G IN HID OT GN IN RID
ALL-AUSSIE ROADS AND RIDES
NEW BIKES TESTED DUCATI XDIAVEL ■ INDIAN SPRINGFIELD ■ FRANKENSTEIN FUN BOB ■ CAN-AM SPYDER F3T ■ HARLEY-DAVIDSON ■ CVO PRO STREET BREAKOUT INDIAN CHIEF DARK HORSE ■
DAYS IN THE SADDLE 2016 (Vol. 8 No. 2)
Aus $9.95* NZ $11.95 (both incl. GST)
WWW.CRUISERANDTRIKE.COM.AU
■ UTA AGM ■ READER’S RIDE ■ EAST OF COWRA
HD ADSTER PLUS: LONG-TERM TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT|NEVER TOO OLD|AND EVEN MORE STUFF!
CONTENTS
68
NEW BIKES & TRIKES 12 28 38 48 68 76 100
Harley-Davidson CVO Pro Street Breakout Fat-tyred bruiser Ducati XDiavel All black tie and dinner suits Frankenstein Fun Bob Putting the fun back into conversion trikes Indian SpringÀeld Is this the new king of the road in this market? Harley-Davidson Roadster A harder edge than the Roadsters from 30 years ago Can-Am Spyder F3T The sports-touring Spyder. Perfect for long-distance hoons! Indian Chief Dark Horse Darker than a double-shot of espresso
RIDDEN 86
Long-Termer: Triumph Thunderbird LT Sandbag has laid claim. Yeah, he’s a fan
76
28 ON THE ROAD 60 111
A Day in the Saddle: East of Cowra The NSW central west is full of hidden gems A Reader’s Ride Take pics and notes. We’re happy to share your rides
OUT AND ABOUT 90 104
United Trikers Australia AGM They invaded Echuca and Moama Never Too Old If you really want to ride, you’ll find a way
COMING UP 8
Next Issue Harley-Davidson Low Rider S. Both the 110 and 117 versions
TECHNICAL NOTES 22 112
FYI News and products you need to know about Cruiser & Trike price guide Do the sums and count the pennies
COLUMNS 6 114
G’day He’s off in la-la land. Expected back soon Sandbag In praise of reliability
60
Editorial
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU’RE OUT RIDING AND CREATING MEMORIES. THAT’S THE SORT OF STUFF YOU CAN NEVER GET FROM A BOOK OR A WEBSITE”
I
’m hating this winter, but loving it at the same time. Yeah, I’m complicated.
Following one of the longest summers any of us can recall, the sudden onset of cold and wet has hit like a slamming door. Not that a drop in temp or increase in water from the sky has stopped us riding. All it’s done is cause us to dig into the riding gear cupboard for jacket liners and winter gloves. The woollen long johns have also made a re-appearance. For me, it was also time to wear a full-face helmet on the road instead of my normal open-face or shortys. I’d forgotten how badly I can make any full-face visor fog up. With the visor open enough so that it doesn’t fog up, it wouldn’t have been any colder in an open-face when I went out last week on the Low Rider S. But each of us has kept riding. It’s what we do. We live on Sydney’s western and south-western fringe. The mercury nudges negative figures but very rarely touches them. It’s cold but it’s not bloody Orange, or Coldstream. Having said that, it’s a bit harder to get out to the Cruiser & Trike
6
workshop when the thermometer’s sitting in the single digits. More fun going for a ride. Yeah, I’m complicated. A little bit of pre-planning goes a long way to creating good memories. There’s plenty of very good winter riding gear out there these days. Buy the best you can afford. You’ll be thankful after the second fuel stop when you’ve still got dry feet and hands and your mate with the department store specials is moaning. Would you like your wet, miserable mate’s memories or your own? The most important thing is that you’re out riding and creating memories. That’s the sort of stuff you can never get from a book or a website. We’ll be the three well-insulated blokes laughing somewhere far from home next to three dirty, filthy cruisers. That’s what we do. Nothing complicated about that. Share your own winter rides. Send us an email with a couple of high-res pics. Try this address: cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Have fun, Mick Withers
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Next Issue
NEXT ISSUE W
hat’s coming up in Cruiser & Trike 8.3? We’ve got stuff. Stuff that will make your heart sing and your feet itch. Harley-Davidson has released the Low Rider S with a Screamin Eagle 110 Twin Cam hot rod engine. Then they let us — Mick — loose on the 117-cubic-inch version. No one else got a look-in except Tim Munro, who took it for a quick ride while they were doing the pics. That Mick and that Tim were last seen trying to talk to their respective accounts departments. The Victory Octane and Moto Guzzi Roamer are both arriving next. We’ve got an HD Roadster that needs to be allowed to breathe. There’s also another Frankenstein trike and we’re still looking at more bikes. Cruiser & Trike 8.3: Packed full of goodness.
Cruiser & Trike
8
Dreaming of a NEW Bike?
Editor Mick Withers Contributing Editors Tim Sanford and Paul Bailey Contributors Morry Cantarella, Anne Sewell and Paul Gosling Photographers Tim Munro, Greg Smith, Anne Sewell, Paul ‘Gozo’ Gosling, Lyn Rawson, Cheryl White, Peter King and Tim Sanford Designer Connie Leung Editorial Email cruiser@universalmagazines.com.au Subscription enquiries mailorder@universalmagazines.com.au Advertising Manager Christian Schisas Ph (02) 9887 0393 0405 624 329 US Advertising Representative Stacey Swanson, marketsas@gmail.com Ph 925-292-9470 Advertising Production Ian Cassel Advertising Senior Designer Martha Rubazewicz Publisher Janice Williams
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SPECIFICATIONS Tyres: F: 120/70 ZR17 R: 190/55/ZR17 Seat height: 820mm (low seat: 790mm) Kerb weight: 254kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 19L imited Warranty/Service interval: 2 years un km 10 000km or 12 months
Engine: Liqu d coo ed n ine 4 cyl nder 4 stroke DOHC 4 va ves per cyl nder 0:1 Disp acement/Compress on: 1293cc/13 Power/Torque: 129kW @ 9250 pm/140Nm
7
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VERDICT:
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TO REV
Chairman/CEO Prema Perera Publisher Janice Williams Chief Financial Officer Vicky Mahadeva Associate Publisher Emma Perera Associate Publisher Karen Day Finance & Administration Manager James Perera Circulation Director Mark Darton Creative Director Kate Podger Editorial & Production Manager Anastasia Casey Marketing & Acquisitions Manager Chelsea Peters
ralian Road Rider Bike Guide 67 The legen dary RR40 The lower 0 becom es the engine capac a shorte ity is achie new RR390. r stroke ved but the a new crank engine also through , piston, receives Titanium valves and rod, crankcases , head, starter moto r. SPECIFICA
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Call 1300 303 414 or visit universalshop.com.au/books to get your 2016 Bike Guide!
Circulation enquiries to our Sydney head office (02) 9805 0300. Cruiser & Trike Vol. 8 No. 2 is published by Australian Publishing, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9887 0300, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9694 6444 Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed by KHL Printing Pte Ltd, Singapore, distributed by Gordon and Gotch Australia. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but they may change in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.
* Recommended retail price ISSN 2203-2061 Copyright © Australian Publishing Pty Ltd MMXVI ACN 003 609 103 www.universalmagazines.com.au
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2016 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Free on Roads available on F3 and RT models, MY14, MY15 & MY16 models only. Spyder Ryder care supplied by NRMA roadside assist. Offer ends July 31st 2016. Always obey licensing rules applicable to your state and practice safe riding. Products are distributed by BRP Australia Pty Ltd.Some models depicted may include optional equipment.
New Bike Test
Cruiser & Trike
12
New Bike Test
HD CVO PRO STREET BREAKOUT The Pro Street name indicates that this is some sort of race bike. Yeah, maybe. Stick to drag racing and you’ll be right! Words: Paul Bailey Photos: Tim Munro
Cruiser & Trike
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New Bike Test
C
ustomisation. It’s a fascinating thing. It means so much to so many people in the motorcycle world. For as long as motorcycles have been on this planet, and as far back as the late 1800s, people have been buying or looking at a motorcycle and making conscious decisions about how they want to change it. Harley-Davidson has been one of the most prolific manufacturers in the world, and indeed in history, to not only make a unique motorcycle to start with, but to then change it to suit the customer’s tastes. Very early in its corporate life, Harley-Davidson came to the realisation that every owner
of a Harley wanted to be different to the next guy. He also wanted to be able to get a motorcycle that could be changed and made to fit personal tastes. Harley has had the unmistakable pleasure of being the leading custom motorcycle manufacturer for over a century. It has also been the brand and silhouette that hundreds if not thousands of people and businesses have used as the basic canvas for their own unique custom motorcycle. Harley has always produced unique and distinct one-off models over the decades but up until the start of this century they only did it in limited numbers and usually limited to one model at a time. For Cruiser & Trike
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example, they’ve made the Superglide, the XLCH Sportster, the XR1000 Sportster, the Sturgis, the Softail Custom and so on. There were always the anniversary models every five years and there were plenty of genuine factory accessories to make any model Harley yours and unique from the rest. But for the most part, the final custom finish of your Harley was done by the customer picking and choosing parts to be fitted to his beloved machine. The sky is the limit when it comes to how much you want to customise and how much you want to spend; your imagination is the only thing that can limit you from building something special.
New Bike Test
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New Bike Test So where does that leave HarleyDavidson in relation to being the leader of the custom world? At the top of the tree, thank you very much. Harley has taken it to the next level in many ways over the last 16 years. The release of the CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) motorcycle has been an enormous undertaking by the company. The first few years saw very limited production numbers of CVO models, which made them very desirable to the public. The mandate for the CVO range has obviously been to produce the best possible custom Harleys from within its own parts catalogues, and to offer these dream machines to customers at a higher price than a stock model, but also at a price
that you couldn’t duplicate by building the bike from the parts catalogue. A very clever move by Harley. People want the top prize, they want the very best that can be had, and if you can afford or justify the money, you will have a limited and very unique part of Harley history — a Harley that is at the very top of its game for build, paint, chrome and performance. That is something special to have. The current CVO Breakout is a perfect example of that Harley attitude of having a package in the CVO range that is unique and individual compared to the rest of the Harley models. It is purposefully built to be unique but, at the same time, it has been produced by the factory and the CVO designers to be a 100 per cent
Cruiser & Trike
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New Bike Test
GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Riding position; Seat; Finish and custom paint on frame and other parts not normally done.
GRIPES Rust in the exhaust-pipe ends, not good enough; Fat-ass tyre — too big to be practical; So much black and so hard to keep unscratched.
Cruiser & Trike
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New Bike Test
Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson CVO Pro Street Breakout Price: $42,495 (ride away) Engine: Screamin’ Eagle air-cooled, twin cam 110B, 45º V-twin, 4-stroke, 2 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101.6 x 111.1mm Displacement: 1801cc or 110ci Compression: 9.2:1 Power: Secret Torque: 151Nm @ 3500rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.
R: Twin adjustable coil-over shocks Brakes: ABS F: Dual floating 300mm rotors with four-piston calipers. R: Single fixed 300mm rotor with four-piston caliper Tyres: F: 130/60B19 R: 240/40R18 Frame: Tubular steel cradle Seat height: 660mm Wheelbase: 1680mm Length: 2330mm Weight: 332kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 18.9 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or 12 months
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New Bike Test genuine Harley-Davidson in every detail. I had the CVO Breakout for a couple of weeks. I’m no stranger to Harleys and CVOs but I did want to get to know this newest creation. Visually it is very different from the stock Breakout. It has a whole different level of cosmetics and function to the standard offering. The upside-down front-end and twin disc brakes are a standout, with good looks, well-mannered suspension and great stopping power. Move back a bit and there is a serious motor! It’s 110-cube-inches of brute power, combined with sophisticated intelligent fuel injection and electronics that is perfect for this motorcycle. The power is extremely strong, with effortless ease of acceleration and a smoothness that is very hard to beat. Add to that a sixspeed gearbox that is slick and tight and
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offers the perfect ratio in any situation and it makes the ride even more of a pleasure when on the highway. Visually the bike is also stunning and very distinct. The choice of the two colours may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does create an impact. Wherever it goes and wherever it is parked it demands attention, which it gets. The detailing is everywhere, from the pop-up fuel cap, the simple but complete dash, the use of braided lines, the use of simple switch gear that incorporates cruise control to the detailed frame that is also painted in the same pearl black as the tinware. It is all very well done and the quality can’t be faulted; the thick luxurious finishes are from front to back on this CVO. To ride the CVO is to be conscious of what you have bought and what it has been designed to be. It is a cruiser — not
New Bike Test
IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … Not a lot. Better suspension would be nice, but overall it’s a pretty good package.
a race bike! It was not designed to go around corners at sports bike speeds or with higher levels of aggression. You may think you are going fast and doing the GP Rossi thing, but you ain’t! The 240mm rear tyre is a monster. It looks absolutely fantastic and is a major design feature of the bike, but it is not there to be pushing the bike to the limits. The CVO must be respected as a very usable motorcycle but with some very strong limitations and different handling characteristics. It is simply a fact that when negotiating bends and roundabouts at low to medium speeds, the big fat rear tyre makes the bike hard to turn and lean smoothly and it offers vague feedback to the rider. It is just a fact of the design brief. But it is a very important part of the motorcycle and something you would not change easily. You must be completely resigned to the fact that this Harley is a cruiser that has some very definite limits regarding how it manoeuvres at slower speeds. At highway speeds the tyre is much less of a concern; you can change lanes and so on with a normal feel to the bike, and it will handle past sweepers well if you take a firm and deliberate approach to how you negotiate the bend. This combination of tyre sizes needs to be encouraged to turn or lean. It is not as instinctive as narrower, more traditional tyre sizes as fitted to the Softail Slim, for example.
