V8 / POTM: SCOTLAND / MAP: COONAWARRA, SA / SF: ADVENTURE GEAR / KATANA RACER / RD350LC / WEST FROM MELB BY BOAT
The Interceptor reimagines the laid-back and easy-going lifestyle of the sun-drenched California beach. The quintessential roadster from the 1960’s still fits into the contemporary narrative of being young, free and fun. Through twisty back roads, highways or the urban jungle, it rides with equal ease, bringing together timeless style and modern performance.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON® STREET GLIDE ™ ST
Meet the new breed of speed from Harley-Davidson – hot rod bagger performance for the rider who wants to strafe corners in comfort. The Street Glide ST model pairs the muscular Milwaukee-Eight 117 powertrain with new dark-and-bronze finishes.
Robert Kurson
Contributing Editor J Peter Thoeming
Sales Manager Chris Pickett chris@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Designers FriendsLoveDesign.com
Contributors Nick Edards, Robert Lovas, Boris Mihailovic, Ralph LeavseyMoase, The Possum, Colin Whelan, Nick Wood, Bob Wozga
CATS and dogs” has never been more true for the Eastern Seaboard with massive amounts of rain and extreme flooding that even made the cats and dogs stay inside!
To get any road test bikes for this issue was a total non-event, unfortunately. The amount of rain, and the subsequent flooding meant I could hardly ride anywhere and taking photos in that would have near washed any bike away. So, for this issue I’ve done something a little different – gone a little technical and even attended a trials school to test the new Sherco trials range and learn trials riding from the fabulous Tim Coleman. This particular launch was itself touch and go as the location had been cut off up until a couple of days prior.
Once the rain had stopped and the flooding had receded, I took off for a ride to Wisemans Ferry with a mate. I jumped on my Bandit 1250 and we did have to turn around at one bridge as the water hadn’t gone down. We both turned our bikes off and when I went to fire up the Bandit, the battery was flat! A big heart sinking moment, but it was easy to clutch start and I took it home – a new battery was ordered and when I took the old battery out, it was the original Suzuki battery! This bike is 11 years old mind you! WOW!
I pulled our long term Yamaha R7 out of the garage and we went the long way to Wisemans. The
roads have been massively chewed up (as you can expect) and the hidden surprises you probably aren’t expecting to come across are the mounds of bitumen that have been pushed up in some corners – usually right where you’ll be riding! Some of them look like mini jumps, they were that high.
During all the rain we did get our other new long term bike – the Royal Enfield Classic 350. I have been for a short blast on it and I think I’m really going to enjoy this bike for city and suburban riding. Of course, we got the beautiful teal green with copper highlights and in the sun this bike looks stunning.
As you may have read, we did have two readers’ tours coming up this year. Morocco has been cancelled and we’re looking at a tour in Italy with Edelweiss next year (look for the details soon). So, Portugal/Spain for our Land of Vineyards tour with IMT Bike is our only reader’s tour this year, and boy will it be a great one to be on! You’ll also be helping IMT Bike celebrate their 25th year anniversary.
We do need more of you to book though. Normally tours would fill up fast, but I don’t know if people are scared to travel? Tell me your thoughts as we need to know what you guys and girls are thinking. We have put on an amazing tour with arguably one of the largest motorcycle tour companies in the world and I really have to say – what are you waiting for! Let’s go! Cheers, Stuart.
Editor Stuart Woodbury
Photographers Nick Wood Creative, Half Light Photographic
MINI ME
Take one Honda Grom, visit Japanese tuner TTR Motors, then order one of their CB1100R kits. Not long after that, you have a mini CB1100R! How cool is that.
Of the two bodywork kits offered by TTR Motors, the Type R Mini edition recreates the ‘80s superbike most accurately. From the rectangular headlight to the bulky tail end to the era-accurate mirrors, the set captures the CB1100R’s most recognizable styling cues. Of course, the tri-colour livery and throwback fairing catch the eye, but the kit also comes with an integrated tank and seat section and front and rear lights.
EVERYONE COLLABORATING
That seems the thing to do lately and Triumph continues the trend with a collaboration with legendary guitar maker, Gibson.
“Building on a shared passion for beauty, precision and performance, and inspired by the shared historical significance of the iconic 1959 Les Paul Standard and equally iconic 1959 Bonneville T120, the outcome of this unique partnership is a stunning one-of-a-kind custom edition of today’s generation of each legendary model.
“Created to support The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, in its global charity efforts for men’s mental health, prostate cancer awareness and fundraising, the 1959 Legends custom edition Les Paul Standard Reissue and Bonneville T120 feature a host of beautiful hand-detailed custom touches, designed and applied in Triumph’s factory workshop [for the guitar too?].
The 1959 Legends guitar and motorcycle will together be offered as the highest fundraiser reward for the 2022 ride.”
For more information and to join your local ride, visit gentlemansride.com
take on a sportier demeanor in the new bodywork. Price is around $3900 Aussie.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Steve Smith at Adventure Moto has come up with a great idea – print some shirts showing support for Ukraine. As we went to print the final price was to be confirmed but I’m told it will be between $35 - $39.95 with free shipping Australia-wide and $10 to NZ and $15 shipping globally – see adventuremoto.com. au. All proceeds from this campaign will be split between the Red Cross and Unicef in their efforts to support and help the displaced and refugees from Mr. Putin’s “Special Military Operations”. If you wish to donate to any of these organisations, please visit redcross.org.au/Ukraine and/or unicef.org. au/landing-pages/ukraine-emergency-appeal
YOUR NEW OBSESSION
The custom pipe, swingarm, and clip-ons do not come with the Type R Mini package but any Grom will
12 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
If a fully-faired affair isn’t your preference, TTR Motors also offers a CB1100R set without the front fairing. The body kit still includes the chunky tail section and classically-shaped tank inspired by the Honda race bike, but the package allows users to retain their stock headlight and handlebars. Price for this kit is around $3300.
NEW SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RR. PURE ELEGANCE, ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE
N E W S
MORE RECORDS FOR BENELLI
After being the #1 selling bike in Italy for 2020, Benelli’s TRK 502 reached another important milestone recently, reporting the 10,000th unit being registered. A goal achieved less than four years after its first presentation.
In Australia, Benelli ANZ has seen record growth over the last 2 years. “With a long line of heritage and inspiration to draw from, combined with its broad range of quality-built and multi award-winning motorcycles, Benelli is becoming one of the most competitive contenders in the ANZ market. We’ve seen significant growth over the past two years, with over 85% growth rate in 2021 alone, even with the stock shortages during the pandemic. The 500cc Benelli platform has been a popular choice for motorcycling enthusiasts across the ANZ market, and we anticipate that this growth phase will continue with the introduction of the TRK 800 Adventure model, and the Leoncino 800 models arriving in 2022. This year we celebrate over a decade as the exclusive Benelli distributor in the region and look forward to seeing the Benelli brand and community continue to grow in the years to come.” - Joseph Elasmar, CEO of Urban Moto Imports. Time to check out a Benelli, huh! Visit Benelli.com.au
CELEBRATE THE Z
Kawasaki Motors Australia has announced its support of the Broadford Bike Bonanza as a part of the Z 50th Anniversary celebrations in Australia. It happens on the Easter weekend, 16 & 17 April 2022.
“The Z1 50th Anniversary is a key part of the 2022 Shannons Insurance Broadford Bike Bonanza,” said organising committee member Shaun Lennard.
“It’s great to be bringing the Bonanza back to life this Easter. It was one of the first events to be cancelled in March 2020 due to the pandemic, which also saw the 2021 event abandoned.
style. The 1972 Kawasaki 900 super4 (Z1) is embedded in motorcycling history.
In Australia, the Z family became one of our own through use in the classic Stone and Mad Max films. The current Z line-up offers a motorcycle for any rider; from the pocket-sized Z125 Pro, the Learner Approve Z650, the super-smooth Z900, the retro-sport Z900RS, the raw Z1000, the supercharged Z H2 and the new addition for 2022, Z650RS.
“But for Easter 2022, the Broadford Bonanza is back, and making the Z1 Anniversary a key part of it makes the event even more special.”
Robert Walker - National Sales & Marketing Manager - Kawasaki Motors Australia:
“The Z family of bikes has shaped motorcycling in Australia and globally. The Z1 was the first of our machines to bear the Z moniker. Through the years, Z motorcycles have established themselves as icons of performance and
“The Z family of motorcycles continues to deliver future collectable icons. The 50th Anniversary Edition models, Z650, Z650RS, Z900, Z900RS, showcase the heritage paint with Incandescent Fireball and Firecracker Red. The popularity of these special editions has exceeded our expectations.
“The celebration of the Z range will continue through 2022. Kawasaki is proud to partner with the iconic Broadford Bike Bonanza. Kawasaki Motors Australia endorses the event as an official Z 50th Anniversary celebration.”
Organisers are aiming to attract not only a large number of Z1s, Z1As, Z1Bs and Z900s for display, but are also hoping the event will draw a wide range of all Z-series bikes, from Z250s to Z1300s.
You can find out more via the Broadford Bike Bonanza’s Facebook page. Be there or be square!
ADVENTURE GUARANTEED
You might have noticed a couple of weird things going on in issue #110?
Some of our files from uploading, to landing on page with the printer got corrupted and went all crazy. If you noticed, we apologise for any confusion, and if you didn’t notice – happy days!
THE ONE DISCIPLINE OF motorcycling I hadn’t done and have always wanted to, was trials riding. It fascinates me how the professionals launch themselves vertically over obstacles that you never thought possible to climb, so when Sherco Australia invited me along on their 2022 Trials range launch I was 101 percent in! Trials riding is not something we’ve covered in this magazine before, but I totally think it’s a discipline you should consider training yourself in.
The launch was held at Bilpin Moto Adventures with the guidance of (Disco) Dave Wilson and current Sherco Trials racer, Tim Coleman. They ran us through a training course in the morning to get us all up to speed with how a trials bike works and the various techniques required to ride over obstacles, ones which I thought would be impossible (for me).
I had never ridden a trials bike before so the feeling when I first went to ride off was so alien it was almost like I had to learn how to ride a bike again
I had never ridden a trials bike before so the feeling when I first went to ride off was so alien it was almost like I had to learn how to ride a bike again. No seat is the first big thing you find alien and if you do try and sit down you’ll probably fall off as the ‘seat’ area is extremely close to the footpegs. The next thing you notice is how lightweight the bike feels and how soft the suspension is. Coming in at something like a tad under 70kg, even if you get stuck in the bush, it’s very easy to bike the front or rear up. The suspension has a huge amount of travel and feels weird when you first ride the bike. Our first exercise was balancing and it took me a bit to get used to the suspension compressing so much and every little bit of movement affecting what the bike does. After a few minutes I kind of got the hang of balancing, and as the day progressed, I got better and
Duck, Stuart!
Ups and downs
Um? There’s a tree in the way, Stuart!
The fear of trying not to die!
better. Next up was full lock u-turns –leaning the bike and leaning your body to get the smallest turn possible. A lot of this has to do with head position, just like a road bike, but in a fraction of the space!
Braking was a fun exercise – locking the front brake and sliding it as you ride along is scary to think about, but very controllable. Stoppies and wheelies came next. Dave and Tim call these “endos” for the stoppies and “bar to hip” for the wheelies. Dave mentioned if you focus on bringing the handlebar to your hips rather than just trying to wheelstand it, it helps when trying to jump up and over steep obstacles.
Body position is one of the biggest factors that affects what you do on a trials bike. Moving just a couple of centimetres can mean jumping up and over, or being stopped in your tracks. The other thing I got from my trials experience was the muscle aches and pains the next day! I used muscles I haven’t felt riding any other motorcycle, it was a great workout, that’s for sure!
Confidence is always a big part of whatever type of motorcycle discipline you ride and on the morning of the
launch we were told we’d be riding over mining truck tyres, big logs, huge cable drums (or bobbins) and riding up super steep mountains. I thought this would be impossible as I’ve always kind of struggled when it comes to riding over large obstacles, but it was easy! I was in total shock that at the end of the day, I found riding over obstacles I would have never attempted in the past, was a breeze – even though the look on my face at times was of pure terror! The training both Dave and Tim gave was invaluable. They also made it super easy to pick up techniques required for riding over large obstacles.
Oh! One other big thing I learnt from the day is ‘reverse traction’. This sounds a bit hard to get your head around but in a basic way to explain it, as you do your first blip of the throttle to launch up, you then roll off and use the traction of both the front and rear tyres and using the flywheel weight of the engine to get you over the obstacle. I’m sure there’s a more technical way to explain it, as Dave and Tim did on the day, but trying to put it into simple terms for you will give you more of an idea of how it can work.
I found riding over obstacles I would have never attempted in the past, was a breeze – even though the look on my face at times was of pure terror!
I highly recommend doing a trials course. Bilpin Moto Adventures runs four levels to get you up to speed –don’t just think you can head straight to level three or whatever, start at level one or two (speak to Dave) and get the basics in place. Poor riding habits can only affect you, so starting from scratch is the way to go. The other big thing I took away from my trials experience was I can use many of the techniques I learnt, in other forms of motorcycle riding. I will also probably use some of them for the mountain bike riding I do for exercise, too.
