KIWIRIDER November 2009 by KIWI RIDER MAGAZINE

A NEW STANDARD. A NEW EXPECTATION. THE NEW AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE

速

DEFYING CONVENTION AROUND EVERY CORNER. VICTORY MOTORCYCLES @ VICTORY AUCKLAND UNIT 1, 180 GREAT SOUTH ROAD, TAKANINI. PHONE 09 299 1006.

0508 842 867 | www.victorymotorcycles.co.nz Overseas models shown with optional accessories.

REGULARS ROAD RIDDEN ................................................42 Moto Guzzi Bellagio

ROAD FEATURES

MORONEY ........................................ 73

BMW F 800 R – 21 Describing a bike as a ‘practical, sensible all-rounder’ sounds like you’re damning it with faint praise. But that’s deﬁnitely not the case when it’s BMW’s F 800R t you’re talking about. KR Editor Ross MacKay explains why.

Strange days & stranger nights

CAN-AM SPYDER – 28 Recreational vehicle specialist Can-Am was conﬁdent its threewheel Spyder sports-tourer would ﬁnd a ready market. KR Sales and Marketing man Ian Ferguson went along to the launch.

BRONZ .................................................79 Warning! Turbulence ahead

APRILIA DORSODURO – 37 Trouser tent material! That’s what stunt man Stretch reckoned when he ﬁrst clapped eyes on Aprilia’s new Dorsoduro. But, as he discovered once he took possession (literally! Ed) of the test bike, a tall, skinny near 100hp Supermotard is not for everyone.

NASH ..................................................75 All smoke and mirrors BORN AGAIN BIKER ........................77 Talking turkey!

CLASSICS ...........................................81 AJS G10 GASTROM RIDER ..............................85 The Kauri Gum Country Store ROAD COMPETITION .......................87 Avalon Biddle & Jaden Hassan

INSIDE WSB – 45 For 2009, Kawasaki switched its World Superbike Championship support from the Italian PSG-1 team to the British Paul Bird Motorsport outﬁt. A big call, as KR’s tech guru Michael Esdaile relates.

ROAD PRODUCTS .............................93 See it, want it, must have it

SPEED WEEK AT BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS – 52 New Zealand photojournalists Dave Ayres and Cliff Field fulﬁlled long held ambitions to make their own pilgrimage to the Southern California Timing Association’s annual Speed Week event to see what it was all about.

DIRT COMPETITION........................141

GIVE ‘EM A TASTE OF (COLD) KIWI! – 57 We sent Nash to report on this year’s event

HANDY ANDY...................................155 Young, gifted & heading for the top

THE BAND OF BROTHERS TOUR – 61 When keen bike rider Marty Sincock was killed in a workplace accident last year his friends were hit hard. To honour him they got together for the inaugural Marty Sincock Memorial Ride.

BT........................................................157

DIRT FEATURES YAMAHA YZ450F – 107 Deadline pressure meant we could only squeeze the briefest of details of Yamaha’s ground-breaking new 2010 model YZ450F into the October issue of Kiwi Rider. So here’s the full story. SUZUKI RM-Z450 – 114 Suzuki stole a march on its rivals when, two years ago now, it fuel-injected its range-topping RM-Z450 MXer. Yes there were teething troubles but on the evidence of the latest ’10 model KR Dirt Ed Ollie Sharp reckons they have been well and truly sorted. 2010 KTM RANGE – 120 What do you call a launch where there are no technically new bikes? No, we don’t know either. But that didn’t stop us sending ex-Ed Bentman and his UK-based sidekick ‘Kiwi’ to Tuscany for KTM’s 2010 model launch. HONDA CRF250X – 129 You’ve heard of the strong, silent type? Good, because that description ﬁts Honda’s CRF250X to a tee says Ollie Sharp. ON THE ROAD IN THE USA – 135 Like a lot of good ideas this one started over a few beers. An MX-focused ‘road trip’ across the United States. In this, the ﬁrst in a two-part story about the trip Gerry O’Kane takes us on a whistle-stop tour from LA to Millville. ON TOUR – MOUNT COOK – 145 What to do with a sunny weekend in the middle of winter when it’s too windy to ski? Why, hop on the new 1200 GS and head to Mt Cook for the weekend. Jane Powell has the story. THE DUSTY BUTT 148 The annual Dusty Butt 1000 km adventure ride is a tough enough prospect on a medium to large capacity bike. So when Racing Dave told us he was planning to ride the next one on an NXR125 Honda we just had to know more.

PAGE 21

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2009

ROAD NEWS.........................................8

PAGE 28

REGULARS DIRT DIRT NEWS .......................................106 TRAIL TIPS ........................................153 This month it’s hand guards. DIRT PRODUCTS ............................159 Need it, want it, must have it

PAGE 37

Back in the saddle KR KIDS .............................................167 This month we test the Kawasaki range of kids’ bikes plus Liam Draper evaluates Fox Shocks and we have Hamish Dobbyn’s MX column. LOOKING BACK ...............................172 Five, ten and ﬁfteen years ago today! BIKE MART .......................................173 PAGE 57

COVER PHOTO: 09 MV Agusta Brutale 1078R taken by The Shooter in Auckland 2/10/ 09 www.theshooter.co.nz

Contributions: Kiwi Rider welcomes editorial contributions from its readers. If you would like to write something up for KR e-mail a précis to the Editor at editor@ kiwirider.co.nz. Electronic transmission of words (Microsoft word. doc) and pictures (hi-res jpgs) preferred. Advertising: Got a hot product or service and want some real bang for your advertising buck? KR offers a complete in-house advertising design and production service. To ﬁnd out more talk to Pete (pete@kiwirider.co.nz) or Ian (ian@kiwirider.co.nz)

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KIWI RIDER 5

FIRST WORD ROSS MACKAY

ROAD SAFETY THE REAL ISSUES

Anger’s a great motivator. I know, because over the years it’s only when something has got me really riled that I do something about it. Case in point, the Ministry of Transport’s latest Safer Journeys discussion document (which you can download at http://www. transport.govt.nz/saferjourneys/). I was ﬁrst alerted to this tired old recycling of patch-like ‘quick-ﬁxes’ when I was marking up this month’s BRONZ column but it wasn’t until BMW Motorrad’s local man John Glasswell rang and asked if I had any comments that I actually downloaded and read it. At which point the bile started to rise... In short. What a lot of tired old handwringing bullshit. While the vision – ‘a safe road system that is increasingly free of road deaths and serious injury’ – is worthy, the terms of reference were like a stuck record . . . reduce speeds, reduce the legal adult blood alcohol level, change the Give Way rule, increase the number of speed (they call them ‘road safety’) cameras, raise the age at which you can get your license, etc etc.

Why? In my opinion it’s down to one of two things, the ﬁrst the road surface, the second the ability or otherwise of the driver to control the vehicle he or she is riding/driving. Let’s look at these two things in depth because the rest – in my humble opinion – is missing the point. Our roads are a disgrace. It’s that simple. Every time I cross the Tasman to attend a test launch I have to recalibrate my brain in order to keep up with the local scribes. The reason? Australia doesn’t do decreasing radius corners . . . you know, the ones where you barrel in then ﬁnd yourself suddenly having to stand the bike up mid-corner to scrub off speed before chucking the thing back on its side to try and get around.

‘While I’m sure they don’t help, the key cause of an accident isn’t speed, alcohol, drugs or talking on a cellphone. It is plain, simple old loss of control

experience of vehicle dynamics. Start in schools and start with things you have to balance – those little scooters the kids like these days, plus bicycles and mopeds. Add in karts and quads for variety and use school playgrounds (grass is good) or netball courts to teach kids the basics from age ﬁve or six.

Road surface is the other bugbear on this side of the Tasman. Expedience (read costcutting) means even new roads are surfaced with crushed river gravel laid on a bed of tar (rather than smooth, machine-laid macadam). Over the years parts of the road slump and the depressions ﬁll up with tar which bleeds out of the subsurface in hot weather leaving areas as slippery as ice when it rains.

Make it part of the curriculum right through school adding in cars on closed courses like kart and/or car tracks. And use incentives – like Gold, Silver and Bronze levels – so that the kids with the right attitude can start riding or driving on our roads at 12! By 15 they’ll be better stewards of a car or motorcycle than most of the existing license holders.

I don’t know about you but I’ve done enough riding/driving in my day (on and off-road and here and overseas) to know that the key causes of road accidents in this country are not speed and alcohol.

Then there is driver/rider training. Or rather, the lack of it. Rather than stationing more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff (raising the driving age from 15 to 17, more speed cameras, bigger ﬁnes etc etc) why not draw a line in the sand and say enough’s enough.

Better still. Keep it going by adding riding and driving skill tests to the popular Skill Olympics programme.

While I’m sure they don’t help, the key cause of an accident isn’t speed, alcohol, drugs or talking on a cellphone. It is plain, simple old loss of control by the driver of the vehicle, be it bike, car, bus or truck.

Let’s start from scratch with a holistic (i.e. embracing the whole community) government/public service/private sector partnership to address the key cause of the ‘problem,’ the lack of basic understanding and

In other words, more bloody window dressing.

PUBLISHED BY: McStannic Publishing Ltd POSTAL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 299, Kumeu, Auckland COURIER ADDRESS: 127 Moire Rd, West Harbour, Auckland PHONE: 09 416 5307 Fax: 09 416 5308 PUBLISHER: Pete McPhee Ofﬁce: 09 416 5307 Email: pete@kiwirider.co.nz SALES AND MARKETING Ian Ferguson Ofﬁce: 09 416 5307 Mobile 021 446 164 ian@kiwirider.co.nz BIKE MART ADVERTISING: Todd Sutherland: 021 709 989 or Alan Duff: 027 264 3383

6 KIWI RIDER

Fund it with a mix of government and private sector money and manpower and employ the services of suitable role models like Indycar driver Scott Dixon, rising V8 Supercar star Shane van Gisbergen and our own Hamish Dobbyn, Courtney Duncan and Avalon Biddle and you’ve got a positive rather than negative response to a problem which affects us all. KR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Ross MacKay editor@kiwirider.co.nz

PROOFREADING: Linda Glasswell

DESIGN/LAYOUT: design@kiwirider.co.nz or set.up@clear.net.nz

DISTRIBUTION: Gordon & Gotch Ltd, McStannic Publishing Ltd.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Geoff Osborne Ph 415 2555 ospics1@xtra.co.nz

OPINIONS: Opinions expressed in Kiwi Rider are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publishers accept no liability for any error or omissions contained herein. COPYRIGHT: This magazine is copyright in its entirety. Material may not be printed without the written permission of the publishers.ISSN 1177-0023

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Roger Moroney, Andy McGechan, Mike Nash, Ben Townley, Josh Coppins, Michael Esdaile, Big Dave, Racing Dave, Ollie Sharp and Andy Lyver DIRT EDITOR: Ollie Sharp ON-LINE EDITOR: David Cohen

PRINTERS: GEON GROUP, Auckland

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ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

HYO HYOSUNG NZ # 1 FOR SPARE PARTS Hyosung Hyo New Zealand has the best spare parts bac back-up for its motorcycles of any Hyosung importer im in the world. That was the official word w from Mr Bin Han, General Manager of S & B Corporation, the trading company that tha operates between overseas distributors and S & T Motors Co. Ltd., the manufacturer of Hyosung H motorcycles. Mr Bin was visiting New Zealand with Mr Sun Hwang, head of the overseas overs marketing division of S&T Motors. He confi confirm rmed that local importer Hyosung New Zealand has achieved a 99 per cent stocking rate, which means that 99 per cent of any spare parts ordered are in stock at the company’s Avondale warehouse. The two Korean executives were in New Zealand in late September and visited Hyosung dealers as well as taking time to explain the company’s plans for the future. The pair agreed that this is a challenging time for Hyosung in the New Zealand market but were impressed by what they saw and emphasized the company’s plan to be among the market leaders in the global motorcycle industry in the near future. SEALING STARTS AT HAMPTON DOWN The big moment has arrived at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, the new motorsport complex in the Northern Waikato. After much monitoring of the ground conditions, the first 2.3 km layer of seal has begun with two more layers due to be added to the track surface. “With a fairly long spell of fine weather over the past few weeks, tremendous progress has been made on consolidating the base track surface to the point that we have been able to begin sealing the international 2.8 km track,” says Tony Roberts, managing director of Hampton Downs Ltd. “With a further reasonable spell of fine weather, we should be able to have the majority of the international track sealed in about three weeks.” In theory the first bike riders to use the track will be those who sign up for Ride Days with the California Superbike School which will run school days and Track Days at the circuit. For more information go to their websites at www.californiasuperbikeschool.co.nz or www. hamptondownsridedays.co.nz

SUZUKI’S NEW SPORTS/TOURER Suzuki’s new GSX1250FA sports tourer.

WORDS: Staff PICS: Suzuki Suzuki continues to ﬁne-tune its large capacity sports/tourer lineup, the latest addition a new GSX1250FA. Powered by the latest version of the company’s liquid-cooled and fuel-injected 1255cc four cylinder engine the new, fully-faired GSX1250 bridges a gap in the company’s range between the various Bandit models and full-house large capacity sportsters like the Hayabusa and B-King. Spec is an interesting and no doubt cost-effective mix of tried-and-true (the tubular steel frame, conventional 43mm

REDEEMED HELP COUPLE BUY SOFT TOYS When Dave Sandford from The Redeemed Motorcycle Ministry popped into the Corogate Cafe on the Hauraki Plains a few months ago he noticed a bunch of soft toys. He asked the owners Angie & Bill why they were collecting them. When they told him it was so they could distribute them to the elderly in the area the cogs started spinning in Dave’s head and he suggested bringing some friends down with bikes and donating some more cuddly toys. The ride was promoted primarily through texting, and Dave also set up a registration form on the Redeemed’s web site www.theredeemed.org. Anthony Wright from Drury Performance Centre and The Redeemed suggested the ride depart from the newly established bike tyre shop…which it did on Sunday the 13th of September when 47 bikes headed southwest to the café. Once everyone arrived, Dave and Anthony brought Bill and Angie out and

8 KIWI RIDER

forks and single shock rear suspension) and features which today’s riders now demand, namely adjustable seat height, the option to purchase genuine Suzuki accessories like panniers and a top box plus the latest digital version of Suzuki’s Anti Lock Braking (ABS) system. In keeping with its all-things-to-allpeople persona the GSX1250’s engine has, says Suzuki, been ﬁne-tuned to deliver its peak torque ﬁgure lower in the rev range, contributing to extra-smooth acceleration and the broadest possible spread of power. More details as they come to hand. KR

SECOND HYPERMOTARD FOR DUCATI WORDS: Stafff PICS: Ducati Stealing a march on its fellow exhibitors Ducati has released details of one of the bikes it is going to ‘unveil’ at this month’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the Hypermotard 796. Joining the original 1100cc model in the Italian company’s street/sport range the Hypermotard 796 features a completely new 59.6 kW (81bhp) engine and seat height considerably (20mm)

WORDS: Staff PICS: MV Agusta/Aprilia

The latest 1078RR Brutale streetﬁghter model (see cover) heads a bold new stand in our market for the local MV-Agusta and Aprilia importer, Triumph Motorcycles New Zealand. The re-powered and revised 1078RR model is the third in MV-Agusta’s line of F4-derived naked sportsbikes, the original using the 750cc four cylinder engine, the second the 910cc one. With the new, larger capacity (1078cc) engine has come a host of supportive changes including the obvious ones like colours and decals and the not so obvious – like revised catalytic converters in the exhausts, a slipper clutch and revised suspension settings. According to marque manager Mark Mullins we will see a red 1078RR model here with an RRP of $32,290, and orange and red 989R models with an RRP of $28,990. The shipment also includes the latest, fully-fairing 1078 F4 model (dual seat) available in orange/black and red/ gray at a RRP of $39,990.

New Zealand is one of the ﬁrst export markets to see the new MV Agusta Brutale 1078 RR and with it in importer Triumph Motorcycles NZ’s latest shipment are examples of smaller capacity sister model the Brutale 989 R, fully-faired and dual-seat 1078 F4 as well as the latest 125cc 2-stroke small capacity sportsbike from Cagiva, the Mito SP525

Torque is also up, in this case from 96Nm @8000rpm to 117Nm @8,100rpm. Because it is a naked bike, top speed is not the claimed 312 of the F4, but at 266km/h it’s not to be sneezed at. That extra torque is going to come in handy much lower in the rev and speed range, one of the reasons they chose not to go the whole hog and use the F4 R 312’s 48mm throttle bodies, going instead for a 46mm set off the F4 1000R. Dimension-wise the 1078 RR retains the same chassis as the earlier Brutales with a wheelbase of 1410mm and a claimed dry weight of 185kgs. The only big change in the dynamics department the use of the latest monoblock radial brake calipers at the front.

BRUTALE BASICS

OTHER MODELS

The latest (1078) Brutale borrows its basic engine from the F4 RR 312 with a bore going up from 76 to 79mm and the stroke from 50.1mm to 55mm. With the increase in capacity has – naturally – come an increase in peak power by 11kw (15hp) to 114kW (154hp).

Also included in the latest shipment from Italy are stocks of the latest Cagiva Mito, still, like the Aprilia RS125 recently tested, powered by a 125cc 2-stroke engine but now re-badged as the Mito SP525. Colours are red/silver or white with RRP set at $10495. KR

lower than that of big brother. The 796 is equipped with a ‘wet’ clutch to give a ‘slipper’ type action that prevents destabilization of the rear-end during aggressive down-shifting, and it also gives the extra beneﬁt of a superlight feel at the lever, a fantastic feature for city trafﬁc or during longer journeys. Colour choice is matte black, matte white or Ducati’s more usual red. Availability and spec/pricing details will be announced closer to the time of arrival. KR

Ducati’s new Hypermotard 796

Dave pre presented her with the offerings and a helmet w was handed around to be quickly returned packed pa with cash. Dave commended d Angie for the tireless service that she had provided for the elderly then Angie took the micro microphone to express her gratitude. She told of her desire to serve and look out ffor the elderly and asked that if they were up to it the bikers could return a fortnight before Christmas to deliver the toys on their bikes! They’re a great couple, Angie and Bill,, and as well ass collecting soft toys for the elderly they have, over the past seven years raised at least $25,000 for the Red Cross.

ROAD NEWS COVER STORY

LATEST MV AGUSTA AND CAGIVA MODELS HERE

DAVE HISCOCK IN WANGANUI RETURN Legendary New Zealand road-racer Dave Hiscock, who now lives in Australia, is coming over to ride at Wanganui’s Suzuki Cemetery Circuit race meeting on Boxing Day. Hiscock is one of our most successful road racers with many championship titles and major race wins in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Wanganui’s unique Cemetery Circuit was one of Hiscock’s most successful racetracks with 13 victories in several classes. And for the first time since January 1984, Hiscock will be reunited with the famous ‘Plastic Fantastic’ Suzuki F1 bike for a series of demonstration laps. The kevlarcarbon fibre monocoque chassis Suzuki was built in Wanganui by Steve Roberts for Hiscock to compete in the World F1-TT championship with Roberts co-winning the televised 1983 UDC Inventors Award for building the world’s first kevlar-carbon fibre racing motorcycle. The ‘Plastic Fantastic’ went on to enjoy considerable success in 1984 and ’85 at the hands of the late Robert Holden after Hiscock returned to live and race in South Africa. The annual Cemetery Circuit meeting is part of the 2009 Suzuki International Tri-Series which will be staged over rounds at Manfeild, Wanganui, and Taupo in late December for a $32,000 prize pool. Entry forms and further details can be found on www. raceweek.co.nz or www. cemeterycircuit.co.nz. Phone organiser Leighton Minnell on 0064 (0)27 444-4731. TRIUMPHS BREAK RECORDS AT BONNEVILLE Renowned British motorcycle journalist Alan Cathcart marked the 50th anniversary of Triumph’s Bonneville model this year by setting four officially-recognized FIM world land speed records at the 2009 edition of the event that gives the bike its name: the Bonneville Speed Trials. The original Bonneville, introduced in 1959, was named after the record-breaking streamlined Triumph that set numerous records at the Utah venue during the 1950s. To pay tribute, Cathcart took two highly-tuned examples of the latest Bonneville back to its spiritual birthplace at this year’s edition, held between August 30 and September 3. Riding a street-legal Thruxton Bonneville prepared by Matt Capri (picture here with Cathcart), owner of South Bay Triumph in California, Cathcart broke the 150mph barrier to set a new two-way FIM world record for the flying

KIWI RIDER 9

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

mile at 152.678mph, and another for the flying kilo kilometre at 152.770mph, with a best one-way spe speed of 153.150mph. These speeds set new m marks for the FIM’s 1000cc Normally-Aspira rated Twin-Cylinder Unstreamlined category. In addition, Cathcart established two more ne new FIM world records for the 1000cc Forced Ind Induction Twin-Cylinder Unstreamlined class, ridin riding a turbocharged South Bay Triumph Bonnevil neville with a two-way speed for the flying mile of 165 165.405mph, 165.672mph for the flying kilometre and a best one-way speed of 171.624 mph. The mile speed qualifies as a new AMA record too, with all records set by the air/oil-cooled parallel-twin British bikes subject to ratification by the relevant authorities. HONDA’S NEW DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced that it has developed the world’s first dual clutch, fully automatic, motorcycle transmission for large-displacement sport bikes. The new transmission, says Honda, provides sports riders with easy operation, while its superior efficiency delivers fuel economy equal to or better than a conventional manual transmission. The transmission features a light, compact design that allows it to be combined with existing engines without substantial layout modification. Further, it delivers the precise acceleration control riders require thanks to electronic control technology that helps ensure smooth, seamless gear changes. The transmission is equipped with three operating modes, two full-auto modes (D for regular operation and S for sporty riding); and a 6-speed manual mode. Honda intends to gradually expand the deployment of the new transmission to more and more of its large-displacement motorcycles, particularly sports models destined for use in developed countries. HONDA’S NEW VFR1200 Speaking of which (the new Honda transmission and new large displacement sports bike) British paper MCN recently featured the above photo (looking a lot more conservative than early artist’s impressions) of the rumoured-for-release-in-2010 Honda VFR1200. The new VFR1200 is thought to include at least a couple new technological innovations. One system is said to ‘turn off’ cylinders to conserve fuel when the engine is not under load. The above story also suggests it will be fitted with (or it will be an option) the new Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) system. More news as it comes to hand. BEN SPIES TO MOVE TO MOTOGP IN 2010 Confirming the widely spread rumour that had been circulating as KR was about to go to the press, Yamaha Motor Company., Ltd announced on Friday October 2 that American rider Ben Spies will indeed be moving to the MotoGP Championship in 2010 to join the Tech 3 Yamaha Team. The Texan recently signed a two-year deal with Yamaha, which originally planned for him to remain in World Superbike for one more year before moving to MotoGP in 2011, but Spies and Yamaha together have

10 KIWI RIDER

BOOK LAUNCH: TWISTING THROTTLE AMERICA WORDS & PICS: Racing Dave Someone else’s holiday snaps are often politely viewed, but found rather dull. This was not the case at the recent ‘world’ launch of Christchurch man Mike Hyde’s latest book, Twisting Throttle America. Twisting Throttle America follows on from Mike’s well-received Twisting Throttle Australia, chronicling his recent 60 day ride through all 50 states of America on his Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom. With 200 excited riders, friends, and hangers-on crowding Avon City Suzuki’s showroom, the thousand or so slides we watched, set to appropriately chosen music, was a half hour of attentive wonderment. 600 KMS A DAY? Believe it or not, Mike averaged nearly 600km per day in the USA. He took thousands of photos, kept his journal and website up to date, and still managed to capture the spirit and endurance of the long distance motorcyclist without losing his sense of humour. This humour comes through effectively in his writing too. It’s not just the tale, it’s the way that it’s told. Subtle, understated, and often dry, Mike’s way with words is what has made his books so readable, as he adopts a conversational tone. One example is where he lists his corporate sponsors – the page is blank. Another is in his obsession with eating at roadside diners – you can’t get too much of that good old American fried food, and menus are detailed. HOLDS NOTHING BACK Mike is very human (thank God! Ed) and holds nothing back in his stories, which cover every day’s ride. Anyone with an interest in travel will enjoy the book, not only motorcyclists. The $36.99 300-page paperback contains 16 pages of colour photographs, and I found it to be an engrossing read. Mike didn’t visit all the famous landmarks you might expect, but tracked down the quirky ones – two of note being Colonel Sanders’ grave and the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.

Twisting Throttle America is the latest two wheel travel book from Christchurch rider Mike Hyde.

Self-funded and self-sufﬁcient, Mike loves riding, and this passion permeates the book. He camped out six days out of seven, some days chatting with dozens of people, sometimes having no one to speak to all day. His V-Strom ran almost perfectly (just needing a new temperature sender for the radiator cooling fan), and at the two pre-planned service points received two new sets of tyres and a new chain and sprockets. WIN A COPY! Details on where to buy his book are found by following the links on his website (twistingthrottle.com) but Kiwi Rider has two signed copies to give away. Send your name, address, and phone number on the back of an envelope to Twisting Throttle, 45 Stonebridge Way, Prebbleton 7604 by 20 November 2009 to go in the draw. KR

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www.yamaha-motor.co.nz KIWI RIDER 11

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

decid to advance the move decided by one o year. The 25-year-old is ccurrently just three points behind be and has just two more World Superbike m ro rounds to contest in his eff efforts to win his and Yam Yamaha’s first World Superbike title. “I want to thank Yamaha globally for their faith in me,” said Spies. “They have treated me like lik royalty! Yamaha just recently allowed me to rethink reth my contract for 2010-2011; I did sign for WSB for 2010 but after Indy I began thinking of the competition and my age versus waiting until 2011.” ANZACS DONALD AND ANSTEY RE-SIGN TOO Northern Ireland-based TAS Racing is also pleased to announce that both antipodean road racing stars, Cameron Donald and Bruce Anstey, will be retained for the 2010 international road racing season. Managed by father and son pairing, Hector and Philip Neill, Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing is already in the planning process for 2010 with their Superbike machinery nearing completion. The team’s official race schedule will be announced soon, but an early season series of tests have already been penciled in for February 2010. Both Donald and Anstey will focus on the international road races, but will also compete in a number of British Superstock rounds and local events, to improve their chances of adding to the team’s long list of achievements. CASTROL SUPERBIKE CHAMPS DATES Just so you don’t forget in the run-up to Christmas, this season’s Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships are set to kick off at Christchurch’s Ruapuna circuit on January 16-17, with rounds to follow at Teretonga on January 23-24; Levels Raceway on January 30-31; Manfeild Raceway February 27-28 and, finally, at the new Hampton Downs circuit on March 27-28. MOTOGP SILLY SEASON Fiat Yamaha and Repsol Honda have confirmed that for next season at least their teams will remain the same. Although unhappy, Valentino Rossi’s contract continues until the end of the 2010 season and he will again have Jorge Lorenzo as his teammate. Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso also have had their contracts extended. Rossi however is said to be seriously considering leaving Yamaha. Rossi explained to journalist Michael Scott that he didn’t want Lorenzo in his team. He worked hard to develop the bike and said; ‘usually, that is for myself, but now it is also for my worst enemy.’ He apparently smiled as he said this but Yamaha are sure to be listening hard when his next contract comes up. In other MotoGP moves Alvaro Bautista is confirmed to be riding in the Suzuki team (with Vermeulen out) while Jorge ‘Asper’ Martínez has announced that he will have Héctor Barberá riding in his new MotoGP team next year. It’s also fairly common knowledge now that reigning 250 champion Marco Simoncelli is to join Marco Melandri to take the rides of Alex de Angelis and Toni Elias in the Gresini (Honda) team.

12 KIWI RIDER

FIRST LOOK H-D’S 2010 LINEUP of the 2010 variants through a pretty good evaluation over two day’s riding on Victoria’s highly regarded Great Ocean Road. We sent Big Dave along for the ride. Next month we’ll have evaluations on the new bikes debuting on the NZ market, including the ‘beautiful’ Iron 888, ‘stunning’ XR1200X, ‘delightful’ new Dyna Wide Glide, and ‘great looking’ Fat Boy Lo. (And yes, in case you are wondering, those are Big Dave’s adjectives)

Harley-Davidson’s local 2010 model year line-up waiting for Big Dave and co to head out on the highway.

WORDS: Staff PICS: Big Dave This year Harley-Davidson’s annual Australasian 2010 model launch was titled the ‘Great Ocean Ride’ and included an opportunity to put four

The long tall black-bedecked one reports the two-day ride out of Melbourne travelled along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay and returned via the Ottway Ranges providing an opportunity to put the various models through some challenging conditions. Many of them were quite similar, he reckons, to New Zealand’s East Cape. We’ll have the full story and Lou Martin’s stunning pics in next month’s KR. KR

HILL CLIMB ADDED TO BURT MUNRO CHALLENGE

WORDS: Staff PIC: Big Dave As previously broadly hinted at in these pages, a hill climb up Bluff Hill has been added to the Burt Munro Challenge event roster. The climb will enjoy national championship status and according to organiser Ant Edwards will not be for the faint-hearted. “It will be the most exciting minute and a half riders spend on their bikes,” he said at the beginning of the week. The Bluff Hill Climb has a long history with the Southland Motor Cycle Club running the event since 1928. Over the years there have been some famous

competitors including World Land Speed Record Holder Russell Wright, local ace ﬁghter pilot Johnny Checketts, Norman Hayes from E. Hayes & Sons, local motorcycle racer Neil Neilson, former Isle of Man TT representative George Begg and of course Burt Munro himself who won the event in 1940 and 1950. The hill climb will take place on Thursday 26 November, adding to an already action packed weekend. Other events include Oreti Beach Racing, Teretonga Sprint Racing, the Oreti Speedway Spectacular and the Wyndham Street Race. KR

KIWI RIDER 13

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

MLA MLADIN RETIRES It’s true. After constantly exp expressing his distaste for the changes being wr wrought by new AMA Superbike series manag agement, Aussie Matt Mladin has announced h his retirement from racing. Mladin had a 14 14-year career in the American AMA series, co collecting seven superbike championships, a record re 82 race wins and 62 pole positions. He ttook the vacant seat at Kawasaki from our own ow Aaron Slight and wo won the Australian Superbike championship in 1992. Mladin then had a brief unsuccessful career in GP riding a Cagiva before heading stateside. The Aussie will now be turning his energies to his importing business. ELECTRIC BIKE TOPS 240 KM/H Laugh if you must but using the same TTXGP bike they used to earn fourth place at the inaugural electric bike GP on the Isle of Man this year Mission Motors has clocked an average 241.5 km/h during speed trials at Bonneville. The zero emissions bike is said to have hit 259 km/h in earlier tests. Powered by a high energy lithium-ion battery, 50 limited edition models are expected to be sold with a total of 300 produced for 2010. The bike is able to travel around 240km between two hour rechargers. YAMAHA TEAM WIN WORLD ENDURANCE TITLE The 2009 world endurance championship has been clinched by the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART). Riders Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani, secured the new Yamaha R1 its first world title at Magny Cours in France on September 13. FIRST TITLE FOR KTM SUPERBIKE KTM has picked up its first title for the RC8-R. The bike featured on last month’s cover won the Australian Pro Twins class with rider Shannon Johnson also winning the Formula OZ class. The rumour mill has hinted that we may even see Johnson and the RC8 here in New Zealand for some of our domestic racing. YAMAHA TECHNICIAN GP Yamaha held its Oceania Motorcycle Technician Grand Prix in Sydney on September 16, with two Kiwi technicians making the finals. But Greg Smith (Waikato Yamaha/Hamilton) and Jeremy Read (Filco Farm and Sport/Nelson) missed out on the top slot which went to to Queensland’s Greg Dodt. It was Dodt’s fourth consecutive attempt at the title and this time it was he who came up trumps. The GP involves practical tasks and tough tests. Winner of the previous year’s competition, Wayne Blackwood of Blackwood Yamaha in Cambridge, told Kiwirider; “it’s a lot of fun but previous experience at the GP certainly helps.” Blackwood attended this year’s event as a guest. KR

14 KIWI RIDER

THIS MONTH ON THE WEBSITE WORDS: Staff PICS: Big Dave On www.kiwirider.co.nz this month we’re asking the question; what is New Zealand’s best bike road? Initially conducted as a survey asking readers to nominate their choice, we’ve taken the 10 most popular responses and made it into a one click poll. The leading responses at the time of going to print are The Coromandel Peninsula, Takaka Hill, Buller Gorge and the Forgotten Highway. We’ll publish the list of nominated roads and tracks online. It’s sent us scurrying for the Atlas to check out some of the routes you rate. WHAT DO YOU THINK? “The road from Arapuni to Whakamaru via the Hydro dams,” for example, has made its way onto our agendas. And there are a few that haven’t been nominated that we think should have been. Queenstown to Glenorchy, Te Anau to Milford Sound and East Cape haven’t had a mention so far. Neither has the Waitomo loop! So log on and let us know what you think the Best NZ Bike road is.

We’ve got more photos online than ever. If you like looking at pictures of motorcycles check out our photostream on Flickr, it’s just logged over 50,000 views. http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/kiwirider/ Big Dave has built a catalogue of some of our test bikes and there are links to his photoblog at the bottom of the page – and there are updates and shots from the events we sponsor or have covered. Recently added are pics from Speedshow ’09, the 2010 Harley Launch in Aus. and AMPS Customer Ride Day. COOL VIDEOS

SOCIAL CALENDAR With the weather improving so is the Social Calendar. We keep our Events Calendar right up to date. There are links on the front page or you can go straight to /www.kiwirider.co.nz/calendar.html for a list of what’s on where and when. There’s a simple form on the page as well. Fill it in and we’ll include your event ASAP.

We’re also uploading cool videos as we ﬁnd them and are shooting some of our own. Our You Tube Channel has over 650,000 views now and our channel has over 100 subscribers. We’re always on the lookout for more content though. If you have Vids that you think are suitable and would like us to feature, drop us a note to webmaster@kiwirider.co.nz and we’ll check them out. KR

THEY’RE READING OUR MAG WHERE? WORDS: Stafff PIC: Rosco Pennell Talking about living high on the hog, this, folks, is a shot of our good friend Rosco Pennell taking time out from his busy schedule at the recent Sturgis Bike Week rally in the USA to enjoy some quality reading time with good friends Michelle (left) and Vanessa (right). Rosco tells us that he and recent South America travelling companion Grahame (String) Irvine couldn’t help but have a jolly old time back in the US of A where Rosco was able to catch up with all the friends he made when he was heavily involved in the Harley Owners Group (before the Adventure Riding bug bit). Rosco and partner Raewyn attended their ﬁrst Sturgis rally (the 50th) in South Dakota in 1990 and have returned four times since then, the last time being in 2000 for the 60th. KR

KIWI RIDER 15

ROAD NEWS SPEEDSHOW WORDS: Staff PICS: Big Dave & Speedshow

BIKES WOW THE PUNTERS AT SPEEDSHOW OK we’re probably biased but the bikes were deﬁnitely a key to the success of this year’s Speedshow at the ASB (Auckland) Showgrounds Event Centre.

“Judging by the number of families, our Speedshow 4 Kids area, with animated TV star Roary the Racing Car as our special guest, was a big hit.”

“A really fantastic show” was the most frequently heard comment about Speedshow ’09, the automotive and motorsport expo held at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland over the September 19-20 weekend.

Sharp says visitor numbers were ten per cent up on last year’s ﬁrst event at the central Auckland showgrounds.

Organiser Keith Sharp says he was really proud to walk around the show and see such an interesting and exciting array of vehicles. “The show was sold out, in terms of exhibition and display space, which is particularly pleasing considering it was nearly twice as big, area-wise, as last year,” says Sharp who developed the New Zealand Speedshow concept and ran the first very successful event in 2007 at the Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau City. A second, much larger and even more popular Speedshow took place at the ASB Showgrounds in 2008. BIKES, CARS…SEGWAYS! “The line-up of cars and motorcycles – new, performance, classic, custom – was just amazing and we thank everyone who created displays and exhibits for making such a brilliant effort.” This year’s event saw Speedshow fill to capacity the three main halls of the showgrounds, complemented by extensive outdoor displays and activities to add to the attractions for motoring fans young and not-so-young. The interactive, new dedicated children’s area called Speedshow 4 Kids proved very popular. 16 KIWI RIDER

“In the current market, to expand the show and get 18,000 visitors is a fantastic effort from all involved and we’re just delighted. HAPPY EXHIBITORS “Exhibitors are so keen to sign up for the 2010 show, it’s really pleasing and we’ve also had some incredibly complimentary emails from show visitors, so all in all, very positive feedback for the third annual Speedshow.”

This year’s key draw-cards – including the world’s fastest NASCAR and the original movie Batmobile – attracted plenty of attention, but the whole show was busy throughout the weekend, says Sharp. “The Mini motokhana and Wildcard stunt utes in the live action arena, the bikes and cars raced by Kiwis on the Bonneville Salt Flats and the many trade stalls offering all kinds of motoring and motorsport equipment, clothing, books and more. It really did take a good few hours to get right around the show!” TRIUMPH, APRILIA ETC Leigh Beckhaus, from Triumph Motorcycles New Zealand, says overall the company’s ﬁrst experience of Speedshow was also very positive.

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

Speedshow attracted a broad range of punters keen to see the latest in competition machinery and products/ services as well as motorcycles and cars. The show enjoyed strong support from the motorcycle industry (facing page Triumph’s Leigh Beckhaus with Autocar’s Gavin Shaw) as well as that of racers such as Andrew Stroud (and son, left) and Craig Shirriffs and Aaron Slight (below). As well as new bikes on display there were many priceless older ones like the faithful replica of the Konig the late, great Kim Newcombe raced in Europe before his untimely death.

“We had a lot of interest, with Speedshow visitors genuinely keen to talk about all our products – Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Piaggio, Gilera and Vespa. A number of our dealers – Holeshot, Motomail, Mt Eden Motorcycles, Scooterazzi and Emoto – were at Speedshow with us and we all commented that it was excellent to have the opportunity to talk to a lot of people one-on-one and from that perspective it’s

KIWI RIDER’S MAN CAVE As a key player in the local industry it was id d imperative i ti that th t Kiwi Ki i Rider Rid be b considered at the Speedshow in one form or another. Last year the mag sublet space off importer Northern Accessories, an arrangement that worked well but wasn’t able to be repeated this year. What to do? Make a man-cave!

Sales & Marketing man Ian Ferguson h man who h made d it i happen h d was the and from the positive feedback we all got it appears that the concept hit the right note. Sharing the stand were Darren and Rachel from the California Superbike School/Hampton Downs Ride Days and with a high trafﬁc spot equi-distant from Triumph, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha the

been a very good promotional event for all our motorcycle and scooter ranges,” says Beckhaus. Sharp and the Speedshow team will soon start work planning next year’s event. The dates at the ASB Showgrounds are already conﬁrmed for the weekend of 18 and 19 September, 2010. More details will be available on the Speedshow website, www.speedshow.co.nz, as they are conﬁrmed.

man-cave turned out to be a natural gathering point. Punters appreciated the chance to meet and chat to the staff members and associates (that’s you Stretch!) who either manned or hung around the stand with Big Dave the most popular courtesy (well the rest of us think anyway) his high ‘on-line’ proﬁle! Particularly pleasing was the number of subscriptions sold, a common refrain ‘I’ve always meant to do this but never got around to it!’ We also had legions of show goers combing through our free back issue pile looking for ‘the issue the dog ate!’ All in all a great show, and with plans to make it bigger and better next year, keep an eye on KR for the 2010 date. You never know, like Experience BMW’s Henry Plowright and KR Ed Ross MacKay you might even get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a quick ride on a Segway! KR Kiwi Rider’s man-cave was a popular stopping off point for Speedshowgoers interested in all things two (and three) wheeled!

