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N O I T I D E T HARDHA
� � i � � r � s Au JUNE
D TIPS N A P A ING M R U O -OUT T R A E T : SIDE FREE IN
TRAVEL WITH US SAVANNAH WAY / SYDNEY’S SECRET SIX / SABAH’S SENSATIONAL SQUARE / CHASE THE CHEESE
2013
BEAR
E
INSID
YAMAHA FJR1300A GOING FASTER THAN YOU THINK!
IF YOU’VE GOT A $10 HEAD… DON’T READ OUR HELMET ROUNDUP!
TESTING HONDA CBR500R KAWASAKI KLR 650 TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 HONDA GOLDWING F6B VICTORY BOARDWALK
TEAR-OUT MAP FEEL THE MURRURUNDI MAGIC
KTM 390 DUKE TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE + LONG TERM TESTS
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340798 000228
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$7.95 (Inc GST)
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TOURING TIPS / PUB OF THE MONTH / LESTER & THE KOALA / AARON JEFFERY
2/05/13 12:47 PM
TOP TOURS
& INFORMATION FOR HOME AND OVERSEAS
COMPILED BY THE BEAR
SOUTH AMERICA “TE ESPERA” (AWAITS YOU) WORDS/PHOTOS MICK AND THE CREW FROM COMPASS EXPEDITIONS
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hen Shaun from Compass asked me how they could help us (and therefore you) while helping themselves at the same time (with a bit of publicity) I said, “You spend a lot of time in South America. I know, I’ve been there with you. What about writing up the best roads for us?” And that’s what they did. Read ’em and weep! I did… PT
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outh America, the most exciting destination on earth where legendary parties coincide with deep religious beliefs, cities of gold and mountains of silver provide a stark
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contrast to the wilderness of the glacial regions of the far south or the seemingly impenetrable Amazon Rainforest of the vast north. There are few destinations on earth so diverse, culturally & physically, so challenging yet so rewarding than that of the South American continent. It is a continent that was built for bike riding; it’s the sort of place that leaves you wanting more, a place that is impossible to describe in one story or one hundred. No other continent on earth offers such an incredible range of riding experiences than here. We at Compass
Expeditions are often asked, where should we go? What should we see? But this is an immensely difficult question to answer. Read on and see for yourself, the options are endless. Want to ride some incredible lonely landscapes dotted with stunning mountain vistas, glaciers and forests? Then the iconic Ruta 40 is a mustexperience journey. This epic ride is over 5000km long, crosses 20 National Parks, 18 major rivers, 27 Andean passes (some over 5000m) as it wends its way from the world’s southernmost
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LAUNCH
INDIAN CLASSIC, VINTAGE & CHIEFTAIN
INDIAN SUMMER
…AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY WORDS PETER ‘THE BEAR’ THOEMING PHOTOS GARETH HARFORD, LOU MARTIN, INDIAN AUSTRALIA
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“CHROME, CHROME, CHROME IS A COMMON ACCENT ON ALL THREE BIKES AND BY THE LOOK OF IT, IT’S THE USUAL EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY TYPE THAT WE’RE USED TO FROM AMERICAN BIKES.”
