but it just wasn’t could almost see the bike making do with my cup of tea. It’s a personal thing. But I three gears, not five. do remember following a then Triumph And with only a few minor changes in employee – who shall remain wheel size and suspension, the nameless – who was doing The Rocket III things on a Rocket III which Touring is a much better road bike than the Rocket III it was based on Touring is a defied belief. Yes they can be in the first place. well developed ridden very hard indeed. When you compare the package... 40 – February 2012
two current Rocket III models there’s not a lot of parts which are shared between the two bikes. Of course the engine is, but the Touring has a different frame and swingarm, the styling is different, and also the wheels and suspension. When I attended the Rocket III Touring launch back in 2008 I found the bike a revelation. With a smaller back wheel/tyre combo (240/50-16 down to a 180/70-16) and longer travel suspension it went around corners with ease, handled bumps unlike any other cruiser I had ridden at that time, and was comfortable. In my mind Triumph did a fantastic job on the Touring.
Current model
A basic overview of the mechanical package shows you get the big 2.3 litre engine, five speed gearbox and shaft drive. Suspension offers no adjustment, except for five pre-load levels on the twin rear shocks. Two decent sized brake rotors and Nissin four-piston calipers are at the front, and a twin-piston Brembo caliper does the rear, and ABS comes standard on Australian delivered bikes. It tips the scales at a noninsubstantial 395 kilos, and tank capacity is 22.3 litres. It’s a handsome motorcycle, with huge twin mufflers low slung at the rear, colour matched hard panniers standard, quick release screen standard, and spring mounted footboards rather than ’pegs. The pillion gets footboards too. Gauges sit in a tank mounted binnacle and
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are a mix of analogue and digital. All the info you need sits there.
The ride
Make no mistake, the Touring is a big sucker and can be a handful manoeuvring around the driveway or car park. Because the centre of gravity is quite low much of this disappears when you are underway though. Out on the open road those used to riding large machines will barely notice the nearly 400 kilo weight. Even though the bike looks a lot like a cruiser it didn’t give my back the same hard time I usually get with other cruisers. I think this comes down to a combination of seat shape and height, footboard positioning and the pulled back handlebars. Whatever, I find it a pretty comfy mile eater. The pillion gets a nice perch too, with the seat wide and well shaped. This thing has got some grunt too. No matter what gear at whatever revs, when you open the throttle the bike lifts its skirts and just spears into the distance. No fuss, no noticeable step in power, just bang, you’re there. It’s a very neutral handler too, tipping in nicely, much easier
than you would expect a bike of this size to. It can be ridden quite fast, even in tight corners. Both front and rear brakes can be used to great effect, allowing you to squat the bike into the tar, throw it onto its side and then use the grunt of the engine to punch you out of the corner. If you’d rather use the bike for touring, it does a great job of that as well. The screen height might not suit everyone but that can be changed, and with the standard waterproof panniers and accessory rear rack and bag if you need them you have a bike more than capable of taking decent amounts of luggage and heading out for a lap of Australia.
The last word
If you write this bike off as only a cruiser with panniers you will be doing it an injustice. The Rocket III Touring is a well developed package which will handle much more than just a trip to the milk bar. At $23,990 + ORC ($1000 more than the Roadster) it’s well priced in its market sector, and the engines are built to do ridiculous miles. n
The instrument binnacle fits the ‘understated’ style of the bike.
While the front brakes look basic enough, the bike stops very well.