Contact Dave at Bilpin Moto Adventures - bilpinmotoadventures.
com if you’re in NSW and for Tim Coleman, jump onto timcolemanx.com who is in VIC. I can tell you, I was that impressed with these two blokes that I’ll be getting my son on a course to learn how to ride a motorcycle, and living in NSW, Disco Dave will be the man. Now we can get onto the bikes! Of the Sherco Trials range, two of the
For
the price you’re getting one of the best Trials bike available, fitted with premium components in an exquisitely finished machine that only the French can produce
Factory models were available for us to ride during the launch – the 250 and 300cc two-strokes. There’s also a 125cc model available. Visually there is little difference other than the decal on the side, but the two biggest things I found were the 250 was easier to start with a little less compression and the 300 had just a touch more torque. For me and my level of trials riding I would not be fussed either way of whether I had to have either capacity. The easier starting of the 250 would probably sway me towards it, but if I got to a competitive
level, the extra torque of the 300 would be a bonus to give a little bit more blast off.
For 2022, the Sherco Factory 125, 250 and 300 feature new graphics, black wheels, fluro yellow hubs, Michelin tyres, Tech aluminium forks and Reiger 2V shock, new red Oxia cylinder head, S3 black hard rock footpegs, Neken handlebar pad and a Braktec Master cylinder and Galfer wave discs front and rear.
You might notice two spokes on the wheels are fluro yellow as well. I learnt this is so team mechanics can quickly and easily find the air valve to adjust tyre pressures. You might also wonder what pressures are run on trials bikes –4psi in the rear and 7psi in the front! Yep, that’s low.
The new cylinder head features interchangeable domes to tailor the power characteristics to how you like. The gearbox has also been modified, with a larger second gear that allows you to attack large obstacles with all the torque you need but also have the speed required to clear the obstacle. I did find second gear was the smoothest way to clear larger obstacles and I did learn that launching over obstacles is all about flywheel speed for the engine – the faster the flywheel is spinning, the more launch and traction you’ll have – yes, it’s interesting stuff!
The brakes look similar to the ones on my mountain bike, but the power and especially the feel available from the Braktec master cylinder and Galfer discs is perfection, and let me tell you, you want top class braking like this on a trials bike!
Handling as I mentioned near the start is very soft and the amount of travel is huge. This setup is so you can maneuver the bike into position (while balancing) before tackling the obstacle in front of you. It also helps get you over the obstacle by not launching you off it because it’s too stiff!
Pricing for the 250 is $10,490 and the 300 is $10,790. For this you’re getting one of the best Trials bike available, fitted with premium components in an exquisitely finished machine that only the French can produce. I highly recommend getting either one of these Sherco models – it’s near some of the most fun you can have with your pants on! D
The look of happiness from not dying, at the end of the day
Land of Vineyards Tour
SEPT 10 – 24 2022
LOCATION: PORTUGAL / SPAIN
TOTAL DISTANCE: 2850KM
In association with IMTBike this is our only readers tour for 2022! IMTBike celebrates its 25th anniversary of running fabulous tours this year. This tour will be part of that 25-year celebration, so let’s show
IMTBike how Aussies like to party! The tour is one chosen by Stuart and features the best of all worlds – vino, twisty roads and amazing sights. We’ve all been locked down and September will be the right time to get overseas and experience one of the most amazing tours in the world. Stuart can’t wait to lead this tour and have a great time away with you. He suggests booking your spot now so you don’t miss out! Of course, IMTBike has a refund covid policy in place, but let’s hope the world has moved far beyond that by then. Get to it!
The details from
THIS DREAM TOUR will lead you through some of the most prestigious wine regions in Spain and Portugal. You’ll begin your journey in Madrid, the Spanish
capital, and travel through charming wine regions such as La Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, El Bierzo, Douro, Porto and the area in which “Vinho Verde” is produced. This magnificent motorcycle route will wind you over mountains and through infinite
vineyards. You will also visit millenary villages, castles and fortresses that still remain as proud vestiges of the once mighty region of Castile. This tour takes place a few weeks after the “Vendimia” harvest and this means the aroma of freshly pressed grapes and the festive atmosphere of the wineries will accompany us during our tour. Now combine this with fun twisty roads with impeccable asphalt and you are in for an amazing vacation! On this journey you will see for yourself why this route is designed for connoisseurs of great motorcycle roads, wine, history and gastronomy.
Transfer from the Airport to the Hotel is included. You will have free time to rest or visit the city until the welcome meeting at the hotel in the afternoon. We will enjoy a welcome dinner after the meeting at a typical Spanish restaurant. The first and last day in the itinerary correspond to the arrival and departure days of the tour. You may have to leave a day early depending on your country of origin. Please book your flights taking this into account.
Included in Tour:
• Airport pickup on the first day of the tour.
• Overnight accommodations in high quality hotels
• A gourmet evening meal every night (except on rest days).
• Complete buffet breakfast every morning.
• New model BMW motorcycle fully equipped with 3 BMW cases.
• Tour handbook (normally about 70 pages-very comprehensive) and highlighted map.
• Expert multilingual guide on a motorcycle.
• Multilingual guide in support vehicle which will carry your luggage, any oversized purchases you make; or even a passenger or two.
• Tour Souvenirs.
Not included in Tour:
Air ticket, lunches, gasoline, drinks, tolls, personal spending and tips
Optional services
Optional deductible reduction on included motorcycle insurance (Cover All / Cover Plus)
Services not included
All services not mentioned and all items of a personal nature.
Please note
This group tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
Terms and conditions
Edelweiss terms and conditions can be found at edelweissbike.com/ en/reisebedingungen.php.
The Bear Says
IMTBike are…
Scott and IMTBIKE are among the very best motorcycle tour operators. Not only
Tour Facts
Start / End – Madrid
Total Distance - 1,770 miles / 2,850 km
Total Time - 15 Days
Riding Days - 13 Days
Rest Days - 2 Salamanca, Porto
Breakfast - 14 Included
Dinners - 11 Dinners
Daily Mileage - 165 miles / 275 kms.
Hotel Overnights - 14 Nights
Riding Season - Spring, Autumn
Highlights: 6 cities declared World Heritage by UNESCO: Segovia, Ávila, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Porto and Guimarães. All of them connected by the best imaginable roads. Wine, wine and more wine! This tour goes through the major wine regions of Spain and Portugal.
Accommodations: Awesome hotels.
First-class historical Pousadas and Paradors plus a few specially selected boutique hotels with local flair. Pousadas and Paradors are Castles, Palaces & Fortresses converted into motorcycle-friendly hotels.
*All IMTBIKE lodgings are hand-picked for their quality of service, local charm and strategic locations.
The price
€ 5645 - The base price of every tour is calculated for a single rider on a BMW G310R and sharing a double room
IF YOU’RE HEADING FOR THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD from Melbourne, the Princes Freeway looks like the road to take. In its own way it is, too. It’s a genuine motorway, but… and here’s the problem… it may not be absolutely free. No, there is no toll. But the Frog of blessed memory once lost his license and substantial amounts of money on a single run from Melbourne to
Geelong. This road probably holds more speed cameras than any other stretch of bitumen in the world. And apart from that, it is just what it says: a rather dull ribbon of four or six or whatever lanes with views of factories, oil refineries and sewage ponds. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The alternative does not look immediately inviting. It is a main road, but it takes you through endlessseeming car yards, furniture discount
houses and residential suburbs. But it does avoid the major conurbations and remains a priority road all the way. There is even a little stretch of freeway near the end. I don’t mind it; the only thing I am a little unhappy with is the lack of signposting for the ferry, once you get close to Sorrento. Follow your nose right to the last turnoff to the right: it is poorly marked but by this time you can see the ferry if one is in the dock.
Two roll-on-roll-off ferries service
the run across to Queenscliffe, so the wait is not exceptionally long. You are, however, better off choosing your sailing time and then making sure you arrive on time. A ferry leaves every hour on the hour from 7am to 6pm with a 7pm sailing on busy days, but you need to be there 40 minutes before the advertised departure time even with a prepurchased ticket. They close the boom gate! Check the website (www.searoad. com.au/Prices-Timetable/ Ferry-Timetable). Mind you, if you do miss your sailing then “tickets are fully transferable to the next available trip”.
The crossing takes 40 minutes, and you don’t need to worry about bad weather. “Both ferries have been purpose built to operate on Port Phillip Bay and are therefore unaffected by rough weather conditions. At worst a slight rolling motion will be experienced in very rough weather,” says the website. The crossing costs $39 for a bike and rider, plus another $13 for any pillion. If you have a sidecar or a trailer, or are riding a trike, the cost is $45. There are concessions. There are, of course, ferries and
ferries. If you’re used to Sydney or NSW country ferries, you will be impressed by MV Sorrento, MV Queenscliff (no ‘e’) or the smaller, occasionally used MV Princess. They have spacious decks for about 80 cars, as well as 700 passengers and plenty of room for bikes; they suggest that you might like to stay with your bike during the crossing, but my Royal Enfield Himalayan was perfectly happy on its centre stand. You can have a sandwich or another snack up on the top deck, and if you feel like a glass of wine, they have a very clever way of supplying that: a wine glass with a lid on it. Red or white. Cool. Whoever orders the stock for the little gift shop
has a terrific sense of humour. The ‘souvenirs’ on offer include two different scale construction kits of the… Titanic. Rolling on and off ferries can be a bit of a job, because there is inevitably a certain amount of steel underfoot or ‘undertyre’. In the case of these ferries it has been kept to a minimum and you don’t really need to worry. If you’re getting the idea that I like the Queenscliffe ferry, you’re right. If nothing else, it sets a kind of punctuation under your travels. Once you roll off, you’re
THE LAND OF ‘PUB’ Maybeit’sanagething
WORDS & PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
BUT HUB PUBS AND loops are increasingly becoming my plat du jour: Rather than packing it all up each morning and moving on, now give me a decent pub for a few nights and daily loop rides to one of the surrounding quadrants before returning to the known territory of my room, my bed and, yes, my slippers.
Small countries with proximate diversity – countries like Scotland – are just perfect for this and the Drovers Inn at Inverarnan, beside the River Falloch which feeds into the north end of Loch Lomond an hour north of Glasgow is a perfect hub for taking in the west of the country.
Their booking system is crap – you pay ten quid deposit on line but then 72 hours before you arrive you have to ring them and quote your CC details to secure your room. Cumbersome and dumb but when I booked two nights I got the response that anyone doing that gets the third night free.
The Drovers Inn
North Loch Lomond, Inverarnan G83 7DX T: +44 1301 704234 E: info@thedroversinn.co.uk FB: The Drovers Inn Unique Character 9 out of 5 Value for money 150 (Very Good)
Fred Brophy’s cobwebbed memorabilia-stuffed pub at Cracow Qld and the shrine to taxidermy that is Mates Hotel at Koondrook, Victoria. There’s more stuffed animals in this place than at a bacchanalian bucks party, and I’m still in the lobby, being looked after by an eastern European lady in a kilt, as, it turns out are all the staff. Kilted, that is.
I score room 18 – the Glen Falloch - on the top floor, a large room with twin beds and ubiquitous tartan carpet.
Brilliant idea, so I make it a triple!
I arrive in the teeth of Storm Eunice – the worst storm of the British winter – howling in from the Atlantic drenching, flooding, freezing everything in its path – parked around the back, pushed through the door with the help of the gale and was welcomed by a rampant black bear. A stuffed one.
Think of a bastard child of
There’s no gambling, no racing screens, no keno, no crap, just the feeling that some eccentric country hoarder has invited you into their home for a feed, a drink and a good time
looping.
Now, don’t expect plumbing as you know it out here! No wonder the Scots are such ablutophobes – their bloody showers are uniformly hopeless, the pressure is abysmal and controlling the temperature is a bridge too far. This place is no exception. They even have instructions on how to wash your hands.
Anyway, back in the bar two fires are raging – turns out old mate Andrew comes in each morning, loads the wood stacks and gets the flames roaring and the buzz is friendly and welcoming. Your bar tab has to be settled each day but prices are low, food is, well it’s Scottish (I have the neeps, tatties and haggis the first night) and most couples seem to bring their
And there’s no gambling, no racing screens, no keno, no crap, just the feeling that some eccentric country hoarder has invited you into their home for a feed, a drink and a good time.
From all the ales I find one, Drovers Blonde, that works for me and settle back to enjoy the sounds, the people the décor and the vibe. And pull out my paper map to plan the next day’s adventure.
Just 90 quid for the three nights is great value in this part of the world.
I’m just past the Rob Roy Room and right next to the bathrooms. Rob Roy was the cattle thief who roamed this area and who was given immortality by Walter Scott said, “It’s a maxim of a wise man never to return by the same road he came, providing another’s free to him.”
I’m not the first to be hooked on
The Drovers Inn
RATED 4 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
Around midnight a low rumble starts up outside, underscoring the pounding rain. I figure it has to be but can’t be the wind – the only tree I can see in the darkness isn’t bending too much.
Next morning, turns out the placid waterfall across the valley has turned into a rager, cascading down the mountainside and helping the river that was maybe 20 metres wide out back of the pub last night grow to over 80 metres across. It’s now lapping at the pub’s carpark. Upstream the tranquil Falls of Falloch have become seething torrents.
Breakfast’s included in the tariff so it’s more eggs, beans, bacon, black pudding and haggis plus cereal and juice, enjoyed in one of the two dining rooms under a metal shark hanging from a beam. Yeah, I know... go figure.
If you have an issue with quirky, this ain’t your place.
The previous week I’d been in Groes Inn at Conwy on the North Coast of Wales – a pretty decent pub but company-owned and with
The Tigh an Truish
Clachan of Siel, Argyll PA34 4TN
T: +44 1852 300242 • E: sleep@tighantruish.co.uk
FB: Tigh an Truish Unique Character 5/5 Value for money 120 (Well above average)
This is a must-stay for me in all future visits to western Scotland
best surprises I’ve had in this business.
