With a new Rotax® 1330 ACE™ high-torque engine and a new 6-speed transmission, the road has never been so inviting. The high-torque response of the ACE engine gives you 40% more low-end torque and now can go up to 405 kilometres at 100 km/h on one tank of gas. *While the new 6-speed transmission provides an incredibly smooth ride for you and your passenger. Add in a unique Y-frame design and 7 automotive technologies, and that rush you feel will be equal parts exhilaration and confidence.
Contributors Emma Ayres, Elspeth Callender, Robert Crick, Joern Delfs, Phil Duncan, Mike Grant, Jim Green, Tony Hill, Robert Lovas, Phil Gadd, Ryan Lucas, Lester Morris, Brendan Nelson, The Possum, Dimitra Schonekas, Guy Stanford, Stuart Strickland, Michael Walley, Colin Whelan
Editorial contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
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FURBALL
…being something the editor-in-chief wanted to bring up
I’veforgotten just how many riding seasons have passed under my wheels. Calculating the number is difficult, because I have spent quite a bit of time working in London – first as general dogsbody at Airfix Hobby & Toy Sales (yes, that Airfix) in the early ‘70s, and then as a graphic designer with a magazine company and later an advertising agency. All of these jobs left me a reasonable amount of time to explore Britain and parts of the rest of Europe, and I got out as much as I could.
Then I did my around-the-world trip with my mate Charlie. I saw him the other day, and he’s had the operation (no, not that operation) which I’m going to have to have before long – a knee replacement. How did I get onto that? Sheer terror, I suppose. What I wanted to say was that, at the end of that ride, I had a good riding season in the US before returning home in the big whiteand-red flying kangaroo.
I’m not ashamed to say that I fell in love with America on that trip, and I still have a lot of fond feelings for the place; that’s why I go back so often. Hardly a year passes these days when I don’t visit at least once.
And now I’m offering to take you along.
‘Skip’ Schippers, who runs Great American Motorcycle Touring, has a tour called ‘The Best of the West’ which is so close to my dream Western USA tour that we’re going to market it as ‘The Bear’s Best of the West’, with a few small adjustments. You will have a chance to see and appreciate the places that have inspired me over the years.
The tour will run for 14 riding days from the 15th to the 30th of August, 2015, and you can find full details on Skip’s website at http://gamct.com/ bestofthewest.html . The tour begins in Los Angeles, which is terrific because that’s the place that has the most connections to Australia, and quite often there are even cutprice flight deals.
“You’ll see the lowest AND the highest elevations in the US – 282’ (86m) below sea level in Death Valley to 14,505’
(4,421·m) at Mt. Whitney,” says Skip. “Two weeks, fourteen days of riding and memories to last a lifetime.”
The ride will include some of the most iconic segments of Route 66, and will in fact end at the end of the Mother Road in Santa Monica. Along the way we’ll visit the Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, the Pacific Coast and more. We’ll take a jeep into Monument Valley rather than riding; I tried riding and found the deep sand less than forgiving…
One place we’ll visit is not on my favourite list; it’s Las Vegas, and as Skip pointed out, you can’t really just ride past one of the most staggering sights of the modern world, can you? I’ll reserve judgement!
Okay, so what you need to do now is to get in touch with Skip and register your interest. By all means copy me in on your email, but make sure it goes to Skip too – he will hold the list. His email address is skip@gamct.com, and mine of course is thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au.
And God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, Skip and I will lead the tour. Love to see you, and it would be terrific if the tour was completely filled by MOTORCYCLIST readers!
New Bike Buyers’ Guide 2015
That’s what we’ve called the report from EICMA, the Milan motorcycle show which attracted over 600,000 visitors, among them about a thousand journalists. Combined with the report in issue #22, which covered the Cologne show, you have now seen pretty much all of the exciting new releases for 2015, and some of the concept ideas. Are you impressed? I am; I just love this positive atmosphere which has even the normally inscrutable Japanese jumping with joy. So enjoy flicking through all the bikes I’ve seen, and I’ll tell you one thing: if I had the money I’d be on a big ‘investment’ binge right now…
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming
THE NEW TIGER 800 RANGE IS ON IT’S WAY
He climbed Everest after breaking his back. He’s ex-military. He’s been bitten by snakes, survived parachute failure and faced challenges in every continent. And now Bear Grylls has met the new Tiger 800 XC. Featuring a host of rider-focussed technology including the standard fitment of electronic traction control and switchable ABS, the new Tiger with its powerful and more fuel efficient 95PS triple engine is up for any task.
The range-topping XCx model* goes even further. Switchable riding modes control the throttle maps, traction control and ABS settings. Cruise control makes light work of long rides and an adventure pack including hand guards, engine bars and an aluminium sump guard complete the rugged look.
The new Tiger 800 XC models – designed to handle anything a true adventurer can throw at it.
*Model shown is a Tiger 800 XCx with optional accessory Triumph Dynamic Luggage System.
There are so many captions that suggest themselves for the mighty coin-operated “Gold Wind” here that we have had to physically restrain the other people here in the office (Stuart) from adding some of the more risqué ones. What do you think; what’s the most appropriate comment to make here – or does it even need one? The photo is from Spain, so perhaps the locals can be forgiven for not picking up on the dual meaning of the word “wind”… either that or they have a terrific sense of cross-cultural humour!
If you have a funny photo, send it in and we’ll consider it for this page. Send to thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. Thank you!
BIKE SHOW ROCKS
AMM 2014 Bombala Bike Show
Some claimed it was the best ever, others said the show was the best in years, but either way, the Australian Motorcyclist Magazine 2014 Bombala Show was a great success! Thousands of spectators, heaps of bikes in the show ‘n’ shine, with hundreds more parked outside around the streets and heaps of stalls to buy stuff from, made for an awesome day out. Then Angry Anderson rocked the stage to make it a long night of good times. Bigger and better next year? You bet!
DEADLY SERIOUS
Forma Predator boots
Price - $535
Call them Avduro boots, beautifully made and finished for long haul adventures and an off-road boot that you can walk properly in!
Forma has been making off-road boots for ages and the new Predator represents years of perfecting this type of highly protective boot. The inclusion
of a dual pivot system allows flex at the ankle but no lateral movement. As more and more enduro riders trade in their dirt bikes for adventure bikes the demands on protective footwear are changing and this is the perfect boot to ride in. Available in sizes Euro 41-49. Other colours from the boots in the photo are available upon request, contact Andy from Andy Strapz. Ph: 03 9770 2207, email: info@andystrapz. com or visit the website www. andystrapz.com and you can rest assured that if you get the wrong size in the mail they can be returned for the right size, for free.
ON THE BOAT!
Norton finally coming NF Importers, the Australian and New
Zealand distributor for Norton Motorcycles, is very pleased to announce that all ADR formalities and approvals have recently been completed which now allows for importation and sales to begin. The current Norton range comprises the Commando 961 in three model
variants, all classically inspired: the traditional Sport, the sporty Café Racer and the street naked SF. Anticipated recommended retail prices (excluding dealer and statutory charges) are:
Commando 961 Sport - $29,990
Commando 961 Café Racer - $33,990
Commando 961 SF - $35,990
With the first shipment of motorcycles currently enroute from the UK, NF Importers is finalising its boutique dealer network which is expected to include:
NSW Fraser Motorcycles City – Sydney
VIC Fraser MotorcyclesMelbourne
QLD Rocker Motorcycles –Brisbane (new Redcliffe location)
SA Italian Motorcycles –Adelaide
WA TBC
NZ Cyclespot Group – Auckland
All Norton Motorcycles are hand built in Donington, UK and can be custom ordered with a number of factory fitted optional extras.
MAKE IT TOUGH
Barkbuster hand guards – various models
Barkbusters, the world leading motorcycle hand guard specialist, extends the two point mounted hand guard options to include more road bikes to meet the increased demand for both impact and weather protection for motorcycle riders. Now available for the Yamaha MT-09, KTM 200 and 390 Duke, Honda
CB125E, CB500F and CB650F and the Suzuki Gladius SFV650.
All hardware kits feature Barkbusters bar end weights, black powder coated hardened aluminium backbones, all necessary mounting hardware and comprehensive installation instructions. They can be fitted with the Carbon, VPS, Jet and Storm guards.
See your local bike shop or visit www.barkbusters.net
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Orbost’s 5th Annual Poker Run
Running on Saturday 7th March 2015,
Oggy Knobbs. This time for the sweet little Honda CB300F and CBR300R. Help minimise the damage of your drop with a set of Oggy Knobbs. We’ve used them and can vouch for the
Orbost’s 5th Annual Poker Run will be a great event to attend. All proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House, Monash. Registration starts at 9am at McDonald’s Barinsdale, with the ride leaving at 10am sharp. Cost is $30 per person. For more information (including accommodation), contact Mick on 03 5154 1003 or 0401 938 753
KEEP IT NEW
Oggy Knobbs for Honda CB300F and CBR300R
Price - $219 (CB), $249 (CBR) Fresh products from the great folk at
amount by which they can reduce the damage. Grab a set from your local bike shop, or visit www.kenma.com.au for your local seller.
SHIP ME TO UNZUD!
Are you the next Milligan? If you’ve ever wanted to become involved with the motorcycle and travel industries, here is your opportunity. Dave ‘Spiky’ Milligan of Get Routed wants to reduce his workload. To do that, he is spinning
off his Australia/New Zealand bike shipping business. He will keep the US and European sides of Get Routed.
Milligan has built this business up over many years, and we’re happy to vouch for his honesty and even efficiency. The business comes with everything you will need to make it a success as well, including advice, contacts and the custom-made cradles which fit straight into containers and which have made the business so effective – the bikes stand virtually no chance of damage. So there it is – a fully-fledged business shipping bikes to and from New Zealand, and Dave will even hold your hand while you’re finding your feet (neat turn of phrase, eh?)
Contact Dave on 03 5625 9080 or at dave@getrouted.com.au and tell him a little Bear told you about this opportunity…
SMALL BUT LOUD!
Kovix Security KDL6 Disc Lock
Price - $69.95
The Kovix Security KDL6 alarmed disc lock features a hardened stainless-steel locking pin system and Zinc alloy body. A 120dB alarm powered by a CR2 lithium battery senses your rotor as you fit the lock. The lock beeps to notify it is armed and after five-seconds it goes live and any movement will trigger the warning tone, followed by the loud 120dB alarm.
The alarm is easily disabled for situations where the alarm is not required yet the lock is. The assembly is also waterproof. See your local bike shop shopor contact the distributor –www.proaccessories.com.au Ph: 07 3277 0693.
50 YEARS WITH DUCATI
NF Importers
NF Importers is proud to announce that 2014 marks the company’s 50th year as a Ducati Distributor, an association which commenced in 1964.
During the recent Ducati Global Dealer Conference in Sorrento, Italy, the milestone relationship between Ducati and NF Importers was acknowledged and celebrated with a very special presentation by Ducati Motor Holding CEO, Mr Claudio Domenicali and Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mr Cristiano Silei awarding Mr Warren Fraser (MD) and Mr Warren Lee (CEO) a
commemorative plaque, notably and suitably constructed of high-tech materials.
“It was a very special and proud moment for Warren Fraser and myself,” said Warren Lee – CEO NF Importers / Ducati Australia & New Zealand. “Warren and I naturally have had a very long and passionate involvement with Ducati where we have seen the company and brand evolve to where it is today, as the most exciting and dynamic in the industry.
To be recognised for this milestone by Claudio and Cristiano and to share the moment with our global Ducati dealer family was as I say, something very special and we must also sincerely thank our dedicated and passionate company staff, our dealers and most importantly our thousands of valued customers.”
Ducati motorcycles now being distributed in 85 countries worldwide, but the 50 year relationship between Ducati and NF Importers is the longest
in Ducati history.
During the conference Ducati and NF Importers also took the opportunity to renew the milestone relationship by re-signing the next 5 year distribution contract between the two companies.
SHIRT UP
MotoXXX T-shirts
Price - $29.95
Available in a variety of cool designs, you can feel good in these ringspun cotton tees. They come
with a tagless neck design and are available in sizes M-2XL. See your local bike shop or visit www. cassons.com.au for more.
LAST MINUTE XMAS IDEA!
Surf City Detailing Kits
After that last minute Christmas gift for that someone special? Well how about one of the excellent Surf City detailing kits from Rollies Speed Shop! Three kits are available, from the full on Garage Detail Kit for $114 which is choke a block with everything you need, including a bucket, to the Black Ice Essentials Kit for $37 or The Works Detailing Kit for only $30. To find your nearest Dealer, call Rollies on 07 3252 5381.
HAVING FUN BOMBALA BIKE SHOW
BOMBALA BIKE SHOW…
GOES OFF WITH A BANG! WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
It had been 11 years since I attended the Bombala Bike Show when Terri, our Sales Manager, suggested we try to help out with it. The show, it seemed, had hit a bit of a flat spot and needed a boost – and who better to boost it than Terri, who has almost unlimited energy and a fine eye for any opportunity – and your magazine! So we offered to take on naming rights
to the show, making it the Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Bombala Bike Show, and Terri got to work recruiting people from inside and outside the industry for stands. You could see her success very easily when the show kicked off on the 15th of November: there were 56 stands, where there had been 13 in 2013.
Of course I’m not claiming all the credit; of all the people from Bombala who helped, we can probably single out Sam and Grantley as the prime movers. Terri, Stuart, Rob, our new columnist Boris and I all made our way down to Bombala – it’s a terrific ride, and not only from Sydney – and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
1 2 3
Read Boris’ impression of the show in our next issue…
Now I wouldn’t usually do this, but in this case I’m actually going to name all of the people (I hope!) who had stands at the show; partly to thank them, and partly to let you who didn’t make it, see just how well serviced the show was. Keep that in mind for next year – we are keeping naming rights, and we’ll be there again. There will be a special event for the Bear Army, too.