S p e c i f i c at i o n s : triumph rocket iii touring Engine Type: Liquid-cooled triple Capacity: 2294c Transmission: 5-speed Fuel Capacity: 22.3 litres Frame Type: Tubular steel Seat Height: 730mm Wet Weight: 395 kg Front Suspension: 43mm Kayaba Rear Suspension: Twin Kayaba Brakes: Twin disc front and single rear Tyres: 150/80-16, 180/70-16 Price (RRP): $23,990 + ORC www.cycletorque.com.au/more Call for a quote
1800 24 34 64
WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*
February 2012 – 41
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Cycle Torque Long Termer - Project ZX-10R
No more
squat Cycle Torque’s ZX-10R has had everyone touching its bum. WHEELSTANDS might look great, and they are fun to do, but on the racetrack if your bike is trying to point its nose in the air all the time then your lap times are slower than they could be. In the last instalment of our Project ZX-10R we had raced the 2011 ZX-10R for the first time, in round three of the Formula Xtreme series at Eastern Creek. Even though we achieved a personal best lap time of 1m 39.7s, riding the bike at that pace seemed hard work, with it trying to launch into the stratosphere coming over the hump between turns three and four, out of turn five up the hill, then coming onto the main straight. As we said, lots of fun, but not so fast. It was obvious we needed to do something with the rear shock before we raced it again. There are a number of options here: we could go with rebuilding the standard Kawasaki shock, order a custom made shock or buy something online. We looked at two serious options first, and they both centred around buying brand new shocks. First we looked at getting an Öhlins TTX shock from overseas, believe it or not via eBay. In a nutshell you buy the shock (about $1400 AUS delivered) and let them know your weight and intended use. The shock is then given the correct spring before shipping. Before that though a mate gave Wilburs shock absorbers a great plug, telling us how he liked his race shock in his BMW S 1000 RR. We rang ASR Suspension in Victoria and were very impressed by the information we received. The shock is built in Germany after you provide the vital statistics needed, like weight etc. There was one small catch, we couldn’t get one before the next meeting. This then left us the option of an Öhlins via eBay, or do something with the standard shock, if we wanted to make changes for the next round. A chance tip off from a happy customer had us driving an hour and a half north of Newcastle, to see Brad Fitzgerald from Reliance Motorsport, 42 – February 2012
n ALEX PICKETT IN ACTION
which is located in the sleepy mining town of Aberdeen. It turns out Brad is a very experienced motorcycle mechanic, who also just happens to know plenty about suspension. Dirt, road or road racing, Brad knows what he’s doing. The new shop is located at 119 New England Highway (02 6543 8473, 0413 086 854), and besides servicing and repairing motorcycles, the crew also sells oils, accessories and apparel. We told Brad we didn’t have enough rebound or compression damping control, but that rebound was the major issue. He played around with the compression and rebound shim stacks, and installed a Race Tech Separator Valve. Of course we also changed the rear spring to a heavier unit, from the standard 9.7 kilo spring to an 11 kilo spring. We just happened to have an Öhlins 11 and 11.5 kilo springs which we were able to fit onto the Kawasaki shock. The idea was for us to try it and go from there. Off to the track we went for the final round of the Formula Xtreme series at Eastern Creek and the difference was immediately felt. The bike felt more stable than before under acceleration, and while it still wanted to wheelie it was less than before. Our times dropped by close to half a second from before, but we were also on different tyres so this could have clouded the times a bit. There was no doubt though that Brad’s first go at the shock was pretty good, seeing the general consensus with most big capacity road racing bikes is you throw the rear shock away and replace it with an aftermarket unit. We were already very happy with the standard Big Piston front forks which needed no adjustments as far as we were concerned. Then we had the chance to try an Öhlins shock
from Phil Lovett who had gone to K-Tech suspension from England for his ZX-10R. This wasn’t a suck it and see scenario because Phil had spent lots of time and money dialling in the Öhlins TTX shock. We decided to give it a try and if it was fine we could buy the shock off Phil. In qualifying we knew straight away we would be buying the shock. It felt great, and our qualifying time was over a second and a half quicker than the best lap time the day before. In each race on Sunday we went faster each time out, and even though our fastest lap time (1m 38.6s) was only one second faster than the previous round, and half a second faster than on the re-valved shock, it was the fact we were consistently doing those times, rather than plucking one fast lap out of the hat so to speak. We also needed some extra ride height so before the round we placed a few spacers at the top of the shock to give us an extra 20mm of ride height at the rear wheel. This seems to be a common modification on ZX-10R race bikes, well 2011 models at least. It was definitely better to steer into corners and helped reduce squat, but the downside was the bike needed the steering damper adjusted full hard, and it still wobbled slightly down the straight at full noise. A little disconcerting at first but we got used to it and preferred it over the standard arse-down set up. We used the same spacers with both shocks. Next we would like to fit some wider handlebars, some that maybe sit up higher as well, just to give some extra leverage so taming the big ZX-10R is a bit easier. There’s no doubt punting this bike at race pace is loads harder than racing the Triumph Daytona 675 last year, but it’s lots of fun. Power is addictive. If you want to see our ZX-10R in action at Eastern Creek check out the Hot Lap video on www.cycletorque.com.au. – Alex Pickett
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How you come out of a corner will always depend on your preparation leading in to it. That’s why it’s crucial for you to consider the following factors on approach. • POSITION: Start corners wide, plan to finish in tight and keep out of the head-on zone. • SPEED: Adjust your speed in anticipation of the corner, as well as traffic and weather conditions. • GEAR: Change down to the appropriate gear to get you into and out of the approaching corner.