It’s right on opening when I’ve finished taking some outside shots and very soon Marion, who runs the place with her partner, tells me that they’ve traced the pub’s history on this site back to the very early 1700’s although its name would’ve been different at its birth.
Quick historical detour:
disinterested staff – when Iain at the next table started chatting. As I hoed into a lamb shank accompanied by the absolute best presented and most delicious vegetables I’ve ever eaten, he asked about my itinerary and then gave me two pubs I just had to add.
The first was the Tigh and Truish. Now, most of the yarns I hear (and a lot I tell) in pubs are truish so the name seemed propitious – just had to work out the ‘Tigh’.
So, I change my day’s loop map to head south from Oban and when I get there, the Tigh an Truish Hotel, on the island of Seil on the Firth of Lorne, is without doubt one of the
Following quickly on the heels of their defeat of the Scottish forces at Culloden in April 1745, the final battle of the English Civil War, the victorious English Parliamentarians sought to exploit their victory through control and enforced subservience of the Scots on various fronts.
One of these was the Disarming Act of 1746 which not only penalized the carrying or hiding of arms by most Scots, which might have been understandable; but it also forbade the wearing of Highland dress including tartan and of course kilts.
By this Act, “Any persons within Scotland, whether man or boy … who should wear the plaid, philibeg,
Tigh and Truish
trews, shoulder-belts, or any part of the Highland garb, or should use for great coats, tartans, or parti-coloured plaid, or stuffs, should, without the alternative of a fine, be imprisoned for the first conviction for six months, without bail, and on the second conviction be transported for seven years”.
The ‘Tigh an Truish’ was around before the Disarming Acts but it acquired its name through the first attempt to ban the kilt in 1715. It translates as ‘House of Trousers’.
The inhabitants of the island here could be confident that no English were around and so they continued to wear kilts and tartan with impunity. But when they needed to cross to the mainland, they’d call into the pub which was adjacent the narrowest crossing, shed their traditional garb, grab a pair of trousers from the pub’s selection, cross from the island and then reverse the process when they returned home.
It became known as the House of
Trousers and the nickname became the name and it’s stuck for the last almost 300 years.
Today, it’s without much doubt the best recommendation I’ve had from a stranger in any pub anywhere. Ever.
There’re only three accommodation
rooms upstairs, all doubles but one can be converted to a twin. The rooms aren’t cheap but they are special and there’s undercover parking out the back.
The cozy bar features what they
call the ‘perch’ at the corner – a fixed seat which even the most enthusiastic drinker isn’t about to fall off. It’s a legacy of the previous Austrian owners and apparently, it’s a ‘thing’ in the Tyrol. The dining room is large, modern and light-filled even on an overcast day with views out to the bridge.
Ah the bridge – as if the pub’s not enough reason for the detour, the bridge is the dealmaker.
Built in 1792, it spans the very upper tentacles of the Atlantic Ocean with the water maybe 20 metres wide. At most. Know anyone else who’s ridden right over the Atlantic? Thought not?
Northern summer’s coming up so... Know anyone who’s swum across the Atlantic? Hmm... you want bragging rights?
Quite simply, this pub, this island, this bridge will give you memories and experiences you will never forget and seldom replicate. And there can be no better reason for doing anything, for mine.
You’d be unhappy too, if you were stuffed!
Nice selection at The Drovers Inn
From Seil I head back to the A816 then south for Iain’s second tip, the Galley of Lorne at Ardfern but it’s closed for renovations. Then south Kilmartin to check out the hillcrest white pub and the ancient stones in the graveyard across the road before continuing south until it meets the A83. Then east along the southern side of the at-times stunning Loch Awe and south on the A819 to Inveraray.
So just getting back to the Jacobite wars of the 1700’s, in addition to the
banning of the tartan and the kilt (and effectively bagpipes), the English also embarked on a program of building a network of strategic military roads to facilitate rapid deployment of troops to thwart any highland uprising.
Originally it was overseen by General George Wade but he retired in 1747 and a Major William Caufield took over and it was on his watch that the military road to Inveraray across the highlands from Tarbet and Arrochar was completed in 1749. When the workers reached the
highest point of the pass, they constructed a seat and inscribed on it, “Rest and Be Thankful”. That seat is long gone but a granite headstone has replaced it, and it chiseled letters almost too weathered to read, it too invites travelers to Rest and Be Thankful.
In my latest book (nothingbutthepub.com) I wrote a chapter about the gloriously named but now defunct Rest and Be Thankful Hotel on the Murray east of Morgan in South Australia.
The chapter opens with the story of poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, along with Samuel Coleridge walking across the mountains this military road in 1803 and how Dorothy kept a journal of the trip.
In it she mentioned climbing to the saddle of the main peak and finding “… a seat with the … inscription ‘Rest and be thankful’ … The seat is placed so as to command a full view of the valley, and the long, long, road, which, with the fact recorded, and the exhortation, makes it an affecting resting-place.”
At the entrance to Inveraray, a sign advises that the OMR, the Old Military Road, is in operation ahead. It means the weather’s too foul, the danger of landslips too great to travel on the constantly under maintenance 20th Century road and that there’s going to be a detour. And that safe passage is on a road that is two centuries older, the one walked by Wordsworth, who later wrote about it in his poem, Rest and Be Thankful. This is one of the best military roads
‘The Bear’ is stuffed! still in use and the arrival to it from the west is announced by a stunning small loch on the right. The OMR is a single lane sealed strip further down the cliff face from the newer road. I’d been here the previous day when the new road was still open and snow had replaced the incessant rain from Storm Eunice.
Now it was -3 degrees with a 40-knot wind. Cold. But beautiful. Once clear of the escort down the
Down it comes
Storm Eunice, which arrived in the UK the same day I touched down at LHR, put an end to plans to ride the highlands on a bike rented from a mob at Couper Angus. With 70 knot winds gusting to close to 100 and driving rain for 5 days straight followed by ice and snow, opted for a cage and during my 2 weeks in Scotland, I saw a single rider on a country road, and he looked like a commuter coming in off farm.
That being said, given decent weather, Scotland with its diversity, its mountains, its coastlines, its islands and its compact size is a real heaven for riding.
But before you visit, bone up on the histories and the stories of the places you’re going. The value of doing this increases exponentially with the age of the country and this place sure has age on its side.
Spectacular South Africa Himalayan Heights
mountain, on to Arrachar and Tarbet on Loch Lomond and then north to my digs at the Drovers. A great day on the road, and a brace of extraordinary pubs. The House of Trousers dates to the very early 1700s and the Drovers sets itself as being born in 1750. Some of the best sections of the road are over 250 years old.
Maybe it IS an age thing! D
It’s hard to believe, but this iconic image is now more than 20 years old.
It’s a bit grainy; we took it on our first Andes tour, waaay back in the late 90’s. World On Wheels, Leading the way for 27 years
Dalmatian Delights
Beautiful Baltics
SO GOOD
Who better to test the new Shoei NXR2, but me! I’ve had virtually every Shoei helmet released in the last ten years and my NXR still serves me well today. When Shoei released the new NXR2 I was super keen to get one and try it out. I did have to wait a while for the colour I wanted (Prologue TC-10) but it was well worth the wait.
First thoughts as soon as I put the NXR2 on my head was that it’s more similar to my X-Spirit III race helmet, than to the outgoing NXR. The visor now opens in the middle, which, if you haven’t used a helmet with a central locking position will take some getting used to. The anti-fog Pinlock visor insert is redesigned (claimed to be 10% larger) and is now wider, with none of it being able to be seen in your peripheral vision.
Shoei did want the NXR2 to be much more aerodynamic, hence far quieter, and they wanted the venting to work much better than on the previous model. To aid in reducing noise the cheek padding at the bottom is a little wider. This will mean that getting the NXR2 on and off is a little harder to do. Please bear in mind, it isn’t hard to do at all, I’m just comparing it to the outgoing NXR.
If you wear glasses, I feel the comparison of putting glasses on with my NXR is better with the NXR2, so whatever Shoei has done there to make an improvement does make life easier and more comfortable.
Ventilation sees four vent holes on the top and a two-holed chin vent. Each vent has two positions.
For this test I put each helmet on, riding down to the end of my street and back. I usually find that riding much further than a kilometre or so you tend not to notice venting as much. The NXR2 does flow much better so keeping your noggin cooler in hot weather will be done.
Aerodynamics are hard to determine on the road. I’d have to be doing over 220km/h back-to-back to notice the difference between the two versions. However, that said, Shoei does claim 6% less lift and 4% drag reduction. The big thing I noticed was the reduction in noise compared to the NXR.
The visor features Vortex generator ‘winglets’, a feature taken from the top of the range X-Spirit III. This reduces noise noticeably around the side of the helmet. Four shell sizes are available and you can always customise the interior padding for the absolute perfect fit. I am a size Large in helmets and the Large fits bang on perfect – no pressure points, nothing digging into me, just a nice snug fit as it should be.
The NXR2 does not feature a dedicated headset communication unit, however the pockets for ear speakers and the like are built in for a universal fit of whatever brand communication device you choose. If you wanted a specific Shoei designed system I suggest you look at the GT-Air II.
Who is the Shoei NXR2 designed for? Any rider seeking a premium helmet with premium features. From the race track to a learner on a 125 and even cruiser riders, this is an amazingly great helmet.
I love my Shoei helmets, the fit, finish and quality really shines through, so if you want the best, get to your local bike shop and bang one on. The NXR2 is available in solid colour and graphics. For the full range jump onto shoeihelmets.com.au or mcleodaccessories.com.au D
A “throttle Lock” can be a little misleading because this product doesn’t actually “lock” the throttle of your motorcycle. When it’s engaged it simply holds your throttle in any position you leave it in. When you want to adjust your speed, simply rotate the throttle like normal. It uses pressure and friction to prevent the throttle from rotating freely. The unit is clamped to the plastic throttle tube, between the rubber grip flange and the throttle housing. The Throttle Lock has two buttons, one to engage the unit the other to disengage the unit.
You can override the ATLAS at any time. When you have the ATLAS Throttle Lock engaged you can increase or decrease your speed by simply twisting the throttle as you ride. The Throttle Lock comes in two configurations. A Top Kit and a Bottom Kit. Both units work exactly the same, the only difference is where it mounts on the throttle tube.
Around Coonawarra, SA
WINE AND MORE
WORDS / PHOTOS THE BEAR
IWONDER WHY WINE
GROWING areas are almost always terrific motorcycle areas as well. It’s not just the wine, I know that because (dons Grownup Hat) I don’t do my wine tasting tours on a motorcycle. And it’s not like my good mate Barry says from the roadside ditch, “I don’t do wine tastings on my bike, either. At least not for long…” Whatever the reason, add Coonawarra in the southern tip of South Australia to the list. You’ll see that there are several ride routes indicated; here is where they will take you.
MOUNT GAMBIER
Like Bordertown, Gambier is more of an access point than a place that belongs to the rides on this map. Despite that, let me say that it is a pleasant town with the famous Blue Lake and the sunken garden and a tourist office that’s disguised as a boat.
Possibly it is a boat disguised as a tourist office. At any rate, it is a good one. Gambier is also probably the only place in this entire area that has a bike shop – or possibly even more.
PENOLA
For years I used to think that Penola was Coonawarra. The mistake is an easy one to make because Penola is a terrific looking town centred on a Queensland Wedding Cake style pub on a main road corner. Penola has its own claim to fame, though, and that is the time spent here by St Mary MacKillop who founded Australia’s first order of nuns, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, here in 1866. As Australia’s only saint she is worth remembering, although there is little here beyond a small museum.
COONAWARRA
The reason I thought Penola was Coonawarra is that Coonawarra is essentially just a post office on a back road in the middle of the wineries or ‘nowhere’, as we cartographers say. Far more impressive and interesting than the post office is DiGiorgio’s Winery on the main road, which has a tasting room and does terrific lunches
Green Route
am assuming that you will roll into Mt Gambier by way of the Nelson road, but it’s all the same if you come by the Princes Highway. Take the Penola turnoff to the right and you’ll find yourself riding along the Riddoch Highway through a mixture of paddocks, pine forests and, increasingly, vineyards. Penola, as mentioned elsewhere, is Saint Mary MacKillop’s town and also has a really good-looking pub.
Continue north for a while until you see the DiGiorgio Winery sign. This indicates the side road that leads to Coonawarra itself. You will miss little if you don’t ride down there, but DiGiorgio’s is worth a stop – especially if it is lunchtime. Turn around. Back in Penola turn right for Wattle Range and continue along this road across the Princes Highway to Robe. There are lots of side roads surfaced with fine gravel along this route, and if you’re like me you won’t be able to resist them.
Pink Route
Should you be interested in one of the most interesting feats of civil engineering in Australia, turn left at the ruins of the Kangaroo Inn and head down towards Beachport Before you get there you will find yourself at a T intersection; turn right and watch out for the sign to Woakwine Cutting, up to the
COONAWARRA, SA
right. The cutting was dug by one bloke (with help from another bloke) and a bit of a story along with some of the machinery he used is to be found at the cutting lookout. Don’t miss it. Back on the road just continue to Robe
ROBE
Blue Route
The run north from Robe to Kingston SE in SA (just so you know, it’s got the SE tacked onto it to distinguish it from Kingston-on-Murray, also in SA) is kind of soporific, but once you reach Coorong National Park it becomes interesting in a forsaken-desert kind of way. I like it. Just about the only tourist attraction along here is The Granites some rounded granite boulders in the surf. By my count there are three of them, and they are not what you’d call enormous. Or even big, really. The end of this route is at Meningee which is not on the map.