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LAUNCH
INDIAN CLASSIC, VINTAGE & CHIEFTAIN
Vintage Vintage has the Indian “look”, complete with fringes, and will invite further customising (there are lots more fringes that you can Velcro to the bike). It’s the true believer’s bike. The Chieftain, finally, has a split personality: its look is all big bagger, lazy long distance traveller. But underneath that there hides upgraded suspension and different steering geometry which combine to give it the best ride and cornering of the three. More of the differences later. For now, join me as I punt all three bikes through the Byron Bay hinterland on a day and a half’s run on all sorts of different surfaces. We get a few k’s of suburban Kingscliff, then back roads and a stretch of freeway before turning off to Byron Bay. There might be houses here that cost $5 million and up, but the traffic is appalling. It’s a stop-and-go nightmare that just seems to go on and on – but there is, it turns out, method in the route planner’s madness. It doesn’t take long to realise that, despite the hot day, total lack of wind and snail’s pace, my bike does not feel hot. Indian’s attempt to keep the rider cool by giving the heads a double skin and shielding the exhaust has worked. Coffee at Fishheads on the beach – well, on the beach car park – at Byron is also well planned. You may have read my rave review of the seafood this place some time ago; you can now add a positive review of the coffee. Talking among ourselves confirms that we were all enjoying the ride and nobody had so far found anything to complain about. We were also all looking forward to the next stretch cross country to Lismore, in the expectation that the crappy road surface will sort the bikes out. As it turned out, it didn’t; not really. Those of us on Chieftains, especially, found that the bikes handled the rough very nicely with the smooth, and no-one complained about the other bikes either. All of us found that the bikes go well, with willing acceleration despite the weight and a smooth ride. “It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand,”
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TRAVEL
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OUTBACK SOUTH AUSTRALIA
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WANT TO SEE THE OUTBACK? TRY IT ON A ROAD BIKE
WORDS & PHOTOS ROBERT CRICK
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dual purpose bike certainly helps if you’re venturing off the bitumen in South Australia’s Outback. But it’s not essential. Although, then again, that might depend on where you venture and on the weather conditions. On this trip, having spent some time in the Flinders Ranges, I set out on my BMW F800ST to ride from Parachilna to Coober Pedy via Maree and the Oodnadatta Track.
PARACHILNA The ideal starter for such a ride is an emu burger at the Pioneer Hotel in Parachilna, famous for its Outback cuisine of camel, kangaroo and emu. The only things of note in Parachilna are the pub and the remnants of the old Ghan – some rusty narrow gauge track and a long-abandoned siding. But you do feel the Outback at Parachilna; and know you’re about to immerse yourself in it.
LEIGH CREEK From the road north of Parachilna you look across to the rugged Flinders Ranges on your right and absolutely flat plains on your left.
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LAUNCH
SUZUKI DL1000 V-STROM ABS
TRIM, TAUT AND TERRIFIC THE “HE-STROM” COMES OF AGE
WORDS STUART WOODBURY PHOTOS GEOFF OSBORNE
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“SUZUKI ENGINEERS DID A LOT OF RESEARCH, INCLUDING CONSULTING CURRENT OWNERS”
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Stuart is wearing an AGV helmet, Klim latitude jacket, Klim traverse pants, Held Sambia gloves and Sidi Way Mega Rain boots.
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SPECIAL
TRAVEL
Feature
USA: ROUTE 66 THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION
S “WE NEEDN’T HAVE WORRIED. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WE HIT IT OFF.”
WORDS/(MOST) PHOTOS CHRIS BULT
anta Monica Pier, Los Angeles, California and the end of a very long journey. Over 4000 kilometres, eight states and three time zones, from Chicago to LA, riding through some of the most spectacular scenery America has to offer along the famous Route 66, The Mother Road. We had arrived in Chicago a fortnight earlier to begin a ride conceived in 2011. That evening we met Gary and Mark from ‘California Sunriders’, our tour leader and backup truck driver. Seven fellow travellers trickled in, all
from the UK including two with their wives. Jeff and I knew the group dynamic would be crucial. We were going to be together for the duration; riding, eating and drinking; it could be a nightmare if we didn’t get on. We needn’t have worried. From the very beginning we hit it off. Jenks and Chris from West Wales and Robin, a London taxi driver, were into each other from the outset and had the rest of us in stitches. It broke the ice and everyone knew our motley crew was going to click.
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Sitgreaves Pass, looking west. Photo, John Miller.
Meet Chris and Jeff
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hris and Jeff have been riding buddies for many years, brought together initially over their shared interest in wet sumping Norton Commandos and similar oil related challenges. Chris retired from the NSW Police in 2001 as Commander of the Police Driving School after a lifelong career riding police bikes, from Triumph Daytonas in 1968 through to BMW RTs and Honda STs in 2001.