So, our and Bombala Council’s thanks for the 2014 show go to stallholders: Merimbula Dutch Pancakes; Kebab Queen; Curly Chips; Hard-Core
Carnivore; Ragino Coffee; The Brathaus (excellent snags – I had one of these for lunch – and yes, I paid for it!); Palarang Organic Meats; Monaro Mobile Expresso; BikieChic (The Girls as usual in fine form); Get Plugged (Agent for Earmold Australia); Warm and Safe Australia; Swell Mobile Coffee; Leather & Lace; Redd Dog Motorcycle Clothing; Ironhorse Biker Accessories; IB Bike Lifts (Hi, Ian); Mongrel Racing; Mikes Bike Gear; Maido Sushi; The Outdoor Fun Shop; Pacemaker Coats; CRAB South Coast Kingies; Gulf Western Oil; Shari Lea; EMJ by Elsie; OzTrikes; Ozzy Rider Eye Wear; Reiden Industries; Motorcycle Gear; Skill Master Motorcycle Services (next time, Paul, make it a bit harder for Stuart); 2MNO (Soft Serve Van); Jilli Handley; Les Devlin; SMART Motorcycle Accessories; Route66 Tours; (CFE) BACA Capital Chapter; Ulysses
1. The crowd was kept entered all day and into the night with Angry Anderson on stage.
2. Paul Riley from Skillmaster challenges Stuart to a slow race. Then they both followed each other on the skills course. Stuart pinched, Rob’s DRZ400SM for the demonstration.
3. Trophies await the winners.
THE VICTORY WEEKEND ESCAPE TEST RIDE EXPERIENCE
INCLUDES FREE ACCOMMODATION & TANK OF FUEL
Are you serious about a premium motorcycle but can’t get a decent test ride? Well we’ve solved your problem! The two of you can experience the Freedom 106ci V-Twin power, comfort of dual heated seats, stereo and largest luggage capacity in its class! Not only will Victory loan you the bike for a day or two, but we’ll also throw in a tank of fuel and nights’ accommodation at a Best Western Hotel if that’s what it takes to convince you and your partner, that once you ride one, you’ll own one!*
SPORTSBIKES MAKING A COMEBACK?
MOTOGP TECHNOLOGY AND POWER
- HEADING TO A ROAD NEAR YOU
Yamaha has been doing its homework. “Research shows that the supersports category is becoming more segregated and defined,” says the company (and never mind how companies can talk) with many customers opting to ride a specifically designed road bike on the road and a track bike on race circuits.”
Umm yeah, well maybe so, Mr Y. But how many of us poor schmoos can afford to shell out twice on a modern motorcycle? They are, believe it or not, cheaper than ever in terms of the hours you need to work to buy one, but that doesn’t help when the missus cracks it or the bank manager looks at you with a complete lack of understanding in his rheumy eyes.
“Tell me exactly why you need two sportsbikes?”
We suspect that the vast majority of Australian sportsbike riders will continue to make do with just one of these marvels of mechanical, electronic and just plain chutzpa engineering. So, with the release of so many new litre sportsbikes at Intermot and EICMA, are sportsbikes for the road making a comeback, or will it be the dedicated track machines
WORDS THE BEAR & STUART WOODBURY
that get bumped out of the shops?
Sportsbike sales have been declining steadily over the past few years and it will be interesting to see whether the flood of new, high horse-powered road going machines and track only bikes will have a significant impact on sales worldwide. It’s hard to believe that so many manufacturers would have spent the eye-watering sums they have just to bring us bikes that won’t sell (as sportsbikes haven’t in the recent past), or that will sell only as track bikes. There just isn’t enough money in those quantities. Is there suddenly a substantial demand for track-only bikes? There is some demand, to be sure, but we would not think that it would match even the reduced demand for on-road sportsbikes. Or is there something new in these machines that will make them less likely to cause your licence to self-combust in your pocket, and therefore allow them to sell in substantial numbers?
In substantial enough numbers to provide six or seven manufacturers with an adequate number of sales, too? Unlikely, folks. But perhaps that is the reason for the keen technological battle. If your bike is the best by a wide enough
margin then you will get the sales. Quite a battle to be joining, with no guarantee of success.
These new models may, however, result in a flood of new sports tourers being introduced later in 2015 or 2016 with a lot of the “new technology” features that were first introduced on the high end sportsbikes.
It also seems that the magical “200 horsepower” figure that no one thought would be reached in a production bike just a few years ago, is now the normal figure to have on your litre Sportsbike while the track bikes are beginning to reach for 300 horses. These bikes really are wonders of technology.
Here are some of the track bikes (or near-track bikes) that we think will cause huge interest and, in some cases, satisfactory sales:
YAMAHA YZF-R1M
The new R1 has received huge interest worldwide, but the special edition R1M track bike is what we think will be an instant sell out for Yamaha.
The R1M will be produced in limited numbers and is aimed at professional race teams and highly experienced riders YAMAHA YZF-R1M
SUZUKI GSX-R1000
Even though the existing GSX-R1000 only has a new paintjob for 2015, it is Suzuki’s re-entry into MotoGP with the GSX-RR that will have Suzuki fans salivating in anticipation of a new litre bike with MotoGP technology – hopefully late next year. We’re sure that Suzuki won’t want to be left behind and will hit the “magical” 200 horsepower mark with a new machine. We like the handling of the GSX-R1000, but it will need some more mumbo to be the machine of choice in the near future.
HONDA RC213V-S
An exciting reveal at EICMA was this “real” MotoGP bike for the road from Honda. The RC213V-S looks like Honda’s MotoGP bike, but details of power and the other specification level are yet to be revealed. Get your order in now; we feel there’ll be extremely limited numbers and a high price tag – perhaps around $80k.
TURNING YOU INTO A STAR
With all this power and torque of the new litre bikes, the saving grace for you and me is technology. They’re fine for the elite set of racers who have the know-how to ride these bikes at the limit, but we need help. Ever more refined electronic systems allow the general public to ride safely and lower their lap times on the track while looking like a world superbike racer, if they so choose to do so. But even on the road, when you know that person in the blue shirt isn’t watching, you’ll be able to experience what just a couple of seasons ago was top level, front running machinery.
While manufacturers might be pushing it to make enough sales to make enough money out of all of these innovations, the technology that runs these kinds of machines will hopefully be seen very shortly in sports tourers, tourers and (who knows) even cruisers.
Even if you can’t afford one sportsbike for the road and another for the track, the future of motorcycles is looking very exciting!
TWO METRIC CUSTOMS
WHO SAYS IT HAS TO BE AF? WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
“A girl whose cheeks are covered with paint Has an advantage with me over one whose ain’t.”
Ogden Nash, Biological Reflection
Customising is a funny business, isn’t it? On the one hand it is all about personalising your motorcycle, making it “yours” in a way that factories simply can’t match. On the other hand it is just as subject to fashion as almost any other human activity. And in customised motorcycles, the fashion has pretty much always been to start with an
American bike – all right, let’s not put too fine a point on it: a Harley. But does the base bike for your custom job necessarily have to be put together with AF nuts and bolts?
Of course not. Nothing against Harleys (I’m working on customising one now), but European and Japanese bikes can be just as much fun to personalise as the machines from Milwaukee. Of course there has been a problem with that; the shortage of accessories for metric bikes on the market.
Well that is now far less of a problem. Just as an example, American custom
accessory manufacturer Kuryakyn now offers a substantial range of parts for your metric machine, as these two bikes that I rode recently will attest. They were a cooperative effort between Peter Mogridge at Team Moto Honda in Nerang (www.teammoto.com.au) and Hamish Macneil at Kuryakyn importer Rollies Speed Shop (www. rolliesspeedshop.com) in Brisbane. Don’t worry too much if you can’t see all of these items in my photos; they’re all pictured in the online Kuryakyn cattledog. I can guarantee that the total effect was outstanding on both bikes.
HONDA F6B
Despite its modern out-there styling, Honda’s latest take on the GoldWing (or is it Goldwing now?) format is fairly plain and makes a terrific blank canvas for bolting on some accessories. Here’s a list of the stuff fitted. I haven’t listed the part numbers; if you’re interested in any of these bits the best thing to do is check them out in the online Kuryakyn catalogue.
Black LED front reflector conversion: replace the reflectors on the front lower fork legs to act as auxiliary turn signals. They have smoke lenses and black housings, and light up amber.
Black fork brace: on a bike as heavy as the F6B, the fork can use some help. This not only looks good but maintains adjustability without preloading the fork.
Boomerang frame covers: lighten up the middle of the bike, as well as providing scuff protectors. They follow the frame perfectly.
Lightning valve covers: a simple and effective way to differentiate the bike from stock.
Polygon exhaust tips, louvered transmission covers and chromed battery cover: just ‘cause they look so good, Bro. What more reason do you need?
Dash trim: highlights the top middle of the dash and protects it from sun and other damage. Makes a focal point of the dash.
Chrome tank trim with knee guards: highly visible to add light accents to the base black, making it stand out even more for the rider and anyone else looking at the bike.
Shark tooth fender accents: the best way to hide the holes that the factory has left in the front mudguard, and as
a bonus they add balance to the bike as well.
Handle bar top covers: just peel and stick with virtually zero down time, and cover those uncool ground-castings edges.
provided the bikes. Thank you,
Peter Mogridge.
Team Moto Gold Coast Honda
“IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE BITS THE BEST THING TO DO IS CHECK THEM OUT IN THE ONLINE KURYAKYN CATALOGUE”
Chrome front fender spear: a way of adding a special little bit of sparkle to your front mudguard and catch everyone’s attention.
Wide reach levers: exclusive design with brass bushings also offers riders with small hands an easier and more secure reach for brake and clutch.
Black ISO grips: Kuryakyn reckons these grips, like the company’s ISO pegs, combine style and comfort and I wouldn’t argue. They offer a soft, nonslip surface that dampens vibration. Recessed spaces between the pads permit air flow for comfort on hot days.
Black contour throttle boss: another ISO item, with a large surface area provides even more comfort than the original design and eases hand and forearm fatigue.
Black Trident foot pegs and adapter mounts: dampen vibration and give the bike that special custom look, with what Kuryakyn says are the most comfortable footpegs around.
Trident brake arm with wide pad: a direct replacement for the original brake pedal, this one inch wider brightly chromed pedal matches the Trident line of accessories.
Gloss black Trident dually passenger pegs and mounts: comfort and looks, all in one.
And that, as Hamish says, is a wrap!
Total retail price for all of this gear is $2390, and riding this bike I definitely felt that I was on something special.
HONDA FURY
It’s still easily Japan’s best-looking factory chopper (although it was actually designed in the US) but that doesn’t mean that it can’t benefit from
a few accessories. The retail price for all these bits is $2482, plus another $1100 for the Cobra pipes which were not originally a part of the project- but which look very nice indeed.
Triceptor fender tip: dresses up the front mudguard (you know, I hate to say this but I think I actually prefer the American term ‘fender’ to ‘mudguard’ – what do you think?) and creates what Hamish calls a “front balance point”.
Hand controls: with chrome switch blocks, chrome clutch perch cover and master cylinder cover you have a complete chrome bar setup. Add the Zombie levers, ergonomic as well as outrageous with finger grooves for improved comfort and reach.
Scythe mirrors; they are not only attractive and eye-catching (sorry…) but they also resist vibration, making them outstandingly useful.
ISO grips: offer vibration damping and increased surface area for Aussiesized hands, which means a better grip. You can also get a Throttle Boss (see F6B, above).
ISO foot pegs: for the rider, with their vibration damping effect, and mini dagger pegs for the pillion – for looks!
ISO brake pedal and shift peg cover: keeps everything matching and stylish, wherever you look, as well as being more comfortable.
Mach 2 performance air cleaner: this is a real eye-catcher, and it can be personalised in a variety of different styles with things like black spikes or the amazing zombie insert.
Number plate kit: it’s actually called a licence plate kit in the US, but so what? It features three-bar LED lighting and covers the plastic bracket. It’s also curved to flow with the fender (see? I’ve changed over from mudguard).
Chrome mini bullet blinkers: with smoked lenses, the front lights come with chrome bullet clamps and the rears just bolt straight on.
Lizard Light kit: here’s something truly special – a kit that will light up the engine with various colours of LEDs, controlled by a remote control
key fob. Unfortunately you can’t see it in my (daytime) photos.
Billet chrome louvered engine covers: smart and smooth-looking to improve on the standard items.
Chrome engine case kit: covers up the alloy and rough casting marks on the original covers.
Chrome boomerang frame covers: these set the mid balance point, according to Hamish, and also protect the area from scuffing by the rider’s boots.
Drive shaft cover: sets the rear balance point, and does no end to dress up the axle area.
Rear master cylinder cover kit: who doesn’t hate the look of plastic? This covers the plastic reservoir and gives a real chopper look.
Maybe you can think of something more, but that’s our lot for the time being! It’s all bolt-on stuff, easily fitted, but together it makes one of a kind. The bike was a hoot to ride (I like Furys) and got a lot of looks from riders and drivers, pedestrians and bench sitters. By the way, we were so impressed by the quality of the Kuryakyn gear that we will be fitting a selection of it to our project 2014 Harley-Davidson Sportster 72. Keep your eyes on MOTORCYCLIST magazine.
in Brisbane provided the expertise and the Kuryakyn parts. Thank you, Hamish Macneil.
Rollies Speed Shop
TOURING TASSIE
ON SAFARI WORDS/PHOTOS STUART WOODBURY
The BMW TS (TourenSport) Safari has reached its 20th Anniversary and the guys from BMW Motorrad and BMW Safari put together an amazing trip around Tasmania for this year’s event. I attended the first three days to ride along with the happy participants.
The bikes I rode were the new R 1200 RT and, for my last day, the S 1000 R. Two amazing bikes that are exceptional for everything the twisty roads of Tasmania have to offer. Weather for the first two days was picture perfect, but the day I got to ride the “faster” bike, it rained from mid-morning. Them’s the breaks, but I still had a ball.
The BMW Safari event began in 1994, designed to cater specifically for riders
of BMW motorcycles. It is unique to Australia but that shouldn’t surprise you given this country offers some of the greatest motorcycle terrain in the world.
There are now three types of Safaris run - the TS Safari for road touring, GS Safari for off-road adventure riding and the recent addition of the GS Safari-Enduro, which is a more technical and higher endurance off-road ride, so there is an event suitable for riders with any level of experience.
The TS Safari typically runs for 5 days, staying in a different place each night. The kilometres covered each day vary between about 200 – 500, so riding time could be up to eight or nine hours on some days.
5
The Safari is not a guided tour but the route is pre-ridden in the leadup to the event and full route maps and GPS tracks are created. A lead rider is sent out early in the morning to additionally mark the route with some arrows and also check road conditions in case of any major hazards en route. Each rider is free to follow this route at his or her own pace and stop as they please throughout the day.
The first night at St Helens saw a welcoming dinner. Two interesting people I met on the ride were Ian Anderson, who was the only participant to have attended all twenty of the TS Safaris, and 88 year old George “Jack” Phillips, still riding, still drinking and 1 2
still having an absolute ball on his BMW motorcycle. There is truth to the saying, “motorcycles keep you young”. When you see and talk to “Jack”, you know exactly what it’s all about.