KIWI RIDER 17

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

Lege Legends on 2 Wheels is the latest boo from motorcycle journalist, book aut author and KR Classics columnist Rh Jones. Rhys

LEGENDS ON 2 WHEELS

A glossy hard cover, the book c covers everything from the earliest da of our sport to the present day, days foc focusing on the riders who made a na name for themselves here (in the early days) then overseas (the majority from the early 1950s on)

Along the way we hear about the annual TT meeting on Waiheke Island, the annual Grand Prix meeting at Cust in north-west Canterbury as well as later events like the annual Cemetery Circuit meeting at Wanganui on Boxing Day, the Marlboro Series and the many street races which have come and gone. The list of riders featured is – as you can expect – a who’s-who of the local scene from father and son Percy and Rod Coleman via multi-time World Champion Hugh Anderson, local hero Len Perry, speed demon Burt Munro, Speedway king Ivan Mauger, to latter day heros like Graeme Crosby, Aaron Slight, designer/builder John Britten, the King brothers Darryll and Shayne, Josh Coppins and Ben Townley. Interspersed between the personality proﬁles are essays on circuits (including the Isle of Man), and bikes. While Rhys is quick to acknowledge that the book is not an exhaustive history he

Yes we’re well aware of presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s aversion to motorcycles – particularly the quick ones we like – but because his BBC show, Top Gear, is so universally popular it’s our duty to pass on the news that the Top Gear Live show is returning to New Zealand (Auckland) between February 18-21 next year.

says he hopes it will go some way towards recognizing what the people proﬁled achieved. Legends on 2 Wheels is Rhys’s third book and is a must for anyone interested in the local motorcycle racing scene. KR

Published by: HarperCollins Publishers (NZ) Ltd NZ release date: October 01 RRP: $49.95 Available from all good book sellers

TOP GEAR LIVE IS BACK

CLARKSON & CO Joining Jeremy Clarkson on tour this time will be James May, dubbed ‘Captain Slow’ by his co-presenters, and our own Greg Murphy, who played the role of third presenter (and the butt of all the sheep jokes) in this year’s edition of the show. Murphy takes a new role as Festival Director and will be taking centre stage at the Festival, leading a fantastic team of talented drivers and a garage of top marques, some of which have never before been seen in New Zealand. No mention of motorbikes as yet but at this year’s show Nelson Trials rider Nick Oliver was invited (at the last minute) to entertain show goers with stunts and he is expected back in the New Year. Tickets went on sale on the 25th September 2009 through Ticketek at www.tickettek.co.nz 18 KIWI RIDER

ABOUT TOP GEAR LIVE Top Gear Live is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Brand Events UK. The live motoring performance incorporates the drama of ﬁlm and theatre with the thrills and spills of stunts and special effects. A combination of Jeremy Clarkson and

Richard Hammond or James May team up with a local presenter in each tour destination. The 2008/09 World tour played to sell out audiences entertaining over 312,000 visitors. This year the tour adds Amsterdam and Cape Town to its list of destinations and further destinations are planned for 2011. KR

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WORDS: Ross MacKay PICS: Lou Martin/BMW Motorrad

LAUNCH REPORT BMW F 800 R

MAKING SENSIBLE

Describing a bike as a ‘practical, sensible all-rounder’ sounds like you’re damning it with faint praise. But that’s deﬁnitely not the case when it’s the R version of BMW’s F 800 middleweight you’re talking about. KR Editor Ross MacKay explains why. KIWI RIDER 21

LAUNCH REPORT BMW F 800 R

rue story. Builder acquaintance crosses the Tasman in search of work and ends up on the (still very much booming) Gold Coast. Though he definitely fits in the ‘returning rider’ category he’s as fit and active as he was in his late 20s and early 30s and decides – after time out to raise a family – he wants another bike….but not a Harley. He wants something lighter and more nimble, but something he can take on a trip should he feel the need. So he rings me and asks; ‘what sort of bike should I buy?, If I had 10 cents for every time it’s been asked of me I’d be a rich man, but a mate’s a mate and I reply with a barrage of questions of my own. You know; what sort of licence have you got? (full). What’s your budget? (mate I’m coining it over here, I can go to $20K). And finally . . . what about pillion accommodation? Got anyone special over there you’d like to take with you on a ride? (Not really, but you never know!) With so many possibilities (sportsbike, adventure bikes, big trailies etc etc) it’s almost impossible to single out the perfect bike. But I suggested he head up to Brisbane BMW Motorrad dealer Morgan and Wacker and check out an F 650 GS. 22 KIWI RIDER

The reason? It’s an excellent, comfortable, practical all-rounder which – in my humble opinion – would be a great bike for a returning rider to start on and perhaps even keep for an extended period. As it turned out he preferred – and bought on the spot – an F 800 ST and has been raving about it, and the riding there is to be had in the central Queensland hinterland area, ever since. Which neatly brings me to Brisbane’s chic Emporium Hotel and the ofﬁcial Australasian launch of the latest R version of the F 800. Like the S, ST and 650 GS (I know, that last one is confusing isn’t it?), the R is based round BMW’s excellent contemporary 798cc parallel twin engine and beam-type aluminium frame. Where the S and ST had a singlesided swingarm and belt ﬁnal drive, the R has a more conventional twin-arm aluminium swingarm and O-ring chain drive – like the GS models . . . or the bike some of you might have seen BMW Motorrad’s resident stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer using to such good effect at the Big Boys Toys show in Auckland two years ago. A quick check of the BMW Motorrad website in fact reveals that BMW has

dropped the original S model, with the range now kicking off with the F 650 ‘soft adventure’ model (highly rated by all at KR), followed by the new R then the ST tourer and ﬁnally the F 800 GS Adventure Bike. LOOK & FEEL So what’s the R like? For a start, look and feel is aggressive and assertive in the bare-knuckle ‘means-business’ manner of the R designation, complete with Transformer-style one-and-a-halfbox headlight and vestigial ‘air-scoops’ clamped on to the multi-plane plastic ‘petrol’ tank (really a cover for the air box as the tank itself is mid-mounted under the seat). The R is available in three different colour options, a nice vibrant orange (my favourite), white, and traditional silver. And the bikes we rode had been specced up specially for the launch and came complete with the optional colour-coordinated ‘windshield’ and the latest version of BMW Motorrad’s ABS system. BITS & PIECES Having had negative comments about the size of the mufﬂer in relation to the bike itself in regard to the S and ST, BMW has separated the catalytic

LAUNCH REPORT BMW F 800 R

converter and muffler on the R, meaning the muffler can be smaller and less visually intrusive. The company’s marketing types also made a point of mentioning the fact that the R has conventional single-switch indicators (rather than the clumsy threeswitch system of old). I was disappointed the forks were conventional non adjustable telescopics because a fat, sexy set of trick adjustable USD numbers would be a much better visual fit with the otherwise out-there styling, but thankfully the costcutting hasn’t extended to the brakes which incorporate Brembo four-piston calipers and braided steel front lines. Accommodation-wise the R is as immediately comfortable and userfriendly as the S, ST and the F650, in this case with a sporty, but quite open riding position made possible by the top triple-clamp mounting of the low-rise butted aluminium alloy handlebar. Seat heights varied on the bikes assembled for the test with the low option providing noticeably less padding but quantifiably greater feel and control courtesy the lower C of G of the rider (believe me I tried and I noticed a big difference) and the fact that it was easier to slip your butt cheeks from one side to the other to help pull the not particularly quick-steering bike down into corners. POWER-TO-WEIGHT One of the reasons I originally recommended an F 800 (to my chippie mate) was power-to-weight, my current thought that for everyday road riding,

it’s getting harder and harder, in fact, to justify owning a larger bike. For dedicated work yes; a sportsbike for Track Days and a big tourer or adventure bike for longer distances. But everything else? Our 300 km-plus day ride north-west of Brisbane was as good an example as any of just how efﬁcient a light, nimble, comfortable middle-weight can be. Leaving our hotel in downtown Brisbane we snaked through the suburbs heading north on busy, winding, hilly city streets that reminded me of Dunedin (on a particularly hot day of course!) before heading into the gums on the way to Mt Glorious. The road was a ribbon of twirling, undulating macadam, as smooth as silk and as suited to a light (177kg), nimble (slim, parallel twin) 64 kW (87hp) motorcycle as a road could be. You do have to work the deceptively smooth engine hard to keep your crosscountry averages up, and – as I found later on in the day as we strafed across a high plateau before returning south via the locally notorious Somerset Dam road. With only the protection of the vestigial ‘windshield’ the top end of the engine (good for 160-170 km/h but not much more) isn’t something you’d write home about. That said, for all-round versatility and practicality the engine takes some beating. As does the 6-speed gearbox (complete with shorter ratios from fourth through sixth to make up for the lack of a fairing) and suspension package. The triple disc brake package falls into the same category, with more than enough power for a sub 200kg machine

Basic look and spec of R follows standard BMW guidelines which are similar to those of other Streetﬁghter-style bikes. Beneath the aggressive lines lurks an alluring mix of smooth power and rock-solid dynamics which make for a truly great all-rounder . . . which can also turn its hand to tricks if and when the opportunity presents itself.

DETAILS, DETAILS According to BMW Motorrad standard equipment on the R model F 800s which comes this way includes the on-board computer, LED indicators and heated handgrips. You also get to chose either low (775mm) or high (825mm) seat options at no extra cost. On top of these you can choose the following options from the factory list. -

BMW Motorrad ABS $1,578

Anti-theft warning system $630

Tyre pressure control function $380

Sport windshield (in body colour) $225

Accessory power socket $50

There is also a comprehensive range of accessories which you can pick and choose from. This includes a luggage rack, mounting kit for sports panniers plus of course the panniers to go with the kit, a top case, tankbag, back pack, main stand, lower engine fairing, pillion seat shroud, radiator trim package, engine case bar kit and Akrapovic mufﬂer.

KIWI RIDER 23

LAUNCH REPORT BMW F 800 R

SPECIFICATIONS BMW F 800 R ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC 4-valve-percylinder parallel twin 4-stroke Displacement: 798cc Compression ratio: 12.0:1 Bore x stroke: 82 x 75.6mm Starting system: Electric Engine management: BMW BMS-KP Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection Clutch: Wet multi-plate Transmission: 6-speed Final drive: O-ring chain and a smooth, progressive – and I have to say – very user-friendly feel at the lever.

FRAME Type: Bridge-style aluminium

User-friendly is also a term I’d use to describe the basic handling characteristics of the R. Though it’s not particularly nimble, feeling more like a small ‘big’ bike rather than a big ‘small’ one, it is agile enough to make things interesting if you grab it by the scruff of the neck, while at the same time being almost impossible to wrong slot, unseat or lose its admirable composure.

Swingarm: Cast aluminium doublesided

Leaving the tourist village at Somerset Dam (one of the areas hit over the winter by torrential rain and ﬂooding), I rolled down into a banked right-hand corner and hit – at speed – a ridge of seal running at an angle to the road. ‘Bang’ went the front end as a sickening judder coursed through the forks, steering head, handlebar and my body . . . but bar a small head-shake the R took it in its stride. It was only afterwards when a colleague pointed out that the front wheel had actually come off the ground, that I realised how lucky I was that I didn’t end up on my head. So there you go, if you’re looking for a practical, sensible, all-rounder you can’t go past the R version of the F 800. Sure it looks like an extra from the latest Transformers movie, but beneath that brash, post-modern exterior is one of the best middleweight two-wheelers on the market! KR

Front suspension: Conventional 43mm telescopic fork no adjustment Rear suspension: Single coil-over shock absorbers w/ hydraulicallyadjustable rebound damping Brakes: Twin 320mm dia. floating rotor discs w/4-piston fi xed calipers front & single 265mm rotor disc w/ single-piston floating caliper rear with optional BMW Motorrad ABS Wheels: 3.50 x 17 front & 5.50 x 17 rear Tyres: 120/70ZR17 front, 180/55ZR17 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1520mm Rake: 25° Trail: 91mm LxWxH: 2145 x 905 x 1160mm Seat height: 800mm (with low seat option of 775mm) Dry weight: 177kg Fuel tank capacity: 16l RRP: $17,343 Test bike: BMW Motorrad GEAR Helmet: Arai Jacket: BMW Pants: Teknic Boots: Teknic

R-spec F 800 available in three colours, orange, white and silver, with a variety of factory-ﬁtted options. Basics are the same as those of existing F 800 ST (frame and engine) but swingarm and drive system (chain) have more in common with on/off-road F650 and F 800 GS models. Combination will appeal to riders moving up from 250cc bikes or down from big-tourers or even large capacity sportsbikes, the attraction the key conﬁdence the rock-solid dynamics inspire.

24 KIWI RIDER

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behind.

LICENCE APPROVED

All you need is your driver’s licence and your sense of adventure adv / The Can-Am Spyder roadster redeﬁnes the expectations of comfort and performance when touring the open road. Redeﬁning the relationship between road and rider with ... ... Rotax® 990 V-Twin engine ... DPS (Dynamic Power Steering) ... TCS (Traction Control System) Auckland Christchurch Wellington

... VSS (Vehicle Stability System) ... ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ... DESS (Digitally Encoded Security System)

Ph: 09 262 4285 Ph: 03 377 1156 Ph: 04 569 3989

... New push-button sequential electronic 5-speed transmission (SE5) ... EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution)

www.spyderexperience.com brp.com

WORDS: Ian Ferguson PICS: Can-Am

Recreational vehicle specialist Can-Am i li t C A was confident its threewheel Spyder sportstourer would find a ready market so it’s a case of all systems go as it fleshes out its range. KR Sales and Marketing man Ian Ferguson has the story.

28 KIWI RIDER

The catch was in the travel – the East Coast USA venue for the 2010 media launch meaning days of travel and the added mental confusion of several time zone changes.

LAUNCH REPORT CAN-AM SPYDER

ow could I resist a weekend out of the country trialling the new Can-Am Spyder Roadster models?

The fact that I was the only Kiwi Rider staffer to not have ridden the Spyder didn’t seem to be a problem, and as my background was greater on four wheels than two, I would be perfect as Spyder bait. Having spent many happy hours as a kid pouring over my eccentric uncle’s 1950s-era Popular Mechanics magazines, wacky vehicles have always been of great interest. Although I have to admit, at the time most of the weird and wonderful contraptions were powered by Briggs and Stratton – the various hovercraft, gyrocopters and jet powered back packs making the sporty, three-wheeled Spyder sound positively sane. DOH! Arriving at National Harbor, Maryland in the early hours, we were shocked to find that this state of USA did not serve any alcohol anywhere after 2am, so no nightcap at the end of a very long journey. That said, the 2000 room Gaylord National Resort Hotel [yep you read that correctly, two thousand rooms and Gaylord’s what it’s called!] was the perfect launch pad for BRP to show dealers, and indeed the world, the wonders of its new Spyder Roadster as well as the various Sea-Doo water vehicle models. It was because the hotel sits slap bang on the shoreline of the Potomac River, that the new Sea Doo range bobbed quietly at the jetty while marketing teams ran through a sizeable list of new features and benefits. WHAT DAY IS IT? A morning walk had revealed a car park heaving with various new Spyders, some of which were prototypes allowing the media pack variety in their ride day. The business session was filled with gasping moments as the BRP team each in turn reviewed the lead up to the introduction of the all new 2010 line up. If there was any doubt as to whether this gadget was looking anything other than a success, the sealing moment came when Francois Tremblay quoted that since KIWI RIDER 29

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LAUNCH REPORT CAN-AM SPYDER

Reward for gruelling long-haul trip was riding new Can-Am Spyder RT on some of the US east coast’s best back roads and a cutaway look at the basic V-twin-engined Spyder platform (in sidebar story below).

the launch in late 2007, 17,400 Roadsters had been sold and delivered around the world – an amazing feat when you consider there are only two models, a manual and a semi automatic. A sobering comparison, in terms of unit sales and time in the market, came from a competitor’s brand of American motorcycle which had sold only 10,000 units in a whole decade. A BRAVE NEW LEAP The Can-Am Spyder was a brave new leap on to the road. BRP, having led the snowmobile sector, grown the sit-down personal watercraft to eventually lead, and then taken average ATV product to become exemplary performers; the only challenge left lay in the recreational road market. Unlike many companies that use the market as their excuse for decisions, BRP are deﬁnitely in the now, and planning success into their product ranges and model line-ups.

CAN-AM SPYDER 101

By: Staff

The new Spyder RT tourer joins the original Sypyder (now RS) in Can-Am’s unique three-wheel roadster lineup. And the introduction of a speciﬁc touring model coincides with a substantial gain in market presence of the back of strong consumer demand since the original roadster model’s launch two years ago. “The introduction of the Can-Am Spyder RT now provides options for sport and touring enthusiasts alike,” vice-president and general manager of the company’s international division, Chris Dawson told journalists at the launch. “BRP’s superior design and innovation continues to deliver paradigm-shifting vehicles that push the envelope, and the RT model is no exception. The new platform goes well with what touring riders demand and there is no doubt in my mind the Can-Am Spyder RT is going to forever change the touring motorcycle category.”

The RS and RT models share the same basic platform and liquid-cooled, fuel-injected Rotax-built 998cc V-twin engine and feature the same acclaimed Bosch-engineered Vehicle Stability System (VSS) which includes anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control systems. With the RT BRP has also introduced an industry-ﬁrst optional trailer providing an extra 622 litres of storage. The trailer is designed speciﬁcally for use with the Spyder RT roadster and is compatible with the vehicle’s stability system.

Having gained category successes in KIWI RIDER 31

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LAUNCH REPORT CAN-AM SPYDER

just about every area they work in, there is a conﬁdent synergy in their approach to building on success. Spyder Roadster is a second generation reality and its true purpose was about to be revealed at the launch. ENTER THE RT ROADSTER A Roadster Tourer? But of course, it was built for the job of taking one or two people on an exhilarating ride in the country or on tour, not just a quick fang. Logical in that the addition of integrated panniers and a deep top box combined with the front luggage compartment make a total of 155 litres carrying capacity. Plus there is now the option of a 622 litre trailer for the more serious traveller. RT dry weight is up by 104kg to 421kg and the carrying capacity has also increased by 40kg to 240kg total.

Happy in his work. That’s a smiling Ian Ferguson repping KR at the Can-Am Spyder RT launch.

Although the RT models have gained weight over the more spartan sports models the engine mapping has received attention to torque and power curve given that the lugging requirements have changed.

that would have been there during the American Civil War. The roads are smooth and ﬂowing, the Spyder’s stability allows you to take in the surroundings where on a bike maybe it’s more about setting up for the next corner. Yes, this is touring and 100% fun.

The optional trailer is probably the extreme accessory although the onboard computers know the moment the trailer is connected and adjusts the stability and braking systems accordingly.

Growing the range from two to ﬁve models means the early adopters will trade up to the new range and create a used market for the less ﬁnancial purchaser to step on the Roadster roundabout.

EASE OF USE

The Can-Am Spyder Roadster Sports range now boasts RS with

The key to many of the features and beneﬁts of the Spyder range are based on ease of use, rider comfort and maximum fun. First leg over the RT is a strange combination of bike meets back to front ATV. Steering is sensitive in the centre and a bit dead on full lock but having negotiated the car park we follow the leader out on to the Washington Freeway. The Rotax 991 V-twin engine under throttle sounds awesome, the manual gearbox is a treat to use, but reverse is a bit of a challenge until you get the hang of parking and low speed manoeuvring. Right foot only braking at ﬁrst is a bit unnerving but simple is the secret to this Roadster’s initial success. HOT IN (AND OUT OF) THE CITY It’s a clear, balmy 41C and Harleys rule the road, they are everywhere. We turn on to the back roads of Virginia with green countryside lined by stonewalls

manual transmission only, RSS in Pearl White only, however manual and semi automatic are available. The Touring RT models start with the Full Moon Silver only RT, then have a higher spec RT Audio and Convenience, topped off with the RTS models – all of which have both transmission types and a sizeable list of accessories to customise purchasers’ requirements. For me resistance is futile, however I do want to get some seat time with Spyder on Kiwi roads. In my book any experience that makes you crave more is a good experience.

BRP BACKGROUNDER Headquartered in Valcourt, Quebec, Canada, Bombardier Recreational Products Inc (BRP) is a privately-owned company which designs, develops, manufactures and distributes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and sports boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard motors, CanAm ATVs and roadsters and Rotax engines and karts. The company was founded by J.Armand Bombardier, the inventor of tracked vehicles for transportation on snow-covered terrain. It was ﬁrst named L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitee before, in 1967, becoming Bombardier Limited. In the early 1970s the company acquired the

By: Staff

Austrian company Lohnerwerke Gmbh and its subsidiary RotaxWerk AG, the supplier of the Rotax engines used in snowmobiles. In 2001 the company acquired the Outboard Motor Corporation (OMC) including the assets of the Evinrude and Johnson brands. Finally (bringing us right up to date) in December 2003, the recreational products segment of the company was sold to members of the Bombardier family, Bain Capital and the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the new company named BRP. BRP employs more then 6500 employees and has over 500 dealers in more than 80 countries.

KIWI RIDER 33

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LAUNCH REPORT REPORT CAN-AM SPYDER

SPECIFICATIONS CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTERS ENGINE Type: Rotax 990 [RS] & 991[RT] Displacement: 998cc Compression ratio: 10.8:1[RS] or 12.2:1[RT] Bore x stroke: 97mm x 68mm Starting system: Electric Engine management system: Bosch Fuel system: Multi-point EFI Clutch: Wet multi-plate Transmission: 5-speed + reverse manual or semi auto Final drive: Kevlar cogged belt FRAME Type: Surrounding Spar Swingarm: Double sided Front suspension: Double A arm with anti roll bar

Enthusiastic take up of original RS model Spyder meant it was a no-brainer bringing out a dedicated RT touring model with chassis and engine optimised for the sort of longer distance touring work that top box and panniers entails. Detail shots show instrument panel, handlebars, switch blocks and (bottom) RT complete with genuine factory trailer.

Rear suspension: Mono shock Brakes: 260mm discs all round Wheels: Fronts 14”x5” Rear 15”x7” all Alloy Tyres: Fronts KR21 165/65R14 Rear KR21 225/50R15 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1727mm LxWxH: 2667mm x 1506mm x 1145mm Seat height: 737mm Dry weight: RS 317kg Fuel tank capacity: 27 litres RRP: From $31,490 Test bike: BRP GEAR Helmet: Can-Am Jacket: Can-Am Pants: Draggin Jeans Boots: Hush Puppies

KIWI RIDER 35

ROAD TEST APRILIA DORSODURO WORDS: Stretch PICS: Osborne

Trouser tent material! That’s what stunt man Stretch reckoned when he ﬁrst clapped eyes on Aprilia’s new Dorsoduro. But, as he discovered once he took possession (literally! Ed) of the test bike, a tall, skinny near 100hp Supermotard is not for everyone. KIWI RIDER 37

ROAD TEST APRILIA DORSODURO

The perfect match? On paper stunt man Stretch and Aprilia’s Dorsoduro Supermotard looked like the perfect match (see also page 35)

he colours white on black are my favourites. No question. My senses were kicked into life when I got my first look at Aprilia’s Dorsoduro. Sleek and sticky finished in black with a smattering of white, the Dorsoduro is probably at the top of my list as far as first impressions go. So I couldn’t believe my luck when I was handed the keys and went through the pre-flight checklist with Aprilia’s finger on the pulse guy, Mark Mullins. Funny name (Dorsoduro, not Mullins!) but there’s no doubting the Dorsoduro’s credentials with plenty of power coming from a 90° V-twin engine displacing 750cc and fed go-juice by way of electronic fuel injection which…I have to say, was to become a pain in my ass and the topic of a berating I received from Esdaile after mumbling my displeasure. But I’m on a roll, so let me continue with a reading tour of the features and benefits. The engine has three management maps. These are indicated on the dashboard of the bike by the letters R, S and T. WHO’S ARGUING? For arguments sake, if you were a little unsure of your ability to ride the beast in the rain you would set the engine computer to ‘R’ mode. This reduces power out-put and keeps everything sane. It is also the mode you would pre-set before letting your stupid mate ride this bike. If you happen to be getting away for the weekend and eating up some miles 38 KIWI RIDER

then flick the management system to T (touring) or, if you’re like me, you’d probably try the first two modes then flick up the ‘S’ indicator and leave it there.

everyday ergo-friendly use, it’s purpose to bang shoulders with the likes of KTM’s Supermoto, the Beemer Megamoto, and Ducati’s Hypermotoard.

The ‘S’ indicates sport mode and this bike has the whole Pentathlon going on. It’s a very clever piece of computer engineering and doesn’t limit the bike’s usage to a few brave individuals.

All of which are packing 1000cc or more and have price tags that are out of reach for a lot of us. The 750 Aprilia at around $18,995 a very real option to the everyday common garden motorcyclist.

REQUIRES SELF-CONTROL!

THE RIDE

A hydraulic clutch makes for effortless starts and it’s difficult not to get carried away in the moment when taking off from intersections and traffic lights because the Dorsoduro loves to be revved hard and flicked up through the six-speed gear box.

For journalistic beneﬁts I nicknamed the bike Sergio, and in reality it took me and Serge’ a wee while to bond. There was no slaying of the Dragon or taming of the Stallion, it was more of a sparing contest that left me jabbing when I should have been weaving.

The V-twin engine hangs in a steel trellis frame which is also used in the unfortunately named Shiver. But, it kinda makes sense really doesn’t it? If a manufacturer is going to tool up to mass produce a product they can use the same components in variants and offer more of the same but something different so-to-speak. (what...??? Ed) It certainly turns heads and demands attention whether eagerly anticipating a holeshot from the trafﬁc lights or parked at the dairy up the road. URBAN SCRATCHER Wow factor aside, it’s hardly a shock that Aprilia have fronted up with an urban scratcher. Let’s fact it, pretty much everyone else has had a crack at it as indeed Aprilia have already with the likes of the more competition based SXVs; the difference being the Dorsoduro offers more

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun bike to ride but I found the snatchy delivery from the fuel injection a constant struggle when not riding high in the rev range. To the point where, really, I think Sergio would be a lot more at home being stropped around the streets of Paeroa on race day, rather than me riding up and down Nana’s Way and Daffodil Terrace. Dynamically it offers superb braking up front by way of four piston calipers coupled with a pair of 320mm disks and suitably stiff suspension action front and rear with 160mm of travel up front courtesy a set of adjustable USD (up-side-down) forks measuring in at 43mm. Rear suspension is a monoshock set-up mounted on the right hand side of the bike utilizing a Sachs coil-over shock absorber which – again – is fully adjustable. I used

ROAD TEST APRILIA DORSODURO

SPECIFICATIONS APRILIA DORSODURO ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve 90° V-twin 4-stroke Displacement: 749cc Compression ratio: 11.0:1 Bore x stroke: 92 x 56.4mm Max power: 67.3 kW (92hp) @8750rpm Max torque: 82Nm @ 4500rpm Starting system: Electric Engine management system: Digital electronic Fuel system: Electronic fuel-injection w/ ride-by-wire electronic throttle control Clutch: Wet multiplate Transmission: 6-speed Final drive: Chain FRAME Type: Steel trellis w/aluminium sideplates Swingarm: Aluminium alloy swingarm Front suspension: USD-type 43mm telescopic fork Rear suspension: Single coil-over shock absorber adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping Brakes: Twin ﬂoating 320mm stainless steel rotor discs w/radially-mounted four-piston calipers front & single 240mm rotor stainless steel disc w/ single piston caliper rear Wheels: Cast aluminium alloy 17 x 3.5 in. dia. front & 17 x 6.0 in. dia. rear Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax 120-70ZR17 front & 180/55ZR17 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1505mm Rake: 26° Trail: 108mm LxWxH: 2216 x 905 x 1185mm Seat height: 870mm Dry weight: 186kg Fuel tank capacity: 12l RRP: $18,990 Test bike: Aprilia NZ GEAR Helmet: KBC Jacket: RacerX Pants: Triumph Jeans Boots: Gaerne

Like the look of Aprilia’s 450 and 550 SXV twins but need more ﬂexibility? Then you’ll love the Dorsoduro, a light, nimble, 750cc V-twin which provides a smaller, cheaper alternative to full-house Super-supermotards like Ducati’s Hypermotard and KTM’s Supermoto. Engine is 750cc V-twin mated to 6-speed gearbox bolted to combined trellis steel/aluminium sideplate frame with styling by Aprilia’s celebrated (Ducati Monster/Cagiva Raptor) penman Miguel Angel Galluzzi.

some of this adjustment to dial in the shock to achieve better braking at the rear because the firm set up it had was causing the rear of the bike to skip on some of our piss poor road surfaces. SHORT IS SWEET I prefer a plusher ride these days, something to do with my age perhaps. Which brings me to the 12 litre fuel tank. I’m more than OK with having a wee stretch every 120kms or so while I fuel up. So like me, long distance runs are not the Dorsoduro’s forte, short aggressive squirts definitely where Sergio is at. And while we are at it, riding with a pillion isn’t going to work for long periods of time. The seat measures in at 870mm and doesn’t provide much comfort for either rider or pillion, I’m afraid to say. So in a nut shell, Sergio is an urban scratcher capable of laying strips at your local club day, but not so flash on long haul runs. IN SUM To finish up, the Aprilia Dorsoduro is one sharp looking bike. It offers bags of mumbo and varying output is obtained by simply flicking a switch. It has a rigid platform and requires suspension set up to make it more rider friendly and usable on our crap roads. Its build quality is superb and the bike itself is adorned with superior components but my time spent on it was marred by my dislike of the snatchy jerky delivery from the fuel injection. This was most noticeable in sport mode, slightly less in touring mode and fairly non-existent in Nana mode, but I prefer to ride the bike in sport mode so finding a happy median was difficult. But hey, don’t take my word for it, get yourself a ride on one and make up your own mind. KIWI RIDER 39

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Bike: Moto Guzzi Bellagio Type: Custom cruiser Engine: Air-cooled, fuel-injected transverse-mounted 90° V-twin Frame: Tubular steel twin cradle Wheelbase: 1570mm

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Fuel tank capacity: 19l Seat height: 780mm Dry weight: 224kg RRP: $23,990 Test bike: Triumph New Zealand

WORDS & PICS: Big Dave

Like the idea of a Moto Guzzi but never quite found a model to call your own? The new Bellagio could just be the one you are looking for. Big Dave explains why.

EURO DISNEY he Ed and Big Dave show arrived at the Aprilia RSV4 launch shindig early early. The ‘prilia weapon was the main event but we kinda’ got caught up with the Moto Guzzi Bellagio before the event began.

known the world over for its beauty with the free spirit of those that revel in motor cycling.”

It was one of several machines available to the moto-noters to throw a leg over and the Boss and I were both quite taken with the 935.6 cc, somewhat unique, Guzzi.

I think in a more ‘grounded’ KR translation however, the dudes from Lariano have come up with a mint motorcycle.

The factory call it a ‘power cruiser’, in between a whole lot of that wafﬂe that probably doesn’t translate well from Italian to English. E.g: “The new Bellagio symbolizes the depth of the relationship between Moto Guzzi and its surrounding territory. This relationship is so strong that the immense beauty of the Lariano area affects both the ideas and creativity of man and in a sense leads him to create works of natural beauty in all his endeavours. This empathy between the local environment and human inventiveness can be clearly seen in the new Moto Guzzi Bellagio that identiﬁes a place Bellagio is described as a ‘power cruiser’ and joins long-standing California model in Moto Guzzi’s ‘USinspired’ line. Look and feel is utterly distinctive with hints of everything from a Harley Sportster to a Ducati Monster. Result is a dynamic dailyrider which has similar appeal to Triumph’s America and Speedmaster models.

YES, WELL… Uh huh?

Our fang around Maraetai and environs revealed a machine with pretty good ground clearance, mid controls, surprisingly comfortable ‘conventional’ riding position and typically spirited air-cooled 90° ‘Guzzi Vee….’ (you know, like a normal V-twin spun 90 degrees in the frame as well as the 90° cylinder V angle). And what a lovely motor it is for road use. Particularly in a cross-over style model like the Bellagio. BROAD APPEAL Unlike it’s more sporty, or touringoriented stablemates you see, the long, low-slung Bellagio has the appeal of a traditional cruiser…you know, a relaxed set of riding ergonomics, big torquey vee-twin, stand out looks and a dose of old-school-brand street cred. Yet none of these characteristics either individually or together, compromise suspension travel and compliance, cornering clearance or general, all round capability. The motor pumps out 55kw at 7200rpm and a healthy 78NM of torque at 6,000rpm. Guzzi says that 80% of the KIWI RIDER 41

RIDDEN MOTO GUZZI BELLAGIO Bellagio is no slouch in the cornering department.

torque is available between 2800 and 4800 rpm and we’d have to agree, the engine being quite punchy without having to go to light speed to enjoy it. A great configuration, in other words, for New Zealand road use. Don’t let the old skool OHV design confuse you either. On-going investment and practical upgrades (in much the same way BMW has upgraded its boxer twin engine) see fuelling by multipoint sequential electronic injection, with twin 40 mm throttle bodies and Weber injectors matched to a fully Euro 111-compliant exhaust system consisting of two stainless steel pipes connected to a central ‘expansion chamber’ then two chromed steel silencers which emit a suitably ‘muffled’ yet distinctive Guzzi ‘twin burble. NUMBERS The wheelbase is a cruiserish 1,570mm which adds to the relaxed manner, as does the efficiency of the 45mm Marzocchi forks and single sided swingarm with progressive action and single rebound adjustable shock absorber. The primary drive is by helicoidal gear and the final drive is by Guzzi’s patented Compact Reactive Shaft Drive (CARC) system housed in the single sided swing arm. It was nice and tidy to ride and as is the biggest advan42 KIWI RIDER

tage with shafties – easy to forget about. In between drives is a six-speed, easy to click, gearbox. Brakes are twin floating 320 mm stainless steel discs, with floating Brembo calipers and twin parallel pistons up front and a single 282 mm fixed stainless steel disc, with floating two-pot Brembo caliper at the rear. These rotors are attached to nice, wide spoked alloy (tubeless) wheels fitted with Metzeler Roadtec Z6 tyres, a 120/70 ZR18 hoop up front and a 180/55 ZR17 at the rear. DETAILS, DETAILS The instrument pod has a real olde-world feel to its array of analogue and digital readouts, the pod itself is housed below some twin riser style drag bars that also help promote the ‘standard’ riding position. Which…….all adds up to what could be the ‘Clayton’s’ Cruiser. You know, the one you have when you’re not having a cruiser. It has the looks and style to fall into the category, but has better clearances, suspension travel and handling than a traditional ‘heavy metal’ job. We found this makes the Bellagio a very interesting and enjoyable motorcycle. See your Guzzi dealer for the skinny. KR

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KR TECH INSIDE WSB

Aussie Broc Parkes hard at work on the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team’s ZX-10R Ninja. It’s been a tough season for the Aussie.

WORDS: Michael Esdaile PICS: Rex Auty

Known as the Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team to reﬂect the increased involvement of the fourth ranked Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, Kawasaki’s 2009 SWC team is run by Paul Bird Motorsport, based at Underlyne, Langwathby, in the north of England. Paul Bird is a former British motocross racer who got turned onto road-racing and started helping public roads racer John McGuiness in 1996. Since then his operation has clinched two British Superbike Championships and last year moved into the Superbike World Championship with a Honda CBR1000RR raced by Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla under the Ventaxia VK Honda banner. Its best result was a seventh place ﬁnish at Assen. The switch to Kawasaki was made late last year and although Bird’s team had good infrastructure in place, it was still stretched getting bikes and riders Makoto Tamada and Broc Parkes sorted for the 2009 season. Taking responsibility for the operation of this new Kawasaki team is Team Manager Paul Risbridger. “We ran one Honda for the early part

of the 2008 season then a second one for the later half of the season but we have still had to gear up to some extent because now we are running four bikes all the time and we have a programme whereby we are testing and developing the bike more than we were in the past,” Risbridger explains. INTENSE TIME From getting the bikes mid-December at their northern England headquarters, Paul Bird Motorsport faced a daunting schedule to be ready for the opening round of the 2009 championship at Phillip Island at the end of February. “There was virtually no Christmas for us!” Risbridger says. “The ﬁrst two bikes arrived on December 17 and then we built another so we took three bikes to the Almeria tests at the end of that month.

We then left Spain on December 24 and had a few days break over Christmas whilst the truck travelled back and then we started again. The initial bike build was somewhat hurried. We did not have all the parts we needed, we didn’t have the speciﬁcation quite the way we wanted it. It was a case of getting up and running and learning something. “For us the time scale was incredibly intense because as well as the initial shake down tests in Spain in late December, we had to be ready for the ﬁrst pre-season tests at Phillip Island in early February,” says Risbridger. “All our equipment left Europe on February 9 so we only had a month after Christmas before we had to ship everything.” “It took a couple of weeks to learn the bikes and we have changed a lot of little details. I think the difference

For 2009, Kawasaki switched its World Superbike Championship support from the Italian PSG-1 team to the British Paul Bird Motorsport outﬁt. A big call, as KR’s tech guru Michael Esdaile relates. KIWI RIDER 45

could even think about pushing forward with development. KR TECH INSIDE WSB

“We have also increased the number of full time people – in the past we tended to use a few extra people at the weekends for the race meetings. With this programme (Kawasaki) we took a decision that we would take on some additional full-time personnel. We have ten people who are full-time now. The biggest change is all the additional people now involved but not employed day-today in the workshop.” By this Risbridger is referring to the support people from Showa (suspension), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), electronics technicians from Magneti Marelli and so on.

Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team manager Paul Risbridger chats with Kiwi Rider reporter Michael Esdaile (top) at Phillip Island . . . where Paul Bird Motorsports team hosted several factory reps (below).

CHANGES

between the Kawasaki and the Honda is that because there have been a lot of Honda Superbikes raced for a long time, there is a race kit which is a very good starting point. We got the ZX-10Rs built out of the kit from Kawasaki but it’s not as well established a kit as you get with the Honda. There’s a lot more things you have to do for yourself.

“The championship is very, very intense early in the season and starting with two ﬂy-aways was, for us, pretty tough.”

“The ﬁrst bike we built for Broc (Parkes) came as a street bike with all the road kit on it and we stripped it and built it into a race bike. But since then as we have sorted out the supply lines for the parts and because there are very few stock parts used, it is more effective to get a frame and certain other parts and build it from there.”

“Whether we were at a disadvantage, I don’t know. The main thing for us was development time with the bike. Because most of the teams were running the same bikes as last year, or similar bikes, they obviously had those bikes ready for testing immediately after the last race of the 2008 season. Our problem has been playing catch-up. We could not test until late December so we had to ﬁt all our preseason testing inside two months. So we could not afford to go too radical early on. We had to standardize the package, get all our spare parts together and get four bikes to the same speciﬁcation before we

Risbridger says as well as the challenge of building four race bikes in a compressed time frame, the team had to go to Australia with spare parts and everything else required. There were the ‘shells’ that go in the garage to carry the team’s sponsors logos etc. and the electric and electronic connections required to fit into the shell. Then by the time the series moved back to Europe they had to have all the trucks re-painted and a new truck had to be fitted out. Risbridger had to make sure that was progressing at the same time he was with the team testing in Australia. The SWC schedule meant that after the Australian round, the team’s equipment was flown to Doha for round two at Losail, then after that they had two days in their northern England workshops before going testing at Valencia. All the planning for that had to be done while the team was racing at Phillip Island. 46 KIWI RIDER

With most of the other teams in the championship being well-established operations, the early part of the season was tougher on the new Kawasaki operation.

Last year the team ran Öhlins suspension and had the services of an Öhlins technician at the race tracks. This year it has switched to Showa and has a Showa technician attached to the team but not directly employed by the team, in its garages at the race tracks. Whilst the team had a switch in suspension supplier it stuck with Brembo as its brake of choice – but these were upgraded to the 2009 spec. “I have to say Brembo, as a package, is pretty much a ‘bolt-on and off you go’ thing. It’s tried and proven. “With the Showa suspension, obviously we had to tune it to work with the ZX-10R but it is a very good, very high quality product.” In addition to the Showa man, there are a number of KHI people attached to the operation, varying from weekend to weekend. “The programme is very much run by our team but KHI is heavily involved in the All-Japan Superbike Championship and obviously it has been developing this bike over the last two years so we get different

KR TECH INSIDE WSB

people from the factory at different tests and different races depending on what we are testing and what is going on at the time. In addition to that we are visited by Kawasaki management who come over to see what is going on from time to time. “When we had our ‘shake-down’ test at the end of December we had a lot of KHI personnel there. Often that’s the way when you are running a bike for the ﬁrst time, there’s a bit of a ‘getting to know you’ process involved. It’s not just about the testing, it’s also about everybody meeting everybody else involved and getting those relationships going because we’d had e-mail correspondence, the occasional telephone call and so on but that was the ﬁrst opportunity for everyone involved to get together, have some discussions, set some objectives, that sort of thing. FACTORY INVOLVEMENT “Personally, I am relatively new to the team and my main role was to try to pull together all the elements and try to ensure we are pulling in the same

Top of the page and that’s Makato Tamada’s ZX-10R almost ready to go. Heading down the page we then have a shot of one of the beautifully made Arata exhausts systems the Japanese company supplies to the Kawasaki Superbike team then a shot of an Italian-made Taleo radiators the team uses, and ﬁnally, a pic of a team member downloading data from the bike onto his laptop for analysis.

from the All-Japan Superbike team. Whilst the bikes are not the same spec., they are fairly close. However, they are running on Bridgestone tyres, which is a problem for us. So whilst there is a good exchange of information, you have to sift through it all to see what is relevant to us running on a control Pirelli tyre at different circuits at different times of the year. So that’s a challenge.” The Superbike regulations mandate the retention of the original main chassis section along with the original castings for the cylinder head, cylinders and crankcases. The stock crankshaft also must be retained, as must the throttle bodies, but other than that, there’s a fair

degree of freedom. “We can change the airbox but the fuel-injection nozzles and their position and the throttle bodies must stay as per the original bike. But other than that there is quite a lot of freedom, to be honest.” On the chassis front, there is some room for adjustment of the Kawasaki frame to get the geometry into the ballpark. For instance, it is possible to alter the swing-arm pivot height on the ZX-10R, but ‘only by a small amount,’ says Risbridger. The swing-arm is shorter than that on the Hondas the team ran in 2008. They are specially fabricated by KHI and supplied to the team.

direction. We have our team (Paul Bird Motorsport) operation but there’s the Showa guy, the KHI engineers, the electronics technicians from Magneti Marelli – so all these people are coming in and out of the programme as and when we need them but to get the best out of that requires a bit of co-ordination. “With the KHI guys, we have one full-time guy within the team (Katsuaki Yanagawa) who works as Makoto’s crew chief. He works for the team, with the team, but he has been seconded in by Kawasaki, which is great. It’s working really well for us. But the other guys come to different tests at different times and share the information they are getting KIWI RIDER 47

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KR TECH INSIDE WSB

“The bikes are a mixture of factory kit parts and parts we have sourced ourselves, such as the radiators which come from Taleo in Italy. So it is sort of joint effort. The exhaust is an Arata from Japan and we are working very closely with them. They are developing a system for us and we have been changing pipe lengths, pipe diameters etc. but that is largely driven by the engine builders. “There are two specs of engines. They are built by Akira in France but we also have a programme running alongside the one at KHI and they use some of the same parts in both the engines but they have slightly different thinking. For us it’s good because we have two engine builders pushing the development forward, looking for different solutions.” Japanese Makoto Tamada uses the KHI engines while Parkes’ bikes use the French-built motors. POWER MANAGEMENT “We dyno all the bikes before they leave our workshop and there is very little difference in the power and torque curves of any of them. The differences are very small.” As with all the bikes in Superbike World Championship racing, there is no great quest for more peak power. The work with engine builders, exhaust makers and electronics engineers is to make the power available to be used right through the rpm range. Risbridger points out that even on a fast circuit like Phillip Island, the Kawasakis are using full throttle for less than 10 per cent of the total lap time. “It’s mainly down the straight where they are wide open. Other than that it’s partial throttle almost everywhere else around the circuit so the way the power is delivered and the way you get it onto the track is far more important than the actual total horsepower because the rider is unable to use all that he’s already got. So it is not about maximum bhp, or the mid-range but the way it is delivered, the way the engine accelerates and the way it slows down. The engine braking system is also quite critical on these bikes.” TORQUE BACK… That brings us to the clutch. According to Risbridger they are ‘pretty well standard Kawasaki; we have some options on competition clutches but normally we run the standard part, plates and everything.’ To help eliminate rear wheel hop when the riders are going rapidly down through the gears, the team, like everyone else in large displacement four-stroke racing, uses electronics to augment the stock

‘back torque’ slipper clutch. Talking about electronics, the team runs Magneti Marelli for both engine (ignition and fuel-injection) control and for its data recording qualities, something Kawasaki went with in the latter days of its MotoGP programme. “The Magneti Marelli electronics offer extensive data-logging facilities as well as the ability to programme the ECU. There’s engine braking, traction control and antiwheelie programmes as well as launch control. We started the season with a fairly simple system on the bikes and developed that. “The beauty of the Marelli system is that it provides all of your data-logging – suspension movement, wheel speed, basically anything you want to log on the bike you can do it through that system. You don’t need a separate data-logging system which simpliﬁes the wiring looms and makes the job easier for the data engineer when he’s looking at everything in one place at one time. So we use it for engine management but also data logging.” Wheels are Japanese Makan chosen due to their ability to supply in the limited time frame the team had available. The front is a 3.5 x 16.5-inch item while the rear measure 6.5 x 16.5. Another beneﬁt is that Makan supplies the wheels to Kawasaki’s All-Japan Championship Superbike team. “A confusion was that Pirelli came out with a different width rear tyre at Phillip Island than what we had tested. It was a 200, and all our testing was on the 190 rear. They had two types of 200 and one 190 so we were sort of forced into going with the 200 because that was what was available. The tyre did make a difference to the handling of the bike.” With the very limited time the team

And ﬁnally, here’s another great Rex Auty shot from Phillip Island, again of Broc Parkes, the talented young Australian rider who currently lies 18th overall in this year’s World Superbike Championship points standings with 34 points.

had before racing got underway, it had very little opportunity to experiment with chassis geometry – swing-arm pivot height, swing-arm length, front ride height, fork angle and fork offset. As a consequence, the opening two rounds of the season were somewhat of an extended test session but with the added pressure on the team of having to produce fast lap times. “Because our lead up to the ﬁrst race was so short, there were areas we could see there was some potential to experiment with but we did not have the time to follow it through. So we ended up going back to a previous set-up that was fast at that point because we had to put a lap time in. But with a day or two days testing to follow a different route, you may make an alternative set-up work better. And that is the problem with geometry changes. It is not often you change the geometry and have an immediate impact on lap times. You normally have to massage the set-up to work with tyres and suspension. “We had quite a lot of things we wanted to try, but we needed a day away from the pressure of having to put the lap times in to work through the options.” And that has been the story of the team’s season – playing catch-up. But with a full season of racing the Kawasaki behind it and some good test sessions in the off-season there is a good chance the green bikes will be regularly in the top 10 in 2010 – and with the current level of competition, that is no easy feat. KR KIWI RIDER 49

DIVERSIONS SPEED WEEK ‘09

ur trip to Bonneville started with a simple admission. “When I was w eight-years-old, “I told colleague Cliff Field,” I had c a picture of Bluebird on my wall.” w

Even now, I have no idea why I decided to admit this to Cliff while we were driving back from one of the Motorsport New Zealand Tier 1 motor racing meetings at Teretonga earlier this year. But it started the chain of events that seven months later saw us sitting in the departure lounge at Auckland International Airport, waiting for a ﬂight to Los Angeles. As motor sport photographers we have worked all over Australasia and Europe, covering everything from the local sprint to major international events, and as it turned out, ‘Speed Week at Bonneville’ had always been

52 KIWI RIDER

on our respective ‘To Do Lists.’ Of course, up until the point at which I, I suppose you could say, ‘sowed the seed,’ neither of us had actually made it there. Until this year anyway. A quick check of the entry list showed that there was enough New Zealand and Australian competitors to keep ‘Senior Management’ happy, so it was time to stop talking about it and starting packing our bags. EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN AMERICA! “The pits are about ﬁve miles that way.” The instructions from the marshal at the end of the tarmac road were the ﬁrst real indication of just how big the Bonneville Salt Flats really are. Getting there had been one of those itches that just needed to be scratched but the reality of Bonneville

is something bigger than you can imagine and is something you can’t easily explain to someone. You just have to go and see it for yourself. For instance? Just going for a walk in the pits is an all day activity. There are three rows of pit bays, if you can call an area of salt a ‘bay’ and they stretch from the two mile marker to the four mile marker. Then there is the return road for competitors who have ﬁnished their run on the ﬁve mile course – it is wider than a six lane highway and then there is a half mile safety zone between the return road and the course. And of course, the only markers for all of this are the black lines painted on the salt plus the occasional plastic cone. There is just no other way to mark out the 159 square mile (412 square km) track.

