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REGULARS ROAD
KTM RC8 R – 18 KTM ups the ante in the Superbike sector with a new, improved RC8, the higher-spec R.
ROAD NEWS .................................... 8
ROAD FEATURES
LETTERS.......................................... 73 to the editor
APRILIA RSV4 – 25 Hot on the heels of Max Biaggi’s first SBK race win comes our first ride on Aprilia’s all-new RSV4. VICTORY 8-BALL – 31 In which Big Dave comes across all portentious after sampling Victory’s 8-Ball custom ROAD BIKE BUYERS’ GUIDE – 36 On occasion of two-wheelers joining their four-wheel counterparts at Auckland’s Speedshow we put together a sampler of our favourite sporty road bikes TECH TALK – 49 Ducati comes under the Michael Esdaile spotlight this time in the second to last look at this season’s World Superbike Championship contenders BIG SKY, BIG COUNTRY - 57 Wellingtonian Alan Doak sees the South Island through fresh eyes on his return – after way too many years – on two wheels. SCOOTER SAFARI – 63 Racing Dave and a group of friends got together to give a mate a bit of a hand…. STH CANTY 100 YEARS PT 5 – 67 Last look at the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club as the build-up to its 100th anniversary celebrations reaches its zenith.
DIRT FEATURES RED ALERT– 112 Honda’s CRF450X is one of the most popular large capacity off-roaders on sale here. Dirt tester Ollie S. discovers why it is so popular with recreational riders. ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE…AND BACK - 119 In which pro mountain biker Mark ‘Cabin’ Leishman (winner of this year’s Karapoti Challenge) comes over to the dark side for a month’s powered competition on a Kawasaki KX-F250
RIDDEN ............................................ 45 BMW K 1300 S
CONTENTS OCTOBER 2009
COVER STORY
PAGE 18
MORONEY ...................................... 75 What you ‘ear in the air NASH ............................................... 77 Each to his own BORN AGAIN BIKER...................... 79 Keeping close company BRONZ ............................................. 81 Forewarned is forearmed
PAGE 25
CLASSICS ....................................... 83 Yamaha’s XS1100 GASTROM RIDER .......................... 87 Matakana House bar & bistro ROAD COMPETITION.................... 89 ROAD PRODUCTS ........................ 92 See it, want it, must have it
REGULARS DIRT
PAGE 31
DIRT NEWS .................................. 107 Chris Birch second in Romania DIRT COMPETITION.................... 135 LONG TERMER ............................ 145 Ollie’s Yamaha YZ450F TRAIL TIPS .................................... 153 Tread pattern & tyre presure DIRT PRODUCTS ........................ 154 Need it, want it, must have it JOSH COPPINS ............................ 158 HANDY ANDY............................... 159 We live in interesting times
PAGE 57
LOOKING BACK ......................... 165 It was five, ten and fifteen years ago today! BIKE MART ................................. 169
DIRT BIKE BUYERS’ GUIDE – 36 Some of our favourite sporty dirt bikes BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY– 131 This time it’s intrepid reporter Steven Croad chronicling local enduro star Rory Mead’s trip to the annual Endurocross in Las Vegas ROADCRAFT WORLD JUNIOR MX CHAMPS – 135 They came, the saw and American Eli Tomac and Aussie Jay Wilson conquered at the 2009 RoadCraft World Junior MX Championships at Taupo ROUND THE (EAST) CAPE AND BACK – 147 This time it’s office manager Linda Glasswell who writes up a recent ride from Auckland to the North Island’s East Cape region and back KR KIDS – 161 Eli Tomac interview and the usual words from our regular columnists (and top-rated NZ racers) Courtney Duncan and Hamish Dobbyn
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)
PAGE 63
PAGE 112
KIWI RIDER 5
FIRST WORD ROSS MACKAY
SUMMER? BRING IT ON!
What a couple of months eh? In KR this month we cover the RoadCraft Junior World Championship meeting in Taupo, feature a first ride impression (sort of thing) about Aprilia’s stunning new RSV4 sportsbike and lead the magazine with a test of KTM’s much improved RC8 R. In the dirt section Ollie finds lots to like about Honda’s CRF450X enduro bike and guest rider/writer Mark ‘Cabin’ Leishman looks at three different off-road events (which he rode on a Kawasaki KX-F250) from the perspective of a pro mountain biker. In between we’ve got all sorts of inspirational stories, one about getting back on a bike after a long break and using an epic ride to reacquaint yourself with some of the best parts of our beautiful country, another about how a group of bike riding workmates got together to raise money for an ailing colleague. In each case the link is a motorcycle, or – in the case of Racing Dave and his cohorts at Air New Zealand – a bunch of scooters. That’s the great thing about bikes and bike people. While there’s a strong individual streak in all of us we like nothing better than getting together to share our passion. Yes I know you can say the same – to a point – about any group with a 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
shared interest. But by their very nature and availability bikes transcend all sorts of seen and unseen social boundaries and barriers. We’ve got a rich heritage of activity and achievement in this country as well, as Robert Cochrane has been uncovering in his series building up to the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club’s 100 year anniversary. Road, off-road, MX, Speedway, Trials, Road-Racing, it doesn’t seem to matter. If there are two wheels and an engine involved Kiwis will be in the thick of it, here or overseas. Spring, of course, is a great time of the year if you’re involved in bikes with year-rounders finally able to zip out those thermal liners and pack away those winter gloves, and their fairweather brethren returning to our roads and our tracks/events/bike parks, often with a new bike either underneath them or on the trailer they’re towing behind the SUV. Here at KR we’re gearing up for the summer Adventure Riding season with plans for staff members to do the Yamaha Safari and KTM Big Sky Adventure. Between now and then there will of course be some recce and general ‘getting-ready-for- it’ rides, which could include Publisher Pete and Stretch on Pete’s recently purchased two-wheel-
It’s been an epic couple of months alright. But if anything, it looks like the riding’s going to be even better in the next six! drive (ponder that for a second!) Ural sidecar! Speaking of other big events on the horizon, S & M (that’s sales & marketing……) man Ian Ferguson is off to the USA (literally as I write this) to check out Can-Am’s new Spyder touring model (complete with trailer!), Big Dave and columnist Nash have already cordoned off the last weekend in November to attend this year’s Burt Munro Rally down Invercargill way and Racing Dave has alerted me to the fact that early in the New Year there will be a story coming from him on the 2010 Dusty Butt endurance/adventure ride. It’s been an epic couple of months alright. But if anything it looks like the riding’s going to be even better in the next six! To which all I can say is; ‘bring it on!’ 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
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See in store for more details or visit www.honda-motorcycles.co.nz or www.hondadeals.co.nz
ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS
CH CHCH BIKE SHOPS CELEBRATE S SPRING Five years ago this October H Harley-Davidson dealers Eric Woods Motorcycles, now Rolling Thunder Motor Company, invited their customers and friends to Biketoberfest, a celebration of m motorcycling at their shop in Manchester S Christchurch. The event was a major St, su success and became a key feature of the So South Island H-D motorcycling calendar. This year will be the fifth anniversary of Bike Biketoberfest, and Chris Elles, Dealer Principal of Rolling Thunder has made the decision to invite all of the other motorcycle dealers in Manchester St to participate. “Motorcycling is about community, breaking barriers and having fun, so we want to share the event with fellow bike shops” said Elles. “Manchester St has become Christchurch’s motorcycle alley, and bikers can enjoy the best of British, European, Japanese and American bikes in one small area. We’re all working together to make this the biggest and best urban bike event in New Zealand.” The event starts on Friday night with rider training at Ruapuna Raceway, followed by a party in Poplar Lane. On Saturday all the dealers will be open and have specials, demo rides and entertainment, before a number of rides set off to explore the region. There will be something for everyone before the centerpiece of the event, the annual Biker’s Ball. On Sunday the bottom of Manchester St will be closed and there will be entertainment, a bike show and riding demonstrations. For more information about Biketoberfest contact any of the participating dealers: Rolling Thunder Motor Company, Harley Davidson: ph 03 366 0129 Street and Sport Motorcycles, Triumph: Ph 03 366 2201 Casbolts, Ducati and Honda: ph 03 366 4401 Sportzone Suzuki: Ph 366 0893. Or visit www. biketoberfest.co.nz
VEALE IS LATEST KIWI RECORD SETTER WORDS: Staff PICS: Dave Ayres/MotorSport Media back wheel spinning beyond the two mile marker at these high speeds. A recall on his calibrated electronic speedometer after the run confirmed the big Kawasaki was indeed wheel spinning with the rear wheel rotation being beyond 220mph. Gearing issues, traction issues, and unexpected electronic problems added to the frustration as Thoresen’s Kawasaki was ‘knocking on the door’ of the magic 320 km/h (200mph) mark. BACK NEXT YEAR? Aucklander Dean Veale is the latest Kiwi two-wheel record setter following in the footsteps of Invercargill’s late, great Burt Munro at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States. At Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats this year, Veale, from Kaukapakapa on the Queen City’s northwestern fringe, rode his cut-down Suzuki Hayabusa-based sports bike (nick-named The White Elephant) to a new world speed record in the 1650cc A-G class of 311.2 km/h, a good six km/h faster than the existing mark. Veale was one of a number of Kiwis campaigning on the Salt Flats this year and needed just two runs to create the new average record speed. NOT SO LUCKY
CHARITY RIDE WITH A DIFFERENCE In 1959 missionary Frank Carter purchased a DOT motorcycle. Some 50 years later he is riding the very same bike from Cape Reinga to Bluff, arriving at the Burt Munroe Challenge in Invercargill in November. Frank owned the bike till 1968 and said farewell to it for good, or so he thought when he left the bike in Papua New Guinea, where he and his wife Ruth had been missionaries since 1961. While in PNG the bike was the family’s only means of transport. Frank aims to fund raise to purchase a relief plane for MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). Every three minutes a MAF plane is taking off somewhere in the world because World Vision, Tear Fund, Unicef, Medair, the UN, the WFP, Samaritans etc rely on MAF getting supplies and aid to them. For more information and/or the opportunity to help go to The Redeemed Motorcycle Ministry at www.theredeemed. org.
8 KIWI RIDER
Fellow Kiwi Alan Thoresen was not so lucky despite setting a new personal best speed on the salt flats of 317.92 km/h (198.702mph). Riding ‘Black Thunder,’ his well-used Kawasaki ZX-14, Hamiltonian Thoresen, remained shy of the 324.4 km/h (214 mph) he needed to break the existing speed record in his class. Wheelspin at high speed remains Black Thunder’s Achilles heel, observers noting that they could still hear the bike’s Dean Veale (top three pics) returned home with a new World Land Speed Record after this year’s Speed Week event on the Bonneville Salt Flats in August. Compatriot Alan Thoresen found it harder in his class, coming up shy of the existing record courtesy a number of issues.
But enthusiastic as ever he is eyeing a return to the salt flats in 2010 to try again. “We have to take what we have gained this year at Bonneville, a personal best of 198.702mph plus the additional seat time and experience we have all gained to try and increase the speed by almost 28 km/h (17mph) over last year,” he told KR. Bonneville Speed Week 2010 will be held in August and Thoresen and his team are already contemplating this challenge on the Salt Flats and the Land Speed Record. KR
WORDS & PICS: Big Dave I have to admit it was a phone call I’d been anticipating for about 18 months or more. It was from Sales Manager Leigh Beckhaus at Triumph importer Triumph NZ telling me that she had new T’bird demonstrators that needed shaking down. Bed the brakes - vary the throttle - get the skin off the tyres, make sure they are good to go to the general press and dealer demos. And you, Big Dave, are the man to do it! Actually make that you….and Stretch! There were two demonstrators to run in you see, one by me, the other by that other KR roustabout, Stretch. And true to form I met the bugger at TNZ about three minutes after getting the call.
crisp and it throws around nicely. Cornering clearance seemed good for a cruiser, but still a cruiser. But cruise it does – very, very nicely. We returned with the bikes ‘shooken’ and us smiling. There were quite a few T’birds in crates being shifted around the warehouse for dispatch when we arrived. So we can happily report that The Thunderbirds are here and they are fabulous. We’ll have an opportunity for a longer test and better impressions after the official launch so keep an eye out in next month’s KR for a fuller report. If you are one of the folks with your deposit down – lucky you! KR
WHAT AN ENGINE!
CASTROL SUPPORT TO CONTINUE Castrol’s sponsorship of the annual Road Race Championships is set to continue, the five-round 2009/10 series to be known as the Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships. The series is 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 on February 27-28 and, finally, at the new Hampton Downs circuit, near Meremere, on March 27-28. “Motorcycling New Zealand is delighted the Castrol Power 1 sponsorship will continue, as it gives us the ability to maintain our momentum in road racing,” said Motorcycling New Zealand president Jim Tuckerman, Auckland.
We hit the Freeway and headed west. Wow. What an engine. I was instantly impressed by how strong and how…nice it felt. Not a particularly creative adjective I know. There are demos at selected Triumph dealers now. Take one for a ride and I’ll be surprised if somewhere along the way you don’t think ‘niiiice!’. Stretch had a stop off at Henderson Film Studios and the Showbiz folk had a very big drool over the machines while we were there. From the glamour we headed out to Bethell’s Beach and a bit of twisty back road, up to Scenic drive for a portrait shot and back to base via the Western Freeway. VERY TIDY The bike’s handling is very tidy, the brakes really impressed, the gearbox is
HUNDRED THOU HYOSUNG Take a look at the speedo, more particularly the odometer. That’s correct, it reads a whisker short of 100,000 km. How many of us have racked up that sort of distance on one bike? Not many is our guess. How many will have done that on one bike in a little over three years? Very few, most probably. And how many will have done that on a GT250 Hyosung? Well, thiss ers is where Wellington’s Greg Wilkinson differs ved from the average Kiwi rider. He has achieved all of the above, and more. Not bad for a bloke who took up motorcycling about four years ago to save on the cost of running his Nissan Mistral 4WD diesel to and from his Petone-based printing business! Commuting more than 400 km a week gave Greg the bug to go further afield. Quite a lot further actually, which is how he has managed to clock up the equivalent of two and a half times around the earth’s equator on his Korean V-twin. Or if you’d like a comparison closer to home, seven and a half laps of that wide brown land next door. Greg is no stranger to logging big distances on his vehicles. A former Mini enthusiast, he clocked up almost half a million miles (800,000 km) in one of the seven that he owned. But he loves his Hyosung and reckons the change of distributorship last year was the best thing to have happened to the brand. “Since the changeover, spare parts prices have dropped and availability has improved BIG time! I am amazed at the amount of spares Hyosung New Zealand has in stock.” So what’s the secret to Greg’s pretty much trouble-free run on the GT250 Hyosung? “Warm the engine up before you go and change the oil, oil filter and air filter at the recommended intervals.” For the record, Greg had the engine apart recently to replace a bearing, and says the cylinder bore still had the original honing marks on them. Now he’s on his way to his second hundred thousand kays…
ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS
THUNDERBIRDS ARE…HERE
Triumph’s Thunderbird demos parked up for a quick scenic static (top) and Stretch putting in the hard yards running in his! It’s a dirty job, ya’know, but someone’s got to do it!
KIWI RIDER 9
ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS
NEW BMW MOTORRAD DEALERS WORDS: Staff PIC: BMW Motorrad Australia and New Zealand BMW importer BMW Motorrad is pleased to announce the appointment of a new dealer in Wellington, Lower Hu Hutt’s Motomart.
With a state-of-the-art facility, Motomart has room for over 200 new and used motorcycles, including a 450sqm service area complete with specially trained BMW technicians to ensure BMW customers, and their motorcycles, receive the very best in care. Motomart was originally founded in 1995 by Pat and Carol McLoughlin and is now recognized as one of the country’s leading motorcycle retailers. A testament to this is the fact that Motomart was voted as Ducati’s number one New Zealand dealer and is also one of New Zealand’s largest Honda dealers. “Since the announcement we have received overwhelming support and interest in the BMW brand from new and existing customers. We welcome this opportunity to be able to expand our business and the Motomart team are looking forward to working with the BMW Group,” says Pat. The official opening of BMW Motorrad at Motomart was held on Saturday 22
10 KIWI RIDER
Motomart founders Pat and Carol McLoughlin outside the BMW Motorrad part of their Rutherford St, Lower Hutt business, Motomart
August, 2009. Motomart’s superstore is located at 7 Rutherford Street, Lower Hutt Wellington. For more information please visit www.motomart.co.nz/. The appointment of Motomart is not the only change in the BMW Motorrad lineup in New Zealand either. With the closure of Christchurch business Canterbury Rides, BMW motorcycles look set to be sold out of the Garden City’s BMW car dealership, Jeff Grey BMW Christchurch. More on that move next month. KR
Overseas models shown with optional accessories.
After stringent quality control, two witnesses and some delicate finger work Linda Glasswell (KR office manager) pulled two very lucky buggers names from the entry box. Congratulations to Mark Cunningham of Christchurch (top photo) and Graeme Hurring of Napier for entering the Olympic Bonneville Watch Competition and winning themselves a very smart looking time piece each. They have already been notified over the copper
BONNEVILLE WINNERS DR
WORDS: Staff PIC: CSBS
ROAD NEWS AND BRIEFS
and by all accounts it made their days good on you guys! The Bonneville range is available in six different colours, uses the finest materials and starts from a very well priced SRP of $325. Kiwi Rider would like to thank everyone that entered the competition and Olympic Swiss NZ for providing the watches. More information regarding the entire Olympic Swiss range available in New Zealand can be found by popping over to www.olympicwatch. com or by phoning Olympic Swiss Auckland 09 271 0357.
WATCH AWN!
RIDE DAY UPDATE HAMPTON DOWNS You’ve seen the California Superbike School ads in KR for the past six months and if you’ve been as keen as us you’ve been a regular visitor to the Hampton Downs website.
John Hanna and Darren Sweetman of the California Superbike School haggle over suitable tyres as they wait for sealing work to be completed at the Hampton Downs circuit.
But when is the track ACTUALLY going to be open? And more importantly, when can you join one of the local branch of the world-renowned California Superbike School’s Ride Days at the new northWaikato circuit?
The 2.8km circuit shows a lot of promise, with some exciting elevation changes and complex blind turns, not to mention the flat out sweeping front straight.
The answer, according to Darren Sweetman of the local branch of the School, is October which is when you will be able to leave your knobby tyres at home and put your favourite road tyres on your bike with the opening of the first of the two internationally certified tracks at the venue.
Hampton Downs Ride Days (info@ hamptondownsridedays.co.nz) and the California Superbike School (info@ californiasuperbikeschool.co.nz) will be operating at the venue, so please contact them on (09) 412 6266 or via email to cement your place in history. The ride days will start in October, with the Superbike School starting in November. KR
A N E W S T AND ARD . A NEW EXPECTATI ON. THE NEW AM ER I C AN MO TO R CYC LE .
®
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
KIWI RIDER 11
ROAD NEWS SPEED WEEK
BM SURPRISE WITH S 1000 RR BMW P PRICING Sportsbike fans are still going to h have to pay a price premium for BMW’s new S 1000 RR but not as great a one as many in the market suspected. In fact, when announcing local pricing for the c company’s first ever production Superbike, A Australia-based New Zealand importer BMW BM Motorrad Australia added ‘(no, this is not no a typo)’ to their press release. The basic NZ price will be $27,325 though that will not inclu the company’s much-vaunted elecinclude tronic ABS and traction control system (which will be available as an option for $NZ3,119). BMW dealers here are currently taking orders for delivery in the first quarter next year of production road-going versions of the bike which is taking on the Japanese at their own game on the World Superbike Championship circuit this year. Based round a beam-type aluminium frame and 999cc four cylinder engine the S 1000 RR is said to weigh just 184kg dry and produce 143 kW (193 hp) of peak power at 13,000rpm
TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE KR’s recent series of articles on the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club and its upcoming 100th anniversary has proved wildly popular with many a rider and/ or fan delving into their own archives for pictures of themselves with long hair, flares and early Japanese performance bikes. Former production racing star Ian Dawson is one and he sent us a great pic of himself on his way to winning the 250 proddie race (in lap record-setting pace) at Levels in 1981. Ian tells us; “Behind me is Kerry Chapman and behind him is Greg Bramwell. We were all on the first LC 250 Yamahas raced in New Zealand. There were only five of these pre-production models. One for me (which I had to buy) one for Greg Bramwell (who’s dad bought it for him), and the others for Kerry Chapman, Iain Pero and Joanne Meiklejohn. Kerry Chapman went on to win the championship, Iain Pero would finish second and I was third overall as I failed to finish the last race of the season. That said I won the 250 TT that year at Ruapuna.” Thanks Ian, and if anyone else has some nice sharp period pics like Ian’s which have been scanned and are emailable, we’d love to see them. Who knows, they might even spark a new column. SMALL BIKES TO USE PUSHBIKE LANES? On to more serious topics and a recent study conducted across the Tasman confirms what most of us already know - when it comes to road crashes, motorcyclists and scooter riders are vulnerable. What spiked our interest in the story from Motorcycling Australia however was the fact that the organisation believes that vulnerability should encourage authorities to open bicycle lanes to smaller capacity
12 KIWI RIDER
YAMAHA ADDS 125 TO YZF-R RANGE Capitalising on the market’s renewed interest in under 250cc road models Yamaha Motor NZ has added a 125cc model to its YZF-R range The trick little fuel-injected 125 is the work of the same engineers who created the company’s YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 supersport bikes and is powered by a liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4-valve, single cylinWORDS: Staff PIC: Yamaha der, SOHC engine tuned to deliver the wheelbase on the new Yamaha free-revving performance right through to R-series is 1353mm, over 58mm greater maximum power at 9000rpm. than a typical sports 125, which helps to The chassis features a Deltabox enhance stability. frame and aluminium swinging arm for The larger physical size of the maoutstanding handling performance, and chine also allowed Yamaha’s designers 5-spoke wheels help to minimise unsmore freedom in creating a sporty yet prung weight. comfortable riding position. And finally, A large diameter 292mm front disc the larger chassis gives the machine far with a 230mm diameter rear disc make greater presence on the street. for effective stopping power, and the Complementing the race-bred Deltaggressive R-series bodywork lets eveabox frame is a cast aluminium swinging rybody know exactly where this bike is arm. By keeping unsprung weight low, coming from. this high quality swinging arm allows The YZF-R125 is targeted at the disthe link-type rear suspension system to cerning buyer who demands best-in-class operate more efficiently and deliver more engine and handling performance as well responsive handling qualities. as winning R-series style. The YZF-R125 is expected in Yamaha One of the most significant features dealer showrooms in September. It will of the new R125 is that it has been conbe available in two colour options, red and structed with a full-sized chassis, which blue, and will carry a recommended retail is unique in its segment. For example, price of $8,999. KR
KAWASAKI LAUNCHES NEW MODEL Kawasaki has a reputation for building fast, exciting motorcycles. Motorcycles, however, are only one of the products the diversified industrial conglomerate makes and sells. For instance, Kawasaki has a key role in developing products for the new International Space Station. WORDS: Staff PIC: Kawasaki
Japan’s portion of the station has been under construction for about a year now as the station orbits nearly 40kms above the earth’s surface.
final assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Kibo module.
Kawasaki’s role is in developing the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) also known as ‘kibo,’ the Japanese word for hope.
The ISS is a research facility funded and used by 15 countries including Japan, the US, Holland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia.
Two NASA space shuttle flights in early 2008 ferried Kibo components to the ISS. And on March 15 this year a third shuttle flight was launched carrying Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese astronaut to spend an extended time on the ISS where he prepared for the
The station can accommodate a crew of three astronauts who continually operate it to maintain a constant human presence in space. KR No it’s not the latest Ninja, rather this is a shot of the ISS which Kawasaki is contributing parts to.
KIWI RIDER 13
ROAD NEWS SPEED WEEK
mo motorcycles and scooters “There has been an enormous investment in creating safer la lanes for bicycles in capitals and major cities c across the country,” said Motorcycling Australia’s Dan Rotman, “but riders of scooters and Powered Two Wheelers [[PTWs] - are locked out of them because o legislation and regulation.” He said that of there had rightly been an effort to protect th bicycle bic riders from other traffic, but that legislators legi and road constructors seemed to have forgotten that riders of PTWs were even more vulnerable than bicyclists. “While injury trends for bicycle riders and car occupants are in decline, riders of PTWs remain highly vulnerable, and part of the solution could be extending the use of bicycle lanes in selected locations,” Rotman said. Bicycle and PTW riders have a lot in common- a similar exposure to risk, size and footprint- and much of the new bicycle lane infrastructure could safely and easily accommodate both user groups.” Not every bicycle lane would be appropriate,” Rotman said, “but there’s a great opportunity to conduct a trial to establish how, and where the protection of these exclusive lanes could be extended to all vulnerable road users.” Motorcycling Australia said that it would like to work with bicycle user groups, the MRA, car user groups and Government to work out how this could be best achieved. AGE LIMIT FOR SUPERBIKES IN CANADA In other, related, safety issue news, Canadian state Quebec’s automobile insurance board is hoping strict rules on motorbike ownership will cut road accident rates. The Societe de l’assurance automobile du Quebec, or the SAAQ, will restrict access to high-powered sports bikes to riders over 25 or with more than five years experience. The board hopes it will protect sports bike aficionados who they contend are over represented in accident statistics. Because their data suggests the risk of accidents is directly linked to cylinder size and the type of motorcycle, it’s divided motorbikes into two categories: high-risk sports bikes designed for speed and performance, and regular motorbikes. The SAAQ’s president, John Harbour, says the tighter restriction will allow riders to work their way up to driving the faster, more powerful models. “The status quo will remain for those who already ride those motorbikes but the new wave of riders will have gradual access,” he said. It’s not only novice riders who’ll face restrictions. Even bikers who hit the age and experience benchmark could be forced off the high-powered models if they have a poor driving record. “It’s like being a good father,’’ Harbour said. “It’s about knowing at what point someone is ready to drive such-and-such a model.” But the province’s motorcyclists have so far been unimpressed. They’ve been holding regular weekend protests - dubbed Operation Snail - by driving en masse along Quebec highways at minimum speeds. The bikers are upset over registration-fee increases that started last year. Riders with the most powerful models have been the hardest hit, seeing annual fees spiking from $667 in 2008 to $1,030 this year. But the province contends the bikers should pay more because they have a higher rate of accidents and are a bigger drain on public insurance.
14 KIWI RIDER
THIS MONTH ON THE WEBSITE
WORDS: Staff PICS: Big Dave Our web poll last month asked ‘How many motorcycles do you own’ and it produced an interesting result. ‘Two’ was the most popular response in the early going, but over the course of the month ‘one’ proved the most popular response. One 36% Two 22% Three 17% Four 8% Five 9% Six to ten 5% Ten + 2% Other 1% Which adds up to 63% of respondents own more than one motorcycle. LOOK AND LISTEN! We have ride impressions and quick flicks, some with short video grabs (mainly so you can hear what they sound like) on a variety of bikes. Triumph Thunderbird, RSV4 Aprilia, Guzzi Bellagio, Dorsoduro and others that we are working on as the mag goes to press. As part of our event sponsorship package we’ve uploaded Geoff Osborne’s full photo set of riders in the Dead Toad and Dead Tadpole Cross-Country races. We tried to get as many of the field as possible and can email you a high res file if you’d like one to print out. Our Cool Gear and Hot Products site
is also live. We’re featuring product reviews and news in a separate section and will build the content monthly. We’ll keep it up to date with our impressions of the gear we’re using and bike product news. There are excellent reports from Jim in Wellington and his trip to the Mods & Rockers run in Christchurch and the news pages feature items we’ve plucked from the net and newswires. I’M A KIWI RIDER…(AND I’M OK!) Our new music player opens in a pop up window that you can send to the back and listen while you browse. First up is Fatt Max and our new theme Jingle ‘I’m a Kiwi Rider’ – see if you don’t hum that ditty to yourself when sitting at the next set of traffic lights. The B side – The Two Stroke Cowboy is also a bit of a laugh. Max has some more ‘rocky’ songs under production now. Our You Tune channel has a great bunch of vids that we’ve found around the net and is updated regularly too. Plus there are all the regular features, cartoon, event calendar, downloads and games. Log on and check us out www.kiwirider.co.nz KR
THEY’RE READING OUR MAG WHERE? WORDS: Staff PIC: Neil and Alison Waugh Hey, hey, check Neil and Alison Waugh bike, or a bike you like and they will have on holiday in Vietnam but keeping it on a silk tie the next day!” up with the play with a copy of their Thanks Neil...for the words, pics...and favourite magazine. Neil tells us; ‘We had idea! KR a great time observing the loads the locals managed to put on scooters, often getting them to market. Got some postcards showing live pigs, poultry, and even one showing a live water buffalo calf, all tied up on the back. Also (for anyone out there who wears a tie to work) if you’re planning a trip to Vietnam, take a photo of your
KIWI RIDER 15
MR WOLF UPDATE
A quick call to Ferdinand revealed a couple of changes and a CD of updated pics arrived a couple of days later. Since we last profiled the much-modified bike, Ferdinand has gone to work on the exhaust pipes (imported from the US) shortening the top pipe and filing a couple of cms off the slash cut end to give it a much more aggressive look. Since fitting the extended forks and having the bike painted in its Mr Wolf livery, Ferdinand and partner Karen have been thinking about the next stage, which involves some even more ambitious mods. “After checking through various magazines and websites we’ve decided that the look we want means changing the frame to make the bike even more streamlined. We have had a look around and found the frame we want in Germany. It’s the only one we’ve found which will allow us to change the existing 170 back tyre on a 15 inch wheel to a 200 section tyre on a 17 inch mag. When we get it we will also drop the carrier but do a new back seat and sissy bar. “At that stage we will also get our talented artist friend Dean Lawrence who did
WORDS: Staff PICS: Ferdinand Valk
the stunning ‘Mr Wolf’ graphics on the petrol tank to do some more work on the front and rear fenders and the side covers.” Ferdinand and Karen agree that the project is taking a lot longer than they first envisioned but say that it is very much a labour of love, and that wherever they go they get a fantastic response, meaning they are by no means the only chopper fans in the Wellington area. KR
‘Mr Wolf’ in all his extended fork glory and the modded slash-cut exhausts.
CYCLESPOT HONDA’S NEW SUPERSTORE WORDS: Staff PICS: Todd S.
Painter. The pair won a trip for two to the 2009 MotoGP at Phillip Island!
Auckland’s North Shore now boasts a new motorcycle Superstore with the recent opening of the relocated Cyclespot Honda at 63 Barry’s Point Road. Proprietor Grant Woolford went all out with a big opening night on Friday September 4 and a heap of in-store prizes. It certainly looked to be well received with literally hundreds of people checking the new store on the Friday night and hundreds more on the Saturday. Road race and motocross superstars Aaron Slight and Shayne King (respectively) joined in the celebrations, as did Wayne and Dale
In what are seen as tighter financial times, it’s heartening to see the likes of Cyclespot, Motomart in Wellington and Sportzone in Christchurch, raising the bar and giving customers a better shopping experience. Roll on summer we say. KR
Cyclesport Honda proprietor Grant Woolford (right) with opening function special guests Aaron Slight and Shayne King.
Centre of attention. Triumph’s new Thunderbird took centre stage at the Holeshot Motorcycles’ function in Auckland.
THUNDERBIRD LAUNCH
WORDS: Staff PICS: Todd S.
Meanwhile, just up the road, Holeshot Motorcycles unveiled the new Triumph Thunderbird a few days earlier. The team decked the showroom out as an all Triumph affair with the usual suspects attending. Everyone seemed im-
pressed when Jamie fired the Thunderbird up. Comments were made on the low seat height and comfort of the riding position. The consensus on the 1.6 litre parallel twin? “A nice little bike, and when can we ride it?” KR KIWI RIDER 17
ROAD NEWS
It’s been a while since we checked progress on Wellington chopper man Ferdinand Valk’s radical Suzuki Intruder, ‘Mr Wolf.’
ROAD TEST KTM RC8 R
W With the paint barely dry on the o original RC8, Austrian manufacturer KTM has added a new big-bore ‘R’ version to its road bike line-up. KR E Editor Ross MacKay has the story. WORDS: Ross MacKay PICS: Geoff Osborne W
TERMINA 18 KIWI RIDER
Sure, bar a new graphics package, it LOOKS just like the RC8 which spawned it (and which by the way still sells alongside it). But progress has been made. BIG progress at that.. And it’s all a result of a host of small steps.
ROAD TEST KTM RC8 R
R
eal progress, or so they say, is about steps. Small steps. A good example is KTM’s new RC8 R.
In theory the main one is an increase in engine capacity – from 1148cc to 1198cc – and with it a worthwhile increase of 14 kW in peak power. But the increase is only one of a myriad of similarly small steps (see sidebar story) which has made an interesting if not quite fully developed first attempt (the RC8) into a bone fide Superbike shootout contender. Where to start? The world launch of the original RC8, KTM’s first V-twin Superbike, is as good a place as any. Kiwi Rider was represented by Bike Mart man Todd S. Road-racer Todd was in his element at the Ascari circuit in Spain, reporting back that the new KTM combined a lusty V-twin engine with a sharpsteering yet impressively stable trellisstyle frame and excellent real-world ergonomics. The only fly-in-the-ointment appeared to be issues, mentioned by some, ignored by others and generally down-played by KTM, about gear change action. Fast forward to a bitterly cold and wet Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway (pause for breath) at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch for the low-key local launch several months later and it was me in the seat. My first impressions were of a bike that only KTM could have built, it’s sharp, angular looks and snappy, impatient power delivery the tarmac equivalent of a 450EXC off-roader.
TOR II
Ride, handling and ergos were just as Todd had told us, though the gearing was way too high for all Ruapuna’s frustratingly slow-entry corners and, yep, the gear lever action was closer to that of an old-skool Harley-Davidson than a contemporary Japanese or Italian sportsbike A year on and the R model arrives at Kastle KR looking like it has been dipped in matt black paint. Personally, I much prefer the deep, lustrous metallic KIWI RIDER 19
ROAD TEST KTM RC8 R orange of the original bike but there’s no doubting the intent of the R with its strong mix of orange trellis frame, white belly pan, matt black ‘tank’ and fairing sides, with contrasting orange and white ‘number boards’ on each side of the nose. FIRST THINGS FIRST Why add a second, more expensive model to your fledgling Superbike line-up so soon after the first one? The obvious answer is that the R is a more tightly targeted sports model better suited to Track Day use. That said, I definitely don’t want to characterise the R as some sort of rip-snorting, narrowly-focused Ducati 916-esque sportster which requires total commitment from your brain and body. Because bar the extra capacity and higher spec, the R is identical, ergonomically, to the base model, which set new standards in all-round rider comfort (for a sportsbike) on its release. As delivered, for instance, the test bike had its clip-on handlebars mounted approx 15mm below the line of the top triple clamp meaning they could have come up that much had I thought too much of my torso weight was being supported by my wrists. The RC8 and RC8 R are bikes you sit down into rather than on top of and while 20 KIWI RIDER
ground clearance is not an issue there’s still plenty of room for your ankles and knees. A MAJOR PLUS-POINT This is a major plus-point if you are considering using a high performance Superbike-style bike every day and it’s something both the RC8 and R do so much better than – for instance – Aprilia’s tall and quite cramped RSV Mille (the original twin, not the new V4), that you’ll wonder what the Italians were thinking about at the time. Climb on, settle in, plunge your gloved hand down in front of the triple clamp to locate the (almost hidden) key, thumb the starter and the larger capacity, higher compression (from 12.5 to 13.5:1) engine erupts into lusty life before settling into a hard-edged rat-a-tat idle. Squeeze the light, springy hydraulic clutch lever, select first gear and…..hello, they HAVE fixed the problem with the selectors (or whatever it was). Ease the clutch out and two things strike you (well at least they did me). For local use the steering lock is a tad restrictive (not by much but you notice it every time you climb on and try to ride away in anything but a straight line), and the gearing is still too high. While I’m pointing out the negatives
Distinctive RC8 silhouette gets matt black mix to make sure up-spec R model stands out from the crowd. Gearbox upgrade transforms basic bike and new, higher R spec (which includes bigger bore and extra peak power and torque) means KTM’s distinctive V-twin now has the function to match it’s hard-edged and serious form.
ROAD TEST KTM RC8 R
R-RATED RC8 The key difference between the RC8 R and RC8 is in the new, slightly larger capacity engine and with it an extra 14kW of peak power. Like Ducatis the move made sense once the FIM allowed manufacturers of twin cylinder machines the extra leeway (up to 1200cc) to continue to be competitive with the 1000cc four cylinder on the World Superbike championship stage. In KTM’s case the extra capacity has come via an increase in bore size from 103mm to 105mm and with it a slight change in cam timing and downstream upgrades to the water pump allowing for the greater heat produced by the larger capacity, more powerful engine. There are a hundred and one other differences of course, the main one (if you’ve ridden an ’08 RC8) being a wholesale re-design of the gearchange mechanism. On the original RC8 there was a rolling ‘keerunch’ as the countershaft wrestled the drive chain into submission when you selected first and the changes were long-winded, awkward, and often false, reminding many who rode the bike of pre-upgrade Harley-Davidson gearboxes. Though most journos seemed to pussy-foot round the issue, KTM correctly identified it had a problem and – quite literally – went back to the drawing board to create a new, smoother-operating shift drum and build in greater free play between the gears themselves. The result is – in a word – stunning, with RC8R action the equal of any other top-flight sportsbike on the market. Pull in the clutch, select first gear and it now ‘snicks’ rather than crunches into place and changes from gear to gear are absolutely seamless, whether you’re going up or down, and/or using the clutch or quick-shifting. Some achievement in just one model year and the good news is if you already own an RC8 your KTM dealer can retrofit the new parts. Handling-wise there was nothing really wrong with the original RC8 though the R ‘feels’ at once lighter and even more nimble than the original thanks, no doubt, to the reduction in unsprung weight brought about by the move from standard cast aluminium alloys to lighter, freer-spinning forged Marchesinis. There have also been some subtle geometry changes though and these, I’m thinking, have settled the front end (which was a little flighty). The main one is an increase in trail (from a scant 92mm to 97mm) which comes courtesy a change in fork offset to 34mm meaning the rake of 23.3° remains the same. Suspension-wise there aren’t the changes between standard and ‘sport upgrade’ you’d see with a Ducati (who swap Showa units for Ohlins) but that’s as much because KTM owns WP who supplies all their spec equipment. According to the factory, the RC8 R’s forks and shock are optimised for the more specific requirements of Track Day work rather than the broader requirements of everyday road riding.
I’d also like to add my voice to those critics of digital block rev counters. The RC8’s engine revs smoothly and fairly evenly from idle to its nominal redline (and beyond in fact) of ten-andbit thousand rpm. But as a rider you seem strangely isolated from what the engine is doing, an old-skool analogue dial and needle a much more userfriendly way to keep an eye on what the engine is doing. ON THE ROAD….AGAIN! That said I don’t think I got near the soft rev limiter in a week riding the RC8 R on the road around Auckland. With no Track Days through the worst part of the winter and Pukekohe booked out most Fridays I had to content myself with the odd touge (Japanese word for canyon) run north-west of the city. Not exactly the ideal way to ‘test’ a track-ready Superbike but, as I’m often told by distributors and various other industry people, ‘you bloody journalists expect everything handed to you on a plate!’ Be that as it may I can tell you that once your right hand and wrist get used to the typical V-twin vibes through the hand grips (it takes a ride or two for the pins & needles to go away), the R turned out to be quite a handy weapon, surprising me with the compliance of the upgraded WP forks and rear shock and the unique mix of quick, nimble steering and
peerless side-on stability. Climbing on and off it into and out of corners isn’t as easy as it could be, with the tank (really a plastic shroud surrounding the airbox) feeling just a tad too wide where your knees clamp it, and your body positioned a lot further back than it is on a typical (particularly forward-inclined engine) four cylinder machine. I tried sitting as far forward as I feasibly could (see pics) but when you do that the combination of lusty V-twin acceleration and engine braking, and a snappy throttle means your private parts are in the firing line…. Get your head around sitting more in the middle of the bike though and the result is an almost eerie calm, particularly when you’re on the side of the lovely, sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres. Add in typically brilliant power and truly sublime modulation from the radiallymounted Brembo monobloc caliper front brakes and you’ve got a chassis package distinctively different yet as dynamic and confidenceinspiring as any from Ducati or Japan Inc with enough adjustment to further fine-tune it to your particular preferences. TO SUM UP The RC8 R arrives on our market at an interesting time and at $37,995 sits neatly price-wise between its four cylinder rivals KIWI RIDER 21
ULTRA EXCLUSIVE ONLY 2 IN NZ AND WE HAVE ONE OF THEM
2010 KTM 1190cc RC8 - R
ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled fuel-injected DOHC 75° V-twin 4-stroke Displacement: 1195cc Compression ratio: 13.5.01 Peak power: 125 kW @10,250rpm Peak torque: 123Nm @ 8000rpm Bore x stroke: 105 x 69mm Starting system: Electric Engine management system: CDI Fuel system: Keihin fuel-injection w/52mm throttle body Clutch: Wet multiplate Transmission: 6-speed Final drive: Chain
from Japan and now Germany (BMW’s S 1000 RR) and Italian exotica like MVAgusta’s F4 312 and Ducati’s limited edition 1098 R homologation special. While cynics might look at the trellisstyle tubular chromoly frame and V-twin engine and dismiss it as a Ducati wannabe, there’s enough unique DNA in the RC8 and now the RC8 R to more than justify its place in the Superbike scheme of things.