Orange Route
This is the access route if you happen to be travelling along the Dukes Highway It is a pleasant run with relatively little traffic and some pleasant scenery. Quite pleasant, really. This is also the road you will probably find yourself on if you have made a detour to Coonawarra coming from Adelaide, and you need to get back on the main road.
I’m going to write a separate story some time soon about Robe, because it deserves it. For now, let it be said that the Caledonian Inn is a terrific place to stay, and the Robe Chinese restaurant sells some of the least Chinese Chinese food I have ever tasted.
KINGSTON SE
Among the Big Things that dot the Australian countryside, there are a few that stand out by anybody’s standard. The two that come to mind are, oddly enough, both seafood: the Big Prawn in Ballina, NSW, and the Big Lobster (really a crayfish) in Kingston SE. I am not absolutely sure about this because I don’t actually come past Kingston SE all that often, but I think this is at least the second Big Lobster. I seem to remember one that simply wasn’t up to the quality of the current one. It is
a truly outstanding piece of work and quite likely has given a generation of small children the screaming meemies. I like it a lot.
NARACOORTE
A relatively large but just slightly bland town for the area, Naracoorte offers a good variety of accommodation and the Sheep’s Back Museum. If you have never seen a robotic shearer -- and if you haven’t been to the Sheep’s Back Museum in Naracoorte then there’s a good chance you haven’t -- here’s your chance.
BORDERTOWN
This is the kind of place that should be called something like ‘Bordertown’ because that is precisely what it is. A place for fuel and perhaps a meal. That makes it quite important. If we didn’t have towns like this, we would run out of fuel and starve. You might consider having a beer, too, because it is the birthplace of Bob Hawke.
POLICEMAN POINT
The main, and indeed only, attraction of Policeman Point is the Coorong Hotel Motel. This is because the Coorong Hotel Motel is all there is at Policeman Point. Nothing wrong with that.
KALANGADOO
Nothing against this place, but it is off the route and the only reason I have included it is the name. It has a definite ring to it. Kalann…gaa…doo! It’s a nice little town with a pub rather daringly called the Kalangadoo Hilton. I can’t work out why they haven’t been sued by the ‘other’ Hilton, the way the Blackball Hilton in NZ was.
AS IAN DRYSDALE
BLIPPED the throttle of the 750cc V8 in his Melbourne workshop, I was in awe. The sound reminded me of a howling F1 car. Very few bikes make the hair stand up on the back of my neck when they are free revved – some MotoGP bikes, any Pro Stock or Top Bike drag racer, any two-stroke racer and definitely this amazing machine.
As the engine-temperature rose, Ian carefully watching the MoTeC display, he took the revs a little higher and higher until finally the howling V8 was filling the workshop with a glorious note that no other bike gets close to –no bike sounds this good. I’d buy one just for the sound!
The workmanship is stunning. Gorgeous sand-cast crankcases and cylinder block, smooth curvaceous bodywork and that amazing exhaust system – the eightinto-two-into-one -into-two!
Walking around the bike for a close encounter, the workmanship is stunning. Gorgeous sand-cast crankcases and cylinder block, smooth curvaceous bodywork and that amazing exhaust system – the eightinto-two-into-one-into-two!
“I haven’t started the bike for months,” smiles Ian as the bike settles into a nice idle and stabilises at 88ºC.
“I was only revving it to 7000rpm then, you should hear it when it is on full song at 17,000rpm!
“The cooling system is very efficient, it will happily idle away for a long period of time and remain around the 80 to 90ºC range”.
This 750 was Ian’s personal bike.
Unfortunately there was no 1000 available when I visited separately to the photographer, however, the 750 note was more than enough to give me an idea of the 1000cc engine and the memory of that sound still has me
grinning – the flat plane 180º crank V8 sounds just like a Ferrari on steroids!
The first 750 V8 built by Ian way back in 1997 set the world talking about the amazing machine, with Sir Alan Cathcart becoming the very first outsider to ride the bike, praising it highly and drawing the world’s attention.
Ian would later build a 1000cc naked version called the Bruiser, then going on to build the 1000cc V8 sports version as pictured, four of which have so far arrived at customer’s homes for $100,000 AUD a pop.
Ian hopes to build two more, one for himself and one for his business partner, leaving enough spares to service the six bikes for good. Talk about exclusive motorcycling…
As a mechanical and engineering nerd myself, wandering around Ian’s workshop for the brief period I was there was like Nirvana. I love helicopters – and there was one sitting on pallet racking, ready to get twin turbocharged Honda Blackbird engines fitted. Another engine I love, the radial engine, was also
HIGHLIGHTS
Sarajevo, Mostar, Adriatic coastal road, Hvar Island, 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sights: Plitvice National Park, Durmitor National Park, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split
TECHNICAL
represented – the stuff dreams are made of – an original Pratt & Whitney R-4360 28-cylinder 3500hp radial engine. I asked Ian why he had it. His reply? “If you have to ask, you don’t understand”.
That sums up this man who has such a love of engineering, particularly engines, and anything different and powerful.
Most of you would be aware of the V8 Drysdale but perhaps not completely aware of just what components come together to create this absolute masterpiece of Australian engineering.
The first and doubtless the most important fact about the Drysdale is that Ian Drysdale, the creator and engineer, is a motorcycle enthusiast through and through. He has not built this machine for commercial purposes or for notoriety or any other reason other than the challenge and to have a V8 bike! He was originally commissioned to build a few trick
Housing the engine was always going to be a challenge, particularly while striving to maintain a short 1415mm wheelbase
sidecar engines back in the day, and his V8 concept morphed from there to where it is now.
Over the years Ian has owned a wide range of motorcycles from the trusty CX500 and 650 to more modern adventure bikes like his KTM 950 Adventure. Throw in plenty of classics like XRs, TTs, BSAs and even the trusty CT90 and you have a bloke who loves all kinds of bikes. When that bloke is an extremely talented engineer, fabricator, machinist,
mechanic and tuner – you’re going to see something special roll out of the workshop door.
Ian started riding when he was just 10-years old and aside from his love of flying helicopters, which really are the motorcycles of the sky, the 56-yearold Melburnian spends most working hours doing one thing or another that is motorcycle related.
The V8 1000 is a combination of amazing original Drysdale components and OEM (mostly) Yamaha parts. Let’s start with the glorious engine…
First the crankcases. These sandcast beauties were created by Ian with the help of the late Neil Kilner of Accurate Patterns, Melbourne. They were cast-up and became the bones of this incredible engine.
The cases have the cylinder blocks cast into the upper case, with 62.0mm bores inserted. Modified YZR600 pistons and rings swing off custom Crower conrods on the Ian Drysdale designed and machined
billet 180º crankshaft, itself turning on modified Yamaha plain main bearings. Compression ratio is a moderate 10.5:1; being a V8 it is all about rpm and the bonus of reduced piston speeds. The four camshafts are made in-house by Ian and team then ground to specification by Clive Cams at Ferntree Gully, Victoria. Both sets of cams remain chain driven. The cylinder-heads are FZR600 items that have been heavily ported and flowed using a flow bench. The OEM inlet valves are retained, however, Ian
redesigned and manufactured his own exhaust valves.
The lower case houses the highly modified Yamaha FZR1000 wet clutch and a reworked Yamaha YZF750 gearbox cluster, redesigned to accommodate a cassette-style gearbox set-up, as well as a large wet sump.
Overall gearing is 16/48 and the shift pattern is road shift. Clutch actuation is hydraulic.
No oil cooler is required, only a radiator for the water-cooling. All work was carried out by Neville Hazelmann
and Ian.
An engine of this complexity needs good management, so Ian opted for a MoTeC M800 system. With the MoTeC system Ian has been able to tune the V8 to run silky smooth with a whopping eight 39mm Keihin throttle-bodies delivering fuel via an electric high pressure fuel pump and Drysdale fuel rail. The airbox is Drysdale design and the aircleaner is from a Mazda MX-5. Being low compression, the bike will run very well on 95 octane fuel. The exhaust
“I’m building a helicopter at the moment with twin
Honda Blackbird engines in it… and I enjoy good music.”
system is a Drysdale unit that is a complete work of art, and the muffler is a Black Mamba.
Housing the engine was always going to be a challenge, particularly while striving to maintain a short 1415mm wheelbase.
Ian opted for a trellis-style ERW mild steel frame, painted rather than powdercoated as Ian discovered that
cylinders and front guard are all donated by the YZF-R1. The fork internals, however, are Drysdale, and at the rear things are very trick. The swingarm is a very highly modified ZZR1100 (remember those?) item with Drysdale underslung linkages. The shock, custom made by Ohlins to deal with the incredible V8 engine, is also underslung. Both ends wear
Although it costs $100,000 a pop, you could never lose on that – think about it, a standard people mover van for the family costs $60k!
are from a CBR250RR!
This bike has consumed an amazing 3000 hours of Ian Drysdale’s life. Although it costs $100,000 a pop, you could never lose on that – think about it, a standard people mover van for the family costs $60k!
[Most recently, Ian has partnered
with John Karambalis of STEALTH bikes to
PUT THE LOAD ON ME
The Bear’s High Street Twin Picks Up Luggage
WELCOME TO THE SECOND part of our High Street Twin / Tearoom Racer project. This is where you discover the remaining details.
“Now,” I thought, “I have seen everything.” What I was looking at was a Yamaha RD250, two up, on its way to Phillip Island for the Superbike races. Not that that was unusual in itself back in the early ‘80s. But the load on this one was exceptional, even in Australia where riders notoriously overload their bikes.
The bike has an overall classic look, so I wanted luggage that fitted in.
The obvious choice was SW-Motech’s Legend range
Apart from the rider and pillion, there was a tank bag with tank panniers home-made from ammunition bags, a Gearsack rack and bag with rolled-up sleeping bags strapped to the top, and two indeterminate but large black canvas bags pressed into service as panniers. Attached to this kit was a selection of smaller bags, and the pillion wore a backpack which, because it had to rest on the sleeping bags on top of the Gearsack bag, towered over her (or his) scuffed helmet. The number plate identified this rolling jumble sale as being from Canberra, so it had covered a fair distance.
Not that I am an innocent bystander here. The way Mrs Bear and I had packed stuff onto our XS11 for our Europe/Africa/Asia trip was not especially different and
LONG TERMERS
did include the kitchen sink, but… well, that was an XS11, not a quarter litre two-stroke.
Two recent changes have reduced the amount I need to carry quite noticeably. One, Mrs Bear rarely travels with me these days. Two, I no longer camp when I’m travelling. On some trips I do slip my basic camping kit into a pannier, but there is little of it beyond a super-lightweight oneperson tent. Normally all I carry is
basic stuff like tool and tyre repair kits, camera gear and spare underwear. All of this means that I had a wide choice of luggage for the High Street Twin project bike.
The bike has an overall classic look, so I wanted luggage that fitted in.
The obvious choice was SW-Motech’s Legend range. The bags are made of robust Napalon synthetic leather and waxed canvas, and together with the Molle stripes that gives them a
pleasantly classic look. No hardware is required to attach them to the bike; the soft SLS base strap fits over the pillion seat and is attached underneath. The Molle straps and alloy hooks allow you to vary the position – and especially the height – of the bags. The largest of the Legend bags was still too close to the exhaust so I chose the next smaller.
What I have done is set the bike up so that I can clip on this Legend LS
bag on one side, leaving the other for either the Legend Tool Bag or another LS bag. A fuel bottle sits in the Legend bottle carrier. This can also be a water bottle, but the bike has limited fuel range so that litre of additional petrol eases my mind somewhat. All the bags have water-resistant roll tops. I have to admit that the other part of my luggage provision is not especially classic looking, but I think Ventura gear is pretty much timeless.
I have fitted the EVO carrier to the model-specific L-brackets from Ventura. This gives me the choice of using it forward – when it holds the Legend base down, not that it needs it – or backward, when it leaves the pillion seat free. I have three Ventura bags in different sizes, which allows me to vary the available luggage space. I can also have the carrier facing backwards without a bag, when it lets me carry larger or oddly-
shaped luggage. Considering that the bike was initially intended solely as an aroundtown ride with luggage capacity mainly for shopping, it’s turned out to be quite versatile. On a sunny weekend with the light bringing out the gleaming candy red of the bike, the purring of the exhaust keeping me company and the high road calling, why should I leave the High Street Twin at home? D
SW-Motech’s Legend SLS base strap sits neatly on the pillion seat.
The small tool bag looks a little odd here, but this shows how versatile the Legend gear is.
The alloy clips let you hang any of the bags from the base, at whatever height you like.
One of the bigger Ventura bags on the EVO carrier, before the bike was customised.
The mid-sized Legend bag clears the exhaust quite nicely. This is my water bottle, but I would normally have a fuel bottle in this Molle carrier.
STEVEN MARTIN’S
FAMOUS 1296CC Period 5
Katana is the wild ride of the pack. I had the opportunity to ride the TBR D&D QBE Suzuki Katana that our mate Steve Martin has made so famous at the Phillip Island Classic, Barry Sheene Festival Of Speed and in various QBE Insurance ads, and that was a dream come true that I couldn’t pass up. Not only have I always been a fan of the Katana and all classic era Japanese fours, as a motorcycle mechanic by trade I’ve admired the drag racing engineering brilliance and huge list of achievements Trevor Birrell and Dale Gilbert have collectively amassed over the past 30-years. Then of course, there’s the pure awe of watching Steve Martin reeling off insanely fast laps on this
bike, like his 1:37.587 and ultimately winning the 2019 International Challenge.