Otherwise the CVO does everything very well; the cruise control was a nice touch and very easy to operate and is one of the best I have used. The rider position for my 179cm frame was perfect, with just the right reach to the bars, and the foot controls were also well placed, offering support and comfort. The seat is similarly brilliant, offering great comfort and support for my time with the bike. Ground clearance is on the low side. Even riding with a deliberate action to keep the bike more upright and straighter in the bends, it still touched down easily, wearing away some of the beautiful finish on the pegs and various other parts of the underside Cruiser & Trike
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of the bike. But again — it’s a cruiser, not a racer, so enjoy it for what it was built for. Value for money? You can’t beat it. Yes, it is a lot of money, but there are a lot of custom parts and styling in this CVO that makes it what it is. Long-term investment? That’s a hard one. Harley is changing and improving its range so quickly these days it is hard to know how it would hold its value in the future, but it will always be a CVO. Would you need to do anything more to it? Well, there are over a thousand pages in the Harley-Davidson parts catalogue so I’m sure there is something there to make it that little bit more personalised for you.
FOR A ONE-OF-A-KIND RIDE
Cobra
ADVANCED TREAD ARC COMBINATION – TRI ARC PROFILE
DURABLE, EXTRA-WIDE DESIGN FOR ONE-OF-A-KIND ROAD MACHINES You spend us much time tinkering in the garage as you do on the winding coastal roads or long, dryy deserted corridors. Although they manufactured more than a few motorcycles the same as yours, none are quite the same. None have yourr fingerprint. None have been built with your sweatt, blood and oil. You need a special purpose tyre. One custom fitted to a custom machine. Avon. The great British tyre that’s taking on the world.
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New FFG (Force Following Grooves) technology and stylised tread design blanace rapid water dispersal, tyre stability and maximum resistance to wear Wide custom tread arc and design for improved manoeuvrability at low and high speeds Unique Snakeskin Sidewall to compliment the Cobra branding on the tyre Maintains tyre shape through out its life. Tyres performance is consistent from start to finish. Tread pattern and carcass work together to deliver excellent stability. Available up to 300mm wide
British tradition. World reputation. www.proaccessories.com.au
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FYI
Here’s a variety of stuff you need to know to make your life complete, or at least to be better informed.
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MOTO GUZZI V9 ROAMER AND BOBBER Hand-built in the historic Moto Guzzi factory on the shores of Lake Como in Mandello Del Lario, the V9 features the iconic Moto Guzzi transverse 90° V-Twin engine first introduced in 1967 and synonymous with Moto Guzzi to this day. The essence of this engine has been included in the all-new V9, creating a mid-size cruiser for the Moto Guzzi model range. Complete with Anti-Lock Braking System, Moto Guzzi Controllo di Trazione (Traction Control) and the platform for the Moto Guzzi Multimedia application (available as an accessory), the new V9 offers all the safety and technology customers have come to expect from the brand that has been creating history for 95 years. Two models are on offer: V9 Roamer and V9 Bobber. The Roamer is a cruiser with pearl paint and extra chrome, while the Bobber wears matt paint and 16in wheels. We’re testing a Roamer and will tell you all about it next issue. If you want to know more, log on to www.motoguzzi.com.au and follow the links to the V9 model pages.
FYI
MUSTANG SEATS’ VISION OF COMFORT Vision of Comfort offers significant improvements over the stock seat on Victory’s luxury touring model. Their new one-piece touring seat for Victory Vision widened the bucket radius of both the front and rear seating areas while slightly lowering them as well. Not only does Mustang’s more comfortable design let the driver sit back into the 17.5in-wide seat, but the front nose area has been designed slightly lower to eliminate that “crowded” feeling. The passenger is fully supported in a 15.5inwide bucket that is contoured for comfort. Mustang incorporated heating components for high/low dual control by driver and passenger. The new seat
fits all Victory Vision 2008–16 models and features detailed stitching accents to further enhance the Vision’s striking lines. For all-day riding support for the driver, choose the optional driver backrest that is easily removable, fully adjustable, folds for storage and quickly installs into the receiver that is built into Mustang’s seat. The seat cover material perfectly matches the stock passenger backrest
MOTO EXPO MELBOURNE Hey Melbourne, we’re on our way back for the 2016 Moto Expo. Lock these dates in your calendar or electronic planner: 25–27 November. Along with everybody else, we’ll be at the Melbourne Showgrounds. We’re making plans already for our stand that will include the East Coast reveal of the TC Custom Street 500 trike. Hopefully we’ll have even more news on that before then. For more info on the Moto Expo Melbourne: www.troybaylissevents.com/ melbourne-moto-expo/ Cruiser & Trike
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on the trunk. Part number is 79723. As with all Mustang seats, the marine-grade fibreglass baseplate, proprietary comfort foam and individually sewn covers are proudly handcrafted and assembled in their American facility. Feel the difference that Mustang makes! For more information, including pricing and special freight deals to Australia, visit www.MustangSeats.com
FYI
GEARWRENCH X-BEAM Anyone who has turned spanners for any length of time can tell you about spanners with beams that feel as though they’re going to cut your hands in half. That’s because the average spanner has a rectangular middle and you’re pressing against the thin side. Yeah, that gets old pretty quickly.
BOOM MUSTANG ST1 The Boom Trikes Mustang ST1 is now available with an 85kW 1.6-litre Peugeot engine and integral Electronically Controlled Transmission. Electronically controlled transmissions, which appear on some newer cars, still use hydraulics to actuate the clutches, but each hydraulic circuit is controlled by an electric solenoid. This simplifies the
The GearWrench 12-piece extralarge X-Beam Combination Ratcheting Spanner Set has been designed to be your new best friend for fittings, fastenings and everything in between thanks to a whopping 500 per cent increase to surface area and 90° rotated wrench shaft. During use, these wrenches will
rest flat on your palm while you rotate. This significantly increases comfort and productive distribution of force. When coupled with an astronomically increased area size, you are left with a wrench that does the job faster and more efficiently than ever before. It’s so bloody simple. On top of this, the GearWrench XL X-Beam Combination Ratcheting Spanner Set features wrenches from 8mm to 19mm, with an overall reach that is up to 25 per cent longer than average, providing access to those hard-to-reach fasteners. We’ve got a set on the way and will try them ourselves to test the claims. Having used some shockers over the years, Mick reckons these spanners will be staying in his workshop. The set is RRP $219. For more information on all GearWrench products and to find your nearest retailer, visit www.gearwrench.com.au
plumbing on the transmission and allows for more advanced control schemes. Electronically controlled transmissions have even more elaborate control systems. In addition to monitoring vehicle speed and throttle position, the transmission controller can monitor the engine speed if the brake pedal is being pressed. Using this information and an advanced control strategy based on
fuzzy logic — a method of programming control systems using human-type reasoning — electronically controlled transmissions can do things like downshift automatically when going downhill to control speed and reduce wear on the brakes. Test drives are available from Oz Trikes in Somersby. Call Johann on (02) 4372 1100 or visit www.oztrikes.com.au
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‘All-Alloy’ for Indian ‘Scout’ IN STOCK
It’s not where you’re going ... It’s how you get there.
The modular luggage system for all motorcycles. VENTURA ŝƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĨƌŽŵ LJŽƵƌ ĨĂǀŽƵƌŝƚĞ ŵŽƚŽƌĐLJĐůĞ ƐƚŽƌĞ͘ &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĂďŽƵƚ s EdhZ products visit www.kenma.com.au email: sales@kenma.com.au or if you are in QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, NT, SA, WA phone 02 9484 0777, Tas ph 03 6339 2770
FYI
AUSTRALIAN MOTO GEAR LED LIGHTING
and 230m of asphalt-melting punch to blind kangaroos and turn the darkness friendly as far down the road as your speed and brakes need. Rough sizes are 75mm by 65mm front and 79mm deep with integral mounting brackets. The price is a very reasonable $99 each. Buying individually allows you to mix and match to suit your own requirements. If you look at the pics, you’ll see that Graham (boss of Australian Moto Gear) has the floodlights pointing outwards on his V-Strom to light up the edges of the road in close. The spotlights are mounted up high for longer-distance vision. He gave us a couple of pics of the lights in action but the pic of the standard light’s output was too dark to use. We’re going to fit a pair to the XV1900 as part of its current freshening. Next issue we’ll tell you how good we found them. In the meantime, you can order from www.austmotogear.com.au
LED lighting has brought safe night-time riding within reach of even the most timid. Being able to see Skippy and his mates before they’re a problem is always a good thing. After searching around and trying a number of different options first, Australian Moto Gear has found a couple of 20-watt LED lights that are well suited to any bike. Or anything else that needs improved lighting. They offer a flood and a spot light with four Cree LEDs in each unit, powdercoated die-cast aluminium housings, stainless-steel brackets and bolts and an IP rating of IP68. That IP thing means they’re dust-proof and waterproof. No arguments. The flood lights offer 900 lumens output and 120m of punch into the darkness, and a suitably wide spread of light in close where you need to spot critters planning to explode out of the scrub. The spotlights offer 1300 lumens output
SPOT BEAM
FLOOD BEAM Model: SW12252
Model: SW12252 10
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INDIAN CHIEFTAIN DARK HORSE Indian has rolled out another derivative of the Chieftain that we like. Actually, we like the Chieftain Dark Horse a lot. The basics are pretty basic. Take a Chieftain and add tonnes of matte black, a hint of chrome, solo seat, short screen and all of the normal accessories found on a Chieftain. The Indian Chieftain Dark Horse comes with a two-year unlimited-kilometre factory warranty with premium roadside assistance, priced from $34,995. For more info visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.au Cruiser & Trike
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HIP & KNEE ARMOUR POCKETS BREATHABLE COOLING SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGY
NextGen
www.dragginjeans.net
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POWER CRUISER DUCATI BROKE NEW GROUND WITH THE DIAVEL. THE XDIAVEL BREAKS THE MOULD AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Words: Paul Bailey Photos: Greg Smith
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he XDiavel is the result of some very serious research and development by Ducati and the realisation of what the customer wants in a power cruiser. The launch on Tuesday evening was a black tie affair — black bikes, so black tie. The venue was Matt Moran’s Aria restaurant in Sydney. Matt Moran was there to greet us as we arrived and he was proudly displaying his own XDiavel. Matt is a Ducati lover and collector and owns some very exclusive models. He is a rider and a passionate Ducati owner. It was actually nice to listen to the guy talk about his Ducatis in a humble and proud way without the hype that some people resort to when talking about their collection. Matt then went on to explain our menu for the evening and where the different elements of the meals came from — interesting stuff!
Warren Lee, CEO of Ducati Australia, was also on hand and during the evening we had a presentation from him on the allnew XDiavel. The information was concise and interesting to say the least. I think it made every journo there even keener to get on the bike the next day. After a pleasant night’s sleep at the Sheraton on the Park, breakfast was had and then we had a quick briefing on the XDiavel before heading south to Scarborough Pub for lunch. The route was going to take us through the national park. Excellent choice and we were all eager to test this new Ducati. First up was the usual familiarisation of controls and functions. There are three modes of power delivery: Urban, Touring and Sport. We all used the Urban mode during our city exit to our first stop out near Sutherland. What a nice way to ride a motorcycle! With this mode, the XDiavel is a delight in city traffic; it allows the bike
to pull away cleanly from lights and idle along in traffic with virtually no big twin issues that you may expect from such a bike. This is due to the mapping and the use of variable valve timing and fly-by-wire throttle. Ducati has done very well with this mode and it is a pleasure to ride in traffic. Once on the open road I played around with the other maps. This can all be done with the bike moving — there is no need to stop to select a mode, again a great innovation with this bike. Each of the modes offers different power and torque levels. Sport is obviously the most powerful mode and really unleashes the beast of a motor. The engine is the Testastretta twin cylinder DVT 1262cc. Cruiser & Trike
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GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Sport mode Riding position Lean angles in corners
GRIPES Finish of the tank stripe on the S Usual Ducati messy wiring, needs to be tidier Mirrors have blind spots at the outer bottom edge
DVT stands for Desmodromic Variable Timing; it is brilliant in how it works and in how Ducati has harnessed the system to produce such a versatile motorcycle. The XDiavel is not lacking in grunt. It produces its 95ft/lb maximum torque at 5000rpm, and a maximum of 156hp at 9500rpm. All of this in a 220kg dry weight package with gearing to make the absolute most of the engine. Very stout figures for a cruiser! And it shows on the road. Ride the bike sedately and enjoy the smooth, flexible power and torque, but change to Sport mode and this thing is fast! The acceleration to silly speeds would make it a major player in any company. That includes pure sport bikes and all of the
so-called mega horsepower bikes. It really is very fast. How does it ride? Very nicely, thank you. The new riding position puts your feet further forward than the earlier models. To suit different leg lengths, there is a threeposition adjustment for the foot pegs. The handlebars are wide and comfortable, offering good feel and leverage without being too wide and awkward. The seat is low at 755mm and gets you sitting in the bike, not on top of it. It holds the rider securely in the saddle and at no time did I feel uncomfortable or uneasy in the riding position. It felt very natural as we left the city and only gave me more confidence as we travelled further. The levers and foot Cruiser & Trike
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controls are all in sensible positions and offer good feel and adjustment to your own style of riding. With most cruisers using forward controls there is a limitation in lean angle and a tendency for the rider’s heels to touch down early in a corner. This can limit a rider’s confidence and lean angle. Next to touch is generally some part of the cruiser’s frame or exhaust — well, not so with the XDiavel. Due to the narrowness of the bike combined with the foot pegs being placed high enough to be both comfortable and out of the way when cornering, not to mention 40 degrees of lean angle, the XDiavel is very hard to touch down in even the tightest or fastest of corners.