Day one was probably the highlight for me. 400 plus kilometres where I don’t think I was riding on the middle of the tyre for more than a few seconds at a time. We rode from St Helens on the east coast, over to Burnie on the northwest coast. Breakfast was a short blast through some twisties to the Holy Cow Café at Pyengana. Bacon and egg rolls with the café’s homemade relish, along with a cappuccino went down just nicely. In fact I was greedy and went back for seconds! The Holy Cow Café is a must visit when in Tassie. Seeing a working dairy in progress as you enjoy your meal, along with the “back scratcher”, is memorable. Lunch was another great experience at the Raspberry Farm Café. Just make sure you remember to buy
your better half a pair of Raspberry aromatherapy socks.
Day two was another glorious ride from Burnie down to Strahan, with sightseeing at Cradle Mountain, which was not covered with clouds – a rare sight to see! The third day was a trip from Strahan to Hobart. I was able to unleash the S 1000 R until the top of Queenstown, then the drizzle set in, and turned to heavier rain.
An early lunch at the Hungry Wombat Café at Derwent Bridge with one of their famous hamburgers went down well after fixing a flat for Kel from AMCN, who was riding the RT.
No matter where you stopped, the scenery was amazing, but most of all the riders were all smiling and having a fantastic time. I met participants from all over Australia and even some internationals who came along for the ride. There were first timers and many I’d had the pleasure of riding with before, but ultimately everyone, no matter the
1. Follow the arrows!
2. Ian, the only rider to have attended all 20 TS Safari’s.
3. A rare sight – Cradle Mountain with no cloud cover.
4. 88yr old, ‘Jack’
5. Smiling happy faces were everywhere.
6. Nick Selleck speaks wise words to the participants.
experience, was having a great time. If you don’t have a BMW motorcycle to attend one of the safaris you can always hire one. Having now attended a couple of the TS Safari’s I can tell you that you will meet great people, ride amazing roads and generally have a great time with like-minded touring riders. Be sure to keep your eye on the website – www. bmwsafari.com or talk with your BMW dealer who can fill you in on next year’s safari dates and location as planning is made.
HOW?
PRETTY DAMN WELL, THANK YOU…
WORDS THE BEAR PHOTOS GOLD & GOOSE
How’s this for a vote of confidence: to this day, most if not all of the Wall of Death riders around the world use Indian Scouts. They’re late –‘20s to early –‘30s models, and they are prized for their simplicity, reliability and barebones looks. And of course Burt Munro’s Indian started life as a Scout too. How do you capitalise on a history like that without seeming to be just an imitator? It’s always interesting to see how different people tackle the same problem. John Bloor, faced with re-entering the market with his Triumph marque, chose to produce a substantial range of completely new bikes. He even changed the logo. It was only when those bikes, or rather their successors, had become established that Triumph released models reminiscent of the old range. Bloor was keen to set a new standard for Triumph, and he succeeded. Polaris, or rather Indian Motorcycles, attacked the same problem the other way around. They released a trio of bikes that didn’t just hark back to the old days of Indian, but practically replicated it. Of course they offered modern engineering, but their styling was very old school indeed. And now, with the first additional range, they are bypassing the new bike idea and are referencing other old machines. The slab-sided guards recall bikes from early last century, and so does the tank which almost looks like one of the old in-frame tanks popular before saddle tanks were developed.
“I SUSPECT THAT THE SCOUT WILL DEVELOP A FOLLOWING ALL OF ITS OWN, AND THAT ANY CAPTURE SALES WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MID-SIZED JAPANESE”
So if the initial Chief range of bikes was very much a take on Indian history, the Scout spreads its wings a little wider. But it’s still very much a classically styled and classic-looking bike – even though there is also a modern touch. This design, not the Chief’s, shows to my eyes how the Indian marque might have developed if its production had not been interrupted. Everything old is indeed new again, and looking pretty well integrated.
Indian clearly sees the Scout as a competitor for the Sportster range from Harley-Davidson, but I’m not sure that that works. Sportys have developed a family look under the influence of the California custom culture, and the Scout design looks far – well, older than that. More classic? Does that mean it is likely to have trouble establishing itself? No, I don’t think so. It just won’t be as an alternative to the Sportsters.
I suspect that the Scout will develop a following all of its own, and that any capture sales will be at the expense of the mid-sized Japanese cruisers, which it resembles in some ways. It deserves to do well, too, as my rides during the model’s recent launch in New Zealand demonstrated.
When I saw the first pictures of the Scout, I was not at all sure about the design. Nothing specific, except that rather fat seat (Mustang Seats, where are you when we need you?); but overall the design didn’t seem to quite jell. As so often, a look at the real thing in the metal cured that problem. Now that I’m familiar with it I like the styling, and I suspect you will too.
Okay, let’s climb aboard. I’m about 5’11”, and I was instantly comfortable.
LAUNCH INDIAN SCOUT
Comfy and with a new tan leather treatment.
Torquey, smooth and stylish.
The rider’s triangle had my backside, hands and feet placed comfortably. Indian offers adjustment, by the way, to suit you whatever size you are. The riding position stayed comfortable, too, and the leather (more colour-fast than last year’s) cosseted my bottom very nicely. I could be fussy and ask for adjustable hand levers, but I’m not sure they are needed.
That seat is so low, and it is amazing how light the Scout feels; I mean, in the cruiser world it actually is light, but it doesn’t really look it so this is a bit of a surprise. The engine fires up easily, and the next surprise came when I turned out of the parking lot. The bike turns in quite effortlessly, and has substantial ground clearance. The clutch feels fine, and the gears snick smoothly into place. Acceleration is linear; the torque curve feels more like a torque plateau; there’s plenty of go no matter what the revs. I tend to change short and found myself changing up at 4000rpm or so, but to get the most
Turn in is nice, but the suspension lacks damping.
out of the engine you can easily double that figure.
My first disappointment came with the first bit of rough road. Full marks to Indian for sending us out on just plain ordinary NZ North island roads; they tested the suspension and found both front and rear lacking damping. The long wheelbase kept things under control, though, and I didn’t ever feel as if the bike was getting out of hand.
Although it would make a competent first big cruiser, the Scout can also be hammered through the twisties with the only real limitation being that lack of damping. It is a remarkably “sporty” bike, so despite its rather solid looks it may actually be a competitor for the Sportster after all. I need to admit here that I own a Sportster – a 2014 72 – and I’d back the Scout in a twisty road race. Of course that’s not why I own the Sportster.
The Scout is an honest Injun; scout one out in one of the growing number of Indian dealerships and take it for a run yourself.
SPECS
INDIAN SCOUT
PRICE: $17,995 (ride away)
WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance with premium roadside assist SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 8000km or 12 months
*Preload spanner is supplied, but you’ll need to carry it in your pocket.
MELTS LIKE PUTTY
IN YOUR HANDS
PUTTY ROAD, NSW
WORDS/PHOTOS STUART WOODBURY
Itell you, the Putty Road north of Windsor in NSW is one of my favourite pieces of bitumen. Not only is it not too far from where I live, but it has the famous, “sixteen kay bends” that will really give you a workout. Fast sweepers, turning into tighter 35 and 45km/h bends really get the blood flowing.
WINDSOR
Plenty to see and do at Windsor. This is the third-oldest place of British settlement on the Australian continent and many relics can still be seen today. Some of them are even breathing. Just kidding. Give yourself plenty of time
to view the buildings listed under the National Estate Register, and also visit the Macquarie Arms Hotel, complete with its low ceilings, or go across the road to the famous Windsor Seafoods for award winning (you guessed it) seafood.
GREY GUM CAFÉ
About 65km from Windsor, the Grey Gum has great coffee. A wide selection of comfort food is also waiting for you there. As a nice and much-appreciated concession they even have specific motorcycle parking, which can get full pretty quickly on the weekend. But even during the week you’ll usually find
some bikes there and plenty of people to chat with.
BULGA
Bulga is known for its “pink” bridge, which is now painted white. There isn’t much there except the service station and the pub next door which is sometimes open, but mostly closed. The service station has hot food, cold drinks and friendly service.
BROKE
Broke is another very small town, very similar to Bulga. You can get fuel, hot
www.hemamaps.com.au
Get yourself to Windsor and head across the bridge heading north. You basically follow this road all the way, but there can be one catch just out of Windsor, at Wilberforce, that may have you second guessing. You’ll see a sign that says King Rd and William St. You need to follow the road around to the left and follow William Street towards Singleton. The road surface varies along the way. Basically as you see the “Welcome to the Hunter” sign, you’ll notice the road surface gets a bit better. However there are some rough patches along the entire route. The sixteen kay stretch of bends are generally pretty good, except they can get mossy in the colder months. Once you refuel at Bulga, Broke or Singleton you can head back the
TEAR-OUT MAP #23
same way you came to enjoy the road in reverse, or you can go the optional route through Wollombi and Bucketty to Mangrove Mountain, where you turn right and head to Wisemans Ferry, cross the river on the ferry and ride back to Windsor. This route is very twisty and the road surface can vary from good to very rough in places, so be careful.
Deciding on where to fuel up will depend on how far you’ll get out of a tank. If you have no problems getting 200+ kilometres out of a tank with heavy throttle usage, you’ll be fine to fill up at Wilberforce, at either the Shell service station, or up the road a few kilometres at the BP service station. You can then fill up at Broke or Bulga or head into Singleton as your next fuel stop.
COLLECT THEM ALL
But, if you are likely to get less than 200 kilometres from a tank with heavy throttle usage, you must fill up out of Wilberforce at the BP service station, then Bulga is your closest fuel stop at the other end. If you have cash with you, there is a service station at Colo Heights, but remember: no card, just cash!
If you take the optional route, from Broke or Singleton you can get fuel at Laguna, Kulnura or Wisemans Ferry.
DISTANCES
175km – Windsor to Singleton. 350km return. 202km – Singleton, Mangrove Mountain, Wisemans Ferry to Windsor. 377km total via optional route.
The sign you’ll be waiting to see.
Grey Gum Café.
food, cold drinks and the café next door to the servo is mostly open from mid-morning for café food and coffee.
SINGLETON
Singleton is the next major town from Windsor along this route. Lots of cafes, takeaway places and pubs with top level food are there for you to choose from. There are a number of historic buildings to see as well. Singleton was established in the 1820s by Benjamin Singleton. In its early years, it was also called Patricks’ Plains. The Main North Railway line reached Singleton in 1863 and this was the end of the line until 1869. The town retains many historic buildings, including the original court house built in 1841, various large churches and many traditional Australian pubs. The countryside surrounding Singleton contains an unusual number of fine old mansions,
reflecting the aristocratic nature of land grants when the area was settled. They include ‘Neotsfield’ (1828), the elaborate ‘Baroona’ (1829), ‘Abbey Green’ (1865) and stunning ‘Minimbah’ (1877). Historic buildings always look nice as a backdrop for a photo of you and your bike.
WOLLOMBI
The valley is bordered to the west by the World Heritage listed Yengo National Park (and Yengo State Forest) and the main road, the convict-built Great North Road (GNR) is what you will ride. Wollombi is another small town, but is offset by its 19th-century sandstone buildings and timber slab constructed cottages and sheds in a narrow valley junction containing Wollombi Brook and Congewai Creek. The area is home to an abundance of native birds, reptiles and other animals including kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos and wombats and
is surrounded by imposing tree-lined mountains. So be careful!
LAGUNA
The area of Laguna is famous for lavender growing. If you need fuel for the bike or yourself, stop at The Great Northern Trading Post, which has a laid-back atmosphere and rustic charm of 1870 when it all began as “Ye Olde Horse Wagon Trading Post”. Originally a watering hole for the bullock teams lugging development into the Hunter Valley, you can now get great coffee, home cooked meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner (if you’re in the area at the time).
WISEMANS FERRY
The town is a tourist spot with picnic and barbecue facilities. As well as a rich convict and colonial heritage in the area, with many relics around the area for viewing.
They’re switchable and powered by a rechargeable battery incorporated into the garment, and boy, do they show up! Anybody who says they didn’t see you when you’re wearing these is far too blind to be driving.
I know that I’ve been dismissive of fluoro clothing (mainly because it provides a false sense of security), but these things take visibility to another level and could well be a genuine help on the road. The same thing is available on the company’s Lynsted jacket. Take a look at www.dane.eu, and if you can figure out why a firm called Dane which uses Danish words for its products is actually Dutch, drop me a line…
ACHTUNG, VELOSCHMITT!
The Veloschmitt company in Ljubljana, Slovenia has taken the (approximate) shape of the land speed record Messerschmitt three-wheeled “cabin roller” enclosed scooter and has wrapped it around a superlight framework and an electric motor.
“The Veloschmitt KR E-250 Personal Transporter is the new edition of the legendary Messerschmitt Kabinenroller from the ‘50s,” says the firm. It is the world first two - seater velomobile built in series… (and) integrates the classic mechanism of
pedalling with a powerful electric assist drive system. This is able to monitor the braking energy of the vehicle and, at the same time the current thereby obtained to regenerate the energy back to the battery.
“We using the best GRP and CFK materials in manufacturing our VELOSCHMITT and so it is very lightweight. The on pedelec modus limited very powerful up to 4000 watt brushless permanent magnet DC motor brings also increased torque.
The Nuvinci 360 Harmony - automatic speed transmission leads to lower energy consumption and very quiet road noise.
“The price is significantly lower than that of our competitors ... without compromising on design and quality,” they continue. I would not have thought
Based loosely on a Messerschmitt cabin scooter, the Veloschmitt looks… interesting.
that this… vehicle would have any competition!
“Despite its compact size to drive, thanks to the dynamic air suspension technology, it runs like on rails. Only two handles and the roof/entry section* of the KR E-250 can easily be replaced with another functional design! Veloschmitt KR E-250 transporter connects pilots with riding, brings them the feeling of flying!”
Umm, yes, if you don’t mind flying very slowly…
The single-seater costs 6300 Euros, and the two seater will set you back 7350; but what cost the ability to shout: “Achtung, Englander! Messerschmitt on your tail!”
OOH, SHINY… NO, MATT
Who was it who said that there seemed to be some kind of international design rule that required all electric vehicles to be ugly? Oh, it was me? Well, I take it back.
Check out the Trefecta, another new e-bike. Peak power (depending on model and country) is 4kW, which allows a top speed of 70km/h and a cruising speed of 55km/h. The claimed range (without pedalling) is 100km, and the Trefecta
It may look like a praying mantis, but it’s electric!