ROAD TEST KTM RC8 R
SPECIFICATIONS KTM RC8 R
Last year I felt that, in its original form, the RC8 was not quite there, the gearchange action colouring my overall opinion. This year the R, and with it I would imagine the base RC8, is the complete package. And if you like to stand out from the crowd it’s a compelling one, a very compelling one indeed! KR
FRAME Type: Chromolybdenum trellis Swingarm: Aluminium Suspension: Front: WP USD43mm w/ adj preload, high/low speed compression & rebound damping. Rear: single WP shock w/adj spring preload, high/low speed compression & rebound damping Brakes: 2 x 320mm rotor discs w/4-piston radially-mounted Brembo calipers front; single 220mm rotor disc w/2-piston caliper rear Wheels: Marchesini forged aluminium 17 in. dia front & rear Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercrosa 120/70-ZR17 front & 1990/55-ZR17 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1425mm Rake: 23.3° Trail: 97mm Seat height: 805-825mm (adjustable) Dry weight: 182kg Fuel tank capacity: 16.5l RRP: $37,995 Test bike: KTM NZ Ltd GEAR Helmet: Arai RX7 GP Leathers, gloves and boots: Teknic
Like its dirt bike cousins KTM’s RC8 R Superbike combines a hard, confident styling and marketing edge with bulletproof basics. Chassis ticks all the boxes with sharp, incisive steering yet peerless side-on stability while ergos are road-trip comfortable yet also adjustable. Same goes for up-spec WP suspension. As delivered there’s more than enough compliance but fine-tuning (which can include rear ride height) will improve ride and/or handling depending on whether the bike is used on road or track.
KIWI RIDER 23
LAUNCH REPORT APRILIA RSV4
We’ve had new twins from Ducati and KTM and new fours from Yamaha and BMW. Now Aprilia completes the Production Superbike category picture with an all-new V4. KR Editor Ross MacKay has the story.
(RS)V FOR VICTORY WORDS: Ross MacKay PICS: Geoff Osborne
KIWI RIDER 25
LAUNCH REPORT APRILIA RSV4
Here at last….Aprilia’s RS4 cuts a mean dash at the local launch….not so sure about the Ed who makes it look like an RS125! Big surprise with sleek, race-ready RSV4 is how ready it is to play Monday-to-Friday commuter and weekend warrior. Despite its looks the RSV4 is a real all-rounder.
can only describe as the gorgeous Italian attention to engineering and display detail (the machining of the top triple clamp, simple, practical mix of analogue rev counter and digital speedo) and to marvel at the fact that the sleek, wind-cheating mirrors actually provided me with a reasonable view of what was disappearing behind me.
A
nd so the time has come…..after months of waiting, the KR crew gathers at Maraetai on Auckland’s south-east coast for the official New Zealand launch of Aprilia’s RSV4. There are just the two bikes, one – on a race stand – to look at, the other, freshly run for us to ride. Tech-wise the RSV4 is a tour-de-force. It doesn’t look half bad either. Where to start? In the saddle’s the best place. Though the RSV4 looks tiny hunkered down on its side stand I was pleasantly surprised at how much room there was for the rider with a nice, narrow tank unit, roomy, tapered seat squab and the easy reach to the clip-in handlebars. While the steering lock is quick to remind you the RSV4 is a sportsbike, the bike’s light overall weight and low-ish seat height makes skwiggling it in and out of parking spaces easier than you’d think from
the way it looks, and the broad suite of gear ratios, crisp fueling and bountiful low down torque makes easing away from a stop almost stress-free. With an eye to the, er, variable riding skills displayed by members of the local press pack, the test bike was electronically locked in S mode which, considering we were riding a Track Day-ready sportsbike on public roads, turned out to be a good choice. Easing the throttle open brought with it a smooth, surge of torque-infused power which was more than enough to get the juices flowing. Ride-wise the Ohlins forks and shock absorber exhibited typical premier product compliance at legal road speeds with a confidence-inspiring firming up as the speeds (and bumps on the rough and ready Maraetai-to-Whitford road) increased. Settling in I had time to take in what I
RSV4 Q & A
has many avid followers among the typical users of this type of motorcycle.
Q: Why is it called RSV4?
Q: Why a 65° V-4?
A: The Racing Sport (RS) series, powered by a narrow angle V engine, has been the flagship of the Aprilia range for over a decade. The series has now evolved even further, gaining two more cylinders.
A: To achieve a chassis architecture that takes full advantage of the engine’s high performance at both low and high engine speeds.
Q: Why World Superbikes and not MotoGP? A: To bring the brand closer to the clientele. To offer the end user state-of-theart technological content in a track-ready motorcycle, the development of which in only possible in the SBK championship. And finally, to exploit the increased popularity of this championship, which 26 KIWI RIDER
Q: Why no traction control? A: The bike does have an engine torque control system managed electronically by the Ride-by-Wire (RBW) system which inhibits full power delivery at low engine speeds with the S and R maps selected. That said we can tell you that we are working on both a performance-based traction control system for the SBK bike as well as a safety-biased system for use on road bikes which will be available in the future.
With such a short test ride in such controlled conditions I can’t in all honesty tell you much else, bar the fact that I was as impressed with the integration of all the various dynamic functions (throttle, brakes, suspension etc) as I was the overall look and ergonomics. How the RSV4 compares with other more run-of-the-mill 1000cc Superbikes I can only imagine, though I can tell you that of the current crop it has an overall feel closer to Yamaha’s distinctive new R1 than it does – say – Ducati’s 1198 S or even the V-twin KTM RC8 R that’s on the cover this month. In fact that’s probably as good a way as any to sign off this ‘first impression’ ride. Like the original RSV1000 the RSV4 has arrived on the market fully-formed and ready to take on existing key players Ducati and Japan’s Big Four at their own game. TECH TALK You can’t talk about Aprilia’s new RSV4 without mentioning the World Superbike Championship. You can’t because there simply wouldn’t be an RSV4 if there wasn’t a productionbased World Championship series for the company to contest. That said, while the dynamic Italian company is probably better known by race fans as the manufacturer of the best and most numerous 125 and 250cc Grand Prix two-strokes in recent years, its first forays into Superbikes (with the RSV 1000 V-twin in 1999) and MotoGP (with the ill-fated RS3 Cube between 2002 and 2004) yielding little but hard-won experience. It is perhaps for that reason that the company didn’t exactly rush into its V4 programme, instead starting with the clichéd ‘fresh sheet of paper’ and an open mind as to engine configuration. As KR Tech guru Michael Esdaile reported in the June issue, the engineers settled on a 65° V4 engine as the best
LAUNCH REPORT APRILIA RSV4
technical choice for a powerful, light, ultracompact and agile production superbike, a bike… ‘created for the track that embodies everything a rider desires to dominate the circuit, but which can be just as much fun to ride on the road.’ FRAME That bike is based round a beam-type aluminium alloy frame and twin-arm bridge-style aluminium swingarm to which is attached a set of fully adjustable 43mm USD-type Ohlins forks at the front and a (again fully-adjustable) piggy-back reservoir Ohlins coil-over shock absorber at the rear. Brakes front and rear (up front are twin 320mm rotors with radially-mounted ‘Serie Oro’ monobloc four-piston calipers) are courtesy Brembo and the wheels are forged aluminium. At 1420mm the wheelbase is actually longer than that of Yamaha’s new R1 (1415mm) and Honda’s CBR1000RR (1410mm) but you’d never guess that looking at the RS4….which has the same slim, lowslung silhouette as a CBR600RR Honda. What the CBR600RR (or any other production bike for that matter) doesn’t have is an adjustable steering head (interchangeable bushings mean you can change the rake of the RSV4’s forks), an adjustable swingarm pivot height and even the potential to move the engine around in the frame – all firsts for a production bike. ENGINE Bolted to the frame – which acts as a stressed member of the frame – is the 65° V4 engine created by the company. There are four main advantages of the configuration according to Aprilia; the engine snuggled perfectly into the frame; it is as slim as a twin; which in turn allows optimum
chassis architecture; and – with a counterbalancer shaft – produces less vibration than an equivalent twin or transverseframe four. To keep the size of the cylinders as compact as possible, the cam chains spin the intake camshaft directly with a centrally-mounted gear transferring drive to the exhaust cam. The result is a considerable saving of space at the top of the engine, space which has been used to house the Ram Air-fed pressurised airbox and twin 48mm throttle body Weber-Marelli fuel injection system. The system incorporates electronically-controlled variable length intake tracts and two injectors per cylinder with no direct (cable) link to the throttle. Instead the throttle valves are controlled by the latest generation dualprocessor Marelli control unit (ECU) with each bank of cylinders getting a dedicated servo unit. While the system has been proven on the race track, the RSV4 is the first production bike so equipped, with Aprilia claiming better, more precise throttle response courtesy of the individual cylinder bank control of the various air, fuel and throttle position parameters. The system has also facilitated the inclusion of a three-stage power mode system selectable by the rider via a switch on the right-hand clip-on switchblock. For everyday use the R mode offers 104 kW (140hp) with peak power and torque reined in in all six gears. If you want a little more power up top without compromising round-town rideability you can choose S mode (which also reins in peak power and torque in the first three gears). And if you’re at a Track Day and you want a full pack of cards to play with you select T mode which gives you free rein of all 134kW (180hp).
FAMOUS V4S By Ross MacKay Arguably the V4 race fans remember with the most affection is Honda’s RC30, which, in the capable hands of adopted Kiwi Fred Merkel won the inaugural World Championship title in 1988 as well as the second one in 1989. Riders at the time characterised the RC30 as a light, nimble, torquey little beast which could run rings around the Ducati twins and transverse-frame four cylinder machines of the time. Honda invested heavily in the V4 engine configuration – for scant reward as it turned out – as Ducati’s 916 and 996 V-twins dominated the championship through the 90s in the hands of Doug Polen, Carl Fogarty and eventually Aussie Troy Bayliss. American John Kocinski did win the title on an RC45 in 1997 but that was the only other time a V4 rider managed the feat. Even transverse-frame fours struggle in comparison to the ubiquitous V-twin, Scott Russell winning the title on a Kawasaki four in 1993, Troy Bayliss winning it in 2005 on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Briton James Toseland in 2007 on a Honda CBR1000RR. Having tried both a V-twin – the RS-V – and a triple (the ill-fated RS2 Cube) in MotoGP, it’s not hard to understand Aprilia’s decision to re-visit the V4 configuration, and with Italian Max Biaggi immediately competitive and claiming his first SBK win on the RSV4 at Brno you’d have to say that the company is off to a good start...
KIWI RIDER 27
LAUNCH REPORT APRILIA RSV4
In this day and age of increasingly co complex emission solutions it’s interes esting to note Aprilia’s use of reed v valves in the exhaust ports to recirculate a portion of the exhaust gases back into the combustion chamber t thereby reducing HC and CO emiss sions while at the same time, or so th company claims, improving power the de delivery at low speeds.
SPECIFICATIONS APRILIA RSV4 ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled DOHC 4-valve-percylinder 65° V4 4-stroke Displacement: 998.9cc Compression ratio: 12.8:1 Peak power: 132 kW (180bhp) @12,500rpm Peak torque: 115Nm @10,000rpm Bore x stroke: 78 x 52.3mm Starting system: Electric Engine management system: Magneti Marelli digital electronic ignition Fuel system: Weber-Marelli fuel injection w/48mm throttle bodies and ride-by-wire throttle Clutch: Wet multiplate Transmission: 6-speed (cassette-style) Final drive: Chain
There’s also a butterfly valve in the exhaust system (after the header and before the muffler) controlled by the ECU which (like Honda’s similar system) enables the use of a lower back pressure silencer while still meeting all relevant noise emission standards. Finally, the prodigious power and fulsome torque the engine produces is transferred to the rear wheel via a wet, multiplate slipper clutch, quick-change cassette-type six-speed gearbox and O-ring chain. DESIGN There’s a strong family resemblance to more recent Aprilias courtesy the RSV4’s celebrated designer, ex Ducati penman Miguel Galluzzi. Argentine-born Galluzzi was the designer responsible for the distinctive looks of Ducati’s original Monster as well as Cagiva’s Raptor, and his signature clean, angular style has spread quickly through the ranks of the various contemporary Aprilias including the RSV4 and Dorsoduro. With its narrow, low-slung nose and short, truncated tailpiece, compact is by far the best word to describe the look and feel of the RSV4, its final, angular form very much dictated by function. Not just of the bike itself either, the riding position is optimised for track work but far from uncomfortable on the road. KR
All-new. Bar Honda’s valiant attempts in the late 1980s and through the 1990s to single-handedly champion the V4 cause, the RSV4 is the only V4 model on the current production Superbike landscape. Combination of smooth, torquey bottom end and higher revving top end means V4 provides serious riders with a compelling half-way house between Japan Inc’s transverse frame fours and Ducati (and now KTM’s) V-twins. Experience at the coalface (racing) has provided Aprilia with the confidence to combine proven mechanical theory with the latest electronic trickery for a combination of cutting edge power, handling and dynamics. Good news for punters is that comfort has not been sacrificed in the interests of lap times with plenty of room for wrists and ankles.
28 KIWI RIDER
FRAME Type: Beam-type twin-spar aluminium with pressed and cast elements Swingarm: Aluminium Front suspension: Ohlins Racing USD fork w/43mm stanchions adjustable for spring preload and compression and rebound damping Rear suspension: Ohlins single coil-over shock absorber with APS progressive linkage mounting adjustment for spring preload, wheelbase and compression & rebound damping Brakes: Twin 320mm rotor floating stainless steel discs w/ radially-mounted Brembo monobloc four-piston calipers front & single 220mm rotor disc with floating 2-piston Brembo caliper Wheels: Forged and machined cast aluminium alloy 3.5 x 17 front & 6 x 17 rear Tyres: 120/70-ZR17 front & 190/55 or 50-ZR17 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1420mm Rake: 24.5° Trail: 105mm LxWxH: 2040 x 735 x 1120mm Seat height: 845mm Dry weight: 179kg Fuel tank capacity: 17l RRP: $42,990 Test bike: Aprilia NZ GEAR: Helmet: Airoh (RM), Arai (Todd) Jacket: M2R (RM) Pants: Teknic (RM) Draggin Jeans (Todd) Boots: Teknic (RM)
Sync Passion with Reason Your heart can have a thousand (or more) reasons to own a Ducati, whether it’s class-leading performance, unique style or the exhilarating feel of a Desmo L-twin engine.
Superior quality and fewer parts add up to reduced labour costs and longer service intervals (see the chart).
So your head will be happy to learn that the scheduled maintenance cost of every new Ducati has been reduced by up to 50% since 2007.
Add to that, a two-year, Unlimited Kilometre Warranty and renowned resale values, and your head will just have to admit that owning a Ducati can be just as rewarding as riding one.
Is this some new, cold-blooded accountancy overcoming the world’s most emotional motorcycle maker?
Your head and heart, in perfect balance. See your authorised Ducati dealer today.
Never. It’s simply that our quest to be faster, safer and consistantly reliable on the racetrack, yields more efficient design and manufacturing processes that have been carried over to every new Ducati model. One example: Vacural die-casting, developed in MotoGP and WSBK, now also reduces weight and parts-count from our Superbike and Streetfighter engines – at the same time, improving structural strength.
Service Months Km
1° 6 1,000
2° 12 12,000
3° 24 24,000
4° 36 36,000
5° 48 48,000
6° 60 60,000
KIWI RIDER 29
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ROAD TEST VICTORY 8-BALL
WORDS & PICS: Big Dave
In which Big Dave comes across all ‘portentious’ after riding Victory’s funky Vegas 8-ball!
S
downtown Takinini, en route to collect the 2009 Victory 8 Ball motorcycle, were to the strains of Elvin Bishop’s rock classic ‘Fooled Around and Fell in Love’ emanating from my iPod at force eleven.
hakespeare was big on portents. The Oxford says a portent is ‘a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen’ In ‘The Scottish Play’ for example, an apparition of a dagger and the sound of a bell are clear messages to the main character that he must kill the King. ‘The bell invites me, hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.’ And remember what happened to Caesar when he blew the Ides of March gig? What has this to do with a motorcycle test you ask? Well, the portents for this one struck me as altogether Shakespearian. The last three minutes of the journey to Silver Fern Imports, in fabulous
easy to look at and to photograph, as I do with most Arlen Ness-inspired designs actually. For me there is an element of fit and correctness to vehicles that are influenced by his lines. It’s a pretty bike.
Most portentious indeed. Since I met you Baby. If you have been following the story, you know that the Ed metaphorically beats me up every time I come up with a black bike. ‘Black ink, black ink on my pages’ he muses. But I just love ‘em and this one is extra, extra black. More portents. ‘Look at him grin’ said the gang at Silver Fern as I was introduced to the bike. Lots of the parts that would normally be chrome or bright steel finish are a deep lustrous blaaaaaack. From that moment I found it very
BLACK HEART At its black heart beats a fifty degree, 4-stroke vee-twin displacing 1643cc…. or as the badge on the air filter proclaims 100 of them cooobic inches. Bore and stroke are a squarish 101mm x 102mm and it runs an 8.7:1 compression ratio for a claimed peak output of 85 horsepower at 4,750rpm and a healthy 106ft lb of torque at 2500rpm. If those numbers say ‘comfortable cruiser’ to you then the on road performance will only confirm your read. KIWI RIDER 31
ROAD TEST VICTORY 8-BALL This is a strong, solid, punchy motor that trundles along in cruising mode with a lovely ‘heavy metal’ feel. Trés, trés cruisey. The single overhead camshaft mill has 4 valves per cylinder and is very smooth at promenade speeds, while it develops a more noticeable hum out on the open road. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘vibey,’ it’s more the standard pulse of a large v-twin and like every motorcycle I’ve ridden with a car-size engine, it pulses very rewardingly. It’s also an attractive engine to look at with a degree of smoothness to the finish of its sculpted looking fins. It’s fed by electronic fuel injection, with 45mm throttle bodies, and it’s all nicely mapped and stumble-free. The range from the 17litre tank was shorter than I’d hoped, judging by its appearance, but the fuel light appeared at around the 220km mark – 1600+ccs and lugging my two-small-folks-worth of weight, I guess that is reasonably good. Ollie, who jumped aboard for the city photo shoot, would no doubt get better mileage. The off set is the grunty, low-down torque, enhanced by the feel and 32 KIWI RIDER
directness of the Kevlar belt drive and 5-speed gearbox. The box is solid and reliable and a fortnight of cruising round town and country day rides produced no false neutrals or signs of cantankerousness – commendable for a big-bore bike that had 35km on the clock when I collected it. It only needs five speeds. In fact, like a lot of large cruisers, it could get away with three or four speeds, but those gears that it has engage nicely and directly from the forward mounted controls. Primary drive is by gear with a torque compensator and it is a lovely drive train to employ. WEIGHTS & MEASURES My time in the saddle on different Victory Motorcycles has made me rethink some things I’d regarded as truisms in motorcycle design. The Hammer introduced a different perspective and how much fun a bike that handles ‘unconventionally’ can be. The sweet turning, mid-engine Vision somehow refutes the thinking that more weight over the front wheel is best for handling, and now the 8-Ball squarely
This and header page….lithe, clean lines give Vegas 8-ball a distinctive look to match its unique nimble, easy riding feel.
challenges what I had pontificated about 21” front wheels. It’s absolutely lovely on the road. It turns and tips to the limits of the ground clearances, which are cruiser standard, with confidence-inspiring ease. The 8 Ball doesn’t tip over far enough for any large front wheel vagueness to come into play. It just feels solid, planted and very stable. The front tyre is a 90/90 21 Dunlop Elite 3 and the rear is a real world 180 55-B18 Dunlop D417. The whole back end of the bike (as it was set up, sans passenger seat) is simply a great looking bum and while it doesn’t have the ‘phatness’ of the Hammer for example, it corners and handles very nicely while still looking a million bucks. The front suspension is conventional telescopic fork with 43mm tubes and 130mm travel with a single linkagemounted shock at the back offering preload adjustment and 100mm of travel which makes for a comfortable ride for such a low-slung machine (seat height is just 673mm).
ROAD TEST VICTORY 8-BALL
Actually, make that long and lowslung...machine. The wheelbase is 1684mm and the overall length is 2439mm while it tips the scales as a light-heavyweight at 296kg. Brake-wise there are single floating 300mm disc rotors front and back with four-piston calipers up front and a twin-piston jobbie at the back. Both sets are capable, with good feel and the stopping power was strong and fadefree throughout the test, which included a few reasonably spirited runs around my standard test loops. ARMCHAIR RIDE The handlebars are wide and swept well back, and when coupled with the forward controls, give an armchair sort of sitting position. The single saddle is wide and comfortable and fits nicely with the narrow waist of the bike. In best Stretch tradition dirt guy Ollie ‘gets into character’ for the Vegas 8-Ball shoot.
The controls come to hand particularly nicely too. It’s not something I’d normally comment on – but the ease of operation of the vehicle with two x two fingers and the way the controls all worked was good enough for stand out mention. Its fluid curves and glistening black gloss paint were a joy look at. I really like the wheels, the balance and the overall lines of the bike. Particularly from the curb side. At which point it’s worth going back to that song...‘I must have been through about a million (bikes), I’d ride ‘em and return ‘em right away, but then I fooled around with the 8 Ball and for a fortnight I fell in love.’ Who’s it for? Check your portents. Then manipulate them so they say: ‘You should test ride one.’ At $24,000 the Vegas 8 Ball would also suit someone looking for a bike that is a little different, while offering similar performance characteristics and manners to a range of metric cruisers of comparable capacity. It has a real heavy-metal cruiser ride without feeling ponderous or bulky – just very cool. With its low saddle height and good low-speed balance it will suit competent male or female riders looking for an allround nice ride. KIWI RIDER 33
ROAD TEST VICTORY 8-BALL
It’s a delight around town and is pleasant to roll away the country kms at mostly legal speed limit pace. It’s comfortable enough and the suspension works well enough to spend a long day in the saddle in relative comfort too. I’m quite a Victory fan now. There are plans to take the brand to the other New Zealand centres in the short term. For the moment Takanini in Auckland is the place for a test ride. And to sum up? To paraphrase Elvin; ‘loving the 8 Ball is easy, the leavin’ it and the tearin’ out that page proved the hard part.’ KR
SPECIFICATIONS VICTORY VEGAS 8-BALL CRUISER ENGINE Type: Air-cooled SOHC 4-valve-percylinder 50° V-Twin 4-stroke Displacement: 1634cc (100 cu. in.) Compression ratio: 8.7:1 Bore x stroke: 101x102mm Starting system: Electric Engine management system: CDI Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection with 45mm throttle bodies Clutch: Wet, multi-plate Transmission: 5-speed Final drive: Carbon fibre reinforced belt
Solid engineering credentials provide Victory with an excellent base from which to build a bone fide bike brand. There’s plenty of punch from that 100 cu.in. engine yet feel at the throttle is light and sensitive, quite unlike that of the obvious US competition. Unlike many metric cruiser models, which shamelessly ape particular H-D models, Victory’s models owe more of a debt to the custom chopper and/or cruiser scene, combining the eye-catching look of limited edition or one-off models with full factory warranties and major manufacturer peace of mind.
FRAME Type: Double cradle steel Swingarm: Double-sided Front suspension: Conventional telescopic fork 43mm diameter Rear suspension: Single preload adjustable mono-tube gas shock absorber with cast aluminium, rising rate linkage Brakes: 300mm floating rotor with 4-piston caliper front & 300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper rear Wheels: 21 2.15 inch front and 18 x 5.5 inch rear Tyres: Dunlop Elite 3 90/90x21 front & 180 55-B18 D417 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1684mm Rake & Trail: 32.9°/126mm Length: 2439mm Seat height: 673mm Dry weight: 296kg Fuel tank capacity: 17l RRP: $24,500 Test bike: Victory GEAR Helmet: Arai Jacket: Ixon Pants: Draggin Jeans Boots: TCX
34 KIWI RIDER
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CRE ATE
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WORDS & PICS: Big Dave RIDDEN BMW K 1300 S
S
ome of the best motorcycle touring I’ve done has been following K series BMWs around New Zealand, mate Zedman having owned a few different Ks. Tucking in behind them led to some memorable laps of East Cape and the ‘Naki. Which meant that when Henry Plowright, at Auckland dealer Experience BMW, offered a choice of test bikes I pointed hopefully at the latest big K. “How long do you need it for?” he smiled knowingly.
After reading Toddie’s launch report Big Dave was itching to find out for himself just how good BMW’s new, largercapacity K 1300 S was. It didn’t take him long… QUICK FLICK
The BMW Motorrad website had already told me: ‘The new K 1300 S is the most powerful and fastest BMW the world has ever seen. With an engine output of 129 kW (175 hp), combined with a kerbside weight of 254 kg, this supreme motorcycle offers the utmost in dynamic performance and sports riding.’
Bike: BMW K 1300 S
So it was with some anticipation I headed promptly to the nearest on-ramp. What an enjoyable surge that turned out to be!
Dry weight: 228kg
Type: Large capacity sportsbikes Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC 4-cyl 4-stroke Frame: Bridge-type cast aluminium Wheelbase: 1585mm Fuel tank capacity: 19l Seat height: 820mm RRP: $32,566 +orc Test bike: Experience BMW Auckland tel 0-9-845 5950 or 0800 RIDE BMW
COMPETITION FOR? Dare I utter the words ‘Hayabusa’ or ‘Ninja and 14’? I think I might, while BMW’s big gun. K 1300 S is the real deal with performance potential to take on Japan’s finest litre-plus sporting leviathans. Chassis is aluminium using engine as stressed member with Duolever front and Paralever rear suspension systems and shaft drive
noting the Japanese acceleration heavyweights are fighting out of the same weight division as the K 13000 S too. It certainly runs out of ramp well before any real conclusions could be drawn, but the big Beemer would appear to have more than enough mumbo to justify a place on the startline in any direct KIWI RIDER 45
RIDDEN BMW K 1300 S
comparison. com After-all, the forward-raked, liq liquid-cooled in-line four-cylinder e engine with twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and dry sump lubrication develops 140nm of torque to d complement those 175 ponies. c
You probably get the impression that it is a very potent vehicle. tha No checked shirt, braces and Meerschaum pipe need apply. This one snarls ‘Bringgen ze on’ when the throttle is opened. The EFI appeared faultless and the whole drive train is crisp. BMW claims an optimized cylinder charge cycle for even better performance on less fuel too. The multiple-disc, in oil bath, hydraulically operated clutch is light and the constant mesh 6-speed gearbox clicks easily between cogs. The twostage shaft drive took no more than a block or two to get the feel for, as did the Duolever, centrally sprung front end.
central spring strut with lever system, spring pre-load adjustable hydraulically (continuously variable) via a hand wheel and has adjustable rebound damping.
included-as-standard ABS to prevent wheelspin under hard acceleration. Cost is $842.
It all felt light and responsive and quite ‘normal’ in the course of the test ride. Stability is also helped by the 1,585mm wheelbase. Rider comfort is good for tall riders. The 820mm saddle height makes for decent leg room, considering it is a genuine super-sporter and the passenger accommodations are also viable for a decent two-up journey. A 30mm lower seat option is also available.
There is also a range of accessories to turn the machine into a rapid sportstourer – luggage and panniers – or sportify with a bunch of carbon fibres, sports silencer and forged wheel options. The standard exhaust has a very pleasant note right out of the box. With a recommended retail price of $32,566+orc I guess you would expect it to be very pleasant ‘right out of the box’ – and the K1300 S delivers.
TECHNO-TRICKERY
The unusual front-end design provides a very ‘level’ ride and minimal brake dive. The rear end set up is cast aluminium single-sided swing arm with Paralever;
You can also add ASC – Automatic Stability Control – which works with the
RIDE & HANDLING
Other optional equipment includes on-board computer, heated grips and alarm system.
The dash and cockpit are quite spartan, but the touches are nice. Traditional switchgear and self-cancelling blinkers are welcome, but the real techno-marvels are in the optional performance extras.
ESA II stands for Electronic Suspension adjustment. For $1,622.00 it allows the rider to adjust the spring rate and damping settings at the touch of a handlebar mounted button. It’s brilliant if you carry a passenger regularly.
Then there’s ‘gear-shift assist’ which allows for fast, sporty gear changes without using the clutch and is available for $873, not to mention the TPC (Tyre Pressure Control) system which provides tyre pressure data on the dashboard.
If you are in the market for a wickedfast, big, tight handling, handsome in a Euro-kinda way, exclusive and über-techy machine then the big K is definitely worth a look. Log on to /www.bmwmotorrad.co.nz/ for your local BMW dealer contacts. KR
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48 *OfferKIWI applies atRIDER participating dealers, on applicable models only and while stocks last. Finance offers applicable on all model years. Terms and rates available on request. Finance is to approved customers. Fees and charges payable. Promotion finishes 31st October 2009 while stock lasts.
48 KIWI RIDER
KR TECH INSIDE WSB
DUCATI’S CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING WORDS: Michael Esdaile PICS: Todd S. & Peter Geran
Noriyuki Haga hard at it on the booming 1200cc Bolognese twin and as the sponsor’s logos show, success breeds success… (Photo: Peter Geran).
W
ith the excitement around Aprilia, Yamaha and BMW joining the Superbike World Championship with factory racing operations, it has been easy to forget that there has been one factory that has been a stalwart of the class right from the outset. Ducati has been the only factory to have an official works team involved every year of the Superbike World Championship. Honda and Kawasaki have come and gone as factory teams, but Ducati has always been there. Now in its 21st year, the works Ducati squad is a tight-knit, well organised machine. The mechanics know the motorcycle well and with the collaboration of some smart electronics engineers and a lot of behind the scenes input from oil sponsor Shell, Ducati’s racing operation has learned how to extract the most from it. When the FIM adopted the concept of a Superbike World Championship for 1988, it took the American Motorcyclist Association’s rules and modified them. The AMA allowed up to 1200cc twins to race against 750cc fours, but the FIM lowered the capacity limit for twins to 1000cc. At the time, very few contemplated any twin cylinder bike being competitive with a 750cc Japanese four cylinder machine. Then Marco Lucchinelli and the new 851 gave the established order a fright by winning the very first round of the inaugural Superbike World Championship
Ducati has a long history in production-based racing, and as Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Director Ernesto Marinelli explains to Michael Esdaile, the Italian factory is still committed to racing what it sells and ensuring its customers get the highest specification twin cylinder motorcycle on the planet… at Britain’s Donington Park. Indeed, had the Ducati team travelled Down Under for the final rounds at Oran Park (Sydney) and Manfeild (Feilding), it may have taken the Superbike crown at its first attempt. But the bike Lucchinelli rode in 1988, the 851 eight valve DOHC desmo – a super-Pantah if you like – was to lay the foundations for Ducati’s phenomenal success in Superbike racing. This writer can clearly recall a meeting with legendary Ducati engineer Dr. Fabio Taglioni and his then successor, Massimo Bordi in the Ducati race shop in Bologna in October 1984. At that time, Ducati’s factory racing effort was in the World Endurance Championship with special 750cc single over head camshaft (SOHC) two-valves-a-cylinder air-cooled Pantah engines in lightweight chassis. Although those bikes gave away a lot of speed to the Japanese four cylinder bikes, they still managed to out-qualify the Kawasaki team at the high speed Circuit Paul Ricard for the ’84 Bol d’Or 24-Hour in the south of France. This was after finish-
ing third in the 1984 Jarama six-hour. Not only that, the little air-cooled twin won the 24-hour race at Barcelona that year and backed up to win it again in 1985. FOUR VALVES Given that liquid-cooled multi-valve engines were the way forward, the question was posed to Taglioni ‘when is Ducati going to build a four-valve engine?’ This sparked a fierce debate between Bordi and Taglioni, with Taglioni repeating ‘it musta be desmo, it musta be desmo.’ It was to be three years before the world was to see the first four-valve Ducati V-twins, when the factory fielded a prototype air-cooled 851 in the Daytona Pro Twins race, and promptly won it. This in turn led to the development of the liquidcooled 851, and sure enough, along with four valve heads, it boasted desmodromic control of the valves. Taglioni had got his way and a racing dynasty was founded. Ducati took its new 851 to the new Superbike World Championship and enjoyed immediate success. KIWI RIDER 49
KR TECH INSIDE WSB
Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Director Ernesto Marinelli talking with KR tech man Michael Esdaile (top). Ducati has used electronic controls since it set out on its Superbike World Championship adventure. Now it has a team of electronics engineers to assist getting the best from its bikes. And suspension adjustment is a key ingredient in obtaining winning performance. At any one time there are several rear suspension units undergoing adjustment in the Ducati pit.
crankshaft and carbon-fibre cam belt covers shaved a bit more than two kilograms from the standard 1098 engine. To put that in perspective, the 1098R engine weighs 5.6kg. less than that in the old 999R.
Indeed, so successful was the Italian V-twin that it wasn’t before long that riders entered on multi-cylinder machines were calling for the rules to be changed. They finally got their way in 2003 when the FIM removed the capacity advantage for twins. From then until 2007, twins and fours were both limited to 1000cc. In the first year of the new rule, the four cylinder machines had to use intake restrictors but that was dropped for 2004. But still the Ducati V-twin kept on winning. HIGHLY STRUNG TWINS By 2007, Ducati had honed the 999c Vtwin to a very sharp edge. But it was costly in terms of the special parts used, and the frequent engine rebuilds required to keep a 1000cc twin competitive with 1000cc fours. Later that year Ducati lobbied the Superbike World Championship organisers to be allowed to race their new 1200cc V-twin in the class as it was no longer building a 1000cc twin. Eventually agreement was reached: twins could now be up to 1200cc, could no longer have the ultraexpensive special parts they had previously been allowed and were also set a higher weight limit than fours –168kg for twins vs 162kg for fours. The twins would also have 50mm restrictors fitted in the intake tracts. Thus the 1098 which came out in 2008 (and the 1098R which forms the basis of the factory Superbike) have radically different bore and stroke dimensions compared to the 999s they replace. The 999R adopted a piston stroke of just 58.8mm with bore size growing to 104mm. The stroke was almost identical to the old 500cc Pantahs, but bore 50 KIWI RIDER
size was substantially increased. With the special racing parts previously allowed, the 999Rs were able to rev safely beyond 12,500 rpm. Interestingly, after using twin and even triple fuel-injectors per cylinder in past years, the 999 motor used a single Magneti Mareli injector above each intake trumpet. With the 1098, Ducati switched to twin injectors per throttle body and to get engine capacity up to 1098cc, the bore size remained the same as the 999R but the stroke jumped from 58.8 to 64.7mm. To take the capacity up to the 1200cc of the 1098R, even bigger (106mm!) pistons were used, and the stroke was increased again, now to 67.9mm. The bigger bore allowed an increase in valve size, from 42.3 to 44.3 mm on the intake and from 34.2 to 36.2mm on the exhaust. The giant 106mm alloy forged three ring pistons featured doubleribbed under crowns and the compression ratio was bumped up from 12.5:1 to 12.8:1. Finely finished rocker arms and a deep gas-nitrided crank increased strength and reduced friction. Numerous weightsaving measures such as sand-cast cylinder heads and cases, titanium connecting rods, valves and retainers, an intricately machined
Peak power output is a little different. The factory claims 186 bhp at 9750 rpm for the 1098R F09 compared with 194 bhp at 12,500 rpm for the 999R F06. While peak power is down, peak torque is a substantial 134Nm at 7750 rpm compared with 116 Nm at 8200 rpm for the 999R F06. It’s the old story, larger capacity engines do not have to be revved as hard to produce the power smaller motors offer, although in this case, the 1200 is still down eight horse power on the last of the 1000cc motors. However, the torque output is substantially higher, and at lower rpm, which should mean the new Ducatis do not have
should mean the new Ducatis do not have to worked so hard to achieve competitive lap times. BUILDING A RACER Being a factory racing operation, Ducati Corse does not have to start with a street bike and strip it down. It gets the bikes part assembled and then gets to work to create a Superbike. According to Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Director Ernesto Marinelli, “Every motorcycle that comes through the racing department, every motorcycle we sell to the private teams, is a race-ready machine. We have many parts in common with the street bike and some special parts that the technical regulations allow us to change. It has been many years that we have worked for our customers and built a race-ready motorcycle so they don’t have to fit race kits or anything. Whoever decides to buy the motorcycle from Ducati Corse gets a race-ready machine.” Following the change in technical regulations discussed earlier, Ducati could no longer use special race-only crankshafts in its Superbike racers. It has to use homologated crankshafts. “The regulations changed a lot,” says Marinelli. “We are allowed a higher capacity engine but with a lot less modification so the overall performance is quite similar but with more stock parts. That was due to the market. We decided to make a 1200, not to race but to make a fairly nice street bike.” Does this mean that these bikes are cheaper to race than the older 1000cc twins? “Well, the more special parts you put on the bike the more cost you have that’s for sure. Every racing part is made with a higher cost of material with a lower number made so it is more expensive. “Of course with the new engines you have a bigger, heavier piston so for sure the rpm ceiling is not as high as the 999.” With lower rpm, theoretically the 1200cc Ducati should not require as frequent replacement of expensive parts as the 999 did. “Some parts are less expensive and are readily available so I think definitely with this bike the overall cost of racing it
KR TECH INSIDE WSB
A change in front suspension setting (top) is effected between practice ses-sions. Heading down the pages we then have a pic of the swingarm, Ducati having gone back to a single-sided rear arm on the 1098Rs after using twin-sided units on the 999R. Speaking of which, one of the key ingredients in Ducati’s success in recent years has been assistance from product sponsor Shell. And finally, the electronic dashboards on the Xerox Ducatis are almost identical to those on Casey Stoner’s V4 MotoGP bike.
is lower than the 999. There are a few parts that are exactly the same, for example the electronics are not restricted any more than they were before so the cost of the electronics is the same. But in the engine it is a little less and on the chassis (suspension, wheels and brakes) the cost is quite similar to the 999.” So just how much has the 1200cc Vtwin evolved since the 2008 season which saw Troy Bayliss score his third Superbike World Championship (and help Ducati gain its 15th Manufacturers Championship)? “The biggest change was when we switched from the 999R to the 1098R,” says Marinelli. “That was a generational step. Within the same model we never make a revolution, but we always evolve. So 90 per cent of the bike is the always same so you just work on details, brakes, suspension and electronics. So for example, this year we have ride-by-wire so the operation of the throttle is being assisted, so it is always little steps like this. We do not change the motorcycle completely. If we make a big change it is when we change the model.” RACING IMPROVES THE BREED Marinelli says the reason to go to ride-wire throttle is to develop this system for future customers’ use on their street bikes. “We are using racing to develop all the best parts that we can put on the street bike for our customers to have the nicest motorcycle possible. It was used on the MotoGP bikes so we adopted it on the Superbike as well. Right now it is still under development. Of course it is of assistance especially in the lower gears and on engines that, let’s say, have aggressive characteristics on the power delivery. When you have power that is a bit ‘spiky’ let us say, you can smooth that out. On our motorcycle, on the Superbike, the engine is already smooth so the advantage is a lot less than for example on an extreme MotoGP engine. But it does help a little bit for the comfort and safety of the riders.” Maranelli says there have been no big changes in terms of camshafts, valves and electronics since 2008, with the exception of the ride-by-wire throttle. “The engine has had some updates on the camshaft but everything else is more KIWI RIDER 51
KR TECH INSIDE WSB
or less the same. We changed a little l in the fluid dynamics – for example the th inlet tract and the ‘trumpet’ and the t electronics have been updated with the ride-by-wire and new software for the engine management.” PRIVATEER TRICKLE DOWN P Do the private Ducati teams get these updates during the 2009 season? upd
“No we are not planning on any update during this year. The bikes (customer and factory racers) are already quite similar, except for the ride-by-wire. We always take care of our customer and we want to give them products that are of high quality and highly competitive. Last year with Ruben (Xaus) and (Max) Biaggi, they achieved excellent results with the private bike (Sterilgarda team). Even the top speeds were the same. This is our philoposphy. We want to be close to the street bike and close to our customers, that is what we try to take care of.” Ever since the advent of the 916 in 1994, Ducati has built a lot of adjustability into the chassis of its bikes, and that has not changed. “Even with the first 916 you could change the steering angle from 24.5 to 23.5 degrees and that is our philosophy. There is no ‘magic’ set-up. The bike needs to be on a certain level and be adjustable for different riding styles.” The Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Director says that the riders arrive at a chassis set-up that they like and then they do not change it much. “Every rider has his own style. You can classify riders as hard brakers or those that like to let off the brakes early and maintain a high cornering speed. There are those who use a V-type cornering style and others use a U-type approach. And so there are basic set-ups that we know from our experience over the years that suit one style a bit better than another.“ Traditionally the Ducati twin was good on the side of the tyre because it did not work the tyre so hard. But now it has a bigger, torquier engine, is that still the case, compared with the four cylinder engines? “Tyre wear on the rear has been an issue since the beginning of time in racing and it isn’t only related to the engine and its power delivery but it is basically related to the stiffness at the rear wheel, how much stress you are putting on the tyre is the work the suspension is doing. We have been working a lot since last season to set up the rear linkage and the suspension to be easier on the tyre without losing corner52 KIWI RIDER
ing performance.” In terms of the swing-arm pivot, the works 1098R F09 uses the same mounting as the street bike but a different swing-arm is used which is a little stiffer and allows the use of the wider 16.5-inch rear wheel. “Actually with this bike we started a new line of aftermarket products that are now available in the Ducati Corse catalogue. They are exactly the same as the racing bike. We are doing everything equally so we design them, test them on the factory race bike then put them in the catalogue, the same parts. Already with the 1098R we have Fabrizio’s bike (top) awaits further attention from the mechanics while (above) one of the Ducati mechanics adjusts the the closest Superbike that you can ride chassis set-up on the Fabrizio 1098R F09. The technicians on the street but also use a special chassis tool used for checking rear ride height. you can change it the chassis set-up is working okay, the and make it more or less the same as the tyres are working okay, the rider is doing bike that Troy (Bayliss) won the championthe right things. Then we have an electronship with last year.” ics engineer who takes care of all the data channels. He checks every sensor to make ELECTRONIC WARFARE sure the function is all right, that there is no Since the development of the 851 eight problem with the engine, the chassis, the valve desmo, the grand daddy of the curfuel-injection and he monitors all the temrent Ducati Superbike, the Italian factory perature readings. These two engineers has been at the fore-front of electronic asare working together to make sure the bike sistance, first with electronic fuel-injection, is always 100 per cent.” then data-logging, traction control and now ride-by-wire throttle control. So just how many sensors does the Ducati team take data from now? “There are a lot of sensors all over the bike. I cannot say exactly but it is around 100. There are engine speed and wheel speed sensors, suspension stroke, all the engine parameters, the engine management channels – ignition, injection, Lamba sensor… the list is very long.” This means there is an enormous amount of data for the team to analyse after every practice and qualifying session, and from each race too. “Our team structure for many years – MotoGP and Superbike – has a racing engineer who speaks with the rider. He is mainly looking at performance issues: how to set-up the suspension, make sure
Ducati was one of the first manufacturers to adopt electronic traction control with its Superbike racers, which in turn was a spin-off from its MotoGP machines. “We started to introduce the anti-spin technology around 2003. We started in MotoGP then we transferred it to the Superbike and now with the 1098 on the street bike. The 1098 anyone can buy has traction control – the same philosophy and management we are using on the racing motorcycle. “The natural flow we adopted in those years (since 2003) was with the MotoGP project to develop the maximum possible and then we tried to identify what was possible to implement on the street bike, testing that on the Superbike first before finalising the management for mass production.”