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Quickspecs Model: Ducati XDiavel Price: XDiavel $27,490; XDiavel S $32,490 (Plus ORC) Engine: Ducati Testastretta DVT, L-twin, 4-valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled Bore x stroke: 106 x 71.5mm Displacement: 1262cc or 77ci Compression: 13:1 Power: 114.7kW (156hp) @ 9500rpm Torque: 128.9Nm (95ft/lb) @ 5000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, belt final drive Suspension: F: 50mm USD telescopic fork. R: Fully adjustable coil-over shock
I found myself leaning more and more as we travelled through the national park; the tightest of corners caused no concern and the faster open corners were not a problem. A few, shall we say, exuberant plays on some of the corners with two or three bikes in a row were an absolute blast — never did I or the others feel compromised by the riding position. Fast cornering is very easy on this cruiser — I had a smile so big my cheeks started to hurt. On many other cruisers, a 240mm rear tyre is a real problem but that is not the case with the XDiavel. Ducati has come
Brakes: ABS F: Dual semi-floating 320mm rotors with Brembo Monobloc four-piston calipers. R: Single fixed 265mm rotor with two-piston floating caliper Tyres: F: 120/70ZR17 R: 240/45ZR17 Frame: Tubular steel trellis Seat height: 755mm Wheelbase: 1615mm Length: 2450mm Weight: 247kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 18L Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 15,000km or 12 months
up with the perfect geometry for the big back tyre and there is only the slightest of resistance to leaning the bike at low speed when turning right-angle corners in city traffic. It is just not there when you are travelling faster. In fact, the wide tyre, even with our hard plays in corners, never used the entire width so this can be interpreted as a plus as you will never actually run out of rear tyre when cornering. Once I was comfortable with this fact, it made it very easy to pin the throttle when coming out of corners and let the DTC take over and control wheel Cruiser & Trike
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New Bike Test spin. Very comforting when playing hard. The suspension is also up to the task and handles the dynamics of the bike well. It is able to handle the road and corners with ease. There is adjustment at both ends and it's easy to set it up for your weight and riding style. There are two models in the XDiavel range: the standard, which comes in matt black, has less machined surfaces and different wheels; and the S model, which has gloss black finishes, machined surfaces and very nice custom wheels. Mechanically and technologically the bikes are identical. It really gets down to price or finish preferences; both are stunning and both would be easy to own. Belt final drive is also used on both models, a first for Ducati, and it offers a very quiet and seamless ride. Obviously the belt is strong enough for the power and I’m sure would offer faultless service. As belts don’t stretch, there would be very little need for adjustment; simply enjoy the silent operation of the system. Features of the bike include the singlesided swingarm, Brembo radial calipers up front, and under-slung exhaust that exits out the right side of the bike just in front of the rear wheel with dual outlets. The
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New Bike Test sound is so nice I don’t know if I would even change the system for a louder one — it sounds awesome as is. The digital dash is simple in design but offers loads of information on its 3.5in screen. The switch blocks are backlit for night use, a first I think. The simplicity of changing modes or settings with the easyto-reach toggles makes the job a breeze. The bike also uses a keyless system for starting; there is a fob but it only has the key for the fuel cap — the rest is done by proximity sensors. There is a two-stage start system — a button needs to be pressed to bring up the dash and prep the bike for start, then there is the usual toggle and push button start procedure, which is simple and effective.
The seat on the S is suede and very plush, with a small but functional pillion back/bum rest that is only there to stop the pillion from sliding off the seat if they weren’t hanging on or the rider was too enthusiastic with the power — a nice thought by Ducati. Paint on the S is black and glossy, although I didn’t like the finish of the tank stripe — it looks like the gloss black has been painted up to a masking line and there has been no attempt to tidy it at that line with clear or some other process. I wonder how long the nice sharp, raised line of the stripe will stay that way! The S wheels are just pure custom sex appeal. There is also the Ducati Power Launch system. When it’s activated, you can have a full-on drag race launch. It will control the
IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … XDiavel: I’d change the paintwork to gloss black XDiavel S: The mirrors and grips
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bike’s dynamics and will allow very rapid launches from a standing start. You can do three of these in quick succession, then the bike must be ridden a short distance or a short time period must elapse before you can do it again. There are three levels that this function can be set at. I see in the brochure there is a Termignoni dual exhaust tip that looks wicked and there are a number of other accessories to dress up the XDiavel. Each pack is designed for the different modes of the bike: Sport, Touring and Urban. So there’s a lot said about this new model. It is typical Ducati quality and technology in a motorcycle that oozes power and cruiser with a big emphasis on the power. But what I liked was the
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subtlety of the mapping to allow this bike to be very comfortable in the urban jungle, to be then capable of touring but to also be capable of being both a canyon carver and drag bike all rolled into one. Two-up riding is limited and your pillion would have to be seriously in love with you to ride interstate. But for the rider who spends the majority of their time riding solo, if you have the cash this XDiavel would be very hard to beat. The Black Tie theme of the dinner suggested elegance, distinguished riders and class. Then the ride was about the non-conformism, relaxation and performance. This isn’t a wolf in sheep’s clothing — it’s more than that. It is two opposites of the spectrum.On one hand it’s sophisticated, but then it can be an absolutely brutish monster. It is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!
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FRANKENSTEIN
FUN BOB More smiles per mile sounds like an old advertising slogan but that’s exactly what TC Custom Bikes’ Frankenstein Fat Bob does to everyone who rides it Words: Mick Withers & Morry Cantarella Photos: Luke Nieuwhof & Mick Withers
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M
any years ago I had the following quote hung on my office wall: “Simple design is like white light. Its complexity is hidden.” That applies equally to this trike. It appears to be a simple thing. One part Harley-Davidson Fat Bob and one part Frankenstein Trike, assembled by Tony at TC Custom Bikes. Nothing to it. Grab the parts and whack ’em together. Yeah, right. A lap of inspection of the Fat Bob was the first step. The front-end looked familiar. Straight out of the HD factory, of course it was familiar. From the tip of the front tyre to the ends of the handlebars, not one
single thing had been changed. From the stock HD seat, the view forward across the stock fuel tank and dash was all exactly the same as the last Fat Bob I rode. Even the rear guard and taillights were stock. Where things started to vary was at the swingarm pivot. The standard swingarm and rear wheel had been removed. What replaced them was a Frankenstein 38in Sport Trike rear end. Have a look at that rear end and at first glance you see a new steel swingarm and a lot of aluminium with a standard HD drive belt and pulley arrangement. Look deeper and you’ll find a single inboard brake rotor with a Frankenstein four-piston caliper that was
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machined from a couple of pieces of solid aluminium. Like the rest of the kit, it was purpose built or selected as being the best option available. Smack-bang in the centre of the rear axle is a large aluminium housing. Hidden inside of this is a Dana 30 differential that allows the inside wheel to turn slower than the outside wheel while cornering. That may be a new name to you but they are very well known in the automotive world. Outside of the differential are the same axles you’d find in a street/strip Ford 9in. The bearings are all sealed and the complete assembly is packed with Moly EP grease for long service life. If you’re not familiar with that
New Trike Test info, trust me when I say that these are industry-standard components. At the outside ends of each axle is a 15in wheel with a round, black rim protector. The bolt pattern is Ford so in theory you could borrow a pair of wheels from your neighbour’s XR6 ute. More importantly are the mudguards encasing those tyres. Rather than a flat surface with a couple of curves, Frankenstein has developed a piece of art that follows the radius of the outside of the wheel as well as tread from side to side. In all honesty, they were the very first part of the assembled trikes my eyes locked on when I got to TC Custom Bikes. The shape is glorious; it took me back
to being a young teenager and the front guards on my cousin’s husband’s ’29 Dodge hot rod. Flat guards belong on trailers. The guard brackets are also a work of art in black powdercoat. There are as many ways of mounting guards as there are trikes. These suit and match the similarly finished swingarm. Australian Design Rules mandate that Tony fit a pair of combo tail and brake lights on the back edge of each guard. Those same ADRs also require a mechanical handbrake. Tony developed his own bolt-on assembly using commercially available gear and came up with something that works and looks good. The cable activates a separate brake caliper on the rear brake rotor. Clean, simple and effective while meeting the ADRs. Cruiser & Trike
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GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Fun Fat Bob seat
GRIPES Handbrake was too far back to reach while sitting on trike Back to the view forwards. I only did it once, but don’t try and ride off with the handbrake on. The handle is easy to grab as you step aboard but I got into a habit of releasing it after I’d sat down and forgot it once. Thankfully my mate Morry was there to constantly remind me to
New Trike Test release the handbrake. So, with handbrake released, the 103-cube Twin Cam was fired up. The staccato idle of Screamin’ Eagle camshafts brought a smile to my face. The rumble through the Vance & Hines pipes was louder than we’re used to on the east coast. Apparently the Western Australian noise laws are also a bit more sensible. Not that I’m complaining — it helped cement the grin. Riding the Fat Bob was a bit weird. Everything you can see of it from the rider’s seat is bog-stock Fat Bob. The bits you can’t see are the bits that attract the most attention from everyone else. It’d be easy to pull up at the lights and automatically put your feet down as you come to a stop. I’ve seen the opposite happen … thankfully I stayed focused and remembered what I was riding. With Morry acting as tour guide, we rode from Port Kennedy (south of Perth)
to Perth Harley-Davidson where we met up with Patrick, who then took us on a semi-guided tour and semi-hoonathon to Fremantle and north to Hilary’s Boat Harbour along the coast road. This was urban and semi-urban riding with the added hazards of Western Australian drivers — the new mark for dangerous driving. Blinkers and mirrors are optional on cars in Perth. Or maybe it’s the use of them that is optional. What this did do was provide plenty of opportunity to practise defensive riding and accident avoidance. The Fat Bob was a blast to ride through traffic. The added 40kg of the Frankenstein rear-end wasn’t noticeable. Happy cams and open pipes allowed me to play a fine tune to alert the visually challenged drivers of our presence. Without whipping out a tape measure, I was only guessing at the diameter of the rear tyres but by eye, they looked to
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be about the same diameter as the stock wheel. The real test was on the road and the gearing was fine. No need to change the gearing on a Fat Bob. Cracking it off the lights to get ahead of cars was never a problem but filtering at lights was. Neither Morry nor I fell into that trap. He’d never ridden a trike before but spent a long time punting sidecars in his younger years. Didn’t stop me looking for opportunities to get to the front. Highway cruising and overtaking was never an issue. At most, “one gear down and crack it” was enough to settle any concerns with cars invading my personal space. Steering was light and precise without being vague. The Fat Bob’s standard steering geometry worked well. Very well, actually. There was no wandering around in a straight line at highway speeds but the crawl into Perth in the middle of peak-hour traffic wasn’t a chore either.
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SECOND OPINION As well as being a quali ed motorcycle mechanic with a very wide experience, MORRY CANTARELLA has also ridden most things with two wheels and a variety of sidecars. But he’d never ridden a trike. Perfect bloke to have along as a tour guide and riding mate. Here are his thoughts on the Fat Bob. We’ll save his comments on the Street 500 and Street Bob until we run them.
"When Mick told me that I’d be writing a second opinion on these trikes, I thought, 'Oh well, here goes.' Two words sum up the Fat Bob: Big Fun. "I’ll come straight out and say it: I fell in love with the Fat Bob. With the smaller fat 16in front wheel, twin disc brakes and with performance cams and free flow air filter, this bike went like a rocket.
"It steered even quicker, stopped harder, and was more comfortable with a wider, softer seat. It was just so much fun and I kept laughing every time I got in front of Mick, especially on the back roads where it was quieter traffic-wise. "When it came time to hand the keys back to Tony and Coreena after riding the Fat Bob most of the day on all sorts of roads, it was bloody difficult. I wanted to take the limestone-coloured trike home. Just like limestone, these trikes are built rock-solid. "As a long-time motorcycle mechanic, I reckon that the build quality is outstanding. Especially considering it’s a bolt-on conversion kit where you can return your bike to solo anytime. "Big thanks to Tony and Coreena for the opportunity to ride these trikes."
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New Trike Test Lane changing was quick and simple. At higher speeds on the bends we could find, the Frankenstein Fat Bob went where it was pointed. Simple stuff, but not all conversion trikes manage that. The Dana differential did what it’s supposed to do without drawing any attention to itself. I like that sort of stuff. One thing I did find is that by shifting a bit of body weight and adding a touch more throttle, it was possible to make the inside tyre howl on corners. Hoon? Absolutely. This is part of our testing procedure. We need to test the stability of a trike when cornering and a wheel pops up in the air. Saves you from finding out. On the subject of trikes and cornering — this is a conversion trike, not a purposebuilt trike. There will always be differences between the two styles. One of the major differences is the centre of gravity and cornering ability. A conversion trike such as this Frankenstein Fat Bob generally has a higher centre of gravity and narrower track when compared to a purpose-built trike. That has to make a difference to cornering but compared to an old Harley-Davidson Servicar, the Fat Bob was on rails. Not quite in the same league as a purpose-built trike but it’s a very good thing. When we were leaving Hillary’s, perhaps I got a bit throttle happy and possibly there was a Fat Bob front wheel hovering above the road surface. Allegedly. On a closed road, of course. We roared down the freeway through the traffic to Perth HarleyDavidson before taking off down more roads among WA steering attendants and reaching TC Custom Bikes in one piece. Perhaps it was a spirited ride. Allegedly. Through traffic and lane changing, the Frankenstein Fat Bob was always under my control. It went where I wanted it to go.
Quickspecs Model: Harley-Davidson FXDF Fat Bob R: Twin shocks Brakes: ABS F: Dual rotor with fourPrice: Bike: $25,495 (ride away); piston calipers. R: Single rotor with fourConversion $16,950 piston caliper Engine: Air-cooled, high output twin Tyres: F: 130/90B16 R: 215/60HR15 cam 103, 45º V-twin, 4-stroke, 2 valves Frame: Tubular cradle per cylinder Seat Height: 690mm Bore x stroke: 98.4 x 111.1mm Wheelbase: 1620mm Displacement: 1690cc or 103ci Length: 2400mm Compression: 9.7:1 Weight: 360kg (wet) Power: n/a Torque: 131Nm (96.6ft/lb) @ 3500rpm Fuel capacity: 18.9 litres Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance Servicing intervals: 10,000km or clutch, belt final drive 12 months Suspension: F: Telescopic forks.
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The word is control. Perfect control without having to fight for it. Big heaps of fun. If this was Facebook, the thumbs-up symbols would be stacked 10-deep. You want the bottom line? Here it is: TC Custom Bikes has built up a great working relationship with Frankenstein Trikes and is building very good conversion trikes. They’re a simple but very effective design. The standard of workmanship from production line to final touches is world-class. There are differences between this and other trike conversions and that’s a very good thing. It’d be a very boring world if we all wanted exactly the same thing.
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IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … The handbrake. I’d prefer it further forward. And I’d like to try a set of footboards.
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THE TRIKE CONVERSION SPECIALIST!
2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON WIDE LIDE
Further to our llaunch of the Frankenstein coversion kits in November 2015 for the Dyna & Softail models and April 2016 launch of the new street 500 trike. To satisfy the novice/learner rider we are now happy to ofer a custom range option to have your motorcycle converted into a TRIKE your way with your custom design in mind. Don’t forget our street 500 trike now available at these outlets.
