KIWI RIDER MAGAZINE JULY 2015

DL650 V-STROM XT

SUZUKI’S DIRT-STYLE 650 V-TWIN

YAMAHA YZF-R3

SEXY. FAST. FRUGAL. BARGAIN.



MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE JULY 2015 YAMAHA YZF-R3 KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE / 690 ENDURO / 1050 ADVENTURE SUZUKI DL650 V-STROM XT HUSQVARNA TC125 / TE125

SINCE 1984



1300KM AROUND THE EAST CAPE ON KTM’S ADVENTURE MACHINES



$10 INCL GST



HUSQVARNA TE125 & TC125 JULY 2015

LIGHTWEIGHT TWO-STROKE RACERS

• VINTAGE ENDURO • NZ BY SUZUKI DR200S • MALAYSIA’S MOTOGP CARNIVAL • ‘TWIST OF THE WRIST’ SON - DYLAN CODE INTERVIEW

pro-series cpx-c 1-PIECE LEATHER SUIT Size: 38/XS - 48/2XL RRP: R RR P: $$1499.00 1499 14 499 9 .00

r 14 1-PIECE LEATHER SUIT Sizes: 38/XS - 50/3XL RRP: $899.00

JADEN HASSAN NZ Superbike 2015 Champion LINDEN MAGEE DENNIS CHARLETT

SLOAN FROST

JAMES HOOGENBOEZEM

New Zealand’s Top Road Racers all choose RST Leather Suits for their safety and good looks at affordable prices. blade LEATHER JACKET Sizes: 38/XS 54/5XL Colours: Black/ White, Black RRP: $499.00 blade LEATHER PANTS Sizes: 28/XS - 44/5XL Colours: Black, Black/White RRP: $399.00 paragon iv TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: SM/40 - 5XL/54 Colours: Black/Gunmetal, Black/Fluro.

RRP: $399.00

paragon iv TEXTILE PANTS Sizes: SM/30 - 3XL/40 RRP: $269.00 short-leg available

ADVENTURE ii

TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: SM/40 - 4XL/52 Colour: Black RRP: $399.00

ADVENTURE ii TEXTILE PANTS

Sizes: SM/30 - 3XL/40 RRP: $249.00

r 14 LEATHER JACKET Sizes: 40/SM 54/5XL Colours: Black, Black/ White, RRP: $399.00

interstate ii

LEATHER JACKET Sizes: 40/SM 56/6XL RRP: $429.00

interstate ii

LEATHER PANTS Sizes: 30/SM - 46/6XL RRP: $389.00 blade TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: XS/38 - 5XL/54 Colours: Black, Black/White. $ RRP: $269.00

blade TEXTILE PANTS Sizes: SM/30 - 4XL/42 RRP: $219.00 short-leg available

alpha ii TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: SM/40 - 4XL/52 RRP: $199.00

alpha ii TEXTILE PANTS Sizes: SM/30 - 4XL/42 RRP: $149.00

r 14 LEATHER PANTS Sizes: 30/SM - 40/3XL Colour: Black RRP: $299.00

diva ii LADIES TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: 08 - 20 RRP: $249.00

diva ii LADIES TEXTILE PANTS Sizes: 08 - 20 RRP: $179.00

madison LADIES LEATHER JACKET Sizes: 08-20 RRP: $449.00

madison LADIES LEATHER PANTS Sizes: 08-20 RRP: $399.00 MENS REINFORCED JEANS Size: 30/SM 40/3XL CARGO Colour: Brown Camo DENIM Colours: Black Dark Blue, RRP: $179.00

LADIES REINFORCED JEANS Sizes: 08-20 denim Colour: Blue WAX denim Colour: Black RRP: $199.00

pro-series cpx-c LEATHER JACKET Sizes: XS/38 - 5XL/54 Colours: Black, Black/White RRP: $499.00

ventilator iv MENS TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: SM/40 - 5XL/54 Available Colour: Black RRP: $349.00

tech-X Sizes: 38/XS - 50/3XL 1-PIECE SUIT RRP: $129.00 SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT RRP: $65.00 LONG SLEEVE SHIRT RRP: $69.00 PANTS RRP: $79.00

tour master TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: SM/40 - 4XL/52 Available Colour: Black RRP: $249.00

thermal PANTS Sizes: SM/30 XL/36 RRP: $79.00 thermal LONG SLEEVE SHIRT Sizes: SM/30 - XL/36 RRP: $84.00

tractech evo WATERPROOF SPORTS BOOTS Sizes: 40-48 RRP: $269.00

tractech evo SPORT GLOVES Sizes: XS-2XL RRP: $169.00

paragon WATERPROOF TOURING BOOTS Sizes: 40-48 RRP: $199.00

blade WATERPROOF LEATHER GLOVES Sizes: SM-2XL RRP: $129.00

raptor ii WATERPROOF MENS BOOTS Sizes: 38-48 RRP: $179.00

paragon iv WATERPROOF GLOVES Sizes: XS-2XL RRP: $129.00

raptor ii WATERPROOF LADIES BOOTS Sizes: 36-41 RRP: $199.00

waterproof UNISEX 1-PIECE RAIN SUIT Sizes: S-3XL Colours: Black/Fluro Yellow, Black/Silver RRP: $129.00 er water of proof JACKETT Sizes: S-2XL RRP: $89.00 water proof PANTS Sizes: 30 - 40 RRP: $49.00

thermal VEST Sizes: SM/30 - XL/36 RRP: $80.00

pro-series cpx-c RACE GLOVES Sizes: SM-2XL RRP: $199.00

ellie LADIES TEXTILE JACKET Sizes: 08 - 20 Colours: Silver, Black RRP: $249.00

raptor ii WATERPROOF LEATHER GLOVES Sizes: XS-2XL RRP: $119.00

urban CITY BOOTS Sizes: 40-47 RRP: $139.00

shadow ii WATERPROOF GLOVES Sizes: SM-2XL RRP: $79.00

madison LADIES LEATHER WATERPROOF GLOVES Sizes: SM-XL RRP: $89.00

IN PREMIUM MOTORCYCLE APPAREL!

Order Online @ www.nwa.co.nz

The

ROAD Top Product Awards

GUIDE

www.roadguide.co.nz

$

299

RJAYS VOYAGER 4 JACKET Polyester 600 denier nylon. Removable CE approved elbow and shoulder armour. Removable CE approved back protector. Elastic Stretch panels at elbows and back of shoulders. Power Skin Membrane -100% Waterproof and 100% Breathable. Removable quilted liner. Reflective material. Waterproof zippered air vents. Adjustable waist and arms, and zip and velcro cuffs. Zip to pants feature. Available in Mens and Womens $199rrp. Mens Fluro Yellow/ Black and Black/Black. Mens Stout Jackets $219rrp

X - FIVE WATERPROOF

199

99

TARMAC HOT GRIPS A great Hot Grip that’s a breeze to install and offers simple stepped heat ranges. Features: Fully waterproof control unit. 5 adjustable heat settings.

Grips available for 7/8" and ATV bars.

Includes a 7/8" bar mount for control unit. Kit Includes: 1 x Pair of heated grips. 1 x Temperature control switch.

1 x Wiring Harness. 1 x Bar mount inc.

Screws. 1 x Grip Glue. 2 x Bar plugs. 1 x Square double sided tape. #TRTARHG001 $99.95rrp.

#AH-32FBK size DEFIANT BLACK FROST $

749

#AH-32CHR size DEFIANT CHRONUS $

XD4

95

$

rrp

TCX X - FIVE WATERPROOF A quality TCX boot at a very affordable price with performance and features to match the TCX brand. The X - FIVE features: Comfort Fit System (CFS), Waterproof, Upper: full grain leather. Lining: Waterproof. Protections; Anti Impact malleolous protection, shift pad, shin plate, reinforced heel counter. Foot Bed; anatomic and replaceable. Sole; Touring sole with specific grip area. Colour; Black. Size Range; 36 to 48. $349rrp. #TCX-7102W-size

DEFIANT

MENS & WOMENS BLACK/BLACK

$ FROM

MENS FLURO YELLOW/BLACK

#AH-30SIBK size XD4 EXPLORE SILVER/BLACK

#AH-30BK size XD4 GLOSS BLACK

EASY TO INSTALL EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE

$

849

799

$

899

TEMPEST MENS & WOMENS

RJAYS ALTITUDE 2 BOOT A great looking boot with all the comfort and protection that you demand for the track or that good twisty road ride.

100% Top Grain Leather - Internal Dual Ankle Cup Protection - Reinforced plastic shin plate & heel guard protection Reinforced plastic ankle, plated to help reduce twist - 3 quarter length zip with Velcro closure at top Replaceable Toe Sliders - Gear Shift Toe Pad - Dual stitched - Non-slip rubber sole. Sizes 37 to 48 Black $219rrp.

$

219

Features: 100% A-Grade drum dyed leather & ballistic nylon construction - Aqua Sheild liner for added comfort and warmth - 100% Waterproof 100% Breathable - Reflex material piping across back of hand - Elasticated wrist with a Velcro closure - Men's Sizes XS-3XL - Ladies Sizes 2XSXL - $79.95rrp. $

$

79

95

ICELORD MENS RJAYS ICELORD MENS GLOVES 100% A Grade drum dyed leather.- - Reinforced Kevlar protection in palms & along cuff. - High density exible foam knuckle protection. Hipora breathable waterproof membrane. 100% Waterproof. - 100% Breathable. - 3M Thinsulate Thermal Insulation Liner. - Dual stitched reinforced Kevlar protection in palms. High density exible foam knuckle protection. Stretch panels across ngers for extra comfort. Extra leather padding across & around little nger. - Suede over pointer nger for wiping water off your visor. - Double Velcro closer around the wrist & cuff. $109rrp.

109

The

Dirt 09

www.dirtguide.co.nz

HOT PRODUCTS

Guide

VX-PRO4

$

The Brand New VX-Pro4 evolved from the much loved VX-Pro3. Years of experience can be found in this ultimate off road helmet. The perfect choice for MX, Enduro or Off Road use. Found in every Arai helmet, the basic & simple organic shell shape is based on the R75 Shape concept. The Absence of exaggerated edges or protrusions on the shell is not a lack of creativity, but the commitment to maintaining the integrity of the shell, with real world impact performance. $

119 A1164

$

799

49

95

VX-PRO4 SCRATCH

A2610

DRC A1164 offroad bike lift stand (with damper) features: Height adjustable dirt bike lift stand. Non step height adjust system ts under most dirt bikes, from 65cc to full size dirt bikes. Stand comes with hydraulic damper which eliminates the shock when dropping down the stand. Jack foot pedal is designed for easy operation. Non-slip rubber top plate that lifts the bike securely. Rubber foot caps provide better grip and stability. Adjustable height range: 250mm to 350mm. Size (mm): W: 335 x D: 310 x H: 250. Max weight: 150kgs (300lbs) $119rrp.

VX-PRO4 TIP ORANGE

DRC A2610 Step Stand Quick foot operated lift stand. Allows easy access to oil drain plug because of its unique design. Stand height: 410mm. Made of durable steel construction.

Box size (mm): W: 525 x D: 330 x H: 410. $49.95rrp.

ONEAL ELEMENT BOOT The Element Boot steps in to a class of its own. Built to the quality of a first class racing boot but sold at an entry level price, this boot simply can’t be beat for overall value and style. FEATURES; All Newbuckle. - Bonded Sole. - Durable Construction. - Full adjustable four buckle closure system. Tough sole with metal shank. - Injection moulded plastic shin plate and protection. - Generous heel support and padding for added comfort. - Built in heat shield. Replacement rubber sole inserts, straps and buckles available. Black; Adult and Youth sizes, White; Adult only.

Worth $249, yours for just $199.

NX1 Race Collar Reduces neck fatigue - Connection loops allow direct connection to chest protectors - Low profile design - Removable / Washable liner - Easy front entry system - Sizes: Youth ($44.95) - up to 152cm, less than 48kg and Adult ($49.95) - 152cm, 48Kg+

ONEAL UNDERDOG 2 BODY ARMOUR Features; High impact injection molded plastic - Articulating spine protector - Extensive mesh venting - Adjustable elastic kidney belt - Removable back, forearm & elbow protection - Sizes SM to 2XL. $189rrp. Also available in Youth S to L $159rrp

199

ELEMENT BOOTS

$

$

Knurled grip area increases bonding between bars and grips

44

95

YOUTH

$

49

95

ADULT

$

YOUTH

ONEAL Series 3 Hurricane Helmet Never before has a name-brand helmet with so many features been available in NZ at such a small price. - Ultra-plush removable/washable padded liner keeps you cool and dry by wicking away sweat - Adjustable visor design - Intake and exhaust vents for ventilation and cooling - Durable multi-colored clear coated graphics - Just $139rrp. Best value in NZ.