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2009 Dunlop Champions
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2008 Dunlop Champions
2007 Dunlop Champions
rear tyre than a four cylinder machine because of its uneven firing impulses. However, with the development of the quick-revving short-stroke Testastretta engines, even the 90° V-twin could break the rear tyre loose. Add the fact Ducati wanted to offer traction control to its ultimate customers, the people who buy the product from dealers’ showrooms, it becomes clear why this technology was developed on the factory Superbikes.
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It is yet another case of racing improving the breed. “Management of the power is as important as the power itself. If you do not have the possibility to put the power on the ground, sometimes more power makes you go slower. Too much power can be a negative factor.”
*IKS QV
FULL THROTTLE Talking about outright power, it is interesting to note that at Phillip Island the data logs show that the factory Ducati riders are using full throttle for as much as 30 per cent of their total lap time. This is astounding. Back in the days of the ferocious two-stroke 500cc bikes, riders would only get to use full throttle at the Australian circuit less than 10 per cent of their total lap time. Carbon fibre pieces abound in Ducati’s effort to get its 1200 down to the FIM weight limit of 168 kg for twins. Note beefy frame tubes.
SAFETY While there is a popular belief that tractioncontrol, or ‘anti-spin’ as Marinelli calls it, was designed to improve rear tyre life, in fact Ducati developed it as a safety factor for riders. “When the tyre is spinning, if you reduce the performance of the tyre, it is just going to spin more. The problem for the rider is losing rear tyre traction completely. When you do that on acceleration, and the rider crashes, it is an ugly crash – the rider is high-sided and thrown in the air. So antispin is not something that was designed to gain traction. You are not going to go faster because you have the anti-spin. You are riding safer and more consistent, you don’t have to shut off the throttle when the rearend steps out. The electronics take over.” It is understandable Ducati developed this in the days of the 990cc MotoGP bikes which produced big torque and horsepower numbers and even more understandable with the advent of the highly strung 800cc machines. But the Ducati V-twin has always been regarded as harder to spin the
This shows just how much more rideable the modern Superbikes are compared with a 500cc two-stroke GP racer, with the result they can lap the Australian circuit more than a second per lap faster than the best of the old 500s. To put that in perspective, over a 22 lap race the modern Superbike would be at the top of the Southern Loop before the 500 made it onto Gardner Straight. At Monza, with its long straights, Marinelli says the Ducati Superbikes have their throttles wide open for around 50 per cent of the lap time. That is a lot of high-speed running, so no doubt Ducati Corse is very glad of the new regulations that allow them to run a slower revving twin compared with the short-stroke screamer it raced until 2008. Regardless of whether Noriyuki Haga or Michele Fabrizio win this year’s Superbike World Championship, there can be no doubt that once again Ducati Corse has given race fans the world over plenty to get excited about.
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And let’s be honest, Superbike World Championship racing just would not be the same without the booming Bolognese twins. KR KIWI RIDER 55
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ON TOUR A SOUTH ISLAND STORY
There were parts of the South Island that Wellington IT guy Alan Doak had a hankering to explore, and when a work trip gave him the opportunity…..the f! result was, well, see for yourself!
WORDS & PICS: Alan Doak
t had been a long time since I’d done a motorcycle tour. I’m one of those over40 males who returned to motorcycling after a lengthy absence, in my case around 20 years.
I
I bought my BMW GS 650 about four years ago, and other than a quick jaunt through the Molesworth Station a month after I bought it I have only used my bike for commuting to work and the very occasional zip up the coast on a fine Wellington Sunday afternoon. Day 1: St Arnaud to Franz Josef Sunday 8 March Then, quite by chance, the perfect excuse arose. I was heading to St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes to photograph the Antique and Classic Boat show for a mate. Since I was down there I thought I may as well tack on a few days and head south on the bike. In all my years of traveling around New Zealand I had never done the Haast Pass – here was the perfect opportunity. I photographed the winning boat then left Lake Rotoiti just after lunch heading into a stiff westerly wind. Murchison was the first of many stops. Mental note to self: don’t EVER stop at a café that has a tour bus parked outside. The food will invariably be bad, and the prices extortionate. I wasn’t disappointed – it was as bad as I expected. Buller Gorge is a dream to ride through. Dense, lush rain forest. I took the left turn at Inangahua Junction bypassing the coast road and Punakaiki having driven that in a car many times. My goal was to make it to Franz Josef before nightfall. The stretch of road from the junction to
Reefton emphasised the relative poverty of the West Coast. I swear I saw a farmer pulling logs out of a swamp. Swap the tractor for a team of horses and it could have been 120 years ago. Fields of the blackest richest looking soil, but riddled with the biggest, roundest stones, making it not much use for anything.
From Fox Glacier the road south was uncharted territory for me. The only break from this lowland rainforest jaunt was the winding road that led up to the lookout at Knights Point. While I was there a tour bus arrived. Ten minutes later the queue for the sole toilet was close to 15 people long. Why do people travel like this?
TOWN OF LIGHT
JACKSON BAY
I stopped at Reefton for fuel and a coffee. Reefton is known as the ‘Town of Light’ – it was the first town in the southern hemisphere to get electric street lighting. Sometime recently a beautification process appears to have taken place – the main street is picture postcard perfect.
I was determined to go to Jackson Bay, which is as far south as you can go on the West Coast. Google Maps had told me the road from Haast to Jackson Bay would take 4.5 hours! In fact it took somewhere in the vicinity of 30 minutes, and has to be one of the most spectacular roads I have ridden. The stretch from Hannah’s Clearing to Waiatoto was like driving through a tunnel – of native rainforest.
The road south of Hokitika is perfect. Long straights broken by gentle rolling curves all on a beautifully smooth surface. I knew I was getting close to my destination when the temperature began to plummet. Ice from the glaciers, and the snow from the mountains created a ‘fridge effect.’ Whitebait fritters and blue cod for dinner – I’m definitely on the West Coast! Day 2: Franz Josef to Queenstown Monday 9 March The weather was looking good. I rode out of Franz Josef and headed straight to Fox Glacier. The track up the side of the river was shut due to recent rock falls but a new track had been formed across the riverbed. This gave a better ‘front-on’ view of the glacier without having to walk so far. Not that I’m lazy, mind, but I was walking with all my gear on so I was laden down and getting bloody hot.
Jackson Bay is a fishing community, and that’s all. The thing I was there for was the legendary ‘Craypot’ – a shipping container converted to a restaurant. Open from midday to 8pm, the woman who ran it was cashier, cook and waitress. $15 for a whitebait fritter on white bread with salad. ‘Fish of the day’ for $12 – a battered fillet and chips served in its own fryer basket. Delicious. Re-fuel in Haast. Then a leisurely journey up to the Gates of Haast surrounded by stupendously tall and craggy mountains. I stopped at ‘The Gates’ and walked across the single lane bridge to get some photos of the Haast River thundering down between the rock walls. From ‘The Gates’ the road passes through Makarora and eventually winds in a great ride along the shores of Lake KIWI RIDER 57
ON TOUR A SOUTH ISLAND STORY Wanaka. I stopped for a few minutes to do a panorama of the surrounding mountains only to be forced back on the bike by several hundred sandflies. DIFFERENT NOW From Wanaka I rode over the Crown Range into Queenstown. In 1982 this was a gravel road the whole way – now it’s completely sealed from end to end making this ‘alternative’ route to Queenstown very busy and a lot quicker than the ‘normal’ route. The temperature dropped 5 degrees. I switched on the heated handgrips and pulled on my winter gloves. At 1063 metres the Crown Range has the title ‘The highest sealed road in New Zealand.’ I remember the ‘highest’ stat from 1982 but as it wasn’t sealed back
58 KIWI RIDER
then I can only imagine the claim to fame was highest public road, not highest public ‘sealed’ road. Whatever its claim to fame it is still a fabulous route and comes highly recommended. Day 3: Queenstown to Kurow Tuesday 10 March Well, I wanted an adventure and today I got one. My plan was to do Dansey’s Pass into the Waitaki Valley and then the Hakataramea Pass into Tekapo. The night before I had spotted on my map another track that went from Bendigo through to Omakau over in the Maniototo. That would link nicely with Danseys. Perfect, and I could make it through before the predicted southerly gales.
My map proved less than reliable. I turned off SH8 near Crippletown and headed up a very steep track to the old Bendigo diggings. Thirty minutes later I came to a locked gate. So, I went back to the main road having wasted an hour. The correct route is up Ardgour Road, confirmed when I came to a sign warning me not to attempt the track in wet weather. Further on a hand painted sign said: “Bikes, keep on the track or PISS OFF”. It would take me past Mount Moka and over the Dunstan Range. The public road follows what is known as Thomson’s Track. It is rutted and steep but perfectly passable, with stupendous views back west to Pisa Range, and then near the tops east towards Raggedy Range.
I crossed several fords; one big enough to get my feet wet, and opened and shut many gates. The increasing wind confirmed that bad weather was on the way. I was in a very remote place, and totally alone. I came up to another closed gate on a steep descent. Because you can’t park a bike on the side stand facing downhill I turned to face back up the hill. I opened the gate, returned to my bike and then proceeded to turn back down the hill. In the blink of an eye the bike slipped and went over, facing down hill. This was a problem – a big one, weighing more than 200kgs. BUGGER! I have, in the past, managed to pick my bike up when I dropped it, but not on a gravel road, or on mud (my last experience). I was stuck, high up a hill, alone with no way to get going.
I spent about 40 minutes trying to stop the wheels sliding by jamming big rocks under the wheels. I spun the bike round to use the slope of the track more effectively. No luck. I could see farmhouses a long way away. Bugger that. I didn’t fancy a walk. I pulled out my mobile. There was coverage!
ON TOUR A SOUTH ISLAND STORY
Contrast in styles (facing page). One minute he’s at Lake Rotoiti photographing classic boats, the next Alan’s at Fox getting up close and personal with the Glacier. This page: From Fox Alan took a detour to Jackson’s Bay then crossed the Haast Pass and Crown Range on his way to Queenstown
Omakau – I was sure they had a garage. It was worth a shot – I figured it was about 20kms away. 018 gave me the number and so it was that I humiliated myself by asking for help. As luck would have it two of the garage workers were going off to fix a tractor near to my location. Forty-five minutes later a plume of dust rose on the horizon. I watched as a white ute (symbolic?) wound it’s way up the hill. Two swarthy southern men jumped out. The younger of the two walked up to my bike, grabbed the handlebars, and hoisted the bike up in one embarrassing movement. I’m not called Skinny for nothing. Beer was gladly bought for my rescuers in Omakau. Disaster was averted, but the adventure was not over. Riding out of Omakau the rain started. And then the wind. HAIL? AND SNOW? I had ridden Dansey’s Pass back in the
KIWI RIDER 59
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60 KIWI RIDER
The pass itself was hair-raising. Exposed to the fierce wind I seriously wondered if I would make it through to the Waitaki Valley. Hail was followed by torrential rain. A bus tour was suddenly looking good. I did eventually make it to Duntroon. The road to Kurow runs due west meaning the southerly now becomes a fierce crosswind. This is the worst and most terrifying wind for a motorcyclist, especially when it’s blowing this hard. Shelterbelts gave me some protection but they also blew crap across the road. Kurow could not come soon enough. I sheltered in a tiny motel room and dried out my wounded ego and gear. Day 4 – Kurow to Christchurch Wednesday 9 March I woke to blue skies, sort of. Rain looked likely but it wasn’t raining yet. I needed to get cracking. I asked at the motel about the road conditions on the Hakataramea Pass Road. According to the motel owner all rivers on the route were bridged. I tried to confirm that at the garage when I refueled. “Mate, don’t worry. The fords won’t be deep. You’ll get through no probs. That’ll be $17.63.” Conflicting reports. I chose to mentally prepare myself for the garage owner’s version. The road was sealed for about 25kms then turned to easy gravel. About halfway through the pass I came to a gate. On the other side there were five 4WD vehicles and around 20 fully armed army personnel in camouflage gear. It was a surreal sight – they blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape and waved me through. The road narrowed markedly, and a sign warned of steep grades, fords and unpredictable weather conditions. As I climbed higher an army truck rattled by. Then later, three more army 4WDs.
On the home stretch now and after a brief wrong turn Alan’s on Thomson’s Track, then the Dansey’s and Hakataramea Passes before a final, sentimental, stop at Mount Somers to check out the museum and a picture of his great grandfather outside the hamlet’s first general store.
I crossed five or six fords, one of them giving me a bit of a fright and a flashback of my experience on Thompson’s Track the day before. At the pass (965m) snow was falling, lightly, but enough to leave a dusting on the ground. I was nearly through. The last ten kilometres had been recently graded. A wide, open and flat road but absolutely no formed tyre tracks – just a two or three inch layer of
gravel. It was like riding on marbles. I stopped at a café in Fairlie, d enjoyed a bowl of soup and warmed my feet near a two bar heater. A CIRCLE COMPLETED
ON TOUR A SOUTH ISLAND STORY
early eighties on a Yamaha TT500. I remembered it as relatively benign. But this time was different. Ten kilometres in the hail started. And the wind blew harder. I looked down and saw my crotch filling with pellets of ice. The road was much worse than I remembered. It was corrugated and hard to ride with ill-formed tyre tracks making negotiating sharp corners particularly challenging.
My last detour of the day took me on the inland scenic route via Gerald dine and the Rakaia Gorge. I wanted to visit Mount Somers. My great grandfather opened the first generall store there in 1892 until he sold it in 1923. I was shown through the museum (opened especially for me) by an old lady and her brother. The brother had photographs of my great grandfather – a dim sepia of him standing outside his store with a small child; and a wedding photograph. I also discovered there was a rail siding (now obsolete and disconnected) named in his honour – Doak’s Siding.
From Mount Somers it’s a quick dash via the Rakaia Gorge to Darfield. A pie and a flat white and the last 30km into Christchurch. Then it rained, and rained, and rained. Day 5 – Christchurch to Picton Thursday 10 March A subdued Christchurch sky. I’ve done Christchurch to Picton many times before and so wasn’t particularly excited at the prospect of the journey. And because I needed to be at Picton for a 5pm check-in there was a sense of just needing to get there, rather than enjoying the journey. Fuel stop in Amberley. Lunch in Cheviot. Rest in Kaikoura, ferry in Picton. In five days I had travelled just over 2000kms and ridden on roads I had never ridden before, including two rather exciting off-the-beaten-track experiences. DON’T LEAVE HOME…. At the risk of sounding clichéd, New Zealand is an amazing place. And in these tough economic times there’s never been a better time to explore your own country before thinking about heading offshore. From the amount of tourist traffic on the West Coast and around Queenstown it’s obvious that overseas visitors can clearly see the value of a jaunt around our country. Every second vehicle was either a rental car or a camper van. There were even arrows painted on the roads to remind tourists that we drive on the left. This whole trip cost me less than $500 – and I could have done it for a lot less had I not stayed in motels, or refused the whitebait on offer at Franz Josef, or had to buy beer for the guys at Omakau Garage. Bloody great adventure! Mission accomplished. Where to next? KR KIWI RIDER 61
SCOOTERS TRANS ALPINE SAFARI WORDS & PICTURES: Racing Dave
T
here’s a widely held view (I know I hold it!) that your average scooter doesn’t go fast enough to get out of its own way, and can be a risky venture, even in city traffic. Why would any normal person want to tour on one? Short answer – not normal people, and not just one scooter. Three dozen. At the Aircraft Maintenance Base in Christchurch, four Air New Zealand engineers were planning a mid-winter scooter ride, and when they learnt that one of their mates had been diagnosed with bowel cancer, they were keen to help. Mike Rattray, Wayne Cook, Ben Walker (more on his last name later), and Damion Haines decided that if through illness their friend were to get a sore butt, then they’d be happy to as well, and raise money for the Cancer Society at the same time. The proposed ride’s scope increased. Mike’s wife, Jayne, is a great organiser and knows how to pull strings in the marketing and PR world, so before you could say ‘chemotherapy,’ the TransAlpine Scooter Safari, from Christchurch to Hokitika, became a reality. The team realized that more bikes would mean more publicity, and of course, it was hoped that more funds would be raised, so the word went out
Sometimes great ideas never get the traction they deserve. Other times? They take on a life of their own…. as Racing Dave discovered when a group of friends got together to give a mate a bit of a hand…. for owners of scooters to enter the Safari. ENTER ROB FYFE Articles appeared in local and community newspapers, radio stations interviewed the riders, TV cameras appeared, and word filtered through to Air New Zealand’s CEO, Rob Fyfe. Now, Rob is a biker with a Ducati in his garage, and quickly sorted a team from the Auckland base to be flown south. SAFE Air, in Blenheim is a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, and they sent a team to Christchurch. Riders from the West Coast entered, trailered over to Canterbury, and prepared to ride home across the Southern Alps. The majority of entrants were ‘civilians’ but many had a link to Air New Zealand, or had relatives with cancer.
there to cover the event for Kiwi Rider, and not least because Racing Maree is currently part way through her 18-week chemotherapy treatment, following extensive surgery for cancer. She came with me, to show her support. Remember, the Safari was planned for Saturday June 13, and there was every chance that winter weather would create considerable discomfort. Indeed, freezing rain was forecast for both sides of the Alps right up until the Friday night, but the 36 keen entrants assembled at the Engineering Base in the chill damp dark, ready for the 7:00am start. Rob Fyfe was due in Dunedin later that day (apparently, some footy match was being played at the House of Pain) but first it was potential pain in the buttocks in Christchurch, and he rode with the team for the first leg to Kirwee, on a Kymco 50, loaned to the event by City Scooters.
THREE HATS I wore three hats. My real (paid!) job is with the four scootering engineers whose ideas started the ride. I was also
MANY & VARIED A wide variety of style was on display. Some looked brand new, while others KIWI RIDER 63
SCOOTERS TRANS ALPINE SAFARI
see seemed to have spent their last 30 years being paddock raced. And that was just the riders! No, I’m only kidding, rac but b ages ranged from teens to retirees, and bikes from minters seemingly straight from the showroom, to m abandoned bikes that had been pulled out of a barn and teased into life, with just about enough preparation to t cope with the 250km rigours of traversing the two passes over 1000m. p
The oldest was British, and you don’t get to see many Triumph Tigresses any more. As well, there was a Vespa Triu 200, a Honda ST70, and then the rest of the field consisted of the full gamut of twist-and-go 50cc scooters, with a couple of traditional three-speed step-thrus from Suzuki and Yamaha. LENDING A HAND It wasn’t only cash that was donated to the Cancer Society, but sustenance and warmth to the Safari along the way. Despite most of the bikes having the scooter’s advantage over (ahem) proper motorcycles, being that of wind – and leg-shields, there was every likelihood that riders would be potential sufferers of hypothermia, so the regrouping checkpoints were also the opportunity to warm the riders from the inside.
To this end, the Kirwee tavern opened early for hot drinks, the Darfield Shell Station donated free petrol, the Sheffield Pie Shop opened early and produced steaming trays of pies and sausage rolls, and the Springfield Caltex Station gave out hot drinks. Two Black Thunder 4WDs from radio station 91 ZM accompanied the Safari, and topped up everyone with sweets and drinks for the first two hours. Rangiora Bakery sent trays of muffins to the Castle Hill Village regroup, and the Arthur’s Pass Store provided a complimentary lunch to the riders. Do you see a pattern emerging? The irony, of course, was that once the sun rose and the fog burned off, the day was a stunner. No wind and the sun beamed down. On the east side of the Main Divide the temperature remained in single digits, but such was the humidity it felt much warmer. A RAPID DESCENT After the rapid descent to Otira, which, due to its location in a narrow valley, is often very cold and bleak, we noticed that those imbibing in some refreshing beverages at the hotel were sitting outside in T-shirts, so pleasant was the day. We were at Jacksons by mid-afternoon, and it was still 15-degrees. However, to get to Otira you must get to the summit at Arthurs Pass first. Many long steep uphills need conquering, and the first of these is the lengthy haul up Porters Pass. Speculation was rife at Springfield whether all, or indeed any, of the 50cc bikes would be capable of the climb. BEST LAID PLANS…. With such low power, the trick is of course to hit the hill at full speed, with the engine screaming, but the double trick at Porters is that there is a significant hairpin at the bottom, and it was wet from overnight rain. I watched from halfway up, and the confident riders on sweet-running two-strokes maintained a good clip. Not so fast are the Chinese four-stroke scooters, but all kept moving. The third trick with Porters Pass is the final few-hundred metres before the summit, where the incline steepens. It was here that the weaker bikes faltered, with maybe three riders, including Ben (walker by name…) Walker resorting to the embarrassment of dismounting and pushing, but the shouted encouragement 64 KIWI RIDER
Nearing summit of Arthur’s Pass on what turned out to be a beautiful, some might even say balmy, mid-winter’s day.
SCOOTERS TRANS ALPINE SAFARI
from the assembled mob at the top gave them the energy to make it. GRINNING FACES Just before Castle Hill Village, after crossing the Thomas River, there’s a short but very steep pitch on which I saw a number of riders (including Ben…) ‘scooting’ their scooters, but none were seen to get off and push. From the exhilaration of knocking on the door of a heady 60 km/h on the downhills of the Cragieburn Cutting and past Lake Grasmere, to the slow creep up the spur above Broken River, I only saw grinning faces looking out from behind helmet visors, as the Safari made its way to a late lunch at Arthurs Pass. THE ODD CASUALTIES Naturally, and to no one’s real surprise, there were a few casualties along the way, but these were mostly minor in nature, and the support team had them quickly gathered up, with most repaired by the next regroup. I don’t think there were more than two bikes on trailers at any one time, but it wasn’t always the same ones. Only a very few were terminal, and included a hurrying Hamish Cameron, racing down the hills to Jacksons to catch up with the field after repairing
Into the meat & veges of the journey now and we have a group of riders crossing Bruce Stream.
a puncture just north of Arthurs Pass, whose Sepia threw a con-rod. That’s pretty final.
arriving in Hokitika just on dusk.
Disappointingly, two of the original four were also sidelined. Wayne’s Honda Lead lost compression and Ben’s Honda Flush failed to start at Kumara Junction, a frustratingly close 20 km from the finish. Happily for them, the loaner Kymco was still on hand, and two-up they slipstreamed Mike Rattray’s Star Wars-styled Honda Beat to the end,
Overnighting at the Beachfront Motel, celebrations of the Trans-Alpine Scooter Safari, which raised nearly $10,000 for the Cancer Society, continued into the night. Ben’s final act of shame was his modeling a bikini, but it was for a good cause.
A GOOD EFFORT
Already there are rumblings about what might happen in 2010. KR
KIWI RIDER 65
54 KIWI RIDER
HERITAGE STH CANTY 100YRS
WORDS: Robert Cochrane PICS: SCMCC Archive
PLENTY TO CELEBRATE IN SOUTH CANTERBURY V T
he Marlboro International Road Racing Series was part of a defining era for motorcycling in New Zealand, occurring as it did at a time of record sales and therefore advertising and promotion budgets. While the initial series attracted good media interest, by the time the final series came along in 1977, the media coverage was massive, it seemed like whole cities were at the venue because you couldn’t move anywhere, and with dozens of international riders on the latest machines in the world, the racing was electric. In fact the Marlboro series, which ran through the summer holiday period was probably one of the two major sports events of the 70’s – alongside the Commonwealth Games.
on a trip to the UK, Rod Coleman attended a road race circuit with a friend and was amazed at the excitement the sport projected with coloured leathers, smart bikes and teams, and a real professional image. After the event he tracked down one of the top riders (Ron Grant) at his home, and asked him to come to New Zealand, and leased a couple of Suzuki machines from his team. Everywhere Ron raced in New Zealand he won, and while working as a technician for Colemans in Wanganui he had a young Geoff Perry as an apprentice. The talented American saw great potential in Geoff and they enjoyed a lot of success in NZ. This led to strong factory race parts support from Suzuki and with Dick Lawton (the tuning wizard) from Wellington
World-class motorcycle road racing arrived in New Zealand in the 1970s with the late, lamented Marlboro Series. Rounds were run at the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club’s popular Levels circuit adding an all-dimension to the South Island scene.
In the late 60s road racing in NZ was pretty dead; not a lot of bikes and with all the riders in black and looking very drab. While travelling through California in 1969 Classic start line shots from the 1975/76 Marlboro Series round at Levels with (top) Pat Hennen (#P) on a TR750 Suzuki, Gregg Hansford (#G) and Murray Sayle (#S) both on Kawasaki H2R 750s, Jeff Sayle (#J) on a Yamaha TZ350 and Kiwis John Boote (#8) and John Woodley (obscured) on Suzuki RG500s. Shot below meanwhile is of one of the local fields with a mix of road race and proddie bikes.
KIWI RIDER 67
HERITAGE STH CANTY 100YRS
PETER WATERS LOCAL LINK By Robert Cochrane
By Robert Cochrane
Many road racers from the past w will congregate in Timaru this L Labour weekend on 23rd, 24th and 25 25th October for the South Canterbur bury Motorcycle Club Inc Centenary event. One local looking forward to seeing old friends and competitors is Peter Walters of Timaru, a top production rider and New Zealand Production Grand Prix winner in the 1970s and 80s. Peter purchased his first bike as a 14-year-old (an AJS 500 for $30) and rode it to school. Various other bikes followed and as a 17-year-old apprentice mechanic Peter purchased a new 1973 Triumph Trident on which he began his road racing at Levels and Ruapuna. KAWASAKI 900 In 1975 he purchased a Kawasaki Z1 900 to run in the New Zealand championship. This proved quite successful and he ended up third overall in his first attempt and won the NZ Grand Prix title that year. For 1976 Peter decided to enter the Castrol 6-Hour Production motorcycle race and bought a new Kawasaki Z900 A4. Sharing the ride with Neville Agass (now a top racing car team crew chief in the US. Ed) they finished third in their first attempt. The 1978 season was also a successful one for Peter, finishing second in the New Zealand Championship and fifth in the Castrol 6-Hour with Doug Chivas on a brand new Suzuki GS1000. The NZ Grand Prix meeting that year was a busy one with Peter again riding his bike and swinging on the sidecar ridden by
IVAN MAUGER The New Zealand media and sporting public have become fixated about the desire for the All Blacks to win the coveted Rugby World Cup because there is a belief we deserve it; that we are consistently the best team in the world year in year out so therefore the trophy is ours of right.
Stu Forbes into second place for the NZ Sidecar Grand Prix. GSX 1100 (BLACK PIPER) In 1979 five new Suzuki GSX1100s were imported specially for the Castrol 6-Hour race with Peter getting the only one for the South Island. Again riding with Neville Agass they finished fifth outright. In 1980 it was another new GSX1100 with wire wheels but the standard chrome exhaust model. ‘Practice showed the Black Pipe specials were considerably faster. Unfortunately Neville was injured in a practice crash so Peter decided to ride the whole six hours by himself. The Black Pipe specials took first, second and third with Peter the first solo rider home in fourth on a standard machine. In the 1981 6-Hour Peter ran another solo race on the first of the new Katana 1100s. In total he ran nine 6 Hour races with five top five placings and two solo rides. Local man Peter Waters early on in his career (top pic) and later on leading Vince Sharpe and Dave Hiscock
Yes, blending a team of individuals to win in sudden death games, to have a total focus to win has not been as easy to deliver as all the journalists and pundits have predicted. But perhaps the Rugby Union should have hired the man many believe is New Zealand’s greatest professional sportsperson, Mr Ivan Mauger 15 times World Champion. FIRST WORLD CUP WIN Ivan won his first Team World Cup title in 1968 riding for Great Britain with Barry Briggs. The pair repeated their feat in 1971, Ivan for GB again in 1972 and then in London in 1979 the New Zealand team caused a major upset and won this county’s first sporting World Cup. The victorious team that night comprised Ivan Mauger (Captain), Larry Ross, Mitch Shirra and Bruce Cribb. As well as being captain of the New Zealand team from 1963-1985 Ivan also captained the Great Britain World Cup team and test teams plus Australasia and ‘Rest of the World’ teams during his career. So you can understand why
on the dyno and Steve Roberts on frames and panels the TR 500s were a lot quicker than the factory teams. FIRST STEPS The first Marlboro International series started at Wanganui on December 26, 1973 and went on to Pukekohe, Gracefield and Ruapuna. It was won by Dale Wylie (Suzuki TR500) with Trevor Discombe (Yamaha TZ350) second, Ginger Molloy third, Ron Grant fourth equal and young Pat Hennen seventh. The following year Bay Park and Timaru joined the series but there was no Auckland round. Pat Hennen won from Randy Cleek with John Boote and Murray Sayle third equal. By 1975/76 Pat Hennan (on the first Suzuki RG 500) was the man to beat, winning three of the five rounds, with Australians Murray Sayle and Greg Hansford in front of
68 KIWI RIDER
HERITAGE STH CANTY 100YRS
NEW ZEALAND’S GREATEST RIDER? in December 1999 he was voted ‘Speedway’s Millenium Man’ as the Greatest Ever Speedway Rider of the 20th Century. EARLY START From a young age Ivan was extremely courageous and determined to succeed on the world stage. He started riding at Aranui Speedway in Christchurch as a 15-year-old following in the footsteps of his boyhood idols, Aranui riders Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs, both world speedway champions originating from Alec Pratt’s suburban track in Christchurch. In the 25 years prior to 1979 this trio of Kiwis won 12 solo speedway titles between them, a domination of the sport never seen since. Ivan headed to England to try his hand as a professional rider in the British leagues at 17 years of age but found the competition very tough and moved to Australia for the next five years, winning both Australian and State Championships. When he returned to the UK in 1963 he won the British Provincial Riders Championship and by 1966 came fourth in his first World Final. He then became the first rider to win the title three years in a row, 196869-70 and the first rider to win six individual titles, his last being in 1979. During those years he was also runner up three times, took the bronze in 1967 and came fourth on three occasions. LONGTRACK AS WELL Ivan was the first rider to win both the World Longtrack Championship and the
Solo Speedway Crown in a single year, 1972, taking the Longtrack title also in 1971 and 76. With a World Best Pairs Championship win in 1969 with Bob Andrews and in 1970 with Ronnie Moore, Ivan has won 15 World Championships, qualified in 52 world finals (another all time record) and taken 10 silvers for second and five bronze medals for third in world finals. His achievements were recognized in 1975 with an MBE and the OBE in 1989 and the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year titles in 1977 and 79. He was made an Honorary Sports Ambassador for New Zealand in 1985, inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 1987 was honoured by the FIM with the ‘Medaillle D’OR/ Gold Medal (only presented seven times since 1904). In addition, from the Major FIM Championships he won 19 Gold medals, 8 silver and 4 bronze medals. THESE DAYS These days Ivan still travels a lot running his Academy of Excellence and in Christchurch on Jan 6-7th 2010 is running the Ivan Mauger New Zealand Training School with a North v South Challenge series running at Ronnie Moore on the Friday 8th and Oreti Park in Invercargill on Saturday 9th. This Labour Weekend Ivan will be in Timaru as a special Guest of the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club.
significant on the world stage with all the factories having a strong presence. Kawasaki Australia had Greg Hansford, Rick Perry & Murray Sayle with KR 750 and 250 machines, Graeme Crosby was on the Yoshimura Kawasaki 1000 and Yamaha had the world’s first 170mph TZ750 ridden by factory rider Hideo Kanaya.
Kiwis Stu Avant and John Woodley. The following year Hennan also took the spoils followed by Australian Warren Willing and Chas Mortimer. By the final series in 1977-78 a major Australian rider presence was evident with no fewer than 31 Oz riders plus four Oz sidecar teams. As well as $35,000 in prize money the New Zealand series was very
Jan 1957 and 15-yr-old Ivan Mauger at Aranui Speedway & Ivan Mauger World Speedway Champion in 1979
Other Internationals racing that year were Chas Mortimer (GB), Wes Cooley (USA), Marco Lucchinelli (Italy), Sado Asami (Japan) and Jean-Phillipe Oban (Belgium). Many racers from the past will be in Timaru for the Labour Weekend celebrations with over 30 Australian guests confirmed and a television show for SKY TV being filmed. So get out those shades and head south to Timaru for this historic event, we want the town full of motorcycles. Further details and registration forms at www.100yearsouthcanterbury.co.nz. KR Lou Murray and Russell Anderson in one of the Sidecar races from the era. Then (below) Peter Waters, on a Kawasaki Z1 900, leads Owen Galbraith (Kawasaki 750) and the rest of the field at Levels.
KIWI RIDER 69
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KIWI RIDER 71
KR BACK ISSUE INFO thanks for the great mag, I buy all the New Zealand mags each month and enjoy them all for their differences. I do not subscribe to any as I prefer to support our local bookstore (Aberdeen Books and Gifts, Hillside Road, Dunedin) The have a wide range of local and imported magazines on bikes and all other subjects and are the last bastion of diversity, local ownership and real choice against the corporate tide of big sheds, garages that don’t sell oil and supermarket blandness. I think they support bikers at the grass root level and need supporting too! Enough of the rant! I have been trawling through my back issues for the period when you (I hope it was you) had a CB900 Hornet on long term and did a comparison of the advantages of aftermarket parts such as exhaust systems and suspension etc. I cannot find it anywhere, I believe it may have been around 2002-2003. Unless of course I am completely wrong and it was another mag... Jerry Lynch Thanks for your kind words Jerry. You sound like most of us round here, info and magazine addicts. Office manager Linda G. has the job of trawling through the back issues for requests like yours. While the bells it rang sounded a long way away if it was in KR we will find it and pdf you a copy. On which subject if any other readers want reprints of articles published in the mag e-mail admin@kiwirider.co.nz with your request and we’ll see what we can do. RM CHAIN LUBING 101 Dear KR, Well I’m not sure who I should email with this and seeing as though I like to read your page I figured well why not. By the way, loved the story you wrote about the first time you rode and got a wave from a fellow rider..but anyway.. My problem is what chain lube is OK to use and I’m sure everyone is different. The reason I’m asking is because I don’t have anyone to compare stories and problems with. I use a Castrol chain lube I got for my YZ and sometimes use it on my
industrial (think production line) chains, not skinny, fast-moving motorcycle ones.
It’s light and seems to do the job but dries out.. Now I don’t know about anyone else but my butt seems to pucker up at the thought of oil on my tyre and that puts a damper on my ride. And I don’t ever want to have to see my bike flying to pieces from a front row seat at asphalt arena.
Hope that’s been of some help. Ed
So my question is, is it OK to leave it there and just lean the bike over as normal or do I have to stop at every stop I can to wipe it off? So that’s my biggest question. Regards Alistair Haste P.S. I love bikes and some say it would be a tad obsessive but where can I sign up for a poison at KR? You guys must get that all the time hahaha. Oh and I love my Hyosung and Love all articles about them. Can’t wait for the next one. Hmmmm, Alistair, thanks for your comments and bottom line, good question? One we probably should get Racing Dave to cover in one of his ‘Tips’ columns. Basic drum is this. The best lubricant for your chain depends on whether it is an O-Ring chain or not. Modern O-Ring chains are designed and constructed so that the internal components are sealed meaning the lubricant (on the outside) has less to do. We’re guessing your 250R has an O-ring chain…so your choice of lubricant is limited to a modern product produced by any one of the major brands (Castrol, Motul, Bel-Ray etc etc). Head to any motorcycle dealer, ask for an O-Ringsuitable chain lube and you should be A-OK. It’s your question about WD-40 which got us collectively scratching our heads though. We Goggled ‘lubing your motorcycle’s chain’ and came up with a couple of good articles, one on the Motorcyclist magazine’s website, another on the webbikeworld website. It seems that a dedicated motorcycle chain cleaning product (there are several on the market, again ask at your local, friendly motorcycle dealer) or plain old petrol or kerosene is better if you want to simply clean your bike’s chain, after which you should spray on motorcyclespecific chain lubricant. And note I said motorcycle-specific. You can buy all sorts of ‘chain lubes’ at DIY shops but often they are designed for slow-moving
BULLER GORGE REACTION Dear KR,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear KR,
Hyosung 250R but I get ‘throw-off’ and the oil smears itself over the last inch of my tyre so I use WD-40.