WORDS: Dave Ayres PICS: Dave Ayres & Cliff Field/www.motorsportmedia.co.nz

DIVERSIONS SPEED WEEK ‘09

America’s Bonneville Salt Flats are the unofﬁcial home of all those who worship, as our own Burt Munro so eloquently put it, ‘the God of Speed.’ And this year New Zealand photojournalists Dave Ayres and Cliff Field fulﬁlled long held ambitions to make their own pilgrimage to the Southern California Timing Association’s annual Speed Week event to see what it was all about.

Big or small, everyone with a need for speed is welcome at Speed Week, from record-setter James Dawson (USA) on his Triumph Bonneville Sidecar (main image) to the drivers and crew members of the 381 cars and 179 motorcycles entered across 56 classes this year. In the other shots we have Kiwi Nick Bilton (top right) with his sister and chief mechanic Mitch, talking with Bill Stoliker then (right middle) it is legendary starter Bill Taylor indicating that it is time for Nick Bilton to stop talking. Nick had a good week but wheel spin hampered his record breaking attempts. Across the bottom now and (from left to right) there’s the Brooks Motor Works vintage BMW – no rev counter so they slowly counted to nine and then changed gear. The pit crew joked that they had changed the rider’s pace maker and so he was good for a three mile run. It’s then the turn of the three guys from Tijuana who claimed to have bought the car in a scrap yard. We then have a pic of Team Vesco’s #444 Little Giant which runs in the Vintage 4 Gas Streamliner Class followed by the ‘bike-in-a-suitcase’ French team out on a record setting run. The gearing was so high they had to ‘Flintstone’ the bike off the starting line. Unlike American Kent Riches (ﬁnal shot) who – believe it or not – designed and built his record setting electric bike in nine days. It was strange to see it take off without any noise!

KIWI RIDER 53

DIVERSIONS SPEED WEEK ‘09

NO SHORTAGE OF STORIES Walk Wa around and you will run in to people from all walks of life lif and as much as the racing and speed are addictive, it is a the th stories these people tell that th make Bonneville that very special place that has been spe attracting people for over 60 attr years. year

Everything’s there from multi E million dollar big budget teams through to three guys from Tijuana who claim to have bought the car they are running from a scrap yard and spent more on the roll cage and tyres than they did on the car. Then there are the guys from France who packed the 50cc bike in a suitcase and assembled it when they arrived. The racing here is different too. At normal race tracks there is an air of expectation as everything builds to the start of a race. The bikes form on the grid; there is a warm up lap, the anticipation as the grid reforms; then

54 KIWI RIDER

20 engines all scream at the same time as they are hammered to the ﬁrst corner. Imagine living at that level of excitement for 10 hours a day, seven days straight. WHEN THE FLAG DROPS….. Bonneville is all about speed. There is no pomp, circumstance or someone kissing your ego, it is just about speed. You take your place in the queue and wait your turn. You could be behind the 50cc from France or Team Vesco’s 458mph (732 km/h) monster. That’s right, there is no hierarchy at Bonneville. You turn up, pass the stringent scrutineering and if you have the nerve and your eye on a record it is time for you to stop talking and get on with it. Even when you get to the front of the queue all you will get from the starter are the instructions for your pull-off after the run and a non-descript wave of his hand indicating the course is clear and the salt is yours. KR

DIVERSIONS SPEED WEEK ‘09 Anchoring the layout across these two pages is Todd Ruehs on the 150cc ‘Saltibiscuit’ who we see waiting to start his backup run. If you break the record one day, you have to do it again the next day to confirm the record. The one and only time you get special treatment is the privilege of being first to run on your backup day. The other images are (top row) Indian-mounted Bob Lewis from Texas who was chasing a different record from the one still held by Burt Munro, then the A-Ward sponsored Kiwi/Aussierun Suzuki ridden on this occasion by Australian Kim Krebs. Last but no means least are the pair on the bottom row, Speed Week regular Alan Thoresen riding his Kawasaki ZX14 (left) who got within a whisker of 200mph but just could not find enough grip to break the barrier, and compatriot and new class record setter Dean Veale, seen here (right) in full flight on his low-slung Suzuki Hayabusa.

KIWI RIDER 55

DIVERSIONS COLD KIWI Mischievous, good-natured spirit of Kiwi Rallying in the ﬁrst decade of the new millennium typiﬁed by antics like these at this year’s Cold Kiwi

WORDS & PICS: Nash

GIVE ‘EM A TASTE OF (COLD) KIWI! S

A PROPER BURGER/RALLY/RIDE

YOUTH WILL OUT

A proper ‘Kiwi’ burger; not some fast-foodchain crap. Not fast, mind you. But good.

He, his wife and I were standing in the queue for a burger at the Cold Kiwi, talking about South Island riding, as the two of them are hoping for a good wobble around the South late in next year’s summer. It’s beautiful down there late summer/early autumn, and they’ll have a lot of fun.

And it took this young chap to get my perception right. What the hell does it matter if I have to stand in the queue for twenty minutes? The sun is warm on my back, there are like-minded people to talk Bullshit about Bikes with, and there’s a background soundtrack of people doing loud, abusive things to big motorcycles. What’s not to like?

Those chaps are all middle-aged lawyers, accountants and doctors now. But their kids are riding motorcycles, turning up at the Cold Kiwi, and displaying the same two traits that lead to pushbikes ending up in odd places: the endless energy that youth has to put into a project and the time that they have on their hands.

omewhere in Morrinsville there’s a young man who is smarter than k I guess. me. N Nott a bi big ask,

But I was grumbling about the food – or at least the euphemistic ‘Fast Food’ sign above the caravan – pointing out that you could starve to death in the queue if you were unlucky, and that ‘fast’ was a substantial misnomer. A bit like those Mainland Cheese adverts; he turned to me with a bit of a pitying look for the Old Fart who is in a hurry, and said, ‘Good things take time, Mike.’ And he was spot on. It was a bloody good burger – a big fat juicy meat pattie, with a just-a-little-bit-runny egg, a slice of Genuine Tinned Beetroot, and coleslaw – between two halves of a fresh, toasted bun.

These young chaps have got it by the short-and-curlies, really. Years ago, when I worked in Palmerston North, a bunch of students shimmied up one of those sheer pre-stressed concrete streetlights – the ones where the light is ﬁfteen metres up in the air – carrying with them an entire pushbike which they suspended from the lamp – itself ﬁve metres out from the post, and a certain-death-fall distance above the ground – by another pushbike tube. Fuelled by alcohol and that assurance youth has that it ‘won’t happen to me,’ I suspect they did it for no other reason than that they could.

Add the enthusiasm that artificial stimulants bring to the mix, and the eggthem-on factor of an audience of motorcyclists, and you end up with sights like five young men in Salvation Army-surplus suits, perched on an old velour sofa, doing wheelies on a modified farm trike. Excellent stuff. If there was one example of that, there were fifty: from the traditional motorised barstool to the tow-behind portable fireplace that gets moved from campsite to campsite every year. Every year when I observe another echelon of young men rocking up to rallies and doing stuff like this, I feel better about the future. Sure we have a bunch of Harley-riding sheep at the big North Island KIWI RIDER 57

DIVERSIONS COLD KIWI rallies; and those of us with big adventure bikes aren’t displaying a hell of a lot of individuality either. The Wanganui Freight Train guys are doing all their regular wonderful drunken things involving smoke (some of it artiﬁcial), noise, revs and occasional explosions; and, year after year we’re subjected to a predictable innuendo-laden patter – ‘Oh and look at the way she’s swallowing that sausage! Ooooh! Someone get her phone number . . . ‘ – by way of the commentary that accompanies the wienie snatch. But that’s just Old Farts doing all the stuff we enjoy doing – year after year. Out there on the front line, young men and women – in imaginative dress – are doing Good Shit with motorcycles and having a bunch of fun at the same time. Long may it last. GENERATION Y Even better, though, are those of a generation younger again. A couple of the local lasses – who wouldn’t be more than about thirteen, were out leering it up around the place on a little dirt bike, and persuading the entire crew of the Ruapehu Motorcycle Club – who are all male, and will, therefore, do anything for a smile – that they had nothing better to do than to push one of these giggling young things – on her scooter – all the way to the top of the hill climb.

’09 ‘Kiwi blessed with ﬁne spring weather. Activities centered round bikes and the use/abuse thereof!

58 KIWI RIDER

I suspect the two of them might be related to the landlord; so the situation might be something a bit like one of those old good-news-and-bad-news jokes about galley slaves getting an extra ration of rum: ‘Today you get a day off, lads. But tomorrow the captain wants to go water-skiing . . .‘

DIVERSIONS COLD KIWI If they can already get a dozen grown men – who should know better – to push them all the way up that hill in the blazing sun; they’re gonna be a force to reckon with. Watch out for them in coming years. They’ll be a handful when they get their growth. KR Hill climb always a popular attraction with everything from Trials bikes (top) to scooters (middle) used in the attempt to reach the top. Helmet run another popular activity (which is way harder than it looks) and ﬁnally, burger-eating couple concurs with the Nash and his Morrinsville mate, good things take time!

KIWI RIDER 59

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ON TOUR BAND OF BROTHERS Good men all. The late Marty Sincock’s Band of Brothers and (below) the T-Shirt those on the ride earned.

WORDS & PICS: Glen Cameron

REMEMBERING MARTY THE BAND OF BROTHERS TOUR t all began in a small way , the plan involving a couple of Marty’s workmates, namely Randal Thomson and Ian McConchie, Randal’s brother John from Wellington, his son (if his new KLR650 Kawasaki arrived in time, which it did), some friends from the Wellington and Wairarapa regions and one or two others.

When keen bike rider Marty Sincock was killed in a workplace accident last year his friends were hit hard. To honour him they got together earlier this year for the inaugural Marty Sincock Memorial Ride. Glen Cameron reports.

Before too long, however, word of a planned ride was out at Marty’s old workplace, Lyttleton Port of Christchurch, and the size of the group suddenly numbered 26…at which point I got wind of it and contacted Ian suggesting that myself and two others in the accounts and/or engineering departments, all riders of Italian bikes, would like to join the fun. That made 29 and the momentum continued until ﬁnally our number swelled to 42. The bikes were like a bag of allsorts from 250 trail bikes to 1400cc Harleys. At ﬁnal count, in fact, there were six different Harley-Davidsons, several Suzukis – from a DR-Z400 to three Boulevards – Kawasakis, Yamahas, Hondas, Triumphs, BMWs, a Buell plus the Italians – Ducatis and Aprilias most – but also a few rare wee beasties such as the Gilera 600 Nordwest, Laverda 1000 and (adding a real

‘wow’ factor) an F4 MV Agusta. A CHALLENGE The variety of bikes and the diverse group of guys who had come together was to become the real challenge, but it was one which Randal and Ian handled with aplomb. The whole idea, of course, was to honour Marty’s memory with something – like a ride – which he would have enjoyed and we were all deeply honoured to have along his son Adam, a fantastic young gun on his GSX750. So there you have it, that’s how it came about, a ‘band of brothers’ coming together to remember a mate, hence the name, the Band of Brothers ‘09 Memorial Ride for Marty Sincock. A simple route from Christchurch to Wanaka was planned with a Friday start (love those long weekends) and the route taking in Darﬁeld, Geraldine, a stop at Tekapo for lunch, then south-east across the mighty Mackenzie Country before crossing the Lindis Pass with the prospect of a couple of days R’R in Wanaka. There most of us thought we’d use the spare day for a tour through to KIWI RIDER 61

ON TOUR BAND OF BROTHERS

The planned route took in most of the central South Island’s best roads. Amongst group were some real characters including Steven Grublys and his beautiful and desirable 1984 Laverda RGS1000. Not quite the start in Christchurch (in February!!) the brothers wanted (below), but the rain certainly didn’t dampen their spirits or desire to get on with the ride.

Warren’s F650 GS BMW had been running roughly on the trip down, so when he started pulling things apart, he wasn’t exactly surprised to ﬁnd a hole in the centre of the air ﬁlter, despite initially suspecting water or electrics or some such.

THEN IT RAINED

The excellent brieﬁng was provided by John Thomson and centred around good safety practices using the two second following rule and riding one in and one out. Important, too, was the decision to split into manageable groups of six with a lead and a tail-end Charlie. A move like this is important with a group of this size, particularly with so many different types of bikes and skill levels. Speaking of which it fascinated me to see how everyone sorted themselves out, the Harley riders forming one group, the road tourers another, and those of us with adventure type bikes a third. It all worked extremely well too and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating a similar event. All thanks to John, of course, who was 62 KIWI RIDER

Unfortunately the answer to that one was no. We woke to the sound of heavy rain falling, so heavy that the planned ride to Queenstown was cancelled and replaced with a day of R&R; some shopped, others went to the motor museum and tried their hand at clay bird shooting, while another group ventured to the Race to the Sky site and historic Cardrona pub.

As often happens in cases like this the camaraderie more than made up for the less than perfect weather, with tall tales and laughs galore with this many guys on tour. Take Warren for instance.

Sunday was scheduled for the ride through Haast and the glaciers for our last overnighter at Pukekura, midway between Hari Hari and Ross, before the run up the coast on Monday and either through Arthur’s Pass for the Christchurch boys or the option to continue north and through the Lewis Pass along with the lower North Island riders.

The fact that we were about to spend four days on the bikes, all of them for a good cause, meant spirits weren’t dampened, our safety brieﬁng going ahead as planned at the service station gathering point….albeit inside the carwash to shelter from the rain!

Would Saturday be any better weather-wise?

WHAT HAPPENS ON TOUR…

Queenstown and a circuit back through Cardrona and Wanaka.

What was that about the best laid plans of mice and men? As it turned out the Friday morning of the ride dawned dark and grey with heavy rain; rain which (see poem. Ed) stayed with us the entire four days to come.

in Wanaka, most riders deciding to turn in early though a few of the lads entertained the locals with Karaoke until the 2 am curfew.

a pleasure to have in our group. DRIZZLE, RAIN…THEN BURGERS & HOT CHIPS The weather on the ride through to Tekapo ranged from misty drizzle to torrential rain and it was a relief to finally stop for a while and wolf down burgers and hot chips. Many of the riders had bought new gear for the trip and it would be fair to say that it proved disappointing in the conditions. From Tekapo it was on to Wanaka however, with a quick trip over the Lindis Pass and a – relatively – dry ride for the final 15 kms into Wanaka A nice warm dinner (hot Mexican in my case) was the highlight of my first night

What to do? Ever resourceful Warren trudged the streets of Wanaka until be found a supermarket which sold foam vacuum cleaner ﬁlters. Solution found, he installed it with a piece of number 8 wire (OK he didn’t but he might as well have) took the bike for a test ride and voila, the Hoover/ Beemer was back to running as sweet as it did the day he bought it. Eat your heart out all you ﬁlter manufacturers. Another priceless moment came when Ian thought he would help a mate out with drying out his leather riding gloves; you know, wring the water out, turn them over on the heater etc etc. In doing so he discovered a zip on

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KIWI RIDER 63

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I never did ask him if he was a little bit more comfortable the next day….

ON TOUR BAND OF BROTHERS

the wrist and asked what it was for? Because no-one seemed to know he did the obvious thing and undid the zip...only to ﬁnd behind it a compartment complete with plastic overglove, there to be used OVER the leather to keep the owner’s hands both warm and dry.

THE COAST ISN’T CLEAR Sunday and the hoped-for dry run through the twisties past Lake Hawea and into the Haast Pass didn’t eventuate. So it was wet bike gear which was laid out around the huge open fire at Haast where whitebait sandwiches and (beautiful blue cod-based) fish ‘n chips were the order of the day. Off again after re-fuelling, speaking of which fuel stops were a fairly regular occurrence for riders of the smaller bikes which had limited capacity. Other riders (of bigger, touring-style bikes) boasted of a range in the vicinity of 280 to 300 kms between stations. The rain continued of course and just to add a bit of further interest a little bit of side wind blew in as we reached the (Wild West) coastline again. There we passed some of the most beautiful lakes in the south; lakes like Moeraki, Paringa and Mapourika, all with the bush at arms length from the handlebars. There was then a coffee stop for some at Fox Glacier while others continued on to Franz Josef where Tony and I discovered that outdoor gas heaters are not ideal for drying polyprop balaclavas which have a tendency tor revert to plastic once the temperature reaches a certain point.... It was then a matter of firing the bikes up again for the final little scenic stretch over Mt Hercules and into the Pukekura Pub, our digs for the night. Speaking of which our Safari tent looked like it was more suited to the Sahara Desert than the wetter-than-wet West Coast, but despite that the double skin proved to be waterproof for the entire night. FLAMING HECK!

Time for a quick stop for coffee (top) on the way to Tekapo and ﬁnally Wanaka where wet riding gear was swapped for dry civvies and a bevy or two to mark the occasion. Final overnight stop (bottom) was at the Pukekura Pub on the West Coast.

The evening meal was catered and included wild pork or venison, a few beers around the log ﬁre, and some interesting entertainment form the locals who douse pois with kerosene and light them, to good effect, particularly against a pitch black background on the edge of Highway KIWI RIDER 65

ON TOUR BAND OF BROTHERS

RAIN It rained and rained and rained The average fall was well maintained And when the tracks were simple bogs It started raining cats and dogs After a drought of half an hour We had a most refreshing shower And then most curious thing of all A gentle rain began to fall Next day but one was fairly dry Save one deluge from The sky Which wetted the

36 as the performers literally fire the pois around their bodies. When challenged to give it a whirl one of our boys responded with an amazingly brave display until he stopped one with his arse. To coin a phrase, he was ‘smokin!’ The flaming pois turned out just to be the start as the competition intensified from another of our multi-talented group. This time the lesson came from Spike the fire eater who demonstrated not once but twice how to breathe fire, an impressive performance indeed. And one which made for a slowish start the next day with the skies still dark and the rain still pelting down as we headed north to Hokitika for a hearty breakfast and to gas up for the run home. At this point it was time for farewells for some, as a few water babies plus the Wellington boys headed north to Westport then on through the Lewis Pass to Picton and home, while the majority of us headed off through the Arthur’s Pass towards Christchurch. Straight through Kumara, home of the famous race meeting, then a mandatory stop at the Jackson’s Pub for a long black and one of their legendary pies. It was then into the mountains but the accompanying mist and the rain was unable to deter us from enjoying this particular section of road. You know the drum. Otira and Arthur’s Pass, the tight corners and the hills we dream about on bikes, then out and on to the flowing, swooping road through Cass and Castle Hill, before suddenly, all too soon, you find yourself on the long straights of the Canterbury Plains. Time for one last coffee at Springfield to bring us back to reality then the final run home….whereupon, with 30 kms to go to 66 KIWI RIDER

Christchurch, the road suddenly dried and the sun peered through the lifting cloud and another adventure came to an end. THANKS EVERYONE Before I go though, some acknowledgements. Our thanks to Randal and Ian and Randal’s brother John for the astute and dedicated organisation of a trip which was both memorable and a wonderful tribute to Marty; he would be honoured. And a special thanks to Michelle in the backup vehicle, and also to Jason and Tim for the ute and bike trailer backup. Your support and effort was invaluable to us all What’s next? Maybe a fun run to the sun! KR Entertainment at the Pukekura Pub was provided by the local flaming poiwielding dance troupe and Spike the fire-eater. Once group split to head home southerners made one final coffee-and-pie stop at Jacksons Pub before rolling off the alps and on to the Canterbury Plains….where within sight of Christchurch, the sun came out!

Party to the skin And then at last the Rains set in! Anonymous

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WORDS & PICS: Todd Sutherland

PRODUCT EVALUATION

TURN & GO PUNCTURE REPAIR So after all these years of getting away with it, it’s happened. The bike started feeling funny a while back but just as I came off those straights and peeled into that sweet sweeper, whoa. Yep, I’ve got a ﬂat tyre. On the side of the road, just on dark, ordinarily I’d be screwed. Good thing that I bought that ‘Turn and Go’ tyre repair kit. EASY FIX If you’ve ever changed a tubeless tyre you’ll be only too aware of what a mission sorting out a puncture can be. Thankfully with this system, you can forget all about getting out any spanners. Below is the ‘Turn and Go’ cheat sheet. 1. Find and mark the puncture (chalk) 2. Pull out the offending item (pliers) 3. Screw in the plug and break it off (pliers) 4. Screw the adaptor on the valve. Screw in a canister (make sure you slip the sleeve on so you don’t cold ‘burn’ your ﬁngers) 5. You may need a couple of canisters for a front tyre, and perhaps three for a rear, at least until you get to service station to check the pressure. YOU’RE DONE The great thing about the ‘Turn and Go’ kit is that everything is there. Pliers, chalk, a wee bag to put it all in and even a plastic glove to keep your hands clean! To be without the stress of worrying about what I’d do if I was stranded without the ‘Turn and Go’ kit makes it worth every penny. We heard of a guy using this kit three times on different punctures on a South Island tour. Reportedly the plugs are still in there. Not something we’d recommend, but testimony to its effectiveness and perhaps how lucky I’ve been all these years in not getting a puncture. Michael Old at Drury Tires, tells me that legally an external repair can’t get through a warrant. Regardless, these kits are a worthy additional backstop for anybody travelling any kind of distance from immediate roadside assistance. A basic kit starts at $46 and these are available from most motorcycle shops, distributed by Dold Industries. KR Staffer Todd S. putting the Turn & Go puncture/tyre repair kit to the test….

KIWI RIDER 69

PRODUCT EVALUATION

LONG WAY ROUND BOXED SET WORDS: Campbell Rousselle A little over a year ago I had the pleasure of reviewha ing ‘The Long Way Round’ book and the greater pleasboo ure of o receiving the DVD series i as a present.

Well, sadly during several ﬂat moves, I lost track of my copy of the series. Enter my wonderful girlfriend Tess with one of the best Christmas presents ever; the ‘Long Way Round – Collectors Edition Box Set.’ LONG WAY ROUND This is the original 10-episode series that graced our screens last year. For those who still don’t know, in 2005 movie star Ewan McGregor and mate Charlie Boorman decided to ride round the world, starting in London, taking ‘the long way round’ to New York. It’s an entertaining, hard-core travel show with a difference.

70 KIWI RIDER

LONG WAY DOWN In this series, Charlie and Ewan again team up with, cameraman Claudio, as well as their production crew, to tackle the African continent. Starting in John O’Groats Scotland, they take a long and winding path through England, France, Italy and across the African continent to arrive in Cape Town. It was this trip that inspired Boorman to tackle the Dakar race. RACE TO DAKAR This is the best of the three shows in my opinion. Boorman dispels any idea that he’s a whinging, spoilt pretender and shows some true grit in his average Joe’s attempt to conquer one of the toughest races on the planet, the Paris-Dakar Rally. Race to Dakar is an illuminating view of the Dakar from inside the event. It is gripping ‘heart in mouth’ television at its best. KR

It is kind of Halloween time. All hallows eve...the eve of All Saints Day. A time (according to the Yanks) to dress the little kids up like goblins and witches and put lots of make-up on them then send them to the homes of strangers where they ask for a treat.

“Your chair’s on ﬁre.” The candle had burned down to the vinyl seat cover and it was blazing splendidly. Which leads me to my Halloween tale of ﬁery bikes. It was late October, only a few days out from pumpkin day, and I was riding the 600 Kwacka to work.

Doesn’t quite sound right to me somehow.

At an intersection a couple of guys pointed at the bike...looking quizzical.

The whole concept is dodgy, and it is a dodginess which has spread to this part of the world as retailers skin, gut and ﬁllet it for all it’s worth.

Then I felt heat and glanced down to see small orange ﬂames and very black wisps of smoke coming from the vent in the fairing.

Like Christmas, and Easter, and Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.

I immediately began blowing instinctive but utterly ineffective strong puffs of breath down at the ﬂames... but the full-face helmet sort of deﬂected them.

You name it and the gluttonous commercial fraternity will embrace it in the name of selling you something ridiculous for an equally ridiculous price. I never took our kids ‘trick or treating’ although I would accept little oddlydressed visitors at the door and have a treat ready for them. Usually something really scrummy to a little kid...like a packet of raisins or a handful of walnuts. On one occasion, having succumbed to the Americanisation of all hallow’s eve, I bought a large pumpkin and hollowed it out.

The night before I had spray-painted the immediate vent areas in cool-looking matt black and had stuffed rags inside the fairing to stop overspray going onto the motor and exhausts. And I’d forgotten to take the rags out. So they burned beautifully after the heat of the exhausts ignited them, and a good slab of the fairing burned and melted beautifully before I managed to beat it out with my gloved hands. Ruined the right glove too.

My son, then eight, assisted and we cut eyes and teeth into it.

My $4.99 can of matt black refurbishment resulted in a $149 repair.

I placed it on a tall stool which I stood on the pathway to the front door, and when the light faded from the sky we lit a candle inside it and it looked tops – all glowing and ﬂickering.

A very spooky sum given I was earning bugger all at the time.

The visiting kids loved it.

But the best spooky bike tale I have encountered was what I call ‘the night of the invisible beast.’

I opened the door to three small children dressed like ghosts.

It was years and years ago and I was out the back, in the very early winter morning darkness, dragging a rubbish bag out from the garage before heading to work.

The one in the middle half-turned and pointed to the spooky pumpkin.

Then I heard the most appallingly loud bike approaching. It was a bike because it

Just after 8.45pm the last knock of the night sounded.

MORONEY ROGER MORONEY

STRANGE DAYS & STRANGER NIGHTS ‘I still don’t get it to this day, and the only explanation I can come up with was that the sound must have been coming from the air. But I’d never heard, nor have I since, any aircraft that sounded like that’

was revving its heart out. Sounded like a three actually...slightly off-beat. It howled by, sounding like an ailing jet just as I got into the driveway. But it then went silent. The sound just stopped. I jogged out and looked up the street, both ways. No sign of anything. Nothing. Just streetlights and empty tarseal. And no lights had come on signalling that neighbours had also heard what sounded like an approaching war. I still don’t get it to this day, and the only explanation I can come up with was that the sound must have been coming from the air. But I’d never heard, nor have I since, any aircraft that sounded like that. To me, it was a bike. It was also, effectively, a phantom. Crikey...I just did a word count at the end of the word ‘phantom’ and there were 666. Time to start a campﬁre, get some old leather clad lads together, and tell some scary stories! KR KIWI RIDER 73

Nothing else sounds like a ZX-10. Or, maybe, the ZX-10 sounds like nothing else? I dunno. Is there a difference? Either way, there’s a particular type of aftermarket exhaust that a bunch of them seem to wear – and they sound unique. Just a bit animal, a bit feral. You know? There’s an edge to the ZX-10 you won’t find on a GSX-R1000 or an R1 – although some of the Fireblades have it. Inside that motor there are the beautifully-finished gubbins that can be found inside any other litrebike UJM: Piston/ rod assemblies balanced to tolerate an acceleration from dead stop towards 20 m/sec and back down to a standstill sixteen thousand times a minute, over and bloody over, effectively forever, as long as someone changes the oil from time to time. That wonderful stuff of Japanese engineering. Although there’s a reciprocating engine in there, it might as well be some sort of turbine – such is the smoothness with which it spins and revs. And this one is revving. We heard him coming six bends away; and you could tell where he was by the sound as he let it rev right out in fourth for the uphill straight. It’s a beautiful quiet afternoon. We’re in the middle of a fifty-kilometre loop of some of the country’s best – and on a sunny Sunday, best-used – motorcycling roads, and there are lots of bikes. It’s the first sunny Sunday of not-quite-spring, and they’re all out there – including Mr ZX-10 and his companions. We can hear the revs drop away

momentarily as he brakes and ‘blip blips’ down to second for the lefthander at the end of the slope. There’s a bit of an open bend that might entice a lesser rider back up into third, but you’re straight back down to second for the tight downhill just before my house anyway – so why bother? And he doesn’t. The wailing drops to shocking silence as he hits the killswitch fifty metres before my corner, although he’s still slowing – braking hard enough for the front to ‘chirp’ just as he pulls up. His sidestand is down and he is pawing at the helmet strap before I can say to my companion – ‘come and watch this.’ By the time she’s elbowing me out of the doorway, he has dropped his gloves on the roadway beside the helmet, unzipped his jacket, extracted a cigarette, snapped off two-thirds of it, carefully thrown that two-thirds section well into the shrubbery where it won’t be seen, and is cupping his hands round the flame of his lighter. By the time she can ask ‘What’s he up to?’ he has already taken a drag and is leaning back against the bike, left boot up on the footpeg – a picture of nonchalance. I barely have time to say ‘Just watch and see’ before his three companions round the bend and slow as they see him standing there. He’s just taking another casually obvious puff; and standing up, stretching ostentatiously as the first of them gets his helmet off Although we’re close enough to the road to hear every gearshift that he and

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‘By the time she can ask ‘What’s he up to?’ he has already taken a drag and is leaning back against the bike, left boot up on the footpeg – a picture of nonchalance’ his colleagues make, we’re not quite close enough to hear their conversation. But I don’t have to be, to know just what he’s saying. He waits until they have all turned off their engines, removed their helmets, and turned towards him before he takes a last I’ve-been-here-for-ten-minutes drag on that cigarette. Everyone can see clearly that it has been smoked down to a nub, as he drops it to the tarseal and grinds it to dust beneath the toe of his Alpinestar. “We ready to get moving yet?” he asks. “I’ve been building up a hell of a thirst, standing out in the blazing bloody sun, and I’m hanging out for a beer.” KR

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KIWI RIDER 75

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I was in a world of my own, peeling off the corners on the road to Wairoa. It’s a popular ride for bikers, with many twists and turns before the run along the river into town. A few of the riders in my group were ahead but most of them were somewhere behind me and I had the road to myself for now. One of the hazards on East Coast roads is the wildlife. Goats are everywhere and turkeys are common too so I wasn’t surprised when I spied a random group of these birds wandering across the road ahead. I’d tangoed with turkeys once before in my early days back on a bike. I’d swerved wildly back then, trying to predict which way they’d go, before throwing out the anchor and screeching to a halt. Since then, I’d been advised to pick a line and stick with it because turkeys will change their minds several times before you get to them. And this time I had the opportunity to put the theory into practice. It worked. I braced for a straggler to peel off the back of the group and take me on as I rode by but the last one flapped away and I was safe. And then I met another kind of turkey. A bike flashed past me from behind. It was so close; I could have grabbed the rider by the scruff of the neck and hauled him off his bike. Instead, I flinched and my heart flipped straight into overdrive as my bike was buffeted by the wash of his air. What if he’d connected? I would have been blown into the weeds.

BORN AGAIN BIKER ANDY LYVER

TALKING TURKEY! I was sufficiently riled to march straight over to him at our next stop. Yes, it was a member of our group. His face fell when he saw me coming – he knew what I was going to say. “You passed way too close to me – and you very nearly clipped my mirror. If you ever take me out, I will not be nearly so understanding as our club mate was!” Last year, he and another club member were involved in a prang which kept her off her bike for months. He had the good grace to apologise to me and I accepted it, but I walked away unconvinced that his reckless ways would ever change. Since this incident, he’s spent time in hospital after wiping out on a corner – luckily involving no-one else. Famous for pushing the boundaries, he’s had more high sides than hot dinners. I had the rest of the ride to Wairoa to contemplate what makes some people – because this fellow is not alone – revert to the risk-taking of their boyhood whenever they get on two wheels. An image of Peter Pan popped into my mind so when I got home, I googled the name – and surprise, surprise – there’s a condition called the Peter Pan syndrome. It’s a pop psychology term for adults who display the irresponsibility of youth. Maco calls them the ‘slingshot boys’. Let me profile a typical specimen: he’s a mature male (in years at least) and rides a powerful sports bike. He starts at the back of a group ride and catapults to the front by flashing past others at warp

‘He starts at the back of a group ride and catapults to the front by ﬂashing past others at warp speed, often with little regard for his own or anyone else’s safety’

speed, often with little regard for his own or anyone else’s safety. I suspect the shock tactic in passing is half the fun and riding alone would negate the purpose of his antics. I suspect also that he is part of the growing statistic for motorcycle casualties in the older age group. Is this you? The way you ride is your business – unless you endanger others. Just stay the hell away from me. KR

KIWI RIDER 77

78 KIWI RIDER Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

INFERNO00165

s of r a e Y 0 Celebrating 10outh Canterbury Motorcycling in S

Safer journeys. Well that is the pious hope put forward by the latest Sheeple production, ‘Safer Journeys: Road Safety Strategy to 2020,’ released recently. Unfortunately, such is the nature of deadlines that by the time you read this, submissions will have closed (on October 2). The cynics have been known to mutter that it makes no odds, since the Sheeple ignore anything they do not want to hear anyway. Nonetheless BRONZ will be making submissions. Hopefully, some of you will have too. Note that these are proposals for the next 10 years, not new laws. Whatever comes out of it must still pass through the normal legislative process. This is by way of a warning shot. So, what then is proposed in this 10-year strategy? Nothing surprising. If forced to sum the strategy up in a phrase, that phrase might be ‘more tickets.’ The strategy identiﬁes ﬁve high concern topics. Predictably, reducing drug/ alcohol-impaired driving; increasing the safety of young drivers; safer roads and roadsides; and safer speeds. Equally predictable are the main proposed ‘solutions’: reduction of the blood alcohol level to 0.05; raise the driver licence age to 16 or 17; more median barriers (read, cheese-cutters); reduced speed limits; more demerit points for speeding; and demerit points for speed camera tickets. Familiar? They should be. They are

COLUMNS BRONZ

WARNING! TURBULENCE AHEAD the same proposals that were trotted out 10 years ago, in the Road Strategy 2010. They didn’t work then, but the Sheeple view is that if something doesn’t work, then do more of it. But, that is only four of the ‘high concern’ topics. The ﬁfth is more of a worry to us, because it is, speciﬁcally, motorcycles. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you view it), their proposed actions are likely to be annoying and ineffective rather than punitive. Tougher licence tests. Most bikers would go along with that. And not just for motorcycles? The car licence test is an even bigger joke. Target motorcycle black spots for road improvements. The ones covered in melted tar and gravel would be a good start, but don’t hold your breath. ABS for all bikes over 600cc by 2015. NOT retroactive, so existing bikes without ABS will still be okay. But if you hate ABS you’re going to be out of luck after 2015. ‘Promote’ hi-vis and protective clothing. The cynical may suspect that will become compulsory hi-vis. Higher (rumour is MUCH higher) ACC levies for over 600cc bikes. (How much? The document doesn’t say, but what do you think. No, higher than that. Higher, higher still. Are your eyes watering yet? We expect they will be…) Mopeds to have moped licences and WoFs. Golly gosh.

‘They didn’t work then, but the Sheeple view is that if something doesn’t work, then do more of it’

There are other suggestions in the documents. Some of them are even vaguely sensible, though damned with faint praise. Space limitations mean we can’t cover them this month. Watch this space next month for the latest instalment, and BRONZ’s response. In the meantime, in August the document was at http://www.transport.govt.nz/ saferjourneys/. And to check out what BRONZ is up to, go to www.bronz.org. nz. KR

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WORDS & PICS: Rhys Jones CLASSICS AJS G10

FROM WRECK TO RACE TRACK When Classic enthusiasts Norm and Lynda Maddock discovered the remains of an AJS in Waihi and brought it home to Auckland in 1993, they were in for a few surprises. KR Classics man Rhys Jones takes up the story.

According to Norm the bike had been broken up and virtually written off. off But he recognised the racing frame, and classic race bikes are something the Maddocks have spent a good deal of their lives building, restoring, and sure enough racing. These were good enough reasons to rescue the old wreck. The G10 was not built in large numbers, but the model made its mark on three levels. The original factory catalogue issued by A.J. Stevens & Co

(1914) Ltd., covers models from 1926 to 1927. In 1926 there were two models, the basic 4.98hp overhead valve road going model, and the 4.98hp overhead valve racing model; designated the G8 and G10 respectively. The following year they became H8 and H10 and were joined by a 4.98hp de luxe touring model H9. ROAD TO RACE The catalogue gives information regarding leg shields and rear mudguard carrier, together with details of an optional sidecar, presumably for the H8 and G8 and 9 models. Also listed are lights, a horn, and various other trappings of road going bikes. In fact the catalogue is a reminder of just how close to road bikes the race bikes were in those days. Cosmetically the difference between the G8 and the G10 came down to the tank mounted tool box, and no rear mudguard carrier on the G10 race bike, a front and rear wheel stand on the G8, and a rear stand only on the race bike, and a different exhaust pipe. The race-ready G10 taking pride of place in Norm and Lynda Maddockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshop (top) and a close-up shot of its 4.98hp OHV 500cc engine (left).

KIWI RIDER 81

A TWO-YEAR RESTORATION

CLASSICS AJS G10

When the arduous chore of collecting parts was over, and the two year restoration complete, one last part of the puzzle emerged. It had a 350 motor, but it was supposed to be a 500. Lynda raced the bike with the 350 motor, but eventually a 500 was found and the machine was restored to its original specifications. Lynda raced the bike for twelve years. Considering the early racing history could have been only between 1930 and the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, and it’s unlikely it raced much, if at all, after the war, then the bike’s second racing life with the Maddocks has been longer than the first, and it hasn’t finished yet. The 83-year-old Wolverhampton wonder looks to have plenty of spirit for many races to come. KR

WAIHEKE TT PEDIGREE The Maddocks subsequently found that their AJS G10 had been imported new into New Zealand in 1926 from the factory at Wolverhampton in England. It was owned and raced by Rod Lockett.

Linda Maddocks racing the restored bike here (top) plus a couple of detail shots of the bike to add to those on the previous page.

The bike started in the ﬁ rst New Zealand TT on Waiheke Island in 1931. In a race for machines up to 500cc, eighteen riders faced the starter. It was a twenty lap race covering 215 kilometres. The AJS lasted for twelve laps before breaking down, Sid Moses eventually winning the TT on a 500cc Rudge. Another story relating to the G10s early racing history comes from Hennings Speedway which was in a natural basin at Mangare East. These were tough days for man and machine, and the attrition rate was high. Dust was a regular feature of Hennings. If it was dry, a team of bucket carriers would dampen the surface before racing began, if it was wet, well there isn’t much that can be done about mud.

retire, all riders managed to complete the ﬁ rst quarter of the race. An early casualty was Len Perry who was hit from behind.’

HENNING’S TOO!

By the half way mark more riders had gone and by the 63rd lap only six were still going. The rest of the race turned into a duel between Ben Bray on a 500cc Rudge and Rod Lockett on the 500cc AJS.

It seems that fourteen riders faced the starter on a dry March day in 1933. The race was over 200 kilometres, that’s 200 laps of Henning’s Speedway. In his book on the history of the Auckland Motorcycle Club, Calum Gilmour reports; ‘The riders started at intervals of two seconds. Again the attrition rate was high, but before any had to

Gilmour again. ‘Bray was ahead of Lockett who was covered in dust. At one point he almost overtook Bray, but in the end Bray won by only four seconds. This was extremely close over 200 kilometres.’ Little is known about the rest of the machine’s racing record, or when it was broken up.

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THE KAURI GUM COUNTRY STORE WORDS & PICS: Dave Wyatt

The old bus has developed an intermittent fault and misﬁres at the most inconvenient times. I suspect an electrical fault, maybe with the coils or the kill switch, so after some home mechanics, it’s time to see if my mechanic father’s teachings have paid off. Those of us who have lived on Auckland’s North Shore will know of the old Riverhead Highway, it’s one of the roads we get out on for a quick blast, doing the loop from Albany through Riverhead past Whenuapai and back to the North Shore. The road has some great corners mixed with a few good straights. I cut my teeth on this road, honing my cornering skills and getting my fair share of speeding tickets along the way. Today I revisited the old Highway with a particular purpose (well several actually). The ﬁrst was to ride the loop and not get a ticket, the second to see if the old girl was running proper, and the third was to hunt out a cafe worthy of a recommendation. A REAL BEAUTY I am pleased to report all objectives were achieved, no tickets, the bike didn’t miss a beat and I found a real beauty of a café, The Kauri Gum Country Store Cafe, located at 22 School Road, Riverhead. Family-owned for the past 12 years and

operating as a cafe for the past six years, the old store is a credit to the owners, and the food is exceptional. I ordered a chicken mushroom quiche and salad accompanied by a capuccino, total spend of $12.30. The food was well presented and the salad crisp and fresh. Jo the owner says she uses fresh produce from the garden when possible, and the locals help out with seasonal fruit for various preserves and the like. The coffee brand they use is Stronghold and is a coffee which will satisfy even the most discerning coffee drinker’s palate. HISTORIC LOOK & FEEL

It’s a case of ‘any excuse’ for Gastrom Rider Dave Wyatt this month as he heads north-west of Auckland to check out a Riverhead institution.

The cafe is in an historic museum store setting and has a real feeling of days gone by, with artifacts and curios adorning the walls, many donated to the store from locals who can trace their ancestry back to the old gum diggers, all those years ago. I could go on about how amazed I was seeing how small a kitchen the great food was coming from, or the feel-good atmosphere and how the food is based around good old fashioned real food, but I will let you ﬁnd out for yourself. A GREAT DAY FOR A RIDE As I straddle the XV to complete the loop I can’t help but think how lucky we are in this country to have places

such as this and in 20 minutes I will be home. It’s been a great day for a ride with only a few passing showers. The old girl ﬁres up and doesn’t miss a beat all the way home; seems something must have sunk in while watching dad when I was a kid. KR

QUICK STOP VENUE: Kauri Gum Country Store AREA: Riverhead, north-west Auckland Riverhead’s Kauri Gum Country Kitchen is a great destination in itself as much as a place to stop and replenish the food and caffeine levels mid-ride.

ADDRESS: 22 School Rd Riverhead

KIWI RIDER 85

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WORDS & PICS: Andy McGechan There will be some testing times ahead for New Zealand motorcycle road-race sensation Avalon Biddle. The Orewa teenager has passed the ﬁrst selection stage and as this issue of KR was on the presses she was set to step onto the European stage for a tryout for a place on the Red Bull Rookies squad. She survived the initial elimination process – thanks to a stunning career CV from her racing in this part of the world and also to Palmerston Northbased Moto Academy New Zealand manager Steve Bagshaw putting in a ‘few good words’ on her behalf – but now the really hard part begins. FROM THE FRYING PAN She ﬂew out to northern Italy with her father (Keith), to pit herself against the world’s cream of teenage road-racers, at the Adria circuit, just south of Venice, on October 6. And only a very small number of riders at that test day will be invited to join the Rookies Cup competition for 2010. “We’re just coming out of our winter … when the race scene here is pretty quiet … and after she’s been out with a broken leg for a while, so that’s not good,” Keith told KR on the eve of the

ROAD COMPETITION AVALON BIDDLE

BIDDLE EARNS RED BULL TRYOUT IN EUROPE trip. “But it’s an exciting opportunity for her. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” GP WINNER Biddle finished fourth overall in the 125GP class at last season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships – despite crashing and breaking her leg in the day’s first race at the final round – and she impressed throughout the series with her ability to challenge for the title. The teenager also raced her Honda RS125 to victory in the 125cc Grand Prix at Ruapuna Park, in Christchurch, earlier in the season, becoming only the second woman in the sport’s history to win a GP title. The first woman to win a GP title in New Zealand was Nelson’s Karel Pavich (Yamaha), who took the 250GP title in January last year. REALLY EXCITED “I’m really excited about going to Italy,” said Avalon. “It’s pretty special and a great opportunity. It may open so many doors for me. “I’ll certainly be giving it my best shot.” Christchurch rider Nick Cain and Wellington’s Luke Jamieson completed these trials last season but were not fortunate enough to make the final selection.