1427 ALBANY HIGHWAY, CANNINGTON WA 6107 Phone: (08) 9458 6754 www.perthhd.com.au
74 BLAIR STREET, BUNBURY WA 6230 Phone: (08) 9721 5466 www.southwest.com.au
957 SOUTH ROAD, MELROSE SA 5039 Phone: (08) 8177 1277 www.adelaidehd.com.au
WHEN TWO WHEELS IS NOT ENOUGH... AND FOUR IS TOO MANY CALL FOR SPECIALIST AND EXPERT ADVICE... Unit 1, 3 Crowley Street, Port Kennedy 6172 P: 08 9524 6474 E: tonycro@bigpond.com www.cooltrikes-perth.com
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INDIAN SPRINGFIELD IS THIS INDIAN’S VERSION OF A SWISS ARMY KNIFE OR A LEATHERMAN? WE RECKON IT’S GOT SOMETHING FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow
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I
ndian employed a group of blokes and blokettes to walk among us and ask questions. They were sent out worldwide, tasked with providing the basic outlines for new models. They talked to owners of cruisers and touring cruisers to find out what riders want. When they returned and, after they’d finished filling out the paperwork for petty cash expenses and presented their findings, the designers and engineers butted heads to reach a happy medium. This may be true or a complete fabrication, but in one form or another, Indian staff have been asking us riders what we want. They’ve been looking at the offerings from other manufacturers and sales figures. But this is nothing earthshattering; manufacturers have been doing that for more than a century. The Indian Springfield offers a number of key elements that set it apart in the
Indian range but also bring it alongside a similarly equipped bike from another American motorcycle manufacturer. Yeah, I know you’re not supposed to compare a new bike to an existing model, but that’s exactly what you as a reader and potential buyer will be doing. Starting with a quick-release windshield. Indian didn’t raid the spares bin — they designed a model-specific screen for the Springfield. They’re not a new innovation but quick-release screens make life easier for those who don’t want to undo a couple of bolts or clamps to whip off the screen. I don’t know about you, but I’m usually a fair way from home when I decide that the screen would be better hanging in the workshop. Or conversely, taken down off the wall and fitted to the bike. Sometimes I get it right. This one worked pretty well for me on the two days we spent on the road. You may not be as happy but Cruiser & Trike
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GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Exhaust roar Riding position
GRIPES Loose hand grips. Minor but annoying. The black paint is a dust magnet. we’re all individuals. We had a couple of Springfields in the pack along with most of the other Indian models, one with a screen and one without. Maybe the exact bikes changed but after trying both, the screen got a tick. There’s also a shorter version if you’re so inclined. The view forward was one part of the deal. The triangle between bars, seat and pegs is another big part. Indian has endowed the Springfield with a unique
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chassis. The wheelbase is longer than a Chieftain but shorter than a Chief Vintage. Sitting in the leather seat with your feet on the footboards and your hands on the buckhorn bars’ handgrips is where you decide whether you’re really comfortable — especially a fuel stop away from home. The first 50 or 100km on most bikes is spent working out where the blinker switch is — comfort is not your first priority. I liked the Springfield. The three points of the triangle were all in the right spots. Hand controls never rated a mention. Neither did the rear brake pedal, but the toe-only gear lever did. When you’ve got size-12 feet, the extra room on the
footboard where the heel part of the gear lever usually intrudes is a beauty. The brakes felt good and worked. Provoking the ABS into action took a bit of work but it was there when pushed extra hard. There are good and not-so-good fly-bywire throttles; happily, this was one of the gooduns. Especially when the throttle was opened hard and to the stop. Things started happening quicker. Scenery blurred and corners arrived quicker. The soundtrack was enhanced by mufflers more open than stock. Not loud enough to allow you the chance to meet people with sound measuring equipment, but definitely satisfying. Cruiser & Trike
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When we left the Sydney Indian dealership, we rode north across the Harbour Bridge and out the M2 and M7 to Windsor Road and then through Wilberforce to the Putty Road. Rumours of higher speed cornering are possibly exaggerated. Our pace was best termed as “spirited”. At those speeds, the Springfield was stable and relatively scrape-free. Maybe there was a hint of the odd interaction twixt undercarriage and tarmac. But if it did happen, they were a rarity, not a constant companion. The Thunder Stroke 111 engine is a beauty. In standard form it’s punching out 139Nm of torque and I guess the slightly
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SO HOW DOES IT STACK UP… The most obvious bike to compare the Indian Springfield to is the Harley-Davidson Road King. Indian told us at the launch that this is the Harley model they’re going after with the Springfield. The most relevant similarities are the fork-mounted, quick-release windscreen and the hard saddle bags. Both bikes offer 16in wheels, footboards and plenty of options for the owner to finish them off to suit their own tastes. One area where the Springfield stands
out is the optional top box. It’s huge and as easy to fit and remove as the screen and hard bags. If you like to carry everything you own with you when you ride, you’ll love the top box. Torque production is within 1Nm. Road King has a 22.7-litre fuel tank, 1.9 more than the Springfield. The Road King is 371kg with a tank of fuel compared to the Springfield’s 372kg dry. The Springfield has a lower seat height (660mm to 715mm). They are close — very close. Ride both and buy the one that makes you smile more.
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Quickspecs Model: Indian Springfield Price: $33,995 (ride away) Engine: Thunder Stroke 111, V-Twin, three-cam, air-cooled, 2 valves per cylinder Bore x stroke: 101 x 113mm Displacement: 1811cc or 111ci Compression: 9.5:1 Power: State secret Torque: 139Nm Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, gear primary drive, belt final drive Suspension: F: 46mm telescopic forks. R: Single shock with air adjust Brakes: ABS F: Dual floating 300mm
rotors with four-piston calipers. R: Single floating 300mm rotor with two-piston caliper Tyres: F: 130/90B16 R: 180/60R16 Frame: Cast aluminium Seat height: 660mm Wheelbase: 1701mm Length: 2583mm Weight: 372kg (dry) Fuel capacity: 20.8 litres Warranty: 2 years, unlimited distance with roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 8000km or 12 months
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New Bike Test louder pipes and more open air cleaner assembly probably added another couple of Nm. I don’t know how many, but I can say that every one of them was pulling as hard as the next Nm. Plenty of instant grunt to help you pull hard out of that uphill corner that was tighter and steeper on the exit than you first thought. One trait from the Chief range that is absent on the Springfield is the momentary funny feeling that both Paul Bailey and I have encountered when turning into a corner. Steeper steering rake (25 versus 29 degrees) and shorter trail at 132mm compared to 155mm may not seem like
much, but they have made the Springfield steer very well. We’re not talking sportsbike-like steering, but a very steady and stable transition from full upright to whatever lean angle you choose. A stable platform allows you to do your best work. Springfield is stable. And steady. Sure, there are smaller, lighter cruisers that you might hustle quicker or faster, but few would touch the Springfield’s all-day ability. The hard bags are side-opening and capable of swallowing 65 litres of luggage, much more than I carried. Due to a thankful lack of rain or dirt roads, I can’t comment on their water and dust-proofing
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abilities. I reckon they’ll be every bit as good as the remarkably similar hard bags fitted to the Roadmaster. As the back half of the chassis is very similar to that of the Roadmaster, it will come as no surprise that the 64-litre topbox from that model also fits the Springfield. This gives you a touring cruiser with plenty of options for luggage and wind protection. Start exploring the Indian catalogue and you could customise a Springfield to suit you and your exact wants. Because I was distracted by the ride and relying on others to tell me when we needed fuel, I failed in my duty to tinker with the
New Bike Test
IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … The bars. I’d want to try the apehangers, but after a couple of trips they’d probably end up hanging on the wall in the shed.
Indian’s extensive library of on-board entertainment systems — otherwise known as the tank-mounted gauges. I could have scrolled through TPMS — Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, cruise control indicator, tachometer (I saw that one), electronic speedometer (glanced at that once or twice), odometer, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, clock and more. If I noticed the cruise control, I’m not aware of it. Perhaps it’s me, but Sydney’s M2 and M7 aren’t the places to be cruise controlling while surrounded by blokes you know and traffic. The cruise control on the Roadmaster is about as good as it gets. Very simple to use and extremely smooth in operation. I’ve been assured that the two systems are the same so it’s
going to be very good. Also untested were the abilities of the Springfield’s headlight and driving lights. Given that I’ve ridden both Chiefs and a Roadmaster at night and found their headlights to be better than good, it’s probably a reasonable assumption to think that the Springfield’s will be up to the task. Go and ride one. If you’re really serious, Indian offers a weekend-long test ride on their larger models. That’s a great way to get out and ride a bike. You learn more doing that than you will from a 30-minute trip through suburbia. Has Indian hit the right combination of parts to make the Springfield stand Yes. It’s a good bike. A very good b Cruiser & Trike
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A presence that refuses to be ignored. Matte black from nose to tail. And a class-leading 111 V-Twin. You want to take the lead? Take it. With the Chieftain Dark Horse. Power in its rawest form.
Indianmotorcycle.com.au | P: 1300 00 463 426 | *Overseas model shown with optional accessories.**FacebookÂŽ is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc
A Day In The Saddle
EAST OF COWRA Just say you found yourself in Cowra. What are the options for a ride back to the Sydney snarl? You could travel back along the very good Mid Western Highway that used to rejoice in the rather more evocative name of The Olympic Way, but there are other ways so read on ‌ Words & Photos: Tim Sanford
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A Day In The Saddle
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A Day In The Saddle
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he Cruiser & Trike crew generally prefers a lunch stop at the Rose Garden Coffee House, which nestles behind a rose garden (naturally) on the corner of the Grenfell Road and the Lachlan Valley Way. This location has all the food choices you could want and it is right next to the Information Centre and McDonald’s. We choose it because although there are plenty of good cafes in Cowra’s main street, it is fairly steep and angle parking makes parking bikes a bit of a chore. The Rose Garden is flat ground with a bit of shade and you reach it by going over the bridge at the west of the town and it’s right there on the left.