$

Tapered outer wall to 7/8" increases strength and allows use of standard grips and controls

$

189 159 ADULT

1-1/8" BRACELESS HANDLEBAR. The Renthal Fatbar® features a tapered outer wall resulting in a 1-1/8" (28.6mm) clamping diameter and 7/8" diameter at control ends. This profiled wall and brace-less design combines excellent strength with good flexibility. KTM and Suzuki have chosen the Renthal Fatbar® as the ultimate brace-less handlebar and have fit them as original equipment where this design is preferred within their range of motocross models.

VX-PRO4 TIP RED

VX-PRO4 TIP BLUE

HURRICANE BLUE/RED

139 SERIES 3

BLACK

1-1/8" large diameter clamping area

$199 HURRICANE BLK/RED

HURRICANE ORANGE

THE ALL NEW V7 II. THREE MODELS. FOUR STYLES. UNLIMITED PERSONALITY. While the second generation of the Moto Guzzi V7II keeps the stylistic personality of its predecessor, it is a completely new bike in terms of technology, powertrain, ergonomics, safety, construction quality and finish.

Now the essential V7II STONE, the spirited V7II SPECIAL and the celebrated V7II RACER have been released with four ingenious systems of accessories creating a totally unique level of personalisation.

Create the Moto Guzzi V7II that really is you. Alone.

To experience one of the greatest motorcycles in the world, see your Moto Guzzi dealer today or visit motoguzzi.net.nz

www.motoguzzi.net.nz

V7II SPECIAL

V7II RACER

V7II STONE

DASHBOARD 18

24

28

34

44

56

71

80

MOTOGP CARNIVAL

The Malaysian round of MotoGP is buzzing with a carnival atmosphere.

JUL 15

18

DYLAN CODE INTERVIEW

The son of California Superbike School founder Keith Codes talks bikes & stuff.

YAMAHA YZF-R3

Yamaha waited until it joined the 300cc party. It was worth the wait.

KTM EAST CAPE ADVENTURE

To the lighthouse! We took a bunch of KTM Adventures on... an adventure.

28

SUZUKI V-STROM DL650XT

Suzuki has done something wonderful to make the DL650 a great adventurer.

34

DR200S TRAVELS

Fainting from the cold, Le Mans starts, skinny dipping... anything can happen.

vintage enduro

The Kinleith Classic brought the classic enduro bikes out in force.

HUSKy TC125 & TE125

Two 125cc two-strokes. Both fiery.

Both white/blue. Which is for you?

71 44

80 KIWI RIDER

5

Hello...

W

elcome to the July issue of Kiwi Rider. At the moment it seems a month doesn’t go by without a new 300cc class machine hitting the market to tempt us. While other classes remain static, it’s this market segment that’s seeing growth and it’s Yamaha’s turn to debut a new bike this month.

Launched to the Australasian market a week before we went to press, the YZF-R3 is the company’s latest offering for new/younger riders, commuters and smaller riders. I spent two days aboard the new machine and came away very impressed by the 320cc sportster, which is a cracking LAMS machine but will also appeal to a far wider audience. Turn to page 28 to see for yourself.

EDITOR Ben Wilkins

Contributions: Kiwi Rider welcomes editorial contributions from its readers.

If you would like to write something for KR e-mail a précis to 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 inhouse advertising design and production service. To find out more talk to: Pete (pete@kiwirider.co.nz) or Todd (todd@kiwirider.co.nz) 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: Pete McPhee Office: 09 416 5307 or 0274 748 675 Email: pete@kiwirider.co.nz Bike Mart adertising: Todd Suther­land: 021 709 989 Design/layout: Marcel Norkia: design@kiwirider.co.nz Photographer: Geoff Osborne: Ph 09 415 2555 ospics1@xtra.co.nz.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Rodney O’Connor, Roger Moroney, Andy McGechan, Ben Townley, Chris Birch, Michael Esdaile, Jock McLauchlan, Sam Greenslade and Racing Dave.

On-line Editor: Marcel Norkia Office manager: Linda Glasswell Printers: PMP Maxum Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Ltd, McStannic Publishing Ltd. 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

6

KIWI RIDER

The other market segment still enjoying growth is the adventure market. Selling a lifestyle to go along with a practical machine shows no sign of slowing down. We took a handful of KTM adventure bikes, from the lithe 690 Enduro to the beefy 1290 Super Adventure, on a 1300km, three day sortie to the East Cape and back.

Head to page 34 for more. The big takeaways from the weekend’s adventure? The bikes were great but, far above that, there are places here in NZ that will take your breath away and it doesn’t actually matter what you ride, the adventure is the key. We’d love to hear what adventures and rides you’ve been on, email us at admin@kiwirider.co.nz and let us know.

Enjoy the mag. BEN WILKINS

.....................REGULARS.....................

FRONT END 53  REVIEW 9  NEWS

Arai Corsair V.

55

 ROGER MORONEY

ROOST ZONE 64  NEWS

75

 DIRT PRODUCTS

BACK END 88  BIKE MART

99

 CLASSICS

Suzuki DR650 winner.

Join us at MotoGP. Cheap Kwakas.

YouTube Gems.

15

 ROAD PRODUCTS

Need it, want it, must have it...

Birchy stamps his authority.

Natzke podiums in Europe.

Michelin Starcross 5 tyres.

Whibley takes NZ CC title.

Essential services and products for you and your bike.

94

 EVENTS CALENDAR

96  RACE RESULTS

MotoGP, World Superbike Championships.

102

It’s like Christmas... Every month!

Everything you need to keep you and your bike in tip-top condition.

Suzuki’s Super Six - T20.

 GODIVA PLASTICS We take a look at the guys who can sort a screen for just about any bike.

104

 CARLESS DAYS

Your pictures from the days when biking more care-free, and we had more hair.

THE NEW 2015 R 1200 R – $25,990 The R1200R gives you a new road riding experience like no other, with electronic suspension adjustment (ESA) and riding modes to set your ride up to the environment and experience you want.

THE NEW 2015 S 1000 RR – $29,990 The most potent performance package ever seen on a production superbike is now available to you, Road or Track, the 2015 S1000RR gives you the advantage of individual set up over the rest.

Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment, Computer Pro, Cruise Control, Riding Modes, Dynamic Traction Control, Gear Shift Assistant Pro, Luggage Grid and more.

Dynamic Traction Control, Riding Modes Pro, Cruise Control, Gear Shift Assistant Pro, Dynamic Damping Control, ABS and more.

The newest arrivals are here, check them out at your nearest BMW Motorrad Dealership today.

Cyclespot Euro Takapuna Auckland 09 486 3077

Experience Motorcycles Kingsland, Auckland 09 845 5950

Boyd Motorcycles Hamilton 07 838 1209

Mount Motorcycles Mount Maunganui 07 575 4190

Motomart Wellington 04 589 5106

Avon City Motorcycles Christchurch 03 341 3490

The unmistakeable Monster design is truly iconic capable of adapting to any occasion, so that you can follow your instincts in every situation. and means there is no limit to your enjoyment.

The performance and fluidity of the new 1200cc second generation Testastretta 11° DS engine, the versatility of the three Riding Modes, the comfort of the adjustable seat and passenger handles make the Monster 1200 a bike that is

To experience the unmistakeable Monster 1200, visit your local Authorised Ducati Dealer and book a test ride today. Don’t forget to ask about our attractive offers on the Monster 1200 and Monster 1200 S.

KAWASAKI SETS PRICES TO STUN

H

oly moly! Kawasaki has slashed the prices on two of its best naked street bikes. Both the Z800 and ER-6n models have seen prices cut substantially.

The 2014 Z800 (as tested in KR January 2014 issue) has been reduced from $14,495 to $10,995 and the commuter-biased 2013 ER-6n has been cut from $10,995 to $7995.

Of the Z800 we said “The Z800 is the epitome of modern motorcycling. It’s got cool, modern styling with power to match; yet it’s a refined and easy ride. The Zed is small enough to commute on, but big enough to tour on. On top of all this, it has ergonomics versatile enough to allow all of the above in comfort, as well as the opportunity to scrape the scrapers at a track day”.

Stock is limited on both models, head to www.kawasaki.co.nz or your local dealer for more info. See our Facebook page for the full Z800 test – www.facebook.com/kiwiridermagazine.

SUPPORT THE 2015 BLUE WAVES RALLY MONGOLIA

I

n 2013, after seeing the worn-out motorcycle of the Chief Ranger (from Lake Hovsgol National Park) break down while chasing illegal campers, Robert McIntosh, co-founder of the Lake Hovsgol Conservancy, turned to his fellow conservationists and said, “I am going to buy a bike, ride it all the way to the lake, and give it to this ranger. Are you in?”

Inspired by the park rangers’ passion for their work, Mac was determined to help. Lake Hovsgol is one of the oldest and cleanest lakes: it contains 1-2% of the world’s freshwater.

The lake and the surrounding National Park, are being destroyed by illegal poaching, deforestation, mining, and development.

On October 31 2013 Lake Hovsgol Conservancy, and the Mongol Ecology Center launched the Blue Waves Moto Rally for Rangers. Its aim is to raise awareness of the global significance of Lake Hovsgol National Park, to rally an audience that is worldwide, and to support, fully equip, and train the park rangers who are working to preserve this magnificent ecosystem.

Britton Adventures has been organising tours in Mongolia since 2007. Owner operators, Mike Britton (pictured) and Angela Bruce, wanted to give back to Mongolia and its people, so when they were approached by the organisers of the Blue Wave Rally in early 2014 they had no hesitation in becoming involved in the project.

And when they heard that the bikes that were to be given to the rangers were trusty Yamaha AG200s, Mike and Angela were even more enthusiastic about the project.

“The bikes are sourced via Yamaha Japan, which has offered the bikes at a very good rate for this project. We know there are many AG200s all over NZ that have put in many years’ service and are still going strong,” Mike said. “AG200s are the best fit for the rugged Mongolian countryside.”

Donating reliable trail bikes to the Lake Hovsgol Park Rangers so they can better patrol the park is a practical way to assist in the

protection of this unique and important part of our world.

The inaugural Blue Waves Rally in 2014 saw 15 bikes donated to park rangers in one region of this vast National Park. Mike was one of the riders on the initial Rally. The 2015 rally aims to raise funds to purchase motorbikes for another group of rangers, this time in the remote Taiga region, north west Mongolia. Participants on the rally will ride the bikes approximately 2000km and then hand the bikes over to the park rangers.

Mike is again one of the riders and Angela is joining the rally as part of the support crew.

Three other Kiwi riders are raising funds for a ranger’s bike and joining the Rally. Iain and Stuart both farmers from the Dannevirke region, and

Mischeal, a nurse who operates two dementia care homes, from North Canterbury.

This year, 20 rangers will be the recipients of Yamaha AG200 motorcycles, gear and equipment. Your help is needed to raise the required $10,000 NZD for one ranger to receive their own motorcycle. To support this cause please type the following link into your browser http://www.bluewavesmongolia.org/meet-theriders/mike-britton/ and make a donation.

Motorcycles are often perceived as environmentally unfriendly, however in the case of the Blue Wave Rally for Rangers they will go a long way to assisting the preservation of one of the world’s unique and precious ecosystems.

KIWI RIDER

9

TECHMOTO_01_JAN15_halfPg_B.indd 1

WORK5716

Be safe. Be seen.

To book your Professional Rider Upskill Course, visit AT.govt.nz/upskill Terms & Conditions Apply.

27/11/14 13:24

AERO-FRIENDLY ADVENTURE The Arai XD4 adventure/touring helmet achieves a Snell M2010 safety rating and incorporates all the same qualities found in Arai’s other helmets, including the comfort liner and 5mm peel-away cheek pads so you can tailor the fit.

The shell has been aerodynamically tuned and, along with the removable floating peak visor, funnels air into the redesigned vents to improve ventilation and mitigate buffeting at speed.

Distributor: Northern Accessories Price: Solid colours $799 and Graphics (Detour shown) $899 Info: northern.co.nz

HELL, THAT’S CLEAN AND SHINY Ipone Hel’net visor and shell cleaner is formulated to degrease, polish and shine your helmet and visor – thus not only making them look great, but reducing fine scratches and leaving a water-repellent film, especially good news at this time of year.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Size: 250ml Price: $15 Info: nwa.co.nz

GREAT GOGGLES BATMAN, IT’S A GOGGLE-BOX Don’t just throw your expensive goggles in the bottom of your gear bag, take care of them in the 100 per cent goggle box, which boasts enough room for up to three pairs of goggles, and includes handy removable foam insert to keep your GoPro safe along with enough pockets for lenses, and tear-offs.

Distributor: Crown Kiwi Enterprises Style: Red, Grey and Camo Price: $89.90 Info: crownkiwi.co.nz

GET YOUR KICKS – WITH MT66 ROUTE Their tag line is, ‘Cover the distance, own the road’, and you’re promised lightweight and high-riding comfort from these tyres thanks to the optimised carcass materials used by this Pirelli MT66 Route. Generous tread depth – seven or eight millimetres depending on size – is aimed at high mileage and good wet performance.