The Trevor Birrell Racing/D&D Industries/QBE/Suzuki team came together when Trevor and Dale were looking for a new challenge from a life of drag racing. They all visited the Phillip Island Classic in 2009, along with their friend the late Peter Kerr of Racebike Services. Dale and Trevor were introduced to Steve Martin via Peter, who was an original sponsor and mate of South Australian Steve. 12 months later Steve blew everyone away on a Katana built by the guys and things went from there, the team winning the Phillip Island Classic in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2019 and BSFS in 2012. Dale and Trevor brought in their long time drag racing supporters,
Castrol and Serco, while Steve brought in Pirelli tyres and QBE Insurance to form their team along with other team sponsors Suzuki Australia, Bendix, Venhill, Light Alloy Engineering, Race Bike Services, MCR, Springwood Suzuki, Dunlop and Monza Imports.
THE BIKE
The #99 is the most famous bike in classic racing and for good reason. When it arrived on the scene back in 2010 at the Phillip Island Classic, Steve smashed everyone taking pole position and four wins from four starts! Not bad for a bunch of drag racers -- albeit with a gun rider!
Trevor Birrell is famous for his big four-stroke air-cooled engines, particularly Suzukis. He started drag racing in 1982 and earned Nine
Australian Championships and 17 National Records between 1982 and 2011.
Dale started drag racing in 1984 and soon started building bodywork and chassis for drag bikes and has won more than ten National Championships.
After the previously mentioned hook up at PI, the guys realised they had enough parts to have a go, initially using a braced standard frame then moving to chrome-moly in 2011.
The #99 is the most famous bike in classic racing and for good reason. When it arrived in 2010 at Phillip Island, Steve smashed everyone taking pole position and four wins from four starts!
The engine is based on the mighty GSX1100 and was built to a tight budget using TBR’s 30-years’ worth of spares and plenty of know-how from Trevor.
The barrels are bored and sleeved to take the 79mm JE custom order forged pistons, which are decompressed slightly. With a 66mm stroke the bike is 1296cc. There are two types of head used by Trevor, a big port head and a CNC ported head. Shawn Giles’ bike runs the CNC head as he likes the aggressive punch, while Steve uses the smaller port head with more aggressive cams. Steve prefers this type of power delivery to the more aggressive initial
throttle opening of the other engine set-ups. The #99 bike runs Pirellis and the rear tyre is not able to sit on the narrow 5.5in rim correctly, contributing to grip issues. The gentler mid-range allows Steve to open the throttle earlier but the thing still spins up a lot once the tacho hits 6000rpm, as it is quite a peaky power delivery.
Valves are stainless steel and oversize and Trevor currently gets two race meetings before the head needs a service. Titanium valves and brass alloy seats are high on the priority list but at $150 a valve versus $30 a valve, budget prohibits this for now. Springs are APE and titanium retainers are used. The camshafts Steve runs are TBR units and quite aggressive, while Giles and Roberts run Yoshimura Stage III and cam timing is secret!
The standard crankcases are used, and although EFE are slightly stronger internally than GSX/Katana cases, they are identical externally. The team has a few sets of EFE cases but Steve’s bike runs Katana cases. The crankshaft is GSX1000S, a special
The 1980s superbike feel is something else. A big wide air-cooled motor protruding out either side gives me the impression
I’m
about to ride a big motor with handlebars and wheels bolted to it!
edition Katana built for endurance racing homologation such as the Castrol 6 Hour. The cranks were stronger and had bigger conrods and are still available as an OEM part. Trevor uses these after welding and balancing. He also bronze bushes the small ends as they get extremely hot and gudgeon pins turn orange, so they need to be replaced regularly!
The gearbox is standard GSX with heavily undercut gear dogs and a modified detent mechanism, but the biggest upgrade is the GSX-R1000K6
slipper clutch and Light Alloy Engineering clutch cover. The exhaust system is a sexy Yoshimura period replica titanium four-into-one and fuelling is via Keihin 35mm smoothbore carburettors. The team has extensively tested with 37mm and even 39mm but the 35mm items offer the most controllable power. Ignition is by MSD MC-4 using a single ignition curve. The MSD ignition has a huge range of capabilities and in future could be used to help some traction problems. With programmable gear specific ignition curves on hand, multiple switchable maps and rev limits the MSD system could help Steve with tyre life and traction via switchable maps, particularly towards the end of a race. It’s a great system used a lot in drag racing. Spark plugs are NGK J10As. The engine is wet sump, runs Castrol 10w40 oil and a Lockheed
oil cooler and fuel is Avgas (at the time of testing, now running VP Racing Roo 99). Starting is via remote external starter. A trick addition are quick-release engine mounts, another trick from the drag racing world.
The chassis is a work of art. Dale Gilbert is a renowned drag racing chassis engineer and applied his skills to this road racer. After building a jig off a stock Katana frame, Dale built the chrome-moly frames by hand, heavily bracing them. The three frames are all different spec as per rider’s choice; with the #24 frame an original steel item to mute the critics out there and prove the team can be competitive on a stock frame.
Once the frame is fabricated, it is measured and aligned at Motorcycle Crash Repairs in Victoria using a Scheibner digital
measuring system and aligned on a Globaljig frame straightener. The frames are not painted, saving weight and making repairs easy at the track.
The swingarm was originally a $50 unit from an RF900 but rules changed and a hand made braced swingarm had to be fabricated. This was done by Light Alloy Engineering and they are works of art as well. The wheels are GSX-R1000 front and GSF650 rear, with Manta rotors and AP Lockheed calipers fed by Venhill lines and squeezing very trick Bendix CarbonMatrix pads. Shocks are Ohlins and the forks are CBR600F2 with Ohlins internals. Racebike Services Tony Hamilton tuned the suspension.
All billet parts including the tripleclamps are made by Dale on his CNC mill. The dash is a single centrally-mounted Auto Meter Phantom tacho with an oil warning light, a tether on the left bar is also fitted and a kill switch on the right. Grips are Renthal and the
throttle is from a KX250 Kawasaki, while the ‘bars themselves are chromemoly aftermarket items.
The bodywork is stunning and also hand made by Dale Gilbert. From a distance you swear it has the original grey pillion seat on it. Amazing job…
RIDING THE BEAST
The first thing I noticed about the #99 Katana was the rolled back feel – a lower ride-height than the other bikes. The front felt taller and I felt like I was really sitting in the bike rather than on it, more like an original Katana. The ‘bars are widely spaced and under the triple-clamp but still feel tall by modern standards. Grips are ultrathin, which I found really hard to hold and keep a relaxed grip on.
The footpegs are close to the seat and being an old girl there is a nice long reach to the ‘bars, which helps you to duck behind the tiny fairing. Overall, it’s a good fighting position. The 1980s superbike feel is something else. A big wide aircooled motor protruding out either
side under a narrow, long fuel tank mounted to a narrow frame really gives me the impression I’m about to ride a big motor with handlebars and wheels bolted to it!
The siren goes off and the guys get the remote starter out and fire the beast into life. The servo pie and large strawberry milk I had for breakfast, well, hangover cure, is churning in my stomach. For some reason I thought a Berocca to wash it all down would help but it ain’t helping now. Damn I shouldn’t have opened that second bottle of red last night…
Worse – I’ve got my brand new Ricondi custom suit on for the first time and I was a full 8kg lighter when I was measured for it! Time to lose my
Well, if anything is going to snap me into life it’s a bloody big-engined Katana so I roll out pit lane onto the track.
reputation as the fastest A Grader in Australia with a triple-chin, I reckon! Well, if anything is going to snap me into life it’s a bloody big-engined Katana so I roll out pit lane onto the track.
The Pirellis are straight off the warmers and time is limited so I don’t muck around, knee is on the deck in turn one. I fire out of one to two and can’t believe the power of this thing – really, it’s amazing up top, or at least feels that way with the delivery. As soon as I change direction for turn two I feel the chassis difference on Steve’s bike.
The steering is quick, ultra-quick in initial turn, but a bit of muscle is required to get the bike over on its side for the run through the apex. I’m struggling and running wide. I feel like I can’t lean the bike fully over. I push on for a lap and figure it out then try and have a bit of fun. First run onto the chute I notice the Pirelli really sliding around as the bike weaves and bucks wide open in fourth gear (it also pulls fifth there no worries!). I grab fifth 100m or so before the start line and do my best to tuck my lard in behind the screen and fairing. This
THE TEAM Team Owners: Trevor Birrell and Dale Gilbert
Engine builder: Trevor Birrell
Chassis engineer: Dale Gilbert
Suspension engineer: Tony Hamilton
Tyres and team co-ordinator: Chris Cameron
Pit Crew: Riley Gilbert, Chris Godeassi, Scott Snibson, Andrew Allen
Riders: Steve Martin, Shawn Giles, Brendan Roberts
Specs
PERIOD 5 UNLIMITED SUZUKI KATANA ENGINE
Trevor Birrell Racing engine. 1982 GSX1100 Katana based engine, 79 x 66mm bore x stroke, 1296cc, 10:1 compression, GSX1100/Katana crankcases, Suzuki GSX barrels bored and resleeved to accept 79mm, Wiseco forged alloy pistons, Wiseco rings, GSX1000S polished and welded crankshaft, Suzuki main bearings, big end bearings and conrods, CNC ported cylinder-head, oversize valves (+3mm EX, +4mm IN), RD valve springs, modified valve seats, Yoshimura stage III cams, GSXR1000K6 slipper clutch, standard plates and heavy-duty springs, modified shift drum, undercut gear dogs using standard five-speed gearbox, GS750 primary drive gears, 35mm Keihin smoothbore carburettors, titanium Yoshimura exhaust system, MSD-MC4 ignition unit, D&D Industries billet engine covers and remote starter access, Lockheed oil cooler. CHASSIS & BODYWORK
Dale Gilbert D&D Industries chassis and bodywork, hand made chromemoly tubing with additional bracing in steering head and swingarm pivot areas, 20mm shorter than standard Katana, standard Katana steering head size and rake angle. Frame is measured on a Scheibner measuring system and straightened on a Globaljig frame aligner at Motorcycle Crash Repairs. Light Alloy Engineering swingarm, Ohlins shocks, CBR600F2 forks with Ohlins internals, GSX-R1000 3.5 x 17in front wheel, GSF650 5.0 x 17 rear wheel, Pirelli slicks, Manta rotors (f), AP Lockheed dual-piston calipers, stainless rotor, Suzuki caliper (r), GPX-Pro GPS lap timer and data loggers (testing only), D&D Industries fibreglass bodywork, D&D Industries CNC billet triple-clamps, billet rearsets, all CNC billet parts made by D&D Industries, aftermarket chrome-moly handlebars.
PERFORMANCE
185-horsepower, 140ft-lbs torque, top speed Phillip Island 260km/h, best lap 2019 Phillip Island Classic 1:37.587.
bike is wickedly fast but does not feel quite as fast as the other two TBR Katanas which I have already been on, at the end of the straight. I still absolutely blast past a BMW S 1000 RR and two Fireblades! Haha!
Sitting up and peeling into T1 on the brakes I almost oversteer, then pull the bike on its side through the turn. It’s hard work and I take my hat off to Steve. He must be a fit old bastard!
Opening the gas, the initial drive of the big port motors is not there but once the engine is revving higher, the acceleration from T1 to T2 is amazing. Hard on the brakes helps me get the bike on its side for the double-apex through Southern loop. There is some sidewall pumping from the rear tyre out of Southern Loop and then the run to Stoner Corner and the corner itself is a blur. It is literally a blink from T2 to T3.
I’m in fourth through Stoner corner, pinned to the stop on the exit and it’s superbike fast. As I approach Honda I think about the escape road then decide to give the brakes a good
THE THREE KATANAS
I also managed to test the #19 bike of the legendary Shawn Giles as well as the #24 steel framed bike of Brendan Roberts on the days. All three bikes were very different and it is amazing how they achieve very similar lap times in such different ways. Shawn’s #19 bike was on rails, tall in the back, low in the front with soft forks and smooth, linear power delivery from low rpm to the peak. It was easy steering and not tiring to ride. Brendan Robert’s #24 bike, which has the steel original heavily braced frame, was the fastest straight-line bike of the trio with monster mid-range and top end power, smooth delivery but not as smooth as the Giles engine, and a nice handling set-up but pretty flexy and with plenty of headshake. Brendan’s bike had to be manhandled a fair bit more and had a firmer suspension set-up too. Steve’s bike was a wild animal, with the shortest chrome-moly frame here and the most aggressive engine, she sure was a loose unit that could do with some sitting in a dark room calming down! Yeeha!
squeeze. I’m amazed at how good they are and the familiar feel of the Carbon-Matrix pads is there immediately. They need heat and they cool by Honda so the first bit of initial braking is not there then they get hot and bang you have brakes for the lap until they cool again on the chute.
I pull it up for Honda. Again, initial steering is super quick but then I find it hard to complete the turn and keep it on its side nice and tight. The power delivery off Honda causes wheelspin. I also notice I’m carrying a full 1000rpm less than on the other bikes as I can easily hold second gear for Siberia while on the others I felt I needed to grab third briefly. I’m told Gilesy just revs it to 10,500rpm in second there!
Through Siberia the #99 machine is good once in the turn and fires off the corner like a missile. This is where these bikes feel really fast, from Siberia to Lukey Heights. Holy crap! Even the seagulls don’t scare me as I’ve got a massive air-cooled engine to take them out with!
Lukey Heights arrives quickly and I crack the throttle to get balance and a bit of drive, but I get wheelspin. Amazing.