Look out for yourseLf February – 43 for more information please call 1322012 213
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QUAD TORQUE
Workin’ class quad
Quad Squad
KAWASAKI’s reckons its new KVF300 is a perfect fit in the entry level sport quad market. While the KVF300 looks like a bit of a workhorse, Kawasaki says it is also designed to offer the man on the land a bit of fun in between jobs.
INSPIRATIONAL young Australians Jamie Kenyon, 25, and Kristopher Davant, 27, have raised more than $50,000 for Oxfam in their record-breaking journey around the world on quads. They crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge on October 22 surrounded by a high profile convoy of motorcycles to complete their record-breaking journey. Jamie and Kristopher covered 57,000km on a 14-month journey that started in Turkey and crossed 38 countries, breaking the world record for the longest journey on quad bikes. The boys faced immense personal tragedy with the death of the third Expedition Quad Squad member Valerio De Simoni in an accident in Malawi, yet determination and courage saw them continue the journey in their friend’s honour. Expedition Quad Squad aims to raise $100,000 to support Oxfam Australia’s work improving people’s access to food and a sustainable income in Southern Africa, which the boys saw first-hand during their journey. Kenyon and Davant were joined at the completion of their epic journey by hundreds motorcyclists and hundreds of supporters outside the Overseas Passenger Terminal,
Some of its features include a 271cc single cylinder engine, which is liquid cooled, a CVT transmission and dual disc brakes on the front. For storage there’s a couple of handy waterproof compartments, and of course the racks which come standard. Keeping the rider abreast of what the engine is doing is a comprehensive LCD dash. including Oxfam Australia Executive Director Andrew Hewett.
The retail price for the KVF300 is $6,499. n
“The Quad Squad are incredibly inspirational young Australians and Oxfam is honoured to be associated with their remarkable achievement through their fundraising support for our work,” Mr Hewett said. “Fourteen months, 57,000km on the road and a world record for the longest journey on quad bikes, while facing extraordinary personal challenges, is truly admirable.” A representative from Guinness World Records presented them with their record certificate, and Oxfam Australia Executive Director Andrew Hewett thanked them for their support. To find out more and donate to Quad Squad visit www.expedition.org.au or www.oxfam. org.au. n
Stampede sale HONDA is holding a massive sale on its entire atv range. Until March 31 2012 you can get a variety of Honda Dollar deals on the range, depending on the exact model you want to buy. Honda Dollars can be used to reduce the price of the atv or you can use them to buy accessories, parts or even for servicing. Check out your local Honda dealer or visit www.hondamotorcycles.com.au for more details. n
Polaris goes rallying
SINCE the introduction of the Polaris RZR in 2008, the sport of SxS Racing has exploded in North America, with tens of thousands of Polaris SxS now sold each year. In Australia Polaris RZR owners have been welcomed at events all over the country, from the Outback races such as Finke Desert Race and Cliffhanger, to KharnaCross and plenty of other events endorsed by CAMS or the Cross Country
everything is standard apart from the necessary safety changes such as approved racing cage and harnesses. “We are very keen that this not become cheque book racing. As a result, there will be no engine or transmission modifications allowed. Even the alloy wheels must be stock.” Rounds: Mar 2-4 Rally Calder Melbourne VIC. Mar 31-April 1 Quit Forest Rally Busselton WA. May 26-27 International Rally Sunshine Coast QLD. Oct 13-14 Coffs Coast Forest Rally NSW.