Before you leave the town, try this detour: ride out of the car park and go straight across the Lachlan Valley Way onto a road which sweeps down and under the new overbridge. Two things greet your eye: first there are the massive concrete supports for the overpass, but they have all been richly decorated with indigenous artwork and are well worth a contemplative look; second is what must be a very early low-level bridge across the Lachlan River, one lane and with timbers laid lengthwise to make two wheel tracks as the roadway. To locals it is simply ‘The low level’. The artworks were painted in 1995 by local indigenous Cruiser & Trike
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artist Kym Freeman and have become a highly regarded tourist attraction. As for the low-level bridge, well, if two-and-a half raindrops fall upstream I guess it goes under. Apparently the council locks the gate on either side, and a local reckons it takes a bit more that 2.5 drops. To leave Cowra, get back on the main street, go to the traffic lights at the top of the hill and turn left into Brisbane Street. For a very moving and worthwhile detour visit the Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre. For that detour take the third turn on the right (just under one kilometre from the lights) and that’ll take you into the Japanese Garden; there is a very good
A Day In The Saddle
cafe/restaurant as well as information on the Cowra Breakout in August 1944. If you don’t take the detour, stay on Brisbane Street, which turns into Binni Creek Road. Travel 19km and there is one of those odd dogleg junctions but you can see that our road goes more or less straight on. At 25km there is a T-junction and here you go right onto Belubula Way and that will take you to Mandurama. This is a town in decline and there are too many buildings with those sad boarded-up windows that signal the end of occupation and the beginning of slow decay back to the earth. The road just travelled must be the bestkept secret for outstanding cruiser roads. Cruiser & Trike
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A Day In The Saddle
It is gently undulating with wide corners, excellent visibility and an impressive surface. Even the bikes with suspension that I’ve moaned about would give no back agony here. The scenery is open pastureland and I saw plenty of stock but no wildlife and no road kill. If you wanted to, you could wind your cruiser right out on this road and enjoy its full performance. (Allegedly — MW) At Mandurama you turn left and head up the Mid Western Highway for about 7km, where you turn left and go down the hill into Carcoar where you will be whisked back in time for sure. This little town has been completely bypassed by the highway and it has been able to retain its old-world charm. There are some absolutely stunning buildings but there are also some dwellings that have fallen into
disuse. What seems to happen to these is that somebody eventually buys them just in time and then restores them tastefully. It is a truly lovely place to visit. There is a good pub as well as a couple of cafes but they are only open at selected times. The highway used to go through Carcoar of course and as a lad I well remember the poor cars that formed the ancestral Sandbag stable struggling up the northern hill out of the town. Halfway up said hill there used to be one of those signs indicating that the speed limit was “derestricted” (those were definitely the days!) and I used to marvel at the seeming impossibility that any vehicle could struggle up the hill at anything faster than the rapid walking pace that our ancient jalopies could manage. Leave Carcoar and turn left at the Cruiser & Trike
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A Day In The Saddle highway junction. Just a little way up on the right there is a sign to Carcoar Dam and the viewing platform for the wind farm that decorates the skyline. If you fancy camping, the dam has a camping area and it’s free. On weekends it’s a popular spot for the locals to enjoy water sports, mainly scooting around in highpowered boats. Back on the Mid Western Highway and after 15km you get to Blayney, which is a busy little town where there is food and drink if you fancy it. Mick recommends Ryan’s Bakery on the corner opposite the service station. Our route takes us to Newbridge and there are two ways to get there: the first is on the southern entry to the town and goes to Newbridge via the locations of Barry and Hobbys Yards; the second starts in the middle of Blayney on the right where there’s a sign that points to Newbridge. Both roads are good but I took the second option. That road is a combination of scenery with open pasture and bush mixed with some quite sharp corners that can take you by surprise and some bridges over the rail likewise. This route will let you know how good your suspension is but most of the bumps are easily spotted so you can avoid them. Newbridge is a tiny town with one of those excellent pubs where the verandah is the best place to down a glass. When I stopped to take some pics of the old railway footbridge, two locals strolling by asked me if I needed any help. “Is it that obvious?” I thought but I thanked them for their kindness anyway. From Newbridge the road climbs until you are finally rewarded with a spectacular view of the valley south of Bathurst. The road then plunges down and wends its way through the open grasslands to a T-junction at the Bathurst/Goulburn road. Turn left and ride through the old pastoral settlements of Georges Plains and Perthville before entering Bathurst through an area that once enjoyed the beautiful name Queen Charlotte’s Vale. Bathurst has several interesting old bridges and as you turn left into Rocket Street you’ll pass the steel structure that spans the railway line. This bridge is made with sweeping arches as supports and although I didn’t get a date for its construction, it certainly looks like an early crossing. This ride may not be very long but it is a very relaxing alternative to the hig Give it a go! Cruiser & Trike
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A Day In The Saddle
COWRA IS A MEDIUM-SIZED TOWN IN THE CENTRAL WEST OF NSW, BUT IT IS SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS A PLACE OF PEACE. HERE’S WHY. During WWII there were 28 prisoner-ofwar camps in Australia; Number 12 POW Camp was sited just over the hill to the northeast of Cowra. It initially held mostly Italian prisoners who were sufficiently quiet and trusted enough that many worked in the surrounding farms, content to wait out the war in a camp which abided by the Geneva Convention until they could go home and rejoin their loved ones. The Japanese prisoners were very different. Deeply instilled into Japanese soldiers was the basic code of “Bushido”: the values of justice, courage, mercy, politeness, honesty, honour and loyalty. Sadly, at the beginning of the war, the Japanese government modified these high ideals into a weapon of war and on the 8th January, 1941 (well before Pearl Harbour), it published “Senjinkun” (the Field Service Code). This document demanded that a
Japanese soldier “never permits himself to be taken prisoner” and “death by his own hand is preferable to the dishonour and humiliation of capture by the enemy”. In August 1944, Camp B at Cowra held 1104 Japanese prisoners of war. They were ordinary soldiers (officers were kept in Camp D) and almost all of them had been captured because they were wounded, sick or unable to continue fighting. Those circumstances, which would seem both extenuating and honourable to Australians, were intolerable to the Japanese who, to save their families from the dishonour and social stigma attached to having a son or father who had not died a “glorious death” in battle, never wrote home. Many had given false names when captured so that their families would not be dishonoured. They simply ground
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out their days in the shame of captivity, utterly convinced they were the lowest of the low, the abysmal dregs of their country, with no possible way to claw back their lost dignity. The shame of surrender is something most soldiers can grasp, but not the Japanese. To them they were disgusting creatures that had lost everything of value in their lives. Camp 28 had become overcrowded and plans had been made to transfer many prisoners to the camp at Hay. The prisoners were informed of this planned separation and it became the catalyst for the Breakout. At 1.50am on the 5th August 1944, a bugle was blown by Toyoshima Hajime, known as Minami Tadao in the camp. He was given the honour of signalling the attack because he had been the first prisoner captured on Australian soil when his Zero fighter was shot down over Darwin. Hut doors were burst open and
A Day In The Saddle
the buildings set on fire by upending the braziers used for heating. Four waves of prisoners hurled themselves against the perimeter wire; two of these waves attacked parts of the perimeter that was defended by watchful Australian soldiers with Vickers machine guns, who had suspected just such an attack. The guns streamed .303 bullets into the advancing attackers at the rate of seven or eight rounds every second. At such short range the death rate among the attackers was both horrific and tragic, but as each man was mown down, he collapsed to the earth clutching the last straw of his honour. He had been denied death in battle but he had died making a desperate attack on the Australian guards — the enemy. Privates Ralph Jones and Benjamin Gower Hardy were manning one of the guns but they were eventually overrun and killed by their attackers. Both soldiers were posthumously awarded the
George Cross for valour. Over the next nine days 378 prisoners escaped the camp and 334 were recaptured. Another 234 Japanese died either during the Breakout, or from wounds sustained in the rush for freedom or death. Some of those who escaped the camp committed suicide in the bush. Australian casualties were four men killed and four wounded. At the end of the war, the brutal treatment that Allied prisoners of war had received at the hands of the Japanese caused deep-seated and long-lasting bitterness among Australians and when the Japanese car industry first sold cars in Australia, there was significant hostility towards them and they were not welcomed in RSL car parks. It is therefore surprising that it was the Returned Soldiers League of Cowra that decided to lay the past to rest and consolidate the remains of those Japanese who had died in the Breakout and afterwards into a Japanese section
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of the War Cemetery at Cowra. In 1963 the Japanese government planned the repatriation of Japanese war dead but its representatives were so impressed by the attitude of the Cowra RSL members and the honourable way they had treated their former enemies that, in company with the Australian government, an agreement was reached and the Japanese War Cemetery at Cowra came into being. The War Cemetery is a sacred place — sacred not only for the uplifting and humanitarian behaviour of old enemies who can treat each other with the level of respect that is enshrined in both the Bushido and also in the core values that characterise Australia, but also because where once there was misunderstanding and ignorance, bitterness and hatred, now there is honour, acceptance and respect. Seventy years on and with the world again in turmoil, Cowra shows that there can be light in the darkness.
New Bike Test
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New Bike Test
HD ROADSTER CRUISER? NAKEDBIKE? SPORTSBIKE? OR A BIT FROM COLUMN A AND A BIT FROM COLUMN B WITH A PINCH OF COLUMN C? Words: Tim Sanford Photos: Supplied By HD
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New Bike Test
T
he launch of the new Roadster by Harley-Davidson was a very professionally conducted event. A good sprinkling of scribes from the motorcycle media in Australia were ushered into a room where a shrouded motorcycle shape was presented in front of a background of HD logos in red against black. The image was evocative but the shrouded shape gave away certain indications of the machine: compact, svelte and low. Clearly this was no road-going behemoth. When the moment came and the shroud was whisked away there was a genuine gasp of admiration from the assembled audience as the reality of an impressive motorcycle fulfilled the earlier expectation. The Roadster is very much a minimalist design and Harley has aimed it at the younger rider who is looking for a machine with street cool as well as offering entry into the ranks of HarleyDavidson ownership. With low bars, low seat, high tank and bugger-all bling, the
Roadster scores immediately in the street cred department so it’s an instant winner for style. It reminded me of the 48 but where that bike expounds the minimalist style with a touch of raw custom about it, the Roadster has style and class and comes across as rather more refined. The metallic bits can be summarised. The engine is the 1200cc Evolution V-twin and it does all the usual things riders like in that engine. That’s to say it shakes the mirrors gently at idle, and at cruising speeds you are aware of the engine turning over down there but it’s never intrusive. The clutch is wet and is cable-operated, and there are twin discs up front but they are gripped by twin-piston sliding calipers. ABS is there to provide panic support. The gearbox has five, the front suspension is by cartridge but not adjustable, and the rear suspension is twinshock with double rings to adjust preload. Sitting on the bike in the sun, the first thing that strikes you is that the highest part of the machine is the top of the fuel tank. The engine starts instantly (there
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is a remote locking key fob for security) and the second thing that strikes you is that the footpegs are in the way. They are wide and quite comfortable but I found I needed to be constantly aware of their location to clear them when I put my foot down at stops. They also could do with being a bit narrower for my liking. On the road the bike immediately engages with you and it seems to shout at you that it’s not just a show pony with street cool, it’s a machine which demands to be ridden and repays that demand with a damned good riding experience. The throttle is “fly-by-wire” and is light and accurate, as is the engine management.
GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Riding it
GRIPES Width of the footpegs Illegible digital speedo
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New Bike Test I encountered no cases where I could fault the EFI and progress through traffic was a dream. The power is easy, fluid and at lower speeds everything you could ask for. Later in the ride, when several of us had commented on the fact that the engine would be even better with a bit more grunt — and yes, there is a Screamin’ Eagle kit to give it exactly that — somebody suggested that when the lights went green we should … well, the result of that was a rush of Roadsters roaring away from the evening peak traffic at very respectable accelerations indeed. Of course we all backed off before we exceeded the speed limit, but up until that point things were rapid indeed. But back to the ride. We took the bike through lots of bendy bits (the launch was in Canberra) and my hope that the bike would be good in corners was not dashed. It has very good ground clearance and the first things that skim are the rubber footpegs and they obligingly fold up to allow a bit more enthusiasm. Further to the footpegs question I found myself asking how would the bike go in café racer style with clip-on bars and rearsets? I think it would go very well indeed and I am sure Harley has already noticed that such variants have been very popular with the reborn British marques. Up and down through the gears was pleasure itself, with every shift quick and precise. Even though the bike had limited kilometres (about 700) there was no evidence of the sort of stickiness in gearbox action that goes away when the box is run in. This box was excellent straight out of the box. Steering the bike into and through corners was easy and the figures of 28.9º rake and 140mm trail
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New Bike Test
give the bike a good compromise between stability and nimbleness. I liked the way I could push it into corners with the confidence that if I needed to alter my line, the bike would respond accurately. It is, as the brochure says, confidence-inspiring. At first the brakes were a bit perplexing. You could well ask why Harley gave the bike sliding calipers when they must know how good the four-pot units they fit to the bigger bikes are, yet with the Roadster — which is allegedly targeted at the sportsbike rider — they’ve gone for sliding calipers. And because the front brake lever had a softish feeling to it, you can appreciate my concern. None of that ultimately mattered because when you’re hard on the brakes into corners, the bike slows progressively, and when you use all the power they can deliver you’ll find your eyeballs meeting the visor. Soft they are, but very powerful and controllable as well. In front of the rider is a nice analogue tacho that gives you the revs of the moment and below that there’s a dark area. In daylight you can peer into this dark area and you can just make out, in a slightly lighter shade of dark, digital images that tell you speed and a whole lot of other stuff
that would be incredibly beneficial — if you could see it. Most digital instruments do okay with LCD technology that uses dark numbers on a light background and this instrument on the Roadster is intended to be an advancement on that, but why would somebody present a digital instrument that you can’t read in daylight? It makes no sense and in this country where Velocity
COLUMN A, B OR C Harley-Davidson has built hot rod Sportsters before. In fact, as far back as 1957 when the first Sportsters were released, they were the Harleys of choice for blokes and blokettes who wanted to go that bit quicker. About eight or nine years ago they built a beaut version called an XR1200. I tested one back then and loved it. Paul Bailey now owns that very bike and is rather fond of it. The Roadster name has been used before on Sportster-based models but they were basically stockers with a Superglide fuel tank. Purely a parts-bin styling exercise. The jury was evenly split but I reckoned that they looked good. Given that there are already a number Cruiser & Trike
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Revenue Collection is a mainstream income for governments, it puts us at a serious disadvantage. Please fix it and fast. On the boulevards around Canberra the suspension was fine and when the roads were smooth and twisty it managed well enough. When the roads got bumpy it was not so happy and although not in the spine-smashing class, it is definitely on the
of naked 1200s in the marketplace, this little pigeonhole is pretty exciting. The key elements are nakedbikes with mid-mount foot controls and low bars. Triumph has its new T120 Bonnies. Victory has the Octane. And now Harley has the XL1200CX Roadster. Who’s going to buy them? That remains to be seen. We reckon they’ll appeal to sportsbike riders with bodies that no longer want to fold up into a GSXR/ ZX10R/R1-shaped pretzel. But we reckon there’ll be a new wave of younger riders who want a Harley but not a traditional cruiser. It’s an exciting time and buyers of new bikes have more options from Harley than ever before. — MW
New Bike Test
Quickspecs Suspension: F: 43mm telescopic forks. Model: Harley-Davidson XL1200CX R: Twin adjustable coil-over shocks Roadster Brakes: ABS F: Dual floating 300mm Price: $19,495 (Ride away) rotors with dual-piston calipers. R: Single Engine: Air-Cooled, Evolution 45º 260mm rotor with dual-piston caliper V-twin, 4-stroke, 2 valves per cylinder Tyres: F: 120/70R19 R: 150/70R18 Bore x stroke: 88.9 x 96.8mm Frame: Tubular mild steel cradle Displacement: 1202cc Seat height: 785mm Compression: 10:1 Wheelbase: 1505mm Power: Big secret Length: 2185mm Torque: 98Nm (72.3ft/lb) @ 3750rpm Transmission: 5-speed, wet multi-plate Weight: 259kg (wet) Fuel capacity: 12.5 litres clutch, belt final drive
firm side. Preload at the rear is adjustable but I didn’t get to fiddle with it. Perhaps we may do that if we can get our hands on a test bike. (We have. And Paul did. Reckons it was worthwhile — MW) When we stopped I got the chance to check out the style of the bike and I liked what I saw. It looked good under the lights at the unveiling but out in the sun the metal does its thing and shows you that Harley-Davidson is very capable
when it comes to making motorcycles that look brilliant, even when they’re standing still. The pose of the bike is street tough and it conveys a feeling of wanting to get out there and do it. The sweep of the chromed pipes is accentuated by the shorty mufflers and the addition of black heat shields; there’s the custom option of black pipes if that’s your fancy. As far as making the Roadster your Cruiser & Trike
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own special custom creation, you know it’s a Harley so naturally it comes with a pretty comprehensive list of goodies to add on or change to personalise it to your taste. How about five different handlebar selections, each with its own set of cables, wiring, hydraulics and so on to match the bar height and give the chosen combination a factory look? Style is not restricted to the machinery and Harley announced a new range of clothing and accessories to go with its new street prowler. The colours and styles are subtle and they convey dedication to the brand without going too far towards the outlaw image. I guess that’s a sign of the times and of the clothing I saw, several items had me thinking, “I could wear that.” So welcome to our roads, Harley Roadster! The brochures may well say your main domain is the urban concrete playground, but I suspect we will find that you have other very desirable attributes as well. I can’t wait to give this bike a proper test because it shows so much genuine promise.