Braking into MG is easy, the powerful brakes and firm front end and lower rear ride height mean Steve’s bike is stable here. The gearbox is super heavy in shift and the throttle is also heavy, so I feel a bit clumsy here, in and out of the corner where you short-shift to third.
Driving through T10 takes a bit of finesse as the Pirelli wants to light up, then it’s 9500rpm in third before grabbing fifth for the ride of your life through the final corner, the big Kat wheel spinning and wheel standing onto the chute like the angry beast it is.
I did another few laps and that was enough for me. My arms usually don’t get that sore and I can ride a superbike all day long as I’m just relaxed on a bike but, my hands were cramping and every muscle in my upper body strained. It was either the Katana or the pie but I’m blaming the Katana.
At the end of the test I could not wipe the grin off my face.
Hats off to the team which has proven that drag racers can go road racing with great success. D
A stunning looker ... sounded good ... was affordable and very successful on the track – kick-starting careers
ANYONE WITH ANY HOON blood in them would remember the RD350LC as the ultimate boy racer’s dream ride…
Teenage racer dreams were blown out of this world in 1980 when Yamaha released the RD250 and 350LC. The bike was a true, genuine racer with lights that outperformed much larger capacity four-strokes both in engine performance and chassis performance.
The bike was a stunning looker, sounded good, was affordable and very successful on the track, kick-starting the careers of riders like Kevin Magee, Peter Galvin and many more all over the world. Every major country had an RD LC production racing series. Amazing.
The air-cooled RD had not really changed much since 1973 and was fast becoming out of date, particularly with the Suzuki X7 being so fast. The bike was developed in Europe by Europeans and that was a first for Yamaha.
The head honcho and test rider was Paul Butler, who had previously been a Dunlop development man and would become the manager of the Kenny Roberts GP team and then the secretary of
YAMAHA RD350LC RACE DEVELOPED
IRTA.
The brief from Yamaha was simple –build a TZ350 for the public to ride on the road!
Styling was done in Europe and in Japan, with the bikini fairing designed by British cartoonist John Mockett. No wonder the bike was so popular in England and in Australia. The finished bike was all that it was meant to be and more. Not only did the LC perform like a TZ – the 350 version was very practical in Australia. It had some torque, it was comfortable, extremely reliable and had plenty of pillion space. The bike was the perfect daily rider that could be used for weekend scratching.
As good as it was, the LC was only around for two years before the RZ250 and 350 YPVS took the world by storm in 1983. None of the other Japanese manufacturers could match Yamaha and it wasn’t until Suzuki built the RGV250 in 1988 that anything came close to the parallel twin Yamahas.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
It’s been 40 years since the LC hit the streets so most have more than been around the block a few times. First off you need to make sure it’s a genuine 350 as lots of 250s were converted to 350s. 250s had a single front rotor not twin, and 250 engine numbers start with 4L0. 350s start with 4L1. Once that is sorted out, chances are the engine may possibly need a rebuild. You can still get most parts at a decent price but cranks are getting very expensive and rod kits for crank rebuilds are too.
Watch for worn main bearings, leaking crank seals, worn clutch basket, piston slap, and so on.
Expansion chambers need a good clean out every year so that may be an issue to watch out for too.
Check the coolant and make sure there is no gearbox oil in it – and vice versa, check the gearbox oil and make sure there is no coolant in it.
Try and get a bike that has the original airbox as too many were removed in favour of pods for no real gain, other than engine wear.
Check for rust in the fuel tank, fork inners and shock shaft. Make sure the frame is straight (although this can be fixed), and the bodywork is plastic not fibreglass.
WORDS – JEFF WARE • PHOTOS – TONY WILDING
The bike should also have a centrestand and two horns (the 250 had one). Other little things that are hard to get are OEM mirrors, indicators, reflectors and the plastic radiator cover. If you can find one with all these parts in great condition, and at a reasonable price, you’re onto a winner. D
10 Points to note
1.Italic Wheels – The LC swirl wheel design came from a copy of a Japanese car wheel.
2.Liquid-Cooled – The LC (Liquid-Cooled) was the first Yamaha two-stroke road bike to feature liquid-cooling. In fact, it was the first production twostroker out of Japan with it.
3.The engine was a dead ringer for the TZ GP unit making the RD appear to be a GP bike for the street.
4.Those Curves – The pin striping and curvy bulbous fuel tank is what makes the RD LC so sexy.
5.Monoshock – The LC was the first production road bike with Yamaha’s cantilever Monoshock system.
6.Twin Disc Brakes – the LC’s front brakes were extremely effective for the day and a revolution.
7.The 350LC was so popular because not only was it a sports weapon on track and in the hills, it was also a practical daily ride.
8. 47hp at 8000rpm were strong numbers in 1980. The liquidcooled twin engine was also tractable for a two-stroke.
9.The 350 came with a centrestand, proving that Yamaha wanted the bike to be practical as well as sporty.
10. The wide, comfy seat was a great place for a pillion or extra luggage. Touring was possible on the LC.
Specs
1980 RD350LC
Colours: Blue/White, Red/White
Claimed power: 47hp@8500rpm
Claimed torque: 30ft-lb@8000rpm
Engine: Liquid-cooled reed valve two-stroke parallel twin, 347cc, 64.8 x 54mm bore x stroke.
Front brakes: Dual 270mm rotors, single-piston calipers.
THE COST OF LIVING
NEW PRICE: $2099 + ORC
USED PRICE: $3000 for a wreck, $11,000 - $20,000 minter, $40,000 still in crate
BAD POINTS: Hard to find an original RD. No other bad points!
GOOD POINTS: Fast, exciting, peaky power. Very collectable and value will only rise.
This example is in NSW and has only 40,000km on the clock. A mint resto job.
EXCISE OR CHARGE PER KILOMETRE? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS…
THE FEDERAL CHAMBER
OF Automotive Industries sent out a paper named, “Road User Charging - A Nationally Consistent 21st Century Approach.” It is rather long, so I have pulled out the parts that give you a good idea of what a Road User Charging world might look like versus the current fuel excise we pay at the pump. For once, motorcycles have been considered too, and we would be charged less. However, the big question here is whether we, the consumer would be paying more overall, so should we
stick with the fuel excise, paying this tax when we fill up at the pump? What are your thoughts on the subject? Send your emails into me –stuart@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Starting on page 17 (as the previous 16 pages are mostly fluff) of the 25page paper, “The Case for Road User Charging” is where we kick it off… “Standard of living with a mature automotive environment. Australian cities display a high level of traffic control features. Road Traffic
Authorities operate sophisticated traffic control systems to manage traffic flow in and around our cities. They utilise a multitude of inputs including traffic cameras, SCATS11 –the world class adaptive traffic control system developed in Australia; in stateof-the-art control centres. In addition, Australian traffic management and enforcement authorities have embraced fixed and mobile speed cameras, point to point average speed camera systems, red-light cameras as well as most recently introducing the world’s first mobile phone camera
detection system, in NSW.
There are numerous toll roads that are in operation in Australia, all of which use electronic tolling systems that the Australian public has become very accustomed to and frankly now expects as convenient and efficient.
According to a Deloitte 2016 survey, Australians have embraced technology with over 84% owning a smart phone, putting Australia in fourth place globally behind Norway, Sth Korea and The Netherlands.
Over a number of years Qantas has transformed the way that Australian
air travellers are ticketed on Qantas flights using technology. This has been a great example of using technology to improve convenience and remove friction points within their customer transaction processes. At the same time their ability to reduce operational expenses whilst improving the customer experience has been another example of a technology enabling transformation that Australians have embraced.
All of the above demonstrates the Australian community’s acceptance of advanced technology systems to be
utilised in our everyday lives, especially where there is a benefit to be gained such as ease of use or reduced administration costs. Most Australians would now object to slowing down to physically pay a road toll, not to mention the additional cost added to the toll to cover the costs of staffing cash toll booths.
In line with the high standard of living that most Australians enjoy, new vehicles made available for sale
Now that’s riding hard!
Subsidies may need to diminish over time for Low and Zero emission vehicles
are well specified with typically high levels of standard fitment and many high-end technological features. As an industry, the development and introduction of advanced safety features on most vehicles have proliferated in the Australian market. Consumers continue to embrace the benefits of and direct their preferences to purchasing vehicles with high levels of technology fitted including significant levels of safety equipment, meeting and exceeding minimum mandated safety standards levels. In addition we are observing that manufacturers are increasingly announcing the intention to or introduction of numerous advanced technologies including:
● Progressively electrifying powertrains (Hybrids, Plugin Hybrids, Battery Electric Vehicles and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles).
● Increasingly adding Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
● Developing the capabilities to progress deployment of automated vehicles.
It is these automotive developments that make it increasingly possible to consider a 21st century solution to how revenue is raised from the use of motor vehicles regardless of the powertrain employed.
Road User Charging ‐ Principles
As has been recommended by the various other reviews in line with advanced technology systems, there is an opportunity to consider a road user charging system that is reflective primarily on a user pays system. The primary charging principles could be as follows:
● Distance – overall kilometres travelled.
● Mass – reflects the overall weight of the vehicle and economic toll on the road.
● Location – higher demand assets will reflect a higher charge than a lower demand asset.
● Time – assets with high demand at certain times could incur increased charges.
N.B. Governments may need to provide subsidies that diminish over time for Low and Zero emission vehicles to encourage uptake. However, as with other vehicles,
they also use roads and road related infrastructure, therefore they should contribute to road related revenue raising in the longer term.
Key Points
● The further you drive, the more you will pay – this is consistent with more fuel used meaning that more excise would be incurred and paid.
● The heavier your vehicle is, the rate of charging would be higher – motorcycles and scooters would pay the least whilst larger vehicles and heavy vehicles should pay more; consistent with the mass of the vehicles involved and its real impact and thus cost on road infrastructure.
● Vehicles travelling in suburban and rural areas would generally attract the base charging rate, those travelling on high demand assets such as those in the CBD could incur higher rates of charge – subject to a congestion charging model.
● Vehicles travelling in peak hours in peak direction on higher demand assets would incur higher rates of charge under a congestion charging model.
By utilising such an approach, charges can easily be adjusted according to geographic areas and times of use. This will allow consumers to make a conscious decision as to which method of transport most reflects an appropriate balance their needs. It can also be utilised to modify demand for resources that are in high demand, by using price signals to encourage behaviour change.
What could a Road User Charge look like for passenger vehicles –based on fuel excise only?
● Currently Fuel Excise is set at $0.43 per litre + GST
● Passenger vehicle total kms travelled – 179,761 million kms
● Average passenger vehicle fuel consumption – 10.8l/100 kms
● Average passenger vehicle kilometres travelled – 13,301 kms
Therefore an indicative Road User Charge (RUC) based purely on excise might be in the order of $0.046/km
On that basis a vehicle travelling the average 13,301 kms /year would contribute some $604/year consistent
with the typical cost paid in fuel excise.
Detailed Government modelling analysis would be necessary to consider all aspects of road user charging:
● What is the cumulative cost of excise, with other Federal and State/ Territory based charges?
● Understanding the net benefit from bureaucracy reduction.
● Calculating the various rates for differing vehicle types.
● Understanding the effects on various user groups to ensure to assure that disadvantaged road user groups are adequately considered.
● Understanding the effects of removing current inefficient taxation measures and consolidating them into a Road User Charge.
Rather than a myriad of Federal / State & Territory inefficient taxes that each require considerable administration and bureaucracy to manage, with the introduction of advanced vehicle communication systems there is an exciting opportunity to replace these inefficient and in many cases diminishing revenue (in per vehicle) raising methods with a more direct method that reflects usage and promotes economic efficiency.
Connectivity and Digitalisation
The vehicle becoming an extension of consumers digital worlds is transforming the way in which we react with vehicles and continue our digital lives. Consumers value connectivity, the ability to receive traffic updates allowing drivers to avoid areas of congestion. Consumers expect to be connected and benefit from improved convenience on a number of levels:
● such as appointment integration.
● music and entertainment choices.
● location specific information and guidance
● emergency and breakdown service interaction
● maintenance reminders, to name just a few.
As technology and testing advances, the automotive industry is progressing with increasing levels of automation of motor vehicles. This will enable automated systems to make driving decisions and increasingly remove
the element of human error that is so prevalent in the causative factors of road accidents worldwide and in Australia.
Vehicle Manufacturer challenges
Adding this technology to every new vehicle sold comes at a cost, there is the initial outlay cost of the equipment that needs to be installed as well as the cost of data transmission, storage if necessary and onforwarding as may be appropriate.
It is also likely that there will be some privacy issues to be overcome given that the total distance travelled will need to be associated with
part of total Government revenue, a large proportion of which is directed towards road related funding.
Fuel excise is the largest source of road-related revenue however it has been falling for some time in per vehicle.
2001/2 – 12.5 million vehicles registered – $13.9 billion fuel excise – $1011 excise per vehicle
2018/19 – 19.5 million vehicles registered – $11.8 billion fuel excise – $605 excise per vehicle, which equates to a 40.2% reduction. The decline in fuel excise revenue is attributed to improvements in fuel efficiency of conventionally powered
a specific vehicle that is owned, although there will be no GPS location information recorded which avoids issues around tracking journeys.
Equitable automotive taxation
Public sector road-related revenue primarily comprises State-levied vehicle registration, licence fees and stamp duties as well as the Commonwealth-levied fuel excise and GST. Although none of these charges are hypothecated to road funding, they do form a significant
vehicles and also due to the increase in emerging-technology power train vehicles such as HV, PHEV and BEV products. This trend is continuing with statistics of vehicle sales from 2018 to 2019 showing some interesting increases:
● PHEV and BEV sales increased markedly by 149%, to 5800 vehicles with little if any fuel excise paid per km travelled.