COLOGNE BIKE SHOW THE LITTLE BITS
1. Well, who woulda thought it!
2. This is the seat of one of the bikes competing in the Custom Bike championship. More of those later!
3. Slick looking sidecar there, but I suspect you won’t want Watsonian’s email address… because it costs four thousand pounds!
can supposedly carry 160kg – a slightly bigger bear.
“The 20” 7075 (no, I’m not sure what that means) aluminium frame adheres the demanding norms of aerospace engineering (sic),” says the factory copy. “It’s these premium materials, together with the fully integrated cables and components, which make it a tough e-vehicle and ensure protection from all elements. Its foldability also guarantees easy transportation and broad application to professional needs”. So far so good, despite the rocky Swiss grammar.
“Electric mobility is experiencing rapid development. In Kanton Zug [Switzerland] a new class of high-tech e-bike has been developed with the military in mind… The Trefecta DRT was designed from the outset to be a durable solution for all urban and extra urban transport as well as a fun machine for the weekend!”
For the military? I can imagine the kind of fun they’d get up to on weekends!
There is a lot more information about the Trefecta on the website www.trefectamobility.com, plus an option to pre-order one. They sure look smart – but once again, we are advised that they would be illegal on the road here in OZ.
This friendly young lady was handing out Ducati Scrambler badges. I wonder why I ended up with three complete sets of badges…
Twww.lcfabrications.com
he build of Old Black, the bike from LC Fabrications, which took second place in the Freestyle class at the 2012 World Championship of Custom Bike Building began immediately after its builder Jeremy Cupp returned home from the 2010 Championship. While at the Championship that year Jeremy looked at the history behind Sturgis and in particular the part played by the Jackpine Gypsies and their ongoing hill climb races. As Jeremy himself says: “I’m into design from the ‘20s and ‘30s and I wanted to pay tribute to the early Sturgis
Looking at dirt
Like many custom bike builders, Jeremy Cupp, of LC Fabrications, often looks to older race bikes for inspiration. However, unlike other builders he has not looked at the machines campaigned on the wood of the board tracks, rather the dirt of hill climbs. The result is Old Black a homage to the bikes used in ‘30s hill climb event. The difference being that this particular bike is collecting trophies at bike shows not races.
climbers and the Jackpine Gypsies.”
He then went on to explain why he based the build around an XL motor, saying: “I like to mix modern technology in there too. That’s why I used the Ironhead Sportster motor.” However, it is only on close examination that it becomes apparent what the motor started life as. The rocker boxes have been removed and the rockers re-engineered to include internal oil feeds. The inspiration for the look came, Jeremy says, from seeing a Shovelhead engine with the rocker boxes removed. The changes to the engine are not limited to the rocker design, as the front cylinder head is actually a rear head that has been spun through 180 degrees to allow twin Amal carbs to be fi tted.
Jeremy completed his work on the Ironhead by cutting away the transmission. This was then replaced by a gearbox from a 1964 BSA A10 coupled with a clutch from a 1973 unit construction Triumph. The unusual drivetrain choices continue with the fi nal drive; from the gear box a short chain connects to a jack shaft that allows a fi nal drive chain to run to each side of the rear wheel. The reason for the dual drive set-up is that Jeremy felt it would be the sort of arrangement a ‘30s hill climb bike would run,
“I LIKE TO MIX MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN THERE TOO. THAT’S WHY I USED THE IRONHEAD SPORTSTER MOTOR.”
even though he has never seen it done.
Having done all the drivetrain work, Jeremy then turned his attention to crafting a frame to hold it all. The single-downtube frame features an extended bolt-on rear section to give the longer wheelbase that characterises a competition hill climb bike. He then turned his attention to building a Springer fork. The design for the fork was base on that used by Excelsior and uses an early British motorcycle rear shock for its damping. To get Old Black rolling Jeremy then rebuilt a 19in BSA front wheel and a 19in Triumph wheel. The rear features BSA drum brakes on both sides to visually balance the twin drive sprockets.
While fl at sided tanks are a familiar sight on ‘30s style bikes that is not the only reason such a design is used on this bike. By his own admission Jeremy does not have the best sheet metal fabrication skills and so the simple tank was the easiest style for him to make. Acknowledging, once again, his lack of metal beating skills he then used a rear fender from an H-D WLA, rather than try and make his own.
Despite Jeremy’s admission about his sheet metal working skills, his obvious talent for bike building has been recognized by his fellow Championship competitors who placed Old Black second in the Freestyle Class at the Sturgis event.
ALPS RIDING ACADEMY
TOUR DATES 2015
May 10 - 16 May 24 - 30
Jun 07 - 13 Jun 28 - Jul 04
Jul 19 - 25 Jul 26 - Aug 01
Aug 16 - 22 Aug 23 - 29
7 DAYS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Day 1 Arrival in Bolzano / Klobenstein
Day 2 Klobenstein
Day 3 Klobenstein
Day 4 Klobenstein
Day 5 Klobenstein ¨ Lago di Garda
Day 6 Lago di Garda ¨ Klobenstein
Day 7 Departure from Bolzano / Klobenstein
THIS IS HOW IT WORKS
We will start by practicing basic riding skills at low speeds, challenging balance and coordination. Once on the ride, we will frequently change positions within the group. We will take day trips from one hotel above Bolzano, in addition to having one night at Lago di Garda, to further extend the variety of our road selections. The tour layout offers the very best variety of challenging tarmac, except for long straights. The different characteristics of the pass roads along that extended training ride will enable you to thoroughly investigate the strengths of various riding techniques. Extremely technical mountain pass roads with tight switchbacks will probably favor an approach quite different from that required by the sweeping curves of Passo di Tonale, i.e.
Aug 30 - Sep 05 Sep 20 - 26 Bring your partner along! While you hone your abilities, your partner can enjoy the services of the 4-star hotel and the stunning landscape.
AND SERVICES, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.edelweissbike.com, SEND US AN E-MAIL AT worldtours@edelweissbike.com OR CALL +43.5264.5690
facebook.com/edelweissbike FOR DETAILS, INCLUDING
low-speed drop on the gravel, but just scratched a pannier. We crossed back into Spain by way of the Col d’Ares.
Even the weather cooperated, and after the highlight of the day – a canyon called the Gorges de Galamus with overhanging rocks, tight curves and a green river far below – we were treated to a superb picnic lunch put on by the guides. After all this, what had seemed to be a short riding day – 280km – turned out to be a very full one. I rode last for most of the day, which overcomes my reluctance to stop for photos. This way, I’m not slowing anyone else down and I can always catch up.
Photo stops were in rather shorter supply than I had hoped.
The menu that evening offered ‘colt’.
“Is that the gun or the small horse?” I asked the waiter facetiously.
“It is the small ‘orse, m’sieu,” he replied. Ah yes, we were in France.
“Not for me,” I said. “It’s big horse or nothing for me.”
“We can arrange big ‘orse,” said the waiter. “Pas de problem.”
“No,” I said, “I have eaten so much big horse that I am tempted by the roadside grass and neigh in my sleep.” Phew.
Actually I have eaten a fair bit of horse, almost all of it in France and much of it in Chinese food, but I don’t like it very much. It has a kind of sweetish taste that doesn’t go with meat according to my palate. The local beer, on the other hand, Moritz, went with everything remarkably well.
FINAL CURTAIN
And then we were just about at the end. The first part of the last day was a bit like the day before, with more wonderful little roads and a stop at what looked like a cross between a sanatorium and a castle.
Unfortunately there was no explanation; just that it was a refreshment stop. Later
18. Andorran roads are simply superb once you get out of Andorra la Vella.
19. One of the many duty-free establishments in Andorra.
20. The Gorges de Galamus again, in case you’d forgotten.
Your Ride. Your Way.
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75TH ANNUAL Stur gis Bike Week 30 July-12 August
Las Vegas, NV to Denver, CO / 13 Nights, 12 Ride Days
The BIGGEST Bike Week in history, a once-in-a lifetime experience
And the best part is getting there! SPACE IS LIMITED
NEW TOUR - Best of the West
15-30 August / Los Angeles, CA / 15 Nights, 14 Ride Days
Some of our favorite places in a new combination for 2015 - Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Route 66, the Pacific Coast and more Ride at elevations from -86m to +3,050m!
Black Dog Ride Across America - 11 September - 4 October
New York NY to Los Angeles, CA to / 23 Nights, 21 Ride Days
Route 66 Extended 16 October - 3 November / Chicago to LA 18 Nights, 17 Ride Days
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Enjoy the sights, sounds, and freedom of the ride, with the security of our experience and support Make 2015 the year you take a FANTASTIC holiday with friends, family or solo You’ll have loads of fun on any number of wheels!
Visit our website and contact us soon
I BUNGLED BIG TIME
…AND ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT
WORDS/PHOTOS DON LEYS
“I NEVER MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE. I MAKE IT FIVE OR SIX TIMES, JUST TO BE SURE.” ANONYMOUS (OBVIOUSLY)
They say that when you really bungle, you should do it in style. Well, I bungled big time, my accomplice being my stylish (most would disagree) Yamaha XJ900 Diversion. She’s a grand old friend, 20 years young this year, but never misses a beat, and she just loves the open road… all the way to the Warrum-bungles!!
Having ridden from Sydney to Wodonga (just in Vic) on the uneventful Hume Highway to visit my parents on the farm, I spent several days assisting with crutching of sheep and feeding of livestock in the chilly winter weather. From here, for this country boy who now lives in the city, it was off to the north-west of N.S.W. to ride the western plains (like Clancy of the Overflow*), enjoying the freedom of the ride on uncluttered roads and the smoothness of the XJ900 as it purred along the delightfully wellformed and maintained Newell and Oxley Highways, with their everchanging landscapes.
Yes! The Bungle (Big Time!) was yet to come. Of course, I mean the Warrumbungles.
Forbes has a number of great cafes (there’s good tucker in Forbes), and a central park that hosts a number of activities. While I tried to resolve whether the town was setting up to welcome me, or some (other?) celebrity, the XJ “hob-nobbed” with a Trumpie nearby.
It turned out to be some other celebrity, but I didn’t mind. Finally, in a northerly direction, the Warrumbungles appeared, an ancient series of volcanic spires and plugs. Meanwhile in the west, a glorious western plains sunset was the
READERS’ TRAVELS NORTH-WESTERN NSW
crowning glory to a wonderful day. Tooraweenah, on the western fringe of the Warrumbungle National Park, has a beaut caravan park with the outstanding virtue of country hospitality. Sarah serves scones, jam, and cream to guests on their arrival! This was my base for the next several days, where by day the XJ900 and I explored the Warrumbungle Ranges, the nearby regional roads, and friendly country towns (with bonus coffee shops). By night, it was time for the exchange of information around the campfire, sniffing the eucalyptus-laden air, and marveling at night at the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars of the Creation above (another Clancy moment**). The caravan park at Tooraweenah has some selfcontained cabins that are ideal for the solitary (or small group) rider with a love for the great outdoors (or indoors, as the case may be in a cabin).
If you are into views from mountain tops, then the 16km round trip walk to Mount Exmouth (1206 metres A.S.L ) in the National Park is just right for you. “There are much shorter walks for the more normal among us”. I first coined this expression as I hobbled around the next day, nursing several blisters!
There are many fascinating destinations just a short ride from base, such as the Siding Springs Observatory in the National Park, Tooraweenah Airstrip and historic village, Gilgandra (home to both the famous WW1 Cooee March, and the Rock Cake Bakery), Pilliga National Park, Sandstone Caves, and even Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo.
Turning the XJ900 in a southeasterly direction, I finally set sail for a comfortable day trip home to Sydney, taking in Mendooran, Dunedoo, Gulgong and Mudgee, all nicely spaced along the very rideable Castlereagh Highway. There’s a wise and very old saying: “Never make the same mistake twice!”. It’s a proper bit of wisdom, but I suspect that before too long I will Bungle again.
*We thought Clancy had gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are? Bungled again, Don… **Yes, this one is right, Don.
Himalayan Heights
Turkish Treasures
Shining Shangri-La
Awesome Andes
Moroccan Magic
Dalmatian Delights
Inspiring Iceland
TWO GOOD ‘UNS
COME AND HELP THE UGLY BARMAID
WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
Some other good news / bad news for country pubs: Sadly, the iconic Conargo pub burned down recently. In better news, during January, February and March the Stockman Hotel in Texas, Queensland is giving free accommodation to all pillions who share a room with the rider. Make plans to go to Texas now!
ROYAL HOTEL, COOYAR
Alifetime ago in the Negev desert I sipped sheep milk from a cup. Wat’ha, the Bedouin matriarch of this group had strained the flies out of it by pouring it over the back of her hand and allowing the warm fluid to seep between her fingers and into my cup. I drank out of courtesy. Almost enjoyed it. As we chatted the sun went down and a full moon rose and she explained to me how
Bedouins used the moon’s phase and place in the sky to tell the time at night. She explained how a full moon always rises at sunset, a half moon at midday or midnight and how these ancient people could use the combinations to closely calculate the time of night. I felt so damn dumb knowing that I’d got to 25 years bereft of such lunar understanding.
So anyway I always think of Wat’ha when I’m relating in any way to the moon and a few months back I was on Bribie Island waiting at sunset for the scheduled appearance of a full moon over the Coral Sea when my mate Mitty-the-Grub tells me that he’s planning a weekend riding the Bunya Mountains which are a quick 200km blat west up the D’Aguilar Hwy. And
he wants to know a good place to stay a couple of nights.
As a liquid moon squeezes up from the sea and I get a couple of shots, Mitty knocks the tops off another couple of coldies and we grab another sanger off the hotplate. I realise that unlike a lot of places where discovering a good place to stay is more difficult than changing a tyre while you’re riding, finding a good motorcycle friendly pub as a base for a Bunya weekend is as easy as finding a needle in a, well, a needlestack.
So, after telling Mitty about sauce he’s once again dribbled all down his (only) shirtfront, I tell him about my favourite couple of pubs out there and tell him it’s really down to whether he’s on his own or with a decent sized group: He’s going to be coming up the D’Aguilar from the Sunny Coast so Blackbutt is the real gateway to Bunya and if it’s not illegal to not stop at their woodfired pie shop for one of the best pies around, then it should be. From here you continue to Yarraman and head south for 20km for Cooyar and the Royal Hotel.
This is probably the best place to stay if you are riding with a larger group. It’s one of my favourite pubs although Karen the owner might be one of the ugliest bar women in the state (even though she’s not quite as ugly as a few years back) but that shouldn’t deter you.