Jeff is a Qantas Captain with 18,000 hours, starting his career as a crop duster, he now flies the A330 Airbus mainly in the Asia Pacific region. Chris currently rides a ‘93 Electraglide Sport and MT-01, Jeff a Moto Guzzi Ballabio and sundry classic Nortons and Triumphs. Their regular coffee shop chats eventually led to this adventure.
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PUB OF THE MONTH
IGNORE BANJO’S PUT-DOWN AND ENJOY
VICTORIA HOTEL, OUYEN, VIC KICK THE SIDE STAND DOWN AND ENJOY A HEARTY MEAL WORDS & PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
RATED 4 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
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he ride from Adelaide to Sydney is not one of endless pleasure. Whichever way you go, you’re going to have to tolerate some long boring stretches where, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself playing games like guessing the species of the next putrid roadkill or the colour of the next car as you ride flat straight roads under big skies. Take the most common route on the Sturt Hwy through Balranald and Hay and you’ll appreciate that the Old Man Plain ain’t Australia at its best. Even Banjo Patterson who loved the outback and the bush, saved one of his few rural put-downs for this part of Australia:
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TOP TOURS
& INFORMATION FOR HOME AND OVERSEAS
COMPILED BY THE BEAR
THERE’S GOOD STUFF HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD GET IN AMONGST IT!
WOMEN-ONLY TOUR CHICKS ON 66
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e seem to have ended up with a batch of really special tours this month; so many that there isn’t any room for your own tips and tricks. Never mind, we’ll be back to the more personal; stuff next month – if you send it in! PT
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adies, put aside the three weeks between May 16th and June 6th 2015. From $7,995 per person, Twin Share, on a Harley-Davidson of your choice, you will be able to ride the Mother Road. Kristi-Anne Butel, the co-owner of Route 66 Tours who will be guiding the tour, explains. “Imagine the wind in your hair and the road outstretched before you — on a GIRLS’ ONLY adventure of a lifetime...’Route 66 Tours’ welcome you to come with us on a road trip like no other... the world’s first all-
female riding tour of Historic Route 66. “Chicks getting their ‘Kicks on Route 66!’ “Join with other women just like yourself: wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, girlfriends... and explore the raw, celebrated and spectacular Mother Road. Covering over 2400 miles of roadtrip heaven... Route 66, The Mother Road, Will Rogers Highway, National Old Trails Highway and The Main Street of America are all names describing the famous ribbon of concrete and
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tarmac that stretches from Chicago, IL, to Santa Monica, CA. “This guided Motorcycle Tour will journey the real America... Meet the authentic folk that call the heartland of this amazing country home, eat in true American diners, and stay in historic hotels and motels along the way. “Beginning in one of the premier cities in the USA — Chicago — you will visit all 8 states (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona & California), encountering numerous cultures, and a huge diversity of terrain. From the magnificence of the Great Lakes and the Corn Belt of Illinois, the rolling hills of the Ozarks and mesmerising Llano Estacado, to the Painted Desert. Cross over the High Plains, climb through Alpine Regions, The Grand Canyon, and drop down into the Mojave. Then we reach the Land of Milk and Honey — concluding in the light spangled Las Vegas.
“You will also visit iconic Route 66 sights, such as the Wagon Wheel Motel & Wigwam Motel (inspiring Pixar in the animated movie Cars), 1929 Chain of Rocks Bridge, St Louis Gateway Arch, Devil’s Elbow Bridge, Gay Parita Gas Station, 4 Women on the Route, 9 Foot Highway, Catoosa Blue Whale, 1933 Texaco Station and the Big Texas Steak Ranch. Not to mention, of course there is copious time scheduled for shopping. So, if you relish riding with the sun on your face, in the company of other like-minded women... then this tour is a ‘must do’ experience for you! “For all detailed tour information please visit the site: www. route66tours.com.au.” Thank you, Kristi-Anne, and I reckon it’s almost worth donning drag to have a chance of going along on that one… hey, I did write “almost”… Oh, and I think I saw our Terri checking her passport to see if she had enough time left on her visa.
There is history all along America’s Main Street.
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