Pirelli even went for an attractive tread design, with directional front grooves and big central blocks for good straight-line stability.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Price: from $119 Info: nwa.co.nz

All-day butt-cosseting comfort Tired of being locked into one position with the uncomfortable stock seat on your water-cooled R1200GS? This Touratech DriRide breathable sport seat features a long, enduro-inspired cut so you can shift your body position during more spirited riding on-road and off, to increase comfort and control. The DriRide breathable cover vents moisture away from your body in hot climates, so your breathable riding gear can do its job.

Distributor: Touratech Price: $903 inc gst and delivery Info: touratech.co.nz

KIWI RIDER

15

HAVE LUGGAGE, WILL TRAVEL There seems no end to the range of bikes covered by Ventura’s aerodynamic bike-pack systems, which make packing, loading and unloading easy. The luggage rack system consists of three core components, the L-brackets, which vary to fit various models, the luggage racks designed to attach to them, and the packs which fasten to those.

A wide range of motorcycle bags and packs are available to fit the system, with a set-up for the BMW S1000RR pictured.

Distributor: Dold Industries Price: Varies Info: dold.co.nz

WARM HANDS? THAT’S ELECTRIFYING Want to defrost your hands? This HG1 WP glove boasts a Hipora breathable-waterproof membrane, a 200g Thinsulate lining, and a thermal insulating gusset to keep warmth inside the glove. A single button controls three heating levels delivered via two rechargeable lithium ion batteries that slide into a glove pocket for 3.5 hours of battery life on low or two on high. Expect a battery charger and plug adapter, plus a zipper for easy glove removal, palm, index and middle-finger reinforcement for better wet-weather grip, and reflectors.

Distributor: Darbi Accessories Size style: Black/red, Euro sizing means you should buy one size larger than you normally would Price: From $499 Info: motorcyclegearnz.com

SPIDI-POWER FOR HAPPY HANDS Comfort, safety, and good looks, Spidi’s Alu-Pro gloves have got them all. Features include an outer fabric with high abrasion resistance, Keramide reinforcement, a knuckle shield, thermal padding, a warm and comfy fleece inside, an H2Out membrane to keep your hands dry, and inserts on the fingers for touch-screen compatibility.

Distributor: Eurobike Wholesale Style: black or black with hi-vis inserts Price: $229.00 Info: eurobike.co.nz

SURFING A TYPHOON WAVE Don’t get caught out in the rain this winter. The Bull-It onepiece Typhoon Rainsuit comes in a convenient compact bumbag that can be worn or easily stored, so you don’t have to worry about your leathers or riding jeans getting soaked should the weather turn. It’s lined for complete water protection, and has a soft-feel comfort collar, angled extralong zip for ease of entry/exit, calf zips with storm flaps, and hi-vis logos on chest and back.

Distributor: Forbes & Davies Size: S to 5XL Price: $119 Info: forbesanddavies.co.nz

WOMEN RIDERS ON THE STORM Spidi’s Stormy Lady leather jacket was designed to be perfect for the discerning woman thanks to gorgeous soft leather you have to feel to believe, and several zips that allow you to adjust the jacket to fit your body.

After all, you may have a bike, but that doesn’t mean you want to look like a bloke.

Features include a removable thermal liner, protection in shoulder and elbow, and the option to add a back protector.

Distributor: Eurobike Wholesale Price: $799 Info: eurobike.co.nz

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KIWI RIDER

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17

With a total of 130,935 spectators, the Malaysian MotoGP round at Sepang is now comparable to Assen, Silverstone and Indianapolis in terms of total attendance and with more than 60 trade vendors, it also ranks as one of the largest industry shows in South East Asia. Michael Esdaile reviews the event, which he says is a true carnival of motorcycling…

Malaysia’s Carnival of Speed

Words & photos: Michael Esdaile rand Prix motorcycle racing does not get much better than the Malaysian event at Sepang.

It’s a vibrant and colourful spectacle, attracting tens of thousands of fans from South East Asia and Australasia, drawn to see the fastest race bikes on the planet as well as the hundreds of new motorcycles and accessories on display in the mall area inside the circuit.

It is now a far cry from the inaugural Malaysian grand prix first run at the now defunct Shah Alam circuit in 1991. Spectator attendance was minimal 25 years ago, but since its move to the ultra-modern Sepang International Circuit in 1999, the event has really taken off. That is due to more realistic pricing of grandstand seats, the presence of local riders in the support classes – and the strong trade presence.

In addition to the thousands of local fans, a substantial number of Thai riders make the trip south, Ducati uses the event as an additional attraction for Asia Ducati Week, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Australian motorcycle enthusiasts make the annual pilgrimage and a 5000 plus contingent turns up from Indonesia.

All this, plus the addition of a solid contingent of Harley-Davidson Owners Group members from Thailand, makes Malaysia’s MotoGP at Sepang truly a melting pot of cultures and religions. Thai Buddhists mingle with Muslim Indonesians with one thing uniting them – a love of motorcycles and motorcycle racing.

As if this isn’t colourful enough, the

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motorcycle trade turns up in force. Italian luggage manufacturer Givi had a large presence at the 2014 event as did Kawasaki. In fact, the Big K had the highest profile of all the brands present in the mall inside the huge grandstand area, with Honda, Suzuki, Ducati and Aprilia all having a lesser presence. KTM was there, as was China’s Zhejiang Qianjiang Motorcycles Group with its new 600cc four cylinder Benelli machines and Yamaha had the new three cylinder MT-09 mounted vertically on the outside wall of its stand. Next to the trade area are the myriad food and drink vendors, creating a bustling crowd down the centre of the main grandstand on race day.

As a venue, Sepang International Circuit is world-class with some great viewing positions, especially along either side of the main grandstand where multiple corners are visible. Pricing is affordable as well, with early-bird prices now listed for the 2015 round at 150 Ringgit for main grandstand seating, or about $NZ75. Fans can get a premier roving ticket, which allows for movement among all spectator stands, for less than $NZ150, and all these prices are for the full three days of on-track action. In contrast, the exposed temporary grand stands at Phillip Island set you back around $NZ310.

MotoGP now attracts significant interest in Malaysia. The growing number of Malaysians in the championship is a factor in the popularity of the event, with two full-time riders competing in Moto2 and two in Moto3. At Sepang there were a few wild card entries in Moto3 from Malaysia as well. There were also seven Malaysian riders competing in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, which ran its final races of the year during the weekend.

The Malaysian government has a National Youth and Sports Department which works to “enhance the awareness and participation in mass sports,” “mould the next generation of visionaries” and to “instill patriotism, unity and exemplary values through quality lifestyle” among other objectives.

This is helping Malaysian riders enter the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, and move up to the world championship Moto3 and Moto2 classes.

One thing to be prepared for at Sepang is the heat. It’s a tropical climate: heat and humidity are the norm. Bring lots of sunscreen, a widebrimmed hat and carry plenty of water when you’re walking around the outer areas.

Racing at Sepang is exciting. The 2014 event was a ripper. Not only was there close-fought racing in the two Shell Advance Asia Talen Cup races, the Moto3 race was even more spectacular with Jack Miller and Alex Marquez battling to the brink for championship points.

In Moto2, New Zealander Peter Benson, crew chief for the Marc VDS team, was delighted to see Tito Rabat clinch the Moto2 title while in the MotoGP race, Marc Marquez made his way to the front to tie Mick Doohan’s single season win record at 12.

Leaving the circuit you are reminded this is Malaysia: palm trees stretch for as far as the eye can see, 110cc step-throughs (‘underbones’ in South East Asia) weave in and out of the locally manufactured Proton cars while scores of buses haul race fans back to Kuala Lumpur.

• The 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix is scheduled for October 23-25. Kiwi Rider is running a tour to this event. Email any enquiries to: sepang15@takeme2.net

DYLAN CODE Words: Todd Sutherland/Ben Wilkins / Photos: Todd Sutherland

Some of the NZ California Superbike School team: Adam Raffle (NZ), Dylan Code (USA), Ash Hare (AUS), Neil Chappell (NZ)

Dylan Code is the son of Keith Code founder of California Super Bike School, which has trained the likes of Wayne Rainey. Dylan recently visited New Zealand and took time out of his hectic schedule to chat to Kiwi Rider.

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Describe the California Super Bike School?

Dylan Code: Broadly speaking, you get an individual who likes motorcycles, gets one, has some good rides and some bad ones. He realises there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and has some questions he isn’t sure how to answer - certain corners where he can’t quite get the bike on line and, like many people who are intelligent and know there is a short cut to success, they don’t want to go through the school of hard knocks. They look around for a school that can break riding down into its key elements, and ask “is there somebody who is interested, attentive and intelligent who can watch me and can point out what I am doing right, what I am doing wrong and can help me achieve my riding goal?”

That is what the CSB School is about. It is a school where someone can come and get the care, attention, expertise and knowledge that the school has built up over the last 35 years of training and expose a rider to that in such a way the rider can walk away with a clear understanding of what they should do. The school is not really attended by a lot of racers, although we do have a certain percentage of racers, it’s for your average rider who enjoys riding and wants to ride better. They have hopes and expectations and in one day can drastically improve their riding skills and a lot of riders do and they are happy about it.

Have you been involved with the school since you started?

DC: Yes, for about eight years initially and then I went off and got some other jobs and did other things in life but always stayed in touch with motorcycles. I came back to the school full time again about 10 years ago, so in total I’ve been with the school for about 18 years.

What makes the school so successful?

DC: The main thing that keeps us honest and working hard is that, by and large, everyone who comes to California Superbike School as an individual is very competent and intelligent in their own field of expertise. You can’t just tell them something, “we will do it this way”, when they ask why, they want a real explanation based on facts and physics, not someone who says this is what I do and this is what works.

I think the people we train are intelligent, it forces us to arrive at a high state in terms of education. We get guys who are brain surgeons and true rocket scientists, along with everything else in the way of professions. These people

want and demand excellent training. It is a full time job, with a huge team, to continue to figure out how to deliver the best possible training and we are definitely not done with it - we are happy we have got this far, and happy that we can improve it and there is so much more to do.

’ Do the school s coaches race?

DC: All of them have race experience, we don’t take any coaches without race experience. Although most of them have moved on to other jobs, rather than racing, everyone has race experience. Our coaches are wide ranging, from young racers to one who is a retired Wall Street investor who did well and retired. His job now is travelling around the country and the world with the CSB School.

Not because he has to, but because he can and that’s the way he wants it in his retired years.

How does the School stay fresh?

DC: My father and I put a lot of thought and care into how we can improve the school - it’s always evolving. My father lives 10 minutes from me, and I often visit him and we talk every other day; about industry, teaching techniques, better ways of teaching, physics, audio visual aids etc. There is a lot to teaching someone how to ride a bike, and as an educator you tend to go through cycles - you feel like you’re doing good job, you train more riders and you get excellent results and arrive at this point of being some sort of authority. Then you go a little further and discover some of the ideas you have been holding onto might have exceptions to them, that they might have some flaws in them, you don’t get the results you wanted to get, and then you think that you are a failure.

But then you work really, really hard and begin to feel better about it all, it’s a circular cycle of improving your craft.

How do you explain your job to non-motorcyclists?

DC: In a nutshell, I will just say, we do high performance motorcycle training that happens to be at a race track. Although it’s not racing, we do it at a track as it is distraction free, a safe environment where riders can focus all their attention on the riding technique and not have to worry about all the other things they have to worry about when riding on the road. I try not to promote my work in a social setting, I just leave that alone, but if someone wants to know what I do, I tell them for sure.

KIWI RIDER

25

Yamaha YZF Late to the LAMS 300 party, Yamaha’s YZF-R3 brings a balanced mix of performance and ergonomics that has the capacity to woo a wide audience.

T

he 300cc LAMS class is the hottest property in the motorcycle market at the moment. Take the Kawasaki 300 Ninja for example, it’s Kawasaki’s best-selling model. Period.

With Honda, Kawasaki and KTM already making three distinctly different and popular models, the Yamaha entry to the market is perhaps the most considered of them all. After all, once you know the competition you can go about making something competitive.

Yamaha’s entrant is the YZF-R3. Styled very much with what Yamaha is calling R-Series DNA, the R3 is heavily reminiscent of the second generation YZF-R6, which is a good thing as that model is one of my favourite 600s of all time for its mix of comfort and performance. So the new bike has pukka sports styling, which will certainly appeal to the Yamaha’s primary target market of 17 to 30-year-old new rider males.

The marketing bods have also identified female riders and commuters as the next most pertinent markets they feel the bike is going to appeal to. Looking at the spec sheet, the R3 is lightweight at 169kg fully fuelled - ready to ride - and the seat height is one of the lowest in the class at 780mm, both of which will suit those demographics.