I’m not sure if you’re supporting orr castigating the Police in July’s issue, ue, perhaps doing both. But some facts seem to have escaped you; Bridgman U-turned in an entirely unsuitable place to chase another biker, not Collins and Russell. He reportedly accused them of speeding as they lay seriously injured. He persisted in attempting to lay the blame with them right up to his conviction. In court, his lawyer made a derisory offer of $5.00 - $10.00 per week compensation to them. He undoubtedly had a large superannuation payout after 35 years in the Police, this offer could well have annoyed the Judge and, combined with his behaviour, probably indicated a reluctance to accept he was in the wrong. (An attitude that permeates Police culture). Lastly, Collins and Russell will probably face permanent impairment of some sort and a great deal of expense as well. ACC only covers some of their expenses, it’s only fitting that Bridgman pays a substantial amount to them for the trauma he caused. If nothing else, this may drive home to the more gung-ho Officers, that speeders are not public enemy number one and more care and consideration of other road users is needed. Otherwise, as we’ve seen, the personal cost the the Officer will be high. Lou Girardin You sum up the situation well Lou. And I like your point about driving home to the more Gung-Ho officers that speeders are not public enemy #1 and more care and consideration of other road users is needed. Personally speaking I still can’t fathom the logic that says it’s not OK for me to exceed the speed limit……….but it is if I’m a cop chasing a bad guy. Or at least someone who the cops THINK is a bad guy. Are they trained to a higher standard (of driving prowess) than me? No. Or perhaps, are their cars modified and prepped to make going faster safer than in my old Subaru Legacy? No……… And I could go on but I think it’s time to wrap this correspondence up. RM
KIWI RIDER 73
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74 KIWI RIDER
I have no problems with stereo systems fitted to those great galleon-like cruisertouring giants of the motorcycling world and I bear them no audio malice. However, I simply don’t see the point of them. I never embarked on motorcycle journeys to have my ears treated to AC/DC or some dark old rubbish by Blue Oyster Cult... or allegedly soothed by Julio Iglesias...all at decibels high enough to kill sparrows and other small roadside creatures as you pass. Because (although having never had a stereo aboard a bike I am only assuming this) you surely have to crank the volume knob out to 10 to smother the sound of swiftly passing air and the humming engine. Passing air and humming engine...the two things I far prefer to have in stereo while behind the handlebars. I’m also no great fan of intercom systems either. I’ve got one but only ever used it once and it now resides in a drawer somewhere. Because there was nothing really to say through it. Just the occasional ‘I’ve just let one go’ and ‘nice day for it.’ Nothing substantial...nothing important...nothing of consequence. Because to me, a motorcycle is a personal thing to be savoured and sipped at. And motorcycling is a means to an escape...from stereos and aimless chatter. But each to their own. I prefer to sing to myself, as do (I’m sure) many other old open road romantics out there. When I was a younger man who did not look out of place at a rock concert and who could wear out a set of tyres worryingly
MORONEY ROGER MORONEY
WHAT YOU ‘EAR IN THE AIR quickly, I used to lock into my own private karaoke...without backing music of course. I’d often hook into ‘Cool Change’ by The Little River Band. The band were crap but that was a good song about going solo. “It’s kind of a special feeling...when you’re out on the sea all alone”...although I’d change ‘sea’ to ‘road.’ I would warble away, three octaves off, totally oblivious to the actual lyrics and just suck up the wondrous feeling of liberty. I’d also roll out the Allmans’ ‘Ramblin’ Man’ from time to time, but for some strange reason (which would likely require the opinions of a shrink to explain) the only other songs I ever indulged in repeatedly were ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and the Rolling Stones’ rather fruity ‘Star Star.’ Go figure. I daresay many other relics of my era wail out versions of ‘Born to Be Wild’ or Tom Robinson’s ‘Two Four Six Eight Motorway’ and good on them, why not, except they’re too obvious for me. I went for a dash last weekend and ended up singing Muse’s ‘Knights of Sydonia’...pretty hip huh kids? There’s nothing like a sing-song on a journey because the wonderful thing about a sing-song on a motorcycle jaunt is that you can pull the plug on it any time you like. Unlike a couple of bus trips I’ve been on and which drove me to fume and distress when several happy people filled with the joy of life started singing musical flotsam and jetsam like ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ and ‘If I Had a Hammer.’ If I’d had a hammer I’d have smashed their bloody heads in.
‘On a bike, with your voice and pick of songs effectively being the stereo player, you can ‘play’ all the things you want to play’
On a recent episode of Top Gear the three stooges talked about their favourite driving songs...what they liked to play on journeys. Their choices were, well, different to say the least. Clarkson chose Genesis (the Phil Collins variety rather than Peter Gabriel). Good God, I’d drive off the road. But it’s each to his or her own, and that is the way it should be. The thing is, in a car the driver is at the mercy of the passengers who have two free hands to operate the CD player. On a bike, with your voice and pick of songs effectively being the stereo player, you can ‘play’ all the things you want to play. You can even go instrumental as you hurtle through the Manawatu Gorge with a Shadows number. ‘Ding da ding da ding ding ka-chang.’ The helmet is your oyster. KR
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76 KIWI RIDER
Some part of ‘NO’ isn’t getting through. When he says to me, ‘A bunch of us are going for a ride this Saturday. Do you want to come?’ he doesn’t seem prepared to accept my ‘No’ as a reasonable answer. Their route’s a gravel road that disintegrates into a bush track. You can drive up to the nominal ‘End of the Road,’ and I often have. But they’re into finding how far the bikes can go once that gravel turns to dirt. I don’t need to do that. I already know the answer: My GS will go as far as I choose to take it – just a bit before I think I’m gonna fall off. “Don’t I need a challenge?” Repeat answer above (‘No’) until convinced. I’m not a lantern-jawed hero who thrives on challenges; who wears his scars as badges of honour; who counts every one of his days in hospital as some sort of an achievement; and whose litany of broken bones, motorcycles and relationships is a polished tale ready to be trotted out at any occasion. I have spent time in hospital, and it was a pain in the ass. I have scars; and getting them hurt. I have broken motorcycles; and I’d rather not repeat the process, because I struggle to afford the one I own, let alone another. Relationships? Surely a private story. I love to ride the bike. Last weekend I put 1000 kms under its tyres. Maybe there were a thousand bends in those thousand kms? Maybe there were only
500. Getting the line as close to perfect as my very modest skills allow through just a few of them is a challenge. And great fun, too. The BMW R 1200 GS is very capable on a gravel road/dirt track, and I know it has good green-lane capabilities. But it’s a road bike. I bought it as a road bike. I regard it and I treat it as an (all-roads-capable) road bike. It doesn’t have dents, broken mirrors/indicators, smashed plastic, and dented alloy; and – as far as I can help it – it isn’t going to. What it DOES have is almost 20,000 kms of pure fun under its wheels. It hasn’t been to Invercargill yet, but it’s going in November. It hasn’t been north of Auckland yet, either, but it will. It HAS seen a chunk of the interesting places in between those two ends of the country; and it will see more. It doesn’t need to get covered in shit to be a real motorcycle; although, of course, it is covered in shit right now: There’s a solid layer of tar and small stone chips all over the underneath from the Hawke’s Bay roadworks last weekend. The lights and windscreen are coated solid with dead moths from a late evening run of a few hundred kms down through the Wairarapa after work a few days back. One afternoon last month we took an afternoon off work and did 800 kms before nightfall to check out a backroad route up near Otorohonga. Some of the bits of clay-and-lime roadworks will be
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‘Neither of us needs nor values anyone else’s opinion on what we choose to do with our precious recreational hours’ stuck into crevices underneath the GS for the rest of its days. We have had a layer of snow and ice down at the Brass Monkey; a mix of Murupara clay-and-pine needles jammed solidly-enough into the cleats of its tyres to turn them into slicks; and there are shards of fried rear-tyre rubber up under the guard courtesy of a Manfeild track day. They may well outlast the paint. Neither of us needs nor values anyone else’s opinion on what we choose to do with our precious recreational hours. I guess it was said about the sexes originally, but that old expression of appreciation – which has since taken on undertones of tolerance – covers it just fine. Vive la Difference. KR
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KIWI RIDER 77
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
Some of my best days on the road have been group rides. Not a loose collection of mates who head off together, ride their own rides and straggle in to a common destination, though. Those rides are fun too – but I mean group riding of a more structured kind – what you might call ‘formation’ riding. This is a formal, pre-arranged sequence of bikes; each rider two seconds behind the fellow directly in front of him and one second behind the guy on his wing. There is a designated road captain who leads the ride and a rear gunner or tail-end-Charlie bringing up the rear. Each rider maintains his position and separation throughout the ride so that the group maintains forward motion as a single, tight unit. Frequently, I’ve heard people say that they avoid group rides because they perceive an increased risk around others – and I have to admit that some of my biggest frights have come from ride buddies. Also, I know that many riders say it alters the rhythm of their riding and gets in the way of the sense of independence they cherish on a bike. I love the freedom of the open road too – perhaps even more than most since I’ve come to the joy of it later in life – but I also appreciate the contrast and the challenge that formation riding provides. Riding in a pack is an exacting discipline that demands a high level of concentration. Not only must you watch your wingman and the rider ahead, but you must also anticipate changes in the
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KEEPING CLOSE COMPANY speed and direction of the entire group by keeping the ‘big picture’ in sight. Don’t expect to see much of the scenery. Because your escape routes are limited, your senses are heightened and your scans must be more frequent and thorough. The need to maintain separation hones your reaction times and it forces you to ride more instinctively – more by the seat of your pants – there’s no time for eyes in the cockpit. And you literally need eyes in the back of your head to honour the principle of always keeping the rider behind you in sight. It is draining work and you will sleep well after a ride like this. Good riding skills are essential – woe betide you if you’re a sloppy or unpredictable rider who cannot stay in your own half of the lane – because that’s all you get. On corners, a well-disciplined pack will stream from a staggered column into single file and each rider will use the whole lane to take the corner before smoothly rejoining the group – a sight to behold. Riding in close company for a common purpose generates an atmosphere of trust and camaraderie that is very appealing. The shared energy is empowering; more than the sum of its parts, like migrating geese who can fly further as a group than they do alone. And there’s something undeniably exhilarating about being part of all that noise and horsepower. It cannot be ignored. The original Hell’s Angel, Sonny Barger, describes the thrill of belting
‘Riding in close company for a common purpose generates an atmosphere of trust and camaraderie that is very appealing’ along the freeway at 100 miles an hour, surrounded by his cronies. They probably rode that way for maximum impact more than anything else but I can readily identify with the sentiment. It certainly turns heads, as you will know if you’ve ever been on a thunder run at a rally. I like to ride towards the rear of a group, where I can savour the great views. There’s something deeply pleasing to the eye about the sight of bikes in a tight column sweeping downhill in front of me or streaming around a curve. It’s a beautiful thing and I feel uplifted to be part of it. KR
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Last month’s column was devoted to the Land Transport Amendment Bill, then the latest effort by the Sheeple to enrich our lives with more regulation, restriction and red tape. But our Sheeple are earnest, hard-working people. They do not rest upon their laurels and reflect on the satisfaction of a bad job badly done. No indeed, they button their grey cardigans snugly and press on with producing still more RR&R. So this column is devoted to their latest effort: the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill. It is rather boring (actually, very boring), but we make no apologies for that. The Sheeple are boring people, they are unlikely to produce a riveting read. And as vulnerable road users (vulnerable to the attentions of the Sheeple!), we need to watch what they are up to. Forewarned is forearmed. Despite the name the Bill is less about enforcement than about creating more RR&R. Including outlawing cruisers. Well, actually, outlawing cruising, not cruisers (collective gasp of relief from HOG). Specifically the Bill gives local bodies rights to make bylaws for ‘controlling or restricting cruising.’ Cruising is defined as ‘driving repeatedly over the same section of a road in a manner that (a) draws attention to the power or sound of the engine; or (b) creates a convoy that (i) is formed otherwise than in trade; and (ii) impedes traffi c flow.’ Unfortunately, the Bill doesn’t
specify any time lapse between the repeated drivings. So theoretically a biker riding each day over the same road could be charged with cruising, if he ‘draws attention to the sound or power of his engine’ (rather hard not to, really). Of course, our noble constabulary would never twist the meaning of a law in such a fashion. Would they? You need not be breaking any (other) law, either, just riding over the same stretch of road is enough. Being pinged for cruising isn’t a light matter. As well as a $500 instant fine a warning notice is attached to the vehicle, it must remain attached for 90 days and there’s a $10,000 fine for removing it. Being caught ‘cruising’ a second time within the 90 days (like, by riding to work the next day?) means impoundment. The Sheeple will say, rightly, that this is not the intention of the Bill. But a law open to abuse will sooner or later be abused. Wait – there’s more. If a cop thinks your bike is too noisy, you’ll have to get it certified, not just get a WoF. And if the cop thinks your bike isn’t up to WoF standard he can make you drive to a ‘specified place’ then and there for ‘immediate inspection.’ No more putting the standard silencers on just for the WoF. Those with licences that don’t quite correspond to their bike might want to book their test now. If you’re stopped and you are in breach of any condition of a learner or restricted licence, they
COLUMNS BRONZ
FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED
‘Of course, our noble constabulary would never twist the meaning of a law in such a fashion. Would they?’
may forbid you to drive (any) motor vehicle until you have the ‘right’ licence (and being caught again after being forbidden means automatic vehicle impoundment); and immobilise the vehicle and take the keys. Oh, and for those thinking they can only immobilise the people they can catch, be aware that doing a runner now attracts a mandatory extra (cumulative) disqualification of three months This is still a Bill, not a law (as of August 2009). That means that it may still be changed – hopefully for the better. Watch the BRONZ website www.bronz.org.nz for updates. KR
KIWI RIDER 81
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WORDS & PICS: Rhys Jones
CLASSICS YAMAHA XS1100
YAMAHA’S FIRST SUPERBIKE Yamaha’s XS1100 was one of the motorcycle world’s first litre-plus sports touring bikes. As such it helped kick off a trend which continues to this day.
W
hen the XS1100 appeared in 1978, Yamaha were the last of the ‘big four’ Japanese factories to enter the road going Superbike category. The biggest machine they had produced was a 650 four-stroke vertical twin, ten years before. However, following development work on car engines for Toyota, Yamaha put the experience to good use and used half the engine from a Toyota GT2000 as the basis for the motorcycle motor. Research into the American market revealed that Britishlooking vertical twins were still popular, but this surely must have been the last gasp. Honda’s CB750-4 was launched the same year as the XS650, and nothing would ever be the same again. Four years later came the Kawasaki Z1, and in 1976 Suzuki’s GS750, all in-line fours. FIRST STEPS So in 1976, abandoning their ‘two cylinders are enough’ concept, Yamaha responded with a 750 shaft driven triple, followed by an XS850, but it wasn’t enough. Four cylinder bikes were driving the market, and when Yamaha finally produced one, the result surprised many. Bearing in mind that Honda had just
launched their CBX six cylinder flagship, Kawasaki an upgraded Z1-R, and Suzuki a more powerful GS1000, one could be forgiven for expecting the first really big four stroke Yamaha to have more sporting credentials. It certainly had the right specifications: 95bhp at 8000rpm and a top speed of 212kph, but it was heavy at 272kg with a full tank. The XS had a five speed transmission and shaft final drive. Engine capacity was 1101cc, bore and stroke 71.5 x 68.6mm, it was air-cooled with eight valves, and twin overhead camshafts.
Those were the days my friend…. when you could get away with wearing a short sleeved shirt and street pants and shoes at the launch of a new motorcycle – in this case in Dakar in Africa at the launch of the XS1100 Yamaha. According to Rhys’s sources the guy on the bike was a French Yamaha dealer…… BELOW: A good looking bike in the classic UJM tradition….XS1100 brochure in 1977, and shots of the engine and the cockpit.
KIWI RIDER 83
CLASSICS YAMAHA XS1100
tle at almost any speed, fast or slow, and the acceleration was dazzling. And so, the XS1100 will be remembered as the model that propelled Yamaha into the Superbike world, and although it was quite different to the products from the other three factories, the technology led to a series of four cylinder machines that were more in line with the other factories and very competitive. The XJ650 followed, providing the engine blueprint for the range of FJ Yamahas up to 900cc. THIRTY GOOD YEARS It’s thirty one years since the Yamaha XS1100 was launched. I think it’s fair to say there was nothing quite like it at the time, and it will retain its place in motorcycle history as Yamaha’s entry into the big league. KR
SIX-HOUR WINS Limited sports credentials didn’t restrict the model’s performance in production racing. The XS1100 enjoyed immediate racing success in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1978, riding alone, Greg Pretty won the 3-Hour production race in Adelaide, followed by the Perth 4-Hour race, and Surfers Paradise 3-Hour production race. Following these emphatic victories the prestigious Castrol 6-Hour race went to Jim Budd and Roger Hayes, also XS1100 mounted. But the XS wasn’t meant to be a race bike, and when Greg Pretty won the Arai 500 endurance race at Bathurst in 1981, the XS had been modified and was chain driven. RHYS’S FIRST RIDE My first ride on an XS1100 was in the Isle of Man in 1978 when Mike Hailwood lent me his Martini Yamaha XS to do a lap of that most challenging of all circuits. The bike was clearly not agile enough to be effective on the island, and the one I was riding wasn’t meant to be raced. It was simply provided for Hailwood to tootle around Douglas on between races. The next time I rode one was in South Australia where I was lent one by Greg Pretty’s sponsor Pitmans. I headed for Mallala, a short circuit north of Adelaide. It was an enjoyable bike to ride on those long straight Australian roads, but at the track it was a handful. I take my hat off to Gregg Pretty for the racing success he had with it. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. The XS1100 chassis was suspect. Although heavy duty, the Duplex cradle type frame struggled under the sheer power of the huge engine, and of course the weight. There were reports of flexing at speed, and handling problems in slow tight corners. The front forks and rear shocks were adjustable for spring preload, but didn’t extend to damping. EFFORTLESS CRUISER The bike eventually found its niche amongst the long distance touring set. It would cruise effortlessly all day, carrying any amount of luggage. Open the throt84 KIWI RIDER
That’s KR Classics correspondent Rhys Jones with an ABC cameraman at South Australia’s Mallala race track on Pitman’s XS1100 in 1979. And (below) that’s none other than ‘King’ Kenny Roberts getting ready to go for a ride on a modified XS1100 from a Yamaha advertisement in 1978. The caption was: ‘Sometimes we flew, and sometimes we went by plane!’
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dragginjeans.net 80 KIWI RIDER
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GASTROM RIDER MATAKANA
MATAKANA HOUSE BAR & BISTRO WORDS & PICS: Dave Wyatt
Jim Hickey reckons that the only fine day we are going to have this week is Thursday, as a front descends on New Zealand for the next seven days and quite possibly well into the next month. Cabin fever has got a grip and I’m desperate to get out on the road, clock some miles on the old XV, and check out a cafe or two. The wife gets the kids off to school and then heads off to work, while I make the most of the recession and have a day off work during the week, clear sky and semi dry roads is my cue to hit the road (not literally I hope). A short ride is the order of the day, just enough to clear the cobwebs and give the battery a charge, Matakana is my destination, I’m going to see what Matakana House has to offer a hungry two-wheeled traveler. TURN RIGHT AT WARKWORTH The trip through to Warkworth is great apart from the blessed road works, (if you need a recession-proof job dig a hole and fill it in). I turn right at Warkworth and head toward Matakana and would you believe it – a bloody revenue gathering check point, both sides of the road, (rego ran out last week) shit!
However, as luck would have it the local law enforcers are busy with unintentional customers and I’m fl agged by. I turn into Matakana and pull up to the bistro/bar, it’s pretty quiet, but I imagine the place is pumping during the weekends. A GREAT KIWI LUNCH I order a steak sandwich and a side of fries and wash it down with a glass of amber liquid. New Zealand has a lot of these old pubs dotted around the place all serving up some good food and Matakana House is no exception; looking at the old building it is great to see the old standing proud amongst the new developments of this little village (the toilets are pretty impressive too!) Lunch is over all too soon and after talking to a bloke at the bar he suggests taking the only other road out of town, avoiding the revenue-gatherers, whose numbers had increased since our last encounter.
The threat of rain doesn’t stop our Gastrom Rider heading north for a spot of midweek lunch the historic Matakana House.
The Matakana House Bar and Bistro (below) and flash local toilets (above).
TIME TO HEAD HOME I head out of town feeling like a bandit running from the sheriff at the OK Corral and head into the hills – what a fantastic detour, the road winds its way
up through the rolling country side and down to the Whangaripo valley. There is about 3-4 km of metal and caution is a must. The road brings me out at Wayby, and back into the Dome Valley. Clouds are building thick and fast as I head for home and I’m thinking Jim looked out the wrong window when he did his forecast. Ten minutes later and the heavens open up, I get home looking like a drowned rat. I put the bike in the shed hissing, steaming, and ticking, head upstairs and put the fire on. What a day, cabin fever gone, thanks Jim! KR
QUICK STOP VENUE: Matakana House Bar & Bistro AREA: North-east Auckland ADDRESS: 11 Matakana Valley Road
KIWI RIDER 87
Cordura Jacket from $140
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88 KIWI RIDER
ROAD COMPETITION JNR ROAD RACING
There was much to gain, but plenty to lose (and many did) at the second round of the 2009 Sportz Fotoz Junior Road Race Cup meeting at Timaru’s Levels Raceway on August 15 The old timers say it’s only wet at Levels about once every three years. Well it had been three years... But it was worse than wet, just a skiff of moisture and optimists were all talking about the dry line appearing. But it didn’t, and it provided a great learning opportunity for the young ones. RAPIDLY IMPROVING TALENT And who led the way? Not the higher ranked riders, but the emerging and rapidly improving talent that kept their cool little heads to finish all their races. It’s great to see their maturity coming through to ride fast and safely, to get their rewards. AT THE FRONT At the front? Well it was a “bin it or win it” situation for all except Seth Deveraux (Tapanui) who rode at or near the front in all three races to take the round and overall points lead. The stunning ride was that of
WORDS: Peter Jones PICS: Sportz Fotoz
SPORTZ FOTOZ JNR CUP RND 2 Michael Woodley-Gill, (Blenheim) right on the pace and second for the day.
OTHER CLASSES
Coming all the way from Ngatea paid off for Alex Bowers, third on the day and moving up to fourth overall.
meeting too. James Knowles (11) went
Other fast improvers were Anthony Singer (Leeston), Phillip Mair (Winton) and Vanessa Woodley-Gill (Blenheim). A bit grim for Christchurch with none of the Garden City’s young ones doing very well, but lookout, Rnd 3 is at Ruapuna so all that might change....
RESULTS SPORTZ FOTOZ CUP RND 2 LEVELS RACEWAY TIMARU AUGUST 15 2009 Pts after Rnd 2 of 3 1. Seth Deveraux (Tapanui) 8 300 points 2. Cameron Hudson (ChCh) 16 255. 3. Ryan Phillips (ChCh) 111 195. 4. Alex Bowers (Ngatea) 69 181. 5. Jordan Knowles (ChCh) 123 175. 6. Anthony Singer (Leeston) 46 174. 7. Michael Woodley (Blenheim) 66 165. 8. Harry Thomas (ChCh) 77 120. 9. Glenn Sneesby (ChCh) 88 116. 10. Matthew Hoogenboezem (ChCh) 20 107. 11. Phillip Mair (Winton) 87 95. 12. Angela Buunk (ChCh) 96 78. 13. Vanessa Woodley (Blenheim) 95 77. 14. Maria Cullen (ChCh) 42 69. 15. Leroy Maxwell (ChCh) 18 57. 16. Jake Lewis (Rangiora) 29 44. 17. Mason Denovan (ChCh) 28 29.
Other young riders performed well at this well on his Suzuki RG50 in Young Junior Road Race, and Angela Buunk (16) riding a 1929 Ariel 500 impressed in the training class. She’s preparing for the Burt Munro in October. What else would you ride? For details on the Sportz Fotoz Junior Cup go to www.sportzfotoz.co.nz or e-mail petejones@xtra.co.nz KR Top shot and we have the Sportz Fotoz Junior field on its way with (from left) Jordan Knowles (#123), Seth Deveraux (#8), (#25), and Ryan Phillips (#111) leading the way. Second field shot and it’s Seth Deveraux in the lead heading into Turn 1 from Jordan Knowles, Cameron Hudson (obscured) and Ryan Phillips. We then have a single shot of Deveraux and a pic of Anthony Singer (#46) and Alex Bowers (#69) fighting for a place in the gloom.
KIWI RIDER 89
WORDS & PICS: Brian Wood
Right, I’m getting old, it’s R official and in December of when I turn 40, according wh to Jeremy Clarkson of J ‘Top Gear’ who’s book I read recently, ‘it’s all downhill from there’…. As I still manage to beat quite a few of the young ‘uns out there, I’ll be using a race bike for the ‘downhill’ for a while yet, but with age seems to come a gradual increase in body weight which my winter break (spent recovering from a few injuries) has not helped. DOH! In the last few months I’ve somehow managed (through too much alcohol and crisps) to pack five kgs on to the weight I won races at last season. To the point where I now tip the scales at 94kgs. While I’m still not exactly a heavyweight, every extra kg makes a difference when racing bikes. If you race a 125 you need to be the size of a dwarf and weight of a gnat if you want to make the most of the power they provide. With near 200bhp, a full on Superbike can carry most riders but weight still makes a difference and obviously a 60kg rider will always go faster than a 100kg rider of the same ability on the same bike, for example. If you ever get to meet some of the world’s best riders in person, few are tall and most are much smaller than you imagine from the TV… oh yeah and they’re young.
‘why? When they can ride for hours on their roadbike without getting tired.’ Well, full on racing is as exhausting physically and mentally as anything I’ve ever done sports-wise and if you’re not fit you will not be competitive. Equally, racers and track day riders will find that concentration often wanes when you get tired, which can lead to mistakes and expensive crashes.
I often hear people who know little about racing ask 90 KIWI RIDER
MOTORC YCLE EYE WEAR
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I hope to get over my injuries from last year which, as you get older take longer to mend but getting as fit as a 20 year old before next season is probably a stretch. A diet and fitness regime in readiness for the new season beckons and the Editor has even suggested joining him on his twice weekly MTB rides, which he assures me has seen him lose about the same weight I’ve put on. Now, I just need the wife to lock away the beer, wine and crisps….. either that or I join the Superbike class and ride a bike with more power to counter my bigger belly…..! KR
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GENERAL FITNESS While the future of racing is never going to be 40 year olds like me or the other ‘more mature’ riders out there, general fitness for all racers and track day riders is very important.
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Who ate all the pies? KR Road race columnist Brian Wood contemplates the effect a winter’s beer and crisp consumption has had on his physique...
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EDEKR001
ROAD COMPETITION ROAD RACING
ROAD RACING WITH BRIAN WOOD
ROAD COMPETITION MOTOGP
Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa on the podium at Brno
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WORDS: Todd Sutherland PICS: Yamaha
ROSSI WINS LORENZO FALLS AGAIN It was looking like another Fiat Yamaha benefit, at the resurfaced Brno circuit in Czech on August 16. With Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo battling comfortably out front of the field, it was only a small mistake by Lorenzo that gave the team their fifth, Rossi/Lorenzo onetwo finish for the year. Rossi scorched to the first record lap in the one tyre era in qualifying with his ever present young Spanish team-mate one twentieth of a second behind. Lorenzo worked hard to close in on Rossi in the race. After setting a new lap record on lap 16, passing Rossi for the lead on lap 17, Lorenzo low sided out of the race the following lap. Rossi was left to enjoy a huge 14 plus second buffer, before cruising in on the last lap.
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Pedrosa, who finished in second, also savoured a large margin at the finish with his team-mate, Andrea Dovizioso losing out to the fast but erratic Toni Elias (Honda). The Ducati riders reshuffled into the line up in Casey
Stoner’s absence, Mika Kallio (on Stoner’s bike) and wildcard Michel Fabrizio (on Kallio’s Pramac machine) both failed to finish. 250GP Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) reminded us all that this championship is anything but over with an emphatic win that brought him to within 32 points of the championship lead. Simoncelli bolted from pole position to lead start to finish. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) bettered championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) to take third while Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) made a valiant effort to close on Simoncelli, taking the runner up position. 125GP Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) moved into second place in the championship with a fine win at Brno. Starting from second on the grid the Spaniard forced his way into the lead and did well to hold championship leader and countryman, Julian Simon out on the final lap. KR
RESULTS MOTOGP RND11 CZECHOSLOVAKIA AUG 16 MOTOGP 1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 43’08.991 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +11.766 3. Toni Elias (Honda) +20.756 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +21.418 5. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) +21.538 6. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) + 25.544 Fastest Lap: Lorenzo (record) 1’56.670 250GP 1. Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) +10.339 2. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia ) + 0.684 3. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) + 4.381 4. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) +8.746 5. Roberto Locatelli (Gilera) +9.721 6. Raffaele De Rosa (Honda) + 10.870 Fastest Lap: Simoncelli 2’02.330 125GP 1. Nicholas Terol (Aprilia) 4’57.378 2. Julian Simon (Aprilia) +0.168 3. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia) +8.719 4. Bradley Smith (Aprilia) +12.443 5. Pol Espargaro (Derbi) +16.006 6. Sandro Cortese (Derbi) +16.066 Fastest Lap: Simon 2’08.640
KIWI RIDER 91
PRODUCT EVALUATION REV-IT JACKET
REV-IT RADAR JACKET ‘stuff this’, and took the Motomail exit with memories of the Rev-it Adventure Riding Jacket I had borrowed for the KR Can-Am Spyder test in mind. I tried some other adventure jackets on, but with the thermal liners in place they just weren’t as comfortable as I was in Radar model that I rode away wearing. The Radar is available in touring or regular fit and it’s shaped to be at its best when sitting on a motorcycle with a mostly upright ergonomic. Trés comfy.
WORDS: Big Dave I was riding back over the Western Causeway and got stuck in one of those heavy showers that blow down off the Waitakeres – and I got soaked. The waterproofing ability of my old touring jacket had gone – after six very good years and a lot of miles. I’ll give it a wash and re-treatment, but it’s a bit road weary and ready to be classified as adventure riding kit – where a bit of mud and grunge doesn’t matter so much. Back on the Western I was cold, said
seated and it has two interior pockets for phones and gadgets and a document pocket. For the winter I have found is that it’s very warm and very comfortable. I’ve been nice and dry and looked pretty fly through the rest of the wet so far and it’s nicely armoured and finished with laminated reflection strips. The recommended retail price is $550 and it’s available from Motomail. KR
I also really like the three-layer system. The thermal and the waterproof layers are removable; which means that it’s a viable jacket for all seasons. It has large vents that should see it turn into a good hot weather alternative too. The waterproof liner zips out and stows in a pocket at the rear. Cuffs are fastened with Velcro and it has Velcro fastening over the zipper. The collar is adjustable. The two big storage pockets at front don’t bunch up when
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92 KIWI RIDER
ARAI CHASER PHIL READ REPLICA
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
EGIKR016
New!
I currently have a new Arai Chaser Phil Read for Kiwi Rider evaluation. What a beautiful thing it is. It replaces the Union Jack Viper that saw excellent service on many a KR test bike. The Chaser feels even nicer, seems a bit quieter and is simply a beautiful thing. I know, I know, it’s not supposed to be about how it looks, but wow, it’s Arai safe, veryy comfortable and just look at it. So far I can’t comment on the e ventilation – been too cold for that caper, but fitted with an irridium visor if feels light and like you are a million dollars inside whatever the temperature.
HOT PRODUCTS ROAD
New!
Dold Industries: $1049. Reviewer: Big Dave.
Here’s what Arai says about the new Chaser: One of the most remarkable new helmet models must be the brand-new Arai Chaser. The Chaser is designed and developed as a truly innovative design, with much attention paid to details. The fibre glass outer shell is, just as any Arai helmet, severely tested for penetration, while the Hyper Ridge at the bottom of the shell offers extra rigidity and strength. Especially attractive is the new ventilation system, with the new large inlet duct at the front of the helmet and the massive exhaust duct at the rear. Both ducts feature large buttons, which are easy to operate, even with gloves. Much attention is given to an extremely high level of comfort. The standard Pinlock inner visor effectively prevents fogging and misting of the visor, while the new spoiler at the rear of the helmet provides efficient ventilation, as well as increased aerodynamics. Replaceable cheek pads also come standard with this exciting new Arai model. HOLTS PRODUCTS
THE LATEST IN THE GIVI MONOKEY RANGE.
From $16 Distributor: White’s Powersports
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
Holts have been a major supplier to the automotive industry for decades and the range of motorcycle care products is available through well known distributors W Whites. Whether it’s washing, waxing, polishing bright work or harder work like shifting dead bugs, grease or wheel grime Holts have the job covered with dependable product. For riders who put in the miles under all types of conditions the Chain lube, anti mist and most important tyre repair are all in easy to use and store aerosol cans. Available from all good motorcycle and accessory suppliers.
|$599.00 black|
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COMING SOON: The E55 will soon be able to be fitted with a specific remote control for easy one hand opening.
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EGIKR017
KIWI RIDER 93
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EGIKR009
2010 TEKNIC CORSAIR JACKET & PANTS Pants $499, jacket $699 Distributor: White’s Powersports.
1
All new for 2010! The Corsair line-up is constructed using leather and textile, giving you the strength and safety of leather with the fit and function of Cordura. The ¾ length touring jacket has 15° forward arm rotation for optimal fit and comfort. Features include: two 10” chest and underarm vents with a full sized exhaust vent across the upper back; 1.4mm cow hide leather on the shoulders and elbows; 600D Cordura panels with 330D Taslan in non critical areas; Knox CE armour throughout; Powerskin HP waterproofing; YKK waterproof zippers; zip off Thermo-Nekie II collar system; TASC stitching; zip out thermal liner; red taffeta inner jacket lining; integral pack-and-go removable liner; connection zipper makes the jacket & pants a full touring two-piece suit. The full length touring pant features: 1.4mm cow hide leather on the knees, 600D Cordura panels with 330D Taslan in non critical flex areas; removable Knox CE knee protectors; removable padding in the hips and lower back; Powerskin HP waterproof/breathable liner system; dual layer waterproofing in the seat and crotch area; Zip ’n’ Go rain catcher leg cuff; YKK waterproof zippers; red taffeta lining; hook `n’ loop lower leg & waist adjustment; stretch panels in the knees and back area; heatproof material on the legs; fully adjustable and removable brace system; leg stirrups. Colours: Black/Bronze/Gunmetal. Sizes: Jacket 42” to 50” Pants 32” to 40”.
HOT PRODUCTS ROAD
1
1
4
2
ZEUS 609 HELMET $149 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
2
The Zeus 609 is a super lightweight, open face jet helmet manufactured with injected thermoplastic resin. The 609 has a patented “No-Sweat” interior system to keep the rider comfortable while airflow is improved with front air intakes and rear exhausts. Complete with a quick release seat belt fastening strap and 2.2mm scratch resistant visor, the 609 is ideal for the rider who prefers an open face helmet. Colours: White/Black, White/Green, Metallic Black/Blue, Hot Pink, Metallic Blue, Sizes: S/56 – XL/62 3 ZEUS 805 HELMET Plain $139, graphics $169 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
Classic style helmet with new, sleek side visor screws; super light weight, thermo injected ABS alloy shell; removable cheek pads and liner and an all metal, quick release soft slide chin strap. Sizes: XS/54 – XL/62. Colours: Blue, Wine Red, Black, White, Matt Black, Blue/Silver, Red/Silver, Titanium/Silver. 4 TCX SS WOMEN’S SPORT BOOT $399 Distributor: Northern Accessories
Finally a quality sport boot made especially
5 for a women’s foot shape. Features: micro fibre lining; Air Tech breathable protection; polyurethane heel guard,; shin plate with iron mesh air insert and shift pad; polyurethane toe slider; anti bacterial, reinforced sole with specific grip area. Colour: white, sizes: EU 35 – 40. 5 ZETA ROAD CLUTCH LEVER & FLIGHT PERCH $259 Distributor: Northern Accessories
An all new road product from Zeta. The Flight clutch lever features holes designed to decrease wind pressure even over
3 300kph. Fully CNC machined from A7009/ A6061 aluminum. Super light wieght but strong and reliable with folding lever function and 19mm tail ball. Flight Clutch perch for cable type clutches. Comes with large size 1/6 rotating quick cable adjuster which is easy to use even with gloves on while riding. The lever adjustment bolt is a simple design allowing non stop adjustment and light weight. Quick clamp system by a hinge style for easy mounting and simple maintainence. Hinge pin made of titanium. Comes complete with lever. KIWI RIDER 95
I Introducing a new b benchmark for gloves
Ninja
RRP: $169.00
• Palm made in unlined colourfast PITTARDS speciallytreated leather • Back in cow-skin leather with silk lining • Maximum knuckle protection with CARB ON-AramideHybrid protective mouldings • Fingers and cuff protected with CARBON leather panels backed with TEMPERFOAM and Kevlar® branded fibre • Side of hand reinforced with doubled cow-hide leather and protected with schoeller-KEPROTEC and special foam • AIR-VENT on fingers, underlaid with KEPROTEC Colours: Black-azur • black-red • black Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11
Panther
RRP: $139.00
• Unlined palm in colourfast cowhide leather • Back in cow-skin with 100% polyester silky lining • Carbon knuckle protection • Doubled material and ventilation vents on fingers • Reinforced ball of thumb • Velcro adjustment at cuff Colours: Black - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11
Fresco
RRP: $119.00
• Durable soft calf leather • TFL - COOL coating (reflects sunlight) for rider comfort • Curved fingers and quilted seam technology for opti mum rider control • Specialised foam knuckle guard underlay • Ball of the hand reinforced with Keprotec • Side of hand and palm reinforced with double layer calf’s leather • 3M Scotchlite reflective material • Wrist adjustment strap Colours: Black - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11
Snowflake
RRP: $199.00
• Back of hand, thumb and cuff in robust Polyamide • Palm in PITTARDS WR 100 treated leather • GORE-TEX membrane liner (breathable /wind and waterproof) • 3M-Thinsulate thermal liner (65% Polyolefin, 35% Polyester) • HUSKY Polyester micro-fleece padded lining (thermal) • Schoeller Dynatec on knuckles and sides • 3M Scotchlite reflective material • Adjustable wrist and cuff • Integrated rubber visor wiper er Colours: Black Sizes: 7,8,9,10,11 11
CHE C THE K S SPE E CS!
Polar
RRP: $96.00
• Cow hide leather palm • Back and cuff in 100% Polyamide Airguard with leather pannels • Windproof and breathable HIPORA waterproof membrane • Thinsulate thermal lining Colours: Black - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11
Estivo
RRP: $96.00
• Palm made from durable AMARA (60% Polyamide, 40% Polyurethane) • Fingers reinforced with leather inlays • Back of hand made from breathable net material • Hard plastic knuckle shell protector reinforced with leather inlay • Palm and ball of the hand reinforced with Keprotec • Held print on palm and back of hand • Wrist adjustment strap Colours: Black - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11
Phantom
RRP: $379.00
• Palm and back in highly abrasion-resistant sweatproof and colourfast kangaroo leather • Unlined palm. Back and thumb fully padded with shock-absorbing suprotect and 100% kevlar® • Little and ring fingers additional kevlar® padding on the inside and outside • Pre-formed, crumple-free palm • Special flat seams reduce pressure points on the inner hand, and enhance feel • Gfc shells with 100% kevlar® ceramic polymer matrix coating give perfect protection to the side of the hand and knuckles • Velcro straps on the cuff and wrist • Visor wiper Colours: White-red-blue • white-blue • white-red - black C Sizes: 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 11 S
Hashiru
RRP: $269.00
• Palm In Highly Abrasion-resistant Sweat Proof And Colour Fast Kangaroo Leather • Back In Soft Cowhide Leather • 100% Polyester Lining • Special Step Steam For Unsurpassed Fit • Underneath The Carbon Knuckle Protection • Twin Velcro Straps At Cuff • Visor Wiper Colours: Black - Red - Blue - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11,12
Blizzard
RRP: $169.00
• Palm in soft cowhide leather • Back and cuff in 100% Polyamide Airguard with leather pannels • GORE-TEX membrane • Heat accumulating lining • Reflective pannels • Velcro adjustment for snug fit • Visor wiper Colours: Black - sizes: 7,8,9,10,11
Available from good bike shops now.