New Bike Test
IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … That speedo, before the Velocity Revenue Collection removes my licence
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New Spyder Test
CAN-AM SPYDER F3T More fun than a free night at your favourite licensed steak joint. Or the funhouse at Luna Park Words: Mick Withers Photos: Action Man, Tim Sanford; Static, Mick Withers
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New Spyder Test
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New Spyder Test
T
he English language is fun, especially for those trying to learn it. Same and similar words with different meanings litter our lexicon. Fun is such a word. This is fun. Let’s have fun. Don’t bother with your online dictionaries. I’ve removed the traditional definitions and replaced them all with a pic of a Can-Am Spyder F3T. Hands-down, this is the most hooliganlike three-wheeler I’ve yet ridden. The F stands for FUN! Before leaving Western Motorcycles aboard the F3T, Darren walked me around the Spyder and pointed out new features. All the while this was going on, he had a slight grin on his face. “You’ll like this,” he said as he handed the key over and walked away. Turning right onto Mulgoa Road and heading south from the shop, I had the inside front wheel in the air and was roaring with laughter. After missing the freeway onramp, it was game-on down Mulgoa Road to points further south before heading back to the office. A short, straightforward trip
became a much longer and more circuitous one. I’m easily distracted. Let’s back up a tad and have a look at the F3T. In Can-Am Spyder lingo, T stands for Touring and that adds a package to the basic F3. A fixed-position screen sounds a bit dated but it works very well. I was more than happy with it. You, of course, may want it taller or wider or just different, but that’s what catalogues are for. In standard form, it’s a beauty. The other big and noticeable things you may have seen in the pics are the saddlebags, or hard side luggage as CanAm labels them. They’re a decent size and being side-opening, bigger bags can be squeezed in, or maybe a smaller openface helmet. Can-Am engineers put a bit of extra thought into these bags and they are fitted with an easily removed barrier across the lower inside edge to stop stuff rolling out when the door is opened. The front storage area offers about 24 litres of capacity but I found that my Shoei openface with peak took up just about all of the room. Opening this is a breeze: insert Cruiser & Trike
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GRINS & GRIPES GRINS Fun factor Hooligan-like behaviour
GRIPES Throttle lag Very quiet muffler
the ignition key, turn it and push. Click, the front door opens. Nice. Simple. This particular F3T was fitted with an optional seat that was very comfortable and offered a level of lumbar support. I can’t speak for pillion comfort but the adjustable sissy bar from the accessories catalogue looks to have enough adjustment to keep most passengers happy. Also fitted for rider and passenger comfort were footboards instead of the footpegs fitted as standard. Having tried both pegs and boards, I really prefer the extra foot positions that you get with boards. The only foot actions you need
New Spyder Test to consider are bracing with your outside foot when cornering with a bit of extra spice, and braking. The footbrake under your right foot does all of the braking. More on that in a minute. The pillion footboards must stay down, no biggie really. If you try to fold them up, they’ll only go so far before they come into intimate contact with the bodywork. Leave them down and use the left one as your step to stick your left boot on before throwing your leg over. With your feet on the boards, you sit down and into the F3T more than the superseded RS and ST models as well as
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the more touring-orientated RT. It’s a good place to spend hours between fuel stops. Speaking of fuel, the fuel cap is between the rider’s seat and the steering head. No need to lift up bodywork to refill the tank. It may be a small touch, but I liked it. The most I poured in was 22.54 litres, not bad in a 24.4-litre tank. I guess more fuel would have gone in if I’d been patient, but I wanted to get back on the road. The UFit handlebars on this particular F3T fitted me perfectly. Because I rarely read the owner’s handbook for any bike, it took me a couple of rides to remember the buttons on the handlebars but really
New Spyder Test you can survive quite comfortably with the basics. The optional stereo was good, very good, and about as good as a ‘standard’ stereo gets. Sound level goes up and down with speed, like any other decent system these days. Below the screen is a trapdoor. Lift it and you’ll find a USB port as well as a 3.5mm audio jack, which is what I connected my iPhone to. Radio sucks, my playlist doesn’t. You can be more adventurous but I choose to stick it on random and let it go. The dash looked familiar and was as easy to read and comprehend at a glance as I remembered. The lengthy starting procedure from previous Spyders has been shortened and firing up an F3T is as easy as sticking your foot on the brake pedal, turn key, push Eco button and then the starter button. The old system was like enduring a 30-second commercial break before the video started on YouTube. Much better. Engine running. You can tell by looking at the tacho. Easier than listening to the exhaust, which is severely muted. I’m sure the rare green tree wombat is comforted by the lack of noise intruding on its habitat. Personally, give me more triple-cylinder music. Three-cylinder engines should be allowed to howl the song of their people. It is a soul-stirring song that speaks to me but in standard trim it is akin to listening to the local girls’ choir humming the chorus. Sad, but easily cured. Again, foot on the brake and engage a gear. No foot on brake equals no gear selected. Best choices are first or reverse; either is available by pushing the thumb and forefinger lever under the left handgrip. Reverse requires an extra button push on the left but that’s minimal. The six-speed transmission is semi-automatic. With first or reverse selected, twist the throttle and go. It really is that simple. After setting off in first, second and subsequent gears are but a thumb press away. The shift time is markedly shorter than previous models and you can hustle your way up and down the ’box just as fast as you can push up with your thumb or down with your forefinger. Feeling lazy as you slow down? The transmission automatically selects a lower gear as you drop speed. That’s going. Now for the stopping. That pedal under your right foot is connected to a trio of Brembo’s finest calipers and brake rotors. Want to stop quicker? Press the pedal harder. The available braking force is as strong as your knees’ grip
A NIGHT AT THE DRAGS Anything with less than four wheels is fair game when it comes to drag racing. I’m a lifelong racer and plan to be racing well into the future. Due to things that were built and raced close to 50 years ago, threewheeled vehicles were severely restricted on Australian dragstrips. A push for road-registered trikes, roadsters and even sidecars to be allowed to race was finally given the green light. Because no-one else had, I decided to take the Can-Am Spyder F3T out to Sydney Dragway and race it during one of their regular Wednesday-evening Off Street Meetings. All you need is a fullface helmet, proper motorcycle riding jacket, jeans, boots and gloves. I’ll admit to being slightly nervous on my first pass down track. No-one had ever raced a Spyder in Australia before. What if I stuffed it up? After doing a burnout, I eased forward into pre-stage and then with my foot jammed hard on the brake and the throttle held wide
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open, I eased forward into full stage. As the amber lights flashed on the Christmas Tree, I released the brake pedal and waited for the throttle lag to end and send us on our way. With the throttle wide open and hard on the stop, I hit the shift button as soon as the tach needle touched 7500rpm and crossed the line in fourth gear. Well, three runs later I had a big grin and three time cards that read 14.609, 14.610 and 14.72 at terminal speeds between 150.87 and 151.56km/h (93.75 and 94.17mph), at an all-up weight of 605kg because I’m a big unit. Smaller, skinnier riders would be quicker and faster but at this point in time, and because I’m the only one who has had a go, I hold the unofficial Three Wheel ET and Speed records at Sydney Dragway. Unofficial but there have been slower cruisers down track. When Bike Nights kick off again — second Thursday of the month from October to March inclusive — Spyder and trike riders can now come out and have a go.
New Spyder Test
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New Spyder Test
Quickspecs Model: Can-Am Spyder F3T Price: $30,998 (ride away) Engine: Rotax ACE inline threecylinder, DOHC Displacement: 1330cc Power: 86kW (115hp) @ 7250rpm Torque: 130Nm (96ft-lb) @ 5000rpm Transmission: Semi-automatic sixspeed and reverse, belt final drive Suspension: F: Double A-arms with anti-roll bar, twin Sachs Big-Bore shock absorbers. R: swingarm with Sachs BigBore monoshock Brakes: Foot-operated, hydraulic three-wheel brakes. F: 270mm rotors with Brembo four-piston fixed
calipers. R: 270mm rotor with single-piston floating caliper and electrically activated integrated parking brake Tyres: F: 165/55R15 R: 225/50R15 Length: 2642mm Width: 1497mm Height: 1099mm Vehicle weight: 386kg (Dry) Vehicle load capacity: 199kg Fuel capacity: 24.4 litres Fuel range: 400km Warranty: 2 years, with 1-year roadside assistance Servicing intervals: 15,000km or 12 months
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on the seat and bodywork allows. You may not lock up the brakes, but you can certainly get your bum up and out of the seat if you’re not paying attention. Yes, it does stop that well. We haven’t really been anywhere yet; about time we did. A normal exit from a driveway keeps all three wheels firmly on the ground. Wind the throttle open and keep it open as you press your left thumb on the shift lever to go up a gear. Resist the urge to hang onto the bars in a death-grip. Relax and go with the flow. You should be able to cruise along with just your palms on the handgrips, or onehanded. The key to Spydering is learning to relax. If your knuckles are white, you’re hanging on too tight. The first time I rode
New Spyder Test a Spyder down the M4, I had to stop after 10km to fight motion sickness. I was fighting every move it made and with each steering input I was telling Nanny, the on-board VSS (Vehicle Stability System), that I was making a turn rather than a correction. Nanny on the F3T has had her hearing aid turned off. She’s still there in the background but far less intrusive and lets you do more of your own thing before she steps in and takes over. When you come to a corner, pull on the inside handgrip. This puts your weight forward and to the inside of the Spyder’s centre of gravity. If the corner tightens up, pull harder. In the unlikely case of getting into a corner way too hot, pull even harder on that inside handgrip and the F3T will come almost to a stop and allow you to regain control. This can be annoying at
urban speeds but you soon learn to be a smoother rider and that keeps nanny on her rocking chair. As for that front wheel in the air stuff … I’m not gonna tell you how I do it but how hard you accelerate around a corner has a lot to do with it. The suspension works very well. That might have something to do with the premium Sachs Big-Bore shock absorbers. The dampening and spring rates are well matched. The suspension is compliant over normal road bumps and Sydney potholes while keeping the whole plot level unless provoked. Can you do a skid as you take off in a straight line or fishtail away from a standing start on an F3T? On a wet road, all day long! Not quite as easy on a dry road but that’s more to do with the throttle lag. Yep, I found something to dislike. The
IF IT WERE MY BIKE I WOULD CHANGE … Fit a louder, more free-flowing muffler and get it re-tuned with a Power Commander V to match.
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F3 I rode briefly at Wodonga had much more instantaneous throttle response, almost like a throttle cable connected to throttle bodies, whereas this production model has a definite fly-by-wire feel to it. Disappointed? Yes. If I twist the throttle, I want things to happen at the same rate of opening, not delayed or at a rate that the computer deems appropriate. I’m not sure if this was unique to the F3T I rode or is common across the model, but it made me feel as though I needed a group hug. Another point I need to make while I think of it is tyre pressure. Spyders are more sensitive to tyre pressure than anything else you’re likely to ride on the road. I found that the F3T’s front-end was squirming too much and kicking nanny into action at much lower speeds than I have experienced on previous models. Lifting front tyre-pressure back from 15lb to 19lb made a massive difference. The same corners were much more fun with the correct pressures, substantially faster, too. Allegedly. That wasn’t the first time that I’ve had a Spyder with low tyre pressures make me question the handling. If in doubt, get your tyre gauge out and check for yourself. Don’t be put off by my comments about tyre pressure or throttle lag — this really is a fun thing to ride. Definitely the most fun I’ve had on a Spyder yet. If you’re thinking about your first Spyder, ride an F3T before you spend your money. They do take a little bit of getting used to after riding a solo but relax and let it happen. Give it time. Don’t force the issue.
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Long-Termer
TRIUMPH
THUNDERBIRD LT WELCOME TO THE NEWEST ADDITION TO OUR LONG-TERMER FLEET. OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS WE’LL BE TREATING THE TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD LT AS OUR OWN. EVEN THOUGH MICK HAD IT LAST ISSUE AND PAUL WAS SUPPOSED TO GET IT NEXT, SANDBAG MANAGED TO BAG THE KEYS AND CLAIM OWNERSHIP. WE RECKON HE LIKES IT MORE THAN JUST A BIT Words & Photos: Tim Sanford
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f you’ve read my previous words on this motorcycle you’re probably already thinking, “Here goes Sandbag raving about the LT again!” — and you’re right. I have indeed gone on about how good it is at cruising and touring, but there has not been any real trial of the bike outside that environment. So I took it into the city. I dragged it along freeways in peak-hour traffic (yes, I know, am I not seriously long-suffering?). I forced it along congested streets where there were wallto-wall vehicles all maniacally intent on getting wherever the hell they all go in a city. All the usual stuff you need to fight if you use a bike in that situation. The LT is a big motorcycle and with the big bags fitted there is not really enough room to stick it down between the lines
of cars at the lights; it can be done but there’s an awful lot of weaving involved so I generally gave that a miss. With a mass of around 380kg the bike is no light weight, and that means you need to be diligent and careful when coming to a stop. That’s helped by the very light and precise steering and the ease with which you can plant your feet firmly on the roadway. Another plus is the smooth and precise control offered by both brakes. When you want to take off, the bike can be smoothly and effortlessly propelled through the transition zone between walking it to keep it balanced and steering it with the bars thanks to the very progressive and precise (how many times have I used that word for this bike?) clutch control and the perfectly seamless throttle response. All of these features combine to give you the Cruiser & Trike
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confidence that every forward movement will be well executed and make you look like a true professional. So to sum up the traffic challenge, I can tell you that the LT came out well and truly on top — again. So not only is it a superb bike to ride on the open road, it’s also more than capable of handling traffic. Okay, it’s not the ideal tool, but it will get the job done if you must. I make no apologies for yet another rave because the bike has the merit and I want you to know about it. The only gripe I noticed was that on this ride I was more aware of the seat than I have been previously and I think that was because all the other rides were of all-day duration so I wore cycling shorts, whereas this one was only a few hours so I rode in normal underpants. That gripe is hardly the bike’s fault.
Long-Termer
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Long-Termer
STRIPPED AND RELOADED Casting my mind back, I remember that Sandbag did indeed come and take the then-naked T’bird under his protective wing. It was stripped down to a single seat, with a cool chrome rack from Triumph replacing the pillion seat. The saddlebags were occupying a shelf along with the sissy bar and the screen was hanging on the wall. It was a perfect naked city cruiser. All up, it took me less than 20 minutes to remove the extra bits and fit the rack. It’ll be closer to 10 next time because I’ve done it once and know exactly
what few tools are required. When I took the bags off, I took the mounting studs off as well. They could have stayed on but I preferred the look with them gone. Three of them re-appeared immediately from the internal pocket in the saddlebag where I’d placed them because it looked like a safe place. The missing one was found in one of the liner bags. Only took a little while to find … Re-fitting the four mounting studs was quick and easy. Line up the rear mount on the attachments on either side of the rear guard and drop the
front section in the mounting groove. Stick a couple of cap screws through the framework and into the mounting nuts. Tighten them up — I used the spiffy new GearWrench Multi Ratchet ¼in drive and right-sized Torx bit — and the bags were on. The screen is even easier; line up the hooked lower mounts on the bobbins and then push the screen on. It really is that quick and easy. If we don’t include the time spent looking for one misplaced mounting nut, the T’bird LT was back in touring trim in under five minutes.