Yamaha has chosen to give the R3 a parallel-twin engine rather than a single cylinder, such as the KTM RC390 and Honda CBR300R, and it’s a rather sweet unit. We test rode the bike around the city streets of Sydney before heading out onto the twisting roads of the mountains to the north. The beauty of the parallel twin format is its smoothness and the 321cc, 180-degree crank R3 motor is blessed with a smooth running motor. The extra torque of the 321cc motor over the CBR300R and Ninja 300 makes itself felt and it’ll happily pull top gear from 40km/h. With 41hp on tap the R3 will easily best 160km/h if you were to feel the need or want to do a track day. Peak power is just before 11,000rpm but it’ll keep revving until 12,500rpm before the rev limiter kicks in. There’s useful power above 5000rpm but it starts to pick up well after 8000rpm. Yamaha has a selection of aftermarket Akrapovic exhausts for the bike, everything from a carbon slip-on silencer to a MotoGP style full system, which saves something like 6kg of mass and releases a couple of horsepower and some more sound. The MotoGP style slip-on silencer is only claimed to gain half a horsepower but it was the difference between the standard exhaust’s 161km/h and 166km/h at the end of the test track’s straight for the Akra slip-on.

-R3

Launch Report Words: Ben Wilkins / Photos: Greg Smith/iKapture If you want to find out more about the R3, Yamaha is about to launch a micro-site for the bike go to www.r3.yamaha-motor.co.nz to see video and more.

100km/h sees the motor purring along at a little over 6000 revs and sipping fuel at an indicated 3.5l/100km. This is a frugal motor, even with very hard riding the bike returned 4.7l/100km - both indicated on the dash and confirmed by filling up with fuel and doing the maths. Typically you could expect to see high three to low 4l/100km. With its 14 litre tank and a typical 25km/l you can expect to see a maximum range of 350km from a full tank before sputtering to a halt.

Staying with the engine for just a little longer, the first service comes at 1000km followed by a minor service every 10,000km. Every 20,000km steering bearings are greased and the air filter replaced, while major services with valve clearance checks are every 40,000km. Social riders typically average 10,000km and commuters around 20,000km a year, so

depending on your riding you’ll be looking at a full service every two to four years, which should make it an economical bike to run.

Despite having the joint lowest class seat height (shared with the CBR300R), I found the bike to be comfortable to ride all day and I’m 6 feet tall with a 34-inch inside leg. The riding position seems to suit a wide variety of riders with both short and tall riders on the launch praising the bike’s comfort. The bars are mounted above the top yoke and the seat is comfortably plush so the bike is easy to ride in traffic yet still sporty enough for fun, spirited riding. The screen keeps the wind off the rider’s chest and I found little to no buffeting at any speed - all good for higher mileage riders.

Something you rarely hear anyone talk about is steering lock but it’s

KIWI RIDER

29

T

here’s more than one way to skin a cat apparently.

That’s the conclusion I’ve come to after a long weekend away with the team aboard KTM’s ‘adventure’ bike range.

The three bikes in the range are the 1050 Adventure, 1190 Adventure (we tested this in the Jan 2015 issue) and the 1290 Super Adventure. The plan was essentially a simple one. Pick the bikes up, strap luggage (spare underpants, toothbrush, beer etc) to them and head to the East Cape lighthouse via Waikaremoana and Gisborne before heading on to Opotoki and then back to KR HQ. To make it more interesting, we thought we’d throw in the 690 Enduro R as a lightweight touring option as a polar opposite to the heavy metal. Chris Baylis was volunteered to ride the 690 and, heroically, stepped up to the plate. This is what the team thought about each bike they rode…

1290 SUPER ADVENTURE [BEN] This bike is the motorcycling equivalent of a Toyota Land Cruiser with all the fruit. It’s big, comfortable, capable, has a huge fuel tank and enough electronic control options to launch a space mission. In fact, it’s all rather confusing to start with. Briefly… there are four suspension modes (Sport, Street, Comfort, Off-road), four throttle/engine modes (Sport, Street, Rain, Off-road), a handful of ABS options (On, Off, Off-road) and then there’s the traction control which can be turned on or off. Each of these modes can be selected with any of the others, for example Sport throttle, Comfort Suspension, Off-road ABS and Traction Control off.

That’s a heap of different combinations. Each suspension mode can also be set for single rider, rider with luggage and rider with pillion and luggage. Oh, and there’s cruise control too, which is very handy for not

KTM makes some of the finest adventure motorcycles on the planet. In fact the range is a tad confusing, so we took three of their adventure bikes and a wild-card, and planned to pit them against 1300km of NZ roads, Waikaremoana gravel, Gisborne and the East Cape to split the differences.

straying over the speed limit on long stretches. Did I mention the heated grips, heated rider and pillion seats yet…? They all come as standard.

One thing I will say is that each mode/option feels distinctly different to the others. The semi-active suspension is a great example of this.

Each of the four modes completely changes the feel and ride of the bike. Sport keeps the heft of the bike’s 249kg well under control but is a little stiff for every day riding. Comfort is spongy with only a little damping and great for motorway work but gets a little wobbly through twisty corners. Off-road is softest of all and has the most suspension travel and is actually quite a good mode as it makes the bike ride how it looks – a big adventure machine. Street mode is perhaps the best compromise – as the name suggests – for every day riding. No more twiddling of tools and it’s the oddest feeling when the suspension raises or lowers when you adjust it for pillion or luggage.

It’s the same story with the throttle/drive modes. Street is the best option for every day riding in town etc. Sport is more instant and aggressive but hunts a little on a constant throttle. Rain mode reduces power everywhere in the rev range and makes the throttle seem slightly elastic but doesn’t give any surprises when it’s slippery. Off-road reduces power at lower revs but still gives a good whack when the revs rise. It seems KTM did their homework and got the suspension and fuelling modes just right.

160hp. Yep, that’s right – 160hp. The 1290’s motor is a beast. It’s dramatically quick for a big adventure bike, no, that’s not quite right; it’s dramatically quick for any bike let alone one this big. There’s a huge amount of grunt available at any revs. Just dial the throttle in and it picks up and shunts forward. However, let the revs rise above 6500rpm and the big girl picks up her skirts and buggers off into the distance.

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Suzuki’s wire-wheel V-Strom DL650XT is aimed squarely at the burgeoning adventure market. Jonathan Bentman thinks Suzuki has hit the target.

I

t’s not difficult to understand the appeal of Suzuki’s V-Strom 650 – it’s just so damn agreeable. The thing is it works, it’s not like it’s trying to be something it isn’t, it’s not playing to the hipsters, it’s not even attempting to be super-tech, it’s just a plain old comfortable middleweight with a real nice engine and goanywhere, any day capability. Only now, with the ‘XT’ variant,

there’s a little more off-road in its repertoire.

The V-Strom 650 has found a keen worldwide following and in Kerry, Western Ireland for this European-based launch of the XT, Suzuki’s

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marketing guys explained that the V-Strom appeal is far from waning, with the newest V-Strom 650/1000s picking up 20% of their total sales in the UK. Suzuki then acknowledged that the existing V-Stroms are distinctly road-biased so the XT is here to extend the breadth of usability – and yes, offer a little more off-road capability.

So how does it differ from the existing V-Strom 650? Suzuki list the differences as the wire-spoked wheels, alloy sump guard, crash (sorry, ‘accessory’) bars, injection-moulded hand guards and the, er, ‘beak’ that projects under the headlights. Not the longest list of modifications

and if we’re honest the only real new – and significant – mods there are the wheels.

The wheels speak of authenticity, being almost de rigueur when it comes to real adventure bike spec. Cast wheels are just fine, but when it comes to slamming into rocks, deflecting off tree roots, absorbing the percussion of corrugated gravel roads, then you can’t argue with the strength and practicality of a traditional wire-spoked wheel. And, fair play to Suzuki, these ones are particularly neat. Made by DID, the spokes lace into the rims via two central raised flanges, so allowing the fitment of

tubeless tyres (in this instance Bridgestone Trail Wings). Smartly finished they are too, the anodised black rims offset by the 32 gleaming polished steel spokes with fancy paired lacing – certainly fit for purpose.

The other mods? The alloy sump guard is also an adventure-must, and is vital on a bike like this with its alloy beam frame (very nice too) but no lower frame rails. It’s a three-piece unit but looks substantial enough. As the V-Strom has only 175mm of ground clearance it’ll see more work than most, so we should know soon enough if it stands up to the punishment.

The ‘accessory’ bars we’ve seen before (within Suzuki’s accessory

KIWI RIDER

45

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’ve worn a multitude of helmets over the years.

Everything from bargain buckets with disintegrating foam through to the most expensive bonce protectors on the market. This review is for the latter. I’m not going to pretend that $1295 for a motorcycle helmet is anything other than extremely expensive. However, what I will EDITOR say is that you get what you Ben Wilkins pay for. Take this Arai Corsair V as the perfect example. There are few helmets that can compare on fit and finish, with the exception of a couple of other helmets… which happen to be at the same price point.

So what exactly do you get for your rather large chunk of cash? For starters there’s the most intimate part of a helmet the bit that touches your face - the comfort lining. The Corsair V is Arai’s top drawer racing-oriented helmet so it gets a DryCool wicking comfort lining for those hot sweaty days at the race-track. More road-oriented helmets in Arai’s range have a slightly softer, plusher lining, but these don’t offer the same sweat-wicking performance as the Corsair’s Dry-Cool lining.

The whole inner lining is removable so it can be washed to keep nasty niffs away ready for the next track session - after all, nobody likes a smelly helmet.

Different sized cheek pads and linings (thinner and thicker options) are available to allow you to custom fit the helmet to your head and face. The fit is the most important part of helmet choice; get this wrong and you’ll typically suffer from pains and pressure-spot induced headaches. The cheek pads have a release system that allows trained medical professionals to remove the helmet from an injured rider without the fear of causing additional neck/spine trauma.

Hopefully it’ll be a feature you never need.

Next up is the venting. Not many helmets have vents that make much difference. The Corsair V has vents that truly work. Leave a single vent open on a cold day’s riding and you’ll know about it right away, there’ll be a cool spot starting to appear on your cranium almost immediately. The flip side of this is that the vents work well to keep your head cool in the heat of the summer. The vents are easy to use with a gloved hand too, which is important as you don’t want to be stopping just to adjust your helmet venting. There are three forward vents, two eyebrow vents and two diffuser vents on top as well as additional side exhaust vents. The only downside to vents which flow a decent amount of air through the shell and that’s wind noise. As a racing-oriented helmet, venting and cooling is considered more important than the helmet being super-quiet. The upshot is I absolutely need to wear earplugs with this helmet but saying that I wear earplugs for every journey anyway. That said, this model is slightly quieter than earlier models of the helmet due to a noise reducing ear foam.

Situated at the upper rear of the shell is a small, adjustable wing which can be used to change airflow over the rear of the helmet and prevent buffeting. There are settings for everything from when tucked in behind the fairing at high speeds to riding upright.

If you’re after the ultimate in racing helmet technology and can accept the compromises such as slightly more wind noise then you won’t go wrong with the Corsair V.

Arai Corsair V

MODEL: Arai Corsair-V COLOUR: Rea 3 PRICE: $1295 CONTACT: www.northern.co.nz

KIWI RIDER

53

To the South

Words & photos: Rebekah ‘Beks’ Ellis

After crossing the Cook Strait, Beks and her unlikely tourer, a Suzuki DR200S named Beryl, strike out for the deep south.

age for a At Lake Rotoroa plucking up cour me dip - complete with togs... this ti

T

he Suzuki DR200S ate up the delightful twists and turns of Queen Charlotte Drive snaking from Picton to Havelock. The road hugs the coastline around the Sound, making this a fun, narrow, low gear route into the South Island.

That first night I stayed at the Blue Moon Lodge in Havelock. It’s a well-run, reasonably priced ($28 per night) backpackers’ lodge with a spectacularly well equipped kitchen, washing machine, fresh linen and towels included. Havelock is a vibrant ,mussel-growing town, which is apparent the second you ride in, with dancing mussels on the roof of the local restaurant.

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Nelson was having a scorcher with one of the hottest days of the summer welcoming me.

I carried my shorts and jandals in my panniers so I could perform a superman change and be in my civvies for exploring the bustling pavement cafes of this pretty town.

Farewell Spit is known as a mecca for wildlife, but was the location of my first ever foray into skinny dipping! It may have alarmed the local birds and beasts into hiding for the day... needless to say, the beach was deserted and my swim went unnoticed. I think.

The Buller Gorge was a delight to ride, with really spectacular views of the river, but I made a severe campsite error here. Yes, $8 is cheap but the sand flies were ferocious. They ate me

through my repellent, through my jeans and through my patience. A delightful diversion via Lake Rotoroa was a great spot to sooth the itchy bites by having a quick swim (fully costumed this time I might add) before enjoying the gravel track through to Murchison via Mangles Valley.

Making the most of the continuing high pressure down the West Coast, I headed south on SH6 – this is sensational riding on extremely quiet roads. I arrived at the spectacular Franz Josef Glacier and chanced upon Chateau Franz Backpackers and Motel that charged the unbelievably low sum of $19 for a pitch for my tent which included... wait for it… free breakfast, free evening soup and roll,

That's Beryl right there!