A brand new model for 2010 – the XR1100 sports and touring helmet has a highly advanced aerodynamic design and an all new shell shape with integrated spoiler and vents, offering improved head stability. The high performance ventilation system with new intake and outlet channels provides superb ventilation and minimum noise. New visor gives a greater field of vision and is coupled with the revolutionary new Shoei Q.R.S.A system (quick release, self–adjusting visor system). The XR1100 also has a newly designed, fully removable interior and extended chin bar which means the visor is further away (to avoid fogging issues) and feels more spacious. Available in both plain colours and a variety of graphics in sizes XS to 2XL (Black & Matt Black 2XL). Candy colours and graphics can be indented in 2XL.
HOT PRODUCTS ROAD
1 2010 SHOEI XR1100 HELMET Plain $649-$699, graphics $849 Distributor: White’s Powersports.
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2 ALPINESTARS TRACK PROTECTION VEST $399 Distributor: Crown Kiwi
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For many years now Alpinestars have been on the top step of the podium when it comes to rider safety and protection, and this year is no different with the release of the Track Protection Vest. With its low profile fit and padding, this vest is made to go under any Alpinestars jacket adding to the already superior protection. It ultilises materials such as dual compound foam inserts enclosed in stretch net, which also adds to the comfort of the vest. This, with the removable CE bionic back protector make the Track Protection Vest a must for anyone who is safety conscious. Sizes: S-XXL.
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3 ALPINESTARS 365 GORE-TEX GLOVE $399 Distributor: Crown Kiwi
Are you looking for a true all year round, allweather riding glove that has all the features of a top line sports glove? The Alpinestars 365 Gore-Tex glove is a true 2-in-1 glove that can be worn in rain, hail or shine. Features include external seam construction on the fingers coupled with a 3rd and 4th finger bridge for superior abrasion resistance and protection. It also features X-Trafit, the most advanced and precise fitting waterproof and breathable technology from Gore-Tex. In short, the 365 Gore-Tex glove looks good, keeps your hands dry, and most importantly, fully protected. Sizes: S – 3XL 4 DRAGGIN JEANS SLIX AU$279 www.dragginjeans.net
Draggin Jeans are proud to introduce Slix – the first slim fitting, protective motorcycle jean with a leather look that breathes and moves like traditional denim jeans. Constructed with quality stretch denim, and a wax finish, these innovative jeans are worn fitted close to the body and will quickly mould to your shape. Over time, each pair
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will develop their own unique creases and curves. Available in both men’s and women’s cuts, Slix are designed to be worn on and off the bike. Slix feature the revolutionary knitted Kevlar/Dyneema lining. The lining is soft to the touch, breathable, flexible, non-allergenic and vastly superior to basic woven or knitted Kevlar alternatives. The men’s Slix feature a plastic zip rear pocket for wallet security and are cut with a tapered leg. The women’s Slix are cut to the same pattern as Draggin Jeans amazingly popular Minx Jean. As with all Draggin Jeans products, Slix can be machine washed on a gentle cold water cycle. Highly fashionable and extremely
functional, Slix are the motorcycle jeans you have been waiting for and will be available in store in October 5 GRYYP PUNCTURE REPAIR KITS $46-$92. Dold Industries
Gryyp are the leaders in emergency roadside repair equipment for motorcycles, scooters and cars. No tools or special mechanical skills are required. Just plug the Cargol screws into the tyre with ease in less than 30 seconds. No glue to go off before you need to use it, the compact size will fit easily under any motorcycle seat. To see how the system works, go to http:// www.gryyp.com/cargol/ing.html KIWI RIDER 99
ShowCase Show
OCTOBER 09 Useful Stuff... In your local Dealers now.
Maxima Maxum4 SynBlend The good folk at Maxima know a thing or two about motorcyle engine oil. After all, they’ve been protecting engines — on everything from commuters right through to AMA Championship winning bikes — for the last 30 years! Providing extreme protection for all 4-stroke engines, Maxim4 SynBlend is a superior motorcycle specific engine oil, featuring an exclusive blend of Synthetic and Petroleum base stocks. You’ll find it in 10w40 and 20w50 priced at $24.90 (1L) and $76.90 (3.8L), that’s cheap insurance for your engine!
Muc-Off MucOff Helmet Care Take care of your expensive helmet with Muc-Off’s Rider Care Series. The Optix Pack, priced at just $36.90, comes complete with a 35ml spray bottle of cleaner and microfibre cleaning cloth that leaves nothing but a ‘Streak Free’ finish. It also comes in a handy storage pack making for ideal cleaning on the move — simply store under seat or in your backpack. While picking up your Optix Pack from your local Muc-Off Stockist, why not grab a bottle of Premium Anti-Fog Treatment. Clear vision ensured even under the worst weather conditions. Smart buying at only $32.90.
EASY STORAGE!
Ugly Fish Riderz Eyewear Motorcycle eyewear specialist Ugly Fish have recently released these ultra cool Riderz RS5066 glasses. Designed specifically for motorcyclists, they offer supreme comfort and protection on and off the bike. The RS5066 feature anti-fog, anti-scratch and impact resistant lenses along with shatterproof TR90 frames allowing them to meet the AS NZ 13371992 Safety Standard. The RS5066 also comes with detachable inner foam padding for added eye protection — particularly good if you wear an open face lid. Available from your Ugly Fish stockist, the Riderz RS5066 comes in Matt Black frame with Smoke lens or Matt Black frame with Silver lens, with both models retailing at around $89.00. Grab a pair today!
Gen. Innov. Innov. Puncture Kit Back Don’t getProtecstranded with a puncture! tors Ever been stuck on the side of the road with a flat tyre? No? You’re one of the lucky ones, but luck wont last forever. Do yourself a favour, avoid the costs of a ‘pick up’ by carrying a puncture repair kit. Genuine Innovations have a range of kits available to let you fix and re-inflate the tyre in no time — getting you back on the road and enjoying the ride. Kits start at $49.90 (basic kit) and they all come in a cool carry bag to make it easy to store, and hard to loose.
#1 in Co2 Inflators
Forma Arrow Dry Boots These stylish Arrow Dry boots from Italian boot maker Forma are just the thing for sportsbike riders who use their bike in all weather conditions. The Drytex waterproof lining keeps the wet stuff out and the protection is all there with shin, ankle and heel protectors, and there’s some pretty cool (replaceable) magnesium toe sliders too. Grab a pair of these superb boots today for just $409.90 from your local dealer. Available in black in Euro sizes 42 to 47.
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH!
MotoDry Saddle Bags MotoDry has a wide range of soft luggage options available, so now you can tour on just about anything. Check out these Sport Saddle Bags. Designed especially for modern sportsbikes, they feature a trapezoid shape enabling good clearance for up swept mufflers. They’re expandable to 68L (a set), so there’s plenty of room for all your gear. And you needn’t worry about your bike’s paintwork being damaged either, as the Sport Saddle Bags have anti-scratch grip panels. They have sturdy velcro adjustable seat straps to keep everything nice and secure, while there’s heavy duty handles for ease of carrying off the bike too. If this sounds like you, head down to your local dealer, where you can expect to pay a very reasonable $195.00 for a set. Highly recommended.
If your dealer doesn’t have these fine products on their shelves, tell them to get some for you from Forbes & Davies Ltd.
1 KBC VR2R HELMET $399-$499 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
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The VR-2, KBC’s flagship model, is a true race helmet offering high performance design for street and track. Designed for aerodynamic airflow and stability at high speeds, it features reduced shell dimensions and overall size; the eye aperture, strap positions and shell ergonomics have been fine tuned for better peripheral vision, improved head movement, reduced neck strain and dampened wind noise. Sizes: XS/54 – XXL/64 Colours: Lady Killer, Alien, Smoke Chrome, Black Gloss, Matt Black, Vulcan Red, Vulcan Grey, Vulcan Blue, Reaper Matt Red/Black, Stealth Black/Gun, Wizard Black/Red.
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2 KBC VR-1X HELMET From $259 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
Back by popular demand, the VR-1X is a re-release of KBC’s highly successful race helmet. With its perfect fit and exceptional performance, it is sure to win over fans new and old. Timeless shell design in advanced fibre composite, makes it lightweight. Twin air cooling channels and a comfortable interior make the VR-1X an easy choice. Sizes: XS/54 – XXL/64. Colours: Beast, Lightning Force, Tribal Blue/Silver/Red, Red, Tribal Matt Red/Gun/Black, Tribal Silver/Black/ White.
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3 FORMA STREET EVO BOOT $299 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
A Lorica/Leather blend construction and Drytex liner combine for a practical, comfortable, waterproof boot for everyday street or touring use. Easy fastening is by large velcro patch tabs, and the Street Evo has inner hard armour to protect ankles. A classy and stylish boot that won’t break the bank. Available in Euro sizes 36 to 48. 4 NEO RETRO JACKET $219 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
The NEO Retro Jacket, with its bold colour scheme, has been designed for the discerning buyer who’s after something that stands out from the masses. Features include a Polyester 600D shell, waterproof and breathable lining, detachable winter lining, elasticated sleeve adjustment, CE approved elbow and shoulder protection plus high density foam back protector, pre-curved arms, and 3M Scotchlite reflection. Available in Sizes S to XXL in Red/Blk/Beige. AIROH TR JET HELMET $329 Distributor: Forbes & Davies 5
When it comes to helmet fit, safety and cutting edge style, Italian brand Airoh leads the way. Check out the very cool TR Jet. Aimed at scooter, commuter and cruiser riders, it features a tough lightweight shell; integrated sun screen; anti-scratch visor; hygenic, breathable comfort liner; front ventilation;
3 rear extractors, micrometric retention system and ECE22.05 safety. Sizes: XS to XL. MAXIMA SCOOTER 2T $19 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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Premium quality low-smoke 2-cycle engine lubricant for both premix and oil injector use in scooters and mopeds. Clean burning while providing excellent protection to all engine parts. Exceeds API-TC and all manufacturer’s specifications. Available from all good motorcyle and scooter shops in a handy 1L pack. 7 FORCEFIELD GEAR $285 Dold Industries Ltd
Forcefield offers a variety of garments which will afford you the highest protection. The Forcefield Back uses a unique high-tech triangular shock absorbing
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material combined with dense and light weight layers of foam which allows energy to be dispersed evenly over its surface. Fully adjustable shoulder and double waist adjustment straps hold the Back to the body snugly. 8 2009 ISLE OF MAN TT OFFICIAL REVIEW DVD $60 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
The 2009 Isle of Man TT Official Review delivers comprehensive coverage of a record-breaking event, with edge-ofthe-seat drama from every race, special features and informed commentary from Steve Parrish and James Whitham. Dramatic action, 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. KIWI RIDER 101
N103 N-COM
Still the only dual action front opening helmet. Now with internal sun visor. Ready for all types of communication without wires - rider to pillion, rider to rider, cell phone, $699.00* GPS, MP3. (*Helmet only. N-Com accessories are optional extras)
NOLAN, PROUD SPONSOR OF CASEY STONER AND MARCO MELANDRI
Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale Ltd
ENOKR027
HOT PRODUCTS ROAD
1 AVON ROADRIDER TYRES From $179 Distributor: Dold Industries
When you rely on your bike as everyday transport, you want tyres that combine outstanding performance with long life; that’s why you choose Avon’s Roadrider. The Roadrider is specially formulated to give excellent roadholding year-round and a large ‘footprint’ at all lean angles. Commuters will appreciate the central tread groove which is designed to resist the ‘white lining’ effect that can occur when riding over thickly applied road marker paint. Available in a large range of sizes for a wide variety of bikes.
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2 ARAI TOUR X HELMET From $1099 Distributor: Dold Industries
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Arai Tour-X is breaking new ground in helmet design and technology. The fibreglass shell is strong, lightweight and provides much more comfort than typical helmets of its type. The Hybrid Multiple-density Foam EPS Liner is Arai’s unique technology for giving multiple densities to the liner as a single component. Use with or without the peak, there is no loss in functionality. Check the website for more details. www.dold.co.nz www.araihelmet-europe.com
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3 DIADORA DONNA LADIES TOURING BOOTS $399 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
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Especially designed for women, the Donnna has all the quality and features you would expect from Diadora such as a full grain leather upper, extra soft padding, protection plus an antibacterial replaceable footbed with APS (Air Pump System). Available in black in sizes 36-42. 4
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MACNA ROAD JACKET
$299 Distributor: Darbi Accessories A jacket with a separately detachable waterproof and thermo liner. Equipped with CE protection, short connection zipper, strategically placed reinforcements and reflective parts. Four pockets in front and an inside GSM pocket in the liner. Available in Black/ Black (S to 3XL) or Grey/Blue (S to 2XL). 5 SIDI WAY MEGA TEPOR BOOTS $399 Distributor: Darbi Accessories
This quality lightweight touring boot uses a combination of synthetic and Lorica materials to give the wearer maximum protection and comfort. Lined in water resistent Tepor membrane. The shin and malleous area are protected by nylon guards. Comes standard with heel reflectors, a zero sweat internal liner and closure with a velcro protected zip. Available in black in sizes 41 to 50.
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chance to add a little slice of Lorenzo Land for $40. Next is a must for every Suzuki or AMA fan – the Rockstar Makita Superbike team truck + bikes set which includes the Yoshi truck (1/32) and trailer and then a 1/12th model of both Ben Spies #1 and Mat Mladin’s #6 all conquering Suzuki GSX-R1000 ’08 race bikes. The bikes feature moving wheels and all the right stickers in all the right places, plus opening doors on the truck. $168 for the set or separately – the bikes at $50 each and the truck at $90.
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7 VENTURA LIGHT-GUARDS Distributor: Dold Industries
First is a fantastic 1/12 scale model of Jorge’s Fiat-Yamaha 2008 bike #48. Your
Developed to protect the elaborate and expensive headlight systems fitted to modern motorcycles, Ventura brings you a product
NEW RAY MODELS Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
that will not only help save you the expense of replacing broken headlights but will also reduce the chance of being stranded on a lonely highway at night. 8 PARK TOOL FOLD UP ALLEN KEY SET $24 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
If you’re after some quality tools for your workshop, be it home or professional, you can’t go past the Park Tool range. Have a look at this handy 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm Hex Wrench Set. Park Tool Fold Up Allen key Sets use a multi position composite handle that is comfortable, lightweight, slip-resistant, and 40% stronger than steel handles. The hexes have chamfered tips for a perfect fit and are made from high torque industrial steel for long life. Nice and compact for under seat storage. KIWI RIDER 103
WORLD FAMOUS MOTORCYCLES
RED BARON QUALITY AND SELECTION AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
OVER 200 QUALITY USED BIKES
1999 1992 1995 1997 2000 1991 1992 1994 1994 1994 1995 1996 1999 2000 2002 2002 2002 2003 2005 2005 2008 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1995
APRILIA DUCATI DUCATI DUCATI DUCATI HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA HONDA KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI
RS250 $8,995 900SS $7,495 900SS $7,495 SS400 $5,995 748 $9,995 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 4 from: $7,495 CB400 $5,995 FTR 223 $4,995 CB400 $6,495 CBR954 $9,995 CRF450 $6,995 CBR600RR $10,995 CR85 $3,495 CBR600RR $14,495 VN1500 $7,295 ZXR 250 $5,995 ZZR250 $4,495 ZXR750R $8,495 ZZR400 $3,995 EL250 x 2 $3,995 ZXR400 $7,495 EX400 $4,495
1997 1997 1998 1999 2000 2000 2000 2000 2002 2005 2004 2004 2006 2006 2007 2007 2009 2009 2009 2002 2002 1994 1998 1998 2000 2000 2001 2001 2001
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 SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI
ZX6 VN1500 ZX9R ZR750 ESTERELLA X 2 ZX12 KX80 ZX12R X 2 KX85 Z1000 also 04 KX250F VN2000 ZX6R ZX14 KX250 KX250R Ninja 250R Ninja 250R KLX140 125SX LC4 VS400 SV400 VS1400 TU250 x 2 GSXR1300 GSXR1300 GSX1200 GSXR1000
$7,495 $6,995 $8,995 $7,995 $4,995 $12,495 $2,995 $10,995 $3,495 $10,995 $5,495 $16,495 $10,995 $11,995 $6,495 $6,495 $7,195 $7,295 $3,995 $4,995 $8,495 $4,995 $6,495 $8,495 $2,995 $11,995 $11,995 $6,995 $11,495
2003 2004 2005 2007 2003 1990 1990 1991 1993 1993 1994 1995 1995 1995 1996 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 2004 2005 2008
SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI SUZUKI TRIUMPH YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA YAMAHA
A100 $1,750 GSXR1000 K4 $9,995 RM250 $6,495 VL250 $5,195 SPEED TRIPLE $9,995 FZR250 $5,495 SRX400 $4,995 FJ1200 $5,995 FZX750 $6,995 SRV250 x 2 $3,995 XJR400 $3,995 YFS400 $3,995 XV1100 $6,495 TRX850 $6,995 XJR400 x 2 $6,495 SZR660 x 2 $6,995 SRV250 $4,995 XVS1100 $8,995 XVS400 $7,495 R6 $10,495 R6 $9,995 BT1100 $9,495 XVS1100 $10,995 VXS1100 35500kms $11,995 YZFR1 $10,995 R6 $12,495 SX4 $3,495 Stock Available as at 3/9/09
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
HOT PRODUCTS ROAD
1 DUNLOP D209 QUALIFIER From $249 Distributor: Forbes & Davies Ltd
The D209 Qualifier offers true racetrack-level grip and performance for the street. Rear-tyre compound blends three race-developed polymers to maximize grip and warm up quickly in the wet or the dry. Race-derived front-tyre profile promotes quicker turn-in and lighter steering while also contributing to a larger footprint at maximum lean angles. There’s an advanced belt design and Jointless Band (JLB) construction reducing unsprung weight for quicker acceleration and enhanced steering characteristics.
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2 NEO COMBAT GLOVE $124 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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These sport/race gloves from NEO feature leather and Keprotec® construction with premium kangaroo hide on the palms with extra padding on palm and thumb – offering the ultimate in protection. There’s also hard armour on knuckle, perforated back of hand and velcro adjustable cuff. Available in Tan/Black in sizes S to 4XL.
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3 METZELER ROADTEC Z6 From $295 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
The new tyre utilises Metzeler’s revolutionary Interact™ structure and compound technology, whereby grip performance is achieved not through two different rubber compounds on the same tyre, but rather by the interaction of differently tensioned steel belts. Less tension on the belts on the shoulder of the tyre allows more flexibility, creating hotter ‘stickier’ zones. Conversely increased tension of the belts in the centre of the tyre restricts flexibility to create a cooler long wearing zone. This new technology results in a progressive transition between the two zones, creating neutral and smooth handling in all conditions. 4 MUC-OFF BIKE CLEANER $19/1L, $59/5L Distributor: Forbes & Davies
Give your bike a spring clean with Muc-Off. an advanced formula that rapidly removes dirt, grime and oil from all areas of the bike. Muc-Off is completely biodegradable, alkaline based and solvent free, so it’s safe and easy to use, and won’t harm paintwork, anodising or seals. PACSAFE LIDSAFE From $89. Distributor: Forbes & Davies 5
Sick of lugging your helmet around once you arrive at your destination? Then have a look at this. The LidSafe Helmet Security Bag from Pacsafe features a slash-proof, high-tensile stainless steel mesh which locks the helmet to a secure fixture. The plastic coated wire mesh is layered between a waterproof outer liner and a soft inner material to offer protection from theft, damage, and the weather. Clever stuff! 6 THE VENTURA BIKE-PACK SYSTEM Distributor: Dold Industries
You can rest assured there is sound engineering behind your Ventura Bike-Pack System. The de-
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sign positions the load securely behind the rider for better handling and minimal wind resistance. Now available for: Triumph 675 Daytona (2009). Aprilia Mana 850 (2009) (pictured). Kawasaki KLR650 (KL650E) (2009). BMW G650X Challenge, G650X Country, G650X Moto (2009). Honda VT 750 Shadow C4, VTR 250 (2010). Yamaha FZ6R (2009). www.dold.co.nz 7 ZEUS 3600C HELMET $179 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
Simple, sleek, noiseless and fully recessed visor, tool-less visor changes, light weight thermo injected alloy shell, full ventilation system with extra large chin vents, dual rear exhaust vents and rear top vents in one piece, cool weave comfort liner, removeable cheek pads and liner. Sizes: XS/54 – XL/62. Colours: Wine Red, Dark Blue, Dark Silver, Black
8 ZEUS 806 HELMET $199, graphics $229. Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
New, sleek noiseless and fully recessed visor, built in internal sun visor, compact and lightweight shell, full vent system with new extra large chin intake vents, cool weave comfort liner. Sizes: XS/54 – XL/62 Colours: Black, Matt Black, Dark Blue/ Blue, Red/Red, Titanium/Grey 9 BERIK KTG RACE GLOVES $259 Distributor: Darbi Accessories
Made from kangaroo leather with polyester lining, fibre reinforced knuckles with Titanium protectors, stretch Kevlar at the rear of the knuckles for improved movement, rubber pads on individual finger knuckles for added protection, Velcro wrist strap and elastic cuff. Colours: Black/White, White/ Black in S to 2XL KR KIWI RIDER 105
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www.yamaha-motor.co.nz Offer applies at participating dealers, on applicable models only and while stocks last. Finance offers applicable on all model years. Terms and rates available on request. Finance is to approved customers. Fees and charges payable. Promotion finishes 31st October 2009 while stock lasts. Model specifications may vary from those shown.
WORDS: Staff PICS: KTM Images Kiwi Chris Birch has finished second in the annual Red Bull Romaniacs extreme enduro, the KTM rider beaten only by BMW Motorrad rider Andreas Lettenbichler. Birch, a former New Zealand Enduro champion who these days travels the world contesting ultra enduro events for KTM and Red Bull, has twice finished third in the Romanian event and had a comfortable lead early in this year’s event (held between August 17 and 19) until he lost time after wire wrapped itself round his 300 EXC’s front wheel. Despite that he managed to limit the damage and claim the second step on the podium behind Lettenbichler (who finished third behind Yamaha’s Rory Mead and Birch at the Birch-organised Red Bull City Scramble in Auckland two months ago) but in front of enduro great and former race winner Cyril Despres.
beginning, but an almost insurmountable climb to the top of a hill changed the order. While Lettenbichler used all his skills acquired in a previous career as a Trial rider, his rival didn´t even attempt to conquer the obstacle, receiving a hefty time penalty for his trouble, leaving Lettenbichler able to canter home for the win almost an hour before Chris Birch. After the event Birch told reporters: “I’m just very happy with this result, considering what I’ve had to go through over the last five days. There are a million options out there to either wreck your bike or yourself, and it really takes all you have to not do so. This is the most valuable result I’ve ever achieved in my career!” Birch’s next major event is the one he won outright last year, the Roof of Africa Rally in Lesotho.
Despres led the event heading into the final day with Lettenbichler just 14 seconds down. In second place, setting the scene for a stunning final showdown. Despres was leading the way in the
RESULTS 2009 RED BULL ROMANIACS ENDURO AUGUST 17-19 1. Andreas Lettenbichler (Germany, BMW) 20:29:11. 2. Chris Birch (NZ, KTM) 21:10:01. 3. Cyril Despres (France, KTM) 22:11:25 4. Lionel Seydoux (Switzerland, KTM) 22:55:18. 5. Pual Bolton (Great Britain, KTM) 23:38:05. 6. Darryl Curtis (Sth Africa, KTM) 23:41:36. 7. Melcior Faja Beltran (Spain, GasGas) 23:55:51. 8. Erich Brandauer (Austria) 25:04:24. 9. Shane Cuthbertson (Canada, Husaberg) 25:20:55. 10. Dieter Happ (Austria, Husaberg) 25:42:55.
Kiwi KTM rider Chris Birch on his way to second place in this year’s Red Bull Romaniacs Ultra-Enduro
WHIBLEY WINS Pahiatua’s Paul Whibley ey has wrapped up his second OMA off-road d racing series title in the US in style, making the title his with two rounds yet to go. Whibs is also the current leader of the AMA GNCC series by three points over Aussie Josh Strang which is about to get underway again from the summer break. There are four rounds to race with the next GNCC round 10 happening in Unadilla September 12th – 13th.
DIRT NEWS AND BRIEFS
BIRCH SECOND IN ROMANIAN ULTRA ENDURO
CHAD REED WINS AMA OUTDOOR CHAMPS Aussie Chad Reed has won the 2009 AMA Outdoor Championship, putting the title beyond anyone else’s grasp with two rounds up his sleeve. Which was a good thing because at the penultimate round at Southwick he crashed whilst leading and it is unknown whether he will make it to the start line of the final race of the series. The other surprise at Southwick was in the 250cc class where Christophe Pourcel lost his points lead to Ryan Dungey and is now going to need lady luck on his side to take the AMA title with Dungey now enjoying a 17 point advantage over the Frenchman heading into the final. YAMAHA MONSTER MX TEAM NEWS Yamaha’s World MX GP Team , the Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team will split its priorities to focus on a strong dual attempt for the 2010 MX1-GP and MX2-GP world championships and has enlisted the services of exciting French teenager Gautier Paulin to race the revamped YZ250F, while continuing its association with 2008 MX1-GP champion David Philippaerts on the YZ450F. CAIROLI EQUALS ITALIAN RECORD In winning this year’s World MX1 title with a round to spare Sicilian Antonio Cairoli equalled the title haul from previous Italian MX superstar Alessio Chiodi as a three-time World Champion from Italy. The big news regarding Cairoli and his De Carli team, however, is that they are on the move to KTM for 2010. At the GP of the Netherlands on Sunday 30th August
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DIRT NEWS AND BRIEFS
Jo Coppins finished secnd overall for Josh the weekend but still lies in 6th overall on th 4 449 points. The final round of the MX1 Championship is happening on the 13th September in Brazil at the Canelinha MX Circuit.
BEATING UP THE BOYS podium spot at the sport’s ultimate level and ultimately finish as the top Kiwi in the star-studded international field.
A AUBERT WIN E2 TITLE FOR KTM Fr French rider and season newcomer to the KT KTM Enduro Factory Team Johnny Aub Aubert continued his unblemished winning record in E2 in Serres, Greece last month to take the class world championship title with three races in the season still to go. The victory - his thirteenth from thirteen races in the current season - came after an exhausting eight hours on the bike in temperatures in the mid 30s Celsius riding through the forests of Northern Greece. WIMMER WINS AMA ATV CHAMPS Suzuki’s Dustin Wimmer captured his second consecutive AMA ATV title in championshipwinning style at the series final at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee last month. Wimmer picked up fourth and fifthplaced moto finishes for an overall result of fourth place at the event, more than enough to guarantee him and Suzuki the 2009 title. Wimmer raced his Rockstar Makita Suzuki QuadRacer R450 to six overall victories and led the points chase for most of the year, despite sustaining an injury mid-season and sitting out a round.
“It was pretty nuts,” Duncan said. “People were just pushing and barging all the time. I was one of the smallest as most of the riders were 15,” she said. “I didn’t expect to do as well as I did. I surprised myself.” AUSSIE JNR CHAMPS Now she has Melbourne and then France in her sights for future conquests.
WORDS & PICS: Andy McGechan Otago girl Courtney Duncan has a taste for success and now she’s looking for fresh fields to conquer. The blonde tousle-haired 13-yearold from Palmerston, north of Dunedin, was a definite crowd favourite as she raced her way to sixth overall in the 85cc class at the 2009 FIM Junior Motocross World Championships in Taupo in August. The Yamaha ace ended up just one point behind fifth-ranked Dutch rider Lars van Berkel and two points behind fourth-ranked Australian rider Hayden Mellross. Just another six points and she could have been on the podium. STEPPING UP
STILL ROOM FOR MORE ON YAMAHA RIDES There’s still room for more paying punters on Britton Motorcycle Adventures’ Yamahabacked summer Safari and Adventure rides so check out the details and dates and see if you can fit at least one in. The Yamaha FAR NORTH Far North Adventure ADVENTURE Ride, 5 & 6 December at Whananaki, on the coast, north east of Whangarei is an obvious one. This is a self-guided two-day routesheet ride, and is the event that started it all for Mike and partner Angela Bruce. The entry cost of Far North Adventure Ride $295 includes camping. If you don’t want to camp there are a couple of options: There are a few cabins left onsite, which are an additional cost, 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.
108 KIWI RIDER
Nationally ranked only eighth in her 1316 years’ age group after a domestic campaign fraught with problems, few would have picked this diminutive girl on the Yamaha would threaten for a
The year nine pupil at East Otago High School will first tackle the Australian junior motocross championships near Melbourne and then, depending on funding, she’ll look to taking on the world’s elite once again at the 2010 edition of the world champs in France. But getting a bike and rider to France is not cheap. “I’d like to go, but it’s going to cost thousands to get there.” GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING Racing the boys is just something she takes in her stride. “I’m just like any other rider out there,” she insists. “I just want to win and so do they. The boys just treat me like any other rider. They certainly don’t do me any favours. “The event (the world championships in Taupo) is the biggest event I’ve ever done but, hopefully, it won’t be the biggest I ever do. I really want to race in Europe or America. That just depends on how fast I am when I’m older I guess. “The secret is to never give up. I guess that means I’m stubborn. I’ve only just turned 13 and I reckon I can be on the podium in France.” KR Courtney Duncan… the World Junior Champs at Taupo were just the beginning for this super-talented young rider from Palmerston.
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110 KIWI RIDER
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THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE
WORDS: Staff PICS: Yamaha
but these will go very quickly so don’t waitt - contact us immediately. Or you could rentt a nearby holiday home, go to www.booka-bach.co.nz (you need to get one in North Whananaki not South) but don’t muck around as accommodation is very limited in the region. For an entry form for the Yamaha Far North Adventure Ride: www. adventurerides.co.nz/Far%20North%20 Entry%20Form.pdf
DIRT NEWS AND BRIEFS
YAMAHA BRINGS BACK THE TENERE
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YAMAHA SAFARI 2010 Then YA AMAHA MAHA MA H N.Z .Z.. SA AFA ARI R MARL MA RLBO RL BORO BO ROUG RO UGH UG H SO SOUN UNDS UN there is the J N 9JA 9 11 2201 0110 Yamaha N.Z. Safari Marlborough Sounds, 9-11 January 2010 which is going to be another excellent event, building on last year’s success (which Aussie magazine, Trail Bike Adventure, labelled a ‘Worldbeater’) with the course layout being set-up by local enthusiasts John Sinclair, who is working on routes in the lower Awatere and Cape Campbell area, and father and son team Bill & Michael Brownlee, who are hunting out great riding terrain in the Marlborough Sounds region. www.adventurerides.co.nz/2010%20Safari%20Website%20 Brochure.pdf “WORLD BEATER” is how the Aussie dirt bike magazine, Trailbike Adventure, described the 09 Safari!
Yamaha NZ and the Britton Motorcycle Adventures team are back with a new three-day South Island Safari!
The 2010 Yamaha NZ Safari is based in Marlborough, a region that is well known for its dry, temperate climate, its wineindustry, the stunning Marlborough Sounds, the beautiful Awatere Valley and high country farms and stations. This year we head into exciting new terrain, ride areas include Marlborough Sounds, Pelorus Sounds, Havelock, Canvastown and the Awatere Valley.
ANYONE CAN RIDE THE YAMAHA NZ SAFARI Any off-road or adventure rider can join the Safari; this ride is open to all brands, and models. You will need a road legal dual purpose bike of 200 to 1200cc. It must be well prepared with at least dual-purpose tyres fitted.
Riders need a current driver’s licence, a reasonable level of fitness and capability, and the confidence to ride many kilometers on gravel and stony trails. SAFARI ENTRY COST
Full Safari Package: NZ$1250 Pillion Rider: NZ $1100
Own Accommodation: NZ$950
OPEN TO ALL DUAL PURPOSE MOTORCYCLES AND RIDERS BIG BIKE AND ADVENTURE TRAIL OPTIONS
After quietly disappearing from the local range Yamaha has resurrected the Tenere model name in honour of its allnew 660cc Adventure-style on/off-road model. Developed from Yamaha’s highly successful Dakar race-winning factory bikes, the original Tenere models built up a huge following of loyal owners during the 1980s and 90s. From mid September, Yamaha dealers around the country will be able to offer customers an all-new XTZ660 Tenere designed to offer a new generation of adventure-seeking riders the opportunity to explore a new world of possibilities.
long-distance potential is a large-capacity 23-litre fuel tank and durable protectors on either side of the bodywork and lightweight guards on either side of the cylinder and engine cases. ACCESSORIES Yamaha has also developed a comprehensive range of accessories including side cases and top case, tank bag, hand guards, engine guards and a skid plate. A main stand is also optional as is a slip-on Akrapovic muffler. KR
STATE-OF-THE-ART ENGINE Powering the new XTZ660 Tenere is a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 660cc 4-stroke single cylinder SOHC engine topped with a highly efficient 4-valve cylinder head with power and torque transferred to the rear wheel via a 5-speed transmission geared to optimise the bike’s strong low to midrange torque output The new Tenere is built around an all-new semi-double cradle frame complete with aluminium swinging arm offering 200mm of rear wheel travel at the rear and long-travel forks which give 210mm of front wheel movement up front. LARGE CAPACITY FUEL TANK Underlining the machine’s serious
The all-new 660cc Tenere on/offroader from Yamaha.
Safari 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
PRE-SAFARI RIDE For those who want to have an extended riding holiday Mike and co have added an event either side of the Safari. The events are very different and are designed to suit completely different styles of riding. Prior to the Safari is The Yamaha Ultimate Adventure, 4-7 January 2010. This is a unique small-group guided ride leading into the 2010 Yamaha NZ Safari. Starting in Geraldine, less than two hours south of Christchurch, the Yamaha Ultimate Adventure winds north, finishing in Blenheim four days later. For those planning to do both events, there is a rest day prior to the Safari. This event is suitable for large capacity bikes and will run at a relaxed pace. Hard based tracks, stunning wilderness areas, open trails, and high country riding. Fully guided with all accommodation and meals included. Join a bunch of Aussie journos and some high-profile riders and share our excellent South Island riding terrain. Contact Mike 07 8556132 or 021 2849047 email mike@ adventurerides.co.nz POST-SAFARI RIDE And following the Safari is the Kaikoura Coast Trail Adventure, 13-15 January 2010. Based at an exclusive private lodge, each day will take riders in a different direction with many trails starting right on the doorstep of this property. This is a small group guided event and is only for the more competent off-road rider (not suitable for big bikes or pillions – see the Ultimate and Safari rides). The route will include inland trails that climb into the vast Kaikoura mountain range and follow seldom visited river valleys. We have three full days of the most stunning, and at times challenging, trail riding ever! For more information contact Mike 07 8556132 or 021 2849047 email mike@adventurerides.co.nz
KIWI RIDER 111
DIRT TEST HONDA CRF450X WORDS: Ollie S. PICS: Geoff Osborne
112 KIWI RIDER
DIRT TEST HONDA CRF450X
W
hen you roll a sparkling g new dirt bike out of the e van on location for a photo shoot the first thing that pops into your mind (well it does into mine) is ‘how cool is this?’ as you begin the day-long physical bond. Usually, this is closely followed by the firing up of your cheek muscles as an unstoppable smirk stretches from ear to ear. If you’re lucky it begins to shape your afternoon in a positive manner. So recently when I rolled up to John Buxton’s farm with Geoff O. tailgating me through the paddock in search of the perfect piece of bush to evaluate the new 2009 CRF450X, I envisioned everything going like clockwork. It didn’t and before I even donned my gear I was in the shit – literally. John Buxton is a faithful KR friend of old and many times in the past he has welcomed us with open arms to his personal dirt bike paradise. It’s situated a stone’s throw from Riverhead Forest and is a place of serenity with rolling paddocks, fresh green grass, a variety of bush plus, of course, plenty of sheep.
This time around however I was quickly shaken out of my bucolic reverie before the test had even started when I went tits up on the slippery grass and created my very own sheep shit slide (and this before I had even changed into my riding gear). Usually you get the stuff on your boots as you brake slide through it, but sliding four metres across a turd-infested hillside in work clothes is enough to dampen anyone’s day. Lucky for me Honda’s root-shredding CRF450X was happy to get down to business and valve bounce through the woods. DOWN TO BUSINESS
With its pukka beam-style aluminium frame and running gear, and hard-hitting R-derived engine Honda’s CRF450X has ‘serious offroad weapon’ written all over it. And the potential, KR dirt Ed Ollie S. reckons is definitely there….
As previously reported in the June ‘08issue of KR, the then 2008 CRF450X was a long awaited and hard hitting trail market contender. It had all the hallmarks of the ‘08CRF450R with subtle refinements for trail racing and if pushed would tackle the enduro racing spectrum like the archetypal wolf in sheep’s clothing. Although it didn’t exactly leave the ‘08 test crew speechless it was a refreshing reinvention from Honda to tackle a market that up until then was largely leaving the red brand in its wake. KIWI RIDER 113
DIRT TEST HONDA CRF450X
An whilst during the shootout it failed to beat the more And fabled ‘08WR450F and ‘08KTM450EXC, it was found fab by the KR shootout squad to be equally comparable in ergonomics, power and bang for buck, whilst showing e huge potential to be so much more. Throw in a year for the market to mature (and the CRF450X too) and we’re back to see how the ‘09 CRF450X stacks up. w Finer points first and Honda’s unique Unicam engine is an absolute arm ripper. It’s hard to believe the engine provides so much tractable wrist-wrenching power with pro that chokingly hideous spark arrestor.
We reported on the same theme at the shootout in 2008 and although the spark arrestor is still standard material, the engine seems to breathe new life. It’s possible the new forged slipper piston and refined compression ratio gasping life from the mammoth 40mm FCR Keihin carburettor evolved the relatively unchanged engine into something resembling a modern V12 turbocharged common rail diesel engine – whatever has happened in the interim I’m pleased to report that in ’09 spec the Honda engine is torquey and powerful but still super supple to control. The suspension gains a few benefits from a year’s worth of feedback from pro Baja and WORCS riders, but nothing to bounce off the walls about; performance-wise it’s diverse and predictable making it perfect for trail riders. Benefiting somewhat from a fourth generation aluminium twin-spar frame, the ergonomics are forgiving in the seated and standing positions but a tad too tight for the taller rider. And the ability to move the handlebar mount positions reduces the amount of fine tuning available for personal space.
114 KIWI RIDER
DIRT TEST HONDA CRF450X Powerful Honda made Ollie S. work for his money with a frisky style which rarely saw the front wheel on the ground for any length of time. Tendency helped in tight going where lofting the front wheel to clear obstacles is the preferred means of getting from A to B quickly and effectively but had its downside on steep hills.
Where the frame is good is between the legs, as it is narrow from the ankles to the knees making weight transitions fluent. Additionally, smooth bodywork means there are no boot and knee brace snags – or ones I could pick up on test day. The one thing I could not quite get my head around in terms of the basic dynamics of this latest CRF-X was the front wheel’s tendency to want to constantly paw the air like a kitten swatting at a piece of wrapped up paper tied to the back of a dining room chair. Whilst the CRF-X is positive in the corners, balances like a unicycle rider and has all the hallmarks of a bike with a nice low centre of gravity, I was always aware of a latent tendency to want to lift the front whilst scaling steep hills. Even under hard acceleration along the flat, the CRFX, with its monstrous torque and power would loft the front wheel at will…whether you actually wanted it in the air or not. Odd really, particularly considering how well balanced the ‘08CRF450X seemed to be. And though I tried, typical clicker changes made little difference.
ON THE SIDE •
Bush savvy protection bonus from the front disc cover is always a Honda standout.
•
Low boy header pipe keeps power throaty and is stainless steel for longevity.
•
Standard 21 in. dia. front tyre is a good all-rounder but the rear 140/80-18’ tyre is a dismal excuse for cost saving. Rip it off and upgrade unless you’re happy to ride slow speed shingle all-day.
•
The CRF450X still lacks a digital clock and odometer, essentials for bush navigation.
•
Sexy front headlight and eye catching rear tail light, a bonus for lighting the path ahead and dazzling your mates behind.
•
HSPD steering damper is a cool toy and actually works but I preferred riding with the damping backed right off.