● HV sales showed a healthy increase of 93%, from 31,191 to 60,417 vehicles with typically a 30-50% fuel excise reduction per km travelled.
● FCAI calculates that 1.06m more fuel-efficient vehicles replaced 700k generally less fuel efficient vehicles which were retired from operation in 2019. These declines will continue to add pressure for Governments to identify alternative sources of revenue. However, it also presents opportunities to design better systems for charging for road use that more closely aligns to the use of the road and road infrastructure assets. A feature of stamp duty and registration charges, in particular, is that they are fixed and do not vary with the extent to which a person uses road and road infrastructure.
New connected vehicle technology developments that allow increasing levels of automation will enable more convenient ride-sharing –these have the potential to improve overall network efficiency, as well as individuals’ mobility. With this greater access, the marginal cost of trips for many people may reduce and in doing so, may induce higher average demand (Schaller 2017).
Other automotive related taxes and charges include:
● Import duties (Federal)
● Luxury Car Tax (Federal)
● Goods and Services Tax (FederalStates / Territories)
These current charges do not largely discriminate between vehicle types, and are certainly not reflective of actual road usage. Nor do they provide the capability to influence user behaviour in terms of road selection, distance travelled, masses transported or time of use relative to the demand for the roads and road infrastructure.
Consumer Awareness of Current Road Related Charges
Currently there is low general consumer awareness of the quantum of the taxation paid by consumers through petroleum excise charges. The following graphic sourced from the ACCC and updated by the Australian Petroleum institute identifies the proportion of the per litre price related to the various components that make up the final retail price. Unlike GST where it is a
requirement to separately identify the GST component paid, excise is not required to be separately identified despite being a major component of transport fuel prices. Most consumers generally acknowledge that they are aware there is a minor taxation component but generally consider the price per litre to be just the cost of the fuel, distribution, retailing and profit margin.
This point is important when proposing taxation reforms that involve fuel excise as any replacement proposal needs to highlight the existing ongoing taxation.
New Vehicle Uptake
The Australian market generally adds just over one million new vehicles per year providing ever improving levels of technology. Many of these vehicles progressively adding including levels of connectivity technology that provides consumers with a broad range of features and safety systems. It is expected through the normal competitive environment that this trend will continue.
Australian fleet characteristics
The average age of vehicles in Australia has been gradually increasing
over time. However, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2020 motor vehicle census, currently the average age is:
● Overall Vehicle Fleet - 10.4 years
● Passenger Vehicles - 10.1 years
● Light Commercial Vehicles - 10.6 years
Based on the above, it is reasonable to assume that the majority of vehicles would be able to accommodate a road user charge that can be electronically managed over a 20-year transition period.
Options for Transition
There are a couple of options to consider:
1. Existing vehicles without connectivity continue to use exciseable fuel, whilst newer connected vehicles transfer to Road User Charge (RUC) systems. This will provide for a smooth transition over time, if the myriad of vehicle related taxes are combined into a RUC, this would provide an upfront on-road vehicle price benefit most likely facilitating introduction.
2. Alternatively, the introduction of a RUC could be implemented immediately for all vehicles. This would require considerations of how to record kilometres travelled on older vehicles, how to rebate any fuel excise payments. Newer connected vehicles would be able to communicate kilometres travelled. For both of the above options the newer connected vehicles that incur fuel excise, a rebate or offsetting system will need to be developed for the transition.
Governmental Challenges
Road user charging, if implemented, needs to be implemented on a national based approach. It is important that in general terms the basic charge per km needs to be consistent regardless of State / Territory borders and consistent with most Government charges being indexed over time. Constitutionally fuel excise is required to be collected by the Federal Government and therefore the imperative to lead a
reform program in the face of a diminishing source of revenue has been and is appropriately directed federally. To date there has been little if any movement to instigate reform and this may be due to the interconnection and complexities of Commonwealth and State / Territory relations.
Changing to a road user charge does involve a number of constitutional issues such as:
● Section 86 of the Constitution, the collection and control of duties of customs and of excise, and the control of the payment of bounties, are the exclusive responsibility of the Executive Government of the Commonwealth.
● Section 114 of the Constitution prevents the Federal Government from levying a charge on state property – the majority of Australia’s road network are owned by the States and Territories.
● Sections 99 and 51(ii) of the Constitution require that Federal duties be levied uniformly which would make variable road pricing problematic from a federal perspective whilst not an issue for States and Territories.
Government Alignment
There are numerous options available to Governments, not all of which would be palatable to the various Governments involved. However not doing anything will result in a diminishing source of Federal road related revenue meaning that there will be fewer funds being made available to States and Territories for road related expenditure from this source. Already we are seeing fragmented proposals from States looking to bolster State budgets with proposals to Tax Electric Vehicles through the introduction of RUC on Electric and Plugin Hybrid Vehicles.
In the opinion of the FCAI, these announcements have the primary aim of looking to secure an ongoing revenue stream given that fuel excise is expected to decline as the transport industry progressively electrifies powertrains.
Vehicles with electrified powertrains are at the nascent stage of introduction, they are expensive to produce and therefore the early adopters purchasing these vehicles are doing so typically on ideological grounds rather than based on economics. In fact all levels of Government are reaping high levels of taxation from electric vehicles; they pay more from their high purchase price than the average vehicle –Import Duty, GST, Luxury Car Tax (where applicable) and Stamp Duties.
It is vital that a comprehensive reform that embodies a nationally consistent framework from a number of perspectives:
● Technology
● Administrative requirements
● Compliance requirements
From a State and Territory perspective, if a collegiate approach were to be put in place, it would be advantageous to move to what will be an increasing revenue stream over time as the market continues to grow. In the absence of Constitutional reform, there would need to be agreement on funds that previously were taxed Federally, that would now be required to be levied at a State / Territory level. Therefore a realignment, of State / Territory / Federal funding arrangements may need to be considered as well as apportionment of a range of taxes and charges including GST. Comprehensive reform is in everyone’s best interests.”
So, there you have it. There are certainly some interesting points in there, but also some that are of concern. Is it all about electrifying the automotive world and one of the biggest challenges I see would be getting each State and Territory Government to agree on a fair and reasonable system. What about older vehicles that aren’t able to be ‘connected’? Would we pay a ‘standard’ fee and have to prove what distance we’ve ridden / driven? Send me in your thoughts. We may be able to affect the way this kind of thing is eventually adopted. D
The average age of vehicles in Australia has been gradually increasing over time to 10.4 years
WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words. We do reserve the right to cut them and, you do need to provide a name and at least your state, if not, town or suburb. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, 17 Weeroona Place, Rouse Hill NSW 2155. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
THE EASTERN SEABOARD were sure to claim some of your pride and joys, and unfortunately that’s what happened to Shawn. I know it is a small thing to do, but you’ve won the Motul Chain Pack. I’m sure you’ll get another bike and the Motul Chain Pack will keep it tip top. Send me your postal
were both insured but you just can’t replace the R1. The Z1000 will be easy enough to find another similar but the thing here is that I just feel helpless. The water rose so fast I had no time to get my bikes out, or a lot of my household items for that matter. Me and my family are all safe and well and that’s the main thing here, but I will miss my bikes so much.
Cheers, Shawn Northern NSW
TWO GONE
Hi Stuart, Love the mag, keep up the great work. I saw a post you put on Facebook I think it was about a Café that got flooded out. I too got flooded out, living in northern NSW and my two pride and joys got destroyed. One was an early model Yamaha R1, you know the red and white one, which had been worth more and more money as the days passed and the other was my ‘daily’ road bike, a Kawasaki Z1000. I can’t tell you how devastated I feel. Sure they
another R1, Benzina Garage in Victoria has a few pass through their shop. It’s run by stunt rider Lukey Luke, a good mate of mine. Give him a buzz if you decide to get one.
Cheers, Stuart.
THE BEAST
Hey Stuart, I saw your FZR1000 Norton JPS race bike at Eastern Creek. You weren’t around at the time, but I had a good look over it and must say it is such a great looking bike. Your attention to detail is a credit to you. I was then lucky enough to hear it race
LUBE IT UP
and boy does it sound good. I also wandered over to the area from turn three to turn four and was witness to Alex wheelstanding and what sounded like wheelspinning at the same time. I bet that bike is a heap of fun to ride, what a weapon.
Regards, John C. Maitland, NSW
Hi John,
A lot of the credit for this bike must go to Shaun at D Moto as well. Shaun did all of the engineering, I just made it look pretty. LOL! Yes, it certainly is an animal to ride, I can’t wait to jump on it later in the year for a PCRA club round. Cheers, Stuart.
ONYA, RALPH
Hi Stuart,
I had the pleasure of meeting Ralph at the Sydney Motorcycle Show a few years ago. He was a pleasant and knowledgeable bloke to speak to. I wish him well in retirement.
Kind regards, Peter Wollongong, NSW
ELECTRIC LIKES
Hi Stuart,
I read that piece in issue 110 about that Triumph electric bike and have to say I’m a bit of a fan. I love the look of it, as it looks nothing like what most electric bikes do. The big question is whether I’d be swayed to part with my hard earned for an electric bike and despite the Triumph looking great I have to say no still at this stage. If it goes into production, let’s see what you think of it first. Cheers, Mark Chester Adelaide, SA
Hi Mark, I like the look of the Triumph TE-1 too. Especially if it comes out with even half the estimated 500kW! LOL! Cheers, Stuart.
Hi Stuart, I read your review on your Klim adventure gear. Great purchase, I have the same jacket and pants. One thing I did find is to get to your local scuba diving shop and grab some waterproof zipper lubricant. It helps the zips remain super smooth and obviously totally waterproof. I’m not at home right at the moment so can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head. I’ll get back to you. Cheers, Ron
Hi Ron, Great stuff, let me know when you can. Cheers, Stuart.
Hey Ron! I never did get that reply! Cheers, Stuart.
A NOD AND MAYBE A WAVE
G’day Stu, Great mag. I read in the last couple of issues about riders waving to other riders. I have to say I don’t necessarily wave as such, but I do give a nod to other riders. Whether they nod or wave back doesn’t bother me in the slightest but it does make me feel good when I give a little nod to other riders and isn’t that what motorcycling is all about –feeling good. Plus, what about when another rider gives you a warning about Police you’re riding towards. It’s saved me many times over the years. So, I am all for a nod to other riders.
Regards, Col Walker Bendigo, VIC
to be in the top 10 best looking motorcycles and the more they release these new fangled fugly motorcycles the better the GPZs look.
Hope your Kwaka is running well and it will look very nice next to the Bonnie you have, speaking of the latest releases is it me or are the only good looking releases these days the retro ones and you can include the MV Augusta 800 Agostini special and the Triumph half faired speed triple, oh then there is the new BSA 650 to be released. I wonder if your mate at Brookvale will sell them next to the Royal Enfields 650’s. Yours in motorcycling Ian Gregory
Hi Col, Yes, I too have been saved many times over the years by other riders warning me about a speed camera or Highway Patrol car. I hope I’ve saved a few from getting tickets too. Cheers, Stuart.
THE Z
Hi Peter, Saw this Black /Red turbo 750 at Bulli Tops café, the owner of the 750 owns a turbo repair business in Smithfield, so he can afford to burn out turbos. The Red /Silver one is my 900. I reckon that the GPZ range has
You’re right, Ian, the Kawasaki designers hit a real sweet spot and they are doing it again with their retro models. My turbo is still in the workshop, some machining is holding it up. Looking forward to getting it on the road soon, essentially a brand new bike. Well, except for the brakes. We do not yet have a distributor for BSA in Australia, I wonder who will put their hand up!
Keep checking the magazine, as soon as the turbo is back on the road I will be writing about it and photographing it! All the best, The Bear
continued on page 106..
to improve my biceps
continued from page 104...
to improve my biceps
Hi Harry,
to improve my biceps
Hi Harry,
too bad, but will certainly consider Mick at MJM. I know a few people who have had their seat done by him.
Thanks for the kind words. Merry Xmas!
I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
Hi Harry, I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
Cheers, Stuart
I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
COVID 1
COVID 1
Dear Stuart,
COVID 1
Dear Stuart,
Gents,
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
Dear Stuart,
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
issue (#107). It was a great to be taken back to a more freer time and having topless painted girls is just one of those good times when people weren’t so caught up on how someones shirt has to be “this long” and not “that long”. I remember back a few years ago when you ran a cover shot with a girl and a rusty bike and the reaction some ‘special’ people wrote into you about. They all need to relax and just realise times were different and a bit of history every now and again is a good thing.
SPEEDGEEK
Good morning, Thought I would drop a line to you about a unique little workshop run by a guy called Christian.
He has a long involvement with motorcycles & is one of those down to earth kind of guys who just does his thing & is passionate about it.
I have borrowed a couple of pics from his Facebook site (pics attached). It might be nice to see you do an article on his workshop & his story.
following from the Triumph dealer:
• main stand (a real necessity for servicing the chain when touring around)
• clear touring screen and mounting kit (as I am only short I found a small screen adequate on the Suzuki and can use an extender on top if necessary)
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
Cheers, Peter
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
concerned was having about 20 people chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy
concerned was having about 20 people chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy
chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy
noticed certainly helps you do it safer. I must say 98% of the motorists on the road weekdays are very accommodating in allowing you to do your bit without adding extra pressure on your riding.