Fully loaded! free international telephone call, free bubbly spa pool and unlimited Wi-Fi. A great family atmosphere around the nightly evening fire pit made this a memorable stop.

One of the delights of traveling via bright, yellow motorcycle, is that you cannot be lonely.

At the beginning of my trip I thought that biking might be isolating but nothing could be further from the truth. Every time I stopped I was approached by friendly faces wanting to talk bike, or travelling, or both. I pull up at red traffic lights and windows are wound down "Hey! What size is she?" 200cc "Wow! She looks great!" and they were right, she really does.

Suprisingly, I'm not the only rider out there doing the smaller bikes proud. In the DOC

campsite outside Wanaka I met the inspiring Bill Cooper, content to take his GN125 loaded up with a tent and his worldly goods around some of the toughest terrain in the South Island. It's not about the size of the bike, it's about the size of your attitude. Trading tips and campsite hotspots as well as several book recommendations makes these meetings invaluable to a novice traveller such as me.

My high pressure was not to last and wild, windy and incredibly wet weather swept me to Queenstown, back-packing capital of the world. I decided to go on to the tiny village of Glenorchy, where despite the 'mid-summer', I was grateful for an open fire in the pub to toast myself next to. Catching a gap in the cloud

I rode all the way to Paradise, literally. A tiny hamlet very aptly named just a few kilometers north of Glenorchy.

Choosing a bold playlist of stirring rock on my MP3 set against one of the most fabulous roads - Glenorchy to Queenstown – it was a memorable morning’s ride and I was outrunning the incoming weather. Taking SH6 running South alongside the beautiful Lake Wakatipu at the foot of The Remarkables mountain range, it wasn’t always easy to keep my eyes on this challenging road because of such spectacular scenery, so I made much use of the rest areas along the way to soak up the views. Then I headed west along SH94 into a biting headwind to Te Anau.

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If you’re into adventure, extreme, competition, exhibition, cross training, or just plain fooling around in the backyard, GasGas has it all covered!

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GET ON THE GAS WITH YOUR LOCAL DEALER NOW WWW.GASGAS.CO.NZ SPECTRUM MOTORCYCLES 51A Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland 09 489 5355 | NTB RACING 431C Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 07 850 6020 PRESTIGE MOTORCYCLES 1/9 MacDonald Street, Mount Maunganui 07 574 6688 | BAILEY MOTORCYCLES 309 South Road, Hawera 06 278 4756 MABEY MOTORS 114 Pahiatua-Pongoroa Road, Pahiatua 06 376 8162 | KB MOTORCYCLES 212 Bond Street, Invercargill 03 214 4838 TRACKTION MOTORCYCLES 33 Moorhouse Avenue, Addington, Christchurch 03 374 350 SPECIALIST TRIALS DEALERS: For GasGas Trials requirements please contact NTB RACING North Island/TRACKTION MOTORCYCLES South Island Images shown are not necessarily an accurate indication of the actual model.

LATEST DIRT NE WS & 5 2 1 C T A N R A V Q S U H HUSQVARNA TE125 VINTAGE ENDURO BIRCHY WINS EN DURO CHAMPS Must-have Dirt Gear

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BIRCH STAMPS HIS AUTHORITY

By Andy McGechan

I

t was the perfect campaign for Aucklander Chris Birch in this season’s New Zealand Enduro Championships. The 34-year-old had absolutely no problem in defending his national crown from 2014, compiling an unbeatable string of seven wins from seven starts in the 2015 edition of the KTM-sponsored national series, which wound up with a doubleheader weekend in the Central North Island on May 9-10.

Birch won the sixth and penultimate round at Waimiha, near Benneydale, on Saturday, beat Mokau’s former national enduro champion and current national cross-country champion Adrian Smith across the finish line by 47 seconds and then he repeated the treatment at the final round, in forestry south of Tokoroa on Sunday, this time edging out Smith by nearly two minutes (1 minute 59 seconds). Third overall at both events was South Island rising star in the sport Hamish MacDonald.

With five wins from five starts before the weekend even began, Birch already had the trophies for both the outright honour and the 300+cc four-stroke class title in his grasp, but, “as long as not too many risks were taken”, it was still his aim to make it a clean sweep of seven wins from seven starts.

“My plan was to concentrate on winning the championship, so I was riding carefully this weekend and not doing anything stupid,” said Birch. “It was just a case of me working out what was the fastest way through the sections and doing it safely. It was a little bit frustrating because I always like to go fast, but sometimes going flat out is not the fastest way.”

Nonetheless, Birch still came out on top both times at the weekend.

Clashes of dates with the parallel but separate cross-country nationals meant Smith was unable to put up more of a fight this season, but several new challengers did emerge in the form of Howick’s Liam Draper and Christchurch’s MacDonald, these two young men showing the future of the sport is looking healthy indeed.

Draper finished fourth at Waimiha on Saturday, but mechanical woes meant he was unable to finish at Tokoroa on Sunday. He had still done enough to finish the series overall runner-up and also to wrap up the battle-within-a-battle for under-200cc two-stroke class glory.

The unbeaten Birch finished 36 points clear of Draper in the race for overall honours, with MacDonald in third, another 16 points further back.

Wellington’s Jake Whitaker, Palmerston North’s Adam Reeves and Kaikohe’s Mitchell Nield rounded out the top half dozen expert grade riders overall.

Glen Eden’s Chris Birch (KTM), with seven wins from seven starts this season In the intermediate grade, Paeroa’s Matt Coombe finished on top overall, with Auckland’s Ryan Armitage and Thames rider Natasha Cairns filling out the podium.

In the junior category, Te Awamutu’s Rachael Archer was overall series winner, with Te Atatu’s Rios Aspin and Loburn’s Josh Dando completing the podium.

NATZKE PODIUMS IN EUROPEAN MX CHAMPS

K

iwi Rider Josiah Natzke has moved up to third position in the European Motocross Championships EMX125 class. The 16-year-old KTM Factory Junior rider, placed second at the MXGP of Great Britain, after recording a fine win in the day’s last moto.

Natzke, the reigning New Zealand senior 125 champion is 23 points behind his team-mate Jorge Prado Garcia. The championship is half way through with four rounds and eight races remaining. The championship concludes in Holland at the end of August.

Photo: Andy McGechan/Bikesportnz

64

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The

Dirt

www.dirtguide.co.nz Guide CROSS COUNTRY SERIES 2014

CROSS COUNTRY Trail Rides SATURDAYS 17th May Tar Hill 31st May Ohakuri 28th June Ohakuri

Signposted from South of Tokoroa. For Further details contact: Sean Clarke 0275 996 046 or 07 886.5918 Also keep an eye on the Kiwi Rider Mag or silver-bullet.co.nz for any news updates.

SUNDAYS 18th May Tar Hill 1st June Ohakuri 29th June Ohakuri

DIRT GUIDE CROSS COUNTRY SERIES Kicking off at Tar Hill just south of Tokoroa and Round 2 the infamous Ohakuri, formally the Roger White Trail Ride area its a great place for cross country racing and trail riding. Round 3 is back to Ohakuri for the final. All cross country events are on Saturdays and the following Sunday over similar terrain a trail ride is arranged. There is a separate entry fee for both days.

All rounds are sign posted from SH 1 south of Tokoroa.

Dirt Guide Cross Country Series: Saturdays Junior small race 3k course Classes 7-11yrs MX 7-11yrs Trail Junior big race 10k course Classes 12-15yrs 85cc 2 stroke/150cc 4stroke 12-15yrs up to 200cc 2 stroke 12-15yrs up to 250cc 4stroke These 2 races run at the same time on 2 separate tracks Seniors 0-200 2 stroke Ex/Int 201-0pen 2 stroke Ex/Int 0-300 4 stroke Ex/Int 301-Open 4 stroke Ex/Int Vets 40-49 Yrs Ex/int Vets 50+ Ladies All Capacities Juniors need to sign in between 8am and 9am.

Juniors race starts at 9.30am Seniors can sign in from 10.30am Seniors race will start at 12.30pm.

Seniors will race for 2 hours and the course will be approx 20km long.

Entry Fee (includes a sausage): Juniors $40 Seniors $50 Prize giving at the end of series for overall points.

All 3 rounds count for points.

MNZ Licence required for Cross Country Races.

Dirt Guide Trail Ride Series Sundays 30k main loop 10k short loop (part of main track) Forestry based trails 1k kids track Sign on from 8-30am Ride starts 9-30am Entry fee's Over 16yrs $40 Under 16yrs $20 (Includes free sausage)

MNZ Licence required for Cross Country Races

Use Michelin tyres at each round and go in the draw to win a FREE set at the final.

Juniors & Seniors.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

OWN THE

LEGEND Husqvarna has been building motorcycles since 1903.

Thankfully our machines have evolved somewhat since then. The 2015 Husqvarna Motorcycles Enduro range draws on over 110 years of expertise, delivering a selection of ultra-competitive race machines.

Bred to excel in the most hostile natural terrain known to man, the latest Husqvarna motorcycles thrive when the going gets rough.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

2 Strokes MY 2015 TE125 TE250 TE300 4 Strokes MY 2015 FE250 FE350 FE450 FE501

The Kinleith venue provided a near perfect balance of challenge and difficulty

You can find more Vinduro info on www.vinduronz.com

F

ine autumn weather meant the volcanic loam was in perfect condition for the inaugural Kinleith Classic Vinduro near Tokoroa.

Enduro legend Sean Clarke and his enthusiastic team from Forest Trail Events had laid out a stunning ride with a course featuring gravel roads, bulldozed trails and plenty of twisting single track through pine forest plantations.

Sean has put in so many trails at the Tar Hill venue that he was able to serve up plenty of rut-free tracks. Included in the mix were a few steepish downhills and a few moderately technical tighter sections. Steep uphills were deliberately avoided in case of wet weather and in deference to the age of some of the machinery and the riders so the effect was a near perfect balance of challenge and difficulty.

While there several former top enduro riders displaying just how effective the old bikes can be, it was pleasing to see that for about a third of the field this was their first enduro event.

As with NZ’s first Vinduro at Riverhead there was a wide variety of machinery with all the classes except the Vintage four speed category represented. Otherwise the over 50 entries were well spread between the three Evo classes, with five entries for the classics.

Yamaha IT models were to the fore along with PE Suzukis and many more Honda XRs than at Riverhead. A number of riders had elected to ride the non-competitive trail ride over the same course.

Apart from a few inevitable breakdowns (some of the machinery is up to 42 years old) almost all the riders completed the course. The last rider to finish did so on a flat rear tyre, thus getting the biggest cheer from those unwinding over the traditional aprĂŠs-ride burger.

Following the finish Sean Clarke gave the good news that he is reserving another autumn date for the 2016 Kinleith Classic and the feeling was that Vintage Enduro has definitely arrived in NZ.

Carl Steadman spreads the Kinleith loam on his Yamaha IT250

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showcase

...Essential new ride gear available now from your local dealer.

forma predator Forma’s high-end off road Predator Boot is now available in New Zealand. These are used by some of the top World MX and Enduro riders, so as you would expect rrp they’re loaded with $659 features to provide the user with premium protection and comfort, including plenty of injection moulded plastic protections plus a carbon fibre dual-pivot flex control system in the ankle. Head to your local dealer and grab yourself a pair of these classy European made boots today.

forma terrain tx The Terrain TX Boot, sits in the middle of Forma’s off road range and is now available in NZ in a range of colours. These CE certified European-made boots are constructed from Leather and synthetic material, with injected moulded plastic protections. Comfort too, is paramount to the entire Forma range, and the TX doesn’t disappoint with its hinged ‘Stitched Flex Control System’ that provides the rider with superb feel and flexibility plus rrp added safety. See $439 in-store for more details.

forma terrain evo If you’re in the market for a quality Eurepean-made MX boot, but your budget won’t stretch to the Forma Predator or Terrain TX, then the new Terrain Evo may well be right up your alley. These boots share many of the top notch features found in the higher-spec Predator and Terrain TX, but at a more wallet friendly price of rrp just over 300 notes. There’s $319 plenty of bang for buck here – protection, comfort and fit wise – so be sure to check them out at your favourite motorcycle dealer.

eks brand Gox “Fade” EKS Brand’s new “Fade” Phantom 2015 series goggles are here.

They feature a lightweight “urethane blend” frame that was designed to have just the right amount of flex so it allows the frame to form much easier to different face shapes. Each goggle uses a 4-layer face-foam backed with a moisture wicking fleece lining providing the best anti-drip, sweat protection available. Resist the urge to look like everyone else at unnecessary expense rrp and try EKS Brand $95 Goggles today!