KIWI RIDER 115
DIRT TEST HONDA CRF450X TO CONCLUDE Subtle changes for 2009 make the CRF450X only a smidgen better than its immediate predecessor. That said, it does everything well which is exactly what you want from a trail-orientated machine. Its soft, forgiving suspension and powerhouse of an engine make any trail option an exciting one, and with attention to detail (like a T-ring*) sealed chain, a production steering damper, Renthal handlebars and magnesium ACG, clutch and cylinder head covers) you know you’re throwing a leg over a quality product. It’s worth remembering too, at this level of production refinement a few tweaks and some efforts in weight saving would turn this machine from a close to perfect all-round big-bore trail bike into a pukka race-bred enduro competitor. One of the reasons, no doubt, that it is one the most popular enthusiast machines on the local organised Trail Ride circuit. KR *520VT chain is the latest technological breakthrough in sealed chain design. This narrow T-ring chain is designed for enduro racing motorcycles that cannot accommodate a wider X-ring chain due to clearance limitations” Clean, understated lines and outstanding build quality are Honda staples. As is innovative and distinctive single cam (but 4-valve) cylinder head which contributes to small overall size of powerhouse 450cc powerplant. Ollie S. has issues with size of spark arrestor-equipped muffler though grudgingly admits it doesn’t seem to have too great an effect on power and torque. Ergos would appear to suit more compact pilots and overall set-up is more compliant than, and not as unyielding as other 450 Enduro bikes on the market. With the right fettling bike could be a winner in Enduro and Cross-Country circles, something we’d love to see local importer Blue Wing contemplate. Who knows, with the right bike and rider combo they might well be able to re-create the glory days of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s when XLs and XRs ruled the local off-road riding scene.
116 KIWI RIDER
SPECIFICATIONS HONDA CRF450X ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled SOHC 4-valve single cylinder 4-stroke Displacement: 449cc Compression ratio: 12.0:1 Bore x stroke: 96 x 62.1mm Peak power: 33.2kW @ 7,500rpm Peak torque: 43.1Nm @ 7,000rpm Starting system: Kick and electric Engine management system: Fully transistorized with digital ignition Fuel system: Fuel Injection Clutch: Wet multiplate Transmission: 5-speed FRAME Type: Aluminium twin-spar Swingarm: Aluminium Suspension: Front: 47mm Showa USD twin chamber. Rear: Pro-Link Showa damper Brakes: Single 240mm disc front & single 240mm disc rear Tyres: 80/100-21 front & 140/80-18 rear DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1480mm LxWxH: 2178 x 821 x 1273mm Seat height: 963mm Ground clearance: 345mm Curb weight: 123kgs Fuel tank capacity: 7.2ltrs RRP: $13,950 Test bike: Honda Motorcycles New Zealand GEAR Helmet: Airoh Stelt Senior King Goggles: Ariete Palladium Shirt, pants & gloves: Acerbis Neck brace: BMW Motorrad GPX Sport Boots: Sidi Crossfire SRS
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DIVERSIONS KAWASAKI KX250F
WORDS & PICS: Mark Leishman and Nic Leary That’s mountain biker Cabin looking a little lost before his Dirt Guide Cross-Country series debut and (inset) a little more at home at this year’s MTB XC nationals.
Y
our heart rate is bordering on its maximum, as you struggle to focus on the single track ahead.
Gasping for breath, you fumble for a drink, whilst trying to maintain a smooth line. You’re two hours into the race and the undulating terrain that was fun an hour ago is really starting to hurt. You don’t think you can take anymore, yet there is still 30 minutes to go. GNCC perhaps? Could be, but no. Welcome to my world. That of XC MTB riding. By the description above, the two seem remarkably similar. Could skills in one cross over to the other? After my first foray into the dirt bike world at Triplecross 2008 (following a 12 year hiatus from motorcycles), this was a question that intrigued not just myself, but also the Kiwi Rider staff. Do mountain bike skills transfer to successful dirt bike riding? Can you improve your motorcycling simply by reading tips in magazines? And importantly, can you improve your motorcycling ability without actually riding one? These questions needed answering. So with the support of Kiwi Rider, Shot race gear, and Kawasaki New Zealand, I was to be the guinea pig. Armed with a KX250F, I was to practice for a couple of weeks, then take on the final round of the Central Enduro series. Followed by the Dirt Guide XC semi final.
STARTING SLOW? After picking up the bike from KR Publisher Vege, I had every intention of taking things slowly. Checked over the bike, set it up to fit then started with some slow speed riding to get to know the bike’s feel and characteristics. Yet within 10 minutes of unloading the bike back at the farm, my upbringing amongst the Bush Riders had taken over; you know, blasting round the paddocks and generally attempting to conquer the steepest, slipperiest tracks on offer. The bike felt natural, and my ‘skills’ seemed to come flooding back. I’m sure most KR readers have experienced that same buzz and excitement. However that doesn’t mean that it’s right. By the end of the first afternoon the KX-F had survived being unintentionally launched into a dam, laid down numerous times, dropped on hill climbs; and it was missing half a clutch lever….. There is a very good reason the Mer-
rimans, Whibleys, Birchs, and Meads of this world are so good. Attention to the fundamentals of bike control, and endless practice. I have that, and do that, on a bicycle. But the excitement and fun of twisting the throttle saw me skip this crucial step in getting to know the KX. LOOKING THE PART At Triplecross 2008 I joked about my appearance. The weedy guy in the 14 year-old race gear. Paul Whibley jokingly told me I’d only go any good if I looked ‘like a leader, not a lapper.’ But in all seriousness the gear needed an update. Old helmets whose protective qualities breakdown over time and boots that are too big are not good. So a few e-mails and phone calls later I was outfitted head to toe in great new Shot race apparel, along with my trusty Smith goggles. As an endurance athlete I appreciate the difference good-fitting, functional gear can make. And pleasingly, the Shot gear provided me that confidence, at very good value. Even better, it was a sharp looking green ensemble. Matching the KX beautifully.
Last year we organised a suitable enduro bike so pro mountain biker Mark ‘Cabin’ Leishman could contest the Triplecross (MTB, run, Enduro) multisport event. This year we hooked Cabin up with a Kawasaki KX250F so he could spread his wings a little further . . . KIWI RIDER 119
11 World Enduro Championships in 4 years!
Photo: J. Edmunds KTM Images
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DIVERSIONS KAWASAKI KX250F
TAUPO ENDURO For an individual whose teenage motorcycling experience revolved around the steep and slippery hill climbs of the northern Wairarapa, the choice of Taupo for my first ever attempt at an enduro was an interesting one. I would be faced by terrain rather foreign to me. Tight, twisty and extremely rooty trails. On a pumice based surface that cut up into deeper, and deeper ruts as the day wore on. My first dilemma was what class to enter. More than entitled to race Novice, I instead went for Intermediate on the urging of Chris Birch and John Kirkcaldie. Their logic? Intermediate got to ride longer so was better value for money. Fair enough. TOUGH ASK The event proved as tough as I imagined. My insistence on a standing riding position soon caught up with me. As I fatigued, I struggled to react to terrain, and began to crash with regularity. I barely made it through the first section on time. How was I going to make the later sections with tighter time? Thankfully I settled into a seated/ standing combo and as I loosened up considerably things started to improve. I was still super slow on the fast stuff, but my technical riding seemed to be up to scratch. My struggle came on the Special Tests. I am used to pacing myself for two hours+. My ability to go super fast, and raise the intensity for the duration of a 5-6min special test was sadly lacking. I didn’t have that focus, and as such crashed or stalled at least twice on every special test. OUCH! At the end of the day I had managed to zero trail time, and post some respectable Terrain Test times. Energy wise? I was fine. Muscularly however I was a broken man. Honestly, I have never felt that broken. Even after a four-day adventure stage race. (The crashes probably didn’t help either?!). Yet I was hooked. Enduros, what a challenge. So many variables to get right to produce a result. I have even more respect for the Chris Birchs of the world now.
Cabin could hardly have chosen a colder and/or more inhospitable time to try Enduro and Cross-Country conditions as this shot taken at his Raetihi home (top) illustrates. Despite that he gave all three events his best shot and came away with greater respect for powered two wheelers….plus some ideas to make him quicker on his MTB.
MAINTENANCE
tive MTB rider does indeed carry over.
Eventually, I got around to working on the bike. Interestingly, once I did, I had a much greater appreciation of the machine. Suddenly it felt like it was mine. That I had helped create something.
A crouched and centered stance on the bike came naturally. Scanning the terrain, line selection and maintaining momentum were concepts that came naturally. And interestingly, throttle control was surprisingly good. So much time on the MTB is spent focusing on maintaining a smooth cadence and efficient application of power, and this seemed to transfer naturally to smooth (ish) throttle control.
Those who have seen me fuss over minute details of my MTB pre event will understand. Little adjustments make a difference. At the very least, they give you a confidence and good feeling about your machine when you ride it, leading to a much more fulfilling experience. For me, it was relatively simple. Oil change, install a new chain, clean and oil the filter, replace the broken clutch lever (which I would do again one week later), and install a new rear tyre.
Ironically, the tighter, twistier and more technical the terrain got, the better I was in comparison to those around me. Conversely, the higher the speed, the worse I got.
The latter was an experience to say the least. Looking for differences between a mountain bike and a motorcycle? On an MTB I can change a rear tyre in just one to two minutes if rushed. However armed with just two 240mm tyre levers, it took a couple of hours, much swearing, a few layers of skin off the knuckles and the toys thrown far from the cot before I succeeded changing just the one motorcycle tyre. That said this also solved a dilemma I’d been having about what spares to carry in the enduro. At this rate, if I punctured I wouldn’t fix it before dark. So decision made then. No spare tube, I’d just push the bike out. I’d be much faster that way. TECHNIQUE IS EVERYTHING Throughout my experience, I was surprised at how comfortable I was on the bike. Much more so than I was as a 15-year-old who thought he was a good rider. In fact much of what makes an effecKIWI RIDER 121
DIVERSIONS KAWASAKI KX250F
Thi I believe is a direct crossover to This my MTB. The general riding position, an bike handling skills required are and s similar. so Yet XC mountain biking is done at slower speeds, comparatively, t that high speed does not feel comfo fortable on the motorcycle. Almost sc scary in fact. Yes, I could adapt, but it wo take time. would
The chequered flag at last…..and Cabin’s really only getting into the swing of things. That said he had some wicked blisters to show for his ride. Speaking of ride, Cabin’s sporting endeavours encompass Xterra off-road triathlons as well as cross-country mountain bike racing
My last bit of fun before returning the KX was to be race #2 of the Dirt Guide XC series, held at the infamous Pylons near Tokoroa. Initially I had been tentative about XC, not sure I possessed the pace. But after my enduro the previous week (which I realized was all about intensity and focus over short terrain tests, the constant sustained speed of a two hour XC seemed much more my style.
BAD HABITS I had two major challenges on the motorcycle. One was the rear brake. On my MTB, I am constantly feathering it to control speed and attitude on the bike. Photos will even show me with fingers hovering over the lever while riding uphill. On a motorcycle, it should be no different. Proper use of the rear brake allows precise control of the bike’s speed and attitude.
On a wet and cold day, it was awesome to see 130-odd riders show up and hand over their entry in return for a blast around some great forest trails with a free sausage at the end.
Except on a motorcycle, your foot does the work. I constantly have the ‘brake’ message leaving my brain. Yet it doesn’t seem to make it to my foot. The instincts are too well ingrained. Perhaps I need to remove the clutch and run a hand lever for the rear brake?
TENTATIVE START I made a very tentative start, and was to regret it later. Rather than muscle my way onto the start line, I happily hid myself down the back. Thinking I didn’t want to get mixed up with faster riders in early carnage, I waited. Big mistake. I never do this on an MTB, and should’ve backed myself here too.
My second issue was not trusting my bike handling instincts. My brain functioned on a much higher level than my physical riding. Throughout the Dirt Guide race, I was constantly frustrated by not being able to make passes on slower riders. I would see the good lines, and the pass opportunities. I could vividly picture the set-up, and the manoeuvres. On an MTB I would have no hesitation in throwing the bike in there. I have no problem, nor hesitation utilising alternative lines.
Entering the forest at the very rear of the field, I was soon frustrated at my inability to make passes. I knew what I should do. Where I should go. I just couldn’t do it. However as the race wore on, my confidence improved, as did my riding. I learnt to trust the bike to hold lines and to throttle my way out of trouble. I chose better lines, rode smoother, and worked my way through the field.
Yet I didn’t trust myself on the motorcycle. I would either hurt myself, or the other rider. Yes, time on the bike would improve the situation. But in the end it comes down to what you need to do to succeed in any sport. Practice of the fundamentals.
BUT CONSISTENT TIMES
DOES ONE COMPLEMENT THE OTHER? They certainly do not harm each other. I was able to climb on board a motorcycle for the first time in many, many years, and be competitive at an intermediate level in my first ever attempt at racing. Sure, my fitness and ‘race head’ helped. But the cross-over between disciplines was surprisingly complementary. Could a motorcyclist improve their riding through MTB use (and racing)? Yes. Too often young MX riders use MTB as ‘training’ yet all that entails is doing DH runs with dubious benefits. There is much to be gained from riding XC MTB, and doing it properly. Athletes such as Paul Whibley and Nick Saunders utilize MTBs in their training well. They pedal hard, ride long, and ride smooth. They seem to go 122 KIWI RIDER
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alright on their motorcycles. In the month that followed my Kawasaki experience (a month where I did very little training in any other discipline), I went on to record some of my best ever international results on the MTB and in XTERRA Triathlon. I also fitted riser bars to my MTB to make it feel more KX like and my singletrack riding went up yet another level. Will I look to incorporate more motorcycling into my future training? You bet. The 2010 National XC series is looking quite appealing….! KR
Interestingly, as most of the field slowed by four – five minutes a lap over the event, I stayed very consistent. As the track deteriorated, my riding was improving, and as such, laps stayed consistent. When the chequers came out I was almost disappointed. Sure, I was getting tired, but I was having a ball, and my riding was improving. I was stoked that I’d worked my way up to the mid-70s in position. If only the race was four hours (or I started well) or more! Better start making some space in my MTB/Tri calendar for more XC motorcycling then.
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KIWI RIDER 123
KIWI RIDER 143
BUYERS’ GUIDE DIRT BIKES
KIWI RIDER 125
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
126 KIWI RIDER
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
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ENDUROCROSS LAS VEGAS
Kiwi Rory Mead flying the flag for Yamaha, AXO, Michelin and New Zealand importer Northern Accessories at the Endurocross in Las Vegas
WORDS & PICS: Steven Croad
I
t all started with a conversation over a beer with Nicola from AXO USA on his visit to New Zealand to launch the new AXO dirt boot. After watching Rory Mead win the Dirt Guide race and the Red Bull City Scramble, Nicola and I (when Steven says I he means in his role as product manager for local Axo importer Northern Accessories Ltd. Ed) decided we should sign Rory up to wear AXO and then take him to the Endurocross in Las Vegas. So with the help of AXO USA, Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Yamaha USA, Michelin and of course Northern Accessories, the trip was all sorted and we were off to Vegas! OK, it was not quite as easy as that but you get the picture! CITY OF ANGELS After a 12 hour flight Rory and I arrived in Los Angeles, then it was off to sort out the bike at Yamaha USA (where we got to see the factory road and off-road racers) then it was off to pick up some new gear from AXO USA. They supplied several sets of the new 2010 gear customized with Rory’s number and name already sign written on the back. We then headed to SIXSIXONE to pick up Rory’s new helmet.
One minute Rory Mead is winning the Red Bull City Scramble here, the next he’s lining up to contest this year’s Endurocross in Las Vegas! Roving Northern Accessories product manager Steven Croad has the story. Once we had done that we were ready for the classic Road Trip to Las Vegas, a short (four-hour) drive in the Yamaha Van. CITY OF……SIN! Race day (Saturday in this case) came around really fast and we still had a lot of work to do, getting the bike set up for the track and fitting the new Michelin tyres and mousses – in 40 degree heat, which isn’t my idea of fun, but with a factory modification to the mousse to make them soft enough for extra traction they were an integral part of the plan. And as it turned out we had plenty of time. Which was fortunate because at two in the afternoon I had to leave the track and shoot off to a friend’s surprise wedding downtown – which was very impressive, congratulations Adam and Erica Styles. A great surprise! SHOWTIME Come three pm and it was the start of the night show, with a five minute practice
then straight into the qualifying! The top two riders from each heat of eight would go through to the final, then if that didn’t happen you had another chance, but it was only the winner who would go through from the second round, then if that didn’t work, you had one more chance. Taddy Blazusiak showed his international class and he had no problems winning his heat with ease! Rory had some hard work to do, battling against riders from all around the world, big teams that were used to racing their bikes in the heat and had been practicing on these sorts of tracks. He put up a good fight too, but the speed and aggressive riding of some of the pro riders could not be matched and the event ended up as a huge learning curve for Rory. That said, he did get to do something special at the end of qualifying when they rushed a small group of riders out back and fitted up some headlights and KIWI RIDER 131
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FEPLUS 450 THE 2009 FE 570 2009
FE 570 2009 “It turned out to be unanimous. Husaberg’s big bore monster ultimately thrilled and satisfied us, though I have to admit we all treated it with a LOT of respect”. Sam MacLachlan Editor ADB
“This Husaberg was an easy and clear choice for BOTY, and if all new bikes start coming out this revolutionary and this good, the bikes we’ll be riding in the near future are going to be unbelievable. Bring it on! ”. Dirt Rider Staff Dirt Rider Magazine
FE 450
FE 570
Ultra-modern, 70°, high-performance, OHC 4-stroke engine :: State-of-the-art Keihin engine management system :: Fully adjustable WP USD Ø 48mm forks & PDS shock :: Super-stable Chrome-moly frame and plastic subframe Super-sporty, slim bodywork :: Minimal weight, exceptionally easy handling :: No tools required for seat release & air filter change :: New generation - FE570 ADB DBOTY - FE450 & FE570 Dirt Rider Bike of the Year - in their first year A.F.C. MOTORCYCLES 783 Main Street PALMERSTON NORTH - PH 06 357 8043 :: D & E CHRISTCHURCH LTD 714 Main South Road CHRISTCHURCH PH - 03 349 4883 DWAINS SERVICE CENTRE 7 Northumberland Street TAPANUI PH - 03 204 8455 :: TRIPLE X MOTO 43 Springs Road EAST TAMAKI, AUCKLAND PH - 09 265 2135 WHEELS OF THAMES 609 Pollen Street THAMES PH - 07 868 9363 :: w w w. h u s a b e r g . c o m
ENDUROCROSS LAS VEGAS Event packed the stadium (above) with riders from around the world taking on the course and each other in a no-holds-barred battle eventually won by Red Bull-backed extreme enduro star Taddy Blasuziak. On the way to ‘Vegas Rory (top left) and Steven got to check out Yamaha USA’s operation. Rory in action (mid left). Then that’s Rory on the line (bottom left).
then sent them straight back on to the start line at which point they turned the stadium lights off, so the only light was coming from the head lights of the bikes on the start line. It was a great feature race, with Rory getting off to a great start only to get slammed into the ground by another rider in the second corner! BEST RACING EVER! The final race of the evening saw the best racing I have ever watched live, with the lead changing so many times; right up until the last straight of the last lap you still didn’t know who was going to win. I swear everyone in the stadium was
on their feet to watch Taddy Blasuziak take the win by the smallest margin over Ricky Dietrich. The aggressive riding style of these top riders (hitting the obstacles like they were nothing) was an eye opener – seriously, even obstacles that a good rider would stop and think about, these riders just attacked as hard and as fast as possible. And Rory? He took everythingin his stride and ended up finishing in 16th position for the first round. At which point I’d like to say thanks on his behalf to the people and companies who made the trip possible – AXO USA, Michelin, Yamaha and Northern Accessories. KR
Contrast in styles. Kawasaki brought along their ‘big rig’ to look after their riders (left) while Rory and Steven (right) did it the Kiwi way with a ubiquitous ‘box’ van and simple pit shelter
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The 2009 FIM Junior Motocross World Championships had more twists and turns than the Taupo race track on which it was staged over the August 15-16 weekend. KR MX correspondent Andy McGechan was there. WORDS & PICS: Andy McGechan
R
eputations count for little at world championship level and so it proved at this RoadCraftsponsored event in New Zealand. Sure, the talent of pre-event favourite Eli Tomac eventually shone through the constant drizzle to claim the coveted 125cc crown, but the American Honda star, with a whopping 60 amateur AMA titles to his credit, actually had to work for it. And why shouldn’t he have been made to work? Wasn’t he a first-timer at the deceptively difficult sand and pumice-based Taupo track? Wasn’t he a slightly-built rider, only 16-years-old and up to two years younger than some of his international rivals? And they’re off (top pic) in one of the 125cc races with #51 Luke Styke grabbing the initiative from #45 Josh Cachia, local hero Hamish Dobbyn #53 with Ross Beaton #44 and eventual winner #43 Eli Tomac.
too much of a surprise – Simmonds had raced before at the Taupo track and Coldenhoff earned his world ranking by racing in the deep Dutch sand at Heerde the year before. Indeed, both riders looked right at home on Taupo’s Digger McEwen Motocross Park. It just didn’t make sense that Tomac would find another gear and be so fast on race day. But he was. Just as well he was blazingly quick because, as Tomac himself said afterwards, ‘my starts absolutely sucked today.’ PODIUM FOR DOBBYN Starting wasn’t a problem, however, for New Zealand’s Hamish Dobbyn (Kawasaki).
But it still came as a bit of a shock that he was overshadowed in qualifying by both Australian Tye Simmonds (KTM) and Dutch world #3 Glenn Coldenhoff (Suzuki) as well.
The 17-year-old from Warkworth had led from the start of the first 125cc moto and dictated terms from the front for a thrilling seven laps before finally succumbing to the sheer pace of Tomac.
That probably shouldn’t have been
When Dobbyn produced another KIWI RIDER 135
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Locked in a frantic battle with Australian riders Josh Cachia and Ross Beaton and Italian ace Giacomo Del Segato, Dobbyn refused to yield and, with the parochial crowd urging him on and yelling themselves hoarse, he finished fourth to claim the final podium spot and record the best ever overall result by a New Zealander in the history of the Junior Motocross World Championships. Though Simmonds won the second moto, leading from start to finish, it wasn’t quite enough for the overall. Tomac had fought his way through from another customary bad start in that second moto, reeling in rider after rider, moving up from ninth on lap one to eventually slip into the title-winning second spot after nine of the allocated 14 laps.
TOP STEP FOR TOMAC With a 1-2 score-line, Tomac took the title, finishing just two points ahead of Simmonds (3-1), with Dobbyn another five points further back in third.
DIRT COMP JUNIOR WORLDS
blistering start in his second outing, a podium finish, or even an outright win, seemed a distinct possibility.
Dobbyn’s two-moto record was 2-4, enough to take the final podium spot ahead of Australian under-19 champion Luke Styke (Yamaha) by five points, with Coldenhoff settling for fifth, another two points back. Dobbyn was a surprise package of the event. He had controversially not even been selected in the original Kiwi squad and, after coming back from two serious injuries over the preceding weeks, from which he still had not fully recovered, he had not been expected to last the distance of the two 25-minute-plus championship motos. Add to that the fact that, just a few
Simmonds, from Bourke, New South Wales, was left wondering what might have been after he had finished third in moto one, behind Tomac and Dobbyn. “Yeah I suppose if only I was able to pass Hamish in that first race,” Simmonds lamented. Simmonds dominated the entire second moto but, unfortunately for him, he had no control over what Tomac was doing behind him. “I’m second in the world. I think we’ll take that for sure,” he grinned. The 85cccc title went to Australian KTM rider Jay Wilson (top two pics) after favourite Dylan Ferrandis crashed in the warmup. Best local, meanwhile, in the 125cc class was third placed Hamish Dobbyn.
weeks before the Taupo event, he stunned the bike community by switching brands. A long-time Yamaha rider, Dobbyn suddenly announced he would race for Kawasaki at the world champs. A HUGE RESULT “I simply don’t know what to say,” said Dobbyn as he stepped away from the podium celebration. “This is a huge result for me. I was pretty knackered at the end. I have not had much time on the bike because I’m still really recovering from injury – my left knee and right shoulder are both very sore. I was heavily strapped to ride today and I’m not 100% fit at all.” His new Napier-based mechanic, Craig Guy, prepared a perfect bike for Dobbyn and the young rider responded with an equally impressive result. The expected fireworks from local hero Cam Dillon, the New Zealand under-21 champion and current national junior 250cc champion, and his close rival from the junior nationals, Whakatane’s Mitchell Rees, never sparked. Taupo’s Dillon (Honda) had qualified an impressive eighth fastest but then struck problems in moto one, battling with Christchurch’s Craig Smith, to finish 17th. The national junior champion improved to finish seventh in the next moto but that only gave him 12th overall for the weekend, far below the pre-event hype. For Yamaha’s Rees, the weekend was KIWI RIDER 137
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Sta line action from one of the Start 85cc 85 races and we have eventual third placegetter Dylan Long #44 th dragging New Zealand’s Courtney d Duncan (#52) and #62 Michaboy de Waal off the line. Duncan went on to finish sixth overall. w Meanwhile, visiting French M supporters were putting on a su brave bra face despite the early exit of their the much-fancied 85cc prospect Dylan Ferrandis who broke his arm in the warm-up on race day and took no part in the racing. And finally, Dutch rider Glenn Coldenhoff was the first European finisher in the 125cc class, claiming fifth place on his Suzuki.
virtually over before it had begun with a bone-jarring crash in qualifying bending his handlebars and painfully tweaking his right thumb. With only 19th pick on the start gate and a weakened grip on the bike, Rees was destined to spend the day eating sand roosts. The national junior #2 finished 23rd and 18th, giving him a ranking of 21st. MARTENS MAKES TOP TEN The two-class national junior champion of 2008, Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (KTM), finished the weekend as second-best Kiwi in the 125cc class, his 11-11 results giving him a world ranking of No.10. In all, there were five Australians (from a 125cc squad of eight) inside the top ten in this class, there were two Kiwis (from a squad of 20), one Dutchman, one Italian and just one American. It will probably be the American who people will remember most. Meanwhile it was another Kiwi
Rider columnist, Palmerston’s Courtney Duncan, who was the stand-out Kiwi in an 85cc class where there were equal measures of heartache and tears of joy. It was heartache for the fastest 85cc rider ever seen in New Zealand, French Yamaha ace Dylan Ferrandis, and tears of joy for a disbelieving Jay Wilson, the 15-year-old rider from Banora Point, New South Wales, who became Australia’s first ever motocross world champion at Taupo. CLEARLY FASTEST Ferrandis was clearly the fastest on the track, setting a qualifying time that was nearly four seconds quicker than the next best rider, Wilson (KTM), and more than four seconds swifter than Dutch Honda rider Lars van Berkel and Australian KTM rider Dylan Long. Ferrandis was the world #3 in this class in 2008 but his raw speed at Taupo – a track he had only set eyes on that week and only ridden on for the first time in Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions – was jaw-dropping. Four seconds per lap is an awful long way ahead of his rivals. In fact, his time of two minutes 12.098 seconds would have been good enough to see him qualify fifth in the 125cc class. But all of that means nothing if you crash and break your arm during race day’s warm-up laps. It was an understandably upset Ferrandis who was taken from the track to have the break assessed.
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third in the two championship races the next day (even with his lap times up to two minutes 20 seconds in moto one and two minutes 28 seconds in moto two as the track got progressively rougher). Championship runner-up was Italian KTM rider Samuele Bernadini thanks to his 5-1 score-line, while Wilson’s teammate Long took the third step on the podium after finishing 2-7.
His 2009 campaign was over, although we’re guessing it won’t be the last the world hears of Dylan Ferrandis.
It was a great victory for Wilson and he was almost speechless afterwards.
Meanwhile, Wilson followed through on the promise he’d shown during the Saturday qualifying, finishing first and
“I don’t know if this is real or what,” said the stunned Wilson. “After the first moto I knew I had to beat Dylan (Long)
to have a chance at the title. He’s my team-mate at home too and this is the first time I’ve beaten him. “I’ve never raced outside of Australia before and I crashed a few times today. This is all so unbelievable really.
her way to ninth and fourth in her two races, good enough for sixth overall in the international field, just one point behind fifth-ranked van Berkel and two points below fourth-ranked Australian Hayden Mellross (Honda).
“I really want to be a pro motocrosser … that’s the dream. Now I’ll just wait for the offers to come in,” he laughed.
The next best New Zealand rider was also a South Islander, Rangiora’s Micah McGoldrick (KTM), who finished the weekend ranked eighth.
GIRL POWER!
BEST ACHIEVEMENT
However, an outstanding performance from the only female racer at the event, Courtney Duncan, threatened for a while to divert the spotlight away from the deserving champion.
“It’s my best achievement ever,” said Duncan matterof-factly. “I beat a lot of the best riders in the world.
The 13-year-old Duncan, from Palmerston, just north of Dunedin, was the bestperformed Kiwi in the 85cc class, defying the odds as she raced alongside and beat most of the world’s elite young males, some of these youths a couple of heads taller and two years her senior. She now holds a world ranking of #6, for racers aged between 12 and 15, and is also the highest-ever placed girl in the history of the event. What’s more, the petite crowd-favourite has still got two more years in the division. The Yamaha rider fought
“I had a few good battles with the Aussie riders in particular. A couple of times they nearly took me out but I just came back and hit them even harder,” she smiled. All of this from a tiny girl who was operating a long way from the ‘factory’ trucks, sheltering under a flimsy lean-to, attached to a small van at the back of the pits. Talk about David (or should that be Duncan?) versus Goliath. In all, there were five Australians (from an 85cc squad of eight) inside the top ten in this class, there were two Kiwis (from a squad of 19), both the Dutchmen in this class were in the top 10 and the sole Italian rider in the class also finished inside the top 10. KR
RESULTS 2009 FIM ROADCRAFT JUNIOR MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT TAUPO, AUGUST 15-16: 125cc Class: 1. Eli Tomac (United States, Honda) 1-2, 47 points; 2. Tye Simmonds (Australia, KTM) 3-1, 45; 3. Hamish Dobbyn (NZ, Kawasaki) 2-4, 40; 4. Luke Styke (Australia, Yamaha) 6-3, 35; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (Netherlands, Suzuki) 5-5, 32; 6. Giancomo Del Segato (Italy, Honda) 4-9, 30; 7. Harley Quinlan (Australia, Yamaha) 8-10, 24; 8. Josh Cachia (Australia, Yamaha) 13-6, 23; 9. Ross Beaton (Australia, Yamaha) 7-13, 22; 10. Ethan Martens (NZ, KTM) 11-11, 20. 85cc class: 1. Jay Wilson (Australia, KTM) 1-3, 45 points; 2. Samuele Bernadini (Italy, KTM) 5-1, 41; 3. Dylan Long (Australia, KTM) 2-7, 36; 4. Hayden Mellross (Australia, Honda) 3-9, 32; 5. Lars van Berkel (Netherlands, Honda) 4-8, 31; 6. Courtney Duncan (NZ, Yamaha) 9-4, 30; 7. Michaboy de Waal (Netherlands, Suzuki) 14-2, 29; 8. Micah McGoldrick (NZ, KTM) 8-5, 29; 9. Scott Mann (Australia, Yamaha) 11-6, 25; 10. Luke Clout (Australia, Suzuki) 7-10, 25.
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ampio
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Winn in
Senior Squad Jason Moorfield, KLX450R
Junior Squad Cam Downing, KX125 Bel Ray Series Rnd 1 - 7th 15-16yrs 125cc, 7th overall Rnd 2 - 6th 15-16yrs 125cc, 7th overall Rnd 3 - 5th 15-16yrs 125cc, 5th overall Raglan Rocx Rnd 1 - 3rd 15-16yrs 125cc, 6th overall Rnd 2 - 4th 15-16yrs 125cc, 6th overall North Island Xcountry Nationals Rnd 1- Huntly - DNF Broken Shoulder Rnd 2 - Raglan - Injured Rnd 3 - Pahiatua - 6th 0cc-200cc 2-stroke and 17th overall Rnd 4 - Waipukarau North Island Finals - 4th 0cc-200cc 2-stroke 7th overall New Zealand Xcountry Nationals Rnd 1 - Nelson - 3rd 0cc-200cc 2-stroke, 7th overall Rnd 2 - Ashurst New Zealand finals - 5th 0cc-200cc, 11th overall Tarawera 100 Cam’s now a Senior 8th 0cc-200cc 2-stroke, 65th overall 3rd in Teams Personal sponsors: Allied Concrete - Horotiu Pit Man - Bruce Downing
Sean O’Connor, KX85 Raglan Rocks Rnd 1 - Huntly 1st in class 8 overall Rnd 2 - D N F Bel Ray Series Rnd 1 - DNS Rnd 2 - 12th Rnd 3 - 2nd North Island Xcountry Nationals Rnd 1 - Huntly 2nd 9 o/all Rnd 2 - NA Rnd 3 - Paihiatua 3rd Rnd 4 - Waipuk 2nd Rnd 5 - Tapawera 4th Rnd 6 - Ashurst 4th Pukemx summer series 13-16 85cc class 1st Sean has won his age group for 4 years successively New Zealand Xcountry Nationals 13th Personal sponsors: Proinstal & 0508 caralarms Pit Man- Paul O’Connor
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Runner up North Isla nd Junior Te am
Bel Ray Round 1 - 2nd overall - 1st 35-39 age group Round 2 - DNF - Fuel Round 3 - 5th overall - 1st 35-39 age group 2nd in class 35-39 age group Raglan Rocks Round 1 - DNF - crashed , partner is Hermy Round 2 - 1st Overall with Craig Brown NI X Country Round 1 - Huntly - 9th overall - 1st Vet Round 2 - Raglan 10th overall 1st Vet Round 3 - Pahiatua 10th overall 3rd Vet 2nd in Teams Round 4 - Waipuku 14th Overall 4th Vet 1st in Teams Round 5 - Ashurst 13th Overall 3rd Vet - 2nd Teams NICC Series Overall 11th -2nd Vet - 5th in Teams NZ X Country Round 1 - Christchurch 21st overall - 4th Vet and 2nd in Teams Round 2 - Waipuk - 14th overall - 4th Vet and 1st in Teams Round 3 - Nelson DNF Round 4 - Ashurst 13th overall - 3rd Vet and 2nd in Teams NZCC Series 22nd overall - 4th Vet and 1st Teams 2008 Suzuki 6h 10th overall 4th 0-300 4 stroke - with Hermy Tarawera 100, 17th overall - 2nd Vet, 3rd in Teams Personal Sponsors: MB Electrical - Matt Bell, Progrip R2, Moto SR - Richard Ebbet, Moorfield Motors, Horleys - sports nutrition Pit Man - Aaron Hodge (Premier Kitchens and Cabinets)
Luke Ramsey, KX125 Bel Ray: Class Pro all in on the 125 Rnd1- 3rd Overall Rnd2- 10th Overall Rnd3- 9th Overall Series- 4th Overall Raglan Rocx: Rnd1 - 4th Overall and 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd2 - 4th Overall and 1st 0-200 2stroke NZ & Nth island Crosscountry Nationals: Rnd1 - Nth island: 7th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd2 - Nth island: 7th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd3 - Nth island: 5th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd1 - NZ Natz: 8th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd2 - NZ Natz/Rnd 4 Nth Island: 8th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Rnd3 - NZ Natz: 4th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Final Rnd- 2nd Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Series Results: North Island - 4th Overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke New Zealand - 3rd overall / 1st 0-200 2stroke Teams - 1st Kimmys Moto X Park : Jas,Hermy,Luke Tawawera 100: 12th Overall / 3rd 0-300 4stroke, 3rd in Teams Personal Sponsors: Neil McCarthy: K.R.P ( Kiwi Racing Products) CNS Chiropractic & Sport Takanini Pit Man- Mike Ramsey
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DIRT COMP DEAD TOAD WORDS: Andy McGechan PICS: Geoff Osborne
MEAD WINS THE DEAD TOAD ory Mead hopped to it to win the annual Dead Toad cross-country race in the Woodhill Forest over the August 14-15 weekend.
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“I took my chance and went for it, passed Karl and took a 30-second lead at the end of the lap. From them on I pushed hard.”
The national enduro champion from Whitby, just north of Wellington, travelled 1500 kilometres to race and win the annual Waitemata Motorcycle Club’s Dead Toad three-hour cross-country race.
Meanwhile, Penny had moved back up and into second position.
“It was worth the long drive,” the Yamaha ace smiled. “It’s always a pleasure to ride a Waitemata Motorcycle Club event, whether it’s at Riverhead or Woodhill. The tracks are awesome and the events are well run. “This year’s event was the 35th Dead Toad and only the second I’ve ever ridden. The track was fast and tight, in and out of the pine trees.” Auckland’s Chris Power (Honda) and Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny (Suzuki) led soon after the shotgun blast signalled the start. Mead found himself jostling for position with fellow enduro ace Karl Power (Auckland, KTM), the two old foes resurrecting their national enduro championship battles as they fought hard for space on the track.
Farm start always sorts the field out before the forest……though no-one was going to stop eventual winner Rory Mead (in the middle of this group and out on his own in the second pic). Motocrosser, Mark Penny, meanwhile, finished second on debut. And finally, still going (strong) after competing in all 35 Dead Toad events is local man Kevin Sargent.
“We got lost for a second or two, but caught up with the others quickly and I came into the pits at the end of the first lap just behind Karl, in third place. EARLY LEAD “Karl took an early lead and I was happy to stay behind him, we both pitted and fuelled up at the end of the second lap.” Then, on the third lap of six, Mead struck.
FIRST TIME “This was the first time I had given this event a go,” said the Te Awamutu rider. “My riding experience on the tight sandy tracks of the Woodhill forest has been very limited and, to be honest, my skills in this department weren’t too flash. So I thought, what better way to improve than to get up there and ride?” However, Penny had no answer for the pace of Mead, the Kiwi international continuing to stretch his advantage, eventually putting eight minutes between himself and Penny by the end of the six-lap race. “I was rapt; all that hard work at the gym and on the push bike was starting to pay dividends,” said Mead. KR
RESULTS THE 35TH DEAD TOAD 3 HR CROSS COUNTRY RACE SUNDAY AUGUST 16 WOODHILL. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Rory Mead 3.16.38 Mark Penny 3.24.54 Luke Uhrle 3.28.19 Chris Power 3.29.39 Mitchell Nield 3.31.50 Renny Johnston 3.33.41 Mike Skinner 3.36.33 Karl Power 2.47.20 Sean Clarke 2.58.10 Phil Singleton 3.01.07
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DIRT COMP FOUR-HOUR
Karl Power teamed up with fellow KTM rider Jason Davis to finish third.
Get some ‘Quick Action’ from
A complete range of high quality, Italian made replacement throttles for your dirt bike. WORDS: Andy McGechan PIC: Geoff Osborne
RIVALS TEAM UP TO WIN FOUR-HOUR RACE Hard at work preparing for the upcoming motocross nationals – where they will be rivals to one another in the 250cc class – Kawasaki pair Nick Saunders and Rhys Carter decided to join forces to race the inaugural Suzuki Four-Hour Off-Road Endurance Race in August. And the dynamic duo raised a few eyebrows when they came from behind to celebrate victory on the Waimahia Forest course. Only four bikes completed nine of the 25-kilometre laps in the four hours and the Kawasaki KX250F of Taupo’s Saunders and Palmerston North’s Carter eventually worked through traffic to take the chequered flag by 24 seconds from fast-starting solo rider Sam Greenslade (Husqvarna 450), of Auckland. Third best was the KTM pairing of Jason Davis (Whangamata) and Karl Power (Auckland), with two Yamaha riders, Rory Mead (Whitby) and Adrian Smith (Mokau), both riding solo, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. NOT EASY Saunders, 24, and 19-year-old and Carter didn’t have it all their own way – they found themselves down in 25th spot at the start and in 10th place after the opening lap – but they soon made up ground on the leaders and were up to fifth position by the end of the second lap. From there it was just a matter of settling into a rhythm 142 KIWI RIDER
and picking their way past rider after rider, the Kawasaki duo made it into second spot behind Greenslade by the end of lap seven and snatched the win right at the end. “I made an absolutely butchery of the start,” admitted Saunders, a former national cross-country champion and national motocross frontrunner. “I tried to start the bike while it was in gear, which was not the smartest thing to do, but I passed a lot of guys in the first section. A BLINDER “We were slowly catching up but Rhys must have put in a blinder of a lap during his last stint. There were three of us together – me, Jason Davis and Sam Greenslade – when I took over the bike again for the start of the last lap. “Davis and Greenslade collided and that gave me the gap I needed. “It was great training for both me and Rhys for the motocross nationals coming up.” Carter, a salesman at AFC motorcycles in Palmerston North, said he thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural event and would return to defend the title next season. “I was just enjoying the ride and didn’t realise I was going so fast. I closed in on the lead by two and a half minutes in my final session. I feel pretty fit at the moment and that definitely helped,” he said. KR
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WORDS: Staff PIC: Yamaha
CAIROLI WINS TITLE Sicilian Antonio Cairoli is this year’s World MX1 Champion after putting the title out of anyone else’s reach at the penultimate round of the 2009 series at Lierop in The Netherlands.