You go girl! Avalon Biddle with her 125ccGP bike (top) and as we know her from her earlier days racing a Suzuki RG150 in the Streetstock class

Through the three seasons of the Rookies Cup, the level of competition has steadily increased and the selection process was tightened this year. Applications were sought from teenagers with high performance motorcycle racing experience in other motor-racing codes as well – road racers, motocross racers, dirt trackers, speedway riders and many other speed-sport competitors were all encouraged to apply. GREAT PLACE TO START While the best of this year’s Red Bull Rookies – riders such as Jakub Kornfeil and Sturla Fagerhaug – look to continue their careers in the 125 World Championship that began earlier this season, many of the others will remain in the Cup for another season until the best of them can also make the step up to the GPs. The calendar for the 2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has yet to be ﬁnalised but it will continue to run alongside the majority of the European GPs and is due to start next year in Jerez at the Spanish Grand Prix. KR KIWI RIDER 87

ROAD COMPETITION NEW TEAM Teammates….Old hand Dennis Charlett and young gun Cameron Jones.

CHARLETT & JONES TEAM UP WORDS & PICS: Racing Dave It’s often the case that a previous champion will help train the next generation, and in road racing Dennis Charlett is doing exactly that. Over the last 10 years, Dennis has been New Zealand 125 (Honda RS) and 600 Supersport (Suzuki GSX-R) National Champion, and South Australia’s 600 Supersport (Honda CBR) and Superbike (ZX10) Champion. This has given him considerable experience on various bikes and on many different racetracks, and for the New Zealand 2009/2010 summer season will be running his own two-man team. JONES STEPS UP His 16 year old teammate, and Year 12 pupil at Christchurch’s Papanui High School, Cameron Jones, is relatively inexperienced, but when he was only 15 became New Zealand’s youngest ever National Champion, also in the 125 class. Like Dennis, his earliest action came in the cut and thrust of Bucket Racing, followed by a season in 150 Streetstock, which led to the pure racing class of the 125s. Cameron’s 88 KIWI RIDER

father is Peter Jones, a man who has done much to foster young talent, and older brother Dominic, fresh with the knowledge he has gained from racing in the USA, will attend this coming season, in support. KEY SPONSORS Dennis’s two main sponsors are Suzuki New Zealand and Darbi Accessories, who have supplied bikes, riding apparel, and tyres. The team will compete on two Suzuki GSX-R600s (K9 for Dennis, K6 (ex-Shaun Harris) for Cameron) in 600 Supersport races, both shod with Continental Race Attack tyres, and the riders will be dressed in Berik leathers and HJC helmets. At time of writing, Cameron has completed two practice sessions at Ruapuna, and is coming to terms with the increased weight, bulk, and power that the four-cylinder road bike-based racer has over the lithe and light two-stroke single that he is used to. It’ll be interesting to see how the veteran and his apprentice progress, and Kiwi Rider will keep you informed. KR

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successful career. Their assistance is invaluable to the team’s success and buildup to the start of Nationals in January.”

“We are delighted to extend the Documentary Channel’s association with local road racing through supporting Jaden’s 2010 national campaign,” company boss Richard Driver told KR last month. “We have supported established race teams in the past and will continue to do so, however, there is currently a new crop of racing talent graduating from the feeder Streetstock categories and competing in the 125GP class who are our future stars. Jaden is one of the frontrunners amongst these young riders. We look forward to seeing him develop his racecraft further and competing successfully in the 2010 national championship and beyond.”

Jaden is a 15-year-old Auckland secondary school student who has been racing for the past two seasons. He’s been turning heads in the three years since he left Downhill Mountain Biking behind in favour of Grand Prix road racing, being the youngest ever rider (to his and his Dad’s knowledge) to ride a 125ccGP bike at the age of 12 (in 2007) then being the youngest one in the country to enter a race on one at the age of 13.

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Young gun Jaden Hassan will enjoy support from the Documentary Channel this summer as he launches a serious attack on the 2010 New Zealand 125cc GP title.

“We would like to thank Richard and the Documentary Channel for their support of our upcoming 2010 125 National Championship. It is awesome to have such a high proﬁle nonmotorcycling industry sponsor involved so early in what I am hoping will be a long and

STARTING YOUNG

In 2008 he then became the youngest rider to score points in a national event (aged 13) followed by the youngest to win a Victoria Motorcycle Club Championship class title (later that year) when he was 14. Last year he was third in the King of Ruapuna Championship, despite only contesting two of the three rounds, and this year he was the first 125ccGP rider to claim a third place finish (in the NZGP no less) in his rookie (national championship) season. He was the youngest to claim a second place finish (at the Pukekohe TT meeting no less) in the same (Rookie) season. Heading into the 2010 season Jaden is currently leading the Victoria Motorcycle Club’s championship in the 125ccGP class having won five of the eight races contested so far. KR KIWI RIDER 89

ROAD COMPETITION ROAD RACING

WORDS: Brian Wood PIC: KR File Brian Wood competing at one of his favourite 2008/09 season events, the Yamaha Paeroa street race.

ROAD RACING WITH BRIAN WOOD As a racer I regularly think during a race; ‘if only the bike had more power, more speed.’ Every bike I’ve ever raced has, at some point, ‘needed’ more go, to make that overtake or shave some time off those longer straights. While I love motorbikes and racing, the thrill of speed and acceleration fades away as the season gets into full swing and the adrenalin rush these days, for me, comes from the competition. FIRST RIDE That is, until you take a break from riding, such as my winter sabbatical. My ﬁrst ride on the Ricoh Yamaha YZF-R6 was at a recent Pukekohe open test day and the bike felt hugely fast, the four-month break rudely awakened by the Pukekohe ‘eyes and throttle wide open’ back straight which felt faintly scary having not experienced such speeds for a while. Open test days at Pukekohe are a mix of race and road bikes and my pace was probably four seconds off my personal best but nevertheless the day blew the cobwebs away. CSS TIEUP Two weeks later I was lucky enough to be invited to Taupo circuit to ride some bikes belonging to the new California Superbike School. The school will be based at the New Hampton Downs circuit but the school bikes, GSXR600 and 750s needed running in and I needed to dem90 KIWI RIDER

onstrate my riding as a start to passing a number of strict tests to become a CSS riding coach. The track day at Taupo was an open pit lane day run by Redline Trackdays Ltd for just 45 riders. The event was great value and very well run by Redline, I’d recommend them. That said the day was frustrating for me as a rider because we had to stick to an 8000rpm rev limit on all the bikes until 100km was passed and with six bikes it took a while.

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That said, other than the straights, fun could be had carrying corner speed through the infield. A RIDE ON AN RSV The highlight of the Taupo day was being asked by another attendee, Scott Healy, to try out his virtually new Aprilia RSV4 Factory. Well where do I start? Scott’s RSV4 has a race exhaust end can fitted and I’m fairly sure is the loudest and certainly one of the most powerful bikes in standard trim I’ve ever ridden. The noise of the RSV4 is as near to a MotoGP bike as I think you could get with a production bike and even riding it with earplugs it was incredibly loud but so much fun! With my sense of speed fully recharged after the RSV4 I’m now ready for the first round of the 2009/10 Auckland Motorcycle Club series, which, will take place on the 4th October at Pukekohe. KR

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Leather riding gear in need of a spruce up after Winter storage? Then Muc-Off

1 has the solution. Muc-Off Hydra-Tech Leather Wipes are the easy, convenient way to clean, revive, nourish and protect all motorcycle leathers, boots and gloves. Speciﬁcally designed with tiny indentations to remove insects, grease and grime. Muc-Off Leather Wipes contain a blend of oils, emollients and gentle cleansers that nourish and protect as they clean. Available in a handy 15 pack, you’ll ﬁnd Muc-Off leather wipes at your local Muc-Off stockist. KIWI RIDER 93

94 KIWI RIDER

AIROH CEZANNEE HELMET $556 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

HOT PRODUCTS ROAD

Part of Airoh’s impressive road ﬂip-up helmet range, the Bluetooth compatible Cezannee boasts a thermoplastic shell (available in 2 shell sizes), an integrated sun visor, hygenically treated comfort liner that is removable and washable, anti-scratch and anti-fog visor, ample venting, micrometric retention system, and ECE22.05 safety. Oozing with Italian style and top shelf features, the Cezannee comes in Gloss Black in sizes XS to XXL.

METZELER RACETEC INTERACT K3 STREET From $315 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

This new super-sticky offering from Metzeler features the innovative Interact™ Structure and Compound Technology. Metzeler has looked beyond just using multiple compound tyres, that often give a ‘step effect’ where the compound changes on the tyre. Interact technology allows progressive grip performance to be achieved through the differently tensioned steel belts, resulting in lower stiffness in the centre to widen the contact area, and higher stiffness on the shoulder to bear higher stresses during extreme lean angles. Available in 120/70ZR17, 180/55ZR17 and 190/55ZR17.

JOHNNY REB BOOT $319 (short) $349 (long) Distributor: Northern Accessories

World famous for being the original and best in cruiser boots. Great on the bike or out in a café. Johnny Rebs feature: extra wide ﬁtting, full grain 12” oiled leather upper, heavy duty rubber sole and padded insole, square snub toe and brass ringed harness strap embossed with the Johnny Reb name. TCX EXPLORER 3 GORE-TEX BOOT $499 Distributor: Northern Accessories

CFS. Comfort Fit System. Upper: micro ﬁbre and Cordura. Lining: Gore-tex membrane. Protection: malleolous protection, polyurethane shift pad, shin plate, reinforced heel counter. Foot bed: anatomic and replaceable. Sole: touring sole with speciﬁc grip area. Gore-Tex membrane. Available in black in EU 36 – 48. NEXX X60 QUEEN OPEN FACE HELMET $229 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

From Portugal comes Nexx Helmets, arguably the leader in fashion scooter helmets. The Nexx X60 Queen is now available in black/pink as well as the popular white/pink and blue/pink. Not only does it look the best but its interior is one of the plushest on the market and is removable for washing.

6 NEXX X60 VINTAGE OPEN FACE HELMET $229 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

For the more classic look the leather covered X60 Vintage may suit. Combined with the classic look exterior the interior uses anti-sweat and anit-allergic fabric that is removable and washable. Sizes: XS to 2XL in black/orange and black/grey. IXON REVOLUTION FEVER $699 Distributor: Northern Accessories

A convertible jacket suitable for all seasons. In summer the Revolution is a fully vented

2 light-wieght jacket with CE protection. With the chill of autumn, simply add the additional front and sleeve panels, which effectively provides you with a windproof, waterproof and breathable jacket. The addition of the removable warm quilted lining ensures comfortable ride even in extreme winter weather. In spring simply add the ﬁtted waterproof and breathable PU insert which offers rain and moisture protection, keeping you dry and comfortable on those warmer but showery days The Ixon Revolution really does have all four seasons covered in one great jacket. Sizes XS-XXXL. KIWI RIDER 95

MOTO GP STYLED LOGO

ENGRAVED FOLDING LEVERS

UNIVERSN-L N- DJUSTN-BLE TN-NK MOUNT FOR SOFT BN-GS

fold up Designed to ing reak ll. instead of b accident or fa n a f o t n e v e in the

New tank ﬁtting system ideal for plastic, alloy, or odd shape tanks. Attaches simply and easily. Suitable for the following Givi tank bags: T400, T401, T410, T413, T426, T429, T432, T436, T437, T440, T452.

• CNC milled from whole billet • Stronger than OE • Available logos: Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and 1098

#T460 $59.00

MUST HAVE ITEMS FOR THE DEDICATED MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIAST Priced from $129.00. Available from your local motorcycle shop.

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

ENLKR001

specific screens

A great range of screens in two aerodynamic designs to enhance your riding pleasure. DH Profile (depression spoiler) - suitable for sports bikes with its low aerodynamic resistance D...S Profile (deflector spoiler) - suitable for touring due to its increased comfort at all speeds. AVAILABLE FOR MOST BIKES. See www.givi.it

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

96 KIWI RIDER

EGIKR011

EGIKR012

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

This very clever battery charger is fully automatic and includes pulse maintenance for maximum performance and service life. Designed for all types of 12 volt lead-acid batteries, the CTEK charger can be connected for months without harm to your battery or bike/jetski/ATV. Considering the cost of new batteries, the CTEK XS800 Battery Charger really is a must for every rider, particularly those who don’t use their bikes on a regular basis — no surprises when you next hit the starter button!

HOT PRODUCTS ROAD

1 CTEK XS800 BATTERY CHARGER $129 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Ltd

2 MOTODRY TOUR SADDLEBAGS $209 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

Perfect for summer touring duties, these saddlebags from Motodry will easily cart all your gear around this ﬁne country of ours with their huge 66 litre capacity. Other features include external storage pockets, anti-scratch side grip panels, adjustable shoulder carry straps, internal phone/wallet holder, and waterproof storm covers. Available now where all good moto luggage is sold.

1 8

NOLAN X602 X-LITE HELMET $699 Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale 3

Reliability, technology, and comfort are features of this new full face helmet. A lightweight, ﬁbreglass shell in three sizes ensures a high level of comfort. Two top air intakes, a lower air intake and a rear extraction system allow great ventilation. Removable, washable comfort padding and a Nolan fog resist system are included and the N-Com is ready for communication systems. 4 NOLAN N43 HELMET $399 Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale

Major technical and styling innovations put this exclusive innovative helmet at the peak of the touring segment. Featuring three separate air intakes – one front and two rear – the exclusive ventilation is able to effectively direct two independent air-ﬂows. VPS sunscreen, combined with the all new innovative Deep Visor provides excellent aerodynamic qualities. Clima Comfortinner comfort padding is fully removable and washable and the N-Com is ready for communication systems. HJC BEN SPIES REPLICA HELMET $499 Distributor: Darbi Accessories 5

This Ben Spies replica HJC replica helmet has all the features you have come to expect from this brand along with ECE22.05 Safety Standard approval. Available in: MC1(Red), MC2(Blue). 6

ISLE OF MAN TT REVIEW 2009

incredible on-board footage, interviews and behind-the-scenes features make this the essential record of another historic year for the Isle of Man TT.

$60 Distributor: Northern Accessories

7 MAXIMA COOL-AIDE $20 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The 2009 Isle of Man TT Ofﬁcial Review delivers comprehensive coverage of a record-breaking event, with edge-of-the-seat drama from every race, special features and informed commentary. Dramatic action,

Maxima Engine Cool-Aide is a highperformance racing coolant formulated to reduce engine temperatures and provides signiﬁcantly better contact on heated surfaces allowing for greater and more efﬁcient

heat transfer. Approved for racing on paved surfaces, Cool-Aide protects against rust and corrosion, and comes in a convenient ready-to-use 1.8L pack. Available from Maxima Stockists. 8 DIADORA XTREME AIR RACE BOOTS $599 Distrubtor: Nationwide Accessories

A great looking boot with loads and loads of features. Available in sizes: 44 – 46 in black/ gold and black/white. KIWI RIDER 97

$19,995 3 Year Warranty | 2 Year Free Service Haldane Motorcycles Auckland Image Motorcycles New Plymouth Moto-Mart Lower Hutt www.motomorini.co.nz

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

EMMKR012

Restar ting The Passion

Norjo Motorcycles Christchurch

98 KIWI RIDER

HJC CL-14Y YOUTH AND LADIES FULL FACE HELMET $200 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

HOT PRODUCTS ROAD

Injected alloy shell lined with Nylex anti-allergic material and removable cheek pads. CL-14Y helmet shell is designed for safety and to ﬁt young adults, ladies or young children. One touch buckle makes it easy to get the helmet on and off quickly. Solid colours: Black, Silver; Phantom graphic: MC1 (Red), MC2 (Blue), MC5 (Silver); Mush graphic: MC5 (Silver).

HJC PINLOCK FOG RESISTANT INSERT LENS $59 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

The Pinlock lens is created out of a moisture absorbing plastic and the silicone seal on the Pinlock creates an airtight double visor. These two features make Pinlock the best fog resistant system there is. Now available for the following HJC helmets: HQ-1, FG-15, CL-ST, CSR-1, IS-16, in clear, light smoke and dark smoke.

1 5

VENTURA PANNIER LINERS $99 Dold Industries Ltd

Dold Industries are proud to announce the introduction of Ventura Pannier Liners to suit the BMW R1200GS Vario pannier system. These inner liners are made in New Zealand so quality and support is guaranteed. They are designed to ﬁt the exact shape (especially the exhaust cutaway in the LH box) and are so easy to use. Ventura Pannier Liners expand to ensure that the packed bag will ﬁt perfectly. www. dold.co.nz

1 4

ARAI RX-7 GP HOPKINS $1599 Distributor: Dold Industries

When you put a helmet on, you want to know that it will protect every part of your head. Thanks to the great strength of the Arai Super Fibre outer shell, plus the shock absorbing polystyrene inner shell, you can be conﬁdent that is exactly what will happen. Areas of the human skull have different capabilities when it comes to absorbing impacts. It is for this reason, Arai produce a one piece inner shell with three different density areas built in. Your Arai dealer is well informed to explain in detail how an Arai Helmet is the most protective helmet you can wear. Sizes S-XL. FORMA NERO BOOT $259 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

These fantastic new boots from Forma are perfect for round town commuting duties. The shorter calf style makes them super comfortable on or off the bike while still offering excellent protection. Constructed from lightweight synthetic material and

2 Cordura®, they feature Drytex waterproof lining, shin and ankle protection, velcro and zip closure, anti-slip sole, and internal elastic band for a better ﬁt. Euro sizes 36-48. 6 MICHELIN POWER ONE STREET Distributor: Northern Accessories

Following on with the amazing success of the Power One, Michelin has released

an exciting series for the fast road/track day rider called the PowerOne Street. These outstanding tyres have the superb attributes like super sticky grip, high lean angles and conﬁdent braking that we found on the Power One, but in a treaded road version. Michelin Power One Streets are currently available in the following sizes; 120/60-17, 120/70-17, 160/60-17, 180/5517, 190/50-17, 190/55-17 KIWI RIDER 99

RLEY DOES YOUR HA THIS GOOD? LOOK avy duty 3.5mm Iparex syldnthethticeir

made of he forced to ho ternally rein plete h bags are Comes com These stylis ine leather. They are in s. in second nu s the leather or ge aded. Can be removed e ‘click lock’ that lock th lo n g in he w ud cl e in ap e sh ar nting hardw with all mou to the bike with a key. g ba le ab detach , cruiser, and most custom l dealer for Available for See your loca touring bikes. r your bike. fo n io at ic pl the ap

New! GIVI 300

The latest in the Givi Monolock range for scooters and low powered motorcycles. Featuring an interchangeable cover in a range of colours to match your bike. |$139.00 black| black|

|$199.00 painted colour|

TECHNOLOGY

CAPACITY

300

SIZES

0 40

410

VOLUME

30 lt MAX. LOAD

3 Kg Distributed By Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

EVAKR002

New! THE LATEST IN THE GIVI MONOKEY RANGE. This beautifully styled case features a 55 lt capacity that will comfortably ﬁt two full face helmets without being too wide. Interchangeable painted lid covers available |$599.00 black|

|$699.00 painted colour|

COMING SOON: The E55 will soon be able to be ﬁtted with a speciﬁc remote control for easy one hand opening.

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

100 KIWI RIDER

EGIKR017

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd

EGIKR016

THE CLASSIC N TOOL ROLL AMERICA oof Ipraex.

pr tough, water are made of ailable in 3 gs Av ba s. tle le lit ck ustproof bu These handy R r. he at le ade of Straps are m studs. ailable with av so Al sizes.

DUNLOP QUALIFIER RR $295 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Ltd

Developed from Dunlop’s highly successful international race programme, the Qualiﬁer RR (Race Replica) is a Hypersport/Track Day that features the new Multi Tread Compound. The harder Traction compound in the centre of the tyre runs cooler and maintains excellent wear characteristics, straight line stability, and high traction levels. While the softer Lateral grip compound on the outside of the tyre incorporates a rubber compound developed speciﬁcally to enhance grip at maximum lean angles. The third compound is created by overlapping the traction and lateral compounds for improved control of heat generation while delivering better grip consistency. The Multi Tread Compound technology also delivers faster warm-up and combined with the race-derived tread pattern, provides excellent wet road grip. See your Dunlop stockist for more details. 2

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NEO ENFORCER 2 GLOVE

$124 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Ltd The Enforcer 2 is a full leather sport glove, that replaces NEO’s best selling Enforcer glove. Features include reinforced palm and thumb, hard knuckle armour, extra padding on back of hand and wrist, venting, and pinkie ﬁnger webbing for added safety. The Enforcer 2 comes in classic Black in sizes S to 4XL, and can be found at your favourite dealer. 3

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NEO CHOPPER JACKET

$329 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Classic, Brando style, genuine leather jacket with that unmistakable timeless style. Featuring a cut that is designed for optimum comfort on the bike (not just for looks), heavy duty YKK zippers, button down collar, plenty of external and internal pockets, and adjustable waist buckle. Rock on down to your local dealer, where you’ll ﬁnd the Chopper Jacket in sizes S to 5XL.

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CLOVER ATLANTA WP JACKET $599 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories 4

The Atlanta is a 100% waterproof jacket that is a little longer in the body and could be referred to as a touring jacket due to it’s style. It features a removable thermo liner, waterproof inner pocket, CE approved body armour, adjustable waist, adjustable wrist and refractive inserts making it easy for other road users to see you. Sizes: S – XXL Colour: black.

&# ') =djg GdVYh^YZ 6hh^hiVcXZ '# CZl GZeaVXZbZci BdidgXnXaZ (# 8gZYî 8VgY dg Bdci]an EVnbZcih )# =ZabZi VcY 8adi]^c\ 8dkZg *# <Zii^c\ =dbZ 8dhih +# Cd Kd^XZ BVâ HnhiZb Id Ò cY dji bdgZ k^hî lll#hiVg^chjgVcXZ#Xd#co

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5 CLOVER ATLANTA WP PANTS $429 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

100% waterproof pants with all the useful features of the Clover Atlanta jacket. Sizes: 48/32-60/44. Colour: Black. KR

KIWI RIDER 101

WORLD FAMOUS MOTORCYCLES

RED BARON QUALITY AND SELECTION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

OVER 200 QUALITY USED BIKES

1999 1992 1997 1991 1992 1994 1994 1994 1995 1996 1999 2000 2001 2002 2002 2002 2003 2005 2005 2008 2006 2007 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992

APRILIA DUCATI DUCATI HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HYOSUNG HYOSUNG KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI

RS250 $8,995 900SS $7,495 SS400 $5,995 VFR400 x 2 $5,995 CB250 $4,995 XL400 TRANSALP $6,495 NAS250 $3,495 NSR125 $2,995 VRX400 x 2 $4,995 CB400 $5,995 VTR1000F x 2 from: $7,495 CB400 $5,995 SP1 $10,995 FTR 223 $4,995 CB400 $6,495 CBR954 $9,995 CRF450 $6,995 CBR600RR $10,995 CR85 $3,495 CBR600RR $14,495 GV250 $5,995 GV250 $5,995 VN1500 $7,295 ZXR 250 $5,995 ZZR250 $4,495 ZXR750R $8,495 ZZR400 $3,995

1993 1995 1995 1997 1997 1998 1999 2000 2000 2000 2000 2002 2005 2004 2004 2005 2006 2007 2007 2008 2009 2002 2002 1994 1998 1998 2000

KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KTM KTM SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI

EL250 x 3 ZXR400 EX400 ZX6 VN1500 ZX9R ZR750 ESTERELLA X 2 ZX12 KX80 ZX12R X 2 KX85 Z1000 KX250F VN2000 ZX10R ZX14 KX250 KX250R ER650F KLX140 125SX LC4 VS400 SV400 VS1400 GSXR1300

$3,995 $7,495 $4,495 $7,495 $6,995 $8,495 $7,995 $4,995 $12,495 $2,995 $10,995 $3,495 $10,995 $5,495 $16,495 $10,495 $11,995 $6,495 $6,495 $9,995 $3,995 $4,995 $8,495 $4,995 $6,495 $8,495 $11,995

2001 SUZUKI GSXR1300 $11,995 2001 SUZUKI GSX1200 $6,995 2001 SUZUKI GSXR1000 $11,495 2003 SUZUKI A100 $1,750 2004 SUZUKI GSXR1000 K4 $9,995 2005 SUZUKI RM250 $6,495 2003 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE $9,995 1990 YAMAHA FZR250 $5,495 1990 YAMAHA SRX400 $4,995 1991 YAMAHA FJ1200 $5,995 1993 YAMAHA FZX750 $6,995 1993 YAMAHA SRV250 x 2 $3,995 1994 YAMAHA XJR400 $3,995 1995 YAMAHA YFS400 $3,995 1995 YAMAHA XV1100 $6,495 1995 YAMAHA TRX850 $6,995 1996 YAMAHA XJR400 $5,995 1996 YAMAHA SZR660 x 2 from $6,495 1997 YAMAHA SRV250 $4,995 1999 YAMAHA XVS1100 $8,995 2001 YAMAHA R6 $10,495 2002 YAMAHA BT1100 $9,495 2002 YAMAHA XVS1100 $10,995 2003 YAMAHA XVS1100 35500kms $11,995 2004 YAMAHA YZFR1 $10,995 2005 YAMAHA R6 $12,495 Stock Available as at 3/10/09

FOR THE BEST QUALTY – MAKE SURE IT'S A RED BARON BIKE WARRANTIES AVAILABLE ON ALL USED ROAD BIKES

RED BARON 250 LEARNER BIKE PACKAGES FROM $2995 INCL FREE PACKAGE VALUED AT OVER $600

299 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Ph 360 7700 www.redbaron.co.nz

! CE

AN CH ST

ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS

NTH IS. TRIALS TITLE TO OLIVER Nelson’s son Peter Oliver has completed the last two tw rounds of the North Island A-grade Trials Tr championship to take out the title for fo 2009. The final result takes the best se seven rounds of an eight-round champion onship with Peter nearly taking out the hat tric winning six of the seven rounds with trick se a second place in the eighth round despite the aatrocious conditions of the weekend and sseveral big offs on Saturday. However, a neve never give-up-attitude still saw Peter take podium places on both days. Like his father Stephen and brother Nick, Peter (see Ihatove Adventure Trial story) gets in a lot of practice for his sport away from the tight confines of typical Trials sections, enjoying adventure-style riding out in the hills and display riding with the Goldpine NonStop X-treme team. BRIDGESTONE & KAWASAKI JOIN FORCES Bridgestone is proud to announce the addition of Kawasaki’s FLY Team Green to the Bridgestone Off-road Motorsport family here in New Zealand. Both the Junior and Senior teams will be running Bridgestone tyres for the upcoming New Zealand Moto-cross and Supercross Championships, as well as all the major two-day events in New Zealand. As an official tyre sponsor of FLY Team Green, Bridgestone will be supporting senior riders Nick Saunders, Mason Phillips, and Mike Cotter. At the recent FIM Junior World MX Championships held in Taupo, Kawasaki Junior riders Haki Waller, John Phillips and now World Junior No.3 Hamish Dobbyn were all using Bridgestone tyres. MONSTER ENERGY SIGNS AS SUPERX SPONSOR The Australasian Supercross Championship, Super X, has announced global energy drink brand, Monster Energy, as its naming rights sponsor in a multi-year deal. Announcing the deal MD of Global Action Sports, Michael Porra, said Monster Energy is the perfect fit for the high adrenaline Super X Championship and is thrilled the series has had cut through in this extremely difficult sponsorship market. “Super X provides an extremely unique opportunity for Monster Energy to own a growing sport in Australasia and I am so pleased that such an exciting and globally successful brand has agreed to partner with us. It’s a perfect fit for us; a cool brand and a cool sport, and I think our fans will be really comfortable with this association. We are now well on our way to having the second biggest supercross championship in the world and becoming a regular feature on the international supercross calendar.” In 2008 90,000 people filled stadiums across Australia to see the Super X races live and the cumulative television audience across both Fox Sports and Network Ten was four million people in its inaugural year. And this year Super X will hold a race in New Zealand for the first time.

106 KIWI RIDER

IHATOVE ADVENTURE TRIAL EXPANDS TO NZ WORDS & PICS: NonStop Trials New Zealand riders will get a chance to join counterparts from Japan to sample Japan’s popular Ihatove-style Adventure Trials event riding when the inaugural New Zealand Ihatove Adventure Trial is held in Nelson over the February 20-21 weekend next year. The event will be run by the Oliver family’s NonStop Adventure NZ operation at the special request of the Idemitsu Ihatove Trial management team in Japan. Through their close ties with NonStop Adventure NZ and the Oliver family many of the Idemitsu event’s organizers have visited the Tasman district, and they are convinced that it provides an ideal setting for the ﬁrst-ever Ihatove event to be held outside Japan. KEY RIDERS Key riders from Japan including Ihatove Trial Chairman Yasuo Manzawa and top Japanese rider and coach Takumi Narita have already conﬁrmed their attendance at the event. The New Zealand Ihatove Adventure Trial will embody the Ihatove Spirit of fun, friendship and challenge and build even stronger links between trials communities in New Zealand and Japan. Permission for a New Zealand Ihatove Adventure Trial Special was given in 2008 by the nephew of the Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa, who created the word Ihatove (denoting ‘dreamland), for naming rights to allow NonStop Adventure to use Ihatove in the title of their event. COUNCIL SUPPORT As the event is supported by the Tasman District Council and held in the Tasman

region, the mayor has invited riders from Japan to attend and presented gifts to organizers at their 2008 event, which was attended by NonStop Adventure riders. The Ihatove concept itself dates back in 1973 and 1974 when Japanese riders Yasuo Manzawa and Shozo Narita rode Honda TL125s in the Scottish Six Day Trial. Having faced all the challenges of that event and experienced Scotland’s spectacular scenery, they decided to hold a trial in Japan to give local riders a taste of Scottish-style riding. Nowadays the Japanese Idemitsu Ihatove event attracts around 500 entrants each year, ranging from ﬁrst-time novices to All-Japan trials champions. For more information including entry and accommodation option details go to NonStop’s website at www.nonstopadventure.co.nz KR The poster prepared for the inaugural New Zealand Ihatove Adventure Trial (top) and (right) Tasman District Council representatives Lloyd Kennedy and Mayor Richard Kempthorne welcome next year’s NZ Ihatove Adventure Trial special guest Takumi Narita on a recent pre event visit to establish NZ Japanese friendship.

WORDS & PICS: Jason Young The New Zealand Pit Bike and 50cc National Championships were held in Christchurch on September 5th 2009 in conjunction with the Boysdayout.co.nz. It was an awesome day and the weather was stunning with heaps going on from Jet Ski demos, FMX, car shows to the always favourite bikini comp. The track used to decide the Nationals was purpose built by the Koarse Motorcycle Club a month before and was one of best tracks I have ever raced on with huge berms, tabletops, step downs and doubles. The racing was ultra competitive on the tight purpose built course and as always there were several light crashes and even a couple of cracker take outs for the crowd. Most of the guys were racing Reapers and Pitster Pros and there were also a few CRF50s which was good to see.

HUSKY GETS NEW ITALY HQ BMW-owned Husqvarna is on a roll with the official opening of the new Husqvarna Motorcycles Headquarters at Varese in Motorc Italy, which completes the layout of the Cassinetta plant. The structure has been designed to face the foreseen growth in the medium term and to be expanded in the long term. For example, the production capacity of the plant can, with only minor further changes, arrive at a quota off 40,000 motorcycles a year. In the middle of the ground floor (2,603 m2) we find the engine division and roller test beds. The surrounding area is used for prototypes and racing motorcycle production workshop. A section is also reserved for the Training Centre for the engineers comprising the Husqvarna aftersales service. On the first floor meanwhile are the Styling Centre and the Development Division organised to assure work can be done with maximum concentration on the product. The same floor is also home to the Acquisitions Office and Market Research Office. To the front of the building, facing the road, there are the windows of the Husqvarna Motorcycles showroom (325 m2), easily visible and accessible from the outside.

DIRT NEWS PIT BIKE NATS

PIT BIKE & 50CC NATS SUCCESS

NATIONAL HONOURS National honours were handed out for three major classes with Blair McKinley taking first place n Open, Jason Young first in 10 inch and Jayden Rowe the top spot in 0-110cc. Prizes over the day included a $500 gift voucher from Tracktion Motorcycles with the top spots in the each class receiving a wicked trophy from the stunning bikini girls. Every competitor who raced and finished received an official New Zealand ranking/number which is valid through until the Pit Bike Nationals 2010. The entire Pit Bike Nationals crew would really like to thank the Koarse Motorcycle Club for organizing the event and especially Craig Ellis the president and Dan Crawford the promoter who both put a huge effort into delivering such an impressive show. Pit Bike Nationals 2010 will be off the hook and we’re hoping to get some more guys down from the North Island to battle it out with the Southerners for the title. For more information and how to enter for next year go to www.reaperbikes.com KR

RESULTS Open 1. Blair McKinley (Pitster Pro X4R) 2. Jason Young (Reaper NF-R) 3. Jayden Rowe (Yamaha TT-R) 10inch 1. Jason Young (Reaper NF-6) 2. Selwyn Green (Reaper NF-6) 3. Nick Enstrom (Reaper NF-6) 0-110cc 1. Jayden Rowe (Yamaha TT-R) 2. Nick Enstrom (Reaper NF-6) 3. Nick Aubrey (Honda CR-F)

Top to bottom: Craig Ellis (#99) in the lead. Danny Pryde winning the $500 Traction voucher. Jayden Rowe on the TT-R and Billy McCallum on the CRF and Selwyn Green hitting one of the doubles

THREE-YEAR WARRANTY FOR CAN-AM QUADS And finally, in news for our many farmer readers, the 2010 range of Can-Am Outlander and Renegade ATVs will carry a full three-year warranty – the longest available in the New Zealand market. Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) first offered a three-year warranty last year as a special promotion for their MY08 and MY09 Renegade recreational/ sport all-terrain-vehicle (ATV or quad-bike) and Outlander recreational/utility ATV ranges. And now it covers the MY10 models.” This longer warranty was the first of its kind in the ATV market,” says Richard Shaw, BRP’s New Zealand manager. “The MY10 models are arriving at BRP Can-Am dealers all over the country at present, so it’s a great time to come in and see the new models and their new features.” Shaw says that innovations seen in the MY10 Can-Am ATVs include Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) and Air Control Suspension (ACS) available on the two-seater Outlander 800 Limited model, and Improved Visco-Lok Quick Engagement which is available on all models offering DPS. BRP also introduces a new model in the Can-Am Outlander range – the 500 base model. While we’re talking Can-Am a special cash-back promotion is available on selected ATV models from all Can-Am dealers around the country until 31 October 2009. For models 450cc and below cash-back promotional offer is $500; on 500cc and above, the offer is $750. KR

KIWI RIDER 107

2009 AMA SUPERCROSS RESULTS Monster Energy AMA Supercross Class Final (450cc) after 17 of 17 rounds

Pos/Rider 1 James Stewart 2 Chad Reed 3 Andrew Short 4 Josh Grant 5 Kevin Windham 6 Ryan Villopoto 7 Ivan Tedesco 8 Davi Millsaps 9 Mike Alessi 10 Josh Hill

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Chain DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2 DID 520ERT2

Bike Yamaha YZ450F Suzuki RM-Z450 Honda CRF450R Yamaha YZ450F Honda Kawasaki KX450F Honda CRF450R Honda CRF450R Suzuki RM-Z450 Yamaha YZ450F

IMPORTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY DARBI ACCESSORIES LTD. AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON, CHRISTCHURCH.

DIRT NEWS YAMAHA YZ450F

Dea Deadlines being what they are we could only the squeeze the briefest squ details of Yamaha’s of d ground-breaking new gro 2010 model YZ450F 20 into the October issue Kiwi Rider. So here’s of K the full story…which you can also check out on www.kiwirider.co.nz

THE FULL STORY YAMAHA’S ALL-NEW YZ450F

WORDS: Ollie S. PICS: Yamaha Motor Co

For the best part of a year rumours surrounding Yamaha’s plans to introduce an all new 4-stroke revolution were rife within the industry. There was obviously substance industry to them as well, the company warning of instant dismisall should any employee leak info about the new bike. What followed from such a mammoth global control effort by Yamaha was an expectation factor surrounding the YZ450F running way beyond the usual redline. Particularly when, in the lead-up to the release of the highly anticipated twentyten YZ250F some sly covert employee in Greece (or so the rumour goes) did actually leak computer schematics of the new YZ450F all over the internet. Fast forward two months and news of the 2010 YZ450F spread like a global disease (or more to the point a textbook example of a viral PR campaign. Ed), Yamaha leaving no stone unturned in its quest to make the YZ450F the most technically advanced model since, since…the original high-performance 4-stroke, the YZ400F! Of course the technology within its engine is nothing new to engine developers the globe over but it is still a surprise to see a mainstream manufacturer like Yamaha turning convention (literally) on its head. THE ENGINE The all-new liquid-cooled, reversecylinder-head DOHC 4-stroke single-cylinder 4-valve engine is designed and engineered to provide power development that makes for better driveability whilst contributing to a better centralisation of mass. Bore and stroke is now 97.0 x 60.8mm

with the bore widened by 2mm and the stroke shortened by 2.6mm compared to the 2009 model. The compression ratio is up (from 12 12.3:1 12.5:1) 3:1 2009 YZ450F to 12 5:1) with the shortened stroke reducing the height of the engine for better mass centralisation and the new four-rather-than-ﬁve-valve head offering better performance courtesy the centrally positioned spark plug. Rocking the cylinder back on its axis and reversing the cylinder head (moving the intake valves to the front and the exhaust valves to the rear) challenges the accepted concepts of chassis as well as engine design and introduces a new dimension not possible in a chassis developed for carburettorfed engines. The advantages made possible with the new downdraft-style straight-shot intake port design at the front of the engine are considerable, and Yamaha has taken advantage of each and every one. For instance, to monitor changes in running conditions the fuel injection system is updated constantly with information gathered from intake pressure, intake air temperature, current air pressure, crankshaft rpm, throttle position, and coolant temperature sensors. Based on data fed from those sensors the ECU calculates the optimum induction fuel volume. That fuel is fed through the 44mm Keihin throttle body mounted above and ahead of the cylinder head through a 12-hole injector to spray atomised fuel at the opposite wall of the intake port. With the inclusion of fuel injection Yamaha incorporated a large capacity alternating current magneto to eliminate

the need for a battery and further reducing overall weight. Not only that but unlike other – broadly similar (fuel injection) systems Yamaha’s is completely tuneable by the user via an optional YZ Power Tuner setting tool accessory. The optional accessory YZ Power Tuner is a compact, hand-held unit which quickly plugs into a port in the system. It’s a robust tool that makes trackside tweaks a breeze with absolutely no need for a laptop as it features its own liquid crystal display and hard drive function. Accompanying the rearward-slanting engine with frontal intake is a rear-positioned exhaust. It’s been dubbed the ‘tornado’ because of its curved shape and by the addition of the curves between the exhaust port and the muffler it maintains a similar length to the previous ‘09 version whilst achieving a better centralisation of machine mass without sacrificing power output. A resonator chamber is also standard fitment inside the exhaust to ensure sufficient silencing whilst enhancing torque characteristics from the bottom to mid rev range. With the arrival of the technologically advanced rearward-slanting engine Yamaha engineers also took the concept to a new level by offsetting the cylinder 12mm from the crankshaft. The result is a massive reduction in friction due to the more efficient use of the force created by having the connecting rod vertical at the moment of greatest combustion force. CHASSIS The new bilateral frame sits at the heart of the YZ450F development project and is similar to the bilateral frame used in the KIWI RIDER 109

DIRT NEWS YAMAHA YZ450F

YZ250F but having a very different execution. The new bilateral frame was developed using a new structural analysis method and the frame itself consists of 16 components made from four different aluminium processes using revolutionary semi solid die-casting which allows complex shapes to be constructed stronger with just the right amount of controlled ﬂex. Thanks to the new technology the frame is more symmetrical allowing for a better overall feel and the frame’s ability to absorb and withstand forces and impacts with better balance and more consistent feel. To accommodate the new frame the rear suspension has been positioned in line with the bike’s central axis, a position only made possible by the adoption of the frontal intake fuel injection system. At the same time the shock has been mounted lower, by a good 30mm over the position of the shock on the ’09 model. Changes to the rear KYB shock absorber itself include an increased cylinder diameter from 46mm to 50mm for greater capacity whilst the stroke remains the same. In tune with the new frame and shock mount is a brand new swingarm that provides even greater linear cornering performance than 2009. The thickness of the rear axle clamp has been increased for greater rigidity whilst realising the total chassis design concept of good longitudinal ﬂexibility and high lateral and torsional rigidity. Complementing the new rear end is a set of the very latest KYB speed sensitive forks, their mission to improve shock absorption and smooth operation when entering turns at high speed. The damping valve specs have been recalibrated and the forks gain an extra 10mm of travel; very interesting indeed. In conjunction with the upgrade to the frame and the speed sensitive forks the front fork triple clamps have had their offset reduced from 25mm to 22mm. The caster, trail and other dimensions have also been optimised in relation to each other to help achieve a high-level of corner handling performance that lacked in the previous frame geometry (despite the previous frame being an absolute stunner). The triple clamps themselves feature the same four-way adjustability of the YZ250F handlebar mount clamp.

Back-to-front. All-new YZ450F engine features cylinder head turned 180° so that the airbox, fuel injection throttle body and downdraft intake tract are at the front of the engine, the exhaust at the rear. Along the way Yamaha has angled the cylinder back from the vertical and offset the barrel to the crankcase. With the new, now four-instead-of-ﬁve-valve, engine has come a new frame, new hand-held ignition map tuning tool and new exhaust. That’s a lot of changes...though in case you think Yamaha was the ﬁrst company to think along these ‘all-change’ lines, think again. Bicycle manufacturer Cannondale used a similar ‘start-from-scratch’ blueprint 10 years ago, their ‘back-to-front’ engine open class MXer even getting push button electric start. Unfortunately teething troubles blighted the ambitious project and the company’s moto division folded, leaving the way open for major manufacturer Yamaha to rake over the remains and complete the job with the resources the original – and very brave – Cannondale project never had.