Available in a range of stunning new graphics from better bike shops.

eks brand Grips EKS Brand Goggles are fast earning a reputation with New Zealand off road riders for their no-nonsense performance and great pricing. Now, EKS Brand are pleased to announce the arrival on our shores of the firm’s range of MX grips. EKS Brand Grips are a half waffle design with an overall diameter and pattern created and tested by some of the fastest racers in the world. The rubber used in these advanced grips has the feel of a soft compound grip but with the durability of a medium compound grip. They come in Flo-Yellow, Flo-Red, Gum, Graphite, Cyan Blue and White. Available from leading retailers.

rrp

$25

dunlop Geomax at81 Dunlop’s vast championship experience and development expertise has been infused into the from next generation Geomax® AT81™. $119 These new Geomax tyres offer more all-around performance plus higher levels of ruggedness for off-road racing and riding. The tread pattern has been designed to penetrate down through the surface dirt for extra traction across a broad range of off-road applications, while also delivering better bump absorption. Ideal for weekend trail riders through to Enduro competitors looking for more performance from their tyre, the new Geomax AT81 is available from your local Dunlop stockist.

Having trouble locating these fine products? Get your dealer to contact Forbes & Davies Ltd. *Pricing is RRP only and subject to change.

www.forbesanddavies.co.nz

DUAL-SPORT LID A sophisticated aerodynamic shape, lightweight thermo-injected alloy shell and a high-gloss finish make the Zeus 2100B Dual Sport stand out. The fully recessed noiseless shield permits tool-less shield changes. There’s a peak for dual-sport riding, and a full ventilation system with new extra-large chin-vent intakes, dual rear exhaust vents and a rear top vent to keep you cool and fresh. Throw in a comfort liner and adjustable, removable, washable cheek pads and neck rolls, and the 2100B Dual Sport is great value.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Size/style: Black, XS/54 to XL/62 Price: CLEARANCE SPECIAL RRP $99 Info: nwa.co.nz

BEAT THE ELEMENTS Maxima says its FFT, a race-proven synthetic foam filter treatment, provides unequalled protection against the elements – making it perfect for its range of ProFilter Air Filters. Maxima promises FFT’s formula will not plug foam cells or migrate off filters, and its protective coating will catch dirt and fine dust without restricting airflow.

Distributor: Forbes & Davies Size: 1-litre and 470ml packs Price: from $17 Info: forbesanddavies.co.nz

MOBILE KNEES Tested by Ryan Villopoto since 2012, this Mobius X8 brace is slipped, not strapped on and held in place by a cable and backing plate for firm, natural support for cruciate ligaments, adjusted via a front dial so you can tweak it during the day. There’s too much clever medico detail to cover here, but briefly, an overlapping front joint protects your knee from incoming obstacles or debris, and at barely half a kilo, the X8 is so light you’ll barely notice it’s there, helping prevent knee damage from curtailing your riding future.

Distributor: Darbi Accessories Price: from $899 Info: motorcyclegearnz.com

TAPERED GRIPS FOR MIGHTY MITTS Renthal says its new dual-compound tapered grip breaks new ground in ergonomics for MX riders. In addition to the standard features, the tapered grip features an oversized thumb diameter which tapers down to a regular size at the ends to more closely mirror the contours of a closed fist for maximum comfort and reduced rider fatigue. Because of its slightly larger diameter, this grip is also good for those with larger hands.

Distributor: Northern Accessories Style: New green and yellow colours Price: $29.95 Info: northern.co.nz

POWER BOOSTER Yoshimura worked with top AMA Pro riders to achieve maximum performance and mass centralisation for this dual parallelogram-shaped lightweight muffler set-up for the CRF450, while maintaining AMA Regulation sound levels. The muffler increases volume over stock for better throttle response and soundcancellation, while the RS-9’s uniquely sculpted carbon-fibre end caps feature a tuneable insert system, to fine-tune power delivery and decibel levels to your specifications, while the vertical tailpipe divider smoothes flow for better mid- to top-end power and throttle response.

Distributor: Northern Accessories Price: Full system $1695 or slip-on $1195 Info: northern.co.nz

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PREDATOR ROAMS NZ TRACKS The Predator boot is loaded with features to provide premium protection and comfort, so no wonder it’s used by some top world MX and enduro riders. Constructed from microfibre and synthetic material, with plenty of injection-moulded plastic protection plus a dual-pivot carbon-fibre flex-control ankle system, the Predator boot also features a Skywalk double-density anti-slip rubber sole, air-intake windows, and a flexible anti-mud and debris collar. Closure is via adjustable aluminium articulated buckles.

Distributor: Forbes & Davies Size/style: White, black/yellow or black in Euro sizes 43 to 48 Price: $659 Info: forbesanddavies.co.nz

ROOSTING THE X-TRA MILE The Scorpion MX eXTra X is designed as the optimal choice for professional training and amateur to semi-pro racing on all terrain. The aim is to deliver confidence in race-simulation conditions, with a tread pattern designed for consistent performance, lap after lap, during training.

The grip and traction they deliver will carry you over mid-soft to mid-hard terrain, and should provide the optimal compromise between performance and durability.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Price: from $105 Info: nwa.co.nz

FOG-FREE GOGGLE Not scared to brave the elements this winter? We’re told this EKS GOX Enduro could be the ultimate goggle for you. We’re told that this dual-pane, vented, anti-fog-coated lens is unique, and as it’s designed to keep condensation or fogging out of the inside of the goggle, they’re ideal on those gnarly cold days when you are working hard and not getting a lot of air flow.

Distributor: Forbes & Davies Style: Black or white Price: $79 Info: forbesanddavies.co.nz

THE EXTRA MILE AND BACK This fourth-gen Pro Series Paragon jacket and trou with comfy, adjustable fit should help you munch kays with ease. Tick off HT-Tex and Ballistic 1660 construction, reflective panels and piping, adjustable intake and exhaust vents, a removable throat coat, a Sinaqua waterproof breathable membrane, a removable quilted full-length thermal lining and seams triple- and double-stitched using super-strong bonded nylon for maximum burst resistance.

A Contour Plus Level 1 back protector is standard, plus Contour Plus CE armour to knees, shoulders and elbows, and pockets for optional hip armour.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Size/style: Jacket – black/fluoro yellow, black/gunmetal SM/40 – 5XL/54, trou black, SM/30 to 3XL/40, also available in short leg Price: Jacket $399, trou $269 Info: nwa.co.nz

THOR MX BLITZ BOOTS Thor’s Blitz MX boot may not include a hammer, but it gets three adjustable injectionmoulded positive-lock buckles, a heat shield and pre-curved injection-moulded shin plates.

A fully synthetic heat shield resists high temperatures, an injection-moulded medial abrasion plate has integrated shift protection, the uni-directional outsole features a steelshank insert for strength, and a mesh liner lets air flow to keep you comfy while riding.

Distributor: 454 Unlimited Style: Many colour options Price: from $249 Info: dirtbikegear.co.nz or 454.co.nz

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INCLUDE THE KITCHEN SINK You’ll pack the lot with this O’Neal trio. The biggest is the track wheelie bag, with one large, main compartment, two boot compartments, a telescopic handle and smooth-rolling wheels for all those airport check-in halls.

Got more? The MX3 gear bag fields one main, and two end boot compartments, three side pockets, plentiful mesh venting, while your last oddments cram into the MX-2 gearbag with its single main compartment and twin side pockets, all mesh vented, while both MX bags get a detachable shoulder strap, heavy-duty zippers and bold graphics.

Distributor: Northern Accessories Price: O’Neal Toxic MX-2 gearbag length 635x406x356mm, $69.95 MX3 gearbag 762x457x406mm, $99.95 Track Wheelie Bag 838x457x381mm, $179.00 Info: northern.co.nz

ROCKSTAR LOOK THE EASY WAY Want to give your YZ/YZF that pro Rockstar factory look? The Flu Designs PTS Graphics kit is what you need, and at this price it’s a steal. The kits will transform your everyday ride, just by using these things on your bike’s shrouds, tank, front and rear mudguards, swingarm, airbox and lower fork guards.

They might not improve your riding to match, though…

Distributor: MotoXparts Price: $99.95 Info: motoxparts.co.nz

BURN THROUGH DIRT AND GREASE Leading chain manufacturers suggest you use kerosene to clean your chain, so Tirox Chain Degreaser/Cleaner with 360 brush is mostly kerosene, as recommended, to avoid distressing O-rings. This stuff is formulated to remove heavy residue and deposits efficiently from chains, sprockets, rims and swing arms without harming O, X & Z rings or plastics, and we’re assured regular use and cleaning will extend chain life and optimise its performance.

Distributor: Dold Industries Price: $29.95 Info: dold.co.nz

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN Pirelli says you can turn off the road and go wherever you want with its MT21 Rallycross tyres.

High stability and cornering precision are promised thanks to carcass stiffness, while the tread pattern is optimised for use on dirt and gravel roads, cross-country racing and desert tours.

Even better, you can wind that throttle wide open thanks to long-lasting offroad performance and knob tearing resistance from this special off-road compound.

Distributor: Nationwide Accessories Price: $109 Info: nwa.co.nz

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MAXIMA-M SUSPENDER-SHINE Maxima Suspension Clean is specifically formulated for the Powersports industry professional.

But given it’s designed to quickly and easily clean the suspension internally and externally leaving a dry, residue-free surface we reckon it’ll sell like hot-cakes to any rider.

Though this formula integrates strong industrial cleaners with a powerful spray, we’re assured overspray will not harm O-rings or most seal materials as it displaces moisture.

Distributor: Forbes & Davies Price: $19 Info: forbesanddavies.co.nz

EXTENDED CHAIN LIFE Tirox Ultra Chain Lube is designed to guarantee unmatched protection of drive chains by providing superior load bearing, anti-wear, friction and corrosion protection.

Using twice as many active ingredients means Ultra should out-perform conventional chain lubes by dramatically extending the life of the O-ring, and so increasing the chain’s operating life, stabilising chain performance and improving power by reducing friction loss and improving lubrication.

Distributor: Dold Industries Price: $19.95 Info: dold.co.nz

Enduro/Trail CliniCs

Group sessions around New Zealand to improve your off road skills and get the most out of your riding.

onE on onE sEssions

Individual sessions tailored to your skill level and goals.

Trail, enduro, extreme and adventure training all offered.

Check out the website for all available dates, venues and pricing.

ADDRESS 70 Kurupae Road, Taupo 3330 TELEPHONE 07 9855 112 MOBILE 021 514 775 EMAIL motosr@Gmail.com

TC125 & TE125

Husqvarna’s motocross and enduro two-stroke 125s are hot property in the dirt racing scene.

They might be garage siblings but there are distinct differences between them.

Liam Draper campaigned both to find out.

Words: Liam Draper, Jock McLauchlan, Ben Wilkins Photos: Geoff Osborne, Andy McGechan

I

n the early years of NZ enduros 175s were the go and when the KDX and IT 200s arrived they were potent machines, which were capable of winning an event outright… in the right hands. As machinery improved a few riders chose 125 MX bikes to compete on with some success, riders such as Dene Humphrey, Kevin Hermansen, Sean Clarke and Mitchell Nield. These riders all won the 0-200cc class Championship in NZ enduros riding MX models.

Purpose built 125 enduro bikes have been around for a while but were sometimes hard to find here in NZ until the past few years. KR tester Liam Draper has been campaigning a Husqvarna TE125 for the past two seasons with amazing results. In 2014, after three rounds he was running second outright to Chris Birch until a stick broke his finger and forced him to sit out the remainder of the enduro season.

In 2015 Liam showed the enduro riders that a 125 rocks, winning the 0-200cc and finishing second outright to Chris Birch aboard the potent KTM 350 XC. Liam’s motocross racing on the MX-specific TC125 has contributed greatly to his success – as did his years of trials riding, again on a 125 machine. Liam’s ability over a range of disciplines is part of why he is sponsored by Husqvarna to race enduro and cross countries primarily, and the Husqvarna Off Road team identified the need to do MX, hence the TC125. Liam bagged himself sixth overall in the class on the TC at the NZ motocross nationals.

Many riders think of 125s as peaky bikes, which are hard to keep buzzing all day but, as we are seeing, fit riders are making them go very fast in all types of racing.

Huskie’s motocross and enduro two-stroke 125s are similar. Very similar. Both share the same reed-valve induction, power-valve motor and WP suspension but it’s the details that split them apart and make them task specifiic.

Looking at the spec sheets there’s little to choose between them and, besides, spec sheets don’t tell you everything. As they’re so similar we enlisted the help of Liam Draper who probably has more experience on these two bikes than anyone else in the country.

TC125 - Liam The TC125 is Husqvarna’s two-stroke 125cc motocrosser. I raced the TC at the motocross nationals and really enjoyed riding the bike.