The 2009 MX1-GP World Championship belongs to Yamaha Red Bull De Carli’s Tony Cairoli as the Sicilian took sixth position in the sand of Lierop and the Grand Prix of the Netherlands on Sunday August 30. The event was won by fastest qualifier, Suzuki star Ken de Dycker, who won both races, with Kiwi Yamaha rider Josh Coppins second after a fourth in the first moto and runner-up spot in the second, then Honda’s Clement Desalle third. Unfortunately for Coppins second was not enough to hold on to his fifth spot in the series points standings, de Dycker pushing him back to sixth. Second place for Coppins was enough however to give Yamaha victory in the Manufacturers’ as well as riders’ standings. Watched by 18,000 spectators under bright sunny skies at Lierop the Grand Prix of the Netherlands represented the penultimate round of the series and reactivation of the calendar after a three week break. The Lierop sand moved and shifted with each lap and the
waves and ripples demanded a different technique from the riders. The physical demands increased and the course represented a completely different challenge compared to the hard-pack and simple layout at the most recent round in the Czech Republic. Lierop has always been one of Josh Coppins’ favourite tracks and the Motueka rider shook off the destabilising affects of two small slips in the second moto for one of his best rides of the year. “I have been feeling really good riding in the sand so I knew I had a chance here, “ he told reporters. “I did expect to do well but you are never sure on a circuit this difficult. I think it was a pretty good ride, not quite as decent as Latvia; in fact I am even a little disappointed that I could not push Ken that much in the second moto.” Team-mate and outgoing world champion David Philippaerts was second in the first race only to crash on the second corner at the start of the second and end up back in eighth place at the flag for fifth overall. KR
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
RESULTS RND 14 2009 MX1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LIEROP THE NETHERLANDS SUNDAY AUGUST 30 RACE 1 1. Ken De Dycker (Suzuki); 2. David Philippaerts (Yamaha); 3. Tanel Leok (Yamaha); 4. Joshua Coppins (Yamaha); 5. Antonio Cairoli (Yamaha); 6. Clement Desalle (Honda) RACE 2 1. De Dycker; 2. Coppins; 3. Desalle; 4. Cairoli; 5 Maximilian Nagl (KTM); 6. Leok POINTS AFTER RND 14 OF 15 1. Antonio Cairoli 537 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl 487; 3. David Philippaerts 463; 4. Clement Desalle 461; 5. Ken De Dycker 459; 6. Joshua Coppins 449; 7. Tanel Leok 382; 8. Gareth Swanepoel 238; 9. Jonathan Barragan 229; 10. Manuel Priem 195. MANUFACTURERS’ STANDINGS Yamaha 615 points; 2. KTM 547; 3. Honda 496; 4. Suzuki 476; 5. Kawasaki 292; 6. Aprilia 228; 7. TM 193; 8. CCM
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Paul Whibley
2006 Kawasaki KX85 LW $3500 2007 Kawasaki KX85 SW $3495
2005 YamahaYZ250T $4995 2007 Yamaha YZ250W $5995
2007 Yamaha YZ250F $6500 2008 Yamaha YZ450F $7695
2005 Honda CRF450 $5200
2008 (NEW) Yamaha TTR 125 LWEX, elec start, $5995
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 â&#x20AC;˘ A/hrs: Orrin 027 293 0420 orrin@centralmotors.co.nz 144 KIWI RIDER
LONG TERMER OLLIE’S YAMAHA YZ450F
Back in June Dirt Ed Ollie let slip that there were some plans underway to get the freshly supplied YZ450F long termer plastered in exotic performance parts and shiny chrome bits….
WORDS: Ollie S. PICS: Geoff Osborne
YZ450F
U
nfortunately, I probably had way too high expectations in the current economic climate and with little time spent actually riding the YZ bruiser, I didn’t totally comprehend just how little it actually needed to be modified. The suspension had been jigged by MotoSR RG3 and Northern Accessories chucked a few Renthal hard parts its way and that’s basically where it stands. HIGH HOPES I had hoped to test a Pro Circuit Stainless Steel GP exhaust from Crown Kiwi but a system has been hard to secure, so for the last few months the bike has been ridden dead stock! That’s a total revelation for me, having spent so many years totally modifying my race machines. Now here’s an engine that’s as reliable as the day Yamaha engineers bolted it together. And since I haven’t required any more power from the engine and the suspension is set up to limits beyond my current riding level, there’s no need to change it. That said I have completed a couple of
minor modifications. I replaced the standard plastics set with a Cycra Powerflow kit from Crown Kiwi. And once the Powerflow kit arrived it needed some stickers, so I got my sticky mitts on a Yamaha GYTR Factory Replica graphic kit (anyone can order genuine GYTR parts through any Yamaha dealer).
Next major event for the KR test wagon is the King of the Dunes. In fact by the time you read this the series would have finished with a full report ensuing. Look out for it in the November issue of KR. Plus keep an eye out when you’re next online at www.kiwirider.co.nz as we draw closer to the KR Bike of the Year. KR
This gave the YZ450F a fairly trick presence – enough to keep my inner magpie at bay for a record length of time so far. And I get to hand the YZ450F back to YNZ with showroom condition bodywork. LIFE IN THE OLD CARBY YET Having tested all the 2009 MX bikes it’s safe to say that fuel injection is not the be all and end all at this present time. Yes it’s got huge things going for it but there are also many teething problems. In my opinion you still can’t beat well tuned carburettors. Maybe it’s one reason why Yamaha’s release of their 2010 YZ250F rocket ship is still very much benefitting from a Keihin FCR. After all they did single-handily ignite the motocross four-stroke phenomenon.
Ollie at work on his long term YZ450F Yamaha. Note new plastics and graphics….but standard factory muffler!
KIWI RIDER 145
Kawasaki Presents
THE ADVENTURERS
KLR650
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For more information and the location of your dealer go to www.kawasaki.co.nz
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ADVENTURE THE EAST CAPE
WORDS: Linda Glasswell PICS: Linda and John Glasswell
Fantastic sweepers; not a soul for miles around; panoramic views and that deafening sound of silence which hits you when you switch off your engine. Bar the South Island the East Cape is New Zealand’s biggest, best-kept secret; it’s wild, majestic and beautiful. The occasion was the annual Lottin Point Run, organised by Ray and Carolyn Holmes from Mount Motorcycles. Ray and Carolyn have been running the ride for the past four years, and each year the event is filled to capacity. The plan was to ride to Lottin Point Motel (one of the most easterly settlements on the East Cape) on the Saturday, have a get together and a fantastic dinner (with drinks), sleep well, then make our way home again on Sunday morning. The ride to and from Lottin Point takes in some wonderful roads, and with a bit of additional navigation, can take you well and truly away from it all. After leaving Mount Motorcycles we headed down to Whakatane, over the hill via Ohope and down the fantastic Wainui Road with its fast, wide sweepers on a mostly good surface. We travelled out to Opotiki which was our gathering point for coffee, cake or breakfast, every one riding at his/her pace and basically doing his/her own thing.
THE FUN BEGINS Then the fun began! We wound down the coast road, hugging the cliffs and revelling in the tight and twisty switchbacks, the turns requiring some refined input on the bars and letting you get into a good groove. The scenery is truly stunning in this neck of the woods, both wild and rugged. How some of those trees hang on the cliffs defies belief! We stopped down by the bridge over the Motu River with its wide shingle bed. The river was low as there had not been too much rain in the area recently. This was a point of interest for us as we were heading back up the Old Motu Road on Sunday towards the source of the Motu River. There are so many little bays and river deltas at which to stop and look. We took a bit of a break at Te Kaha Point and the nearby bay, where there is a Pub … apparently. More coast-hugging twisties out towards Waihau Bay, then through the forest to the Lottin Point turn off. The last seven kilometers or so is on gravel, with a fairly steep descent to the motel and a fantastic vista of the Pacific Ocean. We sorted out our rooms and got a couple of drinks lined up in preparation for the evening ahead. ALWAYS A GREAT FEED The dinner has always been a great feed
You could call it combining work and pleasure. A weekend away with friends exploring the wild and beautiful East Coast region of the North Island. KR office manager Linda Glasswell reports. Article author Linda G. enjoying the shade afforded by a mighty pohutakawa on the way to the East Cape
with fresh crayfish, plenty of meats and veggies served up as a buffet. There were spot prizes for some of the usual categories along with one or two special ones. The Best Mate Award went to one gentleman for not only taking his mate’s bike on the ride, but included in the package was his mate’s wife! ‘Good on yer’ Mate!’ Mount Motorcycles put up the prizes along with the wine for the tables. A big thanks go to Mount for their organisation Brightish but not so early John and I set off the next day towards Auckland, via the Motu Road, down to Matawai for lunch, then back up to Opotiki via the Waioeka Gorge road. I had never ridden either road, but on my F650GS (the new twin cylinder model) borrowed from Experience BMW in Auckland, I felt I had the perfect machine for both a dirt road, and a long and windy sealed one. OLD MAN MOTU The Old Motu Road is a gravel road relic from the old coach days, winding a tortuous route through the Motu Gorge, over the Raukumara range, passing through many scenic reserves rising up from the Bay of Plenty, entering from SH35 at KIWI RIDER 147
Big y k S n r e South February 27th to March 1st 2010. Oamaru, North Otago to Queenstown, Southern Lakes KTM have again joined Robbie and Connie Crickett and the team at High Country Trail in offering adventure riders the KTM Southern Sky Adventure. This event will be laid out totally with the big adventure bikes in mind and the route will be set on gravel roads and hard based farm tracks, designed by Robbie using KTM’s 990 Adventure on dual sport tyres... Road legal enduro or trailbikes are welcome but the emphasis will be on fun and rideability for the larger heavier machines. (Yes, there will be optional challenge sections for those who need them included). Expect big days, big views and even bigger country as we take adventure riders into country not previously covered by this type of event. Of special note will be the little known Strath Taieri region of inland Otago. This is a top shelf place to place tour event and the entry fee includes: • Four nights accomodation • Full breakfast each of the 3 ride days • Country lunch • Sumptuous evening meal on each ride day. • All luggage movement • Friendly, experienced High Country Trail support crew. At the tours end in scenic Queenstown, the unforgettable cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak is optional but really is a must. On this trip you will ride over high mountain tracks, overlook huge mining operations and venture well off the beaten track to little known hamlets, both inland and seaside in this wide ranging tour of Southern New Zealand. We will even include an optional tour of NZ’s largest goldmining operation and subsequent short cut route sheet for those who tick the box. Robbie and Connie along with the High Country Trail team are proud to offer you this opportunity to enjoy a very big piece of Otago. Friday 26th Feb, Assemble at the Oamaru accommodation. Event welcome and briefing at 8.30pm (evening meal not included ) Day 1. Saturday 27th. Follow the route sheet over little known mountain roads and tracks and past very modern and substantial mining operations. Days end brings the event into Dunedin City. Day 2. Sunday 28th. Dunedin to Alexandra. Through southern forests, historic hydro villages and along old wagon trails. Day 3. Monday March 1st. Alexandra to Queenstown. Through the fruit bowl of Earnscleugh up into the high country on tracks otherwise used only by shepherds and their merinos towards the tourist mecca of Queenstown and a chance to relax on beautiful Lake Wakatipu.
Entry cost: • Bike and rider $1150 • Pillion $800 The final dinner/lake cruise is optional and if not required deduct $ 110pp from the above prices.
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For further information contact: Robbie & Connie Crickett Tel: 03 448 9582 or 0274 354 267 Email: robbie@highcountry.co.nz
w w w. h i g h c o u n t r y. c o . n z
Buchan Design
Itinerary:
Opape and eventually dropping down into Motu township and on to Matawai. ADVENTURE THE EAST CAPE
This unsealed road through wild rugged country surrounded by lush native bush is a remnant of past travel. There are a couple of fords to cross but nothing too tricky and due to the lack of rain these were virtually dry. It’s a treat for us Aucklanders to stop and revel in the isolation. We sat for a while at the summit of the road, listening to the cows bellowing in the valley far below. Although we saw a handful of fourwheel drives going the other way, it was like the Land that Time Forgot! It’s similar in lots of ways to Waikaremoana. We
Heading down (above) it’s a case of beautiful, unspoiled bay overload, made even more memorable by the perfect late summer weather. On the way back (left) it was time to explore the mighty Motu and environs.
stopped for photos several times, taking in the sweeping views, with not a human being in sight. Bliss! We visited the Motu Falls; and even though it was Sunday and mostly fine, we were the only ones there! After lunch at Matawai, we set off for the Gorge. By now some menacing clouds were bunching up and looking ominously dark! In the end we were very lucky. It stayed reasonably dry for the entire length of the Gorge Road! I’d heard from several riders that they had never encountered this road in the dry! It was the most fantastic road with sweeping corner after sweeping corner. I practiced some much needed tips I’d recently read, for going downhill round tight corners; sit slightly back in your seat to offset the effect of gravity, grip your seat with your thighs to take the strain off your arms, (allowing them to relax), with the result that you feel so much more in control. How simple yet effective! RIGHT HAND DOWN? My other weakness is right hand corners, so I have to try doubly hard to get them right; on this run, I practiced going to the left earlier and deeper than I normally do to allow for both lots of room for my turn and for visibility right through the corner. This let me put the gas on as soon as I could see my exit, which stopped me ‘floating’ through the corner. I’ve known the theory of this for ages, but if you exaggerate it, it feels so right! I also made sure that I changed down a gear every time, as I felt so much more in control with the higher revs. With these ‘must dos’ in my head giving me focus, my ride was fast but controlled, with plenty of adrenalin rush but without the heart
plummeting moments! Because of the numerous corners, I don’t think I broke the speed limit, but still had so much fun! My mantra has always been smooth and consistent riding and speed, taking corners without massive braking; I don’t need the speed; I need the thrill of the acceleration, the control and the flow. THEN IT RAINED! After the excitement of these two rides, it all went downhill!! Metaphorically speaking of course! As we neared Mt Maunganui where we were staying for the night, the sky turned black and within minutes the rain was pelting us. The late afternoon light dimmed and not only did we have a storm to contend with, it was nearly dark! Riding in the rain at night is not my favourite thing. I had my prescription sunglasses on, so had to get them off as quickly as possible. You know how hard that is without stopping! Luckily one of us knew where we were going (and it wasn’t me), so less than 40 minutes later we arrived at our friends’ place. Soaking wet on the outside, but dry as a bone on the inside, courtesy of my dependable riding gear. HOME JAMES The next day our ride home to Auckland was consistently and atrociously wet all the way; we just put our heads down and got home as quickly and as safely as possible. Overall I was extremely pleased; to get dry and wet roads, to ride gravel and sealed, is all you could want; the wet helps keep you on your toes and confident on those occasions (like this one) you when get caught in something nasty! The only thing missing was a decent, gusty wind! My favourite – not! KR KIWI RIDER 149
BT BEN TOWNLEY
ENDLESS SUMMER These are the people who keep us safe on the track and they don’t get thanked any where near enough.
Kia Ora, Gidday all, hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the early start to spring. I definitely am. It’s been awesome for me to be home as I said last month, but in the same breath it’s been a big change and a tough one. Since I was 16 all I’ve pretty much known has been summer. Can you imagine that ? I’ve been away racing professionally for eight years and the first five of these were in Europe where I probably only experienced winter for a month or so each year, when I arrived back in Europe for pre season testing. For the last three years I’ve lived in Florida and it’s not called the Sunshine State because of the winter frosts and morning fog... Wow is all I can say about Taupo and the World Juniors, if you were there then you’ll know what I’m talking about, if you weren’t I’m sorry to say you missed something special. First up a big congrats has to go to the Taupo Club and all the members and volunteers who put in the hard yards to make the event tick along as well as it did. I think a big thanks shoutout has to go out to the fl ag marshals who were out there both days making sure the racing went along smoothly. It was cold and miserable on Saturday and not much better on Sunday and they were out in that weather both days
www.bentownleymx.com
150 KIWI RIDER
The racing was awesome, I hadn’t felt that feeling of excitement since I was watching Cody at Unadilla last year. The crowd was much bigger than I expected and the racing was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I hadn’t seen Junior racing in a while and I though it might be boring, but how wrong was I. Another big shout-out has to go to Courtney Duncan, that lil’ lady flat out flies! I hadn’t seen Courtney ride before and she definitely earned my respect, her style and the outright fl are with which she rides is inspiring to anyone who rides. It will be interesting to see where she ends up. Seeing what I saw that Sunday, the world is definitely her oyster. In the big bike class the racing was hot, red hot. From the drop of the gate in race one to the fl ag I found myself amping as I watched Hamish get the holeshot and keep Tye Symmonds at bay while Eli Tomac (from America) had to claw his way back through the field and catch those two out front. The number of entrants from overseas was a little disapointing to most in the sport, but I can firmly say that the talent we saw was first class. Tye Simmonds and Eli Tomac are destined for huge futures. Glen Coldenhoff (Netherlands) is too but he had a bad day, he definitely didn’t show us what he really has in the tank and
he also lost me money... As far as the Kiwis, Hamish rode brilliant. His start in moto 1 put him in a great position and he took full advantage of it and turned in a great performance in moto 2 also. It was a great weekend all in all, the only thing New Zealand didn’t turn on was the weather really. If you’re a rider and you were there and witnessed Eli Tomac, you could definitely learn a lot from his corner speed and intensity that he rides at. That’s about all for this month, I’d like to make a mention to Mikey P, Scotty C and Josh for the upcoming Des Nations in Italy. It’s gonna be a huge race, it’s my favourite race every year and I’m gutted I couldn’t have been available for selection. But I want to wish those guys all the best, fl y the Kiwi flag high boys ! Catch ya’ guys and girls next month. BT
Another big shout-out has to go to Courtney Duncan, that lil’ lady flat out flies! I hadn’t seen Courtney ride before and she definitely earned my respect.
\ “WORLD BEATER” is how the Aussie dirt bike magazine, Trailbike Adventure, described the 09 Safari!
Yamaha NZ and the Britton Motorcycle Adventures team are back with a new three-day South Island Safari! The 2010 Yamaha NZ Safari is based in Marlborough, a region that is well known for its dry, temperate climate, its wineindustry, the stunning Marlborough Sounds, the beautiful Awatere Valley and high country farms and stations. This year we head into exciting new terrain, ride areas include Marlborough Sounds, Pelorus Sounds, Havelock, Canvastown and the Awatere Valley. ANYONE CAN RIDE THE YAMAHA NZ SAFARI Any off-road or adventure rider can join the Safari; this ride is open to all brands, and models. You will need a road legal dual purpose bike of 200 to 1200cc. It must be well prepared with at least dual-purpose tyres fitted. Riders need a current driver’s licence, a reasonable level of fitness and capability, and the confidence to ride many kilometers on gravel and stony trails. SAFARI ENTRY COST Full Safari Package: NZ$1250 Pillion Rider: NZ $1100 Own Accommodation: NZ$950
OPEN TO ALL DUAL PURPOSE MOTORCYCLES AND RIDERS BIG BIKE AND ADVENTURE TRAIL OPTIONS
Safari 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
KIWI RIDER 151
BREAKING NEWS
RADICAL NEW YZ450F WORDS: Ollie S. PICS: Yamaha It’s here. Yamaha’s radical new reversecylinder head YZ450F. Everything you dreamed of and more is for real; the rearward-slanted cylinder is no longer fiction. As is the all-new offset cylinder so the connecting rod is vertical at the moment of greatest combustion force, and the removal of the signature fifth valve, opting instead for a more compact four-valve configuration. The fuel tank is mounted under the seat and the exhaust is, as you may have read in the August KR, rear mounted and dubbed the ‘tornado.’ That leaves the intake out the front of the engine for a complete flow-through performance imitative. Fuel injection has been included and the new bilateral frame, as seen on the 2010 YZ250F, is also a feature of the YZ450F. Revamped aggressive and minimalistic styling gives the YZ450F a look completely unique to the off-road world. Will Yamaha’s 2010 YZ450F be the benchmark for manufacturers to follow? Check out Kiwi Rider online at www.kiwirider.co.nz for an integral in-depth look at new YZ450F along with fantastic images, with a follow up spread or possible launch report designated for the November issue of KR. KR
LEATT OPENS IN NZ Leatt Corporation, the distributor of the Leatt-Brace, the neck brace system designed to help prevent potentially devastating motor sport injuries to the neck, has announced that it is establishing a New Zealand operation for direct distribution in the New Zealand market. A New Zealand company has been registered in the name of Leatt New Zealand Limited and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. This operation will be headed up by Mr. Paris Youroukelis, who anticipates being operational this month. Leatt Corporation engages in the design and development of cervical spine protection equipment for various forms of motor sports and sells its products through internet and sales representatives worldwide. For more information go to www.leatt.co.nz or for trade enquiries talk to Paris on 09 416 8300. KR
WWW.THESANDPIT.CO.NZ
AIN’T NO MUD AT THE
KAWASAKI SANDPIT! THE ULTIMATE OFFROAD ALL WEATHER RIDING EXPERIENCE
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TRAIL TIPS TIPS OF THE TRADE WORDS & PICS: Racing Dave
TREAD PATTERN & TYRE PRESURE What’s the best tyre for your off-road bike? Good questions isn’t it? To help you narrow down your options Racing Dave offers these thoughts. t might be stating the bleeding obvious, but a new sharp-edged no-brand tyre is probably better than a worn, rounded, or balding name-brand one.
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the wider spaced and chunkier the knobs, and with the tyre pressure at the bottom limit to try to gain any possible traction from the muddy, tree-root-infested trails.
That said, you get what you pay for, and a pair of unknowns from an internet auction site will seldom grip as well, or last as long, as those tyres that are bought with advice and back-up from a proper retailer.
Single digit pressures might be considered, only tempered by how well your rim locks keep the tyre from slipping on the rim and pulling the tube’s valve stem out, and your ability to avoid impacts. One thing’s for sure, you don’t want to be changing a flat in these filthy conditions.
It is tempting to skimp on buying tyres, and I’m as guilty as the next crasher, but they really are all that stop you getting stuck, getting frightened, or getting off. YES THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! If you match the tyre’s compound, pattern, and pressure to your riding style and to the terrain, then a safe and swift ride may be had in difficult conditions, rather than a risky and scary one. The examples in the photos are from Pit Lane, in Christchurch.
The top tyre pic is of some Bridgestone knobbies for soft (left) medium (middle) and hard (right) terrain, while the lower one is of a Michelin selection. Left to right we have a medium-soft MS3, an S12 (soft) and an AC10 (all-terrain) tyre. Then from the top of the terrain pics we have dry, rocky, hard-packed terrain typical of the South Island high country, followed by some nice medium going then the sort of soft, swampy soil that requires plenty of space between your tyres’ knobs.
In general, the harder and drier conditions, such as the hard-baked clay in Central Otago, the smaller the spaces you need between the knobs, and you might find a close-patterned tyre at 18 psi works fine, although perhaps a little skittery, due to the stiffened sidewalls. It would be unlikely to suffer a rock-induced impact puncture, which you might get at lower pressure. WHICH YOU’LL NOTICE HERE… What about the same in Riverhead Forest in the winter – oh no. Here you’ll need all the help you can get, as the softer the ground
WHAT ABOUT INBETWEEN? In between these two extremes is what I think of as normal trail riding conditions. Grassy farm roads, the odd sandy pine-needled forest track, a shingle road, or maybe a slippery hill to climb – maybe many slippery hills. Ruts, bumps, fallen trees and branches, and all manner of random obstacles. How can one tyre cope with all that variety? Of course, it can’t – like most riding there is compromise and it’s a matter of choosing the best possible tyre your budget can stand. The tyres currently on my WR450F are Michelin S12s, which I run in the order of 12psi, and which cope well with most terrain in Canterbury. My advice? Don’t buy that noisy replacement muffler – it’s not likely to improve your bike’s power where it’s most needed (at low to mid revs), but instead buy several sets of top quality tyres for the same money, and you’ll quietly and confidently round up those making do on lesser rubber. KR KIWI RIDER 153
REIKON FLEXIBAR $289 Di Distributor: Nationwide Accessories
HOT PRODUCTS DIRT
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R Reikon is well known for its very wide rrange of handlebars, front and rear sprockets, forged brake and clutch levers. Each Reikon product is designed tto withstand the toughest conditions. G Great care and craftmanship are appli plied to each step of the manufacturing pro process resulting in a product whose f performance meets those required for racing parts. Colours: Titanium, Black, Gold.
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DIADORA MUD BOOTS $429 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories 2
Loads of features for the ATV/quad ridersuch as full grain leather upper; injection moulded plastic front plate; Veratex lining; extra soft polymer padding with memory foam; lots of protection and reinforcement; adjustable Velcro closure; replaceable/adjustable buckles; leather heat protector; double density antislip sole; TPU Dual Flex and anti-shock EVA midsole; Antibacterial replaceable footbed with APS (Air Pump System). Sizes: 42 – 45. Colour: Brown. 3 GIVI UNIVERSAL GPS HOLDER $95 Distributor: Eurobike Wholesale
Great little motorcycle universal GPS holder from Givi. Features adjustable GPS pocket, Velcro straps for easy fastening. Touchscreen Pen holder, waterproof zippers, cable port, and rain cover. Available from all good motorcycle shops.
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4 AXO PRIME2 BOOTS $599 Distributor: Northern Accessories
The Prime was designed and developed with the idea of combining the most safety and support with the best value available in topof-the-line off-road boots. Designed in California and race tested and approved all over the world. Available in either black or white. 5 PARK TOOL PORTABLE WORKBENCH $259 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
A portable workbench that folds for easy transport and storage, making it perfect for taking to race meetings or for garages where space is a little tight. There is a large surface (91.5cm x 58.5cm) with specially sized slots, holes and recesses to hold tools, lubes, beverages and just about anything else you can think of. The folding steel legs also provide a solid base for a toolbox and supplies. 6 EVS UG05 ULITMATE SHORTS $110 Distributor: Northern Accessories
These shorts have fully removable, impact absorbing pads for the hips, tailbone, and thighs to provide the most extreme riders with the most extreme protection. With a sixpanel design, a heavy-duty chamois crotch and full ventilation, this short is the perfect choice for anyone who takes their riding up to the next level. Adult sizes M, L, XL. 154 KIWI RIDER
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AIROH STELT SENIOR MONSTER HELMET $1069 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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Worn by some of the biggest names in offroad competition today, including Antonio Cairoli, Ken De Dyker, Tyla Rattray, Ivan Cervantes and our very own Josh Coppins, the top of the range Airoh Stelt is a beautifully crafted helmet that weighs in at an incredibly light 1000g. Featuring a composite fibre shell (available in 2 shell sizes), the Stelt has an anatomically designed helmet inner offering superb fit to the user. There’s also a removable washable comfort liner, removable cheek pads, multiple intake vents, rear air extractors, adjustable peak, nose protec-
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tion, Double D-ring retention and ECE22.05 safety standard. The outstanding (limited edition) 2010 Monster graphic Stelt has just landed on our shores in sizes S to XXL. 8 AIROH DOME HELMET $389 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
The Dome is Airoh’s mid-priced helmet that represents excellent bang for your buck. Features include a tough lightweight thermoplastic shell, removable washable comfort inner, removable cheek pads, ventilation aplenty, nose protection, adjustable peak, Double D-ring retention, and ECE22.05 safety rating. The Dome is available in two very cool graphic options – Fear Red (model shown) or Party in sizes XS to XL.
2010 FLY GEAR HOT PRODUCTS DIRT
Distributed by White’s Powersports. FLY KINETIC JERSEY $65 Youth. $69 Adult.
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From its race-inspired construction—such as mesh sides and forearms for better airflow and its “Comfort-Stretch” collar and “Shorty” arm cuffs—the Kinetic jersey comes up aces with its fit and function. The choice of many of Fly Racing’s pro team riders, the Kinetic line is fully loaded with many of the same features found in the 2010 FLY Evolution line. The Kinetic line is nothing short of pro level performance and style at intermediate level prices. Black/White (Youth M-Adult 3XL); Blue/Silver, Red/Black, Yellow/Blue, Green/Black (Youth M-Adult 2XL); Amped (Youth M-Adult XL)
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FLY KINETIC PANT $189 Youth. $199 Adult.
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The Kinetic pant is everything a pant should be: high grade materials – such as leather panels in both knees and an array of stretch panels – and a fit and function that make it virtually bulletproof. Black/White (Youth 24-Adult 42); Blue/Silver, Red/Black (Adult 28-40); Yellow/Blue, Green/Black (Youth 24-Adult 40); Amped (Adult 27-38).
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FLY KINETIC GLOVE $45 Youth. $49 Adult.
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The Kinetic glove gets high fives all around with its advanced four-way stretch and neoprene construction that combine to offer you support, feel, comfort, and grippy goodness. Colour and size availability: Black/ White, Blue/Silver, Green/Black, Amped (Youth 4-Adult 13); Red/Black, Yellow/Blue (Adult 6-3).
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FLY KINETIC HELMET $169 Tiki. $189 Electric.
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One look at the new Kinetic’s unmatched style and price, and you’ll be hooked. Loaded with plenty of FLY Racing style and comfort, the Kinetic will have you going big, busting berms, and cranking out motos without a hitch. The Kinetic is pure style, protection, and value all wrapped up in one.Available in a wide range of colours in Youth Sml to Adult 2XL sizes. 5
FLY MAVERIK BOOT $199
Maverik MX boot pushe the limits of feature and function at an unbelievable price. A genuine leather heat shield, anti-dirt repelling top gator, moulded impact resistant shin plate, full printed upper, and FLY Racing’s original designed secure and easy action buckles. Stand up and be a Maverik with these boots. Colours/sizes: Zone and Bones (Youth 4 to Adult 13); Black/Grey (Youth Y10 to Adult 15).
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6 6 REDBULL HONDA CRF450 $40 Distributor: Northern Accessories
number on the bike and try and convince your friends you were one of the team.
The Team Red Bull Racing Honda 2008 CRF450R will make a great addition to any collection. This 1/12 scale model comes with all the original bike’s sponsors logos but blank number boards. In the box you will also find sticker sheets for 4 of the teams riders: #9 Ivan Tedesco, #29 Andrew Short, #18 Davi Milsaps and N.Z.’s own Ben Townley #101, so you can buy one bike and make a replica of your favorite rider, or buy four of them and have the whole team! There are also full sets of numbers included so you can put your race
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HONDA REDBULL TRUCK
$90 Distributor: Northern Accessories Have your own 1/32 scale replica of Honda Red Bull Racing’s Peterbilt 387, 22 wheeler transporter parked in your garage, or even living room! It might not have the full size model’s 600HP ISX Cummins engine and 13 speed ultrashift transmission, but it is only 55cm long so it will be easier to put on the shelf. Featuring opening cab doors and trailer ramp, with all the authentic sponsors decals applied this is a great looking model. KIWI RIDER 155
KBC SUPER-XF HELMET $339 $3 Distributor: Nationwide Accessories A
HOT PRODUCTS DIRT
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The T latest trend-setting helmet from KBC. Manufactured to the highest levels of precision and a detail the KBC Super-XF incorporates a Tri Composite shell in constructed using an advanced co Vacumm Lamination System resulting Va in a lightweight helmet. It has a full ventilation system supported by twin air switches to the forehead and a large mouth vent. A purpose designed sun/ debris peak and a synthetic rubber nose/ face shield protect the rider. The interior comfort of the KBC Super-XF is ensured by the use of AirNet gauze and an advanced washable micro-fibre material making the KBC Super-XF a helmet which will stay the distance. Sizes: XS – XXL Colours: Skull White/Gold, Dirt Demon, Stealth, Spark Matt White, Spark Matt Black
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SIDI CHARGER BOOTS $599 Distributor: Darbi Accessories
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Features include flex Vertebra System technology; full and split grain suede leather upper with TPU inserts; Cambrelle and air Teflon mesh lined; four buckles work independently from each other for secure closure and an anti skid rubber sole. Black comes in sizes 42-48; white in 43-47.
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DUNLOP GEOMAX MX31 From $89 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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The Dunlop Geomax MX31, successor to the hugely popular D773 was tested by AMA Motocross riders to ensure it can tackle the toughest soft conditions. If you’re out getting your kicks on soft terrain then this is the perfect tyre for you. Clever Dunlop patented design (Dunlop calls it ‘Geomax Reinforced Pattern’ GRP), mean this tyre digs deeper to grab the hard ground. Dunlop tyre designers know that traction is king so they created a wider tread profile and a more open pattern for more cut through and less floating, whilst their clever block design and shape means you get more durability too. The Geomax MX31 is available to suit kids bikes through to big bore weapons. DUNLOP GEOMAX MX51 $89 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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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, 156 KIWI RIDER
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6 all on a wider range of terrain applications. Available to suit kids bikes through to big dirt machines. NEMESES NM825 GLOVES $42 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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Nemeses have expanded their best selling glove range with the all-new NM825 Glove in Alloy/White. These feature packed gloves have an airmesh and embossed neoprene back with rubber protection, durable abrasion resistant micro-fabric material on the palms and a velcro wrist closure for adjustability. Quality, comfort and style available in sizes S to XXL.
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FORMA GT BOOT
$445 Distributor: Forbes & Davies The Forma GT Boot is a finely crafted boot designed for everyday use through to adventure touring. Constructed from leather, features include a waterproof Drytex tubular lining, anti-slip rubber sole, and shin and ankle TPU moulded plastic protection. The GT is a true ‘do anything’ boot that’s well suited to a range of Kiwi riding styles. Get down to your local Forma boot stockist and try a pair on. Available in Euro sizes 41-47.
MAXIMA FAB 1 $19 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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HOT PRODUCTS DIRT
FAB-1 is a highly advanced synthetic based formula for all oil type fabric and foam air filter elements. FAB-1’s super tacky polymer and co-polymer additives attract and hold onto virtually all fine dust particles. The water-proof base resists moisture from passing through the filter. FAB-1 prevents oil ‘wash out’ of the filter from carburettor fogging and offers the best protection for your engine, spark plugs, carburettor and air filter.
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE TRICK DVD $60 Distributor: Northern Accessories
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Fearless since the earliest days of Freestyle, riders have put life and limb on the line all for the thrill of defying the impossible. Riders like Mike Metzger, Robbie Maddison, Brian Deegan, Kyle Loza and Travis Pastrana trained to push Moto X freestyle to a new level. Moto X: Evolution of the Trick documents the biggest moments in the history of the sport. From nac-nac combos and no-handed flips, to record distance jumps and the historic double backflip. Bonus features include deleted scenes, extra X Games features, a Jeremy Lusk tribute, audio commentary and much more.
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HJC CL-MX OFF ROAD HELMET $189 Distributor: Darbi Accessories
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Lightweight thermoplastic alloy shell; removable and washable Bio-Ceramic Nylex interior; large eye port and visor design for maximum visibility and double D-Ring retention straps. Stand graphic: MC1F (Red), MC2F (Blue), MC3F (Yellow), MC4F (Green), MC5F (Silver), MC7F (Orange). METZELER 6 DAYS EXTREME From $159 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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The ultimate off-road tyre developed with World Champion factory riders for the most extreme conditions. New carcass material gives superior structural characteristics and excellent puncture resistance. The knob distribution is designed to offer outstanding grip and traction in the toughest of conditions. This is the tyre that has won 11 World Enduro Championship titles in the last four years as well as tasting success in local competition. MUC-OFF HELMET SANITISER $24 Distributor: Forbes & Davies
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It’s amazing how quickly helmet liners can become dirty, and if left too long, a little on the nose. Muc-Off Foam Fresh is a highly effective, easy to use foam cleaner which is ideal for all helmet liners. Foam Fresh has an instant foaming action, which gently agitates dirt and grime away from the surface leaving a fresh Citric Burst fragrance. Even the cleanest looking helmet benefits from this uniquely formulated product.
7 2 661 FENIX HELMETS $699 Distributor: Northern Accessories
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The very latest from 661 with all the features you would expect of a helmet worth hundreds more. Available in two stunning graphics; FUSION Black/Gold and all new RAD GHOST in sizes XS to XXL. 7 ARIETE TERRA GOOGLES $219 Distributor: Northern Accessories
The Ariete Terra goggles feature a strong frame anti-UV colours, Lexan lens with anti-fog treatment and pins for roll-off and tearoff setting. Superior face foam and comfort with increased ventilation/airflow.
The ROLL-OFF system by ARIETE Optics comprises of: left and right cannisters, two rolls of film, a mud visor and anti-stick slide rail. Just fit the slide rail over the roll-off pins, fit the canisters and the roll-off film will slide smoothly across the lens without sticking to it. Also available: a ready-assembled special lens and roll-off assembly and a race-ready set of goggles. All these components are available separately as spare parts. Special offer with FREE BONUS pair of TERRA black googles (worth $69.95) with all complete Terra Roll Off googles KIWI RIDER 157
COPPINS JOSH COPPINS
DO I STAY OR DO I GO?
Sorry folks my column has been a bit inconsistent of late… I have been pretty busy! No excuse I know! Anyway I’m back and heaps has gone on of late, so here is my take. Well 2010, what the hell am I gunna do? I am always honest in my columns and I will be no different in this one, I would like to come home, I’ve spent half my life here in Europe and I’d love to race in New Zealand and OZ for a bit, while I can still go fast! There are a few issues though. Putting together a good deal seems harder than I thought; maybe I was a bit optimistic about the money I might get paid… During this time a few good opportunities have come up to stay over here in Europe. I’d never race for the money as you have to be happy and I have always tried to get a fair deal and go from there. But for me right now it’s a matter of not letting my heart over power my mind! I’m sure it will sort itself out and soon, or maybe even by the time you read this I’ll have announced what I’ve decided to do. As I write this there is only one GP to go and I’m sitting sixth in the points. Sounds crap eh? Well it is and the only bright note is I’m only 13 points off third. The World Juniors seems like it went well! The Taupo club did a great job like we have grown to expect! There were some great results from our kids and some disappointing ones… if you were
www.joshcoppins.com
158 KIWI RIDER
disappointed don’t beat yourself up too much you probably put to0 much pressure on ya self!
you are happy with and think is fair, don’t worry about what the rest of the field is on, and always be honest.
I did it. I went to the nationals in the 80cc 12-13 class, my first big race in the North Island and got smoked - ended up sixth. The next year I did it again, but the third year I smoked it and won every race. Confidence is a big thing in racing, and I think it’s even bigger at a young age, you can overwhelm yourself so easily.
Now one other thing I want to mention… I feel like we hold our kids back a bit in New Zealand… What do I mean? Well why do our 60s race on small tracks? Why are the Junior Nationals on one weekend? Why don’t we have more SX tracks for our kids to ride? I don’t know of any major junior series in our country (I don’t count the Darbi series as major). I mean North or South Island champs and nationals are all over one weekend… kids are the future of our sport. Nowadays kids at 15 are winning GPs! At 16 they are winning AMA SX and MX races! Just my thoughts.