110 KIWI RIDER

The seat has also been modified to take advantage of the new design aspects situated with the frontal intake and flow through fuel injection system. And – of course – there’s a new look incorporating lightweight front and rear fenders, front number plate, front fork protectors, side covers and air scoop. The new body styling is sculptured with elements from the new fast and edgy looking arrow design aspect of the new YZ250F. Other lightweight advantages are the inclusions of the new-design sprocket and plastic resin engine guard (which replaces the old aluminium guard) and lightweight electrical parts as well as the magnesium cylinder, clutch, ACG and oil filter covers. REBIRTH OF A LEGEND Like the YZ250F the new YZ450F will be available in New Zealand in both Yamaha Blue and Special Edition White. Reading between the lines availability of the YZ450F probably won’t hit our shores till the thick end of December which leaves its availability for NZ Motocross Nationals 2009 lingering well after the final chequered flag has flapped. Both the blue and white versions of the NZ edition YZ450F will come specced with the same black-rimmed wheels as the YZ250F and have the same Pro Taper handlebars although the bodywork differs ever so slightly due to the under-seat mounted fuel tank and dual front mounted intake. The optional YZ Power Tuner, as mentioned earlier, will not only contain the ability to personally fine tune the FI settings but also the ability to save newly configured maps which can be stored and even off-loaded to a second (or third or fourth etc etc) 2010 YZ450F. The YZ Power Tuner also doubles as a complete diagnostic aid recording accumulated engine hours and logging any malfunctions as well serving as a real-time information monitor during any time of your ride. Currently there is no price on the YZ Power Tool and we don’t expect it to be cheap from all the functions and service its stated to provide. However despite its features surely indicating a specialised cost the YZ Power Tool will serve as an integral part of owning a brand new technologically superior 2010 YZ450F for the future. So there you go. Yamaha has certainly covered the entire spectrum in creating a truly spectacular machine. If the machine is going to be anything as good as it is on paper, in the dirt then Yamaha certainly have engineered a masterpiece; which was unquestionably the case with their recently released YZ250F. With a launch on the horizon for the all new 2010 YZ450F look out in the coming months for a full frontal report. KR

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DIRT TEST SUZUKI RM-Z450

DIRT T TEST SUZUKI RM-Z450

Suzuki stole a march on its rivals when, two years ago now, it fuel-injected its range-topping RM-Z450 MXer. Yes there were teething troubles but on the evidence of the latest â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10 model KR Dirt Ed Ollie Sharp reckons they have been well and truly sorted. WORDS: Ollie S. PICS: Geoff Osborne

KIWI RIDER 115

DIRT TEST SUZUKI RM-Z450

ollowing in the footsteps of the ‘08 and ‘09 RM-Z450s, the 2010 model receives subtle but signiﬁcant engine su and an chassis upgrades as Suzuki engineers continue their ongoing e development programme with de factory testers. fac

The opportunity to evaluate a ‘09 RM-Z fo’fiddy eluded KR so we can RMback to back with the only compare c original ‘08 – which turns out to be quite a relevant bolt blast from the past. The ‘08 version levered off its mellow power delivery; it loved being short-shifted not far past its midrange and although it could turn with the agility of a feral rabbit, it revelled in its straight line stability with plush forks and a responsive back end. However. The ‘mellow yellow RMZ450 of ’08 is no more; the 2010 model being the most powerful 450 racer Suzuki has ever rolled off the boat. In fact, judging by my first ride impression the big Suzook’s signature midrange power has been nothing short of phenomenally enhanced by a combination of internal modifications including revised cam profiles, cylinder head porting and the fuel injection pump utilising a reversed throttle valve movement. Up by four hp over the ‘09 RM-Z450 on paper, the increased power delivery exposes your wrists and forearms to ripping acceleration more consistent with a factory worked engine. To the point where (as I found out at our test track at Leighton’s Farm), it absolutely annihilates berms from start to finish and makes clearing the triple (at the track) a piece of weasel piss. That’s not the only good news either. Not forgotten in the RM-Z chemistry is the bolstered bottom-end hit. Because of improvements made in fuelling it’s so responsive and strong it gets the rear wheel spinning feverishly out of control if you crack the throttle on too aggressively. Which means that though top-end rev-out is drastically improved over the first gen. fuel-injected RM-Z450, the key to unlocking the 2010 model’s amazing Power to burn. That’s what you’re up for if you buy one of Suzuki’s 2010 model RM-Z450s. Tester Ollie S liked the mix of mellow mid-range and plush suspension Suzuki first served up (in 2008) but was quick to grasp and make the most of the improvements in power and changes in chassis and suspension dynamics the company has come up with for the ’10 model year. In short? The thing rips!

116 KIWI RIDER

So much power does the engine produce in fact, that you have to wonder if it’s too much for the clubman rider. But then again if you’re in the market for a 450 – you’re looking g for horsepower, right?

DIRT TEST SUZUKI RM-Z450

potential is in making the most of the chunky vein of horsepower in the midrange.

TINKERED CHASSIS The original EFI RM-Z450 felt fantastic right out of box in the handling department so heaven forbid that Suzuki would significantly change that. Although with the current trend requiring 450 racers to turn like quarter-litre packages it may just be the root of Suzuki’s need to modify chassis geometry. On the track the 2010 RM-Z450 feels quicker in the front and shorter in the back despite the overall wheelbase gaining an extra 15mm over the ‘08 RM-Z. Suzuki claim this is a positive tweak and that efforts were also made to optimise the rigidity balance beyond that of the ‘09 and to improve handling. Showa’s 47mm twin chamber front forks are specifically tuned into the rigid new frame and provide a solid ride for a standard machine, but initial harshness on entry into rough corners caused a flurry with the flat blade. From memory the ‘08 RMZ450’s front forks were significantly plusher initially but lacked bottom out resistance compared to some of its competition. Suzuki has clearly pushed for a stiffer front end, which at the end of the day is to everyone’s individual liking. However, the new Showa rear shock bolted into the widened rear section of the 2010 frame follows rough ground with total assurance and doesn’t seem to mind g-outs, harsh square edges and heavier riders. It really gives the front end a run for its money in the standard setup. Darryl Hurley is possibly the only guy out there who has extensively tested the beast with some clarity. Going by his recommendation the KR 2010 RM-Z450 received a rider sag setup of around 104mm leaving the free sag hanging around 40 mm. Shock compression was set to 13 and rebound to 15. Clickers in the forks started at 11 on compression but moved out to 14, likewise the rebound started on 12 and wound out to 13. Those finite key changes settled the rear end down but working the clickers on the front end seemed to have little effect relieving the nervousness entering high speed rough corners. It’s possible the new KIWI RIDER 117

DIRT TEST SUZUKI RM-Z450

SPECIFICATIONS SUZUKI RM-Z450 ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled DOHC 4-valve singlecylinder 4-stroke Displacement: 449cc Compression ratio: 12.2:1 Bore x stroke: 96.0mm x 62.1mm Starting system: Kick Engine management system: CDI Fuel system: Fuel Injection Clutch: Multiplate wet clutch Transmission: Constant mesh 5-speed Final drive: D.I.D 520 Chain

nine mm taller two-piece headstock puts more transferring weight into the forks which could well mean bigger fork springs and revised shimming to cope with heavier rider input. Overall it was a liveable setup and it may turn tighter but I’m not convinced it’s a better handling machine than RM-Zs before it. FINER DETAIL Poring over the new RM-Z with a fine tooth comb you will notice that there is no titanium header and resonator chamber. Both have been replaced with a straight through stainless-steel version for apparent reasons of strength, durability, better power delivery and, no doubt, cost saving. A new colour scheme of solid black and champion yellow gives the navy blue injected package from 2009 the flick plus you get colour-coded white number backgrounds just in case you happen to be racing an AMA national in Te Puke next month. The Renthal handlebars are a comfortable set of oversize sweepers mounted in adjustable clamps; which coupled with the taller head stock and stiffer new seat foam, make the new RMZ450 quite comfortable for tall riders and dead set perfect for the national average height of 5’10”. Overall a great brakes and ergonomics package driven by quite possibly the most powerful production 450 motocross machine KR has ever tested puts the ‘10 RM-Z450 above all that preceded it. It’s a man’s machine with eons of horsepower and no doubt twisting its throttle will set your track lap times on fire once you’ve invested some focus into the handling department; the engine is a killer powerplant so don’t even bother giving her more berries! KR 118 KIWI RIDER

FRAME Type: Semi-double cradle Swingarm: Aluminum Front suspension: 47mm Showa Twin Cartridge Rear suspension: Showa Link-type Brakes: Single disc front, Single disc rear Tyres: 80/100-21 front, 110/90-19 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1495mm LxWxH: 2190 x 830 x 1270mm Seat height: 955mm Ground clearance: 325mm Weight: 113kgs Fuel tank capacity: 6.2l RRP: $11,995 Test bike: Suzuki New Zealand GEAR Helmet: TLD SE-2 McGrath Replica Goggles: Ariete Palladium Shirt, pants & gloves: TLD Piston Bone Neck brace: BMW Motorrad GPX Sport Boots: Sidi Crossﬁre SRS

2010 model gets longer wheelbase, stiffer frame and re-calibrated fork and shock rates to handle the demands of pro-riders. With plenty of damping adjustment there’s lots of room to move either way (softer or stiffer) with Ollie settling on a set-up which worked for him courtesy some pointers and suggested settings from local pro Daryl Hurley. More obvious changes since original fuelinjected ’08 model landed here are in the graphics with introduction of black side slash and white-backed number boards.

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2S TROK E

125 EXC

124.8cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 2-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK STARTER - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 97 KG

200 EXC

193cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 2-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK STARTER - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 97 KG

250 EXC

249cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 2-STROKE - 5 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 3 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 100.8 KG

300 EXC

293.2cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 2-STROKE - 5 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 3 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 103.1 KG

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250 EXC-F

248.6cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 4-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 4 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.2 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 105.7 KG

400 EXC

393.4cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 4-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 4 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 113.9 KG

450 EXC

449.3cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 4-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 4 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 113.9 KG

530 EXC

510.4cc - SINGLE CYLINDER, 4-STROKE - 6 GEARS KICK & ELECTRIC STARTER / 12 V 4 AH - TANK CAPACITY, APPROX. 9.5 LITRES - DRY WEIGHT APPROX. 113.9 KG

UNDER A (BRIGHT ORANGE)

TUSCAN SKY WORDS: Jonathan Bentman PICS: Redeye & JB

What do you call a launch where there are no technically new bikes? No, we don’t know either. But that didn’t stop us sending ex-Ed Bentman and his UK-based sidekick ‘Kiwi’ to Tuscany for KTM’s 2010 model launch.

120 KIWI RIDER

Even E Ev en then, chances are, just when you tthought th ough ou ghtt you’d found a piece of trail all to yourself, yyo our urse se elf lf, you’ll suddenly ﬁnd a tyre track and an d sure s re su e enough there’ll be a KTM at the end it, en nd of of iit t with Mr KTM-rider in the saddle, humming humm hu mm min n himself a happy tune. It’s It t’s a wonder that KTM have stolen march on the off-road market. The ssuch su ch a m Japanese Japa Ja p ne pa nes typically jealously guard all that they th eyy ffeel ee e is theirs. And when you think long way, to the 1980s, the back ba ckk a long, llo o JJapanese Ja paane ness did once own the enduro market PEs, Yamaha ITs, Honda – think thin th inkk Suzuki in S XRs even X XR s ev eve e Kawasaki KDXs. Yet somehow this little Austrian outﬁt, risen like a phoenix from the ashes as recently as 1992, has set itself up for world domination. In Europe, for example, KTM now have 44% of the enduro market. KTM are humble enough to say that it’s not a huge market, but we’ll have you know that it’s still bigger than the motocross one, and when you compare

the Japanese market share in the same market – Yamaha 15%, Honda 5% (Kawasaki and Suzuki non-runners) – you can’t help but be impressed by just how successful KTM have become.

to four straight wins from four rides. These are not hugely signiﬁcant victories, but, you know, any sign of weakness...

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Not much is the answer. What we’re talking here are mostly minor revisions, designed to improve reliability and to make for a smoother er relationship between bike and owner. er. r That said there are some signiﬁcant chassis upgrades: the 400-530cc fourstrokes have a 10mm lower steering head and the 125/200 two-strokes have a 0.5º steeper steering angle plus 22mm offset yokes (in line with the 2010 125SX).

Quite likely, aside from quality of product, their success has been down to their ‘something for everyone’ policy. When we turned up at this 2010 launch we were (as usual) breath-taken by the number of bikes there were to test. We counted eight base-model enduros (equally split, two-stroke and four-stroke) before you even start on variations made for regional purposes (America has entirely separate ranges all of their own, called XCs, XC-Ws etc) and for speciﬁc purposes, such as the Six Days models – in all around 50 different models! So while enduro competition has typically been reduced (some might say dumbed-down) to three core competition categories – E1,E2,E3 – KTM have kept right on with the time-honoured capacity variations, and reaped the rewards. However, once you’ve become the biggest kid in the playground you just know every other kid’s slingshot is now aimed squarely at your back. It’s one hell of a job defending your position. And there’s this feeling that just recently some of those kids have snuck a shot or two through the defences. KTM’s own pet project, Husaberg, has recently created a very big stir with their radical new FE range and only last month Husqvarna launched their newest 250F. And what do you know? When it comes to the enduro world championship Husaberg have cleaned up the Junior championship, while Antoine Meo has just piloted the TE250

SO WHAT’S NEW?

LAUNCH REPORT 2010 KTM RANGE

ou know you have to ride a long way in enduro land before you’ll ﬁnd yourself clear of orange bikes.

Overall, however, bar the usual graphics change, there’s this sense of ‘same old same old’. So let’s forget the detail changes for now and pick up on the latest market dynamic that KTM themselves are only too keen to emphasise. Of course it’s nothing new, but the sales stats are starting to come through to confirm exactly what we already know – that the two-strokes are back. In a big way. In fact KTM confirm that well over half of their enduro sales are now two-stroke. That figure could stand to be even bigger, because KTM sell out of two-strokes every year. Maybe if they made more still, who knows what the ratio would be. For their part KTM fully acknowledge the reasoning. Two-strokes are cheaper to buy, easier and cheaper to work on, and well, some might say they actually perform better to boot. Obviously not all the time, but typically at critical times – like when the terrain conditions are seriously shitty. BIKE BY BIKE – 2-STROKES KTM 300EXC So, ride one of KTM’s two-strokes and you’ll understand the buzz. For your tester here (JB), his first test bike was the 300EXC – and if it didn’t spoil him for the rest of the launch . . . . You should always save the best until last and the 300EXC in his opinion was the best – probably the best enduro bike on the market, outright. That’s based primarily on its ability to do anything, from climbing a three metre rock step to blatting flat out down the fastest fire road. And it does everything with the least fuss you could imagine. It’s an uncanny machine, in fact, quite the opposite to Husqvarna’s WR300.

KIWI RIDER 121

LAUNCH REPORT 2010 KTM RANGE

He certainly gets around does ‘our’ JB, ex-Ed Bentman invited to Tuscany in Italy for the ofﬁcial press launch of KTM’s 2010 range. Evolution was the theme for the 2010 model launch but that didn’t stop Bentman or UK mate Chris ‘Kiwi’ Hockey appreciating both two and four-stroke model lines. Or giving them a serious Chris Birch-style workout for the beneﬁt of the camera……

Where the Husky blows you away with moon rocket levels of propulsion, the KTM is simply the most tactile bike you could imagine. Trials bike or open class ‘crosser – it’s whatever you want it to be and it means you can be whatever you want to be, too. This bike lifts your game like no other. Kiwi was of a similar opinion. “What impressed me with the 300 – in fact all the two-strokes – was the way KTM have managed to make them carburate cleanly everywhere, from low-end trials riding to ﬂat out motocross test going. There’s no sense whatsoever of oiling up at low revs and no running lean on full throttle. That’s a seriously impressive bit of work. “I really liked the 300, I prefer its power delivery over the peakier smaller twostrokes, yet it still felt light and it had that electric start, that has to be a help anytime but especially say in extreme going, maybe stuck halfway up a tricky climb. I did wonder whether maybe the 300 would be too much for a lesser rider, but JB seemed very at home on it, so clearly not!” KTM 250EXC Now the 250. Hmm, we guess after having made the perfect enduro tool in the 300, KTM must have been stuck for what else to do with their time. So they clearly played around and here’s one alternative machine. And it’s surprising how much lighter it feels than the 300 – while the 300 in itself actually feels supremely light. 122 KIWI RIDER

But the 250, sans the starter motor, sans 50cc capacity, feels hop-skip-and-a-jump light. A bloody perky performer is what it is, feeling positively motocross-peaky after the 300. Some of us will love it for that, some of us will ﬁnd it too much. But here’s the thing – and here’s where KTM’s ongoing development of their twostrokes is paying off handsomely. You see, KTM have been working on their ignition programming, on their power-valves and we dare say on their carburettors. And so should you ﬁnd the full-power of the 250 a little intimidating then KTM have plenty of de-powering options for you. A stiffer spring in the power-valve can delay the full-opening of the exhaust port, nicely softening off the power. Then there is an alternative power curve preprogrammed into the ECU that’s accessed by a simple cable-disconnect. To explain, there’s this little electrical wire, leading off the ECU. It has a connector plug in the middle of it. Disconnect this and the power delivery calms right down. Like right down – we actually struggled to get the engine to rev out once the cable had been disconnected. Sportsman grade riders will love that. But so too would expert level riders facing something like a seriously slick grass test. Adaptability like this, as Kiwi was want to champion, we love. KTM 200EXC To be fair we’ve never especially liked this

bike. We’ve always viewed 200s as the ideal clubman capacity. Again, we can think back to some rippin’ 200s, like Kawasaki’s KDX, dare we say Yamaha’s IT and later WRs – and more recently Gas Gas’ EC200. But the way KTM have made their 200s in the past, it’s felt like a super-peaky 125. You could either love that or hate it – we hated it. To a degree we still struggle with it. Kiwi explained the power characteristics best, as combining a 250-type bottom end with the rush of a 125 or 150 top-end. “Because of that I’m not sure who it’s

LAUNCH REPORT 2010 KTM RANGE

aimed at, certainly not the clubman,” said Kiwi. “Perhaps for the typical 125 rider then, or smaller person, who’d like to ride more extreme enduros, where that bottom end would come in useful. But it’s nowhere near as immediately likable as the 250 and 300.” Having said that we did ﬁnd a reason to really start to like it again. And that was because, like the 250, it’s got the cabledisconnect. On the 200 this doesn’t seem to so drastically rob the bike of go (as it does on the 250), it simply does a cracking job of taking away the peakiness. Suddenly the wee KTM started to feel distinctly Spanish in its power delivery. Real nice. And this combined with a very useful 90% of full-size packaging made it feel far more useful than it’s ever felt before. KTM 125EXC Kiwi alone got to ride the 125EXC and reported that it was the same as it’s ever been. “It’s a great 125 as the power is so linear – great for beginners. And unlike many others it doesn’t ask you to work the clutch all the time. On the hard pack we rode it was lovely but you’ll ﬁnd its limitations in deep sand or mud and that’s where it could cause the beginner problems as it takes some skill to keep a 125 on the pipe in that going. Then they’ll be better off with the 200 or the 250F.” BIKE BY BIKE – 4-STROKES KTM 250EXC-F Jumping on to the four-strokes after the zingers was quite a culture shock. For JB there was a sense of downgrading, but Kiwi explained we’re simply talking a different set of values.

“JB got to like the two-strokes so much because of their light weight, their agility and their increasingly ﬂexible motors. Jumping onto the four-strokes after that you immediately feel the weight penalty and with the power being smoother and more progressive, perhaps it’s harder to appreciate.

generation 250EXC-Fs before but had heard such amazing tales of do-everything capability that he expected a full-on magic carpet ride. Only it wasn’t. And having recently tested the TE250 (for some overseas magazines) he found the KTM a little disappointing. “It’s like a cool trail bike,” he explained. “But not a racer.”

“But where I could feel a very positive difference was in the special test. This was half motocross, half enduro and for me blasting out of the turns and dealing with some quite tricky transitions the fourstrokes felt safe and stable, I really enjoyed them on this test where the more extremesuited two-strokes didn’t feel anywhere near as good. And probably they weren’t as fast either.”

Fact is the EXC-F seems to be something of a long and linear type when it comes to power delivery. The power’s there – but it’s right at the end of a long pull on the throttle cable. You can understand it made for some excitement a couple of years back – and set against a WR250F, oh yes, it’s good – but the buzz Husky’s latest TE250 created, with it’s instant access fullon screamer of a motor, was very much lacking with this model.

For JB then the 250F suffered the most in the two-stroke versus four-stroke comparison, being the least powerful fourstroke. JB hadn’t ridden one of these latest

Kiwi has more experience in all matters 250F and brought some balance to the subject.

WHICH KIWI’S WHICH? Kiwi is Chris Hockey, Bentman’s cotester in all things enduro ever since Bentman went north again to launch MotoX magazine in the UK. The nickname ‘Kiwi’ is purely fortuitous, however, Hockey’s English born and bred – turns out his older sister couldn’t pronounce Chris’s name as a kid, his mum would say ‘Chrisy’, his sister, ‘Kiwi’ – and so the nickname stuck. Hockey, a former clubman – and then expert-level national champ now rides championship level in the

UK, has scored world championship points on a Husky TE400, won gold and silver in the ISDE and won two rounds of the super-competitive British Enduro Championship in the E1 class on 250Fs. Asked what his perfect terrain would be, he describes Woodhill, without ever having seen or heard about it – Kiwi loves deep sand! That’s Chris ‘Kiwi’ Hockey on the 300EXC in this picture, comparing notes with article author JB at the 2010 model range launch.

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LAUNCH REPORT 2010 KTM RANGE

“The 250EXC-F has to be rated for being so light, so agile, with great slim ergos and good carburetion. And most importantly it is ‘ready to race’, more so than any of the other 250Fs (probably the Husky TE250 excepting). It doesn’t even need a pipe. “And KTM have done this trick where they’ve made the front ends on the four-strokes quite light. You can ride this 250EXC-F in the worst mud and unlike other four-strokes it doesn’t get to feel heavy. That’s what has helped it to take over the 250F class and why it replaced the Yamaha 250F as winner of the world championships.” HM Honda have of course had the beating of them for two years now with Mika Ahola on the CRF250 – but his bike is quite special, and motocrosser based. More significantly though, Antoine Meo’s recent four straight WEC wins on the new TE250 (compared to KTM’s zero wins all this season) tell you that – despite Kiwi’s well argued defence – the EXC-F is due a tune-up. And as one of the tech guys in the KTM tent commented, maybe with fuel injection.... KTM 400EXC Kiwi loves 400s and he loved this one. He even got five-time world enduro champion Gio Sala to admit to loving them. There’s something about this engine capacity that creates a kind of a super-250F without the size and intimidation that comes with the 450s. “For me it’s just the perfect enduro bike, with just the right amount of bottom end, mid and top. I’m telling you most riders, right up to the likes of David Knight, will get better on a 400 – especially in slick going, when the 450s get too much to handle. I spoke to Sala about it and he said yes, when he was in wet Wales last (the WEC round at the Hafren) he thought most of the E2 class would have benefited from riding the 400.” Curiously though few of us heed Kiwi’s wise words. And in the conditions in Italy it has to be said that JB revelled more in riding the 450 than the 400. He’d have changed his tune pretty quick if it had rained though. KTM 450EXC But there you have it, the 450 on this day was something of a joy. The latest incarnation of the 450 motor with its cutely angled rocker box cover and all – man it hauls. Yet it’s quite friendly too. It feels big, even with a lower ‘deck’ height (thanks to that revised headstock), but you can’t help but be impressed by the power it makes

OK that’s Bentman on the left. But who’s the stocky little Italian guy with him? Turns out it is legendary KTM ace Giovanni Sala, ﬁ ve-times world enduro champion and a god to all of Italy.

KTM 2010 Q & A At the 2010 model year launch KR rep JB spoke to Jochi Sauer, Product Manager with KTM Q: So, Jochi, no new models this year? A: No. We came up with new models in 2008 and our bikes are still at a high level, so not this year. We have made quite a lot of detail changes though. Q: You guys champion the twostrokes, don’t you? A: Well, we can see many people ask for the two-strokes and there is more demand year on year. The last few years we’ve sold out every year in terms of two-strokes. They are easy to ride, powerful and we can see that a lot of riders (especially the younger ones – not having so much money and not having the resources to maintain the bikes) deﬁnitely prefer the twostrokes. Also on the hobby riders’ side they like the two-strokes too as in a way they are easier to ride, being lighter and so on. Q: That’s true, your two-strokes feel increasingly easy to ride. A: Yes, we’ve striven to make the bikes as variable as possible. We have many adjustable features in terms of the chassis, but with the engine too, giving the customer the chance to adjust the bike in terms of the

power delivery – different power valve springs, different ignition curves and so on. And it seems to be working, we have many people coming back to the two-strokes from the four-strokes. Q: On the four-strokes, with the exception of the 250, you’ve revised the chassis A: Yes that’s allowed us a lower seat height but there’s a better feel for the front end too, so more confidence for the rider. Q: And what was the intention with the suspension changes? A: The target was to achieve a more sensitive beginning and mid-stroke while retaining the same bottoming resistance. Q: You call your bikes ‘ready to race’ but they don’t come across as snarling edgy beasts A: No they don’t. A lot of the feedback we get from our factory racers is that they don’t need aggressive power. Powerful, yes, but smooth. The boys in our WEC team play a lot with the power valves and the ignition curves and we find that has benefit in the development of the bikes. Again, when it comes to special test times they find a smoother power delivery proves faster.

KIWI RIDER 125

LAUNCH REPORT 2010 KTM RANGE

and its capability to take on rough terrain terra at a fair deal of speed. You can feel the breeding. Yes, we loved that th 300, but this 450, outside of an a extreme enduro situation – you can c feel it has the cajones to do the business. It’s a well-sorted animal, bu it knows what to do and it does it k well. we

NEW FOR 2010 Engine * New 1st gear for the 125/200 * New cylinder head on the 250/300 * Improved electric start on the 250/300 * More durable piston rings on the fourstrokes * Revised decompressor on 250/400 four-strokes * More durable gearboxes in the fourstrokes * Revisions to chain drive on cams for 400-530 four-strokes * New camshaft and ignition timing on 530

Kiwi: “You have to respect KTM K this bike. They’ve made it nimble for th like a 250. It’s got a well-designed chassis, a light engine that’s placed just in the right place in the frame so that front end doesn’t feel heavy. And because they’ve done all this so incredibly well they don’t need the alloy frame that some other manufacturers’ use.”

Chassis * Steeper steering head (0.5º) and 22mm offset on 125/200 frames/triple clamps * 10mm lower steering head on 400-530 four-strokes * Revised suspension settings for better mid-stroke * Change to piston sizes in the Brembo brake calipers * Better sealing and water deﬂector on airboxes * New Excel rims are 100g lighter * New lower handlebars on 125/200 and 400-530s * New Renthal diamond grips on all * New and lighter DID 520 VT2 X-ring chains * New expansion chambers on twostrokes – single (1mm) skin * Radiator caps now 1.8 bar rated (were 1.4 bar) * New graphics

It is, though, a 450 and, as we’ve said, there are days when only real men can ride a 450 effectively. When you take on one of these you bear that in mind. But like this day, despite the severe heat and the blistered palms, this 450 can put a smile on your face like no other. You just want to keep opening that tap. We get the fuzzies just remembering. KTM 530EXC Outside of Australia, the American West or good old Otago we’re not sure who needs one of these. However, if you do ride in the Big Open you’ll have to go a long way to beat the 530. As it was, we were happy we were riding dry hard pack in Italy as it gave us the best chance to enjoy the big KTM. It has all the bells and whistles of the rest of the range. Only it has this WSB-spec motor in it – and the extra kilos to go with it. And when we say WSB, we mean like those big Ducati 998 twins of old, as against the modern 1000-fours. There’s something languid and curiously mechanical about the sound and power delivery in the 530. She ain’t no short-stroke revver, like the modern wee four-strokes. But you can love her all the same. And when the going underfoot is dry, and preferably ﬁrm and fast, you’ll love her a lot. THE WRAP So there you have it. We testers are, if nothing else, as susceptible as the next man when it comes to being attracted to shiny new things. We follow the trends, we fall victim to fashion just the same as you do. Yet at this launch, on this particular day in time, riding this particular eight km test track, we fell under the spell of KTM’s ‘same old same old’ range. Yes there’s nothing new to wax lyrical about but as Kiwi said there was no need for a radical update – there’s nothing on any of the 126 KIWI RIDER

The key changes to chassis for the ’10 model year are in the front end… plus of course there is the usual graphic upgradery as far as the plastics are concerned.

bikes that’s outdated or useless. KTM’s attention to detail certainly has paid dividends, so that even in a quiet year in development you simply struggle to walk past the orange bikes. And they have worked and worked on their twostrokes so today they’re the best they’ve ever been. They certainly are giving the Japanese every reason to regret their decision to kill off their own two-stroke models. And with KTM conﬁdent their two-strokes will comply with Euro5 and probably Euro6 emission restrictions, then

the future so far as KTM is concerned is looking very good for the old smokers. KTM clearly make cracking four-strokes as well – Kiwi was at pains to explain to JB that he shouldn’t get carried away with the remarkable extreme enduro capabilities of the two-strokes, in typical competition scenarios those four-bangers can still haul ass too. In the end that old adage came back to haunt us again: ‘don’t ask what’s new, ask what’s good.’ KR

KIWI RIDER 127

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128 KIWI RIDER

DIRT TEST HONDA CRF250X

You’ve heard of the strong, silent type? Good, because that description ﬁts Honda’s CRF250X to a tee. Ollie Sharp explains why. WORDS: Ollie S PICS: Geoff Osborne

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DIRT TEST HONDA CRF250X

et’s face it, none of us are going to use words like ‘allure’ and ‘magnetism’ to describe Honda’s CRF250X. Sitting on a pit stand the quarterlitre CRF-X is hardly going to attract the attention of your typical magpie-eyed trail racer either. Not as far as ‘trick factor’ is concerned anyway. However I’m here to tell you that looks are in this case deceiving; kick the pit stand away, hit the electric start button, release the clutch and you realise the CRF-X is hiding real potential under its innocuous ‘bike-next-door’ bushel. Which is quite a surprise because after three generations of CRF250Xs you would naturally conclude Honda would have modiﬁed at least something, if only to satisfy the demands of the marketing department. Yet no, for all intents and purposes it is the same bike – albeit one which feels more responsive and a heck of a lot livelier. I surprises me how a bike with no ostensible changes between model 130 KIWI RIDER

years could feel so ‘improved’ on the trail. Blue Wing Honda marketing man Phil Haynes suggested that while no major changes had been made between the model years, Honda is constantly testing and improving its products so it’s probable that the latest CRF250X has beneﬁtted from the process in some way. Whatever way that was the ’09 I rode certainly felt different – in this case better – than the 2008 one. POWER PLUME Whilst a CRF250X dabbles in a bit of wheel spin in the tackiest of conditions it’s certainly no CRF250R engine. Although the X engine shares a resemblance to the R model, the X is in fact manufactured to appropriate durability standards which somewhat detune the motor to the perfect balance between competition-ready performance and trail rider-required reliability. That said, the ’09 X engine seems light years ahead of the ’08, being far more responsive to rider input and producing a livelier get up off the bottom end and even an engine tone

much closer to that of the full-race CRF-R version. The bottom line? Whatever Honda has done I guarantee you will enjoy making full use of the available power spread; the CRF250X engine is a real sweet pea and pretty much perfect at clubmantype speeds. BALANCING ACT In the October edition of KR I opined that the ‘09 CRF450X I reviewed was the perfect weapon of choice for lofting the front-end over anything you could point it at. Sometimes this proved to be an annoyance when winding on the throttle abruptly, as the chassis set up achieved so much traction punting the front wheel high into the air like a rearing stallion. Frame geometry is a highly technical subject, and whilst the CRF450X takes some ﬁnesse to master, the CRF250X seems to revel in its chassis setup. Poking your way through tight bush and corners is sublimely easy as is scaling near vertical climbs. Better yet, frolicking

DIRT TEST HONDA CRF250X

It mightn’t have the magnetic ‘lookat-me’ appeal of some of its closest competitors but if you’re looking for a light, nimble, tractable 250cc 4-stroke enduro bike Honda’s CRF250X is a great place to start. Though current model is little changed from ’08 tester Ollie felt the ’09 was a better, deﬁnitely gruntier, all-round proposition.

off the beaten trail never seemed so inviting for the adventurer keen to push his or her skills levels. Bolted to the fourth generation semi-double-cradle aluminium frame is a modern set of Showa suspenders. The 47mm Showa front forks and the Pro-Link Showa damper in the rear are softly sprung and shimmed which is perfect for all-day comfort. If competitive racing is on your agenda it wouldn’t hurt to seek professional help in order to locate and install the correct weight springs and re-valve the shim stacks in the forks for slightly better bottoming resistance. Otherwise very little is required in the way of tuning for the local trail excursion. ALL-ROUNDER For several generations now Honda has equipped the CRF250X with electric start. Its push button friendliness is a god-send when you’re really buggered and/or you don’t quite have the technique or leg strength to kick start the CRF-X into life. You would be hard pressed to find a modern 4-stroke trail bike without electric start these days so it makes sense for Honda to follow suit. Likewise most competitive offroaders available in the market come standard with basic electronics like an odometer, hour metre and speedometer for general navigation. Unfortunately the CRF-X still lacks those luxuries but you do get nifty side air-filter access, front brake disc protection and a nice aggressive-looking front headlight/ number plate surround. The 2009 CRF250X is, like I said after the 2008 review, a wolf in sheep’s cloth. It’s the perfect trail riding machine for dabbling through the forest floor and scaling craggy outcrops with a great engine/chassis/braking package with renowned Honda reliability. It might not be the trickest machine doing the hard yards, but will make the tough going that little bit easier and is filled to the brim with potential for any gunning trail rider. KIWI RIDER 131

DIRT TEST HONDA CRF250X

SPECIFICATIONS HONDA CRF250X ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 4-valve SOHC 4-stroke single Displacement: 249.4cc Compression ratio: 12.9:1 Bore x stroke: 78 x 52.2 Max power output: 21.9kW Max torque: 24.2Nm Starting system: Electric/Primary Kick Engine management system: CDI Fuel system: 37mm Keihin FCR Clutch: Wet plate multi disc Transmission: 5-speed Final drive: #520 roller chain FRAME Type: Semi-double cradle aluminium twin-spar Swingarm: Aluminium Front suspension: 47mm Showa dual cartridge Rear suspension: Pro-link Showa Brakes: Front & Rear 240mm hydraulic piston Wheels: Aluminium rim/wire spoke 21 inch front & 18 inch rear Tyres: 80/100-21 front & 100/100-18 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1481mm Trail: 118mm Seat height: 958mm Ground clearance: 348mm Kerb weight: 115.5kg Fuel tank capacity: 7.3 litres (including 1.5 litre reserve tank) RRP: $11,999 Test bike: Blue Wing Honda GEAR Helmet: Airoh Stelt Senior King Goggles: Ariete Palladium Shirt: Acerbis Pant: Acerbis Glove: Acerbis Neck brace: BMW Motorrad GPX Sport Boots: Sidi Crossﬁre SRS

Lessons learned on CRF250R have been put to good use in endurotargeted X package with great power, agile handling and accommodating ergos. For club-level competition there can be few better starting points. Same goes for all-round trail and offroad riding, with excellent compliance built into the standard Showa suspension package and a conﬁdenceinspiring combination of sharp, incisive steering and hard to ﬂuster stability.

132 KIWI RIDER

KIWI RIDER 133

2009

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FE 450

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134 KIWI RIDER

Like a lot of good ideas this one started over a few beers. An MXfocused ‘road trip’ across the United States. In this, the ﬁrst in a two-part story about the trip Gerry O’Kane takes us on a whistle-stop tour from LA to Millville.

WORDS: Gerry O’Kane PICS: Shayne Rice (Rice Photography)

I’ve been watching it on the TV for years, following it though the internet and reading about it courtesy my stash of well thumbed RacerX magazines. The Millville AMA national has been the epicentre of my dreams for years and as we drove down the shingle access road with the pit area coming into view I knew this was going to be something special. The 21st running of the Spring Creek Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship (held just outside Rochester, Minnesota, or as it’s commonly referred to, the Millville National) is one of the most demanding circuits of the AMA Outdoor series. Due in no small part to the ever changing soil conditions, the infamous Millville sand whoops and the huge rutted jumps; it’s not a track for the timid. But the story doesn’t actually start in Minnesota; it starts back in Auckland ten weeks earlier over a cold beverage between a few friends. Shayne Rice (moto photographer), Tim Gould (director of the Mind the

ON TOUR USA ROAD TRIP

ON THE ROAD WITH GERRY, SHAYNE, TIM & SCOTT

Gap DVD), Scott Wilkins (motorcycle shop owner) and myself (motorcycle tyre salesman and holeshot.co.nz) were talking about attending a round of the AMA Motocross Championship. Before long our plan had grown out of control to become a monster multi-week road trip across America to watch two rounds of the AMA Outdoors, as well as spend a couple days in the so-called ‘City of Sin,’ Las Vegas and whatever else we could get our ﬁlthy hands on along the way. It’s great to know that your bank is always around to lend you a hand in a time of need! HATCHING THE PLAN And so our very own USA road trip began with a non-stop night ﬂight to Los Angeles, where upon landing we caught a bus to the San Fernando Valley to look at a van I had found on the internet. The guy we bought the van off was a Mexican and slipperier than a greasy axle nut. But to be fair, as it turned out, the van – KIWI RIDER 135

ON TOUR USA ROAD TRIP

Previous page: Road trip! The lads get ready to hit the highway after buying Fran the Van in the San Fernando Valley just outside LA. THIS PAGE: That’s Luke Burkhart (left) and Justin McDonald (right) lining up at Millville…. with hometown support provided by Jerry, Shayne Tim and Scott, then the beautiful Lake Havusa (below). FACING PAGE: Flying the Kiwi ﬂag early in the trip...and the toll the heat at Lake Havusa took on our intrepid crosscountry travellers.

which we affectionately named Fran – didn’t miss a beat the entire journey apart from an incidental de-laminating of the front left tyre about halfway through. But I’m getting ahead of myself. With Fran loaded and some nutritious McDs inside us we hit the road en route to Temecula, Southern California. Temecula is the home of 95% of all race teams and is the MX hotspot of America – although we didn’t actually spot any so-called big-named-riders. The next morning we headed over to Chaparral, by far the biggest motorcycle shop I have ever seen in my life. It carried everything you could possibly imagine; virtually every brand and every model of that brand. But after spending several hours salivating all over Chaparral’s rack we jumped back in Fran and headed south towards Lake Havusa – a town notorious for its party atmosphere. Now Lake Havusa is in the middle of the Arizona Desert, and being the middle of summer the temperature regularly exceeds 45˚C. The strong desert-blown winds make it feel like you’re standing in front of a hair dryer on the limiter. But that didn’t stop us pitching our tent and endeavouring to ‘camp out!’ The idea seemed pretty romantic at ﬁrst but it was a little strange that we didn’t see anyone else camping. Shayne, using a page out of his book of experience, decided not to go out, instead preferring to catch up on some sleep, while the rest of us hit up Lake Havusa’s night life in the blistering heat. The next morning things turned a little strange however because none of us (sober or a little merry from the night before) expected to feel so bad! The morning heat was completely unbearable, nothing like I had experienced before. To the point where none of us were in any state to drive, hell we could barely walk. There was only one solution and that 136 KIWI RIDER

was to find the nearest motel in town with air-conditioning and spend the day recovering before suiting up and heading four hours east in search of Las Vegas. SIN CITY Once in Las Vegas we headed straight for our hotel, aptly called the Sahara. Unfortunately for us it was built in 1952 and it damn well smelt like it too. I’m sure glad they banned smoking indoors in New Zealand as it’s still legal in the US and the wretched smell of second hand tobacco smoke gets into everything no matter how hard you try to shake it. Despite this, with the lure of poky machines, spinning roulette wheels and flying cards too much to resist, it was agreed upon that the first port of call was a casino – naturally! After a few fortuitous hands by one and some empty pockets for the rest of us we decided it was way too early in the day to be gambling our lives away and caught the monorail into the heart of the strip. Las Vegas, let me tell you, is off the

hook. No matter what time of the day ‘Vegas is always humming with people, and as we walked out of The Grand on to the strip, this Sunday evening was no exception. After some power-sightseeing we headed back to the room to shower up and get ready for the evening. First order of the night was to eat so it was decided that the $8.99 buffet I noticed on a flyer earlier had our names written all over it. Unfortunately, the first thing we noticed when we walked in was a sign that said ‘2hr time limit in buffet;’ naturally it made us think we must be in for a good deal. Oh how wrong I was; we definitely paid for what we got with this buffet. You know when the meal is atrocious when the pork tastes like the potato which tastes like the cheese cake which tastes like the salad. Seriously it was that bad. Having learnt a valuable lesson, to never trust cheesy American flyers, we descended upon the casinos dreaming of filthy riches, losing and making some breaks and possibly stumbling upon the biggest Pina-Coladas on the planet. The next morning we woke to another cloud-free day (outside at least, not so sure about the state of our heads!), and with the boys recounting their night of cruising the strip with a camera we headed out to have a look at the Hoover Dam, a gentle 40min drive away.