Now begins the scramble for competitors to have cages built in time for the first round. Polaris has commissioned Brown Davis to make the cage for “One of the key things the ARC SxS Racing will deliver is a CAMS nationally Polaris Racing’s #1 driver Cody Crocker. Competitors are free to choose their recognised cage spec. From 2012 a Polaris RZR owner will be able to enter a own manufacturer or make it themselves, so long as it complies with CAMS host of different CAMS events with the one spec vehicle” said Neil Anderson, Schedule J. Polaris National Marketing Manager. Check out www.rally.com.au for more information on how to enter these “The only permitted vehicles in the events will be the Polaris RZR XP and 44 – February 2012 events. n the Can-Am Commander. This will effectively be a stock class, basically Drivers Association.
LETTERS :TORQUING
BACK
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Happy non camper I recently rode up to Port Macquarie and on to Walcha via the brilliant Oxley Highway, to attend the Cop You Later Rally in Moonbi the following day. Stayed a tad long at the Long Flat pub after chatting with a local on his ‘tidy and original’ RZ350 Yammie... and rode the last 40 mins to Walcha in the cold’n’dark dodging ‘roos… I’d booked a room earlier in the week at the Commercial Hotel as I’d spent time there many moons ago after a run up Thunderbolts Way, and liked the place. Unbeknownst to me the place had changed hands and been ‘run down’ by the next owner. Fortunately it had more recently been bought by Colin and Vivian Gillespie (formerly from Port Macquarie) and they’ve performed a spectacular refurbishing of the place. So, to be greeted by a smiling host, secure my bike in their lockup and shown to a cozy room after a long day in the saddle was just the ticket. A couple of ciders in the bar with a few of the locals and a superb meal to follow (best pork cutlets and veg I’ve ever had) ensured a blissful kip to follow. Colin’s a biker himself and if you ask him nicely I’m sure he will let you see his pride’n
joys.... The following morning after a complimentary continental brekky, I thanked my hosts and told them I’d help spread the word... This is a new venture for these folk and I reckon they deserve a look-see if you’re up that way... Ian Griffiths Surrender your helmet or leave. I have been a rider for only a few years and I was surprised when I came across the following situation. I entered Toronto Workers Club (NSW) and was told I could leave my motorcycle helmet and backpack on the bike, outside or at reception, but I could not enter the club with them. When I asked for the reason for this I was told that the helmet is a security risk to the staff and a ‘Hold-up Risk’ or the back pack might contain a knife or a gun or even drugs that I may want to sell within the club. I offered all my gear for inspection and it was declined as their security staff are not qualified to inspect such items. This was the latest time I have been
stopped for this issue; previously I have been granted access when I have spoken to the ‘Duty Manager’. After the events in late October 2011 I have exchanged emails with the CEO and had two meetings with him. The first did seem to resolve one issue but he has not carried forward on this, it was to have a place I (or others) could place their helmet that was safe till they were leaving the club. The second meeting was very brief. This was when I was told to ‘Give the helmet to reception, leave it outside or don’t come in here’. If the helmet is damaged while in the care of the club who is responsible for the replacement? If the helmet were dropped, would I be told? If I were not told I could be risking my safety by using a damaged helmet. What are the legalities in a case like this? If someone were to wear a “Hoodie” or carry in a Balaclava, Beanie, Akubra or Baseball Cap they are not required to leave the item at reception. I would hazard a guess there are more hold-
ups in Australia by people wearing either “Hoodies” or Balaclavas than motorcycle helmets. Peter Macpherson Fixed bike I’d like to give one of your advertisers, Motohansa, a free plug. Recently I took my motorcycle to them, no not a BMW or a Triumph which they regularly work on but another brand of machine, to repair a fault which another bike shop could not diagnose. In fact it cost me many dollars for the other bike shop to misdiagnose the fault, and charge me for repairs for said misdiagnosis, only for the fault to show up again when I least expected it, and which could have caused me much more pain physically and financially. Anyway, Motohansa at Rydalmere in Sydney fixed the bike and I could not be more happy with the service they provided. Name withheld on request
Write A Letter!
WIN A Great PRIZE
This month Ian Griffiths has won a Cargol Turn & Go puncture repair kit. Available from better bike shops everywhere and there’s a video of one being used on the Cycle Torque website. Send your letters (and/or great bike pictures) to The Editor, Cycle Torque, PO Box 687 Warners Bay, NSW 2282 or email chris@cycletorque.com.au. February 2012 – 45