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would be exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
Regards, Bernard Smith
Hi Bernard, Thank you for letting me know. I’ll see what we can do.
Cheers, Stuart.
supported by Wheel Skills Driver and Rider Training School, St John Ambulance, Supermoto Armidale, Healing-Works, NOVA Collaborative Workspace, and the Country Womens Association
For information on Armidale, where to stay, eat, and what to see: www.armidaletourism.com.au
• bar end mirrors (I don’t like the looks of the standard mirrors and due to my wide shoulders found the view restricted with standard mirrors)
• radiator guard (I occasionally ride graded gravel roads in the Flinders Ranges and have experienced stone damage on the radiator on the Suzuki)
I have sourced on the net:
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would be exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
the newsagents for every month and read every page once I got it home. I love all bikes and respect anyone who shares the passion, regardless of their ability or choice of machine. So, I have subscribed, to most of the magazine, but thanks for the spare shit paper at the end :) Hugh Jorgan sent letters in the last issue, I think
A couple of little tips from someone who does traffic riding every day whilst concentrating on zipping through the traffic you tend to not remind yourself of speed camera locations and they are becoming very savage nowadays (been booked 4 times I just can’t help myself – LOL.
BACK ON YOUR BIKE
Like you I fell in love with the looks and simplicity of the Triumph Street Twin (in polar blue), but was told by the dealer after paying a deposit that it will not arrive here in South Australia until May or June. The years (2 years your junior) have not mellowed my impatience (I too am “considering the end” and have a “timescale for planning”). The dealer suggested the limited edition EC1 as an alternative ($17,150 vs- $16,590) which is due to arrive in January – so I forgo the polar blue model (you lucky lucky bastard –a nod to Monty Python) and ‘settled’ for the EC1 in matt aluminium silver. Now we come to the most important part of new motorcycle ownership – what modifications to make? I have similar views to yours on the evolution of my Street Twin – I have outgrown any unrealistic views on my abilities to be a café racer (my ex son-in-law stirs me about the ‘chicken-skin’ left on the edge my tyres). So, I concur with you that my Street Twin will become more of a Tearoom Twin. My daughters and wife caution me about ruining the looks of a such a good looking motorcycle (how well they know me)!
Hi guys, Transport for NSW will be staging Back on Your Bike 2022, to be held in the NOVA Centre in Armidale, now on Saturday May 21. Presentations will showcase
Due to delays in obtaining parts here in Adelaide I have ordered the
• a sidestand extender plate (I had the unfortunate experience of the side stand on the fully loaded BMW GS 700 sinking into soft ground and crushing my ankle and breaking a few bones)
• A RAM mirror mount to screw into the hole vacated by the standard mirror to mount my Garmin GPS
Transport NSW road safety initiatives, First Responder First Aid, basic motorcycle maintenance, and motorcycle safety. This is a free and catered event, and registrations are essential: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ Backonyourbike2022
Back on Your Bike 2022 is being staged by Transport for NSW, and
I currently have an expandable Nelson Rigg seat bag which will serve as storage for non-touring riding, but I plan to fit rear bags for touring and am impressed with the quality and fitment
of the Hepco and Becker C BOW holders/bags (particularly the lockable and waterproof Orbit side cases). I have always fitted tank bags (using tank ring mounts) to my bikes but this mounting method is not feasible with the offset screw cap on the Triumph. I have seen many tanks scratched by magnetic tank bags and harnesses and so am rather reticent about going down that path.
Thank you, and we will stay in touch.
Chris.
SURVIVING THE HEAT
Hi Stuart,
So, finally I look forward to following your modifications to your Tearoom Twin and would love to get your advice on possible additions my Triumph.
Have a safe and merry Xmas.
Regards
Mike
I read The Bear’s piece on hot weather riding and wanted to pass on my experience. Not that we’ve really had a summer this year but I usually wear a Macna cooling vest and always take a bottle of water. The bottle is one of those insulated ones. It does last a fair while but any water if feeling dehydrated can save your life.
Thanks, Rob Seville
Hey Mike, we just did the photos for my Tearoom Twin today, so you should be able to read about my alterations and additions in the next issue. I agree with most of yours, but I’ve taken it a bit further. I reckon it would be great for the two of us to go no a ride together to compare our changes. Send me your email address and maybe we can sort that. I seem to spend a lot of time in SA lately –
Hi Rob, Thanks for the tips. I remember Ralph had one of those cooling vests and used to swear by it. Cheers, Stuart.
The Bear D
The guide to the stars - The who’s who in the zoo of motorcycle travel worldwide is what you’ll find here. We’ve travelled with many of them and know them all, so they come highly recommended. In alphabetical order, they are:
– Europe, Iceland, South America, India, Asia, Mexico, Africa & Himalaya www.worldonwheels.tours Adventure@WorldOnWheels.Tours
B E A R T A L E S
BEAR FACED
DO NOT TRY THIS at home. The original stunt was carried out by a highly trained, professional rider under expert supervision. Well, it was me and I was drunk as a lord.
I came home well after pub closing hours, holding most of a slab of tinnies on the tank of my Harley-Davidson WLA. My mood was somewhat sombre, since I was dealing with the breakup of a longterm relationship, and I found the gateway into the yard of the house I was sharing with a (then) friend a little challenging. The handlebar of a WLA is wide, and gates into yards in the backstreets of Balmain in Sydney were often rather narrow.
So it was in this case. I suspect that it was the right-hand side of the handlebar, and therefore the brake lever, which hit an upright of the gate first, because the motorcycle stopped quite abruptly. Abruptly enough for many of the tinnies I had been balancing on the tank to take their leave and spread out over the back yard.
With a naval oath of considerable power, I managed to twist the handlebar through the gate. The bike had stalled in the process, and I stepped off it as it dropped to the grass, managing to catch the few remaining cans of beer before they joined their compatriots in the darkness of the “lawn”. One of the wonderful aspects of the HarleyDavidson WLA was that it did not matter if you left the ignition and the fuel on while it was lying on its side in the yard. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Among its many other virtues, the standard WLA, as purchased for the princely sum of $400 from Johnno’s, or Redfern Motorcycle Spares as it was officially known, featured sturdy
I swung myself on top of the now horizontal motorcycle. I seem to remember cheers from my companions, but I could be wrong
front and in some cases rear crashbars. These were not only designed to protect the bike in case of a slide down the road, but also to make it a snack to pick the bike up if it had fallen on its side. The pivot point meant that the average two-year-old pussycat could do it.
The pickup-ability with which the bars equipped the WLA was what I mainly used, but I did on at least one occasion also avail myself of their crash protection. I do not remember the precise circumstances of this event, and you would not want me to make up a pack of lies, would you? I mean, I could claim that I “had to put it down” and who would know better? But I think it would lack verisimilitude. However it came about, I found myself dropping the bike preparatory to sliding down the road. I have an aversion to pain, so I was not keen on skidding along under or with the bike. Thinking quickly – well, actually probably just reacting – I swung myself on top
of the now horizontal motorcycle. I seem to remember cheers from my companions, but I could be wrong.
At any rate, my next memory is of searing pain in (or is it on?) my right buttock. Sitting on the sliding bike, I had the choice of a limited number of places where I could place my derriere, and I had settled on the cooling fin at the top of the sidevalve engine. Being a “cooling” fin this was, predictably, hot. I wore the rectangular scab for quite a while, and sat carefully to one side on bar stools. But back to the evening in question. Surprisingly, I got inside, all of my clothes off, up the stairs and almost into bed (not necessarily in that order) in my first-floor room before my stomach informed me that a departure was imminent. I wrenched the window open to assist said departure into the cool night air rather than onto the straw matting which was the then-obligatory floor covering in all households that were not only with it, but also had better uses for their cash than carpet. The side of the house would need hosing down in the morning, but that was the least of my concerns at the time.
To my grateful surprise I discovered that I had brought one of the cans of beer upstairs with me, and used its contents to wash out my mouth. It was warm, but that was better than trying to navigate the narrow stairs down to the bathroom for water –and back up. Seriously, though, don’t try this at home. Any of it. D
Most prices exclude dealer and on road costs, however some are ride away – ask your local dealer for the best possible price!
APRILIA
aprilia.com.au
* All prices are ride away ROAD
RS660 LAMS $20,230
RS660 $20,730
Tuono 660 LAMS $20,030
Tuono 660 $20,430
Tuono V4 $28,230
Tuono V4 Factory $32,030
RSV4 $31,530
RSV4 Factory $38,730
BENELLI
benelli.com.au
*All Benelli prices are ride away ROAD
TnT 135 $4390
502C $10,590
TnT 600 $11,790
Leoncino 9890
Leoncino Trail $10,390
752 S $12,990
ADV TOURING
TRK 502 $9990
TRK 502X $10,690
BMW
bmwmotorrad.com.au
ROAD
G 310 R $5790
F 900 R $16,645
S 1000 R $19,390
S 1000 R Sport $21,690
S 1000 RR $25,670
M 1000 RR $50,990
R nineT $22,490
R nineT Pure $17,690
R nineT Scrambler $18,750
R nineT Racer $19,150
R nineT Urban G/S $18,750
R 1250 R $21,240
R 1250 R HP $27,040
R 1250 R Exclusive $26,065
R 1250 R Spezial $26,765
R 1250 R $22,540
R 1250 RS Sport $28,215
R 1250 RS Exclusive $27,215
R 1250 R Spezial $28,065
R 1250 RT $32,290
R 1250 RT Sport $33,190 R 1250 RT Elegance $33,465 R 1250 R Spezial $34,215
Gran Turismo $7490 Silver Vase 440 $7490 Gran Milano 440 $7990
SM 500 R $8990
WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC
SEE US WALLOWING B O R I S
WHAT A TIME TO be a motorcyclist, huh? It’s the most golden age since the last golden age. We are, like shiny French carrots, gleefully wallowing in a veritable bouillabaisse of motorcycling glory.
“Bad” bikes are a thing of the past. We are mounted upon refined, hyperengineered machines, some of which are possessed of horsepower we could once only masturbate to. Computers, far smarter than we are, allow us to survive the experience of riding these machines – and indeed, permit us to remain ham-fisted shit-weasels with little actual riding skill.
Our riding gear is just as amazing. I own a pair of waterproof boots that are, miraculously, actually waterproof. I have gloves that work on levels those old red-and-black Dents I once sported, could only dream of. They are stunning examples of materials science and technology. The same goes for my jackets and pants. Hell, I have a pair of German-made jeans which are stronger, and offer more abrasionresistance than race leathers.
And all that pales beside the handsized communications technology we now carry with us, and which succours us against the terrible things that can happen when we go riding. Instant communications. Instant maps. Yes, there are hiccups here, but that’s because we are a big country, and our leaders are small people, with even smaller visions for our great land. I remain hopeful that one day, we shall be able to get a phone signal in every corner of Australia, just like the Romanians.
Objectively speaking, shit is pretty good, isn’t it?
How is it then, that so many motorcyclists are such gormless twats? As modern technology embraces and enhances our riding experience, so many of us have become (or have always been) an illnessinducing combination of government lickspittles, police-fellators, safety-
I think the very same technology which has exalted motorcycling has also kind of damned it. Technology has injected motorcycling with a virus which has mutated the very essence of what motorcycling has always been. It’s turned it into a piss-weak and totally de-natured version of what was once a shit-eating, gimlet-eyed grin. Certainly, there remains a wonderful unadulterated core of the two-wheeled cult. Otherwise, I’d have no mates at all. And that will always be the case because motorcycling still attracts my kind of people. The right kind of people.
But thanks firstly to a misguided drive by a whole bunch of misguided imbeciles a few decades ago, who worked at making motorcycling “more accessible” to everyone, there’s a large assembly of piss-smelling cardigans, terrified children, and muffin-eating enthusiasts at the crease.
Do I need to tell you this proliferation of cos-players, dodderers, and safety-wonks is aided hugely by social media? Probably not. I have always pissed from a great height at making motorcycling more accessible. I knew nothing good would come from such nonsense. And it hasn’t.
Gormless Facebook-based social associations now metastasise like shit-packed blastomas. They’re all about obeying rules, wearing the right safety gear, being inclusive, positive,
welcoming, and (throwing up in my mouth) nurturing. Really?
This is a bloodsport, you facile piles of effetely-laid bowel movements. It always has been. That is its nature and essence. Motorcycling was never meant for everybody. Trying to make it so is like trying to teach pigs to dance – funny and tragic at the same time. And pointless.
Motorcycling has reached a point where even the most clueless can manage to stay alive on the road for a while. The bikes and the gear are amazing. You might even start to believe you’re a “good” rider. You ride at the speed limit, wear all the gear, and rely heavily on other road users to do the right thing. You post ever heavier reliance on your bike’s electronics to keep you “safe”. In reality, you’re actually rather shit at this whole motorcycling business. But no-one’s going to tell you that, because you surround yourself with similar unskilled idiots, so your entire motorcycling experience is an echo chamber of that. It’s never your fault when you crash. It’s the road surface, it’s the tyres, it’s the car, it’s the rain, and so on. Should someone point out that you might be better served taking responsibility for falling off your bike, you will retreat into your echo chamber which will validate your inability to ride well by agreeing with you and castigating the bastard who dared suggest it might be your fault. And so the cycle goes on. You’re never going to get better at riding because you don’t ride enough, and you don’t ride with the right people. And you never will. Because all we will do is laugh and point at you. Your clownlike attempts at riding around corners, which you often fail at and ruin other peoples’ days by lying under the Armco and waiting for an ambulance, are hilarious. And sad.
And that’s the fetid swamp we’re all wallowing in.. D