ON TOUR USA ROAD TRIP

Speaking of cameras, pictures do not do justice to the sheer size of the Hoover structure. Funnily enough when we were standing on one side of the Dam it was 1pm and then when we went to the other side it was 2pm. That’s right, there was a time zone change wham bam in the middle of the dam. All jokes aside we didn’t hang round long as the heat was again unbearable in the middle of the day and we had some serious driving to do over the next 24 hours. MINNESOTA BOUND With Rochester, Minnesota locked in on Tom Tom we left the scenic Hoover Dam for greener, albeit, yellow tipped pastures with some 35 hours driving ahead of us. The scenery was really cool for this part of the trip, with huge canyon walls on either side of us, and random little desert oases every 80 kms or so. After about ﬁve hours of that the corn rows started…. and didn’t stop for three days! Corn rows as far as the eye could see; don’t worry about blinking and missing it, because there was plenty of it to go round. We drove for 27 hours straight, covering a distance of about 2,400 kms (1,500 miles) through the Rockies and into heartland America. And what a different world that turned out to be. Think the complete opposite of ‘Vegas and the whole West Coast scene, the people were super friendly and not as slow as I had imagined. Inside the van we ran out of things to talk about at the 21 hour mark so by the time we came to a stop in Ohama, Nebraska we were throwing more elbows than in a ﬁrst corner to get out of the van and into a nice hot shower. Since it was Tuesday night, and that this infamous college town was out for summer, we headed to the local sports bar for a few drinks. The local bartender, Brent, was a really friendly guy and explained to Shayne the value of tipping the bar keep. Big tip equals

stronger drink. Once Shayne got the hang of that, it was game on and without a doubt it was Shayne’s biggest night of the trip. That said, after Shayne abused the bar keep, Brent suggested a local steak bar for a good meal and we didn’t need to be told twice about good steak. We headed over to a place called Sullivan’s, which not only had the most gorgeous waitresses I had ever seen but also the best damn steak of my life. The drinks where good, the food was better and the conversation lively and all was going good until we got the bill. Let’s just say it ran into the hundreds of dollars (US dollars at that) category, but we all agreed it was by far the best steak we had ever eaten. KIWI RIDER 137

ON TOUR USA ROAD TRIP

Another Kiwi competing at Millville was Cody Cooper, now with serious Stateside backing. Here we see him on the grid with mechanic Alistair and in action in one of his races

GETTING CLOSER The next morning Scott seemed to be on a mission to get us into the car and I definitely wasn’t running at 100 percent, Shayne just managing 40 percent capacity and Tim holding on. Needless to say Scott got us in and on the road. After a short six hour stint we made it to Rochester, Minnesota. It was a relatively uneventful sort of day as Shayne, Tim and I all slept the morning away in the van, and Scott who seemed positively chipper drove us through the endless corn fields. I have never seen a town with so many rusty cars in it as I have in Rochester. Apparently it’s something to do with the salt they put on the road during winter, it just eats cars. Since we were a day early for the Millville National we headed out to watch Amateur Day at the track. This is a race day run at the track prior to the nationals and showcases the best local talent; and from what we witnessed the local talent knows how to twist throttle. The difference between them and the juniors back home is just how much raw aggression and sprint speed they have. If the Kiwis want to do well over there in the future, those two key pieces are going to be needed to complete the puzzle. Millville was like no other track I had been to. The jumps were massive yet totally forgiving and the best way to describe the soil was similar to that found at the Whakatane SummerX track. While it looked loamy and firm it was in fact a suspension tuner’s nightmare as the track was supposedly one of the most deceptive on the AMA Outdoor circuit. While we waited for Kiwi talent Justin McDonald and Luke Burkhart to arrive, we cruised round the pits with our sweet media passes, just taking it all in. It was mind blowing to say the least. When was the last time you went to motocross and the Bridgestone Truck showed up with over 500 tyres waiting to be fitted to your bike 138 KIWI RIDER

themselves as well as deal with overcrowded practices and limited track time. While our boys didn’t have the best day out; Luke crashing big in the ﬁrst moto and Justin crashing in the ﬁrst corner of the second moto, they should hold their heads high as they both scored points from the weekend. And that is something that is not to be taken lightly, as the guy in 40th place as sure as hell would beat 95% of the riders here in New Zealand.

for the weekend’s racing? Even the goggles guy’s truck was as big, if not bigger, than Team Suzuki’s truck here in New Zealand. TWISTING IT HARD Now the results you can ﬁnd anywhere, but what they won’t show is how much difference there is between the haves and the have-nots. Luke and Justin fell into the have-not category. They drove for three days in a van to the track, paying for everything themselves along the way. The haves ﬂew in by jet and in some cases in their own jets! Luke and Justin pitted out of a 3x3 Ezi-Up. The haves had 18 wheeler semis to pit out of with every perk imaginable, including internet and cable TV. Luke and Justin had a girlfriend and a brother for support and a can do attitude. The haves had mechanics, suspension tuners, motor technicians, team managers and man friends to cater to their every whim. And it sure as hell makes a big difference come race day as the haves only had to focus on riding, and possibly scoring one of the Monster girl’s phone numbers, while the Kiwi privateers had to do everything for

We have seen how fast Luke and Justin are in New Zealand and how they are usually battling for either first or second spot; so it was quite humbling to watch them battle for 20th spot, especially when it was obvious that they had both risen a couple of notches since they had left New Zealand. I don’t think it’s the speed that the boys were lacking, I think it boils down to their intensity compared to the competition during the first few laps, and when they figure out how to fix that weakness I’m of the opinion they will both move at least five places up the finishing order. BONUS! What I really enjoyed about racing in the US is that the racing is done on a Saturday, and that of course leaves Saturday night free. If you have read this far, there will be no need to tell you that we (except Justin and Luke) all woke up with severe hangovers the next morning with a mountain of driving in front of us for the second week of our trip. Saving the best for last sums up the journey so far. If you thought that was good read, wait till you find out what happened during the second leg of our monster USA road trip! KR

It was maximum action and maximum results at the New Zealand Veterans’ and Women’s Motocross Championships near Christchurch over the September 05-06 weekend

DIRT COMPETITION COMP NATS VETS N

KING BROS UNBEATEN AT VETS NATS It perhaps came as no surprise at all that the most impressive riders at the two-day Superior Motorcyclessponsored meeting were Waikato riders Darryll and Damien King. The two former Grand Prix motocross stars were unbeaten in their 12 respective class races and also finished 1-2 in the all-in feature final. The 40-year-old Darryll King raced to victory in both the 40-44 years’ over-300cc class and the under-300cc class as well, while younger brother Damien – the national 125cc and open class motocross champion – showed his pedigree in running away with all the 3034 years’ races in both bike divisions. For Damien, it was particularly satisfying result. “I have been sick the past few months but I feel my fitness is back now and I’m ready to go at the senior nationals (which kick off near Timaru next month).” In total, nine of the 14 classes raced were dominated by one individual at the weekend. Blenheim’s Moston Wadsworth also won 12 class races, dominating the 45-

RESULTS 2009 N.Z. VETS & WOMENS MX CHAMPIOPNSHIPS CHRISTCHURCH SEPT 05-06 30-34 years’ over-300cc: 1. Damien King 150 points (maximum); 2. Brendan Wilson 132; 3. Andrew Richardt 120. 35-39 years’ over-300cc: 1. Craig Brown 144 points; 2. Brad Norton 138; 3. Bryan Heaphy 114. 40-44 years’ over-300cc: 1. Darryll King 150 points (Maximum); 2. Brent Scammell 132; 3. William How-Johns 120. 45-49 years’ over-300cc: 1. Moston Wadsworth 150 points (maximum); 2. Ricky Trompetter 130; 3. Mark Patterson 122. 30-34 years’ under-300cc: 1. Damien King 150 points (maximum); 2. Andrew Richardt 130; 3. Brendon Wilson 122. 35-39 years’ under-300cc: 1. Brad Norton 144 points; 2. Craig Brown 134; 3. Dean Baird 124. 40-44 years’ under-300cc: 1. Darryll King 150 points (maximum); 2. Brent Scammell 128; 3. David Furze 124. 45-49 years’ under-300cc: 1. Moston Wadsworth 150 points (maximum); 2. Ricky

Trompetter 121; 3. Marty McGoldrick 112. Over 50 years’ open class: 1. Tony Cooksley 150 points (maximum); 2. Gaudenz Gisler 132; 3. Dave Ollis 114. Over-55 years’ open class: 1. Tony Livingston 150 points (maximum); 2. Bryan Palmer 130; 3. Peter Wooley 122. Men’s feature race: 1. Darryll King; 2. Damien King; 3. Moston Wadsworth; 4. Brad Norton; 5. Bryan Heaphy. Senior women: 1. Sandra Silcock 147 points; 2. Josephine Adlam 135; 3. Jessica Ollis 114. Veteran women: 1. Sharon McCann 147 points; 2. Debbie King 135; 3= Helen Palmer 114; 3= Kris Morris 114. Junior women 125cc: 1. Kimberley Murphy 150 points (maximum); 2. Melissa Patterson 130; 3. Ashlee Norman 122. Junior women 85cc: 1. Olivia Cottam 147 points; 2. Zoe Jurd 135; 3. Mikayla Rowe 120.

WORDS & PIC: Andy McGechan Damien King won both 30-34 yr capacity classes and ﬁnished a close second to fellow class winner, older brother Darryll King, in the Men’s feature race.

49 years’ races in both bike divisions. Other ‘maximum’ riders were 2007 world veterans’ champion Tony Cooksley, of Auckland, again running away with the over-50 years’ open class title, while Tokoroa’s Tony Livingston was unbeaten in six races in the over-55 years’ open class. Rangiora’s Kimberley Murphy was unbeaten in winning the junior women’s 125cc title. KR KIWI RIDER 141

DIRT COMPETITION ATV NATS

PALMER HOLDS OFF JEPSON CHALLENGE WORDS & PIC: Andy McGechan The racing was hot and incredibly close at the New Zealand ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) Championships in the South Island over the September 0506 weekend. There was nothing to separate the leading title contenders in the newlycreated premier class after four of the scheduled seven races and it was to take something very special to decide where the title would eventually go. That's when national No.1 Quentin Palmer stepped it up, winning the last three premier class races of the weekend to again end up top of the podium. Suzuki's Palmer won the main prize at the ATV nationals last season and also raced away with the ATV honours at the national TT Championships near Kuratau in July. Now he's further cemented his place 142 KIWI RIDER

on the top of the podium by winning yett another th national ti l ATV title, titl this thi time on farmland just south of Blenheim.

Suzukiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quentin Palmer retained his #1 NZ championship title plate at the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09 NZ ATV Championship meeting near Blenheim in early September.

But it actually wasn't all easy going for Palmer at the weekend. "I had a real battle on my hands with Rotorua's Jason Jepson (Yamaha)," said Palmer. "It was a bit of a slow start for me and it wasn't until the second day that I came right," he said. Meanwhile, Jepson's challenge evaporated when his bike threw a chain and he could not finish the final race, allowing Suzuki's Lachie Columb, of Queenstown, to steal the runner-up spot. The 26-year-old Jepson had to settle for third overall, with Christchurch teenager Sam Henderson (Suzuki) taking fourth spot. It was a great weekend for Columb, who also raced in the 301-

425 experts class, winning that title outright. Rotorua's Vaughan Adams won the veterans' class title; Christchurch's Chris Cunard took the 750cc expert grade crown and Christchurch's Nina McVicar (Yamaha) won the women's title ahead of Tauranga's Emma Goldstone (Yamaha). In junior racing, Mangawai's Zane Renall (Honda) wrapped up the 12-16 year's title; Mathew Wicksteed won the junior 10-14 year's category; Christchurch's Benjamin Morgan (Honda) won the 8-11 years' class and Auckland's Tyler Nairn (Pro Shark) won the mini 8-11 years' division. KR

Words: Staff PIC: Yamaha It was not the winning finale he perhaps was hoping for but Kiwi Josh Coppins certainly signed off his MX1 career with Yamaha in the best possible way with a fourth place overall finish at the final round of the 2009 championship in Brazil on September 13. In typically hot and humid conditions in Canelinha for the fifteenth and final meeting of the series Coppins turned out to be the best of the works YZ450F Yamaha riders contesting the event (including new World Champ Antonio Cairoli) finishing fifth in the first moto and a very close third in the second at his final meeting for his Monster Energybacked Yamaha team. CHARGE & DUEL In fact, the 32-year-old’s hard charge and duel with eventual round winner Clement Desalle for second place in the second moto was one of the best of the weekend, the Bulgarian grand prix winner pushed the young Belgian, 12 years his junior, all the way to the finish line; just missing a clear opportunity to overtake.

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad today,” afterwards “I had Coppins told reporters afterwards. decent starts in both of the races and in the first I worked up from eighth to fifth after it took me a little while to get going. In the second race I was terrible in the first five minutes but then rode my way forwards and passed Ken and Nagl. This is the end of my fourteenth GP season so that is nearly 200 GPs and I am still up there with the guys so I am quite happy.” GREAT YEAR FOR YAMAHA 2009 has been a sterling year for Yamaha in the premier class of the FIM series WITH Yamaha riders on the podium at 14 of the 15 rounds. All told Yamaha riders won 11 motos and enjoyed seven outright round victories with Cairoli leading the statistics in his maiden MX1-GP season with nine wins. Not surprisingly Yamaha won the 2009 Manufacturer’s title and concluded the Rider’s competition with their four protagonists all in the top ten, Cairoli first, Philippaerts fourth, Coppins sixth and Leok seventh. KR

RESULTS RND 15 (FINAL) MX1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CANELINHA BRAZIL SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13

DIRT COMPETITION COM MXGP MX

COPPINS FOURTH IN BRAZIL FINAL RACE 1 1. Clement Desalle (Honda); 2. Max Nagl (KTM); 3. David Philippaerts (Yamaha); 4. Ken De Dycker (Suzuki); 5. Josh Coppins (Yamaha); 6 Antonio Cairoli (Yamaha) RACE 2 1. Steve Ramon (Suzuki) 2. Clement Desalle (Honda); 3. Coppins; 4. De Dycker; 5. Nagl; 6. Carlos Campano (Yamaha) Final championship points standings 1. Cairoli 561 points; 2. Nagl 525; 3. Desalle 508; 4. Philippaerts 497; 5. De Dycker 495; 6. Coppins 485; 7. Leok 395; 8. Swanepoel 262; 9. Barragan 229; 10. Ramon 217 Manufacturer standings Yamaha 655 points; 2. KTM 585; 3. Honda 543; 4. Suzuki 519; 5. Kawasaki 317; 6. Aprilia 245; 7. TM 193; 8. CCM

Kiwi Josh Coppins – fourth in Brazil and sixth overall in the 2009 MX1 points standings.

KIWI RIDER 143

YAMAHA FAR NORTH ADVENTURE DEC 5-6 2009 The Far North Adventure Ride is New Zealand’s longest running off-road motorcycle event. This year celebrates the 16thFNAR since the ﬁrst back in 1992. The 2009 FNAR features a new picturesque location of the Whananaki Coast which is located on the coastal region, north of Whangarei. This a completely new adventure ride with trails and routes that have never been used before on an adventure ride. This event will include a dedicated ‘Big Bike’ route, and a ‘Trail Adventure’ route. There’s something to suit all adventurous off-road riders. This is a non-competitive motorcycle adventure, suitable for all ROAD LEGAL, dual-purpose, and trail type motorcycles. Entry Cost $295 – Camping. Contact Mike for other options. Entry cost includes: * Entry and Route Sheets for two days * Breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday, Saturday night dinner * Satellite phone & GPS back-up * Great Location and facilities * Far North Adventure 2009 badge * Far Northern hospitality * Land access fees and permits * Sweep crew to assist Entry Forms are available from our website: www.adventurerides.co.nz Or contact Mike Britton. Phone 07 8556132, Mobile 0212849047, Postal: PO Box 12180, Chartwell, Hamilton 3248.

Far North Adventure Ride

ADVENTURE MOUNT COOK

What to do with a sunny weekend in the middle of winter when it’s too windy to ski? Why, hop on the new 1200 GS and head to Mt Cook for the weekend. Jane Powell has the story.

WORDS: Jane Powell PICS: Peter Powell

ADVENTURES IN A WINTER WONDERLAND After initial debate about what time to set off (you know, whether the 3° frost would be any more hospitable at 9:30am than it was at 9:00am) we hit the road by 9:15am, wearing multiple layers of gear (six in my case!). First stop was for an emergency refuelling stop in Fairlie – for us, not the bike – hot chocolate at our favourite (Eat) cafe, to thaw our frozen hands. There we were warned of treacherous black ice conditions ahead, which had already caused several cars to leave the road. We decided to take the Braemar Road, running from the Balmoral Army Camp, winding its way up to 880m before descending back down to the turquoise water of Lake Pukaki, then along the edge of the lake and past the power station, before rejoining the main road just before the turnoff to Mt Cook.

AN EXCELLENT CHOICE Apart from a few sections that were snow-covered (powder snow – nothing too onerous to ride through), and a few near cattle incidents (why do they always insist on thundering over to the other side of the road as you approach?) the road was a treat – and the scenery (as you can see from the photos) absolutely breathtaking. It’s always amusing too to watch the on-board temperature gauge on the GS – in this case dipping down to zero, plunging to – 2°, then slowly clawing its way back to positive numbers, until (as if by miracle) the wind swung round to the nor’ west just as we turned towards Mt Cook, and within minutes the gauge reached eight degrees! Does it get any better? The sun blazing, scenery incredible, the road to ourselves (in fact, we appeared to be the only bike on the road all weekend – funny that!) and ﬁngers and toes now fully functional.

On arrival at the Hermitage – we decided to treat ourselves to their weekend special offer in celebration of our 11 week wedding anniversary – we discovered an added bonus: Mark Ingles was going to be speaking that evening on his experiences on both Aoraki Mt Cook and of course his famous Everest ascent. INSPIRATIOINAL Aside from the horrendous prices at the bar (suspecting this may be the case we were well prepared with a hip flask of rum – and what pannier doesn’t have sufficient space for a bottle of Pinot Gris?), it was a perfect evening. However, the forecast snow showers were replaced with heavy rain, which we knew as we lay in bed that night would only lead to one thing in the morning: ICE. Opening the motel door at first light, we were treated to a 20 metre sheet of clear KIWI RIDER 145

OH SH*T! ADVENTURE MOUNT COOK

One of those dreadful ‘oh sh*t’ moments. Here we were on the top of Meyers Pass in the middle of winter, unlikely that any other vehicle was going to pass by that day, no cell phone reception, and injured rider, and a ‘hanger-on,’ who had never ridden anything bigger than a 250 – no way could I ride a 1200 GS, fully laden with panniers and an injured rider, down a muddy, rocky, icy track! So only one thing for it, Pete climbed back on the bike, used his good arm to lift his broken one onto the handlebar, and he rode us not only out of the pass, but all the way back to Timaru (he passed out afterwards, but we’ll allow him that!).

ice, between us and the hard-packed snow, and finally the road. We weighed up various options, but the sheer weight of the GS, even without panniers, and the total lack of grip on the ice, meant that the best solution appeared to be to create a trail using a series of towels or blankets. Although the staff at the Hermitage were lovely, we thought their good humour might be over-stretched by us using the pristine fluffy white towels in our room, so we persuaded the cleaners to lend us some old woollen blankets. As Pete rode the bike onto the front blanket, I whipped the rear blanket out, moved it to the front and so on, until we reached safe ground. Perfect solution! BACK ON THE ROAD Again, once we hit the road the scenery was spectacular, prompting us to take the scenic route back to Timaru, via Omarama, Kurow and over Meyers Pass. You don’t get days out like that on the bike that often, so we were in no hurry to get back home. And all went smoothly initially. Meyers Pass is a route we’d intended to try for a long time, and it didn’t disappoint. It only reaches an altitude of 685 meters, but nevertheless, there were big stretches of snow and ice. And then literally round the corner from the top of the pass we hit a badly churned up section of mud. With only road tyres the bike slid and squirmed over the first few hundred meters, then wham! We went down! I leapt up, feeling amazed to be unscathed, but then looked at Pete and realised, by the way he was doubled up holding his arm, that all was not well (turned out to be a broken shoulder blade). 146 KIWI RIDER

Ride took the Powells from Timaru to the Hermitage (at Mt Cook) and back and took in main roads, back roads and yes even a broken shoulder blade!

We both agreed it was just a small blip on a perfect weekend away though. To those who threw up their hands in horror when we announced our weekend plan: you don’t know what you missed! Winter is no excuse to cover the bike and lock it in the shed to gather dust! KR

2010 YAMAHA ULTIMATE ADVENTURE JANUARY 4 -7

Join a small group of like-minded adventurers on an exclusive four-day guided ride through stunning South Island high country terrain. Enjoy four-fulldays of the Ultimate adventure riding experience. • Suitable for large capacity bikes • Stunning wilderness areas • High country riding • Accommodation and meals

• Hard based tracks • Open trails • Fully guided • Relaxed pace…

The Yamaha Ultimate Adventure is a unique small-group guided ride leading into the 2010 Yamaha NZ Safari. Starting in Geraldine, less than 1.5 hours south of Christchurch, the Yamaha Ultimate Adventure winds north through iconic terrain featuring the snow topped peaks and glaciers of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, ﬁnishing in Blenheim four days later. We include a rest day prior to the Yamaha NZ Marlborough Safari. Your accommodation is included and this will ensure riders are fully re-charged to continue the adventure. Accommodation each night will be in comfortable hotel, lodge or quality motel rooms with all meals provided and our support vehicle will carry your luggage and spare parts. This event is not suited to off-road beginners, but the Yamaha Ultimate Adventure is deﬁnitely suitable for large capacity dual-purpose bikes, with appropriate off-road tyres. Many of the off-road sections will be on hardbased tracks, though there will be some grass in places. Each full day’s ride will cover approximately 250 km. Experienced adventurers with pillions may also enter. Included in the Yamaha Ultimate Adventure are: • Accommodation (includes your accommodation before and after the event and accommodation and dinner on 7th January in Blenheim) • Buffet dinners • Filling lunches • Big Kiwi breakfasts • Expert guiding • Land access charges • Luggage transport • Stunning Scenery Cost: 1850 pp share twin or triple. Pillion rider: less $100 Numbers are limited to 18 riders and pillions. Entry forms are available on the website; www.adventurerides.co.nz For more information contact; Mike Britton at 07 8556132, mobile 021 2849047 or email: mike@adventurerides.co.nz Postal: PO Box 12180, Chartwell, Hamilton 3248

ADVENTURE DUSTY BUTT

RACING DAVE’S CUNNING (DUSTY BUTT) PLAN WORDS: Racing Dave PICS: RD & Racing Maree

Robbie Crickett is rightly famous for having long riding days on his adventure rides, but even the memorable 660km day out of Gore on an early BMW Safari pales next to the 1000+ km of the Dusty Butt 24-hour torture test for hardy souls. Approaching its fourth anniversary, and to be held on January 17 (plus the 18th for those taking the two-day option) 2010, course designer Ryan Cooney has added that extra twist – the Small Bike Challenge. Racing Dave and the lightly modded NXR125 Honda (top) he will use in January’s Dusty Butt adventure ride and (below) kindly showing us the bike’s homebuilt bashplate….

Some say the previous course, a giant circular journey starting and finishing in Nelson, wasn’t hard enough, at about 50% unsealed. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that sentiment, having ridden it on my BMW R 1200 GS Adventure in 2009, but I did find that with some effort I was able to complete it in daylight. Thus, for 2010, not only is the course over 85% off-road, but also is all-new, heading south from Fairlie into the dry and rocky terrain of South Canterbury and Otago. A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING No one has yet ridden any Dusty Butt on a properly small motorcycle, and so we have the special added category with the 125cc limit. Normal riders can, and indeed should, ride normal mid – to big-bore adventure bikes on this event. My early plans had me firmly planted on my Honda CG125, but at nearly 30 years old it had started to show its age. Great engine, though, with none better at that size. So...after some discussion with Blue Wing Honda and Christchurch dealer Robin Hampton of Hampton Honda, the modern incarnation of the mighty CG, still with that famous pushrod motor, found its way into my garage.

148 KIWI RIDER

The annual Dusty Butt 1000 km adventure ride is a tough enough prospect on a medium to large capacity bike. So when Racing Dave told us he was planning to ride the next one on an NXR125 Honda we just had to know more... Made in Brazil, and officially known as an NXR125ES Bros, I think of it as my CG125 Adventure Special. Electric start and five gears changing in a conventional shift pattern are bonuses, but pushrods, carburetor, and drum brakes remain. A FEW SUBTLE MODS…. Honda list it both as a commuter and a farm bike, and it’s clearly designed with a sit-down riding position, but the company doesn’t mention the bike’s potential for 1000km in a day over rough terrain, so I’ve carried out a few subtle modifications to make the outing as pleasant as possible. Some for

protection and reliability, and some for comfort. One for performance!

For standing (my favoured riding position) comfort, there are Zetec 30mm handle bar risers, vastly bigger Moose foot pegs (that I’ve repositioned 50mm further back) and I have shortened the rear brake pedal accordingly. The gear lever remains OK as standard. Finally, to extract a little more pep from the available 12 (count ‘em!) horsepower, I’ve replaced the original 17-tooth interstate touring front sprocket with a more dirt-worthy 15-tooth item. Harsh, rocky southern back roads mean wee NXR needs a helping hand in the form of bashplate and larger, wider cleated steel footpegs. RD has also ﬁtted handlebar risers and Barkbusters to ease the transition between sitting and standing and protect the levers in the event of a fall. Finished article is light, nimble and robust. Just like the bike eh RD?

Economy was a standout virtue of the CG, and that carries through three decades later, with the 12-litre fuel tank eking out an astonishing 420km before eventually spluttering to a halt.

ADVENTURE MOUNT COOK

I have ﬁtted a homemade bash plate to save the crankcases from an errant southern rock, Barkbusters to keep the hand levers intact in a fall, and MudSkins on the forks to avoid stone chips and the resultant seal damage and oil leaks.

GOOD RANGE

Surprisingly, considering how basic it is and being completely non-adjustable, the suspension is actually all right, with the simple forks and linkageless (direct acting) rear shock carrying out their duties as advertised. The robust spokes make me much more conﬁdent that collapsed wheels won’t leave me stranded in the Nevis Valley. All the information on this free (yes, free!) adventure, including the required rolling route sheets, gossip, and gratuitous ravings, is on the Kiwi Biker website; just look in the Adventure/ Dual Purpose Bikes forum. Whether you have a big or small road-legal, but off-road capable bike, Fairlie is the place where all will be revealed as dawn breaks in midJanuary. Twenty-four hours later – who knows what might have happened, but Kiwi Rider will have the full story. KR

KIWI RIDER 149

150 KIWI RIDER

WORDS: Ollie S PIC: Geoff Osborne Seriously. When Darbi Accessories’ Graham Irvine rolled out the Sidi and Acerbis riding gear he had earmarked for me I was half expecting cult American rapper Xzibit to saunter through the door and tell me ‘you’ve officially been pimped.’ After all it’s not every day a quick phone call nets a glossy set of pristine, snow white Sidi Crossfire SRS boots and the absolute fly-est looking shirt, pair of pants and set of matching gloves currently available from Acerbis. Message to self. Make more quick phone calls! BOOT IT! The boots need no introduction. Sidi Crossfire MX boots, and in this case the SRS edition, are at the pinnacle of safety and design. Made from genuine leather and constructed to endure years of punishment, the Sidi Crossfire boot incorporates, without a doubt, some of the best ankle, shin and foot protection available on the market. SRS spec, in case you are wondering, means that the standard syntheticblend sole is replaced with a specifically

PRODUCT EVALUATION SIDI & ACERBIS

PIMP MY RIDE(ING GEAR) prepared plastic foot print that is designed for cross use between MotoX and Supermoto. I prefer the SRS over the standard synthetic sole for reasons of extra rigidity in the boot and the ability use the boots when Supermotarding. GOLD STANDARD In conjunction with the boots Darbi’s also hooked us up with a new set of limited edition gold and black JDP Acerbis off-road gear to use in photo shoots. Alongside its eye catching design is the top quality construction you expect from Acerbis. The gloves fit very snugly and the shirt is relatively loose around the forearms with little restriction at the cuff. The pants are neatly rough at first but after one wash and a chance to break in, they conform snugly around the knee braces and provide the perfect amount of room around the thigh. The Velcro tabs on the hips and the plastic clasp waist buckle on the front can be individually adjusted for a finely tuned fit. Sidi Crossfire MX Boots are available in black or white and with standard or SRS replaceable sole from $799. The Acerbis JDP shirt has an RRP of $99, the pants $299, and gloves $89. KR

MX tester Ollie styling it up in his black and gold Acerbis shirt and pants and pristine white Sidi Crossﬁre boots

KIWI RIDER 151

KIWI RIDER

WORDS & PICS: Racing Dave TRAIL TIPS TIPS OF THE TRADE

True story – a fellow I know was sweep rider on a guided trail ride, and due to random bad luck was deflected off a rock on a track into the adjacent cliff face. He broke two fingers and both the hydraulic clutch master cylinder and lever were wiped from the handlebars. Expensive and painful. There was no protection fi tted to the bike’s handlebars, which, if there had been, most likely the crash would have become an incident. Just as most personal water craft are generically called Jet Skis, despite the trademark belonging to Kawasaki, so are most hand guards called Bark Busters, although this too is a brand name (Barkbusters).

WHY YOU NEED HAND GUARDS WHAT’S IN A NAME? That name, Barkbusters, gives a great mental image of being able to deflect bikes off trees with no harm done, and that, of course, is exactly their purpose. Even the simple act of a bike falling over at the halt, after rolling forward off its side stand, can break a lever. On single track through a forest, who hasn’t tried to squeeze through a gap nearly wide enough, only to find the clutch or front brake unexpectedly operated by a passing branch. Annoying, at best, and sprawled on the ground, at worst. Few bikes are factory fitted with decent lever guards, but often a manufacturer will have a kit that bolts straight on. On the Yamaha XT660R that I had on long-term loan, I initially fitted a generic set of Ego guards, which were later replaced with genuine Yamaha parts. Although the Yamaha kit was more expensive than the one-sizefits-all Ego guards were, it is specifically designed for that application, and was a better and neater fit. EX-FACTORY? My BMW R1200GS Adventure does have fully fitted hand guards from new, but, like the Buell Ulysses, these are relatively soft plastic and would be

Reckon hand guards are for wusses? Then how come they’re one of the first accessories serious off-road riders fit to their bikes? Racing Dave explains. better at keeping a frosty breeze off my chilled fingers than stopping the mighty bulk of the bike from snapping something expensive if it toppled over. I replaced them with much more robust aluminium ones, which also came with wind deflectors. Weather protection is less important on my WR450F, but that has a correspondingly higher chance of falling to the ground, so a set of Barkbusters replaced the flexible standard-fit plastic guards. If I’m going to bounce off a tree, I want that tree to come off second best. EVERYTHING MUST WORK Depending on whether your handlebars have vibration-cancelling bar-end weights or not, will determine the exact kit you need, but the absolutely most important test after fi tment is to ensure that all the hand controls (clutch, front brake, throttle twist-grip) are unaffected by the Barkbusters’ attachment, and smoothly return to their normal position. KR

Top shot shows one of the reasons your dirt bike should be fitted with hand guards….crashes. We then have a pic of a Buell Ulysses to illustrate the type of plastic flap some manufacturers equip their bikes with ex-factory before a couple of pics of Racing Dave’s bikes, the first his BMW R 1200 GS fitted with a set of Aussie-made Barkbuster hand guards, the second the XT660R he used last summer equipped with a set of Ego (a Barkbuster model) guards.

KIWI RIDER 153

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Paul Whibley 154 KIWI RIDER

Are there bells ringing inside your head? Do the names Matiss Karro, Blake Wharton, Joel Roelants or Dennis Verbruggen sound familiar? How about Jeffrey Herlings, Ken Roczen, Alessandro Lupino or Zach Osborne? These young men are all former Junior World Motocross Champions and each of them went on from their junior days to now rank among the elite of the senior motocross world. Latvia’s Matiss Karro was junior world MX2 champion last year and now he’s racing in the MX2 world championships and scoring good points; likewise Belgians Joel Roelants (2006 junior MX2 world champ) and Dennis Verbruggen (the 2005 junior MX2 world champ). The 2007 junior MX2 world champ, American rider Blake Wharton, is now among the elite in the AMA 250cc championships, while Germany’s 2007 junior 85cc world champ, Ken Roczen (still only 15), is now being hailed as the greatest young rider to hit the GP scene since a fresh-faced Stefan Everts about two decades earlier. It’s a logical thought process then to imagine that the young men (and one young woman too) who so impressed us at this year’s edition of the FIM Junior Motocross World Championships at Taupo in August are also headed for greater things. Taupo’s 125cc class winner, American Eli Tomac, and the 85cc class winner, Australian Jay Wilson, certainly tick all the right boxes. They were not only blazingly fast, they were also great ambassadors for their respective countries, were well-spoken and entirely professional in everything they did. Tomac was world No.3 in the 85cc

HANDY ANDY ANDY MCGECHAN

YOUNG, GIFTED AND HEADING FOR THE TOP class in 2006. Now he’s world 125cc champion. The next step for him is to leave the amateur ranks in the United States and go professional. The 16-year-old Tomac (he turns 17 in November) is ready now to join the AMA pros “maybe in May, but that would be the earliest.” “The track at Taupo was perfect. The only thing that would have improved my weekend there would have been if the sun popped out. “I’ve got quite a few American titles but it was good to come here and get some experience racing other guys in the world.” Could he be the next Ricky Carmichael or James Stewart? He’s deﬁnitely Eli Tomac the ﬁrst. And by the way, I was standing next to some non-motocross people at the Junior Motocross World Championships, explaining to them that this was the 125cc class that we were watching. “Ohh, but they must be a few cheats then … lots of them are on 250cc bikes aren’t they?” Well, yes and no. Why don’t they call it MX2? The bikes in the 125cc class at Taupo were almost exclusively 250cc four-strokers. Meanwhile, while it was the biggest weekend of their lives for our young motocross stars at Taupo that weekend in August … rugby took the spotlight away from the motorbike community again, for all the wrong reasons. A bit of biffo in a college rugby match stole the headlines all week long.

‘Meanwhile, while it was the biggest weekend of their lives for our young motocross stars at Taupo that weekend in August … rugby took the spotlight away from the motorbike community again, for all the wrong reasons’ Yep, instead of focussing on the glorious performances of our junior motocross stars at the one-off world championships event – incidentally being staged in New Zealand for the ﬁrst time in the sport’s history – the mainstream media devoted all its news space to a bunch of young thugs who couldn’t control themselves long enough to actually play their sport properly. Thank you Kelston Boys High School and the Auckland Grammar rugby players, your ugly, unsporting brawl robbed Courtney Duncan and Hamish Dobbyn and all the other Kiwi racers of their muchdeserved kudos. And shame on you national television, and virtually all the nation’s newspapers too, for giving so much coverage of something so negative when, without too much hard work, you could have found so much more positive to report on, just down the road in Taupo. KR

KIWI RIDER 155

COPPINS JOSH COPPINS

IT’S TRUE, I’M OFF TO APRILLIA

Hey there, I just got home from the Motocross of Nations in Italy, checked my e mails and Vege wants this column by tomorrow! So bear with me and I’ll get this off before the deadline… MXON went pretty good for team New Zealand. There were a few raised eyebrows over the team selection but I think we had the right guys considering BT’s recovery and Cody’s team deals etc… The fact that it was in Europe was also a big thing because next year the event is in America and the costs will be high. I reckon team Australia must spend 100k for this event. They have to air freight three bikes and fly the whole team and mechanics. It was 14k to send my bike to Brazil for the last GP so do your numbers.. and guys like Chad Reed don’t fly at the back of the plane! Scott Columb did a great job in his second Nations. His first race holeshot and eleventh place were awesome. Mike Phillips did a steady ride which is exactly what I wanted from him. BT, Scotty and I crashed out and blew our first Nations. The event is so big and the hype can get to you so I was happy with Mike and his performance. It was my last big race for Yamaha so I had mixed feelings about the event. I have had a great time with them and can’t thank them enough for always looking after me and giving me 100%. I went five and six, which was what I needed to do! I needed to run upfront and lead the team by example.

www.joshcoppins.com

156 KIWI RIDER

The highlight for me was battling with Chad in the heat race and sticking a nice move on Tedesco in the final moto. Unfortunately SC broke a radiator and had to retire from his second moto which meant we slipped from seventh to eleventh. I said earlier on that fifth to seventh would be a great result and we were so close. USA won, and although they will never admit it, they were bloody lucky and were surprised by the European pace. Right, I’ve talked about 2010 over the last few columns and I’ve signed a new contract with Aprilia. A lot of people were surprised I did this but I’m really looking forward to it. I have tested the bike and it’s good. I have visited the factory and I believe in the project. My job is to get good results and lift the team and bike to the next level… we have a lot of work to do but like I said I’m looking forward to it. Why did I sign for them and not race in OZ and NZ? Well it was always my plan to come home, but it seemed harder to put a deal together than I thought. I begin testing soon and to top it all off I take delivery of my new RSV4 factory road bike soon! I can’t tell you how pumped I am about this. The V-twin MX bike is pretty special– after my first test the guys plugged in a lap-top in and let me know if I was in the right rev range etc and how much gas went in the carb and out the pipe, frame flex, oil pressure, pretty much everything! It’s the first bike I’ve ridden with fuel injection, launch control, data logging etc. After training they put the bike on the dyno and with the data logging made an exact lap of me riding the track and set the bike off to do a 40 min moto! While there I had a factory tour and saw a bunch of cool stuff like a cylinder head dyno, frame dyno, suspension dyno, engine and bike dyno

‘And to top it all off I take delivery of my new RSV4 factory road bike soon! I can’t tell you how pumped I am about this’ and I sat on Biaggi’s superbike. I checked out their 125, and 250 road racers and had a sit on Marco Simoncelli’s machine. I was like a kid in a candy store. Aprilia is the only motorcycle manufacture to do all of their electronics in house. They were the first off-road manufacturers to have fuel injection, and you know all that pneumatic valve stuff they talk about in road racing? They had that seven years ago in Moto GP… I was impressed and I fully understand with all this technology comes a lot of work! But I’m up for it and I promise you now I will be the first rider to win on a twin MX bike – and the first to win on Aprilia. I know the people at Aprilia will bend over backwards for me and a win to them will be like winning the lottery. These are just some of the reasons I signed for them, I could keep going for ages… The MX nationals start this weekend, SC and Mikey are gunna be knackered so I don’t expect too much from them… poor buggers it’s a hell of a trip let alone having to race as soon as you get back. Ride safe, JC KR

Kia Ora! Hey! I’m back on the horse again! It felt so good to strap on my knee braces and throw my helmet on my head again. As you all know I have been through a few injuries over the past 3-4 years and it has always felt great to get back on a bike, but this time round was a very surreal feeling for me. As I’ve written earlier in the year, this process had a lot to do with getting healthy, not just with my shoulder but also my wrist and ankle which I had injured over the past two years also. The wrist and ankle are feeling awesome, they don’t feel any different to the other now and my shoulder is clearly on that path as well. One of my biggest goals for this period was to be able to wake up in the mornings and have a big stretch and not even think about what piece of my body might be restricted or painful. I can honestly write in this column that I’ve been doing that over the past few weeks to a month. It’s a great feeling to wake up to each morning and have a big ol’ stretch and be ready to kick the day off! One part of this process that I’ve been through is something I haven’t been too public about and that is the subject of mental time off. I was 16years-old when I ﬁrst started this column and since then it’s been eight years of professional racing up until the time I called time out in February. So having some time at home here in New Zealand to really just get away from racing and let my hair down a bit has been great for me. I have been very fortunate to do what I have been able to

www.bentownleymx.com

BT BEN TOWNLEY

BACK IN THE SADDLE over those eight years, but it comes with a price in a few different ways and one of those is pressure. Whether it be self inflicted or from sponsors or maybe even the team, it takes a huge toll when things aren’t going to plan and that is something that I had always dealt with well up until the early part of this year. I felt like it got to a point where I wasn’t making all my decisions based on what would be best for BT and that was very unusual for me, definitely something that I have recognised over this time off and something that I will try to eliminate as far as my racing goes again. It has also provided me with a great time over the recent months to assess my past, present and future racing plans and goals. My future plans remain in the USA for right now. People ask me about the World Championship a lot, and it’s simple really. Winning again in Europe is definitely a goal of mine, winning in the USA is a dream of mine, and while I’ve done a little bit of that in ‘07 I still haven’t knocked off the one that I want to, YET... Anyway, back to the riding eh? I called up my old mate Capes; Darren Capill is a great friend of mine and a guy who taught me most things on a bike that Dad couldn’t teach me plus a lot of other things (we won’t go into that right here right now though)! I was given instructions that trail riding was my best option (doctor and physio’s orders) so after a couple of quiet rides to learn about the throttle, brakes and clutch again, it was time to

‘I was given instructions that trail riding was my best option (doctor and physio’s orders) so after a couple of quiet rides to learn about the throttle, brakes and clutch again it was time to hit the last Tarawera Trail Ride of the year’

hit the last Tarawera Trail Ride of the year. Due to popular demand (and I can see why) one more trail ride for the year was scheduled and I booked that one for the weekend. Another mate of my mine, Scotty Wilkins, brought down a KX450F for me to blast around on and a blast it was! We rode in a bunch for the day and the riding was outstanding to say the least. The trails were pretty flowing, softish’ and a little muddy here and there which provided a little puckering effect on some of those nice slippery downhills that a Trail Ride will throw at ya! I rode 114 km by day’s end, 1 x 40km loop, 2 x 20 km loops, 1 x 10 km loop and 4 x 6km loops. I had forgotten what a blister was like! If you have never ridden a Tarawera Trail Ride I definitely recommend you do it next season, it is truly world class riding and they cater for everyone with loops for families to loops for the hard core rider. Before I go, big Thanks to MR Motorcycles, Moto GB and Mike Cotter for all loaning me bikes to get me back into the swing of things. Next month I should have my own bike back in the garage and be back on a race track for the first time. KR KIWI RIDER 157

RIDE

ARE YOU “READY TO RACE”?

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158 KIWI RIDER

TECHNIQUE » CONTROL » POWER » SPEED

AXO NICKEL PANT $239 Distributor: Northern Accessories

HOT PRODUCTS DIRT

The pant that conquered the WORCS Championship – heavy duty nylons, ballistic knees and triple stitching – 4 way stretch over the knees – perforated front of waist ﬂows cooling air – sculpted TPR vents, logos and rear yoke panel – non-fading sublimated nylon thigh panels – stretch crotch, rear yoke and calf panels – smooth tricot liner adds comfort. Colours red and blue.

2 AXO SPORT JERSEY $99 Distributor: Northern Accessories

The AXO SPORT Jersey is designed to ﬁt under or over roost guards and provide unrestricted freedom of movement. The 100% Poly construction resists stains and odours and is completely machine washable. The fully sublimated graphics are colour fast and won’t fade. The neck will not ride up and cause discomfort. A longer tail panel helps the jersey to stay tucked into the pant. The back panel features a graphic large and open enough to accept all AMA and FIM required numbering and lettering. Approved for professional use. Colours Red and Blue.

5 6

3 ZACSPEED EXOTEC SP3 $265 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The ‘EXOTEC SP3’ (Sports Pack 3 Litre) is a unique protector system, combining a strong durable Chest Protector, Backpack (with removable articulated Back Protector) 3 litre Hydration System and Tool Pack all in one comfortable modular unit. Four load-bearing points stabilize the back pack and reduce the load effect and prevent the backpack ‘dragging up’ the chest protector. Other features include the tool-free quick release pack system allowing easy change to a conventional hydrator/back pack. Highly recommended for your summer trail riding duties! 4 REIKON FOOTPEGS $369 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

Reikon is well known in the international market for its very wide range of handlebars, front and rear sprockets, forged brake and clutch levers. Each Reikon product is designed having in mind the toughest conditions it can withstand – like this Reikon Titanium foot peg which is made super strong and light with anodised ﬁnish. 5 PARK TOOL FORK TUBE BRUSH $15 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Ltd

The Park Tool Fork Tube Brush is designed to clean the grit and residue from stanchions while servicing forks. Ease of use with 30 inch long vinyl covered wire for no scratch cleaning and a ‘sure grip’ dual density handle provides a positive grip. Available from all good bike shops.

3 8 6 NEMESES BODY ARMOUR From $112 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

Super tough and multi-adjustable, Nemeses Body Armour provides the ultimate in protection for trail riding, enduro or competition motocross. Try one on and you’re sure to be impressed by the ﬁnish and comfortable ﬁt. They’re available in Black, Red, or Blue in adult and youth sizes. 7 AIROH MR CROSS FIGHTER $279 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The MR Cross Fighter is Airoh’s kids MX helmet and features a lightweight durable thermoplastic external shell, anatomically designed interior, removable and washable comfort liner, front and chin guard air intakes, adjustable rear extractors, rubber

3 nose guard, adjustable peak, quick release retention system, and ECE22.05 safety standard. Premium protection for junior riders, and available in sizes XXS, XS and S. 8 MAXIMA FFT FOAM FILTER TREATMENT From $16 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

Maxima’s FFT is a race proven synthetic foam filter treatment that provides unequalled protection against the elements. Unlike other foam filter oils, FFT’s time proven formula will not plug foam cells or migrate off filters. FFT’s protective coating catches dirt and fine dust without restricting airflow. Don’t rob your bike of valuble horsepower, pick up some FFT from your Maxima stockist today. Available in 1L and 470ml packs. KIWI RIDER 159

See the Ventura display at your local dealer or call us on 0508 365 300 to find the dealer nearest you.

160 KIWI RIDER

METZELER TOURANCE EXP

The Tourance EXP is Metzeler’s latest generation tyre in their proven street enduro range — featuring as standard ﬁtment on many of today’s big adventure bikes. Metzeler’s patented 0° steel belt technology on the front and rear tyre provides great straight line and braking stability, maximum precision in corners and excellent bump absorption, improved grip on wet and dry surfaces — the perfect combination for long distance journeys. New tread pattern design engineered to ensure best on-road performances in all weather conditions.

HOT PRODUCTS DIRT

From $295 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

BEL-RAY CHAIN LUBE $23/184gm, $33/454gm. Distributor: Northern Accessories

This new and improved version of the tried and true icon of motorcycle chain lubes is better than ever! Formulated with Bel-Ray’s exclusive Molyphos additive enabling the ﬁlm strength to reduce friction at pressures exceeding 100,000 pounds per square inch. Delivers premium protection for all ‘O’ ring and roller chains and is completely waterproof with anti-corrosion ingredients. 3 DUNLOP D605 From $140 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The Dunlop D605 is designed for 50/50 usage of road/offroad, making it an ideal choice for adventure riders and those who use their trail bike for commuting duties with the occasional off-road ride thrown in. Falling between Dunlop’s more road focussed D607 and the more aggressive off-road focussed D606, the D605 offers good road grip and wear, while coping well with dirt and gravel use. Available to suit most small to mid capacity trail bikes. 661 DROID NECK BRACE & CHEST PROTECTOR $599 Distributor: Northern Accessories

This injection moulded polycarbonate neck brace and chest protector reduces risk of neck compression and neck extension related injuries by dispersing impact forces over a larger area to avoid unwanted pressure to collar bone and spine. The neck halo can be ﬁnely tuned to different rider sizes and comfort while the back panel protects without affecting freedom of movement. The unique hinged front entry allows rider to put the unit on without detaching the shoulder from the chest plate. One size ﬁts height 5’3” – 6’2”, weight 120-195 lbs in White or Black. CHAMPION OIL FILTERS From $10 Distributor: Northern Accessories

4 5 ards. They are made from the highest quality materials and manufactured to exacting standards. Fitting a cheap filter can be a false economy – after all an oil filter looks after the blood of an engine. Anti-drain, by-pass and anti-siphon valves are included where necessary ensuring efficient filter operation and combating potential engine problems. Available for all common makes and models.