A room here will cost you $45 and if you arrive without a partner and all the doubles haven’t been shotgunned, you’ll get a wide bed at no extra.
There’s only nine rooms but there’re six more beds out on the veranda which’ll set you back just ten each and sure look like they’d be fun for a group! There’s also a well grassed free camping area out the back where you can swag at no cost other than the three bucks for the showers in the morning. *
The bathrooms are clean and well maintained as are the rooms which have tables and sufficient power outlets. In the morning you can make a brew in the kitchen then head back up to the back veranda and watch the sunrise from your rocking chair.
I’ve got no idea what the population of Cooyar is but I’m damn sure more people (and cattle) pass through it each day than live there all year. But for the few locals there are, this is obviously a hub, a place where they love coming as Karen loves having them around.
And there’s no animosity between the regs and the blow-ins and unless you’re perching on one of ‘their’ stools when they arrive, you’ll be pulled into their conversations from the outset.
Drop in on a Wednesday and you’ll have a mixed BBQ cooked out the back, Fridays are Pizza Night and for the rest of the week there’s a good pub grub menu. You can park your ride undercover in the huge beer garden out the back where you’ll likely find some other locals just jamming away for the fun of it.
Karen and her business partner Shirley have had the Royal at Cooyar for 6 years and it’s one of the most welcoming pubs around. Karen lost her husband to leukaemia 25 years ago and ever since has devoted a lot of time to raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation with her special passion being helping the accommodation costs for relatives of sufferers who are in long term hospital care in Brisbane.
Each year the Foundation runs the UGLY bartender of the year award and (hah…..now the penny is dropping isn’t it and you can see where this is heading eh?) and in the past five years Karen has won it three times, and had a second and most recently a third. It’s based on funds raised and UGLY stands for Understanding Generous Likeable You.
So that’s why she’s ugly and another reason for staying at her pub. * And it’s another reason why, even if you swag and don’t have a shower, chuck in a few bucks and let’s see if we can get Karen (who’s raised over $85K) back to her rightful position as the Ugliest Bartender of the Year.
The Cooyar Royal rated just into the 4 Helmet Range with a value index of 185 where anything over 100 is good.
Royal Hotel Cooyar, Munro St Cooyar T: 07 4692 6185 Ask for Karen.
QUINALOW HOTEL, QUINALOW
RATED 3 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
Ifyou are on your own or with just a couple of mates, or if night traffic noise is a problem for you, you might wanna head a bit south then south west from Cooyar to Quinalow.
(Yeah I know, I’d never heard of it either til recently!)
The Quinalow Pub is owned (again) by Greg and Cheryl who’ve had it this time since 2012 when they bought it from the bloke who bought it from the fella who’d bought it from the bloke who’d Greg and Cheryl sold it to 20 years ago. (You follow that?)
Greg, an ex-taxi driver, plasterer, restaurant owner, ex lots of other stuff and Cheryl, both hard core biking people, sold out of pubs and kinda retired to their boat but kept coming back to this pub because they loved the village and its locals. In late 2011 the bloke who owned it was looking to get out and retire to a life on the ocean waves and I guess you’re ahead of me…. Greg and Cheryl figured if they were to return to Quinalow they had no need for the boat so they traded it in for the pub and fixed the remaining quarter in hard earned and they were back.
The pub’s a work in progress and has just the 4 rooms; a pair of doubles, a twin and a single. Turn up on your own and it’ll set you back an even $50, same for two in the one bed while a twin will be just ten bucks more.
The couple also owns the caravan park across the road and you can swag there for free on the honour system of spending the money you save back at the bar.
The rooms are spartan but all have reverse cycle air-con and windows which open. Traffic noise is zilch and once the evening laughter from the bar subsides you’ll easily be able to hear the snoring of your mate!
There’s no gambling at the Quinalow,
no screaming race commentary drowning out conversations, but there’s a great pool table, a well-stocked juke box and good food coming out of the kitchen seven days a week from 12 to 2 and 6 to 8pm.
Again there’s what’s called by people who seem never to have been to the continent, a ‘continental breakfast’ and you can store your hydration backs and drinks in the kitchen fridges and freezers.
There’s undercover lockup parking available (just watch out for Greg’s bikes) and if you are dirty, wet or cold, there’s a washing machine and dryer.
This is a tiny pub with a huge heart. It’s got shortcomings but the friendliness of the staff and the locals plaster over any cracks.
You stay there and in not too many moons, you’ll go back, probably not to drink warm sheep milk, but to share stories of your day’s riding through the nearby mountain roads.
The Quinalow rated 3 helmets on our scale with a value rating of 140 where anything over 100 is good.
Quinalow Hotel, Haden MacLagan Rd, Quinalow, T: 07 4692 1167 ask for Greg or Cheryl.
• Flexible Riding Gear coveronly pay for what you
• Expanded capacity to insure higher value and custom-built motorcycles, trikes, scooters & all types of motorbikes sold in Australia.
• Pay yearly, half-yearly or by the month - it’s your choice.
• Motorcycles/Trikes used for Tour Operating.
• Tour Operator’s Public Liability underwritten through CGU.
TheYamaha Tricity concept was hinted at late last year, with some more teaser pics released early this year. Both The Bear and myself have ridden the various Piaggio MP3 (now Yourban), three wheel scooters numerous times and we even had an MP3 300 as a long termer for a while, a couple of years ago. So I was used to the three wheel concept and extra levels of grip this setup gives. But, has Yamaha (as it claims) provided a city runabout that is full of fun? I went along to the Australian launch to find out.
Yamaha bill the Tricity as a “Wave goodbye to public transport” vehicle. So anyone who hates the grind of getting on public transport daily, the Tricity is meant to be your answer. It is, too. Simply get your Learner’s Permit and away you go. Or for those already with a licence, you have a cheap form of transport that is safe and fun at the same time.
Yamaha claims super low running costs when compared to other forms of transport, on top of that.
For example, the Tricity is claimed to cost $39.64 per week to run, compared to an average train ticket cost of $41 per week, average bus ticket of $46 per week and a car of at least $100 per week!
The actual price of the Tricity is low as well. $4299 plus on road costs is good value and you also get capped price servicing at only $60 per service. Compare the purchase price to the other three wheeler on the market, the Piaggio Yourban 300 at $9990 (+orc). You don’t get the electronics of the Yourban, or its 300cc engine, but given the threewheeled design, the Tricity is great value.
Chassis design comes straight from MotoGP. Yes, Ken Nemoto, the man who designed the frame of the YZR-M1 MotoGP bike which both Lorenzo and legend Valentino Rossi ride, has waved his magic hands over the Tricity. The result is not only good-looking but a neutral and stable handling scooter with 50/50 weight balance.
Despite the extra weight you might think the extra front wheel may bring, the Tricity is very light at 145kg, or 152kg wet. The parallelogram suspension is perfect for city riding. Low roundabouts,
BIKE LAUNCH YAMAHA
Two front wheels = stability.
uneven road surfaces, tram tracks, gutters and all sorts of variables are no match for the three wheel setup. Operated via four shock absorbers on the front and independently suspended 14 inch front wheels, it is a stable package and no matter what experience level you have, you’ll be surprised at the lean angles you’ll achieve.
Powering the Tricity is a newly developed 125cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke engine mated to a CVT automatic transmission that has been designed to produce good acceleration from low speeds, together with smooth higher speed operation. The engine benefits from specially designed intake and exhaust systems that enhance performance in typical urban stop/ start situations, making the Tricity a strong performer in congested city streets. It also has good performance off the line to pull clear of most cars. Fuel consumption is claimed to be extremely low, at 2.5L per 100km. You’ll not be visiting the service station very often! With two wheels at the front, you might think that the Tricity is wide, however you would be wrong. It is slim, and excellent for lane filtering. The bodywork also allows for all sized riders to fit. I’m
195cm tall and I fitted no problems. Of course you get a “mandatory” shopping hook and the under seat area holds a full faced helmet.
Braking is strong, however I don’t like the Unified Brake System (UBS) fitted to the Tricity. The system incorporates twin 220m diameter front discs and a 230mm rear disc, and when only the left hand brake lever is applied, the braking force is applied to the rear wheel and also to the front wheels, giving balanced and effective stopping power.
When the rider applies only the right hand lever, the front brakes are applied, and when the rider applies both the left and right levers at the same time the Unified Brake System distributes the braking force to the front and back brakes using input from both levers. If you too don’t like the system, it is easily disconnected via a cable. Of course, you didn’t hear that from me. I feel the UBS applies too much front brake for low speed turns, when I’d prefer only rear brake application.
Available in Mistral Grey and Competition White, the Yamaha Tricity proved not only to be fun to ride, with bucket loads of onlookers, but a safe and stable scooter for the urban crawl.
SPECS
YAMAHA TRICITY
PRICE: $4299 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled single cylinder, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2 valves
PANNIERZ AIRHAWK SEAT CUSHIONS LUXURY PILLOW HEADLINER PANNIER TRUNKZ SYN MAT TRAVELLER
PANNIERZ BAR BAGZ RAIN OFF OVER GLOVES ADVENTURE BOOTS SEAT BAGZ TANK BAGZ SHOLDA BAGZ TOP SAKZ TEK TOWEL RETRACTASAFE DOWN MATS JET BOIL FLASH STOVE SHOEI HELMETS
DRY SACKS SCOOTA BAGZ SILK SLEEPING BAG LINER BAHCO BIKE KIT SOCKS BAHCO MINI TOOL KIT
COMPRESSORS PIGGYBACK STRAPZ PANTZ HELMETS COVAZ CUTLERY DOWN MAT TOOL ROLLZ A BAGZ TREK 3 SLEEPING BAGS THERMALS NEKZ BALACLAVA TOP SAKZ TEK TOWEL STUFF
REACTOR SLEEPING BAG LINERS PANTZ HELMETS WRAPSAFE CUTLERY DOWN MAT TOOL ROLLZ A BAGZ NEKZ BALACLAVA REACTOR SLEEPING BAG LINERS FLAT STRAPZ GRIP PUPPIES SMART STRAPZ ORBIT LANTERN AA BAGZ NITRO TAPE LOOPZ ADVENTURE BOOTS CAPE HORN BOOTS BAHCO UTILITY KNIFE NEKZ NIKWAZ EXPEDITION PANNIERZ STUFF SAKZ TANK BAGZ SHOLDA BAGZ RFID POUCH FLAT STRAPZ ORBIT LANTERN AA BAGZ NITRO TAPE LOOPZ BLACK DIAMOND HEADLIGHT GRIP PUPPIES
LONG TERMERS WHAT HAVE WE DONE NOW?
RUNNING IT IN
It just so happened that our new long termer, the Yamaha MT-07, was ready to be picked up when I was taking our Yamaha Bolt outfit over to Yamaha for transportation to Moto Expo in Melbourne.
We had to wait for an 07 in the Deep Armour colour we wanted and when I went to pick it up, it was brand spanking new. The Yamaha tech had had no time to check ride it, so as I left Yamaha HQ, zero kilometres is what read on the speedo – I felt special.
I was told the engine would feel a bit tight, as I’d noticed on the MT-07 I rode at the Australian launch recently, and that it would start to loosen up after a few hundred kilometres. Having now clocked up 450km in its first month of use (I need to ride other bikes too), I can testify to that. The engine is starting to loosen up and pick up performance. And I guess that is something we should mention here. You are probably thinking, “but you get to ride new bikes all the time”? Well, yes, but they have always been ridden for a couple of hundred kilometres or more before we get our hands on them.
rear preload which has made a big difference. We may look at getting the front and rear completely redone, but we’ll see.
Fuel consumption is starting to level out and an average of 5.5L/100km is what we’ve achieved over the 450km –pretty good, we think!
The lucky dip of the two tyres that come on the MT-07 may give you a set of Bridgestones, or the Michelin Pilot Road 3 hoops we have on our bike. They are a relatively nice tyre to ride on, but look for a number of different hoops being fitted and tested on this sweet machine over the 12 month period we have it for.
Handling is excellent and while it is on the plush side out of the box, I have gone up two clicks harder on the
Loads and loads of genuine Yamaha accessories will be fitted to this bike. As soon as we took a couple of pics of it in standard form, I couldn’t wait to start getting the bits and pieces on it, and boy, what a transformation! You’ll just have to wait to see them in the magazine, or stop me out on the road! However the main thing we want to show you with the MT-07 is that (as Yamaha say), this motorcycle is “Learner and Expert approved”. My wife, Alana will be getting her Ls and riding this machine around, while I’ll be enjoying myself on a motorcycle that can be ridden quite quickly if the need arises. As I mentioned in my launch review, if you can only afford one motorcycle in the household and need to cover a Learner, Provisional and/or full licenced rider, look no further than the Yamaha MT-07, all riders will have a smile on their dial! SW
YAMAHA MT-07
Confidence building courses + kart tracks + all level of riders = fun + improved skills for everyday riding + fewer falls!
The genuine accessories, Arrow exhaust, bar end mirrors, fly screen, rear seat cowl, belly pan, tank panel, paint protection and machined anodised front brake master cylinder that we fitted not only improved the look of Speedy, but also fitted perfectly. No having to butcher anything to get things to fit.
Withgreat sadness, the 12 month mark has arrived and our long term Triumph Speed Triple has been returned. I had planned to purchase Speedy, but the CFO (Alana) gave me the thumbs down. So I nearly shed a tear as I rode Speedy for the last time to drop it over to Team Moto, Blacktown (my nearest Triumph dealer).
What have I liked about the Speed Triple over the last 12 months? Certainly the torque and that unmistakable triple sound. The fitment of the full Low Boy Arrow exhaust
made a huge difference to not only the handling, but engine performance and of course the cracking-bark from the end of the pipe. The fitment of the K&N air filter from Carlisle Tyres & Accessories helped smooth out the power and gave Speedy a touch more torque – a relatively cheap performance addition that you should always consider.
I have also loved the fact that this bike can do it all. Commute, tour, hoon and generally have an absolute barrel of fun with!
I also played with the suspension settings quite a bit. I ended up with only one ring more preload on the front, with standard compression and rebound. The front forks are pretty much bang-on from the factory, but for a rider my size, the touch extra preload was the way to go. As for the rear, well I would prefer to replace the entire shock with an Ohlins unit, but I ended up with four complete turns of preload, two clicks of compression and two clicks less rebound to slow things down a little. I found the rear shock would make things a bit nervous when pushed hard and tend to light up the rear tyre with it bouncing around. The other alternative would be to get the rear shock rebuilt to your specifications.