The TC has plenty of power at the top end, as you might expect, but it does have some at the bottom end too. I geared it down which meant getting out of the corners was a lot easier. The six-speed gearbox does a good job of keeping it singing. At the top-end the power is really nice, smooth and controllable and the TC can really get up some good speed. Both bikes use a Vertex piston and rings, which helps make them really reliable. With all the power available

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Bike up to $5,000 $361.80 Swann Insurance. ★ Vintage/Classic/Modern • itApparel cover Barnes Jenkins Insurance Bike up to all $10,000 One call is all it takes. takes. ★ Competition Wheels •$446.72 Named rider discount

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Bike up to $15,000 $504.86 Brokers are well established Barnes Jenkins$546.17 Insurance Bike up to $20,000 and Let respected “independent” us find the best

• Roadside assistance Brokers are well established suppliers quoteof Insurance for you. and respected “independent” • Multi-bike services tocover Motorcyclists.

• Named rider discount suppliers of Insurance We will source the right cover services to Motorcyclists. • Apparel • Roadside assistance cover for you from leading We will source the right •insurers Multi-bike cover including Barnes Jenkins Insurance cover for you from leading Apparel cover www.barnesjenkins.co.nz Star •Insurance, NAC, insurers including Brokers are well established Barnes Jenkins Insurance Protecta & Swann Star Insurance, NAC, Brokers are well One established and respected “independent” Insurance. call is Protecta & Swann and respected “independent” all it takes. suppliers of Insurance Insurance. One call is suppliers of Insurance allservices it takes. to Motorcyclists. services to Motorcyclists.

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0508 373 373

RIDE AUSTRALIA with bikes from

We will source the right We will source the right cover for you from leading cover for you from 0508 leading insurers including 373 373 Star Insurance, NAC, www.barnesjenkins.co.nz insurers including Protecta & Swann 0508 373 373 www.barnesjenkins.co.nz Star Insurance, NAC,One call is Insurance. .com.auall it takes.

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otsw! www.aussiebiker.com.au n k o o B Special discoun st rates Phone +617 5474 1050 Cheape 90

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To advertise here call Todd on 021 709 989

BUY NOW Freight free to NZ

2014 Sherco ST3.0 $8250

T2013 Shercco ST2.5 $7895.00

2013 Sherco ST2.9 X-Ride $6490.00

2015 Sherco ST125 $8995 NEW

2015 Sherco ST2.5 $9995 NEW

2015 Sherco ST3.0 $10495 NEW

Marlborough Trials Centre 53 Grove Rd, Blenheim,

Email: montesa@trialsnz.co.nz

Phone: 03 579 2500

www.trialsnz.com

Mobile: 027 230 3151

DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOME 07_JUL15_HALFPAGE_AD_02.indd 1

Taking the bike on an overseas tour, or buying or selling overseas?

Want someone who knows bikes and knows how they should be handled?

ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST

28/05/15 11:47

Then call us-we have years of experience and good reviews from riders touring USA, Australia, Canada, Europe & UK. We can arrange freighting, all customs facilities, holding of crates and shipment of bikes and goods purchased on tour back to New Zealand.

We have offices & customs teams throughout USA, Australia, Europe and agencies in Canada and UK. Two years ago we had a family tragedy and had to get back to New Zealand immediately. We were in the back blocks of Colorado. One phone call to Mainfreight in LA and they just sorted everything out. They picked our bikes up from Colorado, sorted out all of the details and shipped the bikes home to us... Bridget Jakicevich Another successful trip to the States for my group and a large part played by yourself and Mainfreight. Looking back has been 8 years now, you have been involved... With out your help I know that it could otherwise be very stressful with much unnecessary time dealing with the minutia to the various agencies involved both in New Zealand and The US.... Ken Contact Jeff Larsen on jeff.larsen@mainfreight.com 04 816 5255 or 0274 493008

todd@kiwirider.co.nz

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91

NEW ZEALAND’S BIGGEST SELLING MOTORCYCLE TYRE Distributed by Nationwide Accessories (W/Sale) Ltd, Hamilton

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Pirelli test over 1,700 Motorcycle Models every year to ensure the correct tyre fitment is recommended for all motorcycles. Talk to an authorised Pirelli Stockist next time your bike is in need of tyres.

Safe Riding! www.pirelli-moto.com I www.nwa.co.nz

92

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Get your company noticed here from a trifling $45 Contact Todd Sutherland

NOW

on 09 416 5307

WHEEL & SPOKE SERVICES ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛

Spokes for most bikes Custom-made to suit Stainless or galvinised Rims – Alloy Chrome or stainless Drilled to suit All wheel repairs

Ph Tom Morriss 021 313 136 • 09 576 0312 wheelman@vodafone.co.nz www.wheelandspoke.co.nz

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

Custom Chambers motorcycle exhausts Is this the best value improvement you can make?

Catalytic converter substitution from $290 - More Power - Better Fuel economy - Better Sound - Less Weight

KTM 390-$290 KTM 1290-$290 Triumph Thunderbird-$350

Agents for Micron Scorpion 30A Kerwyn Ave, East Tamaki. Ph 09 2741155

www.customchambers.co.nz

todd@kiwirider.co.nz

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93

EVENTS CALENDAR / JULY 2015

* Please check with organisers before event in case of cancellations, errors or changes in dates *

ADVENTURE RIDES ROAD RACING - 13/14, Suzuki Berm Buster Taupo (trail ride with Epic Events, contact Gordon or Claire AUGUST JULY on 0275 1444 19 or visit - 22/1st Sept, Bali by the Back Roads, - 19, Winter Series Road Race at Hampton www.epicevents.co.nz with Mike Britton, check out www.

Downs, entry fees from $140, gates open 14, Family Trail Ride adventurerides.co.nz or phone 0212849047 7.30, sign on 7.30, rider briefing 8.15, with Endless Dirtbiking Trail Rides. practice starts 9am. Spectators $10. See Enquiries: 09 420 8879 (Tony or Louise) or entry form for all classes. Download form SEPTEMBER email: endlessdirtbiking@xtra.co.nz from www.hamiltonmcc.org.nz or email info@ - 22/8th Oct, Bolivia High Andes, - 20/21, Kuratau Community Trail Ride, hamiltonmcc.org.nz. Next race 23 August with Mike Britton, check out www. for two and four wheels, both Saturday from adventurerides.co.nz or phone 0212849047 11.30 and Sunday from 9.30. At Kuratau AUGUST Community Hall at junction of SH 41 & 32.

23, Winter Series Road Race at Hampton OCTOBER Day One: $35 all day per adult, $15 for 14 Downs, - 24/25, Labour Weekend Bay of Plenty & under (no lunch provided). Day Two: $55 entry fees from $140, gates open 7.30, sign Adventure Ride with NGARNZ, check for adults including lunch and $25 for under on 7.30, rider briefing 8.15, practice starts out www.northerngraveladventureridersnz.

15yrs, $75 for both days per adult (with 9am.

Spectators $10.

See entry form for com or call Sue on 0210367234 for further lunch on Sunday). Paddock available for all classes.

Download form from www. information. camping. Ph: Kuratau School on 3865801 hamiltonmcc.org.nz or email or Barry on 3865752 info@hamiltonmcc.org.nz.

BUCKET RACING JULY RUNS, RALLIES, RIDES, SHOWS & TOURS JUNE - 4/5, Suzuki Western Blast, - 6/7, Bucket Racing Round 8 (final round Taupo - trail ride with Epic Events, contact Attention all Aprilia Riders: at Mt Wellington Kart Track, contact Colleen Gordon or Claire on 0275 1444 19 or visit Wanted to form a small & relaxing club for Thompson on 0274231433 www.epicevents.co.nz touring, racing & club meetings every week.

- 19, Trail Ride Woodhill Forest Contact: Vincent 021 682 823 or aprilia_NZ@ with Endless Dirtbiking Trail Rides.

CROSS COUNTRY hotmail.com Enquiries: 09 420 8879 (Tony or Louise) or email: endlessdirtbiking@xtra.co.nz For 2015 check out Kiwi Iron - Online JUNE Motorcycle Show (non profit event) - 14, Round 1 of Cross Country Series presented via motorcyclealley.co.nz. Entry AUGUST at Tar Hill, Junior, Novice Ladies, Seniors, is free, with thousands of dollars worth of - 8/9, Suzuki Berm Buster, Taupo, Veterans, etc. Check out Sean Clark spot prizes, somewhere you can show off trail ride, with Epic Events, contact Gordon 0275996046 or 07 8865918, check out your bike. Everyone can view all the best or Claire on 0275 1444 19 or visit silver bullet or Kiwi Rider for any changes/ bikes in NZ and vote for a winner. Voting is www.epicevents.co.nz updates. Entry fee: Juniors $40 and seniors open Jan-June 2015. There will be monthly $50 plus a sausage. Riders best 3 out of 4 - 9, Family Trail Ride winners who will go in the grand draw at the rounds count for points, prize giving at end with Endless Dirtbiking Trail Rides. end of June, and one winner per category of series. Subsequent dates: Round 2 on 9 Enquiries: 09 420 8879 (Tony or Louise) or will be chosen. This will hopefully become Aug, Ohakuri, Round 3 on 6 Sept at Atimuri, email: endlessdirtbiking@xtra.co.nz an annual event. Check out and Round 4 (final) 4 Oct at Tar Hill www.motorcyclealley.co.nz for further Info SEPTEMBER and the rules.

AUGUST - 12/13, Suzuki Berm Buster, Taupo, - 9, Round 2 of Cross Country Series trail ride, with Epic Events, contact Gordon OCTOBER at Ohakuri, includees Junior, Novice Ladies, or Claire on 0275 1444 19 or visit - 28, BRONZ 68th Blood Run, Seniors, Veterans, etc. Check out Sean www.epicevents.co.nz Meet 5.30 - 7.30, 71 Gt South Rd, Epsom.

Clark 0275996046 or 07 8865918, check out - 13, Family Trail Ride Badges $10.

Contact Finn 09 6255533 silver bullet or Kiwi Rider for any changes/ with Endless Dirtbiking Trail Rides. / 0274846326 or Lars 09 4425679 / updates. Entry fee: Juniors $40 and seniors Enquiries: 09 420 8879 (Tony or Louise) or 021361312 $50 plus a sausage. Riders best 3 out of 4 email: endlessdirtbiking@xtra.co.nz rounds count for points, prize giving at end - 19, Taupo Enduro Race, with Epic Events, DECEMBER of series. Subsequent dates: Round 3 on contact Gordon or Claire on 0275 1444 19 6 Sept at Atimuri, and Round 4 (final) 4 Oct - 5, BRONZ 33rd Annual Toy Run, or visit www.epicevents.co.nz at Tar Hill Meet 10am, leave 11am, ride leaves BMW NZ Pacific Rise, Mt Wellington, destination OCTOBER The Warehouse, 26 Warehouse Way, SEPTEMBER - 11, Trail Ride Woodhill Forest, Northcote.

Supporting Salvation Army, - 6, Round 3 of Cross Country Series with Endless Dirtbiking Trail Rides. Enquiries: badges $10.

Bring your gift unwrapped. at Atimuri, includes Junior, Novice Ladies, 09 420 8879 (Tony or Louise) Contact Finn 09 6255533 / 0274846326 or Seniors, Veterans, etc. Check out Sean or email: endlessdirtbiking@xtra.co.nz Lars 09 4425679 / 021361312 Clark 0275996046 or 07 8865918, check out 17/18, Suzuki Berm Buster, Taupo, silver bullet or Kiwi Rider for any changes/ trail ride, with Epic Events, contact Gordon SUPERMOTARD updates. Entry fee: Juniors $40 and seniors or Claire on 0275 1444 19 or visit (mixed dirt / tarmac races) also see $50 plus a sausage. Riders best 3 out of 4 www.epicevents.co.nz www.supermotard.co.nz/events rounds count for points, prize giving at end 31, Acerbis 4 hr Race, Taupo, of series. Subsequent dates: Round 4 (final) with Epic Events, contact Gordon or Claire 4 Oct at Tar Hill TRAIL RIDES on 0275 1444 19 or visit “The Kawasaki Sandpit”, Woodhill Forest, www.epicevents.co.nz OCTOBER Rimmers Rd entrance, SH16, Helensville.

The ultimate offroad motorcycle playground.

- 4, Round 4 (final) of Cross Country Series TRAINING DAYS Come & ride, we are open Wednesday to at Tar Hill, includes Junior, Novice Ladies,

Sunday 9-5pm with a late night on Thursday.

Seniors, Veterans, etc. Check out Sean RiderSkills Motorcycle Training Ph: 09 420 8879 or for more information go Clark 0275996046 or 07 8865918, check out Motorcycle training 7 days a week, for new to www.thesandpit.co.nz silver bullet or Kiwi Rider for any changes/ or back to biking, and confidence building, updates. Entry fee: Juniors $40 and seniors including advanced roadcraft. Phone Phil $50 plus a sausage. Riders best 3 out of 4 JUNE McDaid on 0800245387 or visit rounds count for points, prize giving at end - 6, Suzuki D Day, Adventure Ride www.riderskills.co.nz of series. at Ohakune, with Epic Events, contact Gordon or Claire on 0275 1444 19 or visit www.epicevents.co.nz

94

KIWI RIDER

To advertise here call Todd on 021 709 989

continued on page 96

NORTHERN GRAVEL ADVENTURE RIDERS

NORTHERN GRAVEL ADVENTURE RIDERS

South Island Adventure Tour - Feb 2016

Trans American Trail Tour- July 2016

• 11 day Guide-Led Adventure Ride • Suitable for up to 700cc road legal dual sport motorcycles • Open to Intermediate to Experienced riders that can handle their bikes, in at times, challenging terrain.