1. Mounting nuts loose and re-fitted.
2. This is the mounting point for the back of each bag. Rubber-covered hook on bag slides in. Mick’s pointing to the lower front mount that Sandbag left out of the pic.
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Long-Termer 3. GearWrench Multi Ratchet has a ¼” square–drive ratchet on one end and a ¼” hex-drive ratchet on the other end. Only 150mm long, it’s a beauty. Perfect for this job..
4. Locate lower screen mounts and then push it home. Simpler than simple.
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Out & About
UTA AGM United Trikers Australia held its AGM along the Murray River at Echuca/Moama. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a fun time Words: Anne Sewell & Paul ‘Gozo’ Gosling Photos: Anne Sewell, Paul ‘Gozo’ Gosling, Lyn Rawson, Cheryl White & Peter King
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fter two years of planning, booking events and countless phone calls, the United Trikers 15th AGM finally arrived. This year’s event was held in March at Echuca/Moama. About 180 people with around 100 trikes from all over this beautiful country of ours made the journey to join a spectacular fiesta on the weekend. The team of six Victorian members — Rob and Kate Breddels, Mark and Anne Sewell, and Rod and Jeanette Monteith — were the organisers and as UTA members are based all over the country, they decided to go with a Mexican theme just because we are south of the border! Trikes started rolling into town from the Monday before the event, with a
steady flow coming in over the next couple of days. The weather promised to be spectacular; Thursday saw a bit of cloud cover but the locals said, “Don’t worry, it will blow over.” Friday morning at 3am saw some things blowing over, but not the weather. Several people had their tents and awnings caught in the storm and trikers in their PJs did the hop to get their gear tied down. Friday morning saw the drizzle, but by 11am, just as the owner of the caravan park predicted, it was gone and from there on in it was sunshine and party time. Friday night saw us at the camp kitchen at Maiden’s Inn Caravan Park in Moama for the first night’s celebrations. The Mexican feast was catered for by the local Apex Club and they served us mountains
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of corn chips smothered with chilli concarne, guacamole and cheese, with corn on the cob on the side. A real Mexican feast! Mexican-themed music blared out of the sound system and even got some Sombrero-wearing trikers toe tapping. After dinner the fun started with the first of our weekend fundraising raffles. The prize was a custom-made laser-cut UTA plaque. This was won by Rod ‘Vadge’ Montieth, who graciously donated it back to be auctioned at the AGM dinner. Later in the evening, and I’m guessing after a few tequilas to numb the pain, our courageous fundraising volunteers, John “Angry” Gear and Rod “Vadge” Montieth, stripped off their tops for a painful chest and back wax performed by our resident beauty therapist Annette Scutter. A huge
Out & About crowd gathered to witness the horrific screams of Angry and Vadge as hair and perhaps a little flesh was torn from their chests and backs. Once the horror show was over, members continued to party and socialise until all hours of the night. Saturday morning saw us muster at the front of the caravan park at some ungodly hour before 0900. There were some very ragged-looking heads at this time of the day, yet they dragged themselves out to join in the busy activities ahead. The first stop was our show and shine in the historic port of Echuca. Around 90 trikes lined up inside the port with others outside, and I have to say it was a stunning display. As usual, when a large group of trikes are together it instantly draws a crowd and gets all
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GL1800 DEMO TRIKE NOW IN STOCK. CALL TO MAKE APPOINTMENT FOR A TEST RIDE
Out & About
those cameras clicking away. While some of us stayed and answered the neverending questions from the inquisitive onlookers, others set off for a cruise down the Murray River and morning tea on two of the paddle steamers, the Pride of the Murray and the PS Canberra. Of course, typical of trike events, it ended up in a race between the two on the river. Lunch was held at the Great Aussie Beer Shed and Heritage Museum. This place is the first beer can and breweryrelated Australiana museum in the country. It features more than 17,000 different beer cans from Australia and around the globe. It is also loaded with
all kinds of Australiana and memorabilia. The place is amazing! The owner and local historian, Neil Thomas, is one very entertaining bloke who would easily double as a comedian. If you are in Echuca it really is a “must see”. In the evening, buses shuttled us off to the Moama Bowling Club for the AGM followed by the official dinner. With around 175 amigos it was certainly one rowdy fiesta. After dinner the fun bits of the evening commenced, with the presentation of trophies for various categories. This year the Best Trike and Best Paint winner were judged by a panel, including the Mayor of Echuca, Cruiser & Trike
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three local members of the Victorian Police, and the owner of the Murray River Paddle Steamer company. A list of winners is in a box in this story. This year also saw the introduction of the “Constable” Banner Award for members who had the best banner introducing themselves. This year the award went to Joanne Davenport. The drawing of raffle prizes took some time, with more than 50 items generously donated by local businesses. Following that, club member and auctioneer “Sledge” kicked off a rowdy auction of two magnificent UTA steel laser-cut wall plaques to the highest bidders.
RATING 2 CELEBRATING 20 YEARS ON THE TRAILS 20 ISSUES OF TRAILRIDER MAGAZINE FOR TH
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Out & About
Sunday morning saw a big hearty last supper or, in this case, last breakfast for around 160 people. Cooking duties were taken over by president “Gozo” with helpers Vince, Maddy, Phil and the fastest toast cooker in the west, Rob Breddels. With the official part of the weekend over, many members headed back home but quite a few stayed on. They sampled more of the Echuca/Moama region’s hospitality, had a final drink and chin wag on the Sunday night before heading home, and some lucky members continued on with extended trips the next day. We are very proud to say that the weekend raised the grand total of $4000, all of which went to the paediatrics unit of the Echuca Hospital and will be used to purchase a much-needed paediatric humidifier. The weekend was jam-packed with lots of riding, partying, singing and dancing and it’s always great to catch up with friends we don’t see often enough due to distance. Now it’s definitely time for a well-earned siesta! See you all in Moree in 2017.
LOOKING AHEAD The United Trikers Australia 2017 AGM is being held in Moree, NSW, from 21st–23rd April 2017.
For further details on United Trikers Australia head to www.unitedtrikers.com.au
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Out & About
TROPHY WINNERS Best Trike Ian Martin Boom Trike Best Paint Bruce Yalden Boom Trike Members’ Choice Tony Dawson Panther Trike What The!!! Debbie Smith AGM Committee Award John “Angry” Gear AGM Community Award Mick Davenport This year’s trophies were sponsored by Australian Cruiser & Trike.
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New Bike Test
DOUBLE-SHOT
ESPRESSO A shot of pure espresso topped with a straight shot of pure black Words: Mick Withers Photos: Jeff Crow
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New Bike Test
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ook at this bike. Just look at it. You can hardly ignore it. Like the very best coffee, which is nothing more than a shot of boiling hot water pressed through freshly ground coffee beans, the Indian Chief Dark Horse is pure. Its simplicity is timeless. It contains everything you need and nothing more. If this was a wanky art thing, I’d have already said, “Less is more.” Along with many others old enough to remember an Australian prime minister called Bob, a desire for more basic motorcycles beats strong within our chests. We want the basics. Motorbikes with ABS, EFI and a good range of optional extras and accessories. Give us that variety and we’re happy. Harley, Indian and Triumph have worked that out and are selling plenty of basic bikes to blokes and blokettes who are potential Ulysses members. The Dark Horse is a good thing. It’ll do all of the things that you would expect a heavyweight cruiser to do. Or maybe not. Chances are that you expect a Dark Horse
to drag its underside and progressively lighten itself every time you look at a corner. Perhaps you’re one of those who think that cruiser translates as fat, large and heavy. You are wrong. A cruiser is not a sportsbike. That’s pretty bloody obvious. There are certain cruisers that do their best to continue the myth that they’re all the same. The Indian Chief Dark Horse isn’t one of them. It has been blessed with respectable levels of ground clearance and suspension that keeps it clear of the hard grindy bits. A swap from spoked to cast wheels also saves weight in the most important places to lose weight: unsprung and rotational. Lower rotational weight means better acceleration and lower unsprung weight allows the suspension to work more efficiently. That’s a win-win in English or Australian. Cruising the highways of this wide land of ours is always nicer with cruise control. It’s what all the cool kids need so that they can play with their onboard entertainment devices. For the rest of us, it’s a good way
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to relax and enjoy a ride without having to constantly divert your attention from the road to the speedo because the stateappointed tax gatherers want to extract a pound of flesh for every single kilometre by which you exceed the posted limit. While you’re bopping down the road on the Chief Dark Horse, you’re comfortably seated upon one of the best stock seats in the business. Your feet are placed upon a set of sturdy and reasonably roomy footboards. If you feel the need to add a screen, or passenger facilities, you can get all of that from the Genuine Indian Motorcycle Accessory catalogue. The 111ci Thunderstroke engine — 1811cc for younger readers — is a 49-degree V-twin that makes torque and horsepower to propel a Dark Horse well into the zone of being handcuffed on the side of the road. Do you need any more than that? Silly question. Indian offers mufflers that sound the way they used to before greenies rode their electric-powered bicycles into town halls and positions of
New Bike Test
SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Engine: 49-degree V-Twin Displacement: 111in³ (1811cc) Bore x stroke: 101mm x 113mm Compression ratio: 9.5:1 Fuel injection System: Electronic Exhaust: Split dual with cross-over
TRANSMISSION Six-speed constant mesh
DIMENSIONS Weight: 341kg Seat height: 660mm Fuel capacity: 21 litres
PERFORMANCE Torque: 139Nm at 3000rpm
FEATURES Blacked-out styling Thunder stroke 111 Keyless ignition ABS brakes Cruise control True dual exhaust Solo seat
COLOUR Thunder Black Smoke
perceived authority. If you want them loud enough to make birds drop from the sky, or just cause little old ladies at the bus stop to have a moment, they’re available. Add a free-flowing air cleaner assembly along with a custom-mapped Power Commander V and you’re looking at over 100ft/lb from 2000 to 4000rpm. Think of the Indian Chief Dark Horse as a double-shot espresso. Pure and simple, but easily modified to create a wide range of options. But not soy decaf lattes. The Dark Horse doesn’t do decaf or soy.
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Reader's Trike
NEVER TOO OLD THERE’S NO AGE LIMIT WHEN IT COMES TO FULFILLING YOUR RIDING DREAMS Words: Mandy Evans (John’s Daughter) Photos: Tyson John Digital (John’s Grandson)
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Reader's Trike
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his is a story aimed at highlighting that age is no barrier when it comes to enjoying riding as much as my dad John. I remember turning up at his place to wish him happy birthday when a concreter who was laying a slab for him came out and said, “Have you seen your dad’s new Harley?” The first thing I thought, as he was celebrating his 69th birthday, was that he was having a late mid-life crisis or had even lost his marbles altogether. There it was, a 2009 Ultra Classic. He turned this bike into a work of art with his added extras and his signature eagle by Yipos Airbrushing in Townsville. He clicked up around 60,000km in the five years he owned it, doing rides of 400km every time he left the house. Sometimes, if the weather permitted, he was doing two rides a week. After years of enjoyment Cruiser & Trike
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he found the bike was getting a bit heavy so he started researching trikes. He approached Marc, the owner at SunCity Harley-Davidson Townsville, about this and the rest is history. When he first went in and enquired about the Harley trike, they had to explain (just as they have with many customers), that the Australian government bureaucrats are dragging their feet in granting compliance. As the months went past, John kept in contact to see if this had changed. Eventually Marc asked John why was he so anxious to buy a trike when he had a perfectly good Ultra Glide that he was riding. His reply of “I could be dead tomorrow” made absolute sense. Now aging, he was concerned that if put in a tight corner, he may not have the strength he used to have and would hate to put the bike down,
Reader's Trike
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Reader's Trike potentially injuring himself. Owning a trike would mean he could keep all of the comfort of the Electra Glide but lose the worry about over-balancing at low speed. This would keep him enjoying motorcycling for years to come. Marc suggested importing one for him as a personal import. As Marc had already done this to procure a TriGlide for his wife, he was totally up to speed with the process. John jumped at this idea and started the costing process to get one landed. Once John gave Marc the nod it was full steam ahead. Marc’s cousin in Milwaukee arranged the purchase from Wisconsin Harley-Davidson and in December 2014 Marc flew over to load it in a container with other bikes that he had bought and then shipped it out. Marc explained that it’s a long and expensive process to get the engineering
compliance and regulatory approval, but John reckons it’s worth every dollar. Also ordered was a paint-matched set of full running boards, which turned it into a really clean-looking TriGlide. Marc also fitted a rear suspension raising kit to suit our rough Aussie roads. John has added plenty of accessories and airbrush work to make it truly one of a kind. This included all chrome trimmings on the engine, chrome hooded trims around all lights, all-chrome dash, highway pegs, Screamin’ Eagle exhaust, custom black sheepskin seat covers, rack bars on the carry boxes, and also a high-flow air cleaner and upgraded tune to the 103 Rushmore engine. This is just a fraction of the extras that have been added to the immaculate 2015 Harley Davidson TriGlide. Although he has owned it for less
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than 12 months, John has racked up a staggering 18,000km on his TriGlide and is all smiles, very glad he pressed SunCity Harley-Davidson to import it for him. Harley-Davidson Australia still hasn’t finished gaining import approval from the Federal government so John would have still been waiting. John thanks Marc and all the crew at SunCity Harley-Davidson for the time and effort put into the whole process of acquiring the bike from Wisconsin and getting it shipped over. I’m so proud of Dad and his TriGlide and what he has achieved, considering he has just had his 75th birthday. As he says, “Don’t let the grass grow under ya feet!” The whole family agrees with him and hope that he has many more years of enjoying this immaculately presented piece of machinery that is a credit to him.