I have to say that if you want to have one of the best experiences of your life, ride the Triumph Speed Triple! Sad to see it go, but glad to have ridden the beast for the last 12 months, it’s been a great year. SW
RIDE THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
READERS’ TRAVEL WHAT DID EMERSON SAY AGAIN?
MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE
THE BACK WAY
“TIME
WORDS/PHOTOS
MICHAEL WALLEY
touring in Victoria and I’ll tell you why. In my home state of South Australia, if you want to venture down a back road to take the more scenic route, or just for something different, chances are it will be a dirt road. A lot of times it will have those small stones that are more like marbles or have those nasty corrugations due to the dry weather and lack of infrastructure to keep on top of maintaining them. Now I’m not bagging South Australia as we don’t have the population to sustain the roads to Victoria’s standards, but I’m always
2
3
amazed when I travel across the border to find tar roads in the middle of nowhere. (I really need to get a dual purpose bike.)
Recently I toured Victoria and therefore got the maps out to decide how to get there and back. Plenty to see and ride once you get there but as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, life is about the journey and not the destination.
Every time I put Google maps on I hit the terrain option. The trip to Melbourne, direct on the highway, is 725km and seven and three quarter hours. My version was nine and a quarter hours
and 824km. According to Albert Einstein, time is relative (sorry, no more quotes) so deciding what route you take is generally based on how much of it you have available. Naturally these times don’t take into account the time to refuel the bike, yourself and the stops we take to rest the cramp in our throttle hand and our rear end. Not to mention there’s more sunlight in summer, so less chance of dancing with Skippy.
All decisions are weighed up with pros and cons so when it comes to the highway it’s easy. You will get there
1. On a clear day you can see forever. Today, less so.
2. No, this giant Hamilton bandicoot is not about to step on Michael’s head. We hope.
3. Trucks create dust, and two trucks passing create a lot of dust.
quicker and have larger towns to pass through with everything you could need. However they will be flat, straight roads with no scenery and you will be sharing the roads with trucks and buses. Taking
READERS’ TRAVEL
the longer way is a bit more complex. The towns will be smaller but they will still have everything you want. You will have to slow down more for these towns but they have character with a different kind of charm that will reflect in the cafés you can choose from. There will be more in the way of museums, lookouts or those quirky shops that catch your eye. The roads are only as straight and flat as you pick as well as having more to look at. The paddocks will have animals and trees and even a natural forest if you choose wisely.
Let me tell you about the way I went from Melbourne to Adelaide.
Firstly I went south down through Geelong which dropped the temperature for half the ride. This starts as a straight ride, and then the South Australian side is quite flat as well, so it’s the middle bit that gives us an opportunity to mix it up. I usually hit the road for a while before I eat. The town of Colac is about 2 hours into the ride so it’s time for a coffee and the standard bacon and eggs. About 20km out of Colac I noticed that a lot of the walls for the farms were made from volcanic rock like the scoria you find in gardens, except much larger. They were built with one bloke on either side building it up and placing smaller keystones in the middle to hold it all together. The holes in these rocks were produced by the gas escaping the rocks as the magma that formed them cooled, and they are impressive when viewed from up close.
Coming into Camperdown there’s a lookout track on the left hand side that takes you up Mount Leura. This is an extinct volcano where you can stand on the rim and get a 360 degree view of the surrounding country. If you want to stretch your legs there’s a path that follows the rim around but it’s a little steep in places and would take a while as a couple of the sides have worn away. The next large town is Hamilton but already the roads are better than the highway. The straight bits aren’t that long and the mixture of scenery keeps you looking around. Things are naturally greener down south and the farmhouses are closer to the road. Not
only are there more trees but there are also a lot more large, dead ones with their limbs stretching out like a monster searching for prey. We may mainly have eucalyptus trees in Australia but at least they are interesting to look at when they die. In the paddocks large flocks of white cockatoos are flying up and landing at a better place to feed.
Coming into Hamilton the Ansett museum is on the right hand side and well worth a look. A DVD is playing telling about the history of the airline, and the original plane that Reg bought for 1000 pounds is on display. A close up look at a jet engine makes you wonder how the hell they stay up in the air.
At this stage I’ve only had to pass one piece of farm machinery and one truck. Outside of Hamilton is where your research comes into play or you roll the dice. If you want to take a couple of days you could turn to the Grampians and be there in half an hour. You could head to Mount Gambier through the pine plantations and follow the coast to Adelaide on the second day. I just wanted to get home so I rolled the dice.
The next town was Coleraine and then I wanted to get to Naracoorte. This terrain is the only hilly section so play time begins. Using the position of the sun and whatever signs I could see as my guide I hit as many back roads as I could. These are mainly one lane roads so you need to be on your guard for oncoming traffic. Let me give you an example.
While travelling one of these narrow sections I came across a truck. The road being narrow, I was happy to sit behind as he was sticking to the limit. A truck was coming the other way (these were the only trucks I saw along here) which caused a bit of dust to come up but when the other truck hit the dirt on his side it was a total washout for all vision. I stopped and let the cloud wash over, quickly snapping my visor down, and took off after about a minute. Before long I caught up with the truck and thought I’d pass him to avoid another dusting. As I started passing him he started to come over to my side and I had to gun it to get past or be forced off the road. Let’s give
him the benefit of the doubt, cough, and say he didn’t see me. Being on a narrow road he felt he could use it all, I guess, but take heed if you try to pull the same manoeuver.
Rolling into Naracoorte at 2pm I stopped at Mc Donald’s for lunch. Yeah, yeah I know. I was low on data on my phone and they had free wi fi. Checked my map app, felt pretty good so a run for home was in order. The highway to Keith is about 100km but is pleasant enough compared to Highway 1. I did however get caught out with the old truck blowout. The car in front of me swerved slightly and then a chunk of rubber about a foot and a half long came out from under it. With nowhere to go I braced and got off the throttle. Crisis over! The rubber fragments continued for about a kilometre with bits of mudguard on the verge so it must have blown quite spectacularly. Treating the rubber like orange cones I pretended I was in the downhill slalom in the Olympics and had some fun.
After filling up at Keith I was back on Highway 1 and the grind home from there. It wasn’t so bad, though, because I had taken the scenic way home and had really enjoyed the ride - which is the whole point. Instead of sitting in one position all day, cramping up and being bored I got home feeling good and looking back at the things I saw. Remember that rural Australia is doing it tough so any chance we can get out there and spend a bit of money goes a long way.
It’ll do you a world of good too, no matter what State you’re in.
4. Sir Reginald Ansett’s original hangar, built not long after the founding of his airline.
5. Hey, that’s Andy Caldecott! This means we must be in Keith, SA.
6. A breather stop, somewhere in country Victoria.
7. Dead gumtrees, says Michael, look like monsters reaching for prey. Well, maybe.
TELEGRAPH TO THE CAPE
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
WORDS STUART WOODBURY
“Telegraph sang a song about the world outside Telegraph road got so deep and so wide Like a rolling river”. Dire Straits
Pack
the tent, or pack the swag and let’s go to the Tip on the Telegraph Road.
When you look at this adventure map, it looks pretty easy, as it is marked as a fairly straight line, but don’t let this fool you. There are plenty of technical bits to ride as you get further north from Bramwell Roadhouse. As you will have your tent or swag, take your time and do this trip over two or three days.
COOKTOWN
Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. Both the town and Mount Cook (431 metres) which rises up behind the town were named after James Cook.
It is the northernmost town on the east coast of Australia and was founded on 25 October 1873 as a supply port for the goldfields along the Palmer River. It was called ‘Cook’s Town’ until 1 June 1874. Get just about all you want from Cooktown, supplies and plenty of fuel.
COEN
In 1623, Jan Carstensz, the navigator
and fuel, plus accommodation and an airport.
of the ship Pera of the Dutch East India Company named a river on Cape York Peninsula after Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Today that river is known as the Archer River and the name Coen River is given to one of its tributaries. Coen has an airstrip, hotel/motel, guest house, two general stores and fuel outlets, hospital, post offi ce, police station and camping grounds.
Archer River Roadhouse
Archer River Roadhouse is open Apr–Dec and closed at other times due to the wet season. The licensed roadhouse offers meals, fuel and basic mechanical repairs. In addition to the camping facilities, 10 single airconditioned rooms and 4 twin rooms are also available on site.
BATAVIA DOWNS
No facilities are available at Batavia Downs, it is only a reference point to take the optional route.
WEIPA
Weipa is the largest town on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Weipa exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly involved in exports of bauxite.
Weipa has a Woolworths for supplies
MAPOON
During the wet season from December to April the area is inaccessible except by air and sea, but when you can get access, the town has a small shop and fuel available.
BRAMWELL ROADHOUSE
A working cattle station, you can check out some livestock, but mainly you would be after accommodation, food and fuel, which is all available.
BAMAGA
The original site for the township of Bamaga was at a site known as “Muttee Heads” some 20 kilometres south of the present Bamaga township. The present site was established after World War 2 by people from Saibai Island in Torres Strait, after Saibai Island was devastated by abnormally high tides. It is named after Saibai elder, Bamaga Ginau.
A supermarket, accommodation, fuel and basic services are available.
CAPE YORK
Cape York Peninsula is a largely remote area, the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining true wilderness areas on Earth. The climate on Cape York Peninsula is tropical and monsoonal (as is most of Far North Queensland), with a heavy monsoon season from November to April, during which time the forest becomes almost uninhabitable, so plan this trip in the months from May to October.
www.hemamaps.com.au
Startout of Cooktown and head west on the Mulligan Hwy over to Lakeland and get onto the Peninsula Development Rd. Head North - North-west up to Coen.
You may wish to stay overnight at Coen or continue on up to Archer River Roadhouse and camp. About 117km out of Coen, you need to turn right onto the Telegraph Road. Follow this North to Bramwell Junction where you need to fill up and then continue north on the now narrower track.
This is where conditions can get a little tougher, especially once you get to the river crossings, which will also have sand on both sides.
If you want to miss the river crossings, you can take the Bamaga Road and use the Jardine River Ferry (07 4069 1369) and continue up to Bamaga.
North of Bamaga to Cape York is around 40km where you can camp overnight, or return to Bamaga.
DISTANCE
Cooktown to Cape York –Around 820km
Bamaga to Cape York –Around 40km (return 80km)
Batavia Downs to Mapoon –Around 215km (return 430km)
OPTION ROUTE
If you want a side detour along this route, once you get to Batavia Downs, you can turn left and head into Weipa and go up to Mapoon and Red Beach. A permit is required in this area, so contact Mapoon Shire Council on 07 4090 9124. This route is a 215km each way detour.
FUEL
Calculate your trip well. Fuel stops will be an essential part of the planning for this 820 odd kilometre ride. You also need to bear in mind fuel in many places is only available at certain times throughout the day. The average is 8am – 5pm. Some open earlier and some stay open a little later, but work on this average and you’ll be fine. Fuel on the way to Coen is available at Hann River Roadhouse, Musgrave Roadhouse and Coen itself.
After Coen, you can get fuel at Archer River Roadhouse, Bramwell Junction, Jardine River Ferry and Bamaga. Some motorcycle tanks may require that you carry fuel, but most mid to big adventure bikes will be fine.
COLLECT THEM ALL
ROAD CONDITIONS
Another essential part of your planning for this trip is the road conditions. Depending on grading, rain, heat and so on, the road will vary from easy to quite difficult. As a general rule, plan this trip during the months of May to October.
For live road conditions, visit www. cook.qld.gov.au/current-road-status or www.tourismcapeyork.com/journey/ road-conditions/ To call, phone Traffic and Travel Information Services 131 940 or you can visit their website www.131940.qld.gov.au
Roadhouses along the way are a good source of information. Here are the phone numbers of the ones you may wish to call.
Hann River Roadhouse –07 4060 3242
Musgrave Roadhouse –07 4060 3229
Archer River Roadhouse –07 4060 3266
Moreton Telegraph Station –07 4060 3360
Bramwell Junction –07 4060 3230
Bamaga Information Centre –07 4069 3211
A JACKET THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE NORM’S
TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
Yamaha MT Techno jacket
Price - $399.01
T
o go with our flash new Yamaha MT-07 long term bike, the lovely people at Yamaha Genuine Parts & Accessories decided they want me to look the part as well. They sent over their MT Techno jacket, made by Spidi. As the name suggests, the MT Techno is a very technical looking jacket. Pockets are designed differently, there are multiple Velcro adjustment straps
and even a “tool” pouch on the back.
The jacket itself is made from 100% Polyester mesh, yet offers a high level of protection via the well-fitting shoulder and elbow armour and back protector, and it even has a chest protector.
The chest protector plate is press buttoned in before you zip up the front of the jacket.
As it is made from mesh, this is obviously a summer jacket. The areas that actually let the most amount of air flow through are along the inside of the arms, the underarms, sides and some
areas of the front. The rest of the arms, back and frontal area do not let large amounts of air flow through, so I’ve found you can wear this jacket as a mid-season jacket also.
Sizing for the jacket will require you to try one on. I found the arms were slim, compared to other jackets the same size, but I really like the open neck collar. There is nothing worse than restricting airflow around the neck in hotter weather.
To let people know what you’re riding there are some
subtle Yamaha and MT logos on the jacket, but they are quite subtle so you could wear this jacket on any brand motorcycle, which is what I do.
Available in sizes S-3XL, I took the 3XL when I’m normally a 2XL. See your local Yamaha dealer to grab one and enjoy a jacket that looks different from the norm. SW
YOU’LL BACKFLIP JUST TO GET A PAIR
Held Backflip gloves. Price - $80 Hotter riding weather is here and keeping your hands cool is essential. After wearing out my Dririder Rapid summer gloves I was on the search for a replacement. I looked no further than the top quality Held brand. Their range
of apparel is extensive and there is something for every type of rider and riding preference.
For the hotter riding days I chose the Backflip glove. Not only is the Backflip a relatively inexpensive glove to buy, it is also cool to ride with – just what I was after.
The Backflip features a synthetic leather palm with reinforcements in the vulnerable areas. The top side of the glove is made from Spandex and mesh fabric and lined with Coolmax and Dupont material. You also get air vents on the fingers, an essential visor wipe, Velcro closure, hard plastic knuckle protection that is vented as well, silicone printed palms for extra grip. The ball of the thumb is underlaid with shock absorbing gel for comfort. The Backflip is
also colourfast and sweat-proof, another essential feature for summer riding.