This ride will take in more of the off-beaten track areas with overnight stays at Hotels/Holiday Parks and a one night Hut stay if conditions permit. Support Vehicle runs on this tour allowing you to ride your motorcycle without luggage.

Duration of 5 or 6 weeks, you choose how long you wish to enjoy the American Summer, back country trails and hospitality. Guide Led or GPS trails to self navigate.

Our 6th and final week will be to explore South East California Region including Death Valley. Let our past experience guide you from East to West Coast.

Sending own Adventure motorcycles a month prior to start date. Support Vehicle runs on this tour allowing you to ride your motorcycle without luggage.

Contact: jimdenham@hotmail.co.nz Jim Denham: 021 517 110 Website Visit: www.northerngraveladventureridersnz.com

Contact: jimdenham@hotmail.co.nz Jim Denham: 021 517 110 Website Visit: www.northerngraveladventureridersnz.com

131 Thames Street Morrinsville 07 889 1007 nvmotorcycles@xtra.co.nz

We have all diagnostic tooling required to service your bikes.

Diagnostic equipment for Mikuni and Keihin fuel injection models.

HST, ibeat, X1 We have the only MOSS diagnostic tool linked to the factory to update, reset TPS and clear service codes for:

Husqvarna NUDA 900, TERRA 650 and STRADA 650 models.

ATTENTION!!

HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLE OWNERS NV Motorcycles is your one stop shop for servicing and sourcing parts for all models and years of Husqvarna Motorcycles

1903-2015 Anything Husqvarna, PARTS, ACCESSORIES, SERVICES, SALES The team at NV Motorcycles is here! todd@kiwirider.co.nz

07_JUL15_HALFPAGE_AD_02.indd 1

KIWI RIDER

95

28/05/15 12:03

EVENTS CALENDAR JULY 2015

- RACE RESULTS -

continued from page 94

MotoGP Results Total France Rd 5

Spain Rd 4

Argentina Rd 3

Americas Rd 2

Qatar Rd 1

102

20

16

25

16

25

1

Valentino Rossi

Yamaha ITA

2

Jorge Lorenzo

Yamaha SPA 87

25

25

11

13

13

3

Andrea Dovizioso

Ducati

ITA

83

16

7

20

20

20

4

Marc Marquez

Honda

SPA 69

13

20

0

25

11

5

Andrea Iannone

Ducati

ITA

11

10

13

11

16

6

Cal Crutchlow

Honda

GBR 47

0

13

16

9

9

7

Bradley Smith

Yamaha GBR 46

10

8

10

10

8

8

Pol Espargaro

Yamaha SPA 35

9

11

8

0

7

9

Aleix Espargaro

Suzuki

SPA 31

0

9

9

8

5

Suzuki

SPA 27

7

5

6

7

2

10 Maverick Vinales

61

Barry’s Point Road Monthly Ride Out Monthly rides on the last Saturday of each month, from Hyosung Motorcycles at 72 Barrys Pt Road, Takapuna. Meet 9.30, to depart 10.00. All abilities welcome.

Professionally run by Accelerated Motorcycle training with instructors available on the ride for assistance. Safe, sociable ride lasting 2-3 hours with a coffee stop en route. Call David Horner 021970648 or visit http://motorbiketrainingnorthshore.co.nz/ join-the-barrys-point-road-rideout/ or ring 0508776643 or 0276998089 Auckland Motorcycle Club Advanced Rider Training Visit AMCC website (www.amcc.org. nz for entry form) Enquiries: Colleen at cthompson@paraserv.co.nz or amccinc@Ihug. co.nz or ph 09 4891239 or 0274231433 Advanced Motorcycle Training At: Hampton Downs Contact: Colleen Thompson $175 for club members, $205 for non club members

Next Rounds: 31 May Italy, 14 June Catalunya, 27 June Assen

World Superbike Championships 2015

Donington

Imola

Assen

CLUB SECRETARIES

Round 6

Race 2

Race 1

Round 5

Race 2

Race 1

Round 4

Race 2

Race 1

Round 3

Race 2

Race 1

1

Jonathon Rea

Kawasaki

GBR

280

20

20

240

25

25

190

25

25

140

20

25

2

Leon Haslam

Aprilia

GBR

179

13

13

153

0

13

140

13

13

114

16

13

3

Tom Sykes

Kawasaki

GBR

178

25

25

128

20

20

88

11

11

66

0

16

4

Chas Davies

Ducati

GBR

155

16

16

123

0

0

123

20

20

83

25

20

5

J Torres

Aprilia

ESP

117

9

9

99

16

0

83

10

10

63

13

11

6

Sylvain Guintoli Honda

FRA

92

8

8

76

0

11

65

9

8

48

0

7

7

M Baiocco

Ducati

ITA

72

6

0

66

10

8

48

5

4

39

5

4

8

Alex Lowes

Suzuki

GBR

71

10

10

51

6

4

41

7

0

34

2

0

9

L Mercado

Ducati

ARG

70

3

5

62

8

9

45

2

5

38

9

8

10

V D Mark

Honda

NLD

67

0

0

67

0

7

60

16

16

28

8

0

11

Nicol Terol

Ducati

ESP

52

0

4

48

0

0

48

0

7

41

6

9

Next rounds: 7 June Algarve, 21 June Rimini 96

KIWI RIDER

If you want your event listed here FREE,as it has always been for our Events pages, please fax the details to: KR EVENTS, (09) 416-5308 or email admin@kiwirider.co.nz.

Always check with organiser for cancellations.

The Ultimate Riding Machine

maKe liFe a ride.

special

For the months of June, July and August receive a

Free wOF & Oil FilTer with any full BMW Motorcycle Service.

Bookings are essential please call the Service department on 09 4861136 Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Bmw Trained Technicians

At Cyclespot we take servicing seriously, thats why we have 3 dedicated BMW trained technicians to service your BMW motorcycle. Introducing our BMW technicians Glenn Hutley, Wayne Fritz and Stefan Dutschmann

Barrys Point Rd, Takapuna Ph: 09 486 1136 Email: sales@cyclespoteuro.co.nz

DistributeD by eurobike Wholesale (NZ) ltD

Pro set front stand

service + Display staNDs • Tough high-tensile steel • Available in red, blue or black • Stands also available individually • Dual wheels on rear stand • Powder coating • Fully adjustable • Choice of rubber blocks or V cursors • Special stands for Ducati 996/999, Triumph, Honda and MV • Special front stands for R1/R6 • 6, 8, and 10 mm bobbins for stand support

Pit Set • Front and rear stand

(includes under fork stand)

$249 .00

Pro Set • Front and rear stand

(includes headstem stand)

$399 .00

EBLKR012

98

KIWI RIDER

Classics

Words: Rhys Jones

TWO-STROKE GEM: SUZUKI T20

T

he mid-1960s saw the final chapter in the pre-Superbike era.

In fact the word Superbike did not exist until the Honda CB750 hit the road in 1969. Yes there were Triumph Bonnevilles, the Norton 650SS, and BSA Rocket Gold Star, but the revolution and introduction of four cylinder Superbikes would not really get full throttle until the end of the decade. In the mid-1960s the major Japanese factories were in the midst of a fierce 250 battle. The 250s of the period have been compared with the 600s of today.

While the Honda CB72 and Yamaha YDS3 were locked in combat, Suzuki served notice with the T20 which out-performed both of them.

A limited number were sold in 1965, but world-wide availability came in 1966. The twin cylinder air-cooled 250 two-stroke was a revelation, and a commercial success. It was manufactured for only three years, but at the height of the model’s popularity Suzuki was producing 5000 machines a day.

Yamaha were the first to introduce an automatic petrol and oil mixing system for two-strokes, but Suzuki gave the T20 a better system. Oil was forced into the intake manifolds, with plastic leads bringing the oil into the main bearings. This meant less oil was

required, and delivery of the Posi-Force pump was controlled by rpm, and throttle position. Owners were quick to report that plugs did not foul, and the six-speed gearbox was as smooth as silk. In some markets the bike is known as the Super Six, because of the six gears. In America it was known as the X6 Hustler. At the time no other standard motorcycle in the market had six gears. The T20 became very popular on the race track, and in Britain where it was used in long-distance races, the only 650 to stay ahead of it was the Bonneville. The Bonnie had a top speed of around 176km/hph and the T20, probably as the ‘kitted’ TR250, nudged 160km/h. The T20 weighed in at 135kg and the Bonnie at 183kg. A T20 also won the 1967 Manx Grand Prix in the Isle of Man. The T20 laid to rest the belief that two strokes couldn’t deliver both reliability and high performance. Remember this machine was designed 50-years ago; the crankcase was split horizontally, the three main bearings clamped between the halves. Instead of cast iron cylinders, light alloy was used, with iron liners, saving weight and offering better cooling. The T20 brakes were excellent, with a 205mm duplex, twin-leading-shoe at the front, and 180mm at the rear.

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WIND CHEATERS

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Words: Chris Baylis

wned and run by Rod Hooker, Visual Plastics is a family business. With his son Gary, the two work with plastics to produce specialty products for the RV trade, caravan windows through to pretty much anything that your mind can think of with an industrial sense.

This industrial sense extends to motorcycles, which, let’s be honest, is where our interest lies. The father and son team have moulds for thousands of models of bike and Gary is a dab hand at experimenting to get something to work for clients who have unusual requests.

New vs Old

Most modern machines don’t need aftermarket replacement screens as the distributor will typically have genuine items in stock. Wait until your bike ages a little however, and then finding a factory part can be just that little bit more difficult. Once your pride and joy reaches the age of ten you will often generally be limited to what you can find at the local dealer or over the internet… or you can ring Gary at Godiva.

Correspondingly a large part of their work is for bikes that are a little bit older, rare machines or for people looking to fine tune their current screen positions. Cruiser riders are a good example as they often like to customise their ride and will approach Godiva to lower or raise the screen, or fit something different altogether. This is where the unique and often bespoke service is super useful.

Gary said, “I do a lot of screens for guys who are restoring older machines where

Hands up who have heard of Godiva Screens? It is likely that most of you have heard of them, especially if you keep half an eye on the New Zealand road race scene. If you haven’t, Godiva is a quiet achiever that has produced plastic screens for bikes and more since 1976.

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their screens are either damaged or have started to denature with age.”

Process in action

The master Gary was wearing his Yoda cloak when I visited and said, “Sworn to secrecy you are” as he showed me around the office and some of the moulds but thanks to a mind erasing Jedi trick, I can’t convey any of the details of how Gary actually makes the screens. However, I can tell you that they can quickly get a screen made and have patterns for bikes going back into the 70s. A typical example was a customer who called wanting a replacement screen for his BMW R1100RT. The customer had searched the world high and low, but came up empty-handed until he called Gary.

Outside the box

Taking a fresh look at something like Suzuki’s DR650 is a part of the process especially when it helps improve on the stock headlight cowling, which offers little protection on the open road. Keith Larkin of Whites in Hamilton was chatting to Gary as he was preparing to ride across South America and the idea of a detachable screen was born. Gary whipped up a new extended screen that with a small modification (three bolts) makes touring on the single-cylinder adventure machine a far nicer prospect.

Check out the photos. In fact, we’ve got one to fit to our long-term DR650SE and will be reporting on it in the next issue.

Race to the championship

If you harboured any doubt in Godiva’s expertise, its screens are fitted to many of the leading road race bikes in New Zealand.

Customers include Hugh Anderson, Alan Thoresen, Jaden Hassan, Nick Cole and Andrew Stroud to name a few.

The holiday job

Apparently it was not Gary’s plan to join and stay at the family business. Upon finishing school Rod offered work until Gary got sorted with what he wanted to do. It might be that Gary has just been taking his time to figure out his calling. However, seeing him in action I suggest that working with the plastics has been his calling after all.

Check them out at: www.godiva.co.nz to see what options they have for your bike.

And check out the August issue to see how the screen performs on our Suzuki DR650 long-termer.

I do a lot of screens for guys who are restoring older machines

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Properties

Effect

Benefit

Bi-Compound

Differentiated behaviour of the tyre

Long lasting performance on road, excellent grip at full lean

Slick shoulder area

Maximum grip at full lean

Confidence and top performance whilst cornering

EPT

Contact patch optimization

Gives the bike more contact with the road surface

Displacement 1.400cc 1.200cc 1.000cc

ANGEL GT

DIABLO ROSSO CORSA

750cc

NIGHT DRAGON

DIABLO ROSSO II

SPORT DEMON

500cc

CITY DEMON

250cc

ROAD - TRACK

SPORT - ROAD

TOURING

CUSTOM

URBAN