The poor turn out in international riders was a bummer, but to be expected with the economy like it is. For those of you who get the chance to come to France next year expect the depth to be a lot harder. Finally, the Motocross of Nations is coming up soon; the team is myself on MX1, Mike Phillips MX2 and Scott Column MX3. On the ‘Holeshot’ forum people had a bit to say about the team, but to be honest we have the right team! Not to mention all three riders are over here, and with the 2010 MXoN in America, MNZ need to save as much money as poss, but again despite that the three riders picked were the right ones. With a young MXoN team I think we can make the top 10. The ‘silly-season’ is in full swing over here with the team managers all crying that they have had budget cuts. Which is true but I’m sure they haven’t had a pay cut! If you are reading this and ever get a factory contract remember this: You are only an employee, don’t get too close to the manufacturer or team; make a deal that
That’s enough for this month, I need to save a bit back for the next column….. Cheers, JC
‘As I write this there is only one GP to go and I’m sitting sixth in the points. Sounds crap eh? Well it is and the only bright note is I’m only 13 points off third’
These are interesting times. The MX example being the fact that we are currently witnessing another ‘changing of the guard.’ It was just a couple of seasons ago that the world held its breath and waited to see who or what would fill the vacuum left by the retirement from racing of legendary riders Stefan Everts and Ricky Carmichael in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The sport survived that, of course, and the racing actually might even be more interesting now that it’s not being dominated by just one or two players. It looked like a miracle in modern motocross when Kiwi ace Josh Coppins was given the prime factory ride that had been Everts’ and he then stepped up and so thoroughly dominated the MX1 class in 2007, only to be robbed by an unfortunate crash as the series wound down. On the world championship GP scene we saw cheeky Italian Antonio Cairoli move up to MX1 and, although he’s a truly brilliant racer, he has not really dominated in the way that Everts had for so many years or Coppins did in 2007. What has happened is close racing between half a dozen or so riders, including Coppins, Cairoli, Ken De Dycker, Max Nagl, David Philippaerts and another young man too (who I will get to in a minute). We could have added riders such as Seb Pourcel, Jonathan Barragan, Steve Ramon, Billy Mackenzie and Kevin Strijbos to the mix too if it weren’t for injuries. Meanwhile, across the big ditch in the US of A, it seemed that anything could happen now that Carmichael was no
HANDY ANDY ANDY MCGEEHAN
WE LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES longer casting a shadow over the sport. After a few games of musical chairs between the factory riders – James Stewart going from Kawasaki to Yamaha and Chad Reed going from Yamaha to Suzuki, while Ryan Villopoto stepped up to the open class. So too did our own Ben Townley, who had also just joined team Honda, and fellow Kiwi ace Cody Cooper had switched from Suzuki to Yamaha – it was all set for an exciting time. Stewart was regarded as the No.2 to Carmichael and everyone was predicting that Stewart would easily slip on the robes of AMA king after Carmichael’s departure. But, sadly, a supercross-only deal was agreed to and all that did was rob the fans. Then injury struck down the 2007 Lites class duellists Townley and Villopoto. Now, not wishing to take anything away from AMA MX leader Chad Reed, who I know has already proven he’s a truly great rider (in the GPs and AMA supercross as well), but the AMA motocross scene seems lacking this year. Fortunately, the new wave is coming and it’s a virtual tidal wave of talent. The GP scene welcomed the arrival in the top flight this season of Belgian youngster Clement Desalle and in the MX2 class there’s a busload of riders making a huge impression. Two seasons ago few of us had even heard of riders such as Marvin Musquin, Gautier Paulin, Ken Roczen, Joel Roelants, Steven Frossard or Matiss Karro (well, we had heard of a few of them, as former Junior World Championship frontrunners).
‘Fortunately, the new wave is coming and it’s a virtual tidal wave of talent” The tidal wave of talent can also be seen in the 250cc class in America where names such as Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard, Justin Barcia, Jake Weimer, Blake Wharton and Austin Stroupe will no doubt be jostling for factory spots in the open class in the very near future. In New Zealand too we can see a new talent wave coming with the ‘old guard’ of Darryll King, Damien King and Daryl Hurley easing back on their top-level activity and young riders such as Ethan Martens, Cam Dillon, Hamish Dobbyn and Kieran Leigh, for example, moving quickly up. With so many Kiwis now dipping their toes in the international waters – Scott Columb and Mike Phillips in the UK and Luke Burkhart and Justin McDonald in America – and then coming home to race the nationals, there are going to be some serious fireworks this season. You never know, we might even be able to add the name of GP veteran Coppins to the Kiwi scene in the next few months. As I said, these are interesting times. KR
KIWI RIDER 159
KR KIDS INTERVIEW
If one rider stood head and shoulders over any other in the 125cc class at the recent Road Craftbacked 2009 World Junior Motocross Championships at Taupo it was Eli Tomac, KR Dirt Ed Ollie Sharp has the story.
ELI TOMAC WORLD JU H
ailing from Cortez, Colorado, 16-year-old MX ace Eli Tomac comes complete with first-class genes, his father, John Tomac, one of the greatest mountain bike racers ever. And now it seems Eli is endowed with that same talented professional aptitude. KR caught up with the freshly crowned World Champion the morning after the Taupo event for a quick peek into Eli’s background, post racing thoughts and the next step in his career. KR: First of all Eli massive congratulations for winning the World Junior title! You must be pumped. ET: Thanks. It’s been a great weekend and it’s been great coming down here. KR: When did you start riding? ET: I started riding when I was four and entered my first race when I was fi ve. By the time I got to around seven or so I started getting into racing the big nationals. KR: Four years old, that is damn young to start riding. What was your first bike? ET: Yea, I started on a PW50 (KR: don’t they all!) After the peedub I moved onto a cobra. It all started after riding the cobra around, I sort of progressed from there. KR: Run through your lead-up in preparing for the World Junior Champs? ET: Yeah, well for preparation we were actually focused on the American Loretta Lynn’s which are also 20min races. Loretta Lynn’s was back in the start of August so yeah we were doing longer motos and also sprint motos in the lead up for Loretta Lynn’s which really helped me for the Worlds. So 160 KIWI RIDER
WORDS: Ollie S PICS: Andy McGechan
KR: You mentioned a little about the Taupo track on the podium, what do you think now that you’ve had time to mull it over? ET: It’s amazing how much rain that place can take, it’s just crazy. Most of the tracks in America would be completely flooded. Despite the bad weather I definitely thought it was fun. It had a really good flow to it. Those sawdust sections were insane, they definitely made it interesting.
in those conditions. Most of the guys were rolling the gate cause they have more space behind the gates I guess to line up and roll. But I mean my starts were OK, like 10th place and I was able to come up through the pack pretty well. The track was pretty wide all round so that helped a bit.
KR KIDS INTERVIEW
winning both Loretta Lynn’s and a Junior World title in a month has been pretty awesome.
KR: Did the width of the track allow more variation in lines? ET: Nah, there weren’t a lot of lines to go around probably because of the weather. It was mostly one line around the track but there was enough space to make a pass.
NIOR 125 CHAMPION KR: Have you ever come across sawdust sections on a scale like that before? ET: Yeah they put it in a little bit here and there on some American tracks but nothing like that where it’s like four feet (deep) of pure sawdust, it’s crazy. KR: You struggled with your starts a little bit during the day but you seemed to find a rhythm fairly quickly and get back to the front of the pack, how was the competition? ET: My starts weren’t that good, I think it could have been partially my tyre. We didn’t have the best set up for the tyres
KR: Loretta Lynn title holder and now Junior World Champion. What’s in store for you next? Are you going to stay racing the amateur championships or are you going to step up to AMA Pro? ET: Right now the earliest I will go AMA Pro is maybe in May for the next AMA Outdoor Championships. If that doesn’t happen then I do another year in the amateur A class and race Loretta Lynn’s again for 2010. KR: So is Amateur A class fulltime racing? ET: The amateur schedule pretty much bounces round through November
That’s young Eli (facing page, top) with local host Ben Townley and in action at Taupo. Eli couldn’t believe how much water the Digger McEwen track could take without turning into a quagmire. Fortunately for him a long and strenuous training schedule for this year’s Loretta Lynn’s meeting in the USA paid dividends at the Worlds’ meeting here.
to August. There’s a big national in November, then one in March and then July and August. So it’s busy. KR: Are there any plans to dip your toe into the World MXGP scene at any stage? ET: We were thinking about maybe going over and doing a couple before the start of the AMA Outdoor nationals if I was going to go pro just to get ready. So if that happens I guess it will be next spring, so yeah that might be a good idea. KR: Finally, what are your plans once you get back to Cortez? ET: Right now I’m just looking forward to getting back and hanging with friends for a few weeks and taking some time off the bike. I have a big race in Florida coming up so after a couple of weeks’ break I’ll be getting right back amongst it in preparation for that. KR: Thanks Eli. ET: No problem. KR KIWI RIDER 161
KR KIDS COURTNEY DUNCAN Hi everyone, Well, it’s hard to believe that the RoadCraft FIM Junior World Champs at Taupo have been and gone! It was an amazing experience and I was rapt with my achievements. All that hard training I did day after day after day really paid off and I was pleased to finish with a single digit for New Zealand. The weather over the weekend wasn’t brilliant with consistent drizzling most days, which made it not that great for the spectators, however, it kept the track in good form for racing with the club not having to water the track to keep the dust down. WORLD CHAMPS WRAP-UP Day 1 - we had control settings, which our bikes got noise tested and weighed and our helmets checked. We also had a New Zealand team meeting and a track walk. Day 2 - we had a 40 minute practice followed by a 40 minute qualifying. I qualified in 10th place which wasn’t too bad and gave me an ok gate pick for racing on Sunday. Day 3 - we started off with a 10 minute start practice and then a 30 minute track practice. We then had haka presentation and the opening ceremony before we went off to battle against each other in two 25 minute races. I managed a ninth in the
JUNIOR MX WITH COURTNEY DUNCAN first race with a crash (so that wasn’t too bad). In the second race I got a great start and was following Italian rider Samuele Bernardin for the first few laps till two international riders got by me. I finished in a comfortable fourth place which I was really pumped with. That score card 9-4 gave me sixth overall, just one point behind the Netherlands rider Lars van Berkel and two points behind Australian rider Hayden Mellross. I was the first Kiwi rider home in the 85cc class, second Kiwi home was Micah in eighth. Good work Micah, awesome riding. HAMISH AND I Hamish Dobbyn and I also represented New Zealand finishing third in the Nations Cup section. Hamish got third place in the 250cc class after finishing 2-4 and managed to beat KTM superstar Tye Simmonds in the first moto. Tye came back strong in the last moto though, winning it fair and square to finish second overall behind USA rider Eli Tomac. Shot Tye.
friends and family for making it all possible. Norman Cobb thanks a lot for the suspension changes you did during the weekend to make my bike just perfect. Thanks Noddy for taking me to all the trainings and taking time out of work to take me riding and also for making my bike be the best it could be. Thanks also to the Taupo club and MNZ for running the event; it was awesome. You guys all need a big pat on the back for making it a well run meeting. Unfortunately the week I returned home, I pulled the ligaments in my knee so haven’t been doing much riding since. It really does suck as the weather has been awesome and things are drying out so I’m itching to get back on the bike. Hopefully all will go to plan and my next event will be the Australian Junior Nationals in Melbourne at the end of September so I hope to have good news to say in next months column. Till then, take care and safe riding Courtney #8
A BIG SHOUT OUT TO Big shout out to the New Zealand supporters, especially the South Island ones also a huge thanks to the McKnight and Cuthbertson families for making the trip North to help me out. Thanks also to my community down home, Courtney Duncan in action at the Jnr Worlds in August
Thanks to: GMD, Backflips, Otago Transport, Bridgestone, Mike Gould Yamaha, Yamaha NZ, Yamalube, Fox, Scott, Sports Pro, Suspension Tech.
162 KIWI RIDER
KR KIDS HAMISH DOBBYN
MOTOCROSS WITH HAMISH DOBBYN Hey Everyone, Welcome back to my monthly KR column. It’s been a pretty big month since I last filed so here goes. TAUPO CLUB What an event, that is the RoadCraft World Junior MX Championships which were organised and run by the Taupo Motorcycle Club. I have ridden in a few events around the world but this event would have to take the top step. A big thank you to all the members and volunteers who put in endless hours of work. Without all their help it would not be possible to run an event like this. In fact, looking back, what stands out the most is the people who made this event run so smoothly. They have been doing all the work at the track since I first raced at Taupo in 2002, and they still all have a big smile on. The club made us all feel so good and proud to ride for New Zealand.
A FULL TEAM EFFORT Over the last few months I have learnt how important it is to have a good team supporting you. A big thanks to everyone involved with FLY TEAM GREEN. It was a huge help being able to turn up on Sunday morning with nothing to worry about but my riding. Mushy (my mechanic) worked overtime before and during the event on my bike and what can I say? It was perfect, never missed a beat the whole weekend. Without all of the team’s help I would not have been able to stand on the podium. KNEE UPDATE
NEW ZEALAND TEAM Congratulations to all the New Zealand riders on their results, it was great to see all the riders give it 100% on and off the track. A special thanks to Sam O’Callaghan for leading the team haka, it was amazing how much the team got into it. As everyone knows it’s no easy task to perform in front of a crowd.
As you may or may not know I have been carrying a knee injury for the past two months. After Taupo we have made the decision to go in for knee reconstruction on the 22nd of September. This will put me out of racing for six months but I hope to be back fit and healthy for 2010. Ride safe, Hamish
KR Kids columnist Hamish Dobbyn was the top-performing Kiwi in the 125cc class at the RoadCraft World Jnr MX Champs, finishing third overall.
KIWI RIDER 163
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YZ400F 99 (MP) YZ80 83-85 (MP) HONDA ATC185S (MP) CR125 86-97 (MP) CT110 84 (MP) CT200 Auto 84 (MP) NO50 84 (MP) TRX300 4X4 88-97 (R&MP) TRX350 4X4 02 (MP) XL125 77 (MP) XLR250R 85-87 (MP) XR100 93 (MP) XR200R 91-94 (NM) XR350 84 (NM) SUZUKI CI-50J Carna 87 (MP)
KLF300B 90 (MP) DF200 99 (MP) DR400 81 (MP) KLR250 1986 (MP) ER125 79-90 (MP) KLX650 1993 (MP) LT50 (MP) KV250 (MP) LT185 83 (MP) KX125 1984-87 (MP) LTF250 4X4 87-94 KX250 K1 1994 (MP) (MP&R) KAZUMA/MARSHIN LTF500 4X4 98-2000 (R) MH200 (MP) PE250T (MP) ATV110 Oryx RM125 91 (NM) GAS GAS RM125 93-99 (MP) EC200 2002 (MP) RM465 19 FSE400 2002 (MP) TC185 (MP) EC300 2002 (MP) TF185 (MP) WATER CRAFT KAWASAKI JS300 Jet Ski 89 (MP) KDX200 H1 95-96 (MP) JS550 88-90 (MP & R) KDX200R 91 (MP) KLF185 86 (MP) (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
TEN YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1999
15 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1994 94
- ‘Miracles do happen,’ KR declared in a story about how Prime Television announced it would be showing the final six races of the MotoGP championship live. Prime’s coverage of the MotoGP was sponsored by Yamaha and included both the 125 and 250 events. The cheeky KR scribe added the note ‘now all we are going to have to do is convince them to show MXGP as well.’
- Italian firm Benelli caused a few hearts to beat faster with the unveiling of its aggressively styled pseudo-Superbike roadster called the Tornedo 900 Tre (or triple). Finished in the company’s traditional racing colours of silver and green, the bike was revealed to impressed media types as a preproduction item.
- The Honda team HRC pairing of Aaron Slight and American Doug Polen raced to a popular victory in front of 102,000 spectators at the 17th running of the Suzuka 8-Hour. After a race-long battle with the factory Kawasaki of World Superbike champ Scott Russell and Terry Rymer, the Honda boys emerged victorious with the narrowest margin ever recorded at the Suzuka event...just 0.288 seconds.
- Lovers of big bikes...really BIG bikes... got very, very excited upon opening the October `04 edition as it featured a spread on the mighty Triumph Rocket 3. Big Dave managed to sneak a set of keys from under the noses of the Triumph gentry and set forth on a bit of a dash to file a comprehensive report about his impressions of a big, beefy (and beautiful) motorcycle. Correspondent Roger Moroney also had a dash on the Rocket with his only niggle at the end of the testing day being unable to work the electronic keylock to his motel unit. Provincial boys...jeez! - Campbell Rousselle provided readers with a fine and colourful glimpse of riding (fast) through Arnieville (California). Great stories about some crazy go-fast American road riders, complemented with some stunning pics. A story which made readers really wanna get on a plane and grab something like the Kawasaki 636 Campbell got to play with and hit the canyon roads. - Great anticipation among safari riders as BMW again confirmed it would be getting behind the 10th anniversary BMW Safari ride...occasions where dual-purpose bikes went just a little further than then usual well-trodden paths. The South Islandbased safari had, over the years since the very first event, covered pretty well every corner of the mainland. For the anniversary event the safari was scheduled to begin in Blenheim and follow the Southern Alps to Cromwell.
- Triumph NZ chief Ian Beckhaus confirmed there would be a 600cc in-line four cylinder model in the 2000 Trumpy line-up. He said Triumph had made it clear the new machine was built as a serious contender to take on the established Japanese 600s, and said designers had moved away from standard Triumph avenues to create something special. - Kiwi GP team BSL announced it would be finishing the `99 season with a Modenas machine rather than the home-designed and built three-cylinder two-stroke BSL500. Teething troubles with the ambitious BSL500 had proved much tougher to solve than the devoted team, and rider Aussie Mark Willis, had anticipated. - A year after its release, Suzuki’s TL1000R won a major racing title with Wanganui’s Brian Bernard wrapping up the Open Sports Production class of the Suzuki Road Race Series with a round to spare. Bernard took three wins from three starts on the barking V-twin at the Taupo round to secure the title. - Shayne King once again proved he was still on top of the international MX game when he triumphed at a circuit longregarded as one of the most iconic tracks in Europe...and the world for that matter. It was the ninth round of the World 500 Motocross Championship and it was Namur, in Belgium. King convincingly won race two on the KTM 520 thumper in what was only his second win of the season.
LOOKING BACK 5/10/15 YEARS AGO
FIVE YEARS AGO OCTOBER 2004
- Current New Zealand 500cc classics club champion Warren Marsh added the Australian Classic Senior title to his growing success list after a four-race clean sweep at Eastern Creek. The 26-year-old Napier auto engineer, who raced his father John’s Manx Norton and a 610cc Eston, said he went to Oz confident of doing well but never banked on grabbing a title. “I’m rapt” was his simple but delighted summation. - Kiwi ingenuity...you have to love it. KR profiled a delightfully inventive chap by the name of Brian Hickson who decided to build his own motorcycle. Which he duly did... he picked up a Kubota diesel engine while working in Tonga and many years later built a bike around it. “I’ve no complaints about acceleration,” Brian said of the HKD (Hickson’s Kubota Diesel) “Because there isn’t any.” - Triumph bagged its first international race wins in 19 years when Alan Cathcart took twin debut victories aboard a Saxon Triumph 900 at Zeltwig Speed week in Austria. The four-stroke festival attracted more than 700 entries from all over Europe and the US. - The Darbi Shell Winter MX Series was popular with 153 riders turning out for the final round at Martinborough. In the A Grade class Mitch Rowe took his Kawasaki KX500 to two wins from three races while Brent Ankins dominated B Grade. In the 8-11 year class Luke Burkhart came out on top while Corrie Sargent took the Junior 125 class. KR
Left to right: That’s the hapless Chris Bayliss on Yamaha’s then brand-new YZF-R1…before the bugger crashed it! BMW’s R 1200 GS gets the cover treatment. Inside Bentman plays for laughs on Honda’s anniversary VFR800. And finally, that’s the current Ed dazzling us again with those pearly white leathers and early Arai helmet.
KIWI RIDER 165
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ISSUE 149 • BIKES FOR SALE • EVENTS
KIWI RIDER 167
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174 KIWI RIDER
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ADVENTURE 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 JANUARY 2010 - 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. Accommodation will be in comfortable hotels or motels with all meals provided (cooked breakfast, picnic or station lunch, and two course dinner). A back up vehicle carries all luggage. 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 driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 rider: $1100. Own accommodation: $950. Visit www.adventurerides.co.nz for entry forms or call Mike Britton at 07 8556132 or 0212849047 or email mike@adventurerides. co.nz. FEBRUARY 2010 - 27/1 March, KTM Big Southern Sky Adventure, Oamaru, North Otago to Queenstown, Southern Lakes. This is an event with big adventure bikes in mind. There will be optional challenge sections for those wanting them. Bike and rider: $1150, pillion $800. Includes 4 nightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accommodation, full breakfast on the three ride days, country lunch and evening meal on each ride day, and all luggage movement. At tours end in Queenstown there is a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak, (if not required, deduct $110pp from price). See Robbie and Connie Crickett for more details on 03 4489582 or 0274354267 or email robbie@highcountry.co.nz
!!BIKE JUMBLE!! 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, enquiries Bruce 07 8397722 or Gary 0274399681 or Steve 0272913495 or HMCC info phone 07 847 5673. Motorcycle related items only please. Doors open 7.30am, refreshments available.
BUCKET RACING SEPTEMBER - 19/20, AMC, Bucket racing, Club Champs, Round 3, at Mt Wellington Kart Club. Contact John Connor 0274988883 or at itswj@xtra.co.nz
Bush, open farmland & scrub tracks. Motocross track. Mini track.
Te Puke
EVENTS
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 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 Nov will incur a $75 penalty. No late entries after 23 November. Rider entrant fee $275, prize giving dinner $35 pp. Contact us at M3DE@poweradventures.co.nz, or call 0274454429 or visit www.poweradventures. 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
Matata
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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 175
EVENTS
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 SEPTEMBER - 26/27, North Island Veterans Champs, at Egmont Road, Egmont Village, for more info go to www. tmcc.co.nz NOVEMBER - 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 Plentry 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
QUAD/ATV SEPTEMBER - 20, Quad only trail ride, Signposted from SH2 at Kopuku Road, nr Maramarua. Contact Greg on 0274454429 or www.poweradventures.co.nz - 26, Dargaville Quad Tour, Red Horse Safari 4x4 Quad Tour, Dargaville Coast. Great ride in dunes, on beaches, farms and more plus option to ride up the beach on Friday evening to dinner at a café then ride back to accommodation. Registration at www.poweradventures.co.nz OCTOBER - 17, Red Horse Safaris, Raglan Windmills, pre entry registration forms with start venues, times, meals
and accommodation details on Power Adventures website www.poweradventures.co.nz, or email Greg at redhorse@poweradventures.co.nz or phone 0274454429
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 SEPTEMBER - 26/27, Globetrotter Challenge Rally, starts from Timaru. The timaru Bronz Club annual Road Trial Rally involves navigating an easy short timed road trial to get to the otherwise unknown rally site destination. Entry fee includes rally badge, evening meal and breakfast, contact Morris Jones on 03 6848207 or email mdjones@ihug.co.nz OCTOBER - 10, Sunday Social Poker Run, sign in at Motomart, Lower Hutt, between 10-11am, tickets $25, live band, cash and spot prizes, security for bikes at after function. For pre registration contact Stewart 0273726114 - 10, Random Riders Poker Run, at Trees Tavern, Main Road, Tokoroa, registrations from 9-10.30, riders briefing 10.45, depart 11am. Cost $25/ hand $10 pillion, live band, cash main prize & spot prizes, $10/Hangi meal, free camping with some undercover. Contact Thomas Lee on 0273321292 or email at thomas.lee@chh.co.nz - 17/18, Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge, the original 1000 mile 24 hr event. (23rd running of this event). Based at Turangi in the central North Island. Pre booked entry only, limited to 120 riders, sorry no pillions. Entry fee is $120 or $170 with Friday and Sunday nights accomodation. Entry form on website www.rustynuts.co.nz or rustyinfo@rustynuts.co.nz or phone Lee or Gail on 09 416 5866
- 20, Tuesday BRONZ 56th Bi-Annual Blood Run 6-8pm. Blood Donor Centre – 71 Great South Road, Epsom. 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 at www.100yearsouthcanterbury.co.nz 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 and also do not forget there are also older children when selecting your toy. Toys collected by the Salvation Army who will distribute them to children in need. Any motorcyclist/scooterist/triker welcome to ride with us, no charge, bookings not essential, badges $10 For more info call Lars 09 442 5679 or 021 361 312 or Finn: 027 484 6326 or 09 625 5533 bronzauckland@hotmail.com FEBRUARY - 12/14, Triumph Motorcycle Owners National Rally, at Waiora Scout Camp, Mosgiel, Dunedin. Contact Ken Spall 03 4891740 or email spall@ callsouth.net.nz. All motorcyclists will be made welcome to this rally, hosted jointly by the Otago/ Southland Chapter and the Canterbury Chapter of TOMCC, with the venue being the Waiora Scout Camp nestled in the picturesque Silverstream Valley among the bush clad hills surrounding the Taieri Plains, just a short ride from historic Dunedin. Application forms will be available for downloading off the club website (tomcc. co.nz) or phone 03 489 1740 or e-mail spall@ callsouth.net.nz - 24, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Charity Ride,
WE MOVE MOTORCYCLES NORTH & SOUTH ISLAND! Scheduled Delivery Dates T Skilled and experienced staff T Regular and reliable T Fast and effective T Trusted by the motorcycle trade T Motorcycle Movers as the name suggests do just one thing and that is we move motorcycles. Our specially modified vehicles allow us to offer a door to door, roll-on and roll-off service of the highest level. The reputation we have gained has been built on providing an extremely high quality service to all of our customers. All our staff are trained and have many years experience in both transportation and motorcycles. CALL FOR A FREE QUOTE: 0800 687 583
Motorcycle Movers • PO Box 11, Tirau • Ph: 07 8831 289 • Email: info@motorcyclemovers.co.nz 176 KIWI RIDER
Karaka Blood Stock Centre, Auckland, turnoff the motorway at Papakura off ramp. Organised by Ulysses Club, Auckland, contact Richard Tweedie. See www.silver-bullet.co.nz. Leave Karaka at 9, (be there at 8), travel north on m/way to Wellesley off ramp, down Queen St to Fanshawe St and back onto the motorway at Fanshawe St on ramp. Keep left over the bridge to Akoranga Campus. Transit and marshals are blocking the motorway on ramps only as the ride passes. Speed on m/way is planned at 80 km. Badges $10, t shirts $20, be in the draw for $500, $250 x2, plus spot prizes. Open to all bikes. Sausage sizzle and drinks at the start and on site catering at the end.
ROAD RACING SEPTEMBER - 26/27, Manfield Short Circuit, Victoria Motorcycle Club Actrix Winter Series Road Racing, Round 5. Classes consist of F1 Superbikes, F2 Supersport, F3 Superlite, 650 Pro Twins, Clubmans, Post Classic, 125G, Streetstock, and Motard. www. vicclub.co.nz or email Sue Futter at golfergirl@ paradise.net.nz OCTOBER - 17, Manfield Short Circuit, Victoria Motorcycle Club Actrix Winter Series Road Racing, Round 6. Classes consist of F1 Superbikes, F2 Supersport, F3 Superlite, 650 Pro Twins, Clubmans, Post Classic, 125G, Streetstock, and Motard. Check www.vicclub.co.nz or email Sue Futter at golfergirl@paradise.net.nz
TOURING OCTOBER - 2, 16 day tour of Northern Thailand on rented 250-1000cc Hondas, includes airfares, hotels, meals, bike costs, support vehicle and local guide. Just $5950 all up. Martin Lenart on
0212489452 or email martin@maloo.co.nz - 16, 16 day tour of Northern Thailand on rented 250-1000cc 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 NOVEMBER - 6, 16 day tour of Northern Thailand on rented 250-1000cc 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. We cross the magnificent Andres Mountain Range four times, riding in altitude above 5000m on the Altiplano. Experience the heat and vastness of the Atacama Desert and the world’s largest salt lake in Bolivia. Visit Puno’s famous floating islands on Lake Titicaca. Climb the sacred Inca site at Machu Picchu. Adventure ride begins and ends in Vina del Mar - Chile. Adventure cost: $9980. Plus shipping and air fare. Please contact 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 per day, pillion $50 per day. Back up van to carry luggage, for breakdowns, flat tyres etc. Return ferry crossing, all accommodation, day maps. All the organising is done
EVENTS
for you, you just ride. For bookings contact Glenn at Boyd Motorcycles at glenn@boyds.co.nz or ph 07 8381209, or 0274795998 - 17/26,The Rusty Nuts Super Tour, 10,000 kms 10 days tour, no rest days on this one, covers North and South Islands. Entry fee includes all accom, breakfasts .This will be the longest and hardest RNMC ride to date. Entry fee is $2850 pp, overseas riders welcome. Limited to 25 real riders only. For more details and entry form visit www. rustynuts.co.nz or rustyinfo@rustynuts.co.nz or phone Lee or Gail on 09 416 5866
TRACK DAYS SEPTEMBER - 25, 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 OCTOBER - 9, Redline TrackDays, at Taupo Motorsport Park, Track 1 (full track) email info@redlinetrackdays. co.nz - 16, At Taupo international race track Email ride@ motott.co.nz NOVEMBER - 14, At Taupo international race track. Email ride@ motott.co.nz - 15, Redline TrackDays, atTaupo Motorsport Park,
KX125 08 Six months old, 18 hrs, full spares kit $6495
JR50 like new $995 DRZ125 tidy $2495
2006 YZ85 small wheel, tidy $2995 2001 YZ80 big wheel tidy $1895
WR450F 2007 Mint (YZ exhaust) $7995
DRZ250 04/05 $2995 / $4995
XR200 05 Mint $2995
CRAIG STEVENS MOTORCYCLES LTD 30 Main Road, Tokoroa. Ph 07 886 1014 Craig 0272 442 662 Email: teamcsm@xtra.co.nz KIWI RIDER 177
NOTE: New Date Now October Waikato Event Centre Claudelands Showgrounds
East Wing, Gate 1 Brooklyn Road.
Fully undercover Buyers $5 Sellers $10 per bay
178 KIWI RIDER
Track 1 (full track) 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 comfortable. 4 different speed groups are available. Hire leathers and bikes available for those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Email ride@ motott.co.nz - 6, Redline TrackDays, at Taupo Motorsport Park, Track 1 (full track) email info@redlinetrackdays. co.nz
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 SEPTEMBER - 20, Yamaha MX Series 2009, Round 4, Awakaponga MX Track, Matata, Whakatane. Sign in starts 7.45, riders briefing 8.45, start 9am. Minis, juniors, seniors, veterans, ladies. Organised by Bay of Plenty MCC, email bopmcc@bopmcc.co.nz
- 26/27, 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. Suitable for Quads and bikes, helmets and sturdy boots compulsory, no gumboots, minis track provided for young ones. Loop about 25kms with some mud. Contact Rex Rosacker 0274 862 538 or Craig Rosacker 0272 878 344 or Angela 06 374 0427. $20/day, bbq lunch provided. Non riders $5 incl lunch. Camping available. Camp fees $10/adult per night. $5/child. Bring water and some food. Toilets supplied. - 27, Kawasaki Sandpit Woodhill 2 Man Series, Classes 9am Ladies, Juniors 8-13 yrs, 2 hrs, Junior solo 1.5 hrs. 11.20am Novice, Mixed, Father & Son, Clubman, Vets, Expert, Pro. 3 hrs Solo 2.5 hrs. Venue: Wilson Road, South Head. Price: Senior - Solo $45, Team $80, Jun/Ladies Solo $35, Team $75. Trophies awarded down to 3rd place, spot prizes. 3rd and final round. For rules and regulations visit www.thesandpit.co.nz OCTOBER - 11, Suzuki Trail Blazer, visit www.epicevents.co.nz for details - 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 children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No pillion passengers. Helmets and suitable footwear must be worn at all times. 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. For more info www.tangiteroriatrailride.co.nz or Scott 0275444291 or 09 4332356 or Sarah 0210443528. Trail ride run by Tangiteroria Home & School Committee.
EVENTS
NOVEMBER - 7, Herbertville Trail Ride, Weber Rd, Herbertville, Cape Turnagain, Tararua. 65kms east of Dannevirke, Sign posted from Millers Road, Dannevirke, opposite BP. Sign in 9, riders briefing 9.45, start time 10. Suitable for quads and bikes, no helmet no ride. Rode over 2 large coastal stations. Contact Lui 06 3746310 or 06 3743610 or Sue 06 3743560 at Burnview Station. Entry fee $20, bbq lunch provided. - 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. - 21, Raetihi Ripper, Raetihi-Old Mangaeturoa School Grounds, Ruapehu. 15th year anniversary - more details to follow - email raetihiripper@ yahoo.com 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, 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 at 8.30, riders briefing 10, start time 10.10. Flat and rolling hills. Contact Mark Heap 0212602766. Bikes over 65cc on main ride. Experienced and competent riders. Not suited to beginner riders. Supervised kids track available. Helmets and
KIWI RIDER 179
BOSS
NEW ZEALAND’S BIGGEST SELLING MOTORCYCLE TYRE NORTH ISLAND STOCKISTS Auckland: Botany Honda Motorcycles 09 274 Coleman’s Suzuki 09 303 Cycletreads 09 486 Full Throttle Motorcycles 09 238 Haldane Motorcycles 09 303 Henderson Motorcycles 09 838 Holeshot Motorcycles 09 486 JFK Motorcycles & Jetskis 09 262 JTR Motorcycles Ltd 09 826 Triple X Motocycles 09 265 Mt. Eden Motorcycles 09 303 Papakura M/C Services 09 299 Silverfern Imports 09 299 Watson Racing 09 412 Cambridge: Blackwood Yamaha 07 827 Peter Glidden Honda 07 823 Dannevirke: Hewitts Motorcycles 06 374 Dargaville: Dargaville Honda 09 439 Drury: Drury Perfromance Centre 09 294 Gisborne: C.G.M Motorcycles 06 867 Hamilton: Big Bikes 07 846 Boyd Motorcycles 07 838 Hamilton M/C Centre 07 849 Honda Hamilton 07 838 Road and Sport Motorcycles 07 958 Speed Tech Limited 07 847 Waikato Yamaha 07 850 Hastings: Hastings Honda 06 878 Hawera: Action Suzuki 06 278 Huntly: Huntly Honda 07 828 Lower Hutt: Moto Mart 04 589 TSS Motorcycles 04 569 Masterton: Dave Anderson Limited 06 370 Maungatoroto: Maungatoroto M/C Ltd 09 431 Matamata: JD Motorcycles 07 888 Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 888 Morrinsville: Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 889 Mount Maunganui: GP Motorcycles 07 574 Moto GB 07 574 Napier: Ericksen Honda 06 836 Pro Cycle Ltd 06 842 Five Star Suzuki 06 842 New Plymouth: Energy Honda 06 757 Mach 1 Yamaha 06 757 New Plymouth M/C Centre 06 758 North West KTM 06 759 Perfromance Factory 06 756 Otorohanga: Bike Torque 07 873 Otorohonda 07 873 Opunake: Triple Fourensics 06 761 Paeroa: Whyteline 07 862 Palmerston North: AFCM Motorcycles 06 357 Anza Parts & Accessories 06 358 Freedom Suzuki 06 356 Pahiatua: Simon’s Motorcycle Repairs 06 376 Tony Jury Motorcycles 06 376 Paraparaumu: Bike Clinic 04 298 Twin Cam Motor Cycles 04 298 Pukekohe: Mr Motorcycles 09 238 Putaruru: Peter Glidden Motorcycles 07 883 Phil’s Motorcycle Centre 07 883 Rotorua: Bike Force 07 348 Patterson O’Connor M/C’s 07 345 Rowlinson Honda 07 348 Shannon: Shield Motor Repairs 06 362 Stratford: Cooks Honda 06 765 Taihape: Taihape Honda 06 388
2727 1786 2472 5384 0624 5899 5187 4285 4034 2135 1960 8420 1006 9430 7066 5522 7701 1089 7995 6638 6991 1209 1919 9299 1400 8944 5044 4152 4160 9687 5106 3989 0033 8555 4969 7604 7686 6688 0146 6298 0915 0010 3612 9747 4449 9059 6117 8196 7273 8289 8783 8043 7082 5317 8288 7163 6419 3556 3176 3310 7602 9171 5654 4100 7347 8028 1211
Taumarunui: Bike Torque 07 895 7994 Honda First 07 895 8998 Taupo: Promoto 07 378 2453 Daryll August Motorcycles 07 378 8342 Huka Honda 07 378 5508 Tauranga: Bayride Motorcycles 07 571 3040 Bay City Motorcycles 07 578 3169 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
ENGINEERING SERVICES
• 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
NOW WRECKING 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
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
LMVD
Distrubted by Nationwide Accessories (W/S) Ltd, Hamilton
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
2008 1990 2007 1989 1990 1992 1993 1993 1995 2006 1985 2002 1989 1990 1986 2003 1998 1994 2006 1991 1995 2006 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 DEALER HOTLINE 0800 846 2020
180 KIWI RIDER
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. From $150 to $290 Distributed by Eurobike Wholesale.
Panel screws Nylon washers
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
TRAINING DAYS Scooter Training at Auckland Kart Track, Avondale, sessions coming up over the next few months, $99 per person for a whole days training, lunch and the loan of a scooter and gear if you don’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 third Sunday of every month except December and February (days for 2009 18 January, 15 March, 19 April, 17 May, 21 June, 19 July, 16 August, 20 September, 18 October, 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
EVENTS
DECEMBER - 13, To Be Confirmed, AMC, Advance Rider Training Day, Pukekohe circuit. Contact amccinc@ihug.co.nz
TRIALS SEPTEMBER - 26/27, Beta Novogar North Island Trials Championships, in assoc with Kapiti Motorcycles and The Nelson Marlborough Trials Centre, Rounds 7&8 at Waikato. Entry fee: Senior $60, Junior $40, Minders $10. Make cheques payable to appropriate club. King Country - Swan Solutions Trials john@trialscores.com, Manawatu MOMCC jenquip@clear.net.nz, Bay of Plenty - BOP Trials Group xyeovillian@gmail.com and Waikato Hamilton MC Club bandmnicholls@ xtra.co.nz. Entries close 10 days prior to the event. Late fee of $20 will be charged. No entries on the day enter today! Classes: Expert, A Grade, Intermediate, President, Clubman, Junior, Social. Location: Day 1 - O’Shea Road, Pirongia, Day 2 - Harding Road, Wharepapa South. Contact Colin Downs 0274962314.
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
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 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 KIWI RIDER 181
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 BIKE TRAILERS WITH PURPOSE
Exhausts
The three bike racking is removable so you can get your tree prunings to the tip, take all that stuff on holiday, collect the beer fridge…
If you want it we can make it.
Removable three bike racking, 7x5 trailer
$1899
Custom Chambers 25 years plus making motorcycle exhausts. 30A Kerwyn Ave, East Tamaki. Ph 09 2741155.
including GST
PINTO TRAILERS Tel 09 486 3694 83 Barry’s Point Rd Auckland. www.pintotrailers.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
8
8
3
6
8
7.
Darrin Wilsons Hotsuits, 107 Ikanui Road, Hastings. Ph 06 876 2710 email hotsuits@xtra.co.nz
182 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
EAR PROTECTION
• Suspension tuning. • 2 stroke tuning • Bash Plates • Stall prevention • Bush Bars
Certified SLC80 AS/NZ 1270/1999 Class 4 rating.
Custom ear plugs made on the spot. Can be fitted with stereo wires.
See us at an event near you: Speedshow Auck, Sept 1920th or call Sue Rowles 027 659 1583 anytime
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
TAUPO WOF & WORKSHOP We do mechanical repairs, servicing and WOFs
W.O.T. MOTORCYCLES 1 Miro Street, Taupo 07 3772535 • 027 2412775 wotcycles@xtra.co.nz
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
659 ROSEBANK ROAD, AVONDALE, PH 828 8132 FAX 828 8939 EMAIL cockpit@ihug.co.nz
BARNEY BUILT Ph 07 829 9999 Mobile 0274 828 045
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
KIWI RIDER 183
TEL: 09 815 8384
6 Western Springs Road
Kingsland , Auckland
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with every bike sold
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Three month warranty
2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON Road King 1450cc 12,500 kms Grey $25,000
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2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON Fat Boy CVO 1690cc Pearl White $31,500
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2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON Night Rod Special 1250cc 2,600kms Black $27,000
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www.ktlbikes.co.nz
Full workshop for all makes and models
24/7 Recovery service
2007 MOTO GUZZI Sport 1200cc 7,000kms Red $15,50
2009 HONDA CB1000R 1000cc 4,000 kms Green $15,500
throughout NZ for less than $55/year. In conjunction with Journey On. Phone now for membership
Finance and insurance at VERY competitive rates
Tyres all brands supplied
Pickup & delivery service 2003 DUCATI 749S 749cc 11,500kms Yellow $12,500
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W NE NZ 2008 TRIUMPH America 900cc 12,500kms Blue $14,800
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over 100 in store
VE W NE NZ 2007 TRIUMPH Street Triple 675cc Black $12,000
2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883-R 883cc Orange $10,500
New and used motorcycles
2001 DUCATI 748cc 15,500kms Yellow $10,500