Champion motorcycle ﬁlters are precision engineered to match or exceed OE stand-

6 BEL-RAY THUMPER 4-STROKE RACING MOTOR OIL $30/1L, $70/4L Distributor: Northern Accessories

Bel-Ray Thumper Racing Oil is a premium multi-grade synthetic blend motor oil speciﬁcally designed for the large displacement, single cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycles that are burning up Motocross and Supermotard tracks around the globe. Because Bel-Ray Thumper Racing Oil is designed for the most punishing conditions, it features reduced high temperature oil consumption, protection against hightemperature viscosity breakdown and high shear and fuel dilution along with exclusive Bel-Ray anti-wear additives for extended engine life. SAE 20W-50 KIWI RIDER 161

Get some ‘Quick Action’ from

Raw Developments Custom engineering to the motorcycle world

Tilt Loading bike carrier $895

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SITUATIONS VACANT • 1/4 turn “Quick Action” throttles (as conversion with cables below) from $65 • Throttle cables to suit “Quick Action” throttles from $50 • Standard throttles (as replacement OE throttles) from $68 • Grips to match throttles (premium 2 rubber) from $39 • Available to suit Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and Suzuki Available now from your local motorcycle shop

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162 KIWI RIDER

Save time and money washing and protecting your bike with Muc-Off’s Duo Pack. Containing a 1L Nano Tech Cleaner to quickly, effectively and safely remove dirt, grime and oil to leave your whole bike sparkling clean. Once you’ve ﬁnished cleaning it’s time to protect with the Bike Protect Spray. Bike Spray has a high oil content so is a perfect after-clean corrosion inhibitor which can also penetrate seized parts. It drives out moisture and leaves a non-sticky protective layer on frame, drive chain, metal parts, plastics, rubber and paint. It also contains PTFE which helps to prevent dirt adhesion between washes and reduce future maintenance time. Cleaning and protecting your bike has never been easier. Pick up a Duo Pack from your Muc-Off Stockist. 2 PIVOT PEGZ From $335 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

Only Pivot Pegz foot pegs have the unique spring loaded and precisely tuned forward and backward pivoting action, keeping your boots solid on

the pegs during rider movement – giving enhanced control and feel. Pivot Pegz ﬁt straight on to your bike using existing mounting points. Available for a wide range of late model dirt bikes.

HOT PRODUCTS DIRT

1 MUC-OFF BIKE SPRAY DUO PACK $39 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

PIRELLI SCORPION XC MID HARD Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

High stability, cornering precision and good puncture resistance thanks to carcass stiffness. Long lasting off-road performance and knob tearing resistance provided by special off-road compound. Layout optimised to increase the number of knobs on contact area and the quantity of working edges for maximum grip and traction.

PIRELLI SCORPION XC MID SOFT Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

High module, low shrinkage polyester carcass for regular and large footprint area to maximise traction and braking. Optimised steering precision and traction provided by the small hard knobs on the front. Racing compound for a high performance level for the entire race, regardless of conditions.

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DRAGGIN JEANS

KIDS’ PRODUCTS CHRISTMAS IDEAS

Draggin Jeans have three great prodDra uct for kids, a Blue jean, a Black ucts Je and an Urban Camo. All of Jean th these products feature the Draggin J Jeans revolutionary lining. With Ke Kevlar and Dyneema, the World’s Str Strongest Fibre, forming its core, the lining is soft, breathable, ﬂexible, nonnon-allergenic and hugely superior to basic woven or knitted Kevlar alternatives. They are great for both boys and girls, feature a stretch waist band to allow for growth, and offer extra leg room and length. Available in size 8, 10 and 12, retail at $219 NZD and can be ordered through your local Draggin Jeans stockist.

HJC CL-X5Y MINION HELMET $149 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

The world’s leading helmet manufacturer create this unique youth sized Off Road helmet. The ﬁt as in all HJC helmets is superb combined with pull out washable lining. The intergrated ACS ventilation system from 3 front intake and 2 rear exhaust vents keeps the interior cooler in the heat of battle. Available in youth sizes M, L and 2XL to ﬁt anyone from 3 years old and upwards.

AIROH MR STRADA DEVIL HELMET $289. Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The MR Strada is Airoh’s full face helmet designed speciﬁcally for kids. Features include a durable lightweight thermoplastic external shell (helmet weighs just 1100g), anatomically designed inner for a great ﬁt, removable and washable comfort liner, removable cheek pads, anti-scratch visor, adjustable intake and exhaust vents, quick release retention system, and ECE22.05 safety. The MR Strada is available in Strada Devil Graphic (using a rich, UV resistant paint system) and comes in sizes XXS, XS and S. Grab one today, and keep the smaller member of the family protected to the same standards found in the adult range of Airoh helmets. 4

AIROH MR CROSS FIGHTER

$279 Distributor: Forbes & Davies The MR Cross Fighter is Airoh’s kids MX helmet and features a lightweight durable thermoplastic external shell, anatomically designed interior, removable and washable comfort liner, front and chin guard air intakes, adjustable rear extractors, rubber nose guard, adjustable peak, quick release retention system, and ECE22.05 safety standard. Premium protection for junior riders, and available in sizes XXS, XS and S. SHOT KIDS CONTACT PANTS $149 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

Anatomic Cut. General construction in 840 D DURATECH Nylon offering comfort and 164 KIWI RIDER

7 8

resistance to wear and tear. Preformed knee. Reinforced inner knee and high wear areas. Rear knee in twill spandex for optimal adjustability and lightness. Crotch and knee area in stretch Spandex. Micrometric adjustable fastener. Anti Mud Zipper. TPR ﬁnished SHOT patches Sizes: 4/5 to 12/13 in Skull Black/Red, Skull Black/Yellow, Skull Black/Blue, Skull Black/White. SHOT KIDS CONTACT JERSEY $49 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories 6

An anatomicaly cut jersey with sublimation printing made from 180gr Micro-Mesh polyester material. Short cuff design. Neck features TPR signature. Sizes and colours: see Shot pants. 7 SHOT KIDS CONTACT GLOVES $49 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

Anatomical preformed cut. Nylon Super-

Mesh and Neoprene construction. Anatomic palm design in Clarino. Lycra finger gussets. Soft rubber pads in palm and thumb. Velcro adjustable wrist closure. Silicone finger tips for better grip. TPR finished patches. Sizes: 4/5 to 12/13 Colours: Skull Black/White, Skull Black/Blue, Skull Black/Red, Skull Black/Yellow, Pink SHOT K10 MX BOOTS $229 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories

Reinforced natural and synthetic leather construction; lateral interior protection, natural leather doubled; injected plastic tibia protection; plastic backing at the selector and foot areas; interchangable buckle, double locking, adjustable straps; ﬂexion front ankle pads; Velcro closure; thick and comfortable interior lining; water resistant pads; steel toe. Sizes: 34-38 Colours: Black, Motif

A 22 cm high Team Green cuddly dragon – real cute! 6 KIWI MADE SHUPA JUNIOR SPEEDWAY BIKE $4,995 Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale

6 5

KIDS’ PRODUCTS CHRISTMAS IDEAS

5 KAWASAKI DRAGON $33 Distributor: Kawasaki

Suzuki engined junior speedway bike to suit 8-13 year olds Speedway ay New Zealand rules for tracks up to 160 metres. Features 125 DRZ engine, New Zealand made frame, 19” front and 17” rear wheel. Customers who purchase the Junior Speedway bike will be offered the DRZ 125 MX complete chassis for an additional $1,000.00. This means the engine can be used 12 months of the year. Email: marketing@eurobike.co.nz for more details. 7 DYNA-EYE OBERON CROSS GOGGLES $139 Distributed by Eurobike

8 DUNLOP GEOMAX MX51 From $89 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

3 4 SIGMA MX BOOTS $118 Distributor: Darbi Accessories

Ideal entry level boot for the young riders. Get them out of their gumboots or shoes and into a motorcycle boot at an affordable cost. Tested and used at Trail Blazer for a days riding – comfortable, good ﬁt, no blisters, grippy sole. Size: 28 to 37 (UK 10 to 4; US 11 to 5) in black. YAMAHA RACING CAP $32 Distributor: Yamaha Motor NZ

The new 2009 cap is fully embroidered 100% cotton with breathable polyester mesh strips. Available in both Blue/Black and Red/Black, the form ﬁtting ﬂex-band cap comes in two size ranges and is both comfortable and distinctive. Available in kids and adults sizes. Available at your nearest Yamaha Dealer

Wholesale Motocross goggles. Features excellent anatomic ﬁt. Double lens system to stop fogging. Rigid, antiscratch, polycarbonate lens. Wide ﬁeld of vision. Complete with tear-off posts. Tear-offs available in packs of 10 or 20. Available in 5 frame colours with clear lens. Available from all good bike shops.

YAMAHA RACING PIT SHIRT

$97 Distributor: Yamaha Motors NZ Be the envy of the competition with this dynamic new garment. Constructed from 65% polyester and 35% cotton this vibrant new shirt is fully embroidered with a hidden front pocket and breathable mesh side panels. Lined with a breathable mesh material to draw excess heat away from the body and thus increase the comfort level. A must have for the serious race team or enthusiast rider. Colours: Blue/Black, Red/ Black. Sizes: XS/SM/MD/LG /XL/XX /3X. Available at your nearest Yamaha Dealer 4 KAWASAKI MX BEAR $33 Distributor: Kawasaki

Introducing the Geomax MX51, Dunlop’s all-new intermediate motocross tyre. Dunlop knows adrenaline junkies like to get into the thick of it, getting down and dirty is what it’s all about. What it’s not about though is getting stuck. The Geomax MX51 is the hardcore dirt rider’s passport to non-stop action in the rough stuff. Picking up where the D756 left off, the MX51 raises the bar. Thanks to the all-new ‘Geomax Reinforced Pattern’ (GRP), you get more straight-line traction, more corner grip, better handling and longer tyre life, all on a wider range of terrain applications. The Geomax MX51 is available from your local Dunlop stockist to suit kids bikes through to big dirt machines. 9 NEMESES ARMOUR SHIRT From $155 Distributor: Forbes & Davies

The Nemeses Junior Armour Shirt features protection in all the critical areas with adjustable velcro straps and comes in 3 junior sizes (S,M,L) providing the ultimate safety and comfort so you can concentrate on carving up the opposition out on the track. Available from your local Nemeses stockist.

Ahhhhhh, sweet. A 22cm tall Team Green cuddly bear. KIWI RIDER 165

PROGRIP SOFT NECK BRA BRACE Distributor: Darbi Accessor sories

KIDS’ PRODUCTS CHRISTMAS IDEAS

A soft neck brace for all Off-road ride Unlike other hard neck braces ers. th PG5925 reduces the risk of the ne injuries from helmet weight neck ind induced trauma without increasing the risk of shoulder, back and spinal injur injuries associated with the expensive hard systems which transfer the load to other danger areas.

AXO SOCKS $29.95 Distributor: Northern Accessories

Stand out from the crowd. When you wear these you will definitely go faster and sock it to the opposition. One size fits all kids. Below the knee fit. High-bulk acrylic fibres wick moisture away from your skin. Ribbed arch and ankle support to minimize friction and movement. Extra padding on the heel, toe and shin that matches the RC and MX boot. Looping construction inside sock for comfort. High stretch and memory elastic top. 70% acrylic, 20% nylon, 10% spandex. EVS OPTION ELBOW GUARD Adult/$29 Youth/$28 Distributor: Northern Accessories

Uniquely engineered to provide maximum protection in maximum comfort. EVS ﬂoating shell concept: the hard outside shell is kept away from your elbow as it rides on a ﬂexible membrane on the outside layer, while the parts in contact with your forearm and lower bicep are soft and breathable, Combined hard impact PE cup and moulded biofoam, TPR rubber limiters keep the cup where you need it even during extreme crashes, Perforated soft neoprene inner layer for superb ventilation. EVS OPTION KNEE/SHIN GUARD Adult/$30 Youth/$29 Distributor: Northern Accessories

A familiar knee/shin guard with some innovative twists; TPR rubber impact zones between knee and shin protectors and a top-of-the-calf comfort cuff keeps the strap off of your skin to greatly improve comfort. Features: EVS protection for a fraction of the cost, Offers knee to shin coverage, easy to use quick pull straps for great ﬁt, Neoprene and foam materials help keep you safe from high impacts, sold in pairs. 5

EVS VISION KNEE BRACE

Adult/$479 Youth/$389 Distributor: Northern Accessories EVS Sports continues to set the standard of knee bracing products with the introduction of the NEW Vision Brace. This super easy to use knee brace starts with aluminum dual pivot hinges that are anatomically correct and imitate the ﬂexion and 166 KIWI RIDER

extension motions of the knee. The Vision Brace provides superb bilateral protection and stability along with superior hyperextension control. Impact resistant thigh and calf panels are lined with anti slip sharkskin neoprene to give this brace the highest comfort level of any knee brace. With the EVS Vision Brace there are NO excuses not to wear knee braces. Available in sizes S, M, L, & XL. Sold in sets (right & left).

designed hydro pack is a premium hydration pack at a very reasonable price. It has a mobile phone/i-Pod pocket and comes complete with 2 litre bladder, tube and bite valve. Available at your nearest Yamaha Dealer. Replacement bladders and tube/ bite valves available.

YAMAHA HYDRO-PACK $124 Distributor: Yamaha Motor NZ

The Yamaha Racing Tee-shirt is highly durable and easy to wear. Construction is 100% 210gsm cotton single jersey knit, and available in Black, Blue and Red. With printed logos on both front and rear, along with the logos on both sleeves, the 2009 Tee-shirt is a stand out in any crowd. Blue only in sizes: 02, 04, 06, 08, 10,12. Available at your nearest Yamaha Dealer KR

The Yamaha Hydration Pack is a two zone pocket system back pack that separates your personal belongings from the refreshments needed to sustain you on those intrepid adventures. Constructed from heavy polyester, with a moulded back pocket and breathable air-mesh back panel, the AXIO

7 YAMAHA RACING TEE – SHIRT $31 Distributor: Yamaha Motor NZ

KR KIDS KIDS’ BIKE TEST

Kawasaki has always been a key player in the kids’ bike market with bikes for recreation as well as racing.

WORDS: Ollie S PICS: Geoff Osborne

K AWASAKI’S GREEN TEAM fter a month on vacation the Kids’ Shootout series is back with an all Kawasaki ﬁnale. Just like the Suzukis, Hondas, KTMs and Yamahas the kids tested back in March, Kawasaki came to the party with a fantastic four model line up. Kawasaki has always focused on the development of youth and young adult’s off-road riding skills with bikes suited for any ability or requirement incorporating 2-stroke and 4-stroke technology ﬂ awlessly.

cylinder electric start 4-stroke engines. The KLX110 is the baby 4-stroke of the herd with a three-speed centrifugal clutch and petite ergonomics based round a low seat height chassis rolling on 14 in. front and 12 in. diameter rear wheels.

BIG IMPRESSION

The KLX140 is slightly taller in stature with the extra room in the saddle and larger 17 in. front and 14 in. diameter rear wheels. An easy to operate manual 5-speed gearbox lets the learner take total control of coordinating throttle and clutch balance.

Alongside Liam Draper’s Kawasakisupported KX85 big wheel were the KLX140 small wheel, KLX110 small wheel and the legendary KX65. Both the KLX140 and KLX110 are powered by air-cooled single

Kawasaki’s focus for both bikes is outstanding beginner and novice suitability offering roomy ergonomics, smooth power spread and the optional upgrade to larger diameter wheels over the small KIWI RIDER 167

KR KIDS KIDS’ BIKE TEST

whe conﬁguration either from wheel the factory or aftermarket. TWO-STROKE SELECTION TW

Amongst Kawasaki’s youth A bike quiver for testing b alongside the two KLXs were al the awesome little KX65 and Liam’s trail-modiﬁed KX85 big Lia wheel. whe Both the KX65 and KX85 are g generally more track-orientated bikes for the slightly more serious riders. However the very nature of both 2-strokes, being lightweight with easy power, makes them perfect Kawasaki’s Kids’ bike lineup as tested took in the KX65 mini-MXers, KLX110 all-rounder, KX85 Jnr MXer and KLX140 all-rounder

from learning the basics to the most advanced rider skills either in the bush or on the local MX track. Both liquid-cooled engines in the KXs are world renowned for reliability and because they’re both 2-strokes and have been around for aeons, parts availability and servicing costs are considerably lower than that of their 4-stroke counterparts. The KX65 has similar wheel dimensions to that of the KLX110 with a 14 in. dia. front and a 12 in. dia. rear. 168 KIWI RIDER

Likewise the KX85 big wheel makes the leap with a 19 in. dia. front and 16 inch diameter rear wheel – in essence it’s a step bigger than the KLX140 used in this test. Both KXs use a 6-speed manual gearbox aimed more towards riders with clutch and throttle competency. Styling is a catch with the KX65 and KX85 striking a very similar pose like their bigger, aggressively-styled, racefocused siblings in the KX motocross range. Both KLX and KX models have

Engine: Liquid-cooled 2-stroke single Gearbox: 6-speed Wheelbase: 1220mm Seat height: 760mm Curb weight: 60kg Fuel tank capacity: 3.7l RRP: $5,250

KAWASAKI KX85 Engine: Liquid-cooled 2-stroke single Gearbox: 5-speed Wheelbase: 1290mm Seat height: 870mm Curb weight: 68kg Fuel tank capacity: 5.5l RRP: $6,299

KAWASAKI KLX110 Engine: Air-cooled 4-stroke Gearbox: 3-speed with automatic clutch Starter: Electric Wheelbase: 1065mm Seat height: 650mm Curb weight: 68kg Fuel tank capacity: 3.7l RRP: $3,295

KAWASAKI KLX140 Engine: Air-cooled 4-stroke Gearbox: 5-speed Wheelbase: 1260mm Seat height: 780mm Curb weight: 93kg Fuel tank capacity: 5.6l RRP: $4,595

this case we had both the KLX110 and KLX140 4-strokes go head to head with the 2-strokes of the KX65 and KX85. Our testers who provided the photo posing and valuable feedback were Trent Collins aged 8, James Mancer aged 13, Liam Draper aged 12, Beni Hall aged 13, Dylan White aged 7 and Emma Draper aged 10. All the kids were competent with clutch and throttle use whilst the level of riding skill varied from beginner to national racer. Not one of the kids had a problem jumping from a 2-stroke to 4-stroke despite the conditions on test day being soggy, slippery grass; but as always there were clear favourites in the ﬁeld. The KLXs received the biggest workout which is a testament to the age-old adage that 4-strokes make for easier riding despite the extra weight they carry over their 2-stroke counterparts; in fact the KLX140 received a thrashing all day long in the wet conditions despite it tipping the scales at 93kgs. Both KLXs and KXs received solid rating averages of threes and fours out of ﬁve for build quality, suspension, balance, power and overall good looks. Most recurring comments from the kids towards the Kawasaki range, especially the KLXs, were ‘great fun,’ ‘lots of power,’ and the key focal point of the KLX’; ‘awesome electric start.’ This left the two KXs to be highly praised by Trent who actually races a KTM65SX for KTM New Zealand and Liam who would be found snuggling his trail spec’d KX85 in bed if he could get it through the front door without his Mum or Dad noticing. FAVORITISM

great suspension and brake packages moulded into frame geometries with generous ground clearance and varying seat heights. TAKE YOUR PICKINGS Like many of the manufacturers today Kawasaki’s comprehensive off-road youth range is full of varying capacities and 2-stroke or 4-stroke variations; it’s a conundrum like no other for buyers new to the market. While 4-strokes are considered the easiest to learn and ride, there is great debate backing the same easy riding nature of small capacity 2-strokes. In

KR KIDS KIDS’ BIKE TEST

SPECIFICATIONS KAWASAKI KX65

Both KLX and KX lines are well equipped to handle the learning curves of any budding rider. For the simplest running nature of engines and maintenance you can’t beat the trusty KX 2-strokes. The skill to riding 2-strokes conﬁdently puts the rider in good stead for the future as 2-strokes require slightly more ﬁnesse than 4-strokes in most situations, but there are positives and minuses for both. For all out fun in any condition the subtle nature of the KLX range for the beginner and the extra torque of a KLX 4-stroke over a KX 2-stroke and their ever so convenient electric

Top to bottom: Kawasaki KX65, Kawasaki KX85, Kawasaki KLX110, Kawasaki KLX140

start system make the KLXs a clear favourite for so many young riders. Both the KLX and KX kids range are built upon a history of well engineered, great looking and reliable Kawasaki engineering. There is an abundance of potential in each of the KLX110, KLX140, KX65 and KX85 that will withstand the experience curve growth of any young rider. Choosing which one suits best will more than likely come down to rider size, ability and the conditions you will mainly ride in. Fantastic range and quality at a great price make a Kawasaki the perfect introduction to the off-road riding world. KR KIWI RIDER 169

KR KIDS PRODUCT EVALUATION

FOX SHOCK H everyone it’s Liam Draper Hey h here again. This time I am talking about the latest and greatest rear ab Fox Shock that I am trying out on my Kawasaki KX85. Kaw

This shock is a bit different to the T other one I had a while back. This new Fox Shock has more adjustable points so you can ﬁne-tune it and set it up just how you want for different conditions. ALL THE BELLS & WHISTLES The new Fox Shock features a 37mm 6061-T6 aluminium hard anodized body, velocity sensitive damping control, 5/8’’ super-hard ﬁnished chrome shaft, piggyback aluminium reservoir and chrome silicon single spring. I have used the Fox shock in the Dirt Guide cross-country series which were more or less held on the 2006 ISDE Six Days tracks, which vary from wide open trails to tight twisty sections. And guess what? It’s by far the best addition to my suspension package in those conditions. I have also recently been up at Woodhill forest in the sand with lots of whoops.

WORDS: Liam Draper PIC: Big Dave

When I first got this shock I carried round a screwdriver and kept playing with the adjusters until it was right for my riding in the sand and whoops. So all you need to carry when setting this Fox Shock up is a screwdriver and you can keep on tweaking it until it suits your riding. PERFECT BALANCE I have almost found the perfect balance and it’s amazing how much more confident I have become knowing how to set my shock up and getting to know what settings work best in different conditions. The new Fox Shock is very well constructed and is super plush to ride and race with. I definitely recommend the Fox Shock to anyone looking for that extra bit of performance beyond the limits that a standard shock cannot handle. KR

Liam putting the Fox Shock to good use at a round of the Dirt Guide CrossCountry series.

Though he rides like one, KR Kids tester Liam Draper isn’t exactly giant material. So local Fox importer Alastair Heine organised a trick Fox rear shock absorber for the long-term Kawasaki KX85 Liam rides.

A perfectly clear maintenance solution for plastics egdbdijh &*+(

VuPlex® delivers a fast, safe and effective solution to plastic maintenance. VuPlex® is a preventative as much as a cure.

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- If applied to new plastic is, it protects the surface from premature aging. - If the surface already has ﬁne scratches and in-ground grime, VuPlex® will restore the surface and clarity, leaving a ﬁnish that is polished and protected.

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170 KIWI RIDER

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Ph: 0800 753 987 Web: ingear.co.nz Dealer enquiries welcome.

Hi everyone welcome back to my KR column. A few weeks back I had my ﬁnal race (at Ken Fells property north-west of Auckland) before my knee operation which was another great day. It was good to have Ethan out there as it was fun, close racing, all the best for him at the Nations coming up. Big thanks to Ken and all the volunteers who have a huge input into the preparation and the day itself. Overall this month has been a very interesting one for me. Firstly everything went well with the knee operation at the end on September. I sat round for the ﬁrst 12 days to try reduce the swelling and begin the healing process, but it didn’t help too much when it was pouring down with rain and I would slip on the wet polished concrete.

KR KIDS HAMISH DOBBYN

MOTOCROSS WITH HAMISH DOBBYN I’ve always been one to enjoy the wet, muddy conditions on my bike but these crutches made me feel like I was an AG 100 running on road tyres! REALITY CHECK Being off the bike and not working has had a huge effect on my lifestyle. Changing from working 7 till 5:30 during the week and racing every weekend, to only focusing on trying to get my knee back to full strength has been the real challenge as I’m not a person who sits still for long. I am really looking forward to the next few months with rehab and watching everyone race on the weekends. I have a very good physio working on my knee and a fitness program he has set up. The fitness program we have set up includes low impact exercise such as swimming, biking and gym work just to build up my strength and fitness again.

MY REHAB PROGRAMME Having a knee re-construction is no surprise in the sport now and there are a lot of people who have been through the same experience. There are many theories and different ways that people can approach the healing process and we are all eager to hear them. I have a lot of people behind me and helping me every step of the way but the only real approach is time and rest. I have done my research and visited a few health shops and I’m trying western and herbal remedies such as Arnica that will reduce swelling and another one which is Arnica/ symphytum comp. which helps bone and ligament repair. All these remedies not only help with symptoms of the injury but internally. There will be more of an update on my rehab next month as it is only the early stages of my recovery. RANDOM THOUGHTS There is a lot of talent in our younger riders and because I have got some more time on my hands at the moment it is a good chance to watch and develop these riders coming through. If anyone has any ideas about this it would be good to hear from you. Until next time, ride safe Hamish

KIWI RIDER 171

LOOKING BACK 5/10/15 YEARS AGO

15 YEARS Y AGO NOVEMBER 1994

-A Aaron Slight was named New Zealand lan motorsports person of the year at the ICI Autocolour Subaru Sportsperson so of the year awards. Slight also won w Outstanding Performance and Outstanding Male Categories for his O third thi placing in the World Superbike Series in the previous season. Also a Ser winner on the night was John Britten winn who earned the Excellence in Motorsport Engineering Award. The awards were dedicated to the late great motorcycle and car racer Roger Freeth.

- Jon White and the Britten-powered Streamliner arrived in America all geared up for Speed Week at Bonneville. However for political reasons – wrangling between two rival associations – the event was delayed. The delay was used as an opportunity to make quite a few modifications, mainly to the steering on the Streamliner; it was raked out for greater stability. There were also detail improvements on the induction and exhaust. - Triumph Daytona 1200 rider Alice Walby easily topped her existing Women’s Speed Benchmark of 272km/h at an attempt held on Canal Road, Waitakaruru on Saturday September 3. Unfortunately Auckland-based speedster Walby only managed it one way. Under the rules that govern speed record attempts in this country any result must be the average of two attempts; one up, the other back. Both Walby and the man behind the attempt, Triumph importer Geoff Robinson, were disappointed at not officially bettering the 272km/h top speed Walby averaged the previous year. - Tim Coutts from Ohakune and Brenton May from Auckland flew the flag for New Zealand in the 1994 International Six Days Enduro. Both riders finished the event at Tulsa, Oklahoma, which veteran ISDE rider Geoff Ballard said was the hardest he’s ridden. Coutts picked up a silver medal while May gained a bronze. Both riders leased KTMs from KTM USA, Tim a 250 EXC in the 250cc 2 stroke, Brenton an LC4 350 in the lightweight 4 stroke class.

Things are tough now but back in ‘94 people really had to prostitute themselves just to get by. Yep that’s the Ed in his other job.

172 KIWI RIDER

TEN YEARS AGO NOVEMBER1999

FIVE YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 2004

- New model road bike releases received the lion’s share of the limelight at the EIMCA International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition at Milan, Italy with Honda’s new superbike V-twin and the revamped Ducati 748R grabbing most of the attention. Honda also showed off its new CBR900 Fire Blade and the new big naked bike, the Super Blackbird-powered X-11, along with a reworked 600 Hornet.

- Ssangyong Lifestyle Vehicles of Korea got behind the annual Boxing Day road race circuit meeting around Wanganui’s Cemetary Circuit. Announcing the sponsorship Ssangyong man Russell Burling told KR; “I am coming back to Wanganui where I enjoyed my early life of competitive riding, and I am now able to develop my support for motorcycle racing in New Zealand by sponsoring this important annual event in Wanganui.”

- Wanganui’s Brian Bernard gave Suzuki’s awesomely powerful GSX1300R Hayabusa its world debut Sports Production Race win at Manfeild Autocourse on September 25, appropriately in the ﬁnal round of the Suzuki Road Race Series. Actually, it was a winning double as Bernard streaked to victory in two of the three Open Sports Production Championship races on the 175 bhp Shell Advance Suzuki Hayabusa. - If anything summed up the way the year’s Superbike World Championship went, it was Aaron Slight winning the ﬁrst race then being relegated to second place at Hockenheim on a day when Carl Fogarty wrapped up another world championship. Despite Slight’s argument that he had won, the Germans gave the win to Fogarty, who also believed that Slight had won - Former AMA Supercross and 125 and 250 AMA Motocross Champion Jeff Emig had his contract with Kawasaki Corp. USA terminated. This followed his arrest in Lake Havasu City, Arizona for walking down a street with an open beer container. When the city police patted him down, they found marijuana smoking equipment and a quantity of the drug.

- Yamaha pulled out all the stops as it presented its new models for 2005 at the conclusion of the press day at INTERMOT Munchen 2004. The most impressive of the new models from the point of sheer size was the new MT-01 – a concept bike shown at the Tokyo Show in 1999 that had ﬁnally been given life. Taking the 1600cc push-rod/ eight-valve 48 degree V-twin engine from the Road Star Warrior, Yamaha had come up with a new style of performance machine with huge torque. - Stefan Merriman topped the Enduro world, claiming the outright win in the ISDE in Poland in September and his fourth World Championship title at the Greek round of the 2004 World Enduro Championship at the beginning of October. Such an achievement was unheralded in New Zealand motorcycle racing history, despite the fact that the Tauranga-born rider rode the Six-Day in Australian colours!

- The prestigious annual Motocross des Nations was minus at least one key nation last month – New Zealand. Brazil hosted the year’s biggest motocross event and, for the ﬁrst time since Sweden in 1990, New Zealand wasn’t there. The reason, according to Motorcycling New Zealand, is the huge costs involved in sending a team of three riders, their bikes and mechanics to South America.

- Globe-trotting Kiwi rider Campbell Rousselle gave KR a colourful description of what it meant to move thoroughout America during tornado season, in search of a twister. Starting around mid March, the storm season usually ran through to mid July with typical chase days beginning at 10am with storm chasing veteran Charles Edwards. Rousselle recalls fantastic electrical activity, unbelievable hail storms, and a night at ‘The Big Texan’ where he ate a rattle snake for the ﬁrst – and last – time.

They were the days alright, when XRs and DRs were still making the 4-stroke shoot outs!

It was an old design then but is still considered an all time classic. The bike? Kawasaki’s KDX200

SEEV CTEN IO TS N !

Photo: Geoff Osborne

m os Inc t c lu om de pr s N eh Z’ en s si ve

ISSUE 150 • BIKES FOR SALE • EVENTS

KIWI RIDER 173

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FROM

$6,995

+orc

2009 Hyosung GT250R NEW Test ride one today. Now from $6,995 + orc

HONDA VTR1000 Two to choose from – from $5995

1996 KAWASAKI VN1500 Brute Power - $7995

$7,995

+orc

2009 Hyosung GT650 NEW Come and view today . SAVE $1000

2005 SUZUKI DL650 VSTROM Loads of fun - $7995

2005 HONDA CBR1000RR Awesome superbike - $12495

2008 HONDA CB1000R Ex Demo! - $15745

2008 HONDA TRX700XX King of the Hill! - $12495

$7,490 2003 Ducati Monster 400 Great commuter, 23,970kms

Hurry, time is running out! Get a WOF in store before 1st November and you’re in the draw to WIN a new set of tyres for your bike.

HONDA HAMILTON 10-14 Willoughby St (op. Countdown)

HONDA HAMILTON Ph 07 838 9299 Jayd 021 284 6632 sales@hondahamilton.co.nz

You know you want it

TE250 & TE310 - in stock now 2 year manufacturers warranty www.husqvarnamotorcycles.co.nz 176 KIWI RIDER

VICTORIAN

MOTORCYCLE WRECKERS LMCT 9537 Grey Import specialists

Wrecking only late model Japanese road bikes

52-54 Mologa Rd, Heidelberg West, 3081 Australia Ph + 61 3 9457 1733 Fax + 61 3 9457 1866 Email vicwreck@vicwreck.com.au

CBR600 ’98, WRECKING ONLY

SV1000 ’08, WRECKING ONLY

GSXR600,WRECKING ONLY

CBR954, WRECKING ONLY

GSXR1000, WRECKING ONLY

ZXR250C, WRECKING ONLY

XJR1300, WRECKING ONLY

CBR600 F4-I, WRECKING ONLY

R6, WRECKING ONLY

CBR1000RR, WRECKING ONLY

GSXR600 ’07, WRECKING ONLY

GSX1300R ‘08, WRECKING ONLY

178 KIWI RIDER

09 483 6020

2 & 4 Stroke Engine Kits From

$128.95

Performance Clutch Baskets

From

$46

Stainless valves from

$10.95 SealSavers$32.95

Palmsaver

$245.00

Hour meter

$66.95

ROAD - SPORT - MX - QUAD

Full Systems from

$465.00

MX Legal Power Tips prices maybe subject to change

16 Kahika Road , Beach Haven, Nor th Shore, Auckland KIWI RIDER 179

Cordura Jacket

Airbag Jacket cket

• 600 Denier Cordura • PU waterproof coating • Removable zip-out inner Thermal liner • Removable CE approved shoulder and elbow protectors • Removable back protector • Four side entry pockets • Three internal pockets

Breathable and waterprooff jacket and vest feature an integrated air bag system with a small CO2 air cartridge. rd, When triggered by a ripcord, the airbag system will be inﬂated instantly.

$999

100% Carbon Fibreglass helmet

$599

www.cnell.com

HLD Full Face Helmet et

from

$99

$140

HLD Flip Up Helmet

$249

Cnell Scooter

Ph 09 634 3196 mob 021 151 7754 email ss.products@gmail.com 39B Neilson Street, Onehunga, Auckland HOURS: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Sat 10am-4pm. Wholesale enquiries welcome

MOTORCYCLE HELMET CAMCORDER • • • • • • •

Digital video camera Fits any size helmet Simple operation One button control Lazer light for aim Records to SD card Powered by 2 x 1.5V AAA Batteries • Auto power off if idle for 1 minute • weighs only 75g Special introductory price only $225 incl 2Gb SD card

PHS Ltd, 1172 Arawa St, Rotorua Ph 07 348 8850 pinfold@xtra.co.nz 180 KIWI RIDER

NEW THUNDERBIRD

NEW SV1000SK7

$23,990 Deposit $6000. Plus on road costs.

NOW $12,500 Deposit $3200. Plus on road costs.

Demonstrator Available

NEW SPEEDMASTERS & AMERICAS From $16,790 Dep $4200. DEMO HERE Come for a test ride now.

NEW SPEED TRIPLE 15th Anniversary Edition

NEW GSX-R1000K8 ONE ONLY NOW $17995 Deposit $4300. Plus on road costs.

$21,990 Deposit $5000. Plus on road costs.

NEW DL1000K8

Demonstrator here now!

NOW $13995 Deposit $3000. Plus on road costs.

MORE REASONS TO GET OUT ON THE HIGHWAY

HOLESHOT 65 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland. Telephone: (09) 486 5187 steve.holeshot@xtra.co.nz

EVENTS

ADVENTURE RID RIDES NOVEMBER - 13/15, Mid North Adventure Trail Ride, at Trounson Kauri Park, Northland, located 30 kms north of Dargarville, same venue, different trails. Inquiries to Des Trubshoe on 0272836613 or email destrubshoe@xtra.co.nz DECEMBER - 5/6,Yamaha Far North Adventure, at Whananaki Motorcamp north of Whangarei, the longest running event, in its 16th year, all new tracks and trails. Entry fee: $295. Contact Mike Britton at mike@adventurerides.co.nz or visit the website www.adventurerides.co.nz for booking form, or ph Mike or Angela on 07 8556132 or 0212849047 for more details

rider: $1100. Own accommodation: $950. Visit www.adventurerides.co.nz for entry forms. For more info contact Mike Britton at 07 8556132 or 0212849047 - 17/18, Dusty Butt 2010, 4th anniversary of this 24 hr event, this year there is also a second day option. There is also a “Small Bike Challenge” with a limit of 125cc. 85% off road, all new, heading south from Fairlie into the dry and rocky terrain of South Canterbury and Otago. Free event. Designed by Ryan Cooney, check the Kiwi Biker website under Adventure/Dual Purpose Bikes forum for more details.

BUCKET RACING OCTOBER - 17/18, AMC, Bucket racing, Club Champs, Round 4, at Mt Wellington Kart Club. Contact John Connor 0274988883 or at itswj@xtra.co.nz

JANUARY - 4/7,Yamaha Ultimate Adventure, an extra four days of riding, to precede Yamaha NZ Safari Marlborough Sounds; this Adventure gets riders to the Marlborough Sounds Safari a day prior to the start, delivering a total of seven days of adventure in a two event combo, with a day off between the rides. Call Mike Britton on 07 8556132 or 0212849047 or visit www.adventurerides.co.nz - 9/11,Yamaha NZ Safari Marlborough Sounds Yamaha NZ & Britton Motorcycle Adventures team are back with a new 3 day South Island Safari. This year they head into the Marlborough Sounds, Pelorus Sounds, Havelock, Canvastown and the Awatere Valley. All brands and models welcome from 200-1200cc. Must have dual purpose tyres and be well maintained. Need a driver’s licence, a reasonable level of fitness and capability and the confidence to ride many kms on gravel and stony trails. Full Safari package: $1250, pillion

NOVEMBER - 14/15, AMC, Bucket 2 hour, at Mt Wellington Kart Club. Contact John Connor 0274988883 or at itswj@xtra.co.nz DECEMBER - 19/20, AMC, Non points fun day TBC, at Mt Wellington Kart Club. Contact John Connor 0274988883 or at itswj@xtra.co.nz

ENDURO DECEMBER - 3/4/5, M3DE is a multi day enduro run along international lines like the ISDE, only half as long. It is divided into 2 divisions, Championship and Clubman - within each division there are several classes. Entries after 2 November will incur a $75 penalty. No late entries after 23 November. Rider entrant fee $275, prize giving dinner fee $35 pp. Contact us at M3DE@poweradventures.co.nz, or call 0274454429 or visit www.poweradven-

tures.co.nz for a registration form.

MINI MOTOCROSS OCTOBER - 31/1 November, NZ Mini Motocross Champs, at Barrett Motorcycle Park, New Plymouth, contact www.tmcc.co.nz, or phone Katrina 0276937772 or Paula Holdt 0275545977 or email paula.kidscare@xtra.co.nz. Entry $130 (includes T shirt) ($110 with own TX) Late entry $180 ($160 with own TX) Entries close 9 October. Sign on Fri 30th 5.30 to 7pm. Qualifying plus 2 races on Sat, sign on 7-8am, briefing 8.15, practice 8.30, qualifying if needed, racing starts 10am approx. 3 races on Sunday, practice 8.30, racing 9.30am

MOTOCROSS NOVEMBER - 5, (and 10th and 12th Nov) Twilight Motocross, North End Limeworks Loop Rd,Te Pahu, well signposted. Te Awamutu MCC and Peter Glidden Honda Twilight MX series fun Day fund raiser for Pirongia Rugby Club. $15, and minis $10. Refreshments for sale. Spot prizes. Prize giving on site after last race on 12th.(3 days In total) Contact Megan on 07 8259780 or andsoitis@ tepahu.co.nz. - 10,Twilight Motocross, North End Limeworks Loop Rd,Te Pahu, well signposted. Te Awamutu MCC and Peter Glidden Honda Twilight MX series fun Day fund raiser for Pirongia Rugby Club. $15, and minis $10. Refreshments for sale. Spot prizes. Prize giving on site after last race on 12th. Contact Megan on 07 8259780 or andsoitis@ tepahu.co.nz. - 12,Twilight Motocross, North End Limeworks Loop Rd,Te Pahu, well signposted. Te Awamutu MCC and Peter Glidden Honda Twilight MX series fun Day fund raiser for Pirongia Rugby Club. $15, and

2006 Kawasaki KX85LW $3395 2007 Kawasaki KX85SW $3295

2005 Honda CRF450 $4950 Piston and rings done 10hrs ago

2005 Yamaha YZ250 $4850 Side stand, fmf pipe, barkbusters

2008 Yamaha YZ450f $7595 Good tyres & chain and sprockets

2009 Yamaha YZ250F run out one only $10995 with a FREE hydraulic work stand valued at $750

NEW 2008 YAMAHA WR250F $11300, from $59 per week with YMF

CENTRAL MOTORS 2001 Ltd Ngatea www.centralmotors.co.nz 60 orchard Rd, Ngatea Ph 07 867 7524 Fax 07 867 7526 • A/hrs: Orrin 027 293 0420 orrin@centralmotors.co.nz 182 KIWI RIDER

BMW APPAREL

NEW BMW G450X The new kid on the block. Enquire in store about the Dirty Deals on this bike. All for only $15500

NEW BMW F800R The latest bike from BMW in store now, From $17343

2006 BMW R1200GS The adventure bike that every one tries to compare with. only 46000km, nice tidy bike $19995

2005 BMW R1200GS With BMW side panniers, crash bars, ready for the adventure to begin. $17995

2002 BMW R1100S Only 22700 km, carbon hugger & rear seat cover, Remus pipes, new tyres, raised bars, ready for summer $13690

2008 BMW R1200S Like new, only 16400km Ă&#x2013;hlins suspension, new tyres. $19990

2002 BMW R1150R In black, givi screen, great all rounder, $10990

1997 BMW K1200RS Only 53500km with BMW bags, great sport touring. $11990

Bring this advertisement in and get 40% off any item of BMW clothing in stock. This month only.