Having now ridden with the Backflip glove for just on a month, on hot days, rainy days and a couple of cooler days, I am highly impressed with how the glove has handled all of these conditions. It is cool on hotter days, yet bearable on cooler days and in the rain the silicone prints on the palm and fingers give great levels of grip. Comfort is also good for a summer glove. Available in a wide variety of colours and in sizes 6-12, the sizing runs true to your normal size. I’m a 2XL and size 11 (equal to 2XL) is perfect.
Contact Held on 02 9719 8890 or visit the website www.heldaustralia.com.au SW
THE GREAT DAYS OF MOTORCYCLING CLASSIC MORRIS
CHIMPANZEES ON BIKES
LESTER ENCOUNTERS OUR NEAREST RELATIVES IN AN UNUSUAL SETTING
It’s been said that the other Great Apes out there, a category which includes gorillas, chimpanzees and orang-utans, are loaded with almost 95% of the Naked Ape’s human DNA, which is of some concern to us all; or at least, it should be. It’s also been stated that these furry critters are smarter than their naked cousins (that’s us) in many ways, because they don’t start wars and can subsist on just about anything they may stumble across which is bright green, sometimes yellow, or sometimes bright red. They don’t need to fire up the family car, or their bike, to zip off to the local Supermarket and spend good money to collect their own bright green, yellow, red, or multi-coloured, often-packaged produce.
As far as is known, there is no written or oral examination of the Great Apes in existence which has been put in place to elicit their intellectual capacity in relation to ours – whether that matters to them or not, which I doubt - or to check their qualifications to be in control of any form of motor vehicle. This is without doubt a Very Good Thing Indeed, for the roads of this nation seem to be crammed with humans who – using the simple yardstick of driving (in)competence –apparently exhibit an IQ somewhat approaching that of the average( Celsius) room temperature of a balmy, autumnal evening; which I believe to be about 24 -26 or so. Our furry Fellow
WORDS LESTER MORRIS
Apes are surely somewhat brighter than that – at least one would hope so!
Having said all that, I am just now reminded of a troupe of four or five chimpanzees who regularly appeared at Sydney’s Tivoli Theatre back in the early fifties. The unintentionally-funny little critters were to be seen riding their under-powered, tiny fold-up Corgi machines ( I won’t call those things motorcycles!) about the Theatre’s stage without running into each other – or at least only now and again, and then often with hilarious results. The shocking little 50cc one-geared Corgi was a half- baked civilian version of the Welbike, a machine which was dropped by parachute in some numbers to be used as very basic transport by paratroopers, who flung the frightful little things into nearby creeks or old barns in Europe whenever the unsprung, and equally under-braked, vehicles ran out of the fuel in their prefilled tanks several kilometres after they were push-started. Oh, yes, naturally they employed no kick-starter and no clutch either!
Whenever they were in town, the performing chimpanzees’ troupe’s manager/trainer would have the little bikes serviced by the Triumph/Norton importers, Hazell and Moore, for whom I was working at the time. The company’s store was in Campbell Street, almost directly opposite the Tivoli Theatre’s stage door, so it enjoyed the priceless geographic advantage of being just a
casual stroll away.
On one noteworthy occasion the manager, an odd, twitchy little man who spoke with an entirely unintelligible European accent, brought with him one of the larger chimps, who suddenly detached himself from his master’s grasp and leapt, gibbering and screaming with ill-concealed delight, along and upon a large series of fullsized motorcycles which lined the large workshop, the size and shape of which he had probably never seen before. It seemed the little bloke(s) – both the chimp and his manager – couldn’t be easily calmed, whereupon a large Police sergeant, who was having his nearnew 1949 Triumph Tiger 100 pursuit motorcycle serviced, offered to quieten the little ‘monkey’ (as he so erroneously called the ape) by shooting the poor thing with his service revolver!
Suddenly the chimp settled himself down, which I thought - as a young kid at the time - might have been at the sight of the Policeman subtly unclipping the strap on his weapon’s holster. Then again, it may simply have been the end of the novelty of jumping up and down on a large number of what would be by now several serried rows of Classic motorcycles. Then again, his master’s screamed commands might have done the job: unhappily we will never know, for the chimp then shuffled shame-faced back to his handler and they quietly left the workshop, to the enormous relief of all of us; if not to the
“THE MOST ENHANCING FEATURE OF THESE IMMEDIATE POST-WAR SCOOTERS WAS THAT THEY WOULDN’T GO, WOULDN’T STOP, AND THEY BOTH HANDLED LIKE COUNTRY FARM GATES WITH LOOSE, WORN-OUT HINGES”
clearly disappointed, large Police officer, whose trigger finger appeared (at least me) to be twitching visibly!
Which brings me, after that longwinded pre-amble, to the three incidents which occurred within the space of about two hours a few weeks ago, in the same day, and which clearly indicated the lack of native intelligence which the three disparate car drivers displayed to all of us who were on the spot as ‘innocent bystanders’ whether we wanted to be there or not. No ape (licenced or not) would ever have been guilty of the terminally idiotic driving habits which were shown by the inept trio.
The great librettist, William Schwenk Gilbert probably summed their performances up perfectly when, in his Opera ‘Princess Ida’, he had one of his singers declare that “Darwinian Man, though well behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved”
The first, potentially disastrous incident occurred on Sydney’s Seven Hills Road, where the elderly, flatcapped and scarfed driver of a nearnew BMW sports convertible was driving along the inside lane of the four-lane road. He suddenly turned his left blinker on, clearly indicating that he was to turn into a driveway which he was approaching. I signalled to move into the ‘fast’ lane to overtake him, whereupon he swung the steering wheel hard to the right to ease his turn, the left flasher still on, the man clearly holding the switch in position to stop the self-cancelling device from cutting out. I am sure no well-trained,
self-respecting chimpanzee would ever have attempted such a ridiculous manoeuvre, for fear of being kicked out of the show!
I was half into the near-vacant lane and had to brake to avoid the car, when a motorcyclist coming up astern swept past, crossed the ‘dotted’ centre-line for an instant and swept back again, continuing on his way, the while closely avoiding an un-laded semi-trailer which was coming the other way. The motorcycle rider was obviously very experienced, which was evident by the fact that he didn’t look back, shrug his shoulders or angrily blew the bike’s horn. I imagine he simply accepted the scenario as just another one of his daily ‘close shaves.’ But the trailer driver let loose with a deafening blast from the two, meter-long air horns which adorned the top of his cabin. He was rewarded for this indiscretion by receiving an arrogant road rage signal from the ageing imbecile in the BMW. I wanted to go back and have a quiet chat with the errant BMW driver, but my wife Lyn forbade me from doing so, pointing out that the trailer driver had pulled up anyway, apparently to have an enlightening conversation with the man himself, for he was even now trotting across the road to give the BMW driver the benefit of some much needed advice.
The second incident occurred in the parking lot of a nearby shopping centre, and only about a half-hour later. I had just parked the family Yaris, and alongside us was another narrow parking spot, which was clearly being approached by a car a level below us. The parking spot had also been spotted by the driver of a large Mercedes, who suddenly spurted violently along the parking lane, flashed his left blinker to indicate that he claimed the parking spot as his, then - just as the BMW driver had done so recently – he swung his steering wheel violently on fulllock to the right (his hand for a change wrapped round the normally selfcancelling blinker) then proceeded to slowly back into the confined space. It took him all of three attempts to do so,
his mouth agape, his head swivelling about from window to rear mirror, just like one of those gaping clowns in the local country showground, down whose open mouths one rolls a series of ping-pong balls, hoping to score some game-winning points: and, hopefully, to then be issued with a ten-cent, curlyhaired celluloid Kewpie doll affixed by a twinkling ribbon to a short, thin walking cane with a curved handle. That clown scored no points at all from the other car driver, who shook his head sadly and waited patiently for the bloke who had pinched his parking spot to finish buggerising about. It has always been beyond my limited grasp of consciousness to understand why any driver would back into a confined space when it would be easier to slot into a small parking space head-on and in one hit, which then leaves a great deal more room to back out into the much larger spaces outside the parking area. Perhaps that’s just the way I am, which would be no surprise, because a lot of other people seem to park arseabout like that.
If I had been a Magistrate and those two jackasses had been booked for the serious crime of Advanced Ridiculousness and arraigned to appear before me, I would have sentenced them both to a year’s riding of a 1947 Type-A Lambretta scooter – if anyone could find one, or a 1950 Douglas Vespa if they couldn’t. The former was an unsprung little device with seven-inch (7”) wheels, ultra-flexible handlebars and jam-tin sized brakes, the latter featured short-travel, undamped suspension, and an engine hanging out to the right-hand side some ten inches or more from the machine’s centre line. The most enhancing feature of these immediate post-war scooters was that they wouldn’t go, wouldn’t stop, and they both handled like country farm gates with loose, worn-out hinges. Please don’t ask me about their worst features! After about two or three weeks of riding either of those grim two-wheeled devices about, these two buffoons would have learned more about road
sense than they had learned in their entire lives while being ferreted about on four wheels, the while clearly avoiding accidents by the skill(s) of other road users.
And the third incident? I thought you’d never ask!
It was the worst of the lot, and it occurred just outside yet another narrow parking spot into which I had recently shoehorned the little Yaris. Lyn had at last made her purchases and we climbed into the car, fired it up and edged our way out of the spot, to turn broadside on before slotting into gear to drive happily away.
Suddenly we felt a fearful crunch, which turned out to be a large Prado SUV, whose inept owner had heartily backed the vehicle into us from a parking spot opposite where I had stopped. Lyn (very) forcefully told me to stay put (which is just as well!) and leapt out of the passenger’s seat to confront the woman who had so efficiently backed into us, earnestly writing off our rear bumper, dinging
the boot lid and plucking out the entire left-hand tail-light assembly. She also crunched over the shards of the light’s plastic lenses as an encore, and shoved us half a meter sideways as well!
“I suppose she didn’t see us?” I enquired pithily, and with no little sarcasm, to the closed window. I wound the window down as Lyn came back to the car to proffer the driver’s excuse/ explanation. “She says she didn’t see us,” she exclaimed. Why was I not surprised?
The Prado has two external rear vision mirrors fitted as standard ware, each of them about the size of tennis racquet heads, and one interior one the size of a business-letter envelope, so I venture to say that the dumbest nursing orangutan, perhaps even while battling with a pair of squalling babes, could easily have seen us, if the orange ape had deigned to glance for a second into either (or better still all three!) of those huge mirrors. To make the absurd even more so, I noted a small hole just above the Prado’s rear number
the
plate, which was capped by a small, clear dome: evidence, no doubt, of a reversing camera which should have been utilised along with the mirrors –allied to that essential look over a right shoulder - to be sure no-one lurked within any of the large vehicle’s rear blind-spots.
Clearly the driver had not looked into any of the safety features with which the over-sized vehicle was so cleverly endowed. Just as well we weren’t seated upon a two-wheeled vehicle, I suggested to her through tightly clenched teeth, otherwise we would assuredly have had a series of deeply-studded tyre marks etched forever all over what was left of us. Served her right, I say, that she had to pay a couple of thousand dollars to have our car effectively repaired; it would have been very much better for her than lurching about for twelve months being battered from pillar to post while fearfully riding a 70-year old, low-powered, illhandling two-wheeler I wish I had thought to mention that to her!
WHAT SAY YOU?
WELOVE 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. Then you can read many, not just a couple. We do reserve the right to cut them and, unless you identify yourself and at least your town or suburb and state, we will print your email address instead. Please address letters to thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity!
bag – without any animals in it!
About that bag: if you’re reading this and are interested in setting up or upgrading your luggage system, you owe it to yourself to check out Andy’s website www.andystrapz.com , where he has a lot of outstandingly clever touring accessories listed. PT
Iwas going to write that this month’s winner of the excellent and stylish (even if it won’t hold rain gear in the top flap) Andy Strapz AABagz made me eat crow – but then I thought that that’s probably animal cruelty too… my thanks to Izak for making all of us here more aware of how important our photos are, and I hope you get a lot of use out of your
DIRTY TIME FOR TIM
Thanks for the great dirt route pull-out in the latest issue (dirt roads around Bombala)! I have a road-biased Tiger 800 (all hail to the Hinckley God) that just loves well-formed dirt like that. Cheers, Tim Standen Worrigee NSW
LACK OF MORAL RECTITUDE Good afternoon , Bear. Yes; sad but true; I seem to have strayed from the path of righteousness. Again. There’s this new range road, see, between Moore and Blackbutt at the head of the Brisbane valley. Called, strangely enough, the Blackbutt Range. Quite an impressive engineering job, made necessary after the 2011 floods and it would pass muster with any racetrack anywhere. It’s wide, well banked, beautifully sealed and 3.5
THINK OF THE CRITTERS
Bear,
First I love your comments and articles in Australian Motorcyclist. I’m not a vegetarian but I’m an animal hugger. I do eat them (and sell them; I own a restaurant in Manly) but I would never mistreat them.
Last year my son Pieter and I rode through North Vietnam. We were appalled by the general treatment of animals, especially the live pigs squashed in cages and tied to the back
km long. That’s not bad for a Qld range. And some little safety-crat has earned all his KPIs at once by posting paradise at 60km/h ! If you thought the Beerwah Bends or Walli Esses were good you need to see this.
I was going down and giving the engineering all the respect it deserved, you know what I mean, when a Highway Patrol car went past going up. I reckon the driver will be seeing a chiropractor for a month, the way his head whipped around. But he was in a line of traffic and couldn’t do anything. I got out of there and then behaved impeccably all the way to the Coast. Came home sedately too, but was sorely tempted.
To other matters: Wyndham WA. Firstly there’s the Five Rivers Lookout; worth the trip on its own then when leaving town there’s a sign off to the right to a Prison Tree - about 30k, from memory. Another
of mopeds and raced through the crazy traffic of Hanoi, not to even mention your namesakes locked in cages and having bile extracted from them. So please don’t post photos of animals suffering.
If you print this letter I will donate $100 to World Protection of Animals on your behalf. Or I will donate it to any animal charity of your choice.
Izak Lesh
Manly NSW
Thank you for your letter, Izak, and for the thought – I agree with it, now that I’ve thought about it. You won’t see any more pictures like that in AMM unless we have a damn good reason. Thank you for your generosity, too; I’ve already had a note from World Protection of Animals that they’ve received your donation – The Bear
chapter in our glorious days of white settlement. If one continues inland from there you go onto the Karunje Stockroute. This will bring you out just west of El Questro, at the east bank of the Pentecost River. At one point you cross about 40km of dried mudflat/flood plain where if you had your speedos you could unleash your inner Rollie Free. One thing: There are a couple of rock bars which extend out from the land and it might be a good idea to have them pegged before you start. Having one loom up just as you’ve pulled top and assumed the position would probably do very little for the equanimity !