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Reader's Ride
A READER’S DAY IN THE SADDLE Share the ride. Send us a small handful of pics and no more than 400 words telling us about one of your rides. Open to all Cruiser & Trike riders Words & Photos: Adam Smith-Platts mate and I went out on Sunday 28th February 2016 for a day in the saddle. We started out from the Canberra Arboretum (great place for a fun warm-up) and headed out east through Queanbeyan. From there we headed north-east through Bungendore and on to Tarago, then skipped north to Goulburn via Lake Bathurst. After grabbing a sausage roll and coffee from Roses Cafe (damn nice roll and coffee!) we decided to take a quick squirt up the highway and head into Moss Vale via the Illawarra Highway. After the boys’ room and a quick check-in with the wives, we went south to Kangaroo Valley via Fitzroy Falls — some great runs and a few pleasant twisties. Lunch was had at the Friendly Inn Motel in Kangaroo Valley, along with two other groups of riders. After a Coke, steak, prawns and chips, we were off east again to take the Tail of the Berry (aka Kangaroo Valley Road) — some awesome, narrow and exhilarating twisties! From there we hit it down the highway to Nowra
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and gave the mechanical girls a wellearned drink, and continued south-west. Continuing west along the highway, which has some great (and not so great!) roads with stunning views, we hit Nerriga for a
Cruiser & Trike
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quick stop and drink, then continued on our way back through Tarago and into Canberra the way we left. We rode 500km in eight hours including lunch and had an absolutely brilliant day!
Price Guide
CRUISER PRICE GUIDE Can I afford it?
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ew bike prices can go up and down like the stock market, so in every issue we’ll bring you the sticker prices. To be completely up to date with things such as factory discounts and incentives, check the importers’ websites for more information. These are the prices the distributors gave us; some may be promotional prices and may no longer be available when you go to the shop. Some of the prices are ride-away and the rest are plus on-road costs. Check with your local dealer.
BRAND & MODEL
CAN-AM SPYDER
WE SAY
PRICE
spyder.brp.com/au/home
Roadster Spyder RS .......................Corner muncher ........................$19,990 Spyder RS-S ...................With more .................................$23,990 Spyder ST-S ....................Sports tourer.............................$25,490 Spyder ST Limited ..........Sports tourer plus .....................$31,890 Spyder RT........................Touring.......................................$31,490 Spyder RT-S.....................Sporty touring ...........................$39,990 Spyder RT Limited...........Touring luxury ............................$39,990
CF MOTO
cf-moto.com.au
V5......................................Points for finding the engine....... $4190
CONFEDERATE
urbanmotoimports.com.au
R131 Fighter....................Throwing punches ..................... X132 Hellcat ....................Serious ...................................... X132 Hellcat Combat ......Serious business ....................... X132 Hellcat Speedster ..Highway to hell ......................... X135 Wraith ....................Wait for it ..................................
DUCATI
$POA $POA $POA $POA $POA
ducati.com.au HONDA
Diavel ..............................Velvet-wrapped cosh ................$24,490 Diavel Red .......................Red velvet .................................$24,990 Diavel Carbon Red ..........Red art ......................................$30,290 Diavel White ....................Not too angelic .........................$30,490 Diavel Titanium................Be 1 of 500 ...............................$39,990
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXDL Dyna Low Rider .......... Big-inch Sportster ............. $23,495 FXDB Street Bob Special ..... Especially versatile ............ $23,995 FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide..... Let your hair hang down .... $24,995 FXDF Dyna Fat Bob .............. Lay off the burgers, Bob! .. $25,495 FLD Dyna Switchback .......... Click your fingers............... $26,250 FXSB Breakout ..................... Make a statement ............. $29,495 FLS Softail Slim .................... Slim, yet PH fat! ................ $26,495 FLSS Softail Slim S .............. 110ci of grunt.....................$28,995 FLSTF Fat Boy ...................... Big bruiser ......................... $29,250 FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo ............... Low bruiser ........................ $28,750 FLSTF Fat Boy S ................... 110ci of grunt .................... $31,495 FLSTN Softail Deluxe ........... Classy dude ....................... $29,250 FLSTC Heritage Classic........ Visually beautiful ............... $32,250 FLHR Road King.................... Be the king ........................ $32,495 FLHX Street Glide..................Bad boy ............................. $33,995 FLTRXS Road Glide............... Power & comfort ................ $34,750 FLHTK Ultra Limited ..............New generation tourer...... $38,995 FLHTCU Ultra Classic ...........Comfy ............................... $37,250 VRSC Night Rod Special........Dragbike style ................... $27,995 VRSC Muscle .........................Muscle me......................... $27,495 FLHXSE Street Glide CVO.....Highway weapon............... $47,995
honda.com.au
VT400 ..............................Classic styled LAM ..................... $9399 VT750C ...........................Classic appeal .......................... $11,749 CTX700NA ABS .............All-new cruiser ............................ $9199 VT1300CXA Fury ............Chopped dragster .................... $15,599 GL1800C Valkyrie ...........Wagner-style ............................ $20,199
harley-davidson.com HYOSUNG
hyosung.com.au
XG500 Street ........................ Learner’s bargain ...............$10,750 GV250 Aquila ................. Little cutie .................................. $4990 XL883L SuperLow................. For the shorties ..................$14,750 GV650 Aquila ................. Responsive rider ........................ $7690 XL883N Iron 883 .................. Iron tough ...........................$14,995 GV650C Aquila Classic.. LAMS value ............................... $7690 indianmotorcycle.com.au XL1200CA Custom A ........... Show off A ..........................$19,250 INDIAN XL1200CB Custom B ........... Show off B ..........................$18,750 Scout ...............................Awesome package ................... $17,995 XL1200C Custom ................. Baseline Custom ................$18,750 Chief Dark Horse ............Out of the night........................ $26,995 XL1200X Forty-Eight ............. Retro cool ...........................$18,995 Chief Classic ...................Leading the tribe back ............. $28,995 XL1200V Seventy-Two .......... Vintage muscle ...................$18,495 Chief Vintage ..................Signature heritage aesthetic ... $31,495 FXDB Street Bob .................. Versatile ..............................$22,495 Chieftain ..........................First Indian tourer and bagger . $35,995 Cruiser, Classic + Trike
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Price Guide
Roadmaster .....................Monster any highway............... $38,995
VICTORY
KAWASAKI
Vegas 8 Ball............................Sink the 8 ball .................... $19,995 Vegas Jackpot ........................A pearler ............................ $24,995 High-Ball.................................Ol’ skool cool...................... $19,995 Judge......................................R U ready to be judged? .... $19,995 Hammer 8 Ball........................Hammer that 8 ball ............ $20,995 Hammer S ..............................Hammer it! ......................... $22,995 Boardwalk Black ....................Dark classic ........................ $21,995 Boardwalk White ....................Cool classic ........................ $22,495 Hardball ..................................Bad ass .............................. $23,995 Cross Roads ...........................Robert Johnson cool .......... $24,995 Cross Country . ......................Hard panniers ..................... $24,995 Cross Country Zach Ness .....Let’s see it ......................... $29,995 Cross Country Tour Cory .......Poster material................... $31,995 Cross Country Tour ................Tour in comfort ................... $27,495 Vision Tour ..............................Space age looks ................. $29,995 Magnum .................................Sound effect....................... $29,995 Magnum X-1 ...........................Sound and more ..................... $TBC Vision Tour Arlen Ness ...........Hot rod touring ................... $32,995
kawasaki.com.au
Vulcan S ..........................Learner package ...................... $10,999 Vulcan 900 Classic ..........Fat-tyre tripping ....................... $12,499 Vulcan 900 Custom .........Thin-tyre tripping ..................... $12,699 Vulcan 1700 Classic ........Great blank canvas .................. $19,999 Vulcan 1700 Nomad ........Add a bit of bling...................... $22,999 Vulcan 1700 Vaquero ......Go to the dark side .................. $24,499 Vulcan 1700 Voyager ......Plush ride ................................. $25,999
MOTO GUZZI
motoguzzi.com.au
V7 Stone .........................Charming mid-weight ......... $13,490 California 1400 Custom..Beast .................................. $23,000 California 1400 Touring......Long-distance beast ............... $26,000
SUZUKI
suzukimotorcycles.com.au
VL250 Intruder ............Bang that drum ......................... $6690 VL800 C50T ................All-new class .......................... $10,990 VZ1500 C90 ................Naked ..................................... $15,490 VZ1500 C90T ..............Bad boy .................................. $17,490 VLR1800T C109RT......Now as a tourer ...................... $18,990 VZR1800 M109R.........Beaut and brutal .................... $18,990
TRIUMPH
triumphmotorcycles.com.au
America .................................Easy urban rider ................. $13,490 Speedmaster .........................Custom, tasty handler ....... $13,090 Thunderbird ABS....................Better brakes ..................... $19,990 Thunderbird TT ABS...............Sharper brakes................... $19,990 Thunderbird Haze ...................Not purple .......................... $21,990 Thunderbird Storm ABS.........With sharper brakes........... $20,490 Thunderbird LT .......................Command respect.............. $23,490 Thunderbird Commander .......Command the road ............ $21,490 Thunderbird Commander TT ..Two-tone paint.................... $21,990 Rocket III Roadster ABS ........Wanna drag? ...................... $22,490 Rocket X .................................Marks the spot ................... $23,490 Rocket III Touring ABS ...........Reasonably easy to ride ..... $24,990
VIPER
victorymotorcycles.com.au
urbanmotoimports.com.au
Black Diamond .......................Ilmor-powered hot rod ........ $54,990 Diamond Back ........................New hot rod ....................... $54,990
YAMAHA
yamaha-motor.com.au
XVS250 Virago.......................Great small package ............. $6499 SR400.....................................Great retro package .............. $8999 XVS650 Custom ....................Popular custom .................. $10,499 XVS650 Classic .....................And as a classic ................. $10,990 XVS950CU Star Bolt .............Basic Bolt ........................... $11,999 XVS950A................................Mighty mid-ranger ............. $13,999 XVS1300A..............................Favourite of many riders .... $15,999 XVS1300AT Tourer .................With more features ............ $18,299 XVS1300CU Star Stryker .....Special package ................. $21,499 XV1900A Roadliner ................Art Deco piece ................... $21,499 XV1900AT Star Tourer ...........Editor’s current favourite ...$24,099
Cruiser, Classic+Trike
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Sandbag
RELIABLE
In praise … errr … memory of the Prince of Darkness Words: Tim Sanford he recent activity of riding C&T ’s excellent long-term Triumph Thunderbird LT has set me thinking back to the days when I rode the British bikes which were the foundation of the nostalgia-driven machines that come from various manufacturers now. First the Triumph name appeared on the scene and then others like Norton and so on followed. Modern machines all of them and the only real question that arises is when will you need to stop for fuel. It was not always so. My early forays into British machinery — and they were the big-capacity road-burners of the day — included Triumph Bonnevilles and a BSA Lightning Clubman. Reliable? Certainly — they could always be reliably expected to break down. Of the two brands, the BSA was by far the more fragile and thanks to the “advanced British engineering” of the day, it could be relied upon to dust just about anything on the road for speed and acceleration — as long as the weather was a bit British — that is, close to freezing cold. Give it a hard run on a typically Aussie summer’s day and at best you were guaranteed to add various piston maladies to the ride and a hitchhike home to scrounge a ute to recover the body. At worst the engines would snap the drive-side conrod. Mine is still in the shed with a gaping hole in the left crankcase.
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The Triumph, on the other hand, was almost indestructible in terms of major mechanical failures but it suffered from a succession of niggling minor defects. The previous owner endured the bike being terrifically enthusiastic at the start of a ride where one prod of the kickstarter would have it rumbling into life. He and his girl would ride off, party on, but then, when it came time to ride home, the bike would be resolutely silent regardless of the efforts of him or anyone else to coax it (or bludgeon it) into life. When I got the bike it showed an endearing capacity to catch fire. By that I mean I’d be sitting at the lights, usually after filling the tank with petrol (very menacing given the bike’s pyrotechnical psychosis), and smoke would waft up in an acrid cloud from somewhere down there and curl languidly up past the fuel tank, threatening the Sandbag with instant incineration. Eventually, and after much ill-informed speculation and sundry unsuccessful attempts to fix it, the problem was solved by remounting the tank with much thicker rubber mounts. I should add that this success only happened after one attempt at tank remounting where I was screwing in the tank bolts from underneath, wound one in too far and hey presto, petrol’s cascading down like Niagara-bloody-Falls! After the exorcism of the fire demon Cruiser & Trike
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the bike went into a series of sulks, during which it would take a bit of “coaxing” to start (read pushing up and down the street to the point of exhaustion), but that foible aside it was generally a reliable machine. Not so the BSA. Even when it was going — and by that I mean it wasn’t spraying the countryside with sundry solid metal bits from its innards — it had malevolent characteristics well chosen to make every ride fraught with the anxiety of what minor failure would crop up next to halt progress. Carburettors (two, thereby doubling the likelihood of “carby trouble”) nestled behind the engine where they would happily suffer from sticking floats that would flood the bowls and then dump fuel in little streams all over the back of the engine while said engine, not keen on a diet of almost neat petrol, would stagger along, misfiring loudly until silence took over. Electrics? Joseph Lucas was probably a lovely man, kind to his wife and children, but to those of us who rode motorcycles with his electrics — and most big Brit bikes carried that scourge — he was evil incarnate for it was his products that forced us riders to explore all manner of unusual sleeping places following yet another total failure of the Lucas Lighting Department. Let me tell you this: riding a motorcycle at night, at speed in total darkness, is probably what made us into the sad quaking wrecks we are today. Forget the use of mind-altering substances in the ‘60s — it was bloody Joe Lucas! I finally fixed the unreliable electrics on my BSA. I took the wiring loom off the bike and hoyed it. Then I rewired every single wire and connection with thicker wire and appropriate terminals and soldered every connection. The motorcycle was completely transformed! It started first kick, it ran on both cylinders all the time, and it was smooth and powerful. Joy, boundless riding joy! Soldering is a perfect way of joining copper wire to terminals except for one small detail: where the solder ends and the copper begins, the heat from the soldering hardens the wire and makes it brittle. British twins vibrated — a lot. One night in winter, in the rain, the BSA went from running sweetly on two to running roughly on one and then running on none. Silence and darkness cloaked the Sandbag — again. I pushed the bike to the side of the road and slept under a bridge — again. When dawn arrived (that’s the day, not the woman) I saw that both coil wires had broken at the soldered join and were dangling uselessly. Reliable? Not then.
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