Hamilton Motorcycle Centre 414 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton. Tel 07 849 1919 sales@hamiltonmotorcycles.co.nz www. hamiltonmotorcycles.co.nz

Hamilton Motorcycle Centre Sales Service Parts & Accessories Rider Equipment Finance

The Ultimate Riding Machine

KIWI RIDER 183

EVENTS

minis $10. $10 Refreshments for sale. sale Spot S prizes. Prize giving on site after last race. Megan on 07 8259780 or andsoitis@tepahu.co.nz. - 15, Fun-day MX, at Awakaponga MX Track, Matata, in Whakatane. Sign in 7.45, riders briefing 8.45 start time 9. Classes: minis, juniors, seniors, veterans, ladies. Organised by Bay of Plenty MCC, contact them on bopmcc@bopmcc. co.nz or BOPMC, P O Box 2073, Whakatane DECEMBER - 27/28, Summercross ‘09, at Awakaponga MX Track, Matata, Whakatane. Sign in at 7am, riders briefing 7.45, start time 8. Mins, juniors, seniors, veterans, ladies. Organised by BOPMCC - contact bopmcc@bopmcc.co.nz

RALLIES, RUNS & RIDES Attention all Aprilia Riders: Wanted to form a small & relaxing club for touring, racing & club meetings every week. Contact: Vincent 021 682 823 or aprilia_ NZ@hotmail.com - 20, Tuesday BRONZ 56th Bi-Annual Blood Run 6-8pm. Blood Donor Centre – 71 Great South Road, Epsom. Main attractions - chocolate biscuits and the great feeling that you have helped someone. Any motorcyclist/scooterist/triker welcome to donate blood with us, no charge, bookings not essential, badges $10. Ph Peggy 09 638 9227 or 021 523 976 or bronzauckland@hotmail.com - 23/24/25, South Canterbury Motorcycle Club commemorates their Centenary. Details and registration forms at www.100yearsouthcanterbury.co.nz NOVEMBER - 15, Twin City Toy Run, at Silver Fern Farms Ltd car park, Plunket St, Stortford Lodge, Hastings. Riders Briefing 10.45, Start time 11. Paved city

streets and SH2 between Hastings and Napier. Contact Sharon Allan or Malcolm Ellis on 06 8422227 or practise@birthrighthb.org.nz or finance@birthrighthb.org.nz. Event is a group ride from Stortford Lodge in Hastings to Anderson Park in Taradale, Napier, and arriving approx 11.45. The event is to raise funds and gather toys for birthright Client children at Christmas time. There will be music, raffles, bouncy castle for children and a Kapa Haka group from St Joseph’s Maori Girls College. DECEMBER - 5, Saturday BRONZ 27th Annual Toy Run 10am. BMW Pacific Rise Mt Wellington to The Warehouse 26 Warehouse Way Northcote. Main attractions – to be part of one of the greatest/biggest rides in Auckland and the great feeling that you have helped children have a brighter Christmas. No Charge but please bring a toy. Any motorcyclist/scooterist/triker welcome to ride with us, no charge, bookings not essential, badges $10. Call Lars 09 442 5679 or 021 361 312 or Finn: 027 484 6326 or 09 625 5533 bronzauckland@hotmail.com - 5, Central Districts Motorcycle Touring Club Xmas Toy Run. Meet Fielding Town Square by1pm for a backroads ride to Palmerston North where your donations of children’s toys and books will be handed over to Barnardos. Badges on sale, sausage sizzle at end of ride. All riders welcome. Ph Andrew 0274463870

SWAP MEETS OCTOBER - 18, Spring Swap Meet, Classic & Japanese bikes & parts, at Waikato Event Centre, Claudelands Showgrounds, East Wing, Brooklyn Road, Gate 1, Fully undercover, Buyers $5, Sellers $10 per bay. Organised by Hamilton Motorcycle Club Inc,

BOSS

ENGINEERING SERVICES

enquiries Bruce 07 8397722 or Gary 0274 399 681 or Steve 027 291 3495 or HMCC info phone 07 847 5673. Doors open 7.30am. NOVEMBER - 22, Auckland Veteran & Vintage Car Club Spring Motorcycle Swap Meet at 39 Fairfax Avenue, Penrose, buyers $3, sellers $5, start time 9am, refreshments available. Organised by Motorcycle section of Auckland Veteran & Vintage CC. For more info contact Martin on 0274454593

TOURING NOVEMBER - 6, 16 day tour of Northern Thailand on rented 2501000cc Hondas, includes airfares, hotels, meals, bike costs, support vehicle and local guide. Just $5950 all up. Contact Martin Lenart on 0212489452 or email martin@maloo.co.nz MARCH - 8 March/15 April, Rosco’s Rocky Road Adventure, High Andes Adventure Ride - Chile-ArgentinaBolivia-Peru. We ship your motorcycle, you ride it. Adventure ride begins and ends in Vina del Mar Chile. Adventure cost: $9980 + shipping and air fare. Rosco Pennell for more information at rosco. rr@ihug.co.nz or ph 09 406 8807, or visit www. mytb.com/rosco-p - 9/18, Top Half South Island Tour, organised by Boyd Motorcycles. Start at Hamilton, to Wellington, Picton; Nelson, Farewell Spit, Golden Bay; Buller Gorge, Karamea; Westport, Hokitika; Hokitika Wild Food Festival or Fox Glacier; Arthurs Pass, Akaroa; Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs; Lewis Pass, St Arnaud; Nelson, Havelock; return home. Itinerary may change slightly without notice. Rider $85/day, pillion $50/day. Back up van for luggage, breakdowns, flat tyres etc. Return ferry crossing, all accommodation, day maps. All the organising is done for you, you just ride. Glenn at Boyd

MOTORCYCLE EXHAUSTS LEO VINCE MUFFLER SPECIALS

Normally $800 & over NOW $585

Triumph Speed Triple TT600 GSXR1000 Honda VTR1000 (each) Suzuki GSF650 Bandit

CUSTOM CHAMBERS EXHAUSTS $997 • Cylinder Resleeving • Cylinder Reboring • Shock Rebuilds • All Head Work • Crank & Engine Rebuilds for all jet skis • Gear Dogs Build Up & Undercutting 196 Taupo Quay, Wanganui, New Zealand Phone: (06) 348 9516 Fax: (06) 348 9517 Email: bossengservices@xtra.co.nz 184 KIWI RIDER

Triumph Bonnie SE SS mufflers Triumph Speedmaster/America /SS Triumph T100/Bonneville SS

AGENTS FOR TWO BROTHERS MUFFLERS

Custom Chambers Making motorcycle exhausts since 1978

30A Kerwyn Ave, East Tamaki. Ph 09 2741155 www.customchambers.co.nz

Motorcycles at glenn@boyds.co.nz or ph 07 8381209, or 0274795998 - 17/26, The Rusty Nuts Super Tour, 10,000 kms, 10 days, no rest days on this one, covers North and South Islands. Includes all accom, breakfasts and evening meals, exclusive badge (one off) and other exclusive rider perks. This will be the longest and hardest RNMC ride to date. Entry fee $2850 pp, overseas riders welcome. Limited to 25 real riders only. Details and entry form visit www.rustynuts. co.nz or rustyinfo@rustynuts.co.nz or phone Lee or Gail on 09 416 5866

fortable. 4 different speed groups are available. Hire leathers and bikes available for those that don’t have their own. 6 sessions per group. Approx 2 hours of track time. Email info@hamptondownsridedays.co.nz or ph Darren Sweetman 09 4126266 DECEMBER - 5, At Taupo international race track. Fun, non competitive environment to test your bike and your riding skills. Go as fast or slow as you like. Riders are given sessions catering for experts thro to trackday first timers and novice riders. Spaces are limited, pre registration is required and early booking is recommended. Free trackday prizes drawn on the day. Food and coffee vendors on site. Spectators welcome. Four groups for riding depending on experience and ability. MotoTT staff circulate to assist beginners and novices. On track 1. Email ride@motott.co.nz - 6, Redline TrackDays, at Taupo Motorsport Park, Track 1 email info@redlinetrackdays.co.nz

TRACK DAYS NOVEMBER - 14, At Taupo international race track. Fun, non competitive environment to test your bike and your riding skills. Go as fast or slow as you like. Riders are given sessions catering for experts thro to trackday first timers and novice riders. Spaces are limited, pre registration is required and early booking is recommended. Free trackday prizes drawn on the day. Food and coffee vendors on site. Spectators welcome. Four groups for riding depending on experience and ability. MotoTT staff circulate to assist beginners and novices. On track 1. Email ride@motott.co.nz - 15, Redline TrackDays, atTaupo Motorsport Park, Track 1 email info@redlinetrackdays.co.nz - 19, California Superbike School, at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. Discover the art of cornering. A structured day of classroom theory combined with on track coaching. This school has been taught all over the world and it is now available in NZ. Please email info@californiasuperbikeschool.co.nz or phone Darren Sweetman (09)412 6266 for details. - 22, Hampton Downs Ride Days, experience the thrills of riding this track at a speed you feel com-

JANUARY - 9, Central Districts M/c Touring Club organised Track Day at Manfeild. Slow, medium, fast and race bike sessions. $50 per rider, full riding gear required, scrutineering and sign on open from 8.30 to 9.45, maximum 120 riders, entry on day only. For details ph Andrew 0274463870

TRAIL RIDES “The Kawasaki Sandpit”, Woodhill Forest, Rimmers Rd entrance, SH16, Helensville. The ultimate offroad motorcycle playground. Come & ride, we are open Wednesday to Sunday 9-5pm with a late night on Thursday. Ph: 09 420 8879 or for more information go to www.thesandpit.co.nz OCTOBER - 21, Cameron Honda Twilight Series RD 1, at Patetonga MCC Track. Turn into Otane Rd off

EVENTS

he Patetonga Shop SH27 at the Shop. At the end of Otane Road turn right onto Top Road and travel approx 500m along Top Road until you reach entrance to Patetonga Race Track. Sign in 16.30, riders briefing 17.45, start time 18.00. Classes: Junior 85cc, Junior 125 & 250 cc, MX1, MX2, Vets, Clubman. No minis. Terrain: man made course with clay base. Table tops, step ups, drop offs etc. Kaihere School is catering with food and drinks available all day long. 40 gate start on concrete pad. Organised by Patetonga MCC, contact Craig 021777815 or Gonk 0272009696. Postponement day Tuesday 27th Oct. Info line 07 8878859. MNZ licence required to compete. Day licences available. Entry fee: $20 for member, $30 for non member, $15 MNZ day licence available on the day. Club membership forms can be downloaded off club website - 25, Tangiteroria Trail Ride, ride part of the Tangihua Ranges (1 Nov is postponement date). 35 km track, no gravel riding except for road crossings. Food and drink on sale all day. Kids track free. Adults $30, Children under 16 $15. All under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. No pillions. Helmets and suitable footwear must be worn. Sign on 8am on. Track open from 9.30 to 2pm. Venue 544 Pukehuia Rd, Tangiteroria, Signposted from SH14 at Tangiteroria, between Whangarei and Dargaville. www.tangiteroriatrailride.co.nz or Scott 027 5444 291 or 09 433 2356 or Sarah 021 044 3528. Run by Tangiteroria Home & School Committee. - 25, Whangamata Dirt Riders Trail Ride, at Parakawai Quarry Road, Whangamata. Turn off the main Waihi to Whangamata Road, 4 km before Whangamata on the left. Venue will be signposted. Every ability catered for. Mainly cut over forestry

Metric nuts bolts & washers Hi-tensile steel with bright zinc coating Dome head cap screw (e.g. fairing fastener kits)

Hex bolts

Hex cap screws (e.g. engine cases)

Hex nylon nuts

Hi-tensile anodised alloy (4 colours) Engine bolts, frame bolts, fairing and screen screws. In fact every type of fastener for motorcycles. The right type and finish. From 4mm to 10mm diameter, up to 100mm long. For full details of types and sizes, e-mail eurobike@xtra.co.nz Available individually or in kits. 50

From $1

to $2

Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale.

Panel screws Nylon washers

CUSTOM SPORTS TRIKES CREATED INDIVIDUALLY

by MS Coombes Limited Based on the Suzuki Boulevard M109R We can trike any bike Kitsets available to any stage DVD available 344 St Asaph St Christchurch. Ph: 03 3667463 Fax: 03 3667462 Email: mscoombesltd@clear.net.nz Web: www.mscoombes.co.nz Web: www.customsportstrike.co.nz KIWI RIDER 185

BIKES FOR SALE New Bikes Yamaha YZ250F 2010 from. . . . . . . . . . $12999 Yamaha YZ250F SE 09 save $1200. . . $10999 Yamaha YZ450F new 08 save $2100 $10495 Yamaha WR250 save $1000 . . . . . . . . $12199 Yamaha AG100 save $200 . . . . . . . . . . . $3799 Yamaha AG200 save $200 . . . . . . . . . . . $5999 Yamaha YZ450F new 08 . . . . . . . . . . . . $10495 Yamaha YFM450 4x4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13949 Yamaha YFM350 Grizzly . . . . . . . from $9499 Yamaha YFM550 Grizzly . . . . . from $14699 Yamaha TTR125 new BW save $500 $5099 Yamaha SX-4 225 new . . . . . . . . +orc $3499 Yamaha PW80 new save $200 . . . . . . $2099 Yamaha PW50 new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1899

Yamaha TTR50E new save $200 . . . . . $1899 Yamaha TTR230 new. . . . . . . . . .$7099 $6795 GasGas EC250 09 Six Day . . . . . . . . . . $12790 GasGas EC300 09 Six Day . . . . . . . . . . $12790

Used Bikes Yamaha YFM450FA 4x4 04. . . . . . . . . . . $5695 Yamaha YFM400FA 4x4 02. . . . . . . . . . . $4495 Yamaha YFM450FA 4x4 05. . . . . . . . . . . $6495 Yamaha YFM350 4x2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1695 Yamhah AG200 03 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2495 Yamaha YZ250F 06 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5995 Yamaha AG100 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2495 Kawasaki KLR650 03 5750K, mint . . . . $5995 Kawasaki KX250 07 . . . . . . . . . . $6695 $5995

WRECKING YAMAHA AG175 1975-95 (MP) DT100F 1979 (MP) DT1751989-94 (MP) DT2501972-80 (MP) MR50 (MP) PW50 1981-82 (MP) TT225 1986 (MP) TT350 1987 (MP) XT200 1982-85 (MP) XT250TL 1984-85 (MP) XT600 1980 (MP) YFM250 89-92 (R & MP) YFM350SE 4X4 95 (MP) YT125 YZ125 1981-88 (MP) YZ250 1996 (MP) YZ450F 2003 (MP)

YZ80 1986 (MP) HONDA ATC200 1983-84 (MP) CR250 1987-88 (MP) CT125 (MP) CT90 (MP) TRX250 85-87 (R & MP) TRX350 2X4 02 (MP & R) TRX400 4X4 96 (MP & R) XL175 1973 (NM) XL250S 1980 (MP) XR185 1978 (MP) XR250 1986-89 (MP) XR500A 1980 (MP) SUZUKI SJ50 2002 (R) DR125 (MP) DRZ400 2003 (MP)

ER185 (MP) LT125 1982 (MP) LT230 1986 (MP) LTF250L 89-99 (MP & R) RM80 1985 (MP) PE400T (MP) RM125 1992 (MP) RM250 1988-90 (MP) RMX250 1989 (NM) TF100 (MP) TS125 (MP) 1975 KAWASAKI KDX125 1991 (MP) KDX200 B & C 84-88 (MP) KDX250 1991 (MP) KLF220 (MP) KLF400 4X4 1993 (MP)

KLX250 Road 1995 (MP) KM100 (NM) KX80 1984-90 (MP) KX125 1991-95 (MP) KX250H1 1990-91 (MP) KAZUMA/MARSHIN MH200 (MP) ATV110 Oryx GAS GAS EC200 2002 (MP) FSE400 2002 (MP) EC300 2002 (MP) WATER CRAFT JS300 Jet Ski 1989 (MP) JS550 Jet Ski 1988-90 (MP & R) (R) running motor (NM) no motor (MP) motor in parts

309 SOUTH RD, HAWERA PH 06 278 4726 MOB 0274 540 073 A/H 06 278 5938 baileymotorcycles@xtra.co.nz

ACTION/A ACTION ATOMIC BIKE WRECKERS

SECOND HAND PARTS MOTORCYCLE WOFs BIKES WANTED Action Bike Wreckers & Atomic Bike Wreckers are now Action-Atomic Bike Wreckers 62a Barrys Point Rd, Takapuna, Auckland Ph/Fax (09) 489 7987 actionbikewreckers@clear.net.nz • www.atomicbikes.co.nz

NOW WRECKING

MOTORCYCLE

1999 1991 1989 1987 1986 2002 2006 1990 1988 1994 2001 2002 1999 1991 1992 1996 1999 2007 1997 2002 2008 2005 2006 2002 2006 2008 2008 2007 2002 2000 1998 2004 2005 1988 1990 2004 2003 1989 2002

GZ250 NZ250 SG350 Goose RF400 GS500E GS500E GSF600 Bandit GSX600F Katana GSXR600K1 RF600 DL650K4 SV650 GSX750F GSXR750J GSXR750 GSX750FW GSX750F VS750 VN800 VN800 VS800 (S50) RF900 SV1000 SV1000 TL1000S GSXR1000K4 GSXR1000K7 GSXR1000K8 GSXR1100 GSXR1100 GS1200SS GS1200SS GSF1200 Bandit GSF1200 GSX1300R GSX1300R GSX1400

2005 1987 2004 1993 1990 2007 1998 2006 2001 1993 2004 2003 1999 1988 2005 2000 1989 1990 1998 1991 2007 1998 2003 2006 1998 2003 2007 2008 1998 1994 2003 2004 1998 2007 2004 2003 2002

BIKE

KAWASAKI EX250 Ninja GPX250 GPX250R ZXR250A ZXR250B ZXR250C ZZR250 400 Zepher GPZ500 GPZ500 (ER5) GPZ600R ZZR600 ZXR750A ZXR750B GPZ900 ZX9R ZX9R ZX9R ZX10R ZZR1100 ZZR1100 ZX14R YAMAHA SX-4 (225) Scorpio FZR250 2KR FZR250 3LN SR250 Viagro 250 FZR400 3TJ XJ600 YZF600 R6 FZR600 FZR750 FZ1 YZF1000 R1 YZF1000 R1 YZF1000 R1 FZR1000 Exup FZR1000T FJR1200

BUSTERS

LMVD

HONDA CB250 Hornet CBR250 MC22 CBR250 MC19 CBR250 MC17 CBR250 MC14 VTR250 VTR250 VFR400NC30 GB400 RVF400 CBR600 CBR600 CBR600 VFR750 CBR900 Fireblade VFR750FL VFR800 CB900 Hornet CBR900 CBR900 Fireblade CBR1000 VTR1000 CBR1100 Blackbird CBR1100 Blackbird ST1300 HYOSUNG GT250 GV250 SUZUKI SJ50 EN125 FXR150 RG150 GN250 GN250 GN250 GSF250 Bandit GSX250 GSX250 GSXR250RR GZ250

2007 1988 1990 1987 1998 1990 1997 1999 1995 1987 2007 1999 2001 2005 1991 1987 1987

WRECKERS

Wayne Parry, 21 Hakarimata Rd, Ngaruawahia, Nth Hamilton Tel 07 824 7705 Fax: 07 824 7745

EMAIL ORDERS wayne@bikebusters.co.nz

186 KIWI RIDER

2008 1990 2007 1989 1990 1992 1993 1993 1995 2006 1985 2002 1989 1990 1986 2003 1998 1994 2006 1991 1995 2006

NEW ZEALAND’S BIGGEST SELLING MOTORCYCLE TYRE Distrubted by Nationwide Accessories (W/S) Ltd, Hamilton NORTH ISLAND STOCKISTS Auckland: Botany Honda Motorcycles 09 274 2727 Coleman’s Suzuki 09 303 1786 Cycletreads 09 486 2472 Full Throttle Motorcycles 09 238 5384 Haldane Motorcycles 09 303 0624 Henderson Motorcycles 09 838 5899 Holeshot Motorcycles 09 486 5187 JFK Motorcycles & Jetskis 09 262 4285 JTR Motorcycles Ltd 09 826 4034 Triple X Motocycles 09 265 2135 Mt. Eden Motorcycles 09 303 1960 Papakura M/C Services 09 299 8420 Silverfern Imports 09 299 1006 Watson Racing 09 412 9430 Cambridge: Blackwood Yamaha 07 827 7066 Peter Glidden Honda 07 823 5522 Dannevirke: Hewitts Motorcycles 06 374 7701 Dargaville: Dargaville Honda 09 439 1089 Drury: Drury Perfromance Centre 09 294 7995 Gisborne: C.G.M Motorcycles 06 867 6638 Hamilton: Big Bikes 07 846 6991 Boyd Motorcycles 07 838 1209 Hamilton M/C Centre 07 849 1919 Honda Hamilton 07 838 9299 Road and Sport Motorcycles 07 958 1400 Speed Tech Limited 07 847 8944 Waikato Yamaha 07 850 5044 Hastings: Hastings Honda 06 878 4152 Hawera: Action Suzuki 06 278 4160 Huntly: Huntly Honda 07 828 9687 Lower Hutt: Moto Mart 04 589 5106 TSS Motorcycles 04 569 3989 Masterton: Dave Anderson Limited 06 370 0033 Maungatoroto: Maungatoroto M/C Ltd 09 431 8555 Matamata: JD Motorcycles 07 888 4969 Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 888 7604 Morrinsville: Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 889 7686 Mount Maunganui: GP Motorcycles 07 574 6688 Moto GB 07 574 0146 Napier: Ericksen Honda 06 836 6298 Pro Cycle Ltd 06 842 0915 Five Star Suzuki 06 842 0010 New Plymouth: Energy Honda 06 757 3612 Mach 1 Yamaha 06 757 9747 New Plymouth M/C Centre 06 758 4449 North West KTM 06 759 9059 Perfromance Factory 06 756 6117 Otorohanga: Bike Torque 07 873 8196 Otorohonda 07 873 7273 Opunake: Triple Fourensics 06 761 8289 Paeroa: Whyteline 07 862 8783 Palmerston North: AFCM Motorcycles 06 357 8043 Anza Parts & Accessories 06 358 7082 Freedom Suzuki 06 356 5317 Pahiatua: Simon’s Motorcycle Repairs 06 376 8288 Tony Jury Motorcycles 06 376 7163 Paraparaumu: Bike Clinic 04 298 6419 Twin Cam Motor Cycles 04 298 3556 Pukekohe: Mr Motorcycles 09 238 3176 Putaruru: Peter Glidden Motorcycles 07 883 3310 Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 883 7602 Rotorua: Bike Force 07 348 9171 Patterson O’Connor M/C’s 07 345 5654 Rowlinson Honda 07 348 4100 Shannon: Shield Motor Repairs 06 362 7347 Stratford: Cooks Honda 06 765 8028 Taihape: Taihape Honda 06 388 1211

Taumarunui: Bike Torque 07 895 7994 Taupo: Promoto 07 378 2453 Daryll August Motorcycles 07 378 8342 Tauranga: Bayride Motorcycles 07 571 3040 Coastline Honda 07 578 5550 Makz Gear 07 571 1161 Smiths Motorcycles Ltd 07 578 6062 Te Aroha: Te Aroha M/C Centre 07 884 8044 Te Awamutu: Peter Glidden Motorcycles 07 871 7317 Thames: Wheels of Thames 07 868 9363 Tokoroa: Craig Stevens Motorcycles 07 889 1014 Upper Hutt: Maidstone M/C Centre 04 528 9395 Waipukarua: Five Star Suzuki 06 858 8983 Wanganui: Joe Lett Motorcycles 06 345 8599 Warkworth: Warkworth Motorcycles 09 425 8535 Wellington: Harley Speed and Custom 04 239 9272 Motorad 04 382 8011 Richards M/C Services 04 477 2322 Wellington Motorcycles 04 384 4149 Whakatane: Bay Honda 07 307 0502 Moto SR Ltd 07 308 0310 Tony Rees Motorcycles 07 307 1050 Underwood & Wilkins 07 308 6166 Whangarei: Maunder Suzuki 09 430 3097 Shaw Motorcycles 09 438 1183 Whangarei Yamaha 09 438 0804 Whitianga: Coastal Tyres 07 866 2310 SOUTH ISLAND STOCKISTS Alexandra: Davidson Honda Centre 03 448 6374 Two Wheels Unlimited 03 448 6207 Amberley: Arthur Burke Limited 03 314 8121 Ashburton: Honda Country 03 308 2030 Jeff Marshall Motorcycles 03 308 2055 Balclutha: Balclutha Motocycles Ltd 03 418 0626 Powerzone Suzuki 03 418 4672 Blenheim: Peter Grinter Motorcycles 03 578 1213 Nelson Marlborough Trials Cnt 03 579 2500 Christchurch: Budget Motorcycle Spares 03 377 1881 Pitlane Motorcycles 03 379 7382 Superior Motorcycles 03 366 7793 Te Waipounanu M/C’s 03 372 3537 Tracktion 03 374 3502 Trevor Pierce Motorcycles 03 366 6563 Greymouth: Honda Farm & Trail Road 03 768 9922 Dunedin: McIver & Veitch 03 477 0236 SPV Kawasaki 03 474 1920 Gore: Ewan Allan Honda 03 208 0174 Murray Kawasaki 03 208 6653 Invercargill: Bike Stuff 03 215 9002 Motorcycle Services 03 214 4886 Moto South Ltd 03 214 4482 Top Cars and Commercials 03 214 1997 Methven: Spring Lynne Motorcycles 03 302 4939 Motueka: Murray Thorn Motorcycles 03 528 9992 Nelson: Filco Farm & Sport 03 547 2420 Morley Motorcycle & Marine03 544 8703 Nelson Motorcycle Centre 03 548 3786 Oamaru: Young Motors 03 434 5354 Picton: Picton Tools & Tyres 03 573 5413 Tapanui: Dwains Service Centre 03 204 8455 Timaru: Mike Gould Motocycles 03 688 4802 Southern Motorcycle World 03 688 4225 Winton: Brent Scammell Honda 03 236 7993

block with 2 loamy bush sections. Also have full peewee kids track. Contact Tony Fuller 0276294921. Fire extinguishers compulsory, cancellation will be posted on Silver Bullet by 7am. - 25, Moonshine Trail Ride, at Moonshine MX Track Car Park, Wairarapa. Take Moonshine Rd from either Upper Hutt or Judge-ford, signposted from Bulls Run Road. Sign in starts 8am, briefing 9.45, start 10am. Bikes, quads. No riders under 12, under 15s must be accompanied by adult rider. Open and tight forestry tracks & hills. KapiMana MCC. Michael Dalton, on 021 739 088 or mikedalton@xtra.co.nz. $30 adults, $20 kids under 15 yrs, bbq included. No camping. - 26, Win a Yamaha TTR110, Labour Monday Dirt Guide Trail Ride Fun, at Tar Hill south of Tokoroa, signposted from SH 1, 15kms south of Tokoroa, for all levels. Forestry based trails, clay and pumice. Contact Forest Trail Events, Sean Clarke 0275996045 or 07 8865918. This is the final of the dirt Guide series trailride that was postponed from 19 July. The Yamaha will be drawn at this event and it will go ahead rain or no rain. Come along for a good ride and you might win a bike! This is Labour Monday! - 31, NZ Mini MX champs, at Barret M/c Park, Barret Rd, New Plymouth, Mini MX, check with Taranaki MCC for details entry form is on TMCC website NOVEMBER - 7,Trail Ride coaching with Chris Birch,

EVENTS

Forest, follow the orange at Riverhead Forest arrows from SH16. Start time 10am. Beginner to intermediate trail riders. Advanced riders may prefer Sunday’s course. A days coaching for trail rider with Chris Birch. topics covered includes basic bike set up, riding positions, cornering , braking, clutch skills, hills and line selection. Contact Chris Birch on chris@birchy.co.nz or 021748240 - 7, Herbertville Trail Ride, Weber Rd, Herbertville, Cape Turnagain, Tararua. 65kms east of Dannevirke, Signposted from Millers Rd, Danne-virke, opposite BP. Sign in 9, start 10. Suitable for quads & bikes, no helmet no ride. Ride over 2 coastal stations. Lui 06 374 6310 or 06 3743610 or Sue 06 3743560 at Burnview Station. Entry fee $20, bbq lunch provided. - 8, Rotary Club of Paeroa Charity Trail ride, at top of Strange Road, off the Paeroa-Thames road. Sign in starts 8am, riders briefing 9.45, start time 10am. Classes: Expert, Intermediate, Novice, and PeeWee. Suitable for everyone. Rod Coe on 07 8636460 or rod@paeroacollege.school.nz, or Mark Whyte on 021729012 or mark@ whyteline.co.nz - 8, Paengaroa School Trail Ride Fundraiser Fun Ride, at Pirini MX Park, Bush Rd, Pongakawa. On Pongakawa Bush Road, Pongakawa. Under 6yrs free, under 12 yrs $15, Adults (over 12) $30. Off road, well

MOTORCYCLE CHASSIS SPECIALISTS

Clip-ons • Skid knobs Rear sets • Axle sliders Risers • Lowering kits Post classic brake rotors

Touchbike chassis alignment checks Bike Bench frame straightening Fork & brake rotor straightening Brake rotor reconditioning Aluminium and magnesium TIG welding Full machine shop F1 ENGINEERING MOTORCYCLE WORKS 2/59 Vickery St, Te Rapa, Hamilton. Ph 07 849 6110 Steve@rapidartnz.com • www.rapidartnz.com KIWI RIDER 187

EVENTS

formed tracks tracks, easy track 15km 15km, hard track 24km loop and kids loop 3 km. Contact Bruce Lendrem on 07 5331227. This is fundraiser for Paengaroa School, eftpos will be available. Fun day with sausage sizzle and cool drinks on sale. Pirini Park has toilets. Fun riders must be out the gate by 3pm. - 8, Totara Park Trail Ride, at Totara Park, Upper Hutt Darts club, Wellington. Head for Upper Hutt on SH2, turn over the Totara Park Bridge, and turn right into the Upper Hutt Carts Club car park. Sign in 8am, riders briefing 9.45, start 10. All classes, under 15s must be accompanied by an adult rider. Open trails and forestry tracks. Organised by Kapi-Mana MCC. Michael Dalton on 021739088 or mikedalton@xtra.co.nz. Entry fee $30 adults 15 and over, $20 under 15 yrs. Easy loop for kids, bbq at fuel stop ncluded in entry. Bar open from 1.30pm at the Darts Club. - 14, Bush Bash 09, at Waitawhiti Station, Tiraumea, Pahiatua, Tararua. Signed from BP Pahiatua, follow arrows. Senior quads, senior 2 wheelers, junior two wheelers, rolling to steep hill country, farm tracks, some bush. Organised by Bush Riders MCC, contact Stu Sowry at stusowry@bushriders. co.nz. Info sheets, supplementary regs and entryform available in downloads section at www.bushriders.co.nz website soon. Quads race Sat, two wheelers Sun. - 15, Mangatangi School Trail ride at Waikaraka Road, Mangatangi, South Auckland. Signposted from the Red Fox tavern Maramarua. For 1, 2 or 4 wheelers. Rolling to steep farm land with some forest. Contact Chris or Brian @ Counties Honda 2370048. Great trail ride for the whole family, including kids track. - 15, Reporoa Primary School Charity Trail Ride, at Mills Forestry block behind Reporoa Dairy Factory Farm, Reporoa (Rotorua). From Rotorua it is

approx 40 kms, the last dairy farm entrance before the dairy factory on the right. From Taupo it’s approx 42 kms, first dairy farm entrance on the left after the dairy factory. Sign in 8am, start time 9.30. There are tracks for every age and ability. Car park kids track, beginner’s loop, intermediate trails with harder loops going off (expert loops). Contact Daryl Roder 0274865837 or Kan Stow 0274756229. Drinks and sausage sizzle will be at the car park. Fire extinguisher to be carried on main trails. - 15, Bay Honda Motu High Country Trail Ride, at Motu, 10 min from Matawai, Opotiki. Sign posted from Matawai, which is 45 min from Opotiki and 45 min from Gisborne. Sign in starts 8am, riders briefing 9.15, start time 9.30. For big, and little kids, ATV, and 2 wheelers. High country farm and bush trail ride. We have a 45 km main loop, a 25 km short loop and 2 kids’ loops. Contact Tim Woodward @ Bay Honda, Whakatane on 0272946673 or 07 3070502 - 21, Raetihi Ripper, Raetihi-Old Mangaeturoa School Grounds, Ruapehu - more details to follow - email raetihiripper@yahoo.co.nz or visit www.raetihiripper.com - 28, Maungaturoto Country club trail ride, 80 kms over 2 loops, quad friendly, food available, $30 adult, $20 children (under 16), $70 family, $5 mini track, track open 9-2.30, Golden Stairs Rd, Manugaturoto, queries to Shay 09 4316698 - 29, Rescheduled from 22 Nov, Matatoki School Family Trail Ride, on SH26 Thames/Paeroa Rd, 5 kms south of Kopu, up Warahoe Road, Matatoki. Approx 20kms from Paeroa heading towards Thames. Will be signposted. Sign in from 9am, start time 9.30, two wheelers, ATVs, Juniors, Peewees all welcome. Medium hill country, fantastic forest, native and farm land. Spectacular views of the gulf. Dane 07 8681122 or Guy 07 8689330 or Matatoki School 07 8681079 - 29, Freedom Suzuki Halcombe School Trail Ride at

Abbiss Woolshed, Tokorangi Road, Halcombe, Manawatu. 2 mins out of Halcombe sign posted from Halcombe Village. Sign in 8.30, briefing 10, start 10.10. Flat & rolling hills. Mark Heap 0212602766. Bikes over 65cc on main ride. Not suited to beginners. Supervised kids track. Helmets and boots compulsory. No passengers. DECEMBER - 3/6, M3DE, Maramarua Three Day Enduro, go to www.poweradventures.co.nz for the registration form or call Greg on 0274454429 or email greg@ poweradventures.co.nz for more details. See Enduro section for more details FEBRUARY - 8, Gary Worsley M/cycles School Fundraising Trail Ride Series (Round 2), on a Monday, at Waituna West Valley Road, Manawatu. Contact Gary Worsley Motorcycles. - 14, Sherwood School Trailride, at Makaretu Rd, Central Hawkes Bay, signposted off SH50, all ages and abilities. Darryl Wilson 06 8556849. - 14, Waitawhiti Station Trail Ride, at 824 Waitawhiti Road, Tararua. Contact Graham and Lisa Richardson 06 3767221 or waitawhiti@wizbiz. net.nz for more info. - 14, Mangaweka School Trail Ride, at the Mighty Kawhatau Valley, Rangitikei. Turn right north of Mangaweka, SH1, signposted. bonnor@farmside. co.nz or David Gordon MC 06 3880505 - 20/21, Norsewood Mud Fest Trail Ride 2 Day Event, at Rakatutahi Road, Norsewood, Southern Hawkes Bay. Signposted from Snee Rd off SH2 and north of Norsewood Jens Andersen Rd, off SH2. Sign in 8.45, riders briefing 9.45, start time 10. Suitable for Quads and bikes, minis track provided for young ones. Loop about 25kms with some mud. Contact Rex Rosacker 0274862538 or Craig Rosacker 0272878344 or Angela 06 3740427. $20 per day, bbq lunch provided. Non riders $5 incl unch. Camping available. Camping

Dismantling Motorcycles for over 24 years

1998 Honda XR250 wrecking now (sample photo)

Yamaha MR50 Could be made to go. $200

1999 Yamaha YZF-R6 wrecking now

Suzuki GSX1100F wrecking now

03 Honda CRF230F wrecking now

78 Honda CB sohc 750 $900

2005 Suzuki LT-A, 4WD, 500cc, wrecking now

88-90s Kawasaki GPX250 wrecking now

1990 Honda NC22 CBR250 wrecking now (sample photo)

1999 Yamaha YZ125 wrecking now

(sample photo)

ALSO WRECKING: 91 Suzuki RM250 • Suzuki LT80 sports quad • Early 90s CR125 (sample photo)

44 Tallyho St Rotorua Ph 07 347 0804 Suzuki LS 650 Savage, wrecking now

188 KIWI RIDER

Suzuki LT80, Goes well, $1200

$10/adult/night. $5 per child per night. Need to bring own water and some food. Toilets supplied. - 21, Maungaturoto Primary School Trail Ride at Maungaturoto, Kauri Coast. 265 Whakapirua Rd, 3 mins from SH12 on sealed road. Sign in 8.30. Two wheelers and Quads. Open farmland. Expert only pine trees section. Expert only two wheeler sections. John Linton 0274907602 or jd.kf.linton@ubernet. co.nz. Adults $35, up to 16 $15, kids tracks only $10. Tracks open 9am till 3pm. - 21, Te Akau School Motocross fundraiser, at Te Akau, Waikato, signposted from Huntly and Ngaruawahia, sign in 8am, riders briefing 9.45, start time 10, all riders. across farmland, hills and flat. Contact Angela Downs on 07 8254797. Adults $20, children $10 (under 16) - 21, Glen Oroua School Trail Ride, at McKelvie Property 1597 Tangimoana Rd, Tangimoana, Manawatu. Signposted from SH1, 15 mins north of Foxton or 8 mins south of Sanson. Quads welcome but track more suitable for 2 wheelers. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loop divided into two separate tracks.Contact Brendon Tootell at AFC Motorcycles ph 06 357 8043 or 021 324 727, free lunch, home baking, bbq, eat as much as you like. Cash only. $25 adults, $10 children 12 yrs and under. 10 and under must be supervised. No pillions. Must wear helmets, gloves and boots. Quads to carry tow rope. Farm ATV riders must be over 16. - 28, Mighty Mokau School Trail Bike Ride, at Piri Piri Station, Awakino, signposted from Junction Service Station, Main Road, Awakino, one hour north of New Plymouth, 1 hr south of Te Kuiti. Sign on 8am, start 9.30, suitable for 2 and 4 wheelers. Three loops approx, 10 kms, 17 kms and 28 kms. A & B sections Farmland. Paddock for kids track. Murray Gemmell 07 8966722 or 06 7529011. MNZR permitted event, ambulance and marshals in attendance. Boots and helmets compulsory. No briefing, staggered start. All day bbq on sale, $30 per bike. $50 per family (3 bikes).

EVENTS

TRAINING DAYS Scooter Training at Auckland Kart Track, Avondale, , $99 per person for a whole days training, lunch and the loan of a scooter and gear if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have your own. Contact dione@triumphnz.co.nz for details or see www.euroscooter.co.nz Ride Right Ride Safe training days at Whenuapai Air Base, Brighams Creek Road, Whenuapai. Last day for 2009 - 15 November. Suitable for initial or refresher training. Cost $50. Download registration form www.rrrs.org.nz or contact Finn Nielsen 09 625 5533 or 0274846326

DECEMBER - 13, To Be Confirmed, AMC, Advance Rider Training Day, Pukekohe circuit. amccinc@ihug.co.nz

TRIALS OCTOBER - 24/26, NZ National Trials Champs will be held on the Kapiti Coast over Labour Weekend. 3 very different locations: Paekakariki, Paraparaumu and Otaki Gorge. Check website www.Ixion.org.nz. Available to all grades and MNZ licence required.

CLUB SECRETARIES: If you want your event listed here FREE, please fax the details to KR EVENTS, (09) 416-5308 or email admin@kiwirider.co.nz

Ride the track for $360

World Superbike Tour 25 Feb-01 March 2010 Phillip Island $

1720

INCLUDES: Return airfares AK-Melbourne AK Melbourne Four day minibus transfers Insurance and security taxes Three day general admission tickets Four nights accommodation in topclass houses on the island

Bush, open farmland & scrub tracks. Motocross track. Mini track.

ADD ONS: - WSBK Bar (marquee with big screens and a bar) $100 extra. Recommended. - After Burner (ride the track!) for only $360 extra. Costs vary, ask for details. For more information or to request a booking form contact wsbk@trackfun.co.nz or call 09 416 5307 and ask for Todd.

Te Puke

Matata

Whakatane

Tauranga Pokerekere Rd

wahe

Mana Rd

Trail bike track. Group bookings any time. All levels catered for. Enquiries to 07 322 2444.

Lake Rotoma Rotorua

Ywari Bike Park Opens: Labour weekend 25 Oct Sign on from 9.30am Twilight rides every Wednesday, 4.30 till dark KIWI RIDER 189

SERVICES

Services ads from a trifling $45. Contact Todd Sutherland NOW on 09 416 5307. Sound, looks and performance from the original

Motorcycle Exhaust Specialists ‘Zorsts’ tuneable Sports Silencers and Replica Silencers in stainless & vintage & off-road Harris pipes licenced manufacturuers Private Bag 55004, Christchurch. Phone/Fax 03 315 7988

www.MotorcycleExhausts.co.nz

TAUPO WOF & WORKSHOP

Exhausts

We do mechanical repairs, servicing and WOFs

If you want it we can make it. Custom Chambers 25 years plus making motorcycle exhausts. 30A Kerwyn Ave, East Tamaki. Ph 09 2741155.

W.O.T. MOTORCYCLES 1 Miro Street, Taupo 07 3772535 • 027 2412775 wotcycles@xtra.co.nz

$ CASH PAID $ LEATHER BIKE JACKETS & PANTS LARGE SELECTION OF NEW & USED LEATHERS TRADE INS WELCOME

ARMY & LEATHER SHOP 257 Onehunga Mall Road Auckland PH 09 636 5296

Off road suspension service and tuning. Race Tech Service Centre. Race Tech Gold Valves, springs & parts. Hi performance Synergy Seals. Ph 09 832 0153 greg@proride.co.nz www.proride.co.nz

PIT TENTS 0800 P i t T e n t s .com 7 4

Darrin Wilsons Hotsuits, 107 Ikanui Road, Hastings. Ph 06 876 2710 email hotsuits@xtra.co.nz

190 KIWI RIDER

(NO HAMMER MARKS)

Quick turnaround Free return freight NZ wide Huntly Honda Ltd

LMVD

315 Great South Rd, Huntly. Ph/Fax 07 828 9687

The Budget Shop Three sizes, any colour/s you want, made from PVC, can be signwritten. from around $800-$1,700 incl poles, pegs, carry bag, ropes, delivery & gst

CRANKSHAFT REBUILDS

Dealer enquiries welcome

CYLINDER RESTORATIONS

• Save $$$ • Rebores from $60 • 7 day turnaround • Exchange on most makes and models. • From KX85 – YZ250F’s – 950 Adventure • Save expensive barrel replacement / repair. • Detonation rings fitted to all types of 2 strokes • Compression ratios checked and changed to maximize hp. All work guaranteed FARM & TRAIL ENGINEERING WORKS ENGINEERING REPAIRS 113 Benson Rd, Te Awamutu Phone Paul on 07 871 7321 / 0275 754 488

ESTABLISHED 1976

Brian Meadowcroft Tel 07 826 6871

SERVICES

Services ads from a trifling $45. Contact Todd Sutherland NOW on 09 416 5307.

Trail Bike Specialists • Suspension tuning. • 2 stroke tuning • Bash Plates • Stall prevention • Bush Bars Expert or novice. We can help you get the best out of your machine. Dirt Action Service Centre 29 Saxon Street, Christchurch. 03 389 0080

TRIKES R US Cambridge PH 07 827 2025 or 027 278 3865 Built to order. We can trike your bike: Goldwing, Harleys, Suzukis... We also do chains, sprockets & repairs

ROWES

ATV CHASSIS PARTS

53 Grove Road, Blenheim. Ph 03 579 2500 Mob 027 230 3151 montesa@trialsnz.co.nz www.trialsnz.com

Agents for GasGas Husqvarna Scorpa Montesa Aeon Cam-Am

NZ’s only full time trials shop

TYRES

West Auckland’s #1 Motorcycle Tyre Shop • SPECIALISING IN HIGH PERFORMANCE STREET AND RACE MOTORCYCLE TYRES AT THE BEST PRICES • ALSO SPEEDWAY SIDECAR TYRES • DEALS IN TYRES FOR 4X4, VANS, CARS AND TRAILERS • FITTING AND BALANCING

FRAME SECTIONS TRX300 2 & 4WD, TRX 400, TRX350 from $400 A-ARMS (exchange)—TRX300 2& 4WD Upper & Lower, TRX400 Lower, TRX 350 Lower, TRX 450 Lower from $117 All prices include GST, Courier bag supplied for return of exchange A-Arm.

JUST GOOD DEALS - OPEN 7 DAYS

BARNEY BUILT Ph 07 829 9999 Mobile 0274 828 045

659 ROSEBANK ROAD, AVONDALE, PH 828 8132 FAX 828 8939 EMAIL cockpit@ihug.co.nz

Aluminium Arched Loading Ramps

IDEAL FOR ATVS & RIDE ON MOWERS Straight ramps $273. Folding ramps $450. Cargo carriers $478/set. All + freight. • • • •

Length 1.9m & 2.2m 460kg per pair capacity Folding ramps length 2.3m & 680kg per/pair Cargo carrier, box section tow hitch required

HIGHLINE EQUIPMENT LTD Alexandra Ph 03 448 9369 Fax 03 448 6144 Email highlineequip@xtra.co.nz www.highline.co.nz

Haldane's No Bull

November Sale Saturday 7 L ow Reserve Used Bike Auction November 9am-3pm from 12 pm, see www.haldanes.co.nz for the list of bikes to be auctioned

ge & es a z s i r u sa f fe e tpd e o e p S an ays Fr e, c o ks z l drin aw e z i v s i g c old ng i c u f ei d o ei f o o r t In 010 Sh nge 20%9 Sh o ts 2 e a 0 th e e lme t r all 20 00 h e lm h xr10 * g n i y t fit s of te r o uchs y E M es (v s) R E pair ed op ticke r F n all rch as l e v o s pu en s & s er tye st i als e e B d l bike for Suz uk a i s c e Priz i, Best alian Spe e ve r y e t t It a c u on in stor D Bes &

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7 Great South Road,, Penros 706 P Penrose, se, Auckland Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-2pm H *Only for items purchased or booked on 07/11/2009

Phone: 09 579 6020 www.haldanes.co.nz

ZEUS 805

RRP: FROM $139 - $169 COLOUR: Red/Silver, Blue/Silver, Titanium/Silver, Matt Black, White, Gloss Black, Blue, Red Wine

ZEUS 806

RRP: FROM $199 - $229 COLOUR: Red/Red, Blue/Blue, Titanium/Grey, Gloss Black, Matt Black

ZEUS 3600C

TO VIEW TOTAL ZEUS COLLECTION

RRP: $179.00 COLOUR: Blue, Wine Red, Black, Silver

www.zeus-helmets.com www.nwa.co.nz

Welcome to a new world of V-Twin performance tires. Where Performance is inspired by passion, & delivered with sleek perfection. In this new world, hard launches begin incredible journeys which are no longer elusive... Now that a Dragon prowls the night. www.pirelli-moto.com www.nwa.co.nz