Cheers, Ross Halpin
SCOUTING FOR THAT BIKE
G’day Peter My oh my, that new Scout is a ripper
THIS MONTH’S BAGMAN
and just $18k straight out of the crate and on the road, wow!
Mind you I haven’t yet perused the accessories list... mmmm.
I’m not a cruiser kinda guy but this baby might just woo me to the fold. Would make a lovely contrast to the Vespa 964 and with the V7 and big DR chook chaser in between, might be all a man needs to keep amused for some considerable time.
Decisions, delicious decisions.
While I’m blabbering on, I didn’t know John Galvin but I did have fun in an Isetta, including turning it on its side while over-enthusiastically attempting a left turn. That front opening door came in real handy, much to the astonishment of an elderly female onlooker. I just tipped it up the right way, borrowed the lady’s broom to sweep away the headlamp glass and went merrily on my way. Which is a long winded way of asking what that bike and front end is in the pic that accompanied Lester’s article, and I don’t mean the Honda. Pardon me, I keep asking tricky questions about your pics.
Finally, big service stars to Andy of Strapz fame. His gear is great and his service is terrific. I’m a very satisfied repeat customer.
Latest issue? Spot on as usual, ta.
Trevor
Lester, what is that bike? – The Bear
SHOWTIME FUN
Hi, Stuart.
Great weekend in Bombala guys, thanks for sponsoring our show. Got some amazing photos if you need any... I missed meeting you fellas as I was looking after kids most the time, but thanks man, I think you may have saved our little show from ruin... I’ve been to every one, and that was the best one since Murray left... Thanks again...
Peter Niven Bombala
SHAKE IT UP THERE, FOLKS
Good Afternoon,
We wanted to touch base as The Big Ride 4 Parkinson’s is once again coming
up on 14- 15 March 2015.
This year the event will be once again see our riders depart Sydney Olympic Park and make the 360km journey to Parkes. The Big Ride 4 Parkinson’s is raising funds towards supporting our free Counselling service and 1800 InfoLine for people associated with Parkinson’s disease. This service is used by patients, carers and medical professionals as well as people with general enquiries. With media attention at a high recently with Billy Connolly and Robin Williams both having an early diagnosis it’s never been a more crucial time to discuss Parkinson’s disease as well as depression and anxiety which affects more than 50% of people with Parkinson’s.
Kind regards, Claire Tester
Parkinson’s NSW http://www.parkinsonsnsw.org.au/
ARE THEY WATCHING?
Hi Bear,
You may be interested in the attached photo which is supposed to be a new
Ride roads less travelled
www.adriaticmototours.com
style of hidden speed camera mounted in the guard rail on the road into Maryborough QLD.
Would be good if you could verify somehow.
Cheers Al
Hi Al, this is not a camera being used in Australia. It is a European camera and this “image” has been doing the rounds for the last two-three years. Hope this clears things up for you, mate. Cheers, Stuart
TECH FOR TIM,TOO – OR NOT?
Dear Bear,
I’ve been watching for some time the spread of new control technology into the rider’s world. Starting with switchable ABS, we now see adaptable headlights, traction control, electronic adjustable suspension and engine mode control, to both improve on-road performance for specific conditions, as well as the plain old fun-factor.
Now I see so called ‘augmented reality’ in at least one new helmet about to be released onto the market that integrates the ‘normal’ phone/music/ intercom/Bluetooth. For good measure add internet, GPS, a rear view camera and so on. Done correctly, some of these features offer great advantages in improving the rider’s situation awareness. A better understanding of what’s going on around you, particularly behind, is a good thing in my book. But is there a limit? Is there a point beyond which the quest for packing more and more ‘aids’ into/onto bikes and riders actually creates problems that were never foreseen by the designer?
Take the concept of a ‘Heads Up Display’ (aka HUD) in an aircraft. Now put that idea into a motorcycle helmet
by displaying the vision from a helmet mounted rear-view pin camera, via a ‘google glass-like’ device, into thin air in the lower right field of vision of the rider. Chuck in some voice prompted GPS directions with associated symbols on the display – how good is that?
But there is a downside, and that is distraction and fixation. Aircraft pilots using a HUD have been known to fixate on the data in their display, to the extent that they haven’t ‘seen’ an aircraft blocking the runway they’re about to land on. This ‘channelling of attention’ is a well-known risk. There is a lesson here for us as well.
For the rider, we should take a balanced view to technology of this type. Don’t think that a semi-transparent picture projected in the air in front of you, means you can concentrate simultaneously on that data, as well as properly process the ever-changing road you’re riding - at any speed. More information isn’t necessarily going to make us safer, but don’t use that as a reason to reject new technology out of hand. Selectively using additional information in an informed, self-disciplined manner is the answer, along with a good understanding of the possible pitfalls, such as channelling of attention and distraction.
Cheers, Tim Standen Worrigee NSW
Thank you for such a balanced overview of this potential problem, Tim. I would probably go further than you and say that we ought to reduce distractions while we’re riding to an absolute minimum. Yes, I quite often ride with a phone-linked intercom in my helmet, but I don’t use it much because I know it distracts me. And don’t get me started on the distractions car drivers have to cope with! – The Bear
ROB’S BEEN AROUND AGAIN
Hi Peter
Picked up my AM from the PO Box yesterday. Apart from Alice, I was interested to read about your pub of the month at Stuart Town. The town has some Crick history. My grandfather’s brother owned and ran the General Store
there for many decades. See attached photo.
Also, having stayed at the Post Office Hotel in Dungog recently, they might win the prize for hospitality in safe-
guarding one’s bike for the night! See attached photo.
I came back from that trip via Bylong Valley. I’ve been through there a few times. A very nice ride. I thought at the time it would make a good article. Then I had a feeling that I had read recently something on motorcycling and Bylong. So my questions are: have you
published recently on it? If not, would you like an article on it?
Robert Crick
Stirling ACT
Yes, Rob, we have run a story on the area and there is another one in preparation, partly because this is close to where the first of the Bear Army manoeuvres will be taking place – The Bear
BOILED BEAR
“Editor - in - Chief?????” (GROAN...............)
Russell Spry, Moruya, NSW
PIAGGIO
MV AGUSTA
www.mvagusta.com.au
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ISLAND EVOLUTION
IT’S BEEN A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP
I’ll never forget my first trip to Phillip Island for the MotoGP. If it wasn’t for a pair of huge, smelly, bearded men, I would be dead – a frost-blasted cadaver bobbing in Bass Strait.
Mick Doohan was busy winning his fifth world title and I was wedged between the warming bulk of Brother Silverback and Uncle Paint in the Bass Strait stand as a feral ice-gale lashed us from the bowels of Antarctica. I was wearing everything I had brought, including my helmet, in an effort to fend off death. And had I not been compacted between these two vast blokes and feeding off their body-heat like a tick between two bears, I would have surely died. This is no doubt how Vikings survived crossing the North Sea in their row-boats.
Anyway, I didn’t die, Mick won his fifth championship, and that night in Cowes, as madmen climbed the greasy flagpole outside the Isle of Wight pub, and lunatics did burnouts and wheelstands up and down the main street, I resolved to always return to this wondrous cauldron of motorcycling joy.
Thus I became a pilgrim of sorts. Twice a year, for both the MotoGP and WSBK, I would load up my bike, and with good men and true, make my way to the Holy Island.
As the years passed, things changed, as things tend to do. I changed. Not that much in terms of evil-eyed intent; more so in terms of my physical capacity to wreak harm upon myself with substance abuse.
But the biggest change was in the vibe on the Island.
The watershed that marked the passing of an era, where Cowes was a free-fire zone of revving engines and cheering crowds, was the year the locals (and it’s invariably the locals) took it to the next level. Car-loads of pissed-up teenagers would careen about the main street in cars, or stagger around throwing fire-crackers at people. Which was great, until someone lost an eye and some shop windows got smashed.
The following year, whatever Sturmbahnfuhrer was running VicPol decided to “crack down” on the heathen biker scum and flooded the Island with riot police, mounted police and large, angry police armed with long black batons of good behaviour. It had the required effect. Everyone bitched and moaned, but we all fell into line. Cowes became a pale and peaceful shadow of its earlier self.
But that calm was a double-edged sword for the town’s businesses. Crazy drunks tend to spend money, and when there are no crazy drunks around, money does not get spent. MotoGP and ASBK attendance figures were declining, and apart from the expected spike when Stoner and Bayliss ruled the track, have been heading south irrevocably.
This year was one of the lowest attendances on record. Fully half the usual weekend house rentals were vacant.
It’s going to get worse and this is why.
In response to dwindling crowds, efforts have been made to jazz up Cowes on Friday and Saturday night. A stage is erected at the bottom of the street and fourth-rate bands are employed to peddle their wares. The local restaurants and pubs fence off areas on the street and serve alcohol to the punters at hugely inflated prices. Clearly, their greed glands have been tickled, and they are carping the diem for all its worth.
The poor punters half-heartedly buy the $10 beers and $15 cans of mixer because they have been traumatised by the psychotic police harassment that now attends the MotoGP and the WSBK like their own doom. If you’re riding from interstate, as many do, VicPol will be up in your shit like priests at a boys’ camp. You will be booked for three kilometres over the limit. You will be lectured and questioned and your details recorded by cops who’ve been given carte blanche to practice social engineering the Third Reich would be proud of. As a NSW Highway Patrol officer said to me as we shared a petrol bowser in Holbrook on my return from this year’s MotoGP: “You’d think they (VicPol) don’t want people to go to the races.”
Which is the same conclusion my friends and I have come to, along with pretty much everyone we spoke to on the way down and on the way back. We will not go where we are not wanted. And we will not be pricegouged by greasy shopkeepers and harassed by deranged stormtroopers.
We will, however, continue to watch the best racers in the world on the best racetrack in the world (the track, not the rubbish facilities for the punters) ply their craft.
But we shall do it where we are welcome, our money is appreciated and where there’s a big screen TV.
Because I’m never riding to the MotoGP again.
FROM THE CAVE
I’mBEAR FACED
nowhere near as sensitive to Jack Frost’s caresses as Mrs Bear, who comes from Casino which often registers the highest summer temperature in NSW. There was one time the cold caught both of us, though.
We were living and working in London, and had just bought our first “big bike”, a near-new Suzuki GS750. To celebrate, we decided to have leathers made. My, and Mrs Bear’s, first sets of leathers were quite stylish with quilted leather padding (moulded protectors were unknown back then) and a smart design. They were lined in tartan material which made them look as if they were warm. We took them at their looks, and planned an Easter ride over to visit my relatives in Germany.
The first stage went… reasonably well. I’ll tell you some other time what happened when I tried to store Mrs Bear’s little Puch upstairs in our little flat.
We set out from Fulham and made it to Harwich and the Hamburg ferry without any further incident. Well, unless you count the horrified looks I got because my left glove kept dripping blood from the ring finger. See ’Puch’ above. The ferry ride was fine , and we stayed with my aunt in Hamburg for a couple of days.
The weather was beautiful with that clear, bright and cosily warm spring air that makes winter a dull memory. The green of the new lime tree foliage was almost fluorescent and the lawns were sprinkled with tiny but brilliantly white and yellow daisies. We were riding with leathers unzipped, it was so warm. Then we took off to my other relations further south, near Brunswick. We were riding along a tree lined back road, coming up on Luneburg, when it started to snow.
Within minutes the cold had penetrated our leathers. The tartan lining proved to be as warm as Gladwrap, or maybe not quite. As the snow began to build up on
my chest and helmet, not to mention my knuckles, I found myself dropped from the joys of a warm spring to the depths of a miserable winter. Inevitably Mrs Bear was even worse off than I was; after all, I had been born to this climate – she had been born to the highest daily temperatures in New South Wales…
The air temperature dropped and kept on dropping as the snow fell. We stopped at a small wooden hut that seemed to serve no purpose other than to let motorcyclists put on all the clothes they could fit under their leathers. We put on all the clothes we could fit under our leathers. This turned out not to be much, because the tailor-made leathers (especially Mrs Bear’s) were skin tight. We didn’t have much to put on anyway, but we tore up the plastic bags holding our clothes and other luggage, and inserted them inside the leathers to cut the wind.
I must admit that I seriously considered just staying in our comfy little wooden hut by the side of the road, even though it wasn’t all that comfy with the wind (did I mention that a wind had come up?) howling through the gaps in the board walls. Despite that it was an attractive venue to wait out the storm – except that it would probably last for a couple of days, and we were not equipped for a couple of days in a shed.
We didn’t know it at the time, but not only would the crappy weather last more than a week, but this was only the first time it would snow on us at Easter. The next year it did it too,
but by then we were in the south of Greece, and much better prepared. Anyway, there we were rolling down a German country road in the falling snow. Fortunately the ground was still warm enough so that the snow melted on contact; but that didn’t do us much good, except for eliminating the worry of ice patches. I could feel Mrs Bear shivering behind me even before I started doing the same thing, but before long we were both shakin’ the trip away. I don’t know if you’ve ever ridden in serious cold without appropriate clothing, but you go through stages: first you’re just cold, then unpleasantly cold. Just before you start to shiver, particular parts of your body feel as if the heat is actually being sucked from them. Then you start to shiver.
As the shivering gets stronger, you find that you’re locking certain parts of your body into position. You lock your neck in such a way that it seems warmest – or anyway the least cold. Your hands follow, clamped onto the throttle and the other handgrip. They’re followed by your knees and thighs, locked against the tank, and finally your back and hips follow. You effectively become a chunk of frozen meat in the shape of a more or less human being.
We did all that, Mrs Bear earlier and worse than I, and our stops to warm ourselves on the engine didn’t help much. Then, eventually, we got to my cousin’s place and were helped off the bike, and today this occasion makes a good story to tell.
I hope I never have to do it again, though…
Peter “The Bear” Thoeming
EXPERIENCE TELLS
G‛DAY , CHIEF! I DROPPED A SCREW INTO THE TANK OF MY MOPED, AND NOW IT WON‛T RUN. CAN YOU HELP ME?
BLAST! I DON‛T BELIEVE IT! I CAN‛T CATCH IT!! MAYBE FROM THIS SIDE.
NO PROBLEM. YOU CAN PICK IT UP AT LUNCHTIME.
THEY CAN PLAY AROUND ON THEIR COMPUTERS ALL DAY, BUT THE SIMPLEST MECHANICAL JOBS ARE BEYOND THEM. PATHETIC, REALLY, WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS A PIECE OF WIRE…
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