Some things feel right from the very first moment. The new F 800 R offers a dynamic design, outstanding ergonomics and its perfect seat height makes every situation controllable, even for smaller riders. It combines the best touring and all-round qualities. The powerful yet fuel-efficient parallel twin engine, the well-balanced chassis and the new upside-down front fork provide precise handling and complete control. Anytime. To find out more or book a test ride, visit bmwmotorrad.com.au
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
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine is published by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111 Phone 0412 220 680 or 0418 421 322
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what’s he blabbing on about now?
Remember a time when neighbours and people who were friends of friends would help you at the drop of a hat whenever you were in need? Well it seems that this type of help is slowly sliding down the slippery slope to extinction. However, at the recent Barry Sheene Festival of Speed racemeet at Sydney Motorsport Park, I found that the spirit of helping each other is still alive and well.
One of the reasons I got out of racing many years ago was the bitchiness of other competitors not happy that you were beating them, and generally the attitude from people in the paddock who didn’t even need to be there. When I talked to my mate Chris about racing bikes, and in particular Post Classics, the fi rst question I thought of was: what’s the feeling like in the paddock? Are people friendly? Do they help each other out if need be? He said yes, and I can testify to that after my experience at this year’s BSFoS.
My rear sprocket carrier bearing (only one meeting old!) collapsed, chewing a big chunk out of the side of my swingarm. I thought my weekend was over after only one race, but I hadn’t counted on some great folk – Brian, Simon and Brad. Without their help I would have been packed up and watching the racing from the sideline. And Isle of Man TT racer Alex Pickett, who needed to jump on my bike for the last Pre Modern F1 race, wouldn’t have got enough “ticks” to get his mountain licence for this year.
So I’d really like to recommend that you get in touch with Simon at Metropolitan Motorcycle Spares at Silverwater, NSW if you need any second hand parts, and Brad at B & C Motorcycles in Newcastle, NSW if you need repairs. I’m sure there are plenty of other great people like this around the country. Let us know who they are by sending us an email; we like to promote people who do good work.
And talking of good work, I’ve been chatting with Mark McVeigh at MotoDNA, who provides training courses for anyone from novice to full blown racer. Mark loves to see the improvements customers make to their skillsets, making them safer on the road and giving them more pleasure from their bike.
This is something I strongly urge you to consider – do a training course and make your riding more pleasurable; even top level racers get training to improve their skills even further. It will be some of the best money you’ll spend. Apart from MotoDNA, we also recommend the impressive services that Paul from Skillmaster provides. Check them out and you will see us there from time to time.
Cheers, Stuart.
DON’T LOOK NOW…
GRIZZLING
Now that I don’t have to write the editorial any more, I can spend my time on something funny instead. Well, I can try for funny, anyway…
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
One thing that has worked well for me over the years is simply asking you, the readers, what you think about stuff. I know that my attempt to compile the ultimate motorcyclist’s bucket list was well received, so I’m resurrecting it. Drop me a line and let me know your choice. To start the ball (or rather the bike) rolling, I’m putting together a story about the unknown and unexpected side of Route 66. There is no doubt that this is the road that comes to most motorcyclists’ minds first when they think about the ones they’d like to ride. I’m going to honour that, and believe me –even if you thought you knew everything about the “Mother Road”, there will be something here that you don’t know. With a bit of luck it will encourage some of you to bring your own bucket list roads into the open and let me know about them. I’d still like to someday produce a guide book to everyone’s Bucket List!
WHAT GOES ON IN VEGAS…
Where were you on March 20th and 21st? Like me you were probably not in Las Vegas, where “the largest and most significant collection of motorcycles ever auctioned at one time [sold] at ‘no reserve’, according to my old mate Mike
Hanlon in e-magazine Gizmag (you should subscribe, it’s a lot of fun).
Mike points out that “only 27 motorcycles have sold for more than $300,000 at auction,” but that the auctioneers putting the E. J. Cole Collection on the block expected that five of the bikes will sell for at least that much. At least one, the 1915 Steve McQueen Cyclone Board Track
Racer, was expected to make more than a million dollars.
Geez, Steve McQueen must have owned every bike in the US at one stage or another!
COME ALONG!
Here’s a reminder about that Bear’s Best of the West ride in August. Come on, I know the Aussie dollar is dropping faster than Tony Abbott’s popularity rating, but as a result there are some rally cheap flights to Los Angeles.
The tour is an adaptation of Great American Motorcycle Touring’s Best of the West, a 16 day tour with 14 riding days from LA to LA by way of some of the American West’s most spectacular – and my favourite - roads. Milestones along the way include well-known attractions like a stretch of Route 66, the Grand Canyon, Monument and Death Valleys and national parks like Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Zion and Sequoia. All linked by superb roads in weather that should be wonderful – although I obviously can’t guarantee that.
Cost is very reasonable, starting from $5,995. Price includes HarleyDavidson rental; you get a first and second choice of model. Other brands may be available at an additional cost of $40 per day. Mention my name when you book and you’ll get a discount of $300 per motorcycle.
The tour starts on the 15th of August and ends on the 30th. Absolute deadline for booking is the 15th of June, but I would obviously suggest you get in before that; the maximum number of participants is 20.
For more information and bookings, please email Skip at skip@gamct.com, and copy me in at thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming
Note that the Australian dollar is up there on the board – we’re obviously keen collectors.
is road trip heaven, a vacation like no other, historic, nostalgic and captivating
• Guided self drive/ride road trip along Historic Route 66
• Car or motorcycle hire with insurance
• All 8 Route 66 states - Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California
• Includes all accommodation, breakfast daily, tours, vehicle hire, tour cap and Route 66 specialist guide
• Includes Chicago city tour and welcome dinner
• Includes a 2.5 hour farewell Limo Tour in Las Vegas
• Includes an exclusive hot rod workshop tour & Harley-Davidson Museum
• Includes Route 66 Guide Book and a new Rand McNally road atlas, both yours to keep
• Includes the services of Australia’s most experienced Route 66 guide
• Enjoy 2 nights in Las Vegas Nevada, the entertainment capital of the world
Spring Tour: 16 April to 7 May 2015 Summer Tour: 4 to 24 July 2015 Fall Tour: 10 to 31 October 2015
*Upgrades to V8 GT Mustang, SS Camaro, Corvette Convertible or Dodge Challenger R/T available. Clubs, Groups, Singles, Couples, Families all welcome.
*Subject to change and conditions as per website.
BEYOND SIBERIA
Riding the Road of Bones
In May 2014 sixteen riders left London to embark on a Compass Expeditions - 105 day adventure to Magadan. Documentary filmmaker, Robin Newell joined Compass with the end result being a video called “Beyond Siberia – Riding the Road of Bones” which is soon to become a 2 x 1 hours TV mini-series. The initial teaser video can be viewed via Youtube - www.youtube. com/watch?v=YfT7pJP7hz4 Visit www.compassexpeditions.com to keep up to date.
RIDE DAYS – SMSP
Stay Upright gains control
Stay Upright is excited to announce its return to hosting motorcycle ride days, following its appointment as the
operator of Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) Ride Days, effective 1st September, 2015. Stay Upright’s General Manager, Graeme Wilshaw, is buoyant about the lead up to the September 1 commencement date and beyond. “We are really excited with our new role as operators of SMSP Ride Days. We already have a strong Rider Training program at the venue, and look forward to adding several new and exciting concepts to that portfolio in Sydney, starting in September,” said Wilshaw. Visit www.stayupright.com.au for all the new dates and contact the ARDC on 02 9672 1000 to book from Sept onwards.
TOUR AWAY
Aprilia Caponord Strada now available
The Aprilia Caponord Strada is the little brother of the Aprilia Caponord family offering many great features and provides a true performance alternative to the sports touring market. With a
recommended retail price of $20K ride away, this model looks like a hit and is now available in Black or Red.
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Barry Sheene Festival of Speed
We will have a full report on the 2015 Barry Sheene Festival of Speed in next month’s issue, but it was déjà vu all over again for Stuart. IomTT racer and friend, Alex Pickett needs a certain number of finished races to get approval for his Mountain Licence at this year’s TT. Unfortunately his Period 5 Unlimited Suzuki GSX1100 didn’t
finish due to mechanical issues so he jumped onto Stuart’s CBR900RR in Pre Modern F1 for the last race to get his final tick. The same thing happened last year at the BSFoS when Alex took over Stuart’s CBR for his final tick. Look for Alex racing for the Ice Valley BMW team and cheer him on at this year’s TT.
FORTY YEARS!
Has it really been that long?
To celebrate four decades of the unique and enduring appeal of the Honda Goldwing, Honda has released a 40th Anniversary model in Australia.
The special-edition Goldwing comes in two-tone paintwork with blacked out wheels, forks, swingarm and muffler plus the 40th Anniversary badging to mark this special release. Look for it in your local Honda dealer.
HAVE THE LEOPARDS CHANGED THEIR SHORTS? LET’S HAVE A LOOK…
WORDS STUART WOODBURY
PHOTOS JEFF CROW
BMW’s F 800 R and R 1200 R have been around for ever, really. But this year sees them changing from the “traditional” look to a more modern and muscular appeal. Underneath, both bikes are still pretty similar to the outgoing models.
F 800 R
Powering the F 800 R is still the super smooth parallel twin engine designed for BMW by Rotax, which has been in existence now since 2005. Ten years later it has more power at 66kW (up by 2.2kW). Torque is the same as previously at 86Nm, making this year’s model a very punchy package to ride. I have said in other tests of this particular motor that it feels like two engines in one and this is even more true with a bit extra power at the top end.
The biggest visual change for the F 800 R is the change from the wellknown asymmetrical headlight to a symmetrical version. Rather than its previous odd look, the bike now has a much more approachable look. It also
offers the kind of muscle we now expect in the world of naked motorcycles.
As well as the headlight, the air and radiator intake covers have also been redesigned for this year. They look purposeful and make a real difference to the bike, especially in the two colour versions.
A change to upside down forks is a nice upgrade, but the F 800 R still retains its nice light and easy to manage rideability. Attached to the forks are radial mounted Brembo calipers. Again, the F 800 R has good levels of power and feel, just like the outgoing model, but with some more feel under hard braking from higher speeds.
A new front and rear wheel design looks similar to the outgoing model’s, while the exhaust bracket has been given a more racy appeal.
A new seat height of 790 mm (instead of the previous 800 mm), combined with new a handlebar and rider foot pegs (10mm lower and 10mm further forward), creates even better ergonomics for you. I was very comfortable during
my time on the F 800 R, and there is even a low seat (770mm) and a taller “Comfort” seat which raises the seat height up to 820mm.
New for the F 800 R is ASC. BMW’s Automatic Stability Control (or traction control) is available in the optional accessory traction package, which also includes ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) and RDC (tyre pressure monitors). Two other packages are available for the F 800 R. One is the Dynamic package with LED rear light, engine spoiler and pillion seat cover; and the Touring package, which includes a centre stand, luggage grid, pannier fittings and 12V socket. Other accessories worth noting are the option for either hard or the “clamshell” type sport panniers, touring windshield, top box, tank bag and neat looking Akrapovic slip on muffler.
After a day on the new F 800 R I am impressed with the way it has retained its character, mainly due to the engine, but also been moved into the future as a great looking mid-sized naked that should have broad appeal.
R 1200 R
I remember putting up a photo of the new R 1200 R on our Facebook page and there were mixed comments about the change from the “traditional” round headlight, to the now, modern triangular LED light. I think it looks the business, giving the R 1200 R a fresh face to move forward into the future. Some will like it, some won’t. But I think those who don’t will just need time to get used to the change.
Three versions of the R 1200 R are available – Standard ($21,950), Sport ($22,350) and Exclusive Sport ($22,350). The differences are
that the Standard gets black front brake calipers, a black frame and a contrasting tank centre cover. The Sport has gold calipers, Racing Red frame, engine spoiler, small windscreen and a stainless steel tank centre cover. Meanwhile the Exclusive Sport has an even more classy appeal with gold calipers, metallic grey matt frame and a stainless steel tank centre cover.
Like almost all of the BMW boxer range, the R 1200 R gets the watercooled 1200 boxer. It is fitted with the heavier crank of the R 1200 GSA. Performance is strong in any gear and in any of the riding modes, which
Stuart is wearing a Shark Race R Pro Carbon helmet, BMW Venting jacket, Held Backflip gloves, Draggin jeans and Alpinestar Supertech R boots.
include Rain, Road, Dynamic and now a “User” mode. The great thing about the User mode is that you can set up the specific power mode you like, along with the specific traction control setting you like. So if you like the Dynamic power mode but want more traction control, program it in and enjoy!
A major change is the move from the Telelever front suspension, to a
BIKE LAUNCH
traditional upside down twin fork setup. Fitted with Dynamic ESA as standard I found that the USD forks felt better on turn in, with a little bit less muscle required to punch the bike into a corner. Again, some will like it, some won’t. But once you’ve ridden it, you will love it.
A very cool, new instrument panel is fitted to the R 1200 R. It features three different types of interface: Style 0, which has a small bar tacho, Style 1, which has a larger bar tacho and Style 2, which displays a large digital speed reading.
To round off the coolness, the R 1200 R now gets keyless technology. You have the fob which you can put safely in your pocket and all you need to do is press the ignition button to turn the bike on, then press the starter as normal to fire it up. And, when it comes time to fill up with fuel, all you need to do is press the ignition button to turn the bike off, then within a certain time flip the fuel cap flap up, which opens the fuel cap for filling – I love it!
As a bike that can suit any sized rider, BMW has four different seat height options available. Standard is 790mm, then you can get a 760mm low seat, 820mm high seat, or the 840mm Sport seat. The pillion in a million hasn’t been left out either, with a comfort seat available.
Unlike the F 800 R, the R 1200 R is already optioned up off the showroom floor. You get Dynamic ESA and the Comfort and Dynamic packages standard. Optional accessories are the keyless ride, the wondrous gear shift pro – which allows clutchless up and down shifting - and a Touring package for $600, which gives you an On Board Computer Pro, prep for GPS, centre stand, luggage grid and pannier fasteners. Of course there are stacks of other genuine accessories available like panniers, top box, tank bag, windscreen, exhaust, fog lights, engine bars and all sorts of goodies.
The new R 1200 R is a muscular naked bike that is jam packed with technology. One that you can do just about anything with. A previously highly underrated machine now has the modern look to match its greatness.
COLOURS: Cordoba Blue, Light White (Sport),Thunder Grey Metallic Matt (Exclusive Sport)
VERDICT: MODERN MUSCLE
THE BAVARIANS GO BACK TO THE FRONT WORDS STUART WOODBURY PHOTOS JEFF CROW
“CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT CRUISE CONTROL IS STANDARD ON WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A RACE BIKE WITH LIGHTS AND A NUMBER PLATE!”
Stuart is wearing a Shark Race R Pro Carbon helmet, Berik Factor CE suit, Forcefield Blade back protector, Held Chikara gloves and Alpinestars Supertech R boots.
Fiveyears ago, the motorcycling world was amazed by the arrival of the S 1000 RR. Not only because it wasn’t a BMW “thing” (how easy it is to forget great BMW performance bikes of the past), but because no one had ridden a mass production motorcycle this fast, or so technically advanced. Roll on to 2015 and BMW has done it again. Coming up with such a blindingly fast litre bike that it has again taken top dog status, the position that Yamaha held for just a few weeks with the new R1 and R1M.
Sepp Mechler from BMW Motorrad Germany is the man responsible for the S 1000 RR. I met him at the Australian introduction of the bike back in 2010 and he came to Australia again for the 2015 launch. It was great
to hear him talk about the features of this new model, but he also talked about the sales of one litre sportsbikes and how much market share BMW has managed to capture. Worldwide, around 44,000 one litre sportsbikes are sold a year, and the BMW S 1000 RR holds a 22% market share.
Even though BMW is calling the 2015 S 1000 RR a totally new bike, the design has started with the base package of the previous model. Mostly the frame has been left alone, except for the rear part near your legs which now offers different flexibility for more rear traction. It certainly has that.
The engine has been reworked internally to be more efficient and obviously to produce more power throughout the rev range. The most
visually different part of the engine package is the new exhaust, which sheds 3kg from the total weight of the bike. The extra kilo of weight loss (4kg lighter than the outgoing model) comes from the battery.
BMW guarantees a minimum 146kW of power, and Sepp said while 146kW is the least amount of power you can expect, there is up to a 3.7kW difference between engines. So that is a staggering potential of 152kW from a standard S 1000 RR. But don’t get yourselves in a knot if you only get the 146kW minimum. Let me tell you, this is more power than just about anyone will need, unless you’re a top class racer. Ah, but then you have the option of buying a race engine from BMW, too. A Superstock race spec 205 rear wheel hp (152.8kW) engine will set you back 8000 Euros. If you want the massive Superbike spec 215rwhp (160kW) engine, it will cost you 20,000 Euros.
Not only has top end power been increased but the S 1000 RR has been given 10% more torque in the 5-8500rpm area. This is especially useful when
exiting some tighter corners on the track, where the previous model had to be held high in the rev range for a fast exit.
Electronics play a huge part in making the S 1000 RR an “accessible” bike for the masses. You still get Rain, Sport, Race and Slick modes, but you now also get a configurable “User” mode.
Rain mode now has 138kW of power with a super smooth power/torque curve. Traction control settings are high for excellent stability in wet conditions. Sport, Race and Slick modes all get full power, just with different traction control settings. In Slick mode you can start to play with the traction control settings on the fly; +7 to -7 are the parameters you have to work within. I started off in 0, but it was a little too interactive. I worked my way down to -4, which allowed quite a bit of rear wheel slip, but as a general rule for most riders, I think -2 will be perfect. At -2 you have a bit of lean angle sensor interaction, meaning that your drive off the corner is slightly limited to maintain traction and keep you moving forward as rapidly as possible.
User mode is new for the S 1000 RR. This allows you to set two possible throttle characteristic curves (Race or Slick) for varying engine braking characteristics. I preferred the Race mode setting which gives just a little more engine braking. User mode also allows you to compile an individual set of control characteristics for the Race ABS, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and electronically controlled Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) suspension from a range of predefined settings, and thereby configure your own personal riding mode. As in “Slick” mode, the DTC traction control can be individually adjusted while on the move in seven +/- steps.
Launch control is again fitted to the RR. Unless you’re racing, it is not something you’ll really use. But if you do, you get three starts within a certain Sepp and his “baby”
BIKE LAUNC
parameter, so that you don’t stuff the clutch! BMW has also fitted a pitlane speed limiter. Activated while in 1st gear and pressing the starter button, once you get to the set speed limit, it is one of the most delightful sounds you’ll hear and makes you feel like a proper racer. On the street, it would be a great way of keeping to the speed limit through school zones and would allow you to concentrate on watching the road, instead of staring at the speedo the entire time.
The instrument cluster has been based on that from the HP4, but with a more race orientated focus. Besides the “normal” features (which are extensive on a BMW) you can also check lap times, maximum bank lean angles from left and right and an array of other things.
Quickshift Pro, available on the R 1200 RT and R, comes standard. This allows clutchless up and down gearshifts. The system fitted to the RR is obviously more race orientated with larger blips of the throttle on downchange. You can also quickly and easily change the shift pattern to the up one, down 5 race pattern. I had this set on all of the bikes I rode during the launch at Phillip Island, as it allows you to change up while still cranked over quite far on the tyre – ultimately producing a faster lap time (for those who care about that sort of thing).
Electronic suspension (as fitted to the HP4) is part of the Dynamic $1050 package available from BMW. It also includes heated grips (yes, they are worth having on all bikes) and you get white LED indicators. The DDC –Dynamic Damping Control - offers a huge number of settings so you can get the RR perfectly set up to your liking. Can you believe that cruise control is standard on what is essentially a race bike with lights and a number plate!
A great feature for those who like to cover big distance on a sports bike, but I can just imagine someone like an Isle of Man TT racer setting the cruise at 300+km/h and taking a drink along one of the long straights!
All of the bikes on the launch had DDC fitted and on the standard settings
I loved how precise and direct turn in and mid corner stability were in the front end. For someone my weight, the rear needed a touch more preload and rebound. Actually I was talking to ex-world endurance champion Steve Martin who said that raising the rear 10mm would make it even better again, and he should know, as he was a BMW test rider for the previous S 1000 RR and World Superbike Team projects.
Braking is the aspect of the RR that took me the longest to get used to. I don’t know of any other sportsbike that offers so much initial bite and overall power. This allows you to brake later than you would think possible. Shooting down the front straight at Phillip Island into turn one while braking as late as possible takes some kahunas and is something you don’t want to mess up. I eventually got used to the brakes. It is just eye popping how late you can brake on this weapon of a motorcycle.
Styling is another change to the RR. Sepp Mechler said that he wanted to make a new statement, while retaining that “BMW” look. The asymmetrical headlights have been swapped around and reshaped. The screen is shorter around the front air intake and both sides have been re-sculpted with the wonderful “shark gills” on the right hand side.
The BMW range of accessories for the RR are extensive, both bike and rider can be decked out with bling and functional improvements. I rode a bike with the taller Comfort seat and higher double bubble screen. Even a tall 195cm bloke like me is able to move around and, with the taller screen, able to tuck under for a better top speed down the straight. You can also get a set of HP forged alloy wheels, which contain a bit of magnesium for ultra-light weight. These give better performance and handling all round. Top dog just took a short holiday from his throne, but he’s back and I don’t see anyone else taking his seat away from him for a while. The new 2015 BMW S 1000 RR is the best and fastest litre sportsbike you can buy – that’s all that needs to be said.
SPECS
BMW S 1000 RR
PRICE: $22,990 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
COLOURS: Black Storm Metallic, BMW Motorsport, Racing Red/Light White
VERDICT: FASTER THAN THE FASTEST
SUZUKI V-STROM 650XT
1. Puckapunyal
Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial & Army Tank Museum
Hopkins Barracks, Puckapunyal Military Area, VIC 3662 03 5735 7285
www.armytankmuseum.com.au
Open: Tues to Fri 10am to 5pm. Last weekend of each month and VIC public holiday weekends (Saturday – Monday) 10am to 4pm. VIC school holidays commencing on the first Sunday 10am to 4pm. Closed: 22 December to 1st January inclusive and ANZAC Day.
About 10km off the Hume Freeway, the museum is (forgive the implied sexism) a bloke’s techy paradise. It’s not so much about war as about fascinating war machines, including representation from Russia.
4. Rutherglen
Tourist information: 57 Main Street, 1800 622 871 or 02 6033 6300, www.rutherglenvic.com
Rutherglen is all about wine, but it has a couple of nice pubs as well, including the Victoria. There are lots of vineyards in the area, including Gehrig Estate, Victoria’s oldest continually operating vineyard and Bullers Calliope Vineyard has an interesting bird park.
Just off the Hume Freeway on a tourist loop, Glenrowan is dominated in every way by Ned Kelly. Rather kitschy museums and walks are all over the place. There is even a Big Ned looking ready to stand off the traps again with his armour and his rifle. Wine and other local produce is available; relatively expensive coffee shops abound. Consider a loop through the Warby Ranges, where you have the option of tar or good, graded dirt.
3. Chiltern
Tourist information: 30 Main Street, 03 5726 1611. The road through Chiltern makes a nice shortcut up to the Murray and to Rutherglen. The town itself is very pretty in a Colonial way with some nice things to look at including (little) museums like Stephen’s Motor Museum. There is a good café, but only 91 fuel is available, and the petrol station only takes cash.
5. Howlong
A small town just on the NSW side of the Murray, Howlong offers the usual services including the pretty Court House Hotel and a caravan park recommended by one of our readers. Ride right down to the Murray and step into the water across the border – it runs on the southern edge of the main stream.
8. Young
Tourist information: 2 Short Street, 1800 628 233 or 02 6382 3394, www.young.nsw.gov.au
It’s more than just cherries! There are other stone fruit orchards around Young, and wine and gourmet food are also produced in the area. There is a good restaurant on the corner of Lovell Street and the Olympic Highway called Café de (sic) Jour; John “The Ghost” Miller and I ate there one night and were impressed. While I’m on the subject, this is where I joined the Olympic Highway to continue north.
6. Lockhart
Tourist information: 65 Green Street, 02 6920 5305, www.lockhartshiretourism.com.au
There’s far too much in Bathurst for me to describe here; let’s just go with Mount Panorama – you can ride The Mountain because the racetrack becomes an ordinary road when it’s not being used for fire-breathing machinery – and the National Motor Racing Museum on Murray’s Corner. The museum has a lot of motorcycle racing displays and is open every day from 9am to 4.30pm except for Christmas Day and some other holidays. Call 02 6332 1872 or see https://nmrm.com.au for more information.
The first thing I really noticed about Lockhart was that it doesn’t have much “drop”. Steve Johnson, who was standing under the veranda of the Commercial Hotel (02 6920 5109) sheltering from a staggering thunderstorm, told me about this. “Ah, hello Bear,” he said, “this is nothing compared to the floods we’ve had with three feet of water through the shops. The land is flat, so there is no ‘drop’ to let the water run off.” He was right, too. I wasn’t going any further in the bucketing rain so I checked into the pleasant and affordable Lockhart Motel (02 6920 5357) after discovering that the pub was being refurbished. Lockhart is known as the “veranda town”, which is very useful in the rain. Just outside town to the east there are a couple of huge and kind of touching corrugated iron statues – a kangaroo with a joey and an emu. Take them as a warning for motorcyclists!
This is a good keen town, here. They even managed to snaffle Don Bradman’s first home from Cootamundra! The slab cottage is now in the grounds of the interesting Rural Museum which is open from 1.30 to 5pm on Sundays and public holidays and from 2 to 5pm the rest of the time. My favourite place is the Aviation Museum (wwwaviationmuseum. com.au) which has all kinds of aircraft, mainly if not all military, and keeps them flying. It’s at the airport in Menzies Street and is closed Monday and Tuesday; 02 6977 1088.
9. Cowra
Tourist information: Olympic Park, Mid Western Highway, 02 6342 4333, www.cowratourism.com.au
Probably still best known for the Cowra Breakout, the suicidal break by Japanese prisoners of war, Cowra is now very much at peace with Japan and has the beautiful Japanese Garden off Binni Creek Road to prove it. Well worth a visit, along with the war, rail and rural museums all in one complex on Sydney Road. In fact, Cowra has a lot to offer including wineries, other museums and even the World Peace Bell, awarded to Cowra in recognition of the town’s efforts for peace. I usually stop at the café next to the tourist office, park the bike in the shade and have a coffee on the veranda.
Ihavea standing offer to any of the motorcycle distributors: when you want a bike moved between Sydney and Melbourne, or possibly even Sydney and Brisbane, I’ll happily ride it for you. All you need to do is fly me the other leg of the trip.
Why do I do this? Because it’s fun. The thought of getting out there on a bike for a couple of days (I don’t hurry) and just taking whatever road interests me is really liberating. I’ve had some of my most enjoyable journeys on these delivery trips, and I invariably manage to find a road I haven’t ridden or, at the very least, a road I haven’t ridden under the same circumstances. It’s very different taking the Snowy Mountains Highway in summer or winter, believe me!
I can also find out things about the towns I pass through, and pass them on to you. On this trip I discovered a couple of huge corrugated iron statues just near Lockhart; weird but quite appealing in a… corrugated kind of way. Congratulations to whoever put them up; stop and take a look as you ride past. Hang on. Can you stop as you ride past? Maybe stop if you ride past… no… But never mind. I took an early flight down to Tullamarine, although I was tempted to check out the Jetstar service to Avalon – Suzuki Australia, who were the people with the bike that needed moving, are almost halfway between the two airports at Laverton North. At the last minute I decided against it, though… the thought of getting off the plane and having to hitchhike the 50km didn’t really work for me.
Suzuki’s Lewis had the bike ready for me – the new V-Strom 650 XT, and after a quick cup of coffee I took off. I was also equipped with a Suzuki tour bag for me to test, which proved to be just what I needed on the trip. You’ll read about its convenience and waterproof qualities in Used and Reviewed soon.
1. What’s behind the brown door? A pretty good café in Chiltern.
2. Don’t count on getting 95 everywhere; sometimes it’s 91 or nothing.
A quick stop at Iron Head Customs in nearby Hoppers Crossing – Alistair is working on my Sportster for me – and I hit the freeway north. I wanted to get a bit of distance under my wheels before lunch, and anyway it’s messy getting out of Melbourne to Puckapunyal, my first stop, any other way.
I just ducked in to have a quick look at the Tank Museum, because I hadn’t seen it for a long time. Nothing much outside has changed that I could see, which is fine with me. Inside displays look refreshed, which is good too. This is a wonderful museum if you’re interested in highly unusual vehicles; they’ve even swapped one of their Australian tanks with an overseas museum for a Russian job!
The Wee Strom handles the freeway with just as much aplomb as it deals with back roads, easy and stable. The wire wheels have made handling more nimble without reducing stability. I finally left the freeway at Chiltern, filled up with 91 which was all the servo offered, and then headed north. Lunch at Rutherglen - I won’t tell you where, because I didn’t think it was very good, as well as being overpriced, and I hate to bad-mouth businesses*. Maybe they’ll have better food another day – but not for me. A carton of milk from the pleasant everything-shop (newsagent, milk bar, grocer…) in Howlong filled me up where lunch hadn’t. I like riding the bridges between Victoria and New South Wales, and it’s nice that you can get down to the Murray and even camp there.
“Yeah, there’s a bit of weather forming in the west,” said the bloke in the shop. “Shouldn’t be a worry if you’re going north.” A good thing, because I was looking at tackling a few dirt roads on the long, flat stretch between the river
3. The hardwood forests south of the Murray are regenerating after much felling.
4. Lockhart isn’t called the “veranda town” for nothing.
5. Lockhart’s seven metre high emu; wouldn’t want this one jumping out in front of you!
and Temora, where I’d planned to spend the night. Actually I was beginning to think that I might not make Temora with the time running on, but that was okay. There would be somewhere else to stay along the way.
There was certainly no shortage of gravel back roads along the way, although I suffered for the lack of detailed maps – twice I ended up in a dead end as the road, err, dead ended at a property. Never mind, no hurry. Although maybe there was a bit of a hurry after all – that weather in the west was now heading for the north, and there was quite a bit of it. Clouds that began as white cumulus started to shade into darker and darker hues before letting down those straight, slightly angled lines that say “rain”, and plenty of it. I donned my old twopiece Harley-Davidson wet weather suit,
somewhat the worse for wear with a hole burnt in it by an exhaust but still one of the best rain suits I’ve ever owned.
You know, once upon a time I navigated this area entirely by the weather, on my way south from Sydney. There were thunderstorms all over the place and when I seemed to be headed towards one I’d take the next turnoff in a different direction – it worked, although my track would have looked like that of some kind of seriously deranged rabbit. I got to the Murray dry - eventually!
Things didn’t look quite so accommodating this time. I was coming up on Lockhart, and the rain which by now was looking pretty substantial was nearly all the way around me. Throttle to the stop – and I almost made the town before it started to pour. And pour it did. I later found out that Lockhart had had
more than an inch of rain in less than an hour… I rode around like a fool through the thunderstorm looking for the motel which, it turned out some time later, I had passed as I came into town, and was fortunately waved over to park under the pub’s awning. Almost the first person I saw was Steve Johnson, who sometimes works with Johann at OzTrikes. We had a couple of beers. After a light dinner I rode off through the flooded streets to the motel, checked in – the storm had blown their computer, so that was manual –and sat reading outside my room for a while before I went to bed.
Breakfast in town in the morning and then I was back on the road. I stuck to the tar for quite a while; the idea of coping with dirt that had had an inch of rain dumped on it didn’t appeal. That’s how I saw those amazing statues – see
photos. I have to write a few words about the V-Strom’s tyres at this point. The Bridgestone Trailwing radials coped beautifully with dry concrete on the freeway; wet and dry tar of varying quality; and (mostly) dry gravel. Oh, and some sticky mud on the way down to the Big River. A good OEM choice by Suzuki.
A short stop in Temora to check out the aircraft museum, and then I just bumbled along to Young and Cowra. It didn’t seem to matter much that I was now on the Olympic Highway; the traffic was still pretty thin and anyway, the V-Strom offered plenty of grunt for overtaking. Oops, that was a mobile speed camera – well, I probably wasn’t speeding… the mailman will tell.
I like the Mid Western Highway from Cowra to Bathurst a lot; the scenery is pleasant and in season you can see vast fields of purple where the Patterson’s Curse (or Salvation Jane) covers the paddocks.
I stopped for a while in Bathurst to say hello to a mate and then it was the highway to Lithgow and Bells Line of Road to the Sydney plain – which welcomed me with another sharp but not so short shower as I came down Bellbird Hill. I was dry by the time I got home, except for my gloves. A wonderful couple of days, and top marks for the V-Strom 650XT as a tourer. What would I change on the bike? Nothing, I think – although an AirHawk for the seat would form part of my touring equipment if I was heading out for more than a day. Stuart took the XT out in the dirt for a day to see what difference the new wire wheels made. See his breakout at the end of the story.
And that touring bag of Suzuki’s was a winner too – easy to fit to the bike, and not a drop of water in it despite that thunderstorm in Lockhart and the rain on the plain.
Stuart on the Strom
So,
The Bear had his leisurely cruise back from Melbourne on the new XT, but what are the differences over the previous V-Strom 650? Visually there is the new beak and for protection you get handguards and engine bars –even though the bars are different from the ones you could get for the 2014 model. There is a plastic sump shroud and of course the main difference are the new wire wheels.
The way in which the new wheels change the Strom is just like having a totally different model – I guess that’s the point! Handling is light, turn in has much more feel in the front and acceleration is much stronger now, too.
I did take the new XT out into the dirt for a day to really test out how much toughness the Strom can handle. I took it on the same route as the V-Strom 1000 we tested with knobby tyres back in issue #20, even though the XT was fitted with the very road biased Bridgestones. On well-maintained dirt and at under 80km/h the tyres were okay, go any faster and they slipped about a bit too much - an easy fix with a set of knobbies. The track I rode has been potholed a bit more than the last time I’d been through there by a lot of rain. The wire wheels handled some swift pace very well, whereas a set of cast wheels would probably be bent. I was also very impressed at how light the XT felt through some difficult terrain for a relatively big bike.
Gums shed their bark along the roads, and gleam bronze in the sun.
If I was to be riding the XT off-road through tough terrain quite often I’d certainly do three things: Knobby tyres, alloy (instead of plastic) bash plate and pivot pegs and have a blast! The XT would be a bike to see all parts of our big brown land quite comfortably. SW
You thought we’d seen some sights already? Well, our wet start to day 4 – Te Anau to Milford Sound for our boat cruise - was to test many of us, as Mother Nature unleashed her fury, but it was also more spectacular than ever. DAY 4 - TE
ANAU TO MILFORD SOUND AND RETURN 240KM
A relatively short ride today, as we set off for the west coast. It was raining
from the outset and we got reports of snow at Homer Tunnel, the high point on our way to Milford Sound.
The road out to Milford Sound is simply stunning. Huge mountains line the road, with just about all of them snow-capped. Ambient temperature was very low. Initially it averaged five to six degrees but on the climb up towards Homer Tunnel, this quickly dropped to zero and even -1degrees.
I waited for the group at the entrance
to Homer Tunnel and went for a walk in the snow that was falling thickly. Stories of how the tunnel was chopped out by pick axe and wheelbarrow make it all the more impressive to ride through – although there are some modern enhancements along the way, like the lights.
At the tunnel entrances, especially on the western side, there was a lot of snow and ice on the roadway. I shot off and rode off through the tunnel ahead of the
group, who hadn’t turned up yet. The workers scraping the road hadn’t got to the other side, which made for some exciting sideways action. Of course I had turned the traction control off on the F 800 GS, but that was the plan.
Our boat cruise out to the heads and back through Milford Sound was wonderful. Thanks to the rain, lots of long waterfalls were cascading down the sides of the huge mountains around the water. We went with
Mitre Peak Cruises
who were excellent. They got right in close to some of the larger waterfalls, which saturated the boat and those standing outside the cabin. I was reminded of my trip on the Pieman River in Tassie; the water of Milford Sound and almost out to the heads is changed to a tea brown colour by the tannins from the trees in the rainforest.
Just before we set off for the ride back to Te Anau, a coach driver told me that the road up to Homer Tunnel had turned even worse than when I’d come through earlier. A couple of the guys had lost confidence on their way into Milford Sound, which had left two bikes deep in the snow area. Andre (one of our tour guides) and I went up to retrieve the bikes and rode them out to the other side of the tunnel. They’d been covered by about10cm of snow, so I rolled up some snowballs and threw them at Trevor (the other tour guide) and some of the group in the support van. A bit of fun in the freezing cold! One thing we did get to see up close for the first time was Kea birds. Andre and Trevor had told us stories of how they love to eat windscreen wipers on cars, motorcycle seats, tyres and just about anything else soft on vehicles. Of course, most of us just thought these were old wives tales, but that changed once we’d got to Arthur’s Pass!
DAY 5 - TE ANAU TO QUEENSTOWN 180KM
A short ride today, but a simply stunning one over to Queenstown. Starting off you are surrounded by snow-covered mountain peaks, then as you get closer to Queenstown, around 40km, you reach Lake Wakatipu, which you follow all the way around to Queenstown. An amazing fact about the lake is that is rises and falls around 12cm every five minutes. Scientific research suggests it is due to fluctuating atmospheric pressure, while legend states that a Giant’s heart, which is impossible to destroy, causes
1. Stoneridge Winery, just outside Queenstown
the rise and fall. One of the most amazing sights of this stretch is The Remarkables, mountains which line the Frankton side from Queenstown.
I was riding along in the middle of the group today and I thought, “What an amazing sight! Seeing so many motorcycles snake along this road past The Remarkables is a sight to see all by itself.”
Throughout the trip so far, the mass of bikes had drawn its own crowd. Paradise Motorcycle Tours certainly put a stamp on the South Island with this tour, let me tell you!
One of the main reasons to get to Queenstown was so that we could have a full day and a half to explore and enjoy. Most of the group decided to do the Shotover jet boat ride on the afternoon of our arrival. An absolute awesome activity, zooming past rock walls at only a handful of centimetres is something you have to experience. Well worth the $129 per person. Check out www.shotoverjet.com
Eating out in Queenstown caters for all the extraordinary tastes you might have. On our first night we went to the iconic Winnies Gourmet Pizza Bar, the second night we all looked after ourselves, but Andre, Trevor, Alan and I went to Pog Mahone’s Irish bar down by the waterfront for a great hearty feed and pints of beer. I also recommend Botswanna Butchery who offer an exquisite menu, the Skyline Restaurant up on Bob’s Peak (voted number one restaurant with a view in the world), and for lunch, the world famous
Fergburger is nice if you get in before the queue gets too long.
DAY 6 - FREE DAY
A free day in Queenstown can involve all sorts of fun, but we’re here on a bike tour and Queenstown is surrounded by some of the best roads you’ll find. A group of us who wanted to have a bit of a fang decided to ride Queenstown to Glenorchy, back to Queenstown, then to my favourite road - the Crown Range Road, where we went to Cardrona and the old pub for lunch. After many stories of how amazing the ride and roads had been, with a couple of the guys mentioning that today’s ride has been the most spectacular of their life, we rode back down the Crown Range Road to our accommodation at the Oak Shores, Queenstown. An excellent way to add that little bit more spice to the tour for those wanting a bit of road enjoyment, not just the visual assault from everything there is to see while in Queenstown.
DAY 7 - QUEENSTOWN TO FRANZ JOSEF 352KM
One of the best days for the group. We went up the Crown Range to Cardrona and everyone had a blast climbing the stretch up the side of the range, over and along to Cardrona.
From there we made our way over to Wanaka, alongside Lake Hawea on the right, which then changes over a rise to Lake Wanaka on your left – a simply stunning ride with clear blue water. Once you get past the lakes, you enter Mount Aspiring National Park. Basically
a rainforest with a road through it! The Gates of Haast are certainly worth a stop along the way for a walk to right down beside the fast flowing clear blue river, or just to take some pics from the roadway back up to the high peaks above.
We were to take helicopter rides over the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers upon our arrival, but as is a usual occurrence in this area, the clouds came in and made the flights unsafe.
Our night at Franz Josef was spent at the King Tiger restaurant. We ate great food, drank plenty of wine and most of the group talked all night long. Our own, “King Tiger”, Pete decided to commandeer a scooter that was in the carpark. It was the most “powerful” two wheeled machine he’d ever ridden. He even asked where the clutch and gear lever were, not realising it was a CVT setup. This of course turned everyone into a barrel of laughs.
Even though the weather had started to close in again, this didn’t dampen our spirits to have a great time!
DAY 8 - FRANZ JOSEF TO PUNAKAIKI 215KM
Extremely heavy rain confronted us today. But we all took it in our strides (so to speak) and rode like troopers on a mission. When the group stopped for a break I continued on, filling up at Greymouth and taking the lovely coastal road to Punakaiki. Unfortunately I had a bit of misfortune with a rail line across a bridge at Taramakau River. As I was
2. Queenstown – The Remarkables
crossing the bridge (a one way bridge, and I had the right of way) a car came onto the bridge from the other end (admittedly it was pretty hard to see who was on the bridge until the last minute, especially in the pouring rain), leaving me to try and get over to the side for both of us to pass. Either that or he or I would have had to turn around somehow. My misfortune was that the cutaway around the rail line was just wide enough to swallow and lock the front tyre of the F 800 GS, throwing me clean over the handlebar as the bike stopped dead and both of us then spun around onto the ground.
Not a great feeling and the guy coming the other way was really non-compos about what had happened in front of him, especially when I asked him why he had come onto the bridge when I was there. I bet you can guess the answer... “I didn’t see you, bro.” This bloke did ask if I was okay and as much as I was quite angry, I was okay. I picked the bike up and
continued on to Greymouth, filled up and rode on to the Punakaiki Resort.
A while after I got into my room (overlooking the beach) and started to dry out, the rest of the group started to arrive, just in time for some of the heaviest downpours of rain we’d had. I was certainly glad I was inside getting warm!
We took the short trip to the Punakaiki Pub from our accommodation for some good pub grub. The money “stuck to the roof” is a bit of a trick by the bar staff, so if you want to lose some money, try them out. I won’t spoil it for you, visit there one day and see for yourself. Fiona who was her husband, Mike’s pillion in a million, used to be a leading opera singer and she sang two songs after our dinner. The amazing tunes stopped the entire pub with rasps of clapping and cheering after she’d finished.
DAY 9 – PUNAKAIKI TO CHRISTCHURCH 290KM
The final day; we were all sad to see this amazing trip coming to an end. We also thought this was a bit of a transport day to whip us over to Hampton Motorcycles in Christchurch to finish the tour, but were we in for a treat as we rode through Arthur’s Pass. One of the most eye opening passes you’ll ever ride. Mountains that seem to stretch to the sky along the roadway are quite staggering. I would love to see them covered in snow, but then again, it would be very cold and we’d had enough of that!
We did stop at Arthur’s Pass Store for a bite to eat and this is where we got to see the “ferociousness” of the Kea bird. This particular “friendly” chap took a liking to a bicycle rider’s front tyre, then the rear. While we all laughed, the poor
bike rider had a fun time trying to keep his newfound mate away.
From here you hit the Canterbury Plains and finally Christchurch. It felt sad to end the tour, but as they say, “all good things must come to an end.”
We had a bit of time in Christchurch so a group of us went into the centre of the city to see the devastation from the massive earthquake back in 2011 that is still obvious. On the upside, lots of construction work is going on and will make Christchurch an amazing place.
Our final night together was our farewell dinner and awards night. Trevor, one of our tour guides, got the “Top Dog” and a “Dumbass” award. Pete, Allan and Sam both got Dumbass awards, while Rick and I got Clown awards. Don’t know why.
After speaking with most of the group, one thing stood out for me. Just about everyone commented on the professionalism of the Paradise crew and the way everything was organised, with
top level accommodation and places to eat sorted very well. The professional riding by the tour guides was also mentioned and the pace they set, which was a good mix forthe wide variety of skill levels.
Guided tours also bring an atmosphere you won’t get going out by yourself. If you like company, then a guided tour like this is right up your alley. The evening of Day 4, after our trip through the snow and ice, really brought everyone together. Even Trevor and Andre commented on how great a time we all had.
I can only rabbit on so much about the stunning views we saw, but most of the time you are left breathless. I promised a trip of a lifetime and that’s exactly what every person got from this tour. The things you will see on a tour like this really do make you think to yourself, “What a wonderful place New Zealand really is. Can it get any better?” We did that every single day!
5.
6. The Gates of Haast
7. Start of the Crown Range Road
If you’d like to experience a trip of a lifetime, just like this one, we are already preparing our 2016 AMM Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ tour…
We hope to see you on it. You will have an unbelievable time, I can promise you that. Many of the group on this tour have mentioned coming back on the next, so I can only say this so many times. Book early to avoid missing out. For those who came on this tour, Paradise has something up their sleeve to make it different next time. So, what are you waiting for! Book, book, book! And I’ll see you there in 2016, ready and raring to go for the best time of your life!
3. Milford Sound 4. Brrr!
Trevor from Paradise –Top Dog!
POSTIE NOTES
WORDS/PHOTOS
JACQUI KENNEDY
The Red Centre has so much more to offer than just a visit to the Big Rock. There are stunning gorges, magnifi cent chasms and canyons, wonderful red dirt tracks reeking with colonial history and more desert than you can poke a stick at. There is nothing quite like watching an outback sunset, camping under the stars with a crackling fi re beside a majestic natural monument like Chambers Pillar. Unfortunately, I got to do none of those things on this trip through the Centre. My overweight little companion doesn’t like getting his tyres sandy and my lack of off-road ability would likely end up with an RFDS trip to the closest hospital.
PART 5 – A BIT OUT OF SEQUENCE BUT NO LESS FUN
I did however get to experience a dinky-di Anzac Day Dawn Service atop Anzac Hill in Alice Springs. I have heard the Last Post in almost every Australian state and many European countries but nothing moved me as much as the distant sunrise over the MacDonald Ranges to the strains of the bugler in the still desert air.
Along with a compulsory visit to the RFDS centre, another must-see can now be added to the list. The National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame, the inspiration of the formidable Molly Clark of respected memory, is housed in the Old Gaol and has a dedicated area for Australian Aviatrices. I devoted an entire afternoon to this fascinating display and still it was not enough.
The next leg of my journey was to be 1800 kilometres to Darwin via Kakadu
@75km/h. Now some may consider this torture but the old adage of it all being about the journey not the destination kicks in about now. Instead of the scenery rushing by in a blur, travelling at such a low speed allows me to stop and photograph any interesting stick or rock which takes my fancy, without wearing out my brakepads. There’s no letterboxes in these parts but every roadhouse has made an effort to attract the tourists, usually with the bog-standard hats, banknotes, discarded undies and business cards.
Aileron has a massive warrior sculpture high above on the hillside beckoning travellers to stop – or perhaps wishing them well on their journey. Wycliffe Well has proclaimed itself the UFO capital of Australia
with appropriately decorated service station and caravan park with aliens. Barrow Creek’s claim to fame is the kidnapping and murder of Peter Falconio. Larrimah, an old WWII base, houses the Big Darwin Stubbie presided over by the Pink Panther. Then there’s the Devil’s Marbles, Three Ways, Renner Springs, the Drover’s memorial at Newcastle Waters and Mataranka.
See, the outback is anything but boring. Okay, the long stretches in between the highlights are a little bit dull but to combat that I have a library of excellent audiobooks, so – headphones on, eyes on the rear vision mirrors for road-trains, cruise control set and settle in for another day of straight roads. There are not even any potholes to avoid.
A mandatory stop for any traveller in the Northern Territory is Daly Waters pub. It was the first pub to allow tourists to have free range on its
walls and a contribution of a business card or bra can be made along with a donation to the RFDS. They’ll even supply the staple gun. The helicopter is still parked on the roof and they serve the BEST Barra burger in the whole of the Top End.
After five days on the road, I arrived in Katherine and relaxed under the frangipani tree in the tropical garden of Coco’s hostel. The dry heat of the centre has been replaced by the sweaty humidity of the Tropics and all motorcyclists are familiar with the wet t-shirt method of cooling in these conditions.
I have visited the Gorge twice before so this time I opted to spend my time in the Katherine Museum which contains Clyde Fenton’s Gypsy Moth plane. Clyde was a Melbourne doctor who trained as a pilot and came to Katherine to join the Flying Doctor Service. However Rev. John Flynn did not like his doctors to be pilots and
would not endorse him. This did not deter Fenton who just went about flying and providing medical attention to outlying stations anyway. He was, by all accounts, a terrific doctor but evidently not a very good pilot. He crashed and destroyed 3 planes which the community then had to raise funds to replace. Regardless, he had a long and distinguished career in the Northern Territory and it was fabulous to see his plane fully restored. Turning off the main highway into Kakadu, you immediately notice the drop in traffic and a more tranquil atmosphere. This is croc country and warning signs are posted at every river and billabong. The Wet had just ended so many of the best attractions were still closed due to water-logged tracks but it made the Yellow Waters cruise through the wetlands a pure delight. In spite of the march of the cane toads, Kakadu remains one of Australia’s highlights.
GETTING HIGH
ANOTHER RIDE AROUND THE WONDERFUL VICTORIAN
HIGH COUNTRY WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
ANGLERS REST
Nothing but the pub here, but it’s a good one. Now run by Lana and Michael, it no longer has a general store so if you want provisions, your best bet is Omeo. There’s beautiful riverside camping across from the Blue Duck, and the pub serves meals seven days. Despite the full Omeo Hwy having been sealed since the middle of 2014, the night traffi c is non-existent. Maybe nobody has found out yet!
ESKDALE
The pub’s got new owners and they are very motorcyclist friendly. Ask
Noel about the best fi shing spots and have a game of pool in a setting that looks like a real man cave! A bit to the north of them is an IGA with standard fuel and there’s a well equipped hardware store attached as well.
OMEO
Sort of Nimbin meets the Snowy! For me the highlight is the beautifully named Golden Age Hotel in the middle of town; a truly beautiful old art deco structure and like an increasing number of savy pubs, they serve good coffee too! The Hilltop Pub at the eastern end of town is best for a cold one in the afternoon sun. There’s a couple of fuel outlets in
town selling 91 and 98 and a Foodworks, but if you’re headed up to Anglers and planning a BBQ, get to Omeo High Country Meats just opposite the Council Chambers.
TALLANGATTA
This town has a weird unfriendly vibe to it for me. The two pubs seem to’ve been designed by Stalin and their interiors are neither welcoming nor friendly. There’s a Supa IGA opposite the park on Towong Street and MJ’s bakery’s pastries make up for their coffee. The BP is at the eastern end of town and sells 91 and 95.
Most loops have a weak link, a section of ordinary stuff that you’ve gotta tolerate between the good riding. These three loops don’t. There’s nothing approaching the mundane in any of them.
This could just be the best three leaf clover of Australian riding… the roads and the scenery are close to unbeatable! I just love riding down here!
And like any loop, you can start anywhere. I stayed at the Blue Duck Inn at Anglers Rest but you may base somewhere else. If you’re camping, there’s simply an unsurpassable selection of legal free camping spots along the way.
So, let’s just assume you’ve stayed with Lana and Michael at Anglers rest and after a night of some of the brilliant local wines and maybe a quick dip in the sublimely clear, pure and refreshing Cobungra Creek at the end of the garden, you’re ready to go.
If you feel like a bit of dirt, maybe take the eastern loop; Feel more like unrelenting twisties for a few hours?
No problem take the Falls Creek and Bright circuit! A mix of twisties and more sweepers and curves, take the middle road! It’s all here!
FALLS CREEK AND BRIGHT LOOP (PINK)
Total Distance: 258 km
Cross the bridge in front of the pub and head up the Omeo Hwy for 11km until you get to the clearly signed Bogong High Plains Rd to Falls Creek. You’ll immediately begin to climb up the white aggregate road which is firm but difficult to pick. It’s 36km of some very, very good alpine riding to Falls Creek.
Rarely has the cliché that the best part about a town is the road out been more true than of Falls Creek. It’s hardly worth the stop but it is the end of white road and a return to surfaces on which you’ll feel more at home.
Some brilliant riding will take you to the turn to Tawonga Gap, after Mt Beauty,
TEAR-OUT MAP #27
and continues until you hit the T at the Great Alpine Way where you turn right for the 6km into Bright.
It’s a good idea to fill up here before retracing your path east but then stay on the GAW for the flatter stretch to Harrietville where you start to climb up to Mt Hotham.
Great riding, great scenery, great surface. And there’s more going east past Dinner Plain and down into Omeo. Continue through town, up the hill past the Hilltop pub to your east and then it’s 28kms of more wonderful riding until you get to a sweeping righthand hairpin with the Blue Duck Inn straight ahead.
Anglers Rest to Bright 109kms Bright to Omeo: 110 kms Omeo to Anglers Rest 29kms
ANGLERS REST – CORRYONG LOOP (GREEN)
Total Distance: 374 kms (76kms of gravel) This is the best of both worlds. Head north on the Omeo Hwy but don’t take the left for Falls Creek. Continue another 60 km and the first town is Mitta Mitta with its general store and not much more but a further 17kms up the road is Eskdale with a great pub plus an IGA and some fuel.
Continue from here, turn left onto Lockharts Gap Rd and right onto Bryants Gap Rd and then east on the Murray Valley Hwy before turning left into Tallangatta. If you aren’t fazed by gravel, rejoin the MVH for the run east to Corryong which you’ll find is friendlier than Tall.
Again, once you finish here, retrace your path west for 6km until you pass the caravan park on your right, then cross the river and take the immediate left signposted for Omeo.
This is a beautiful valley road often beside the Nariel River, more open and sweeping than the tighter riding on the ride north. At 31km from the turn you’ll hit the second of two very nice riverside camping areas and this is where 76kms of gravel begin.
COLLECT THEM ALL
This is amongst the more benign gravel you’ll find and any hybrid/ dual purpose bike will handle it in comfort and the scenery and solitude reward any effort. However, most of this road is totally without phone coverage so it’s best not done alone and always with a FindmeSpot or other epirb.
The gravel finishes just north of Benambra and from here you have 19 km of sweeet riding before reaching the T on the Omeo Hwy. Take the left if you want to head into Omeo, otherwise turn right for the quick squirt back to Anglers Rest.
Anglers Rest to Tallangatta: 133kms Tallangatta to Corryong: 81kms Corryong to Anglers Rest: 160kms (76kms gravel)
SEALED ROAD LOOP (YELLOW)
Total Distance Tallangatta to Anglers Rest via Mt Beauty 163 kms
If you don’t like gravel, turn west instead of east out of Tallangatta on the Murray Valley Highway for 13kms with the Hume Damon your right until you see the turn south for Tangambalanga on the 533. A couple of hundred metres down take the sweeper to the left and then quickly the next right onto Gundowring Rd for the 45km run south through the beautiful Kiewa River Valley.
You’ll have a few good swimming holes along the way but the best is Mongans Crossing.
Soon after crossing the Kiewa River south of Mongans you meet the T of the Kiewa Valley Highway. Turn south here for a quick 12km squirt into Mount Beauty. From there it’s just a matter of retracing the first bit of the orange loop, in reverse.
A fully detailed downloadable .gpx file is available in the Ride Guides section of www.motorbikenation.com
Thanks to my HR Dept for the motivation and the inspiration. You are with me on every ride.
CORRYONG
A not bad town in love with a delusion. Their claims to a connection with ‘The Man from Snowy River” are mythical at best but hell, it’s harmless fun! The best pub is Corryong Hotel at the eastern edge of the town just up from the BP Servo.
The Tourist Info Office is run by good staff and well informed volunteers.
It has a special visitors’ book for condition reports on the gravel section to Benambra. It’s worth a look and if you’ve ridden this loop anti-clockwise and have already covered the dirt, add your comments to help the next guys. Peepins across the road from the Info Office and Legends on Hansen a block to the east are both good cafes.
FALLS CREEK
There’s something about ski resorts and towns! I’ve stopped here three times now and had a coffee at the only place in town. I don’t like to trash places on a single visit but when I was
there in January, I was the only person in the place which is run by an older couple. It was all the bloke in the pink polo with the upturned collar (you know the look!) could do to look up from his newspaper and ask me what I wanted. His wife’s homemade sausage roll was well above average but plain sauce was my only option. (It deserved a good chutney!) When I returned my plate and cup again I got hardly a grunt from newspaper reader. Why are these people in hospitality if they ain’t hospitable? Ride through, don’t stop!
BRIGHT
If you’re into towns with a totally unwarranted superior attitude, cafes with untrained, rude and servile service, and over-priced accommodation, you’ll love Bright. There’s no 98 fuel in town but the Caltex and Shell on GAR and Anderson sell 91 and 95 as does the BP on the eastern exit to the town. There’re a few bakeries and many cafes but I’ve found the service to
be uniformly atrocious. Aspiration without perspiration tends to equal pretention.
But you won’t go wrong at the Bright Brewery with its handmade brews of all strengths and flavours and good but not cheap bar food. There’s also some good swimming just down from the Brewery but it gets very crowded in school hols.
The IGA is on the roundabout at Ireland and Cobden and is open 8.00am til 9.00pm every day.
HARRIETVILLE
A way better choice for a chill before the ride up the mountain than Bright. There’s a great little park with a top swimming hole just east of the bridge on the western end of town and the Snowline Hotel, literally at the foot of the climb, is very friendly and well staffed. A stop here will set you into a very good mood for the riding ahead!
FULL POWER
KATANA
Full Power Katana is a 100% synthetic, ester-based lubricant for 4-stroke motorcycles, designed to deliver good sports riding performance on the road. The “speed & easy shift” innovation will transform your riding experience. Gear changes are fast and smooth; you will discover pure riding pleasure and faster acceleration.
Gear changes are fast and smooth Riding pleasure The Speed & Easy Shift innovation will transform your riding experience: Formulated to cope with high r.p.m. engines
WINTER GEAR GUIDE
PEOPLE DON’T NOTICE THE SEASON WHEN THEY’RE HAPPY!
COMPILED BY STUART WOODBURY
Getting geared up for the cooler months of winter is something you need to take seriously. Being so cold that it makes it hard to hold onto the bars and operate the motorcycle is a dangerous thing, but getting the right gear and keeping warm will make the colder months enjoyable. Those not brave enough to bare the elements can of course go and grow stale in their tin tops.
We asked clothing distributors to send us their winter gear for you to peruse, choose and buy, so let them know that we sent you, after reading about their stuff here. All of these products are available through good bike shops and/or websites.
Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this nice warm jacket…
WINTER GEAR Special Feature
DAINESE
www.cassons.com.au
CARVE MASTER
GORE-TEX JACKET - $769.95
Comfort, ergonomics and a sporty blend, created for those who use the bike for sports riding even on tourist
routes, and look for unparalleled ergonomics and excellent comfort in all conditions.
D-STORMER D-DRY JACKET - $699.95
Full length touring jacket with quick
dry fabric, removable liner and all sorts of features for the touring rider.
RIDDER GORE-TEX JACKET - $999.95
Ridder has been designed to offer excellent comfort, thanks to its waterproof and breathable membrane in laminated Gore-tex and warm detachable thermal lining, and at the same time have a weight among the lowest you’ll fi nd in the category.
TARMAC www.cassons.com.au
HEATED GRIPS - $69.95
An essential in the colder months. These heated grips have a fully waterproof control unit with 5 adjustable heat settings. The kit includes: 1 x pair of heated grips, 1 x temperature control switch, 1 x
wiring harness, 1 x bar mount with screws, 1 x grip glue, 2 x bar plugs and 1 x square double sided tape.
RJAYS
www.rjays.com.au
THERMAL INNER GLOVES - $12.95
Want to beat the coldest of the cold? A pair of thermal inner gloves will help beat the chill. Available in fi ve sizes – S-2XL.
THERMAL NECK WARMER - $10.95
Another essential to keep the warmth in and the chill out. You must have a neck warmer for the winter and this one is right up your alley.
THERMAL UNDERWEAR$59.95 EACH Rjays Thermal Underwear will keep you warm, dry and comfortable in all conditions. Uses Thermolite fabric to provide warmth and comfort without weight, even when wet.
GAERNE www.cassons.com.au
G. ALTUS AQUATECH - $319.95
Styled for the long distance, hardcore touring rider, this 100%
waterproof boot with DryTech membrane will keep your feet dry and comfortable on those long distance rides.
G. IMPULSE AQUATECH - $299.95
This boot is styled after the G.Altus. However, the shorter upper makes this boot perfect for
quick trips to the offi ce or around town. Completely waterproof and breathable membrane keeps comfort a high priority.
WINTER GEAR Special Feature
G:RT AQUATECH - $319.95
The details in these waterproof-sport boots make all the difference. The uppers are constructed from full grain leather, the inner liner used is the exclusive “Gaerne Drytech” to keep
your feet dry, the interior design is really comfortable and the hinged design offers excellent fl exibility. There are many more excellent features.
DRAGGIN www.dragginjeans.net
ROO HOODY - $199
Draggin’s Roo Hoody is the answer to riders wanting a Hoody that is protective and fashionable. No butts about it! The Roo Hoody is stylish, with street appeal and safety, the Roo
Hoody is a worthwhile addition to your motorcycling wardrobe. Plus the DFFUSE CE approved armour is included making it great value for money.
DUCATI
www.ducati.com.au or call 02 8741 3824
STRADA TOURING BOOTS - $435
A model that combines comfort,
toughness, and safety. Protection is optimised with external shielding of the ankle bone area and over the shinbone. The outer sole has differential grip zones to optimise comfort and stability on the footrest. This model is made in full grain leather, combined with a Gore-tex membrane to keep out the worst weather conditions.
STRADA FABRIC JACKET - $1245
The ultimate all season touring outfi t, the Strada jacket combines three interchangeable layers for ultimate comfort and reliable protection from the elements. An outer water resistant shell is fi tted with adjustable
ventilation panels and CE armour and back protector pocket. The removable Gore-tex liner provides water and wind proofi ng, while the inter-thermal liner provides warmth and insulation. The jacket also feature generous storage pockets with waterproof zippers.
STRADA FABRIC TROUSERS - $894
The Strada pants are the perfect complement to the Strada jacket, combining three interchangeable layers and a pants-to-jacket waist zipper.
HELD www.heldaustralia.com.au
CARESE II GORE-TEX JACKET - $800
Stacked and packed with adaptable features, the Held Carese II jacket is the touring, sport or Adv touring rider’s best friend. With 4-season functionality the Carese II jacket
gives you direct venting when it’s warm and a removable Gore-Tex liner when it’s cold and/or rainy. Tons of pockets keep your gear easily accessible and secure while Held Cloverleaf Sas-Tec shoulder and elbow armour ensure top level protection.
TORNO II PANTS - $550
The Held Torno II Pants are absolutely packed with features from the 500D DuPont Cordura construction, massive zippered leg zips and removable Gore-Tex liner, to the adjustable Sas-Tec knee armour, Pittards leather seat panel and Nomex heat resistant inner leg panels.
FREEZER II GORE-TEX GLOVES - $190
Made from a supple, waterrepellent aniline cowhide outer shell, with a Primaloft lining, GoreTex waterproof, windproof, and
Gore 2in1 technology by
1 glove – 2 options
GORE-TEX® glove with Gore 2in1 System offers a quick and simple changes between 2 separate hand chambers; guaranteeing you protection against rain and sweat while providing the most tactile grip possible. The optimal solution for sunny and inconsistent weather conditions.
Energineered with the hightech functionality of
GORE-TEX® membrane
In the moisture “Dry” chamber
Optimum comfort via use of GORE-TEX® ultimate tactility, water/windproof and breathable.
In the grip “Breezy” chamber
This chamber is unlined and offers a high tactility as well optimal ventilation.
Optimum comfort in different weather conditions, whether in rain or at sunshine
Optimum protection against moisture when using the moisture chamber or ultimate breathability and comfort for riding in high temperatures when using the grip chamber
Durable waterproof, windproof and highly breathable in the wetness chamber
High tactility and ventilation in the grip chamber
“Dry” chamber (waterproof)
“Breezy” chamber (unlined) lining leather palm
WINTER GEAR Special Feature
breathable membrane and packed with heaps more features, this is a great winter glove.
SHAKU TOURING BOOTS - $275
Mid-height and comfortable waterproof and breathable touring motorcycle boots with an easy-on
front opening with Velcro adjustment at calf level, make it an ideal choice for motorcycle riders that struggle with full height touring boots.
DRIRIDER
www.dririder.com.au
NORDIC 2 JACKET - $299.95
A versatile sports/touring ¾ length
jacket with leather protection, outer shell made from polyester 600D and cowhide matt leather, Texland Reissa waterproof and breathable membrane and a detachable 100 gram insulated thermal liner, plus loads more features.
JEWEL 2 LADIES JACKET - $329.95
A luxury touring ladies jacket featuring a Polyester 900D and 600D outer shell, waterproof and breathable membrane, detachable thermal liner, 100g body and 85g sleeves and
aluminium lined fl aps that isolate the chest from the cold, along with loads more features.
VORTEX 2 PANTS - $319.95
All season touring pants with a heavy duty 600D out shell, 1200D double layer knee reinforcement, double layer seat, removable waterproof/ breathable liner, a removable 100g thermal liner and too many more features to list.
ADVENTURE 2 GLOVES - $89.95
Winter warmth with maximum feel, this glove has a Hipora waterproof
and breathable membrane, Thinsulate insulated thermal liner, visor wipe plus lots more.
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE
www.indianmotorcycle.com.au
DEER SKIN GLOVES - $80
These deerskin gloves are naturally soft and supple, providing excellent
dexterity. Enjoy them for years with subtle Indian branding as reminders of your choice in motorcycles.
IMC HOODIE - $90
A heavyweight garment with pullover
comfort. Nothing matches the feeling of this hoodie on or off the bike.
FREEWAY JACKET - $595
Protective black leather sets the tone, subtle stripes, and prominent Indian Motorcycle branding enhances the high-performance
style. Integrated vents and a zipin/out liner provide multi-season comfort and versatility.
VICTORY MOTORCYCLES
www.victorymotorcycles.com.au
MAGNUM JACKET - $595
Bold and modern, the Magnum Jacket features a dynamic back graphic and generous V-Twin fi t.
ENGINE LS T-SHIRT - $60
Red, white and blue never go out of
WINTER GEAR Special Feature
style. This long sleeve shirt is made from 200gsm, 100% cotton.
TOURATECH
www.touratech.com.au
COMPAÑERO SUIT - $1650 JACKET, $995 PANTS
Setting a new standard in the evolution of textile motorcycling equipment. The innovative Compañero
combines the benefi ts of a sporty summer suit with the comfort of a top-quality Gore-tex weatherproof membrane all-in-one.
COMPAÑERO HOOD - $79.99
HEATED HAND GRIPS WITH VELCRO CUFFS - $173.81
Touratech’s heated grips are really effective and easy to attach and remove, thanks to the indestructible Velcro.
OXFORD
www.ficeda.com.au
CHILLOUT RANGE –FROM $34.95 - $179.95
Thankfully, this winter can be a lot warmer with the help of the ChillOut specialised windproof motorcyclist base layers (underwear, to you and me)from Oxford Motorcycle Accessories. The range includes trousers, jacket, shirt, balaclava, turtleneck, neck tube, gloves, knee warmers and socks.
for protection from mild weather conditions, the inside has a warm micro fl eece lining keeping you warm when it’s colder. Featuring a Moto Guzzi logo on the chest, nape of the neck and right arm and Moto Guzzi embossed zippers, this is the perfect addition to any Moto Guzzi rider’s wardrobe.
GRINFACTOR
www.roadskin.com.au
ROADSKIN HOODIES - $179
These hoodies are great for a commute or quick ride down to the shops. Roadskin hoodies are 100% cotton, rain resistant and fully lined with 320gm knitted, DuPont Kevlar. CE approved armour is also included.
Made from Gore-Tex Pro three-layer laminate Cordura, the hood for the Companero suit will keep you rainproof from head to toe. at the bottom.
APRILIA www.aprilia.com.au
APRILIA RACING
CASUAL JACKET - $90
Especially designed to keep you warm in winter this Aprilia Racing Casual
chest, back and right arm. This jacket ensures you stand out from the crowd this winter and is a must addition for any Aprilia fan!
MOTO GUZZI www.motoguzzi.com.au
MOTO GUZZI SOFT SHELL JACKET - $140
REDDDOG 12 Gibraltar St Bungendore NSW or www.redddog.com.au
MERINO WOOL
WINTER TOP - $199
Made from superfi ne merino wool, with a low micron count (for next-toskin comfort), the lowest pilling rate, easy care (machine wash, line dry, no ironing needed), moisture and odour wicking. It transports easily (packs down small into most tank bags). So if you want to stay warm, look good and feel comfortable on the bikehead to Redd Dog.
INNOTESCO www.innotesco.com.au
RUKKA COSMIC JACKET - $N/A
When the going gets tough, the
• High performance plus extended mileage
• The Storm 3D X-M ver sion will deliver 15%-20% extra mileage compared to the current Storm range
• Inter locking three dimensional points hidden in the sipes to improve stability and gr ip, limit tread flex and allow the tyre to warm up quickly (3D Sipes)
• High performance single and multicompound super r ich silica tread enhances wet gr ip (SRS)
Simon Roots / Fast Bikes Magazine
Mike Ar mitage / Bike Magazine
Dowds / SuperBike Magazine
wear comfort of this freebreathing jacket. The NP2 protectors on shoulders, elbows, back, hips and knees can be removed. This suit is available in mens and ladies sizes.
ATLANTIS GLOVES - $220
The function and comfort of
these legendary gloves are famous worldwide. They are perfect for riders who hit the road come wind, rain or shine. Made from waterproof, windproof and breathable Gore-tex and X-trafi t, hands are sure to stay warm and dry.
PRO TOURING 2
BOOTS - $499
Comfortably soft, hydrophobic cowhide,
breathable Gore-tex for optimum ventilation and fl ex zones on the upper make this touring boot a reliable travelling companion, whatever the weather. Available in mens and ladies sizes.
Shoei Neotec and Hornet available
Jetboil Bahco tools
Shoei Neotec and Hornet available
TOUR DE OZ
WORDS/PHOTOS KINGA TANAJEWSKA
My planned stopover for SIX months in ‘iron ore country’ stretched into 10 months … and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was working on a Fly-In Fly-Out roster, which gave me a chance to go back home to Sydney once a month anyway, so I made the most of my time on my days off: I was back on my bike and exploring the region. Some of the local gems I found include Millstream National Park, Cleaverville and Karijini National Park.
PART 2 – STARTING OUT ON THE LONG WAY BACK AROUND AUSTRALIA
WEEK 1 – WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NW TO PINNACLES)
I left the North-West and even though I was used to ‘Pilbara temperatures’, riding in 45 degree heat and near 100% humidity was very exhausting. The air was burning my face, and I had to drink about 5 litres of water every day. I started going ‘a bit’ over the speed limit thinking “the faster I go, the cooler I’ll feel” … that theory didn’t work out so well, AND I had to pay big bucks for a speeding ticket. Unfortunately, my ‘innocent Polish adventurer’ routine didn’t work! From Karratha, I headed down south to Exmouth, and then on to Ningaloo Marine Park, which includes the highlight of the region: Turquoise Bay. Ranked the 28th most beautiful beach in the world, Turquoise Bay is simply breathtaking: pure, white sand and still, turquoise water … truly a perfect picture!
The temperatures were so high that I decided to sleep on a picnic table, hoping that I’d get a little bit of a breeze at night. That worked out well, and became the accommodation of choice for the rest of the ride. On the flip side, the many, many, many kangaroos wouldn’t leave me alone, so here’s a pro tip: take earplugs if you plan to sleep!
The next stop was Coral Bay. This relaxed little town is famous for diving with whale sharks. Bush camping is not allowed in this area, so there’s no choice but to cough up $40 for an unpowered site. Pricey, but after a few hours of snorkelling on this coral
beach, it seemed very well worth it.
It was a 450km slog through extreme heat to get to Shark Bay (famous for its stromatolites), with the only relief being a stopover at the Satellite Earth Station. I camped at Hamelin Pool, an old town that has been turned into a caravan park, and it’s one of the coolest camping spots I’ve ever seen. Not that I bothered setting up the tent: I ended up sleeping on a picnic table between the post office and some old-fashioned tea room.
The other big attraction in Shark Bay is Monkey Mia, a popular destination where wild dolphins arrive virtually every day for interaction and feeding. There were plenty of emus too, which
was entertaining until they started pinching food from my side cases … but in fairness: even that was funny!
To round up the first week, I swung past Kalbarri and then visited the magnificent Pinnacles Desert. It’s something else: for a moment there I felt like I was on another planet! Unfortunately, that planet’s gravity was equal to ours, as I discovered when I had to pick my bike up off the soft sands. The limestone pillars (up to 4m tall) rise up from the sand dunes to create a spectacular, extraterrestrial landscape. Best of all, there are driving tracks around them!
WEEK 2 – WESTERN AUSTRALIA (PERTH TO LAKE MAGIC)
A quick stopover in Perth for a tyre change and a catch up with friends, and I was back on the road again. I left the ‘concrete jungle’ for a brilliant ride through the famous Margaret River wine region. And oh! riding life can be cruel … you see, I couldn’t really ‘explore’ it properly (which of course is via wine tasting) … but I still made the most of it all through some select acquisitions: local cheeses, crackers, olives, and a few bottles of fine wine of course!
I took my loot and headed off to Canebrake Pool, only a 20 minute drive north from Margaret River. This terrific bush camping spot features superb picnic tables, perfect for sleeping on, and a simply perfect natural pool to swim in.
After my Margaret River adventures, I went down south to Cape Leeuwin: the most south-westerly point of Australia, and the place where the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean meet (them crazy hipsters). There is a café right next to the lighthouse; their scones and tea are a must. From there I rode across to Pemberton, via a jaw dropping road through a forest of giant karri trees!
The next morning I made my way to Gloucester Tree, a 60m high tree with a sort of ‘spike ladder’ around it. There was no one around at that time, plus it was still raining so I thought “great, the tree is all mine!” Half way up it turned out to be not so exciting any more … I totally freaked out: “I’m alone, up a tree, in the rain, and there’s no one around – what am I doing?!?!” After a short break I managed to pull myself together and continued climbing up.
120km later, between Walpole and Denmark, I took the ‘Tree Top Walk’ – a brilliant suspended walkway that soars 40m into a forest of red tingle trees and rocks delicately as you walk on it. Definitely worth stopping by and checking out if you’re in the area.
As I cruised south, the temperatures started to drop, and in the space of a week I found myself going from riding in 45 degree averages down to 15 degrees – a drop of 30! Should’ve seen it coming as I was on my way to Denmark. Denmark, WA, to be exact. Beautiful local attractions
including Green Pool and Ocean Beach are worth a look, and I’ve would’ve seen more if it wasn’t pouring the whole time. Completely soaked – yet again – I checked into a local motel to dry off. After a refreshing 11 hour sleep, I headed for Torndirrup National Park via a stopover in Albany, a pleasant city with great surrounds. I was very impressed with ‘The Gap’ – a sheer chasm and natural bridge, which is basically a large piece of granite with a fantastic arch sculpted by erosion. From there I went to the famous Wave Rock, a spectacular granite formation in the shape of a wave, with beautiful vertical streaks.
Another ‘must do’ attraction is the nearby salt Lake Magic (10 times as salty as seawater). I was super excited as the information centre told me I’d be able to swim in it, so I put on my swimmers, started the bike and went off in search of some ‘living on the edge’ adventure (i.e. without riding clothes & helmet!) … for a whole 1km! The moment I saw the ‘white’ lake, I stopped the bike, took off the riding boots, grabbed the towel and ran in to the lake … which turned out to be 10cm deep, or should I say shallow! The lake would probably have been 50cm in the middle, but it was hard to even
walk there because of the salt crystals. It was a great adventure anyway, and besides, I got some awesome pics!
WEEK 3 –WESTERN AUSTRALIA TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
There is a heaven on earth, and Le Grand National Park is its name. For the first time during the second part of Tour de Oz, I stopped for two nights somewhere and I didn’t want to leave! And even though the Lucky Bay camping ground was quite crowded, I didn’t mind one bit because I met some fantastic people. So why is Lucky Bay so popular? Simple. It’s a magnificent beach with clear waters, white sands, and every day you can meet kangaroos down by the water! One of the most unforgettable experiences of the tour was hanging out with rescued kangaroos, and that included hugs, kisses, and even putting
my hand in a roo’s pouch! All under
my hand in a roo’s pouch! All under supervision, of course: thank you Dave the Ranger!
Another equally unforgettable experience was riding on the beach (and the most perfect beach you can imagine too) … during sunrise! It was a truly epic moment for me, and this time it’s thank you to Chris the Ranger who went all pro photographer and took some amazing pictures for me!
On the way out I swung by the Stonehenge, as you do. Well, a full size replica of the real thing anyway. I took a few pics while I was at it, and then went off towards hundreds of kilometres of straight road.
The ride from Norseman (WA) to Ceduna (SA) took me through the aptly named 90 Mile Straight (Australia’s longest straight road at 145.6km) and the Nullarbor Plain, which has the distinction of being the world’s biggest, flattest piece of limestone. It was a very, very long, very straight ride – pretty much without any bends for a total of 1200km.
After riding though all the long stretches in the NT, I was mentally ready for the Eyre Highway … it was just colder, windier and – surprisingly –the petrol was more expensive than the rest of the country! At $2.30 per litre, I felt slightly ripped off. On a positive note - the accommodation was free, courtesy of another 5-star stay on a lovely picnic table. I spent the second night at Nullarbor National Park, just past the WA/SA border where I set up tent right next to some scenic cliffs (at a safe distance of course).
Eyre Peninsula was up next, with one night at Streaky Bay, another at Lincoln National Park. The camp grounds are
located on the beach and a short ride to Port Lincoln – Australia’s biggest fishing port – where a diverse range of seafood is produced.
Finally, I finished off the third week by catching a ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo. The 2h ferry ride saved me 350 km of riding, which meant more time for the all-important wine regions around Clare.
WEEK 4 – SOUTH AUSTRALIA (PORT LINCOLN – SNOWY MOUNTAINS)
It rained the whole time from Port Lincoln to Clare. Completely soaked, and with side-cases full of water, I decided to stay the night in a motel in Clare, as did 3 other BMW riders going from Sydney to Broken Hill. We basically occupied the motel, and in the morning had a good bike-talk over breakfast. The rain hadn’t stopped all night, and it didn’t look like it’d stop any time soon, so I explored the region in the wet – still beautiful. I went to a few vineyards and dropped by Polish Hill – a settlement
established by Poles in 1850.
Next stop was Barossa Valley –which is, in my humble opinion, the best wine region in Australia, and so I was happy to finally be there, despite the rain! I dropped by Yalumba Vineyard, where I was very impressed by the living tradition of ‘coopering’ (barrel making)\. Yalumba is the only winery in Australia to have their own on-site coopers, which gives them complete control of the quality of the oak used to age their wines.
And finally: Adelaide. It was Radelaide! I loved the city: it’s not too big, not too small, and it immediately hits you with a low-key ironic-hip vibe. There’s nice malls and funky places to hang out, but my favourite had to be Adelaide Central Markets: fresh produce, speciality groceries, and wall-to-wall friendly smiles. Loved it. If you do find yourself in Adelaide, the Art Gallery of South Australia is definitely worth a look, as is Glenelg Beach with its picturesque jetty.
After Adelaide, I made my way
through the nice, twisty roads of Adelaide Hills (another great wine region) and on to Birdwood, SA where I met Neil (a fellow adventurer) and my close friend Graeme. We went through the Germany-inspired town of Hahndorf where we stopped for lunch: on offer were German sausages, of course. Neil headed off home after a few hundred km, while Graeme and I went to a caravan park on Lake Albert.
The next morning, we travelled 500km, crossing into Victoria and stopping at the start of the Great Ocean Road. We settled at Port Campbell for the night and woke up to find the rain had followed us from SA. We thought we were destined to ride the famous road, known as one of the most scenic rides in Australia, in the rain, but luckily after a few wet twisties the sun came out and we could comfortably enjoy the experience, including the spectacular limestone formations known as the 12 Apostles.
I decided to ‘cut a corner’ in Victoria, because I’ve ridden through the coastal
roads before, so after the Great Ocean Road we headed to Barmah State Park on the banks of the Murray River (border of Victoria and New South Wales).
Graeme had promised that I’d be able to see koalas in the trees there, and this was an exciting prospect. Well, by the time we got there it was already so dark that I couldn’t see a thing but I could definitely hear them: it’s hard to explain, but they made these creepy, lowpitched brays, like a cross between a donkey being abused and a cow giving birth via its nostrils. Lovely stuff.
With daybreak, I could finally appreciate how amazing this place was, made all the more magical
Motorcycle
Motorcycle
by a dense fog which was hanging over the river. It’s at this point that I said farewell to Graeme and set my compass to home … via the one last adventure: the Snowy Mountains! By this stage I can say that “I’ve been around the block” (if that block is the Australian continent) and if you were to ask me what’s my favourite ‘asphalt ride’ then I’d have to say that it’s the trip through the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park.
After a long, but fun, day of riding around this incredible region I headed off for the night to the historic cattlemen’s Long Plain Hut, a shelter used by travellers back in the day. My first plan was to ‘make a bed’ on the veranda under the awing but after a bit of scouting I decided to set up my tent … just in case some wild animals or something live in the hut. Sounds funny, maybe, but turned out to be a very good idea … the temperatures dropped down to minus 5 degrees at night!
I have a very warm sleeping bag and some good thermals … but it was
cold! The morning was misty, frosty, and the bike wouldn’t start! Once the temperature was back up to zero degrees I gave it another shot and this time she started up just fine.
TOUR DE OZ - THE END
“It’s over. I made it.” … these were the first thoughts that went through my mind as I stopped to set up a photo of my bike with the world famous Sydney Opera House in the background. And there I found myself suddenly filled with a mixed bag of emotions...
Firstly, I felt sad that it’s over. Such a great adventure, so many incredible landscapes and terrains, and lovely people to boot. But then I thought: “I did it!”
Riding solo around Australia has always been one of my dreams in life, and I realise how lucky I am to have been able to fulfil this dream. Not everyone gets the chance to drop everything and go on an adventure, and what an adventure it has been! All in all, I’d say that was smooth sailing: I’ve travelled 19,000kms
through countless terrain types, and have done it all without a flat tire, without a breakdown, and only a couple of minor falls (on nice, soft sand).
On a side note: while travelling around this spectacular and diverse country, I not only gained a greater appreciation for this wondrous continent, but also learnt a lot about myself. I’ve overcome some fears (mostly of writing!) and pushed my boundaries: not just figuratively either, I literally had to give it my all to pick up my heavily loaded bike.
Last but not least, I feel much more experienced and comfortable riding (and camping) in extreme temperatures: from the high 40s down to below 0, from near 100% humidity down to bitter, frosty nights.
So it’s here that this journey ends, but there’ll be more to come: I’m already planning the next adventure, so stay tuned!
Join me on my blog: onherbike.com; facebook.com/onherbike
STURGIS
Guided Tour • 30 July - 12 August , 2015
On August 14, 1938, nine riders who called themselves the “Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club” met in Sturgis SD to race motorcycles Just them and a small crowd of spectators hat Sturgis “Rally” - except or two years during WWIIas been repeated each August ever since, and is now the largest gathering of motorcycles on the planet, attended by riders from all over the world After 75 years of history, the 2015 Rally will be the biggest and best ever!
Experience Sturgis with us and we’ll show you far more than just Bike Week We start in Las Vegas and ride twelve days through some of the most spectacular scenery in the American West, ending in Denver, Colorado
Explore Zion, Cedar Breaks, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Badlands and Rocky Mountain National Parks You’ll see plenty of wildlife, ride the Beartooth Highway and reach the summit of the highest paved road in North America - Mt Evans Hwy (14,271’ /4,350m) and more - all with your iron horse rumbling beneath you! Reservations are open until 30 May, but don’t wait too longavailability is limited and we are filling up fast!
For complete details, itinerar y and pricing visit www gamct com/sturgisbikeweek html
HORIZONS UNLIMITED
IT MEANS WHAT IT SAYS
WORDS/PHOTOS JACQUI KENNEDY
“The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.”
Marianne Williamson
When I first heard about Horizons Unlimited, I thought it was an exclusive club for the long distance motorcyclist and that I would need to “earn my stripes” before being accepted into the fraternity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The premise of HU is to learn from those who have trail blazed thus setting you up with a sound knowledge base for you to venture forth confidently. It all began in 1997 with an online forum set up by Grant and Susan Johnson who had travelled the world two-up on their bike. Other riders’ thirst for knowledge about road conditions, border crossings, carnets, visas, equipment and bike specs sparked the exchange of information which continues
today with an ever increasing audience. The first face-to-face gathering of riders was a small affair held in the UK in 2001. It was held in Grant and Susan’s back garden with 40 attending, some from as far away as Norway. The concept gained momentum so that today there are dozens of meetings all over the world, the largest in the UK attracting more than 800 people.
But it’s not just another bike rally. The weekend is jam packed with first
EVENT
class presentations from riders who have been-there-done-that. Magnificent slide shows from remote locations; showcasing everything from fully equipped BMWs to barely upright C90s; facing extremes in temperature, road conditions and equipment failure. Workshops on tyre changing, how to pick up a bike, how to cope with a stroppy partner and how to thwart recalcitrant border guards (pick a screaming fight with your significant other and watch how quick they process your paperwork).
It’s not all big jaunts on big bikes. Information on local micro-adventures, the best electronic equipment, first aid and safety on the road, finding wild camps and road conditions in the outback sparks the imagination of the attendees.
It’s hard to describe the buzz you feel after a weekend overloaded with inspiration, adventure and bold endeavours. I love meeting people who “get” your obsession and don’t call you crazy, and connecting with riders who understand perfectly when you tell them that the road talks to you. It’s possible to find riding buddies for your next great adventure and sometimes, just sometimes, romance blossoms. There has been at least one marriage resulting from a HU event.
Australia has been hosting HU meets since 2003 and this year will see another three events all around the country. The first one kicks off in Queensland on 24 Sep, then Perth 9 October and Victoria 23 October.
So come one, come all. Whether you are planning to tackle the Pan Pacific or toddle sedately through Europe; whether you own the latest tricked up Tiger or a naked Kwaka; whether you know it all or need some help starting… whatever your passion be it long distance or a latte on Sunday, come along and be inspired. Bring the kids and pass the excitement to the next generation. Immerse yourself in possibilities.
But most of all come along to meet Mo, my Postie bike. I will be doing a presentation on all Mo’s exploits at the Queensland meet in September. www.postienotes.com.au
www.horizonsunlimited.com
SUZUKI BURGMAN 200
CHUBBY FUNSTER
WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
It is easier to imagine the UH200/A asking for another port at the club rather than fanging through traffic, but its ample waist and pumping heart (engine) are misleading. This common sense road runner can be an absolute barrel of fun in the right hands.
There, are those comments enough to confuse you? You are not alone. The Burgman 200 confused me, too. At first.
Let’s see: the Burgman 650 was Australia’s first glimpse of the serious maxi scooter world. It was, and still is, the weapon of choice of Ulyssians who had dropped their GoldWing but didn’t want to drop motorcycling. It is a powerhouse, around town and on the freeway, and that is the main reason it is bought. Oh, it is relatively light, handles well, carries and even tows substantial loads, accommodates two pensioners in comfort and has matching twin cupholders (I may be lying about that last one), but the punch is the main reason it rolls out of the shops.
When Suzuki introduced the 400cc version, it failed to find many buyers; if you had a Burgman you had a 650.
So… why introduce a version with an even smaller engine? Though this be Miller’s, yet there is metho in’t, as Polonius said of Hamlet.
The Suzuki Burgman 200 looks a little like a PWC (powered water craft – I’m not allowed to write ‘jet ski’ because that term belongs to someone else), and its wide passenger footboards have a habit of clipping you in the calves if you don’t get your feet up in time on takeoff. While we’re on the subject of takeoff, the V-belt drive takes some little time to rev up. You can still get away from the traffic, don’t worry, not least because drivers will be collecting their jaws off the floor at the sight of this je... that is to say, PWC haring off from the lights ahead of them. And if
you’re tall, you would be well advised to sit on a UH200/A in the bike shop and make brr-brrr noises with your lips for a while to make sure that you fit on it all right.
Other than those petty criticisms, this is a terrific bit of Thai-built machinery. Build quality is up to Suzuki’s usual high standards. It is a welcome surprise to find that the under-seat compartment takes two full-face helmets plus other junk. All this space has been liberated by the small engine. For normally-built people (that’s me as opposed to Stuart) the rider’s seat is comfortable, and the pillion seat is paradise. I’ve already mentioned the substantial pillion footrests – they’re almost the size of a Sydney cycle path.
Fuel consumption is a meagre 3.4 litres per 100km, and that’s with me revving the crap out of it at every opportunity – just because I could. To make sure I wasn’t suffering from delusions brought on by a subtle Suzuki adjustment of my critical faculties (such as they are), I compared the Burgman 200 with a 150cc scooter from another Major Manufacturer. Admittedly the other scooter was 50cc smaller and air cooled, but the Burgman powered away from it like… like a really powerful thing. It works, and even despite that initial hesitation the Burgman was nipping ahead of the, er, the other scooter. It’s really a matter of being relatively slow at the
beginning compared to the pleasant acceleration that follows.
The one way in which the other scooter was superior, apart from looks, was in that it had a centre stand. Looks? The UH200/A is in fact quite attractive (although its bum does look big) but appearance-wise it could have come from any number of factories. A good reason to call it ‘Burgman’, to associate it with both Suzuki and success. Oh, I forgot, the other scooter also had a bag hook, which the Burgman lacks. Shame, that, but there isn’t really room for it. The controls and instrument panel are pretty much standard, and although I prefer a digital speedo display I really can’t complain here.
There is even a sweet little green ecological soundness light which rewards you by lighting up when you’re riding ecologically soundly, ie saving fuel. I did not see this light very often, but that is because I became a... what’s the motorcycling equivalent of ‘leadfoot’? I was having fun.
All in all, the Burgman 200 goes easily well enough to keep up around town (I would even consider longer rides on it), is affordable at $5490 (+ on roads) and cheap to run, will carry heaps and can be made to fang, within reason. Those who like this sort of thing, as Abraham Lincoln said, will find this the sort of thing that they like. I did.
GORE-TEX THERMO GLOVES
NEVER BE LEFT “FLAT” AGAIN
This month’s review is a fantastic little device that I believe every motorcycle rider should have in his or her travel kit.
Have you ever had a flat battery in the middle of nowhere when there is no one to assist you? Well, you may never have had this happen to you, but I own a 1999 Harley so it happens to me - a lot. Probably it is because I ride the thing once every three to four months. I store it in a car park where there are no power points so I can’t leave it on a charger. I guess I am asking for trouble.
So what is this? It is a mini charger for smart phones and tablets, plus a jumpstart unit for motorbikes and cars called a JunoJumpR. The actual unit is about the same dimensions and weight as an iPhone 4. This tiny little battery pack has a USB port on it and a plug connection to plug in a small car battery style set of clamps. It also comes with a car cigarette 12V lighter adapter for charging the JunoJumpR unit when it goes flat. The JunoJumpR can be charged by the car cigarette adapter or by the USB port and there are four blue lights (once you’ve turned it on) that indicate how much charge it has. There is also a built-in torch in case you need to use it at night.
Here is how I put it to the test. I had not ridden my Harley for around 6 months, so I knew it was not going to start. Normally I would get a set of traditional car jumper leads, grab my car and go stuff about with jump-starting the Harley from my car. Not this time. I grabbed the JunoJumpR and the Harley key. Sure enough, my bike’s battery was flat. It only had enough charge to light up the instruments and a very dim headlight. There was not enough to turn the engine
WORDS JOHN CONNOR
over. Just that annoying “click, click” of the starter motor trying to do its work. So I lifted the Harley seat and connected the JunoJumpR. The Harley started first time. I was so impressed.
But I had one other test for it to see just how good this little device is.
I had had my car sitting in the car park for about 8 months. I had not touched the car for all that time due to a “small” speeding fine I had received. I was now able to ride and drive again, but sure enough my car battery was flat after sitting for 8 months. There was not enough charge left to turn over the engine but with the JunoJumpR connected, my car started first time. The engine is a V8, too!
The other function of the device is for charging smartphones or basically anything with a USB port. It does a great job of that, as well.
The unit itself charges fairly quickly. I drained the JunoJumpR by charging up my iPhone6 a few times - it charged the phone four times before going completely flat. I then charged the JunoJumpR once by the car cigarette lighter and once by the USB port. It took around 40 minutes using either method to fully chargenot bad at all!
The instruction book says it can jump start a car 10 times before going flat. It did my dead flat Harley and car, with the unit indicating it was still fully charged.
The JunoJumpR is priced at $120 and comes with a 1 year warranty. I am so impressed with the size and ease of use, that I bought two of these. One went into the glovebox of the car and the other is in the Harley.
Visit the JunoJumpR website to purchase www.smartmotorcycleaccessories.com.au or call Nic on 0438 432 751.
» Weighs only 570g
» Inflate a low or flat tyre quickly and safely
» Ideal for use on motorcycles, ATV’s and scooters
Tubeless Tyre Repair
» Made in the USA from billet 6061 aluminum
» Lightweight. No reaming. No glue.
» Store spare plugs in the end cap
Precision Noise Filtration
» Reduces wind & road noise
» Enhances situation awareness
» Comfortable, washable & re-usable
» Allows communication & intercom use
“LIKE THE PUBS IN MANY SUCH TOWNS, THE EMMAVILLE TATTERSALLS IS PUTTING THE WELCOME MAT OUT TO BIKE RIDERS.”
Tattersalls pub not long after it was built … …and today.
WHAT’S MINE IS… WELL, HERE
TATTERSALLS HOTEL, EMMAVILLE NSW
WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
RATED 4 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
The more you ride around this country the more you realise the mines have a lot to answer for, good and bad.
It’s pretty bloody hard to find a pristine beautiful panorama that’s not framed by signs alerting you to the voracious plans of some mining company.
In the small towns that are the life-blood of the bush, the pubs and shops, in fact their entire cultures, are struggling with the absence of their young men who’ve gone seeking much better money as FIFO’s in donga infested holes in the ground.
If Gina Reinhart had her way she’d revise Banjo’s work to sing praises of ‘the vision splendid of the charcoal plains extended, and at night the boundless beauty of the everlasting scars*.’
But way back when, it was the mines, the rushes that really opened parts of the country. It was the dirt and what often lay just below it that drew the masses and populated a lot of our interior.
It’s ironic how so many of the towns that were founded by hordes of hopeful diggers and scratchers are now struggling under the loss of their young who’ve gone off in search of other minerals: towns fossilised by distant fossil fuels.
The creative gold rushes have been replaced by destructive coal rushes.
I got to thinking all this as I wandered around the excellent Mining Museum at Emmaville, a town of just 400 a bit off the New England Highway north of Glenn Innes, a town founded on tin and silver and zinc and gold rushes over a century ago. I’d woken at the Tattersall’s Hotel across the road and as I had my morning brew on the east-facing balcony in the unfiltered sun, a crowd of over twenty had been waiting for the place to open at 10.00am.
Huh? A couple of dozen folks waiting for a museum of rocks to open in a tiny backwater town on a weekday morning? The comment, ‘Must have rocks in their heads,’ is too cheap and obvious so I won’t make it!
Anyway once I’d finished my heart starter I wandered over to see what all the fuss was about and ended up with Ron taking me under his wing.
But first I’ve just gotta backtrack a bit. I’d not aimed to be at Emmaville. Before yesterday I knew nothing about it. I’d seen the signs for it but never bothered going in. This time I was exploring cameo off-piste options for riding the NEH and on a spur decided to detour north west from Glen Innes, intending to then cut back east to spend the night at Deepwater
where I heard the pub was being rebuilt and was open for business. (See breakout).
Now in these rambles, one of the themes I keep coming back to is the way towns have an instant vibe, an immediate character. You can feel many towns as you ride in the first time. Emmaville is one of these. It exudes a friendliness and pride from the moment you hit the 50km/h signs after 40km of very, very enjoyable riding up from GI. (The road back out to Deepwater is only slightly less enjoyable).
The old bloke in pyjamas in the hospital garden gives a wave, two kids playing their pushies look up, smile and give a thumbs up, you notice every house is neat and surrounded by welltended gardens and the guy havin’ his durry out front of the pub says, “G’day” the moment you get your helmet off. I wasn’t going to be seeing Deepwater tonight!
Inside the pub, there’s a couple of groups of blokes having an after work lube and behind the bar is Robbie. “Of course” he can fix me a room upstairs.
“You want to put your bike around the back and lock it in the garage?” he asks before telling me when tea’s on (just as soon as Dot’s back) and then getting me a drink. This first drink comes free like it does to all riders checking in. It’s no surprise to later find out that Robbie and Dot are good friends with Helen Rush at the Stockman Hotel in Texas who first started the idea of free first drinks for riders booking a room.
It’s not a bad chardy I get so I take some in and then take in the bar. Nothing fancy here, just an honest fair dinkum country pub. Photos of old footy teams on the wall together with trophy fish heads and a shelf of indeterminate sporting trophies, all testifying to the connection of the place to the community. Good signs.
I decide to leave the bike under the cover of the front balcony and I take my stuff upstairs. The rooms are basic but with everything you are going to need. Strong hooks for the armour wear, bedside table, accessible power sockets
for the rechargers and all below original pressed iron ceilings.
There’re ten rooms in total able to take 24 guests: 3 twin singles, 3 queen doubles and 4 rooms with a queen double and a single. Cost is a pretty average $45.00 per head per night. Out back there is a massive lawn area where riders can swag for just 3 bucks to cover the use of the showers and toilets. (Towels are not provided.)
The record overnight stay is 172 for a massive fund raising ride a couple of years back and they’ve also ‘comfortably’ handled 92 riders all swagging and camping out the back for a 21st. So don’t go thinking your group may be too big for this pub, it’s obviously a homely place where there’s always room for one more!
With maybe one caveat: There’s no town water in Emmaville, everything runs off rainwater tanks and so when you’re using the basic but clean and wellmaintained showers, do so sparingly and maybe with a friend!
After checking out the facilities I wander around the town and again am blown away by the obvious pride everyone has in their home patch. At the far end of town is the ‘bottom pub’ which also looks very friendly and in the middle of the block is the extraordinarily beautiful old Post Office.
Back at the pub it’s Thursday night, the opening of the NRL season and my beloved Rabbitohs, the pride of the League are playing. It’s live on TV but the telly’s not on and I don’t care. Half a dozen locals hang at the bar, actually talking to each other!
Dot’s now behind the bar with Robbie and we get chatting. These childhood sweethearts, both born in Emmaville, have been married for 45 years and spent every day of their working lives together. About 15 years ago they sold
1. Dot and Robbie behind the bar.
2. Rooms are basic but comfortable.
3. Ron at the mining museum.
4. Trophies reflect glory days gone by.
their 36-year-old earthmoving business on the Gold Coast and were retired for six years before coming back to Emmaville for a bit of a break. The pub was pretty run down and one night Robbie got on the turps with Warren Barnes, the owner. Robbie could see ‘Barnsie’ was going to sell the license and the town was going to lose the pub, “So I bought it, bought it on a handshake, coz we were born here and we didn’t want to see the town lose the pub.”
Dot disappears to cook me up a standard but tasty schnitzel as Robbie explains how they stripped the place, threw everything over the balcony onto the street and began to get it all a bit more respectable.
And now, 8 years later, they’ve got a pub that was 100 last year that is showing its age considerably less. It’s warm and welcoming, reflecting the town which surrounds it but it’s a quiet night so around 9.00 we pack it in and I pass out quickly on a very comfortable bed. Which brings me back to Ron. Remember Ron? We left him in the
Museum across the road some 20 paragraphs back. So, anyway, Ron leaves me to wander ‘round the place at my own pace, offers me a coffee and biscuit from the Arnott’s Assorted Cream Selection and then answers every silly question I have with patience, knowledge, humour and understanding.
The place is a bit misnamed though, as there’s a pile of stuff that ain’t rocks but more general history of this boom and bust mining town and dominating one wall, tellingly, is a spread of photos of the local rugby teams. You soon notice that, like at the pub, there are no current teams, the last local derby against arch rivals Tent Creek was in 1994.
The Club, like the cricket club and the tennis club, folded as the mines here dried up and the pits in distant parts beckoned the young men of the town. The old butcher shop is now a mining office and shopping is mostly done in ‘Glen’.
Like the pubs in many such towns, The Emmaville Tattersalls is putting the welcome mat out to bike riders. Unlike
many of them though, Dot and Robbie don’t see motorcyclists as a resource to be simply mined, they see us as alluvials who can enrich their town on many fronts and who are prepared to provide for us.
Their ‘first drink free’ policy, their huge secure parking, their welcoming of swaggers all reflect their incredible goodness and their ‘fair go’ philosophy.
If you’re riding up the New England or just wanting a destination for a group ride, the Tattersalls at Emmaville will give you a simple, basic good welcome. Go there, you’ll dig it!**
The Tattersalls Hotel, Emmaville, buoyed by the specials for riders, rated 4 helmets on our scale and had a value rating of 180 where 100 is standard.
Telephone 02 6734 7309 (Robbie and Dot)
*That’s pretty good, isn’t it? A big hand for Colin!
** Well, you can’t win them all – The Bear
Pub News
If you’re into epic comebacks and phoenix-like resurrections from ashes, and if you are into classic Aussie bush pubs, this has been a month with two, hopefully three pieces of really good news. A trio of pubs in disparate parts of NSW is rising from the remnants of devastating fires. Luckily unlike the bird, the gestations period is somewhat less than 1400 years!
predecessor. Brett Harley, the builder, told me that he reckons the first beers will be pulled in July or maybe August. I think we can take him at his word coz we all know how reliable Harleys are! I’ll keep you posted here and no doubt we’ll organise a run out there for the reopening.
Just on two years ago the Mt Warning Hotel at Uki out from Murwillumbah burnt to the ground in a massive loss for locals and for riders. It’s now about one third rebuilt and looks like the new version is going to be very close to its
A bit to the south, the pub at Deepwater, destroyed by fire back in 2011, is due to re-open a couple of months earlier in the middle of May with owners Andrew and Linda well into the reconstruction of what promises to be a unique and welcoming hostelry.
And there’s a strong rumour that down south in the MIA, the iconic Conargo Pub which went up in flames just last November is also about to be rebuilt. We can only hope that the locals and anyone
2.
3.
else with memorabilia to replace the unique selection that burned in the fire will come forward and help decorate the place. It deserves nothing less!
Meanwhile, the local chamber of commerce has applied for a license to sell alcohol in the Conargo Town Hall on Friday nights. With free camping at the oval across the way and the most ornate public toilets in all of regional Australia on hand, it would make for a great start to the weekend. Stay Tuned! CW
1. The Conargo Pub as it used to be.
Deepwater Inn rising from the ashes indeed.
Mt Warning Hotel at Uki under construction.
MORE GEAR FLYING THROUGH THE DOORS
COMFY, FUNCTIONAL – SPEED!
Shark Speed R Carbon Series 2 helmet. Price - $599.95
Whenit comes to a full face road helmet, there are three things I want – comfort, functionality and ease of use – the new Shark Speed R Carbon Series 2 has all three, so I’m happy!
The Speed-R has racing styling, but it is a highly aerodynamic helmet specially designed for the road and unfaired motorcycles. Wind tunnel tested to ensure optimum aerodynamics and ventilation it not only offers a nice amount of airflow, but it has to be one of the most stable road helmets I’ve ever worn. The only helmet that compares to this helmet at speed is my Shark Race-R Pro Carbon helmet, which is a race orientated helmet – not offering the more
road friendly design of the Speed R Series 2 Carbon.
You get the same thick 4mm visor,as the Race R Pro, but the Speed R has an internal drop down sun visor, which is operated by a slide on the top of the helmet. It is easy to use with gloves on. The main visor comes with a Pinlock so there is no more fogging up. My only gripe with the visor, when fully shut, is that it’s held in place by what I can best describe as a small pin and the only way to reopen the visor is with sheer brute force. The only leverage you have is a small piece of plastic protruding from the visor, but with gloves on, it’s difficult to do. It does loosen up a little after a few uses, but take your time to get used to it.
This Series 2 helmet is lighter than the first Speed R, but when you pick up the
Series 2 it still feels like it has some weight in it, yet when you put it on your head and ride with it, it feels light. I think it must be playing some mind games with my senses! Quietness is good due to the excellent aerodynamics and the (removable and washable) liner and how it tucks in closer around your neck.
The bamboo liner is super comfy and keeps sweaty smells away as best as possible. For those who wear glasses, the Speed R has special channels in the sides so that specs can easily be fitted and removed.
Other features of the Speed R include carbon fibre construction, double blade spoiler for an effect that refreshes and prevents fogging, a double D-ring strap and two shell sizes for optimal fit. The helmet is also www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Sharktooth ready – Shark’s cleverlynamed Bluetooth headset.
Having now worn the Shark Speed R Carbon Series 2 helmet for over a month, I’m impressed with its comfort, vision and functionality. You will be seeing quite a bit of this helmet in these pages from now on. SW
THE BEST OPEN FACE ON THE MARKET?
Rjays Sturgis Platinum helmet
Price - $149.95
Rjays offers a large number of modestly
priced and functional products which give you precisely what you pay for. But let me introduce the Rjays Sturgis Platinum open face helmet, and ignore that description! Featuring genuine leather trim with a plush quilted comfort liner, this is the most comfortable open face helmet I’ve ever worn – full stop. Most open face helmets I’ve worn over the years never really seemed to fit properly, but the Platinum is bang on for comfort. Another surprise I got with this open face is that it is a relatively quiet open
face helmet, cutting a lot of noise to the ears. The nicely low profile of the shell gives you the looks, too. I highly recommend this helmet, so check one out at your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au to find your local retailer. SW
PROTECTION VIA A FORCE FIELD
Forcefield Blade back protector
Price - $169
Those of us who have had the misfortune to fall off a motorcycle
know just how much it can hurt, and just how badly you can get beaten up with broken bones, bruising and all sorts of “wonderful” stuff! The main “structure” in your body – your back - is one of the most important ones to protect, so having a quality back protector is a must. The guys at Forcefield have released a number of new back protectors (check issue #26 for the comprehensive Forcefield ad), but I was after a back protector that was flexible and as thin as safely possible. Forcefield’s Blade was the answer so I got hold of one and took it to the world launch of the Yamaha R1 and the Australian BMW S 1000 RR launch, and even raced with it at the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed.
I
CAN ‘HEAR’ CLEARLY NOW THE RAIN HAS GONE…
Interphone F5 MC twin pack
Price - $549.95
many other headsets I’ve tried.
I was immediately impressed with the flexibility. I could actually move better with it under my leathers, thanks to it being super flexible and a touch thinner than my previous Knox Kompact back protector.
The Blade provides CE Level 2 protection, representing the highest current standard. The Blade is made with four layers of Nitrex Evo, a high-tech impact-absorbing memory foam. Featuring adjustable shoulder straps and a Velcro waist strap with extra Velcro adjustments for the kidneys, the Blade remains securely in place even when used under a loose-fitting riding jacket. The Forcefield Blade is available in four sizes ranging from XS to L –waist to shoulder length XS 4348cm, S 48-53cm, M 53-58cm and L 58-60cm. I’m 195cm tall and fit the large nicely. It is a top choice of back protector for all types of riding. Grab one at your local bike shop or visit www.proaccessories.com.au email sales@proaccessories.com.au or call 07 3277 0675. SW
There seem to be so many headsets on the market now that it can seem quite hard to choose the one that’s right for what you want. My favourite has been the UClear which is good for phone calls and listening to music from my phone. It has also been good to connect up with a pillion and talk to each other if need be. But, what if you want more functions, like radio and a nice voice that tells you what is going on? Well, the Interphone F5MC headset is the one to get. I got the twin pack and fitted them to both my and Alana’s helmets.
Pairing the two devices was easy. The volume doesn’t go up as loud as I’d like but it is more than adequate for speeds up to 120km/h. Answering a phone call is an easy task – just say hello or something similar, wait a second, then say hello again and away you go.
However the main feature I like about the new F5MC headset is the nice female (let’s call her Jane) who talks to you. For example, Jane tells you when the device is powering up, you have reached max volume, or you are powering down, turning the device off. Jane also talks to you on a number of other occasions which is a great function to have, so you aren’t left wondering what’s going on.
The FM radio has a good range – 88 to 108 MHz frequency. It is clear, unlike
Fitting the F5MC to my Shark Speed R helmet was very simple. The ear pieces are not too big, fitting nicely into the ear recess and are not noticeable with the helmet on. Same goes for Alana’s helmet. She has an older Shark helmet and many ear pieces just wouldn’t be comfortable for her inside the helmet, but these are flat enough so she finds them comfortable.
Other features of the new F5MC headsets include talk time up to 12 hours, standby time 700 hours, a charging time of 3 hours, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for advanced audio filtering and wind noise suppression, intercom up to 1.3 km in full duplex, a 4-way (conference mode, 4 different bikes or 2 bikes rider + passenger), 3-way (3 separate bikers) or 2-way (rider-to-rider or rider-to-passenger) setup… and the F5MC is compatible with most major satnavs for motorcycles for GPS voice instructions.
Mobile phone functions include headset and hands-free profiles, voice dial, redial, call reject, last number redial, TTS – (Text To Speech) multi-lingual spoken status announcements, noise cancellation microphone and AGC Technologyautomatic volume adjustment.
A great all-round headset that’s clear and easy to use. What more could you want! Pick up a set at your local bike shop. SW
ADVENTURE TRAVEL FILM FESTIVAL
RIDE THE BIG SCREEN
WORDS/PHOTOS JACQUI KENNEDY
Bright is calling! If you’re a traveller with an iota of adventure running through your veins, you need to block off the calendar every February and make your way to the gorgeous town of Bright, Victoria for the Adventure Travel Film Festival.
Three days of incredible films and inspirational speakers leaves a person twitching with desire to liquidise the kid’s inheritance and hit the road/mountains/ rivers by whatever means possible. From the Himalayas to the depths of Africa, outback Australia and the Dakar race in Argentina – by bicycle, canoe, moto or foot; the movies will have you on the edge of your seat. You can taste the dust; sense the numbing cold; suffer the dehydration; and feel the pain. Then you can go have a beer. Seriously, every challenge undertaken and shared with us mere mortals just serves to inspire us to new heights of exploration and adventure.
The calibre of the movies and speakers this year was once again remarkable. Rupert Shaw, the festival’s organiser, is guided by the legendary Austin Vince who runs the show in the UK, but this year’s festival included a good range of Aussie films like Dreamracer,
Continental Drift, The Ride and Njinga. It is always a bonus when the “star” of the film is in attendance making the Q&A sessions afterwards into exciting events in themselves. Kate Leeming (Njinga) and Christophe Barriere-Varju (Dreamracer) were there in person
“EVERY CHALLENGE… SHARED WITH US MERE MORTALS JUST SERVES TO INSPIRE US TO NEW HEIGHTS OF EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE”
giving excellent presentations alongside veteran speakers like Ron Fellowes and Brian Rix and Shirley Hardy-Rix.
The Ride was one of the highlights. A story about four men who were critically injured in separate motorcycle accidents, subsequently becoming para or quadriplegic, who take to the outback roads on quad bikes to revisit their crash sites and the emotional impact of their lifealtering events. It is a raw and nervewracking look at what all riders fear
but dare not mention; the possibility that one day we will join the ranks of the broken.
However the true star of the weekend for me (and many others) was C90 Adventures – Malaysia to UK. Ed March is one very funny pommie riding his beloved Honda C90 (Mo’s little brother) overland through south-east Asia and the Middle East with side trips up to Everest Base Camp along the way. This film played to packed audiences under the stars at the Moonlight screening with an encore the following day by popular demand. The crowd was falling around laughing and even the BMW riders were able to crack a smile when Ed got up a head of anti-GS steam.
Filmed on an everyday camera with some smartphone footage thrown in, it proves that you don’t need the top-end equipment to produce an excellent film. If the content is exceptional we will forgive the occasional finger over the lens.
Make sure the ATFF is on your calendar for 2016 – not least because Mo will be taking centre stage for a presentation about our round Oz adventure.
GENUINE BOURBON WHISKEY COMES FROM KENTUCKY. SO DO URALS. REALLY?
Jon Taylor
URAL-IMZ AUSTRALIA
500 Terrible Vale Road, Kentucky, NSW 2354
02 6778 7436 jon@imzural.com.au
Back in 2007, Jon Taylor was looking for a new challenge after handing over the reins of his family farm to the sixth generation. Jon is no stranger to a little challenge and
probably still holds the highest finish position for an under-200cc motorcycle in the Australian Safari. He was also very active in Landcare and forestry, and imported equipment for some of Australia’s leading forest nurseries.
Jon wanted to put his extensive motorcycle and sidecar experience to good use and decided to help the many riders who wanted to learn to operate a sidecar outfit.
There is an anomaly in our licencing system; a motorcycle licence allows you to drive an outfit, when in fact you do not necessarily know how! It is quite a
different skill; you need a learning period and it can be quite dangerous for an unsuspecting new owner.
Jon needed sidecars, of course, and chose the Urals after testing them overseas. He then negotiated with Ural to become the Australian importer. He runs the business and teaches outfit riding from his family farm near Kentucky, a small rural village south of Armidale in NSW. Stuart has done his course and was very happy with it; he returned as a skilled outfit rider who could scare the licing daylights out of anyone foolish enough to sit in the chair...
NEW IN THE SHOPS
Welcome to a new section of Australian MOTORCYCLIST, highlighting some of the products and services that are sure to interest you. Manufacturers and distributors: if you have something that you think may interest our readers, just send in a photo and a few words – it’s a free service.
A MUST HAVE
SJS Smart Start Chargers
Price - $109 - $199
The SJS Smart Start Charger is a
400, 500 and 600amp capacity. The 600amp model is claimed to be able to jump start a V8 Diesel Landcruiser! All models come with a 12 month warranty. See your local bike shop or contact Kenma, the distributor –www.kenma.com.au 02 9484 0777
TIE ME DOWN, SPORT
ONeal Deluxe 1 ½” Soft tie downs
Price - $39.95
multipurpose battery charger and jump start pack, capable of packing a huge punch for its convenient form factor. Available in three models with
Rider training courses ‘Getting to know your bike’ courses Group rides (e.g. Uluru, Tasmania)
Look after your precious cargo by using top quality straps. These soft tie downs from ONeal feature 1 1/2” wide nylon webbing, double security stitching, 600lb working load limit, 1800lb breaking strength with Soft-Tye sewn-in. They are nonscratching, fit in tight areas and are available in colours: Black/Black, Black/Red, Black/Blue, Black/
Orange. See your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au
YOU BEAUTY!
La Pera seats for H-D Sportsters
Three seats to suit three different tastes are available from La Pera for the 2010-2015 Harley-Davidson Sportster models. The Stubs Spoiler to take that café style to a killer new height; Stubs Café for that traditional café look and the Bare Bones Solo for a pure and aggressive look. Contact
ADV TOURERS LISTEN UP
ONeal Element Platinum boots
Price - $229.95
Want a comfy off-road boot? Well, have a look at this great priced boot from ONeal.
Features include an easy fit with adjustable four buckle, aluminium closure system, built in heat shield, bonded and replaceable sole, built in leather heat shield, injection moulded plastic shin plate and protection, heel support and padding for extra comfort and a durable construction. Available in
Rollies Speed Shop on 07 3252 5381 or visit www.rolliesspeedshop.com
men’s and womens’ sizes. See your local bike shop or visit www. cassons.com.au
Make your Yamaha Stryker really strike some attention sparks out on the road by fitting a set of these Vance & Hines twin slash staggered black pipes. They’re long and low for the drag racer look, and you can also get a quiet or competition baffle. See your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au
•
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ADELAIDE TOURS ON NEW BENELLIS
Don’t have much time? We lead one-day or shorter tours on some of the best roads in the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula. Hire exciting BN600R Benellis. Visit www.radtours.com.au and click on the TOUR LOCATIONS button.
I’LL BE QUIET NOW. NO!
Akrapovic Sound Kit
Akrapovic has launched its latest technological innovation in the form of the “Sound Kit”, which allows you to control the sound of the exhaust
controlled by simply pressing the button on the Sound Remote Controller or via a smartphone app. With the use of a receiver to drive the actuators they open and close valves at the end of the exhaust system to either emit a legal sound, or a deep sporty sound. Visit www.akrapovic.com
CHANGE ’EM AT HOME
No-Mar Tyre Changers
No-Mar Tyre Changers, famous for developing unique tyre tools and products with a primary focus on the motorcycle industry, is making things a lot easier for its Australian
customers. Starting this month, No-Mar Tyre Changers is warehousing and selling its products and accessories direct from a new location in Sydney. Two of the flagship products lead the international charge: The Classic Model Tyre Changer (a commercial-grade product designed for all standard, sport and sport touring wheels) and the Cycle Hill Tyre Changer (a product intended for home use and designed to service dirt bikes, ATVs, standard and vintage wheels). Learn more about the
products available by visiting www.nomartyrechanger.com
STOP IT AT ONCE!
NG brake discs
Price - Varies
Ever felt that shudder or warp from your brake discs? Well you really should replace them and there is a great, well priced aftermarket option – NG Brake Discs. They have an extensive range available for most models and can offer a standard type disc or wave disc for
Once you have experienced the joy of heated riding, there is simply no going back...
Superior performance and reliability 5 heat settings Intelligent battery protection Easy to fit, easy to use
A range of selection for all riders, ask your local dealer today
just about all models available. We use NG discs ourselves (and race with them) and love them. See your local bike shop or visit www.kenma.com.au
WONDERFUL FOR THE SEAT
Ventura Seti-Moto seat bag
Price - $99
The latest in the Seat-Bag range of motorcycle luggage from Ventura is the Seti-Moto. Manufactured from durable and good looking Kodra fabric the Seti-Moto has 11 litres of capacity
FRASER ISLAND, QLD
World
Heritage-listed Fraser Island is a rare and beautiful destination, at the start of the Great Barrier Reef, offering a refreshing change from the mainland of Australia.
The island’s untamed wilderness and rugged, natural charm entices from the first, providing adventure riding excitement, but also a relaxing atmosphere from your base – wherever that may be on the island.
Once you’ve set up camp somewhere, there are hundreds of tracks which criss-cross the world’s largest sand island. Immerse yourself in the ancient rainforests, which flourish in dune valleys, coloured sand cliffs on SeventyFive Mile Beach or the mirrored lakes.
This particular route is just a sample of what you can do on Fraser Island. It is not very long but depending on your sand riding skills, might take you some time. So what I’m saying is, allow plenty of time to do a particular route, in case you get stuck in sand, have to
dig your bike out, chewing up hours of the day.
RIVER HEADS
GREAT. AND SANDY
River Heads (east of Maryborough) is where you need to get to for the barge trip with your bike over to Fraser Island. Get on the barge heading to Wanggoolba Creek (trip time is between 30 to 50 minutes, bookings are required).
KINGFISHER BAY RESORT AND VILLAGE
This village has all the essentials if you happened to have forgotten something on the mainland. You can also make this a base for an overnight stay.
DILLI VILLAGE
Basically just a place to camp overnight if need be and enjoy a swim at SeventyFive Mile Beach. No fuel is available.
EURONG
Similar to Kingfisher Bay, Eurong is a place to stay, get fuel and relax after a hard day playing in the sand.
LAKE BOOMANJIN
This is the largest perched lake in the world, covering almost 200ha. Its waters are stained brown by tannins leached from the vegetation. Good for washing your hair.
LAKE MCKENZIE (BOORANGOORA)
This inland, perched lake is a popular site. Its white sand and sparkling blue waters are very attractive. Busiest times are between 10.30am and 3pm. There are short walks to the lake from each of the three fenced picnic areas. This area also attract dingoes, so please remember take no food or drinks (except water) to the lake.
Onceyou get off the barge at Wanggoolba Creek head south on Ungowa Road down to Deep Creek. Veer left onto Dillinghams Road and make your way south east over to Dilli Village. Set up camp, go for a swim and relax.
Next morning head back past Toby’s Gap Airstrip and head north past Lake Boomanjin, Benaroon, Barga, Birrabeen and Jennings. Once you get to Central Station, you have the option of going to Kingfisher Bay or Eurong. Either way, you can base yourself at one, then the next day head for the other. Going towards Kingfisher Bay you’ll pass the very popular Lake McKenzie.
BARGE
To book and see times of travelwww.fraserislandferry.com.au or call 1800 227 437.
Dingoes are popular in some areas, so use some caution. Crocs are also found in a number of areas. Watch for the signs and don’t swim in these areas unless you like being lunch. Some of the tracks are one way only, most are well signposted. Mobile phone coverage is intermittent on Fraser Island. All emergencies: phone Triple Zero (000). Try 112, if you have no reception on your mobile phone.
Non-urgent calls: Police (Eurong): (07) 4127 9288, Ambulance: 13 12 33. Lower your tyre pressure for sand riding. Depending on the bike and load, around 22psi is a good base setup.
This month our long term Yamaha MT07 has clocked up just over 2000km. I still haven’t had it in for its first service –naughty, naughty, but it has been planned with Yamaha to get it done.
We all know the wonderful products that Barkbusters make, mostly for the off-road crowd, but they also do a full road line of accessories, so we opted to put a set of the carbon handguards onto the MT-07 and see what they’re like.
When the parcel turned up I assumed the frames would be like other Barkbuster products – going into the end of the bar end, then attaching to a point on the handlebar itself, but no, I was wrong. This particular frame only attaches to the bar end of the MT-07 with a neat ‘L’ shaped
frame bending around the front for the handguard to be attached. A simple fiveminute job each side that anyone can do.
But, if you prefer a different method of attaching, the frames can come in a number of different styles - single point bar end mount (as you see here), single point inner handlebar clamp mount or the “traditional” dual point aluminium backbone for added protection.
The look is amazing and the real carbon guards deflect away a decent amount of wind from the hands. This will come
into its own once the cooler months come around. Priced at $159.95 they should be high on your list of must add accessories! Grab a set at your local bike shop or visit: www.barkbusters.net or call Rideworx: 02 4271 8244. SW
MESH IT UP!
This month I also fitted the mesh inserts into the front tank fairing and rear tail. I also made a neat radiator guard out of the same style mesh to protect the radiator from all of those
nasties that try and put a hole in the core!
I already had the mesh at home and just cut a piece to size and cable tied it to the radiator, the same way as a number of radiator guards are supplied for fitting.
The mesh panels from Yamaha require removal of panels and take around an hour to complete the job. The front mesh air scoops are priced at $53.66 and the rear mesh side covers are the same price at $53.66.
Grab them from your local Yamaha dealer or visit http://yshop.yamaha-motor.com.au/ SW
YAMAHA BOLT OUTFIT MUSTANG TOURING SEAT
It pays to listen to other people. I asked the outstandingly helpful Marilyn Simmons at Mustang Seats if they were interested in my trying out one of their slick-looking sporty little Cyclone Board Racer seats on our Bolt outfit. Not only did she say yes, but she also suggested that I have a look at the Wide Vintage Solo, a touring seat that is available with a backrest.
Marilyn has never steered me wrong, so I in turn said yes, and the seats arrived in the usual short Mustang delivery time. But there was a problem. I wanted to fit the Cyclone seat first, to get my slick look. Stuart, on the other hand, was going to be riding the outfit down to the Ulysses AGM, and he was definitely in favour of trying out the Wide Vintage seat first. As usual
his reasoned arguments, backed up by a 12 inch crescent wrench, won the day and I fitted the seat with its backrest. The Ulysses ride fell through, but as you can see the touring seat is still on the outfit – it is so comfortable that it’s almost obscene. And that backrest really works; I had always thought that they looked a bit odd, but my spine is grateful for it every time I ride the outfit.
Overall quality is excellent, down to a tidy braided border along the rear base of the seat which finishes it so beautifully… well, isn’t it amazing how enthusiastic you can get about a seat?
The backrest is just as well-made and includes tough-looking and brightly chromed fittings.
Fitting the seat could not be easier either; it’s just one bolt and you’re
there. So you can take it that I’m once again grateful to Marilyn, and happy to recommend the seat to you. The part number is M-79832, and the seat is on sale at the moment for $US 476.99, or $A 609.78, and standard shipping costs $US 95.40 or $A 125.15. That currency difference is a bugger, but in my opinion you’re still getting outstanding value.
Take a look at www.mustangseats. com . And keep an eye on this column; one of these days I’ll get that Cyclone seat fitted. PT
HELLO, HONDA! PART 1
THE JAPANESE ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA, AND WHO SHOULD BE THERE TO GREET THEM BUT OUR LESTER
WORDS LESTER MORRIS
One balmy day way back in 1958
I was lurking behind the spare parts counter of Ryde Motorcycles, the suburban motorcycle store in which I spent several happy years, idly re-adjusting a balled-up sock which had been sucked under my foot by an ill-fitting wool-lined `flying’ boot. I straightened up to behold a black Ford Mercury pulling into the gutter outside the front door. This seemed strangely
ominous, and in fact was to be the portent of monumental things to come. The car disgorged a trio of short Orientals, one of whom, a step or so ahead of his fellows, reached back into the car and removed a small stack of what appeared to be colour brochures of some sort. He moved with measured steps to the front door and then, following a guttural command from one of his offsiders, climbed up the steps
to the front door and then stepped into the lower of the two showrooms and suddenly shoved his arms out in front of him like wheelbarrow handles as he bowed his head towards the floor. He stumbled up the step to the upper showroom where the parts counter stood, and I noted he was nodding his perfectly tonsured head like a pigeon as he approached, his slim fingers and perfectly manicured nails clamped in a
The C100 Super Cub, Honda’s world-beater.
CLASSIC MORRIS
death-grip on the pile of brochures he carried.
He was emitting odd hissing sounds and I wondered idly if there was something radically wrong with him; perhaps there was a fault in his breathing equipment, or an extra hole in his head where one had no right to be. Perhaps he was flatulently disposing of the remains of a bad Caucasian meal where something he ate disagreed with him, or could he simply be boiling for a leak after having spent too long within the confines of the Merc? I was not about to ask, and I imagined he wasn’t about to tell me.
All three of these blokes were immaculately dressed in matching dark suits with crisp white shirts and dark ties. I felt, at the time, that they might have been cold canvassing for an Asian funeral fund of some sort, perhaps flogging grave plots, or Bibles; maybe looking to lure people into some obscure religious sect? They arrived unheralded and un-announced, so they could have been there for any number of reasons.
Happily, it was none of these, I was soon to discover, as the trio filtered through the two showrooms, which featured twenty or so second-hand British bangers and four brand-new machines – an MSS Velocette 500cc single; one of the last, 500cc overhead camshaft all-alloy Norton Internationals (which nobody wanted, believe it or not!); a Triumph Thunderbird and a 200cc Villiers engine two-stroke James Commander commuter. There were also several Ex-Police 1955 Triumph Thunderbird outfits, with sprung-hub rear suspension – the frightful sprung hub still specified for sidecar usewhich had recently been purchased at auction after the owners had finished with them, and there were a couple of forlorn mopeds sharing space with a few scooters.
As the men weaved their way through the assembled machinery they glanced about with ill-concealed contempt, but one of them (who seemed to be their leader) nodded approvingly as he patted the Inter Norton’s fuel tank, quite
obviously ignoring the pool of oil which sat in the drip-tray underneath the machine. They sidled up to the spares counter behind which I stood transfixed, uncertain whether to run away or to heartily welcome the strangers.
Suddenly, the Brochure Bearer made thrusting gestures at me with his outthrust arms, obviously offering them to me for my inspection. I took them and he immediately snapped upright, then, following a hoarse cry from his immediate superior, all three of them bowed from the ankles, hissing like a bunch of pit vipers!
It was an impressive display, andbefore I could stop myself - I in turn bowed and hissed back at them, muttering my thanks. Well, what did I know about their customs? This was my first sight of Genuine Japanese men, which I correctly thought them to be, and I had found the whole exercise a bit over the top; if not downright intimidating. But I still had not a blind idea who they were, or what the heck they were on about.
Apart from my thanks, which elicited Cheshire-cat grins all round, though I noted their eyes remained disturbingly hooded, nobody had said anything so I turned my attention to the colour brochures, which quite obviously featured motorcycles.
The name on the cover said HONDA, which I had never heard of before, but the illustration and wording was, I clearly remember, most impressive.
The colour photograph which was featured on the cover showed a bright red, twin-cylinder motorcycle clearly ridden at high speed, the rider, oddly, lying down on the thing, his belly on the dual-seat and his short legs thrust straight out behind him!
The photo immediately put me in mind of an American oddball named Roland Free, who had ridden a Black Lightning Vincent on Bonneville Salt Flats in the early fifties to a speed in excess of 150mph, while wearing nothing but a tight-fitting bathing cap, swimming trunks and sandshoes! He compounded this absurdity by placing his stomach on the rear mudguard and
thrusting his legs out behind him, claiming that the lack of flapping leathers allied to the prone riding position removed drag and allowed for a much higher speed than might otherwise be expected.
Clearly, this had provided the inspiration for the cover shot on the HONDA brochure, but no-one explained how these riders managed – at, one assumes , a very high speed in top gear – to achieve such a riding position, how they got back down again, and how the family Jewels survived such a pasting.
The cover illustration carried a classic caption to describe the exciting range of motorcycles detailed inside. They were, according to the caption, and I quote verbatim:-“A superior chunk of high efficiency engine, for high speed thrill cuts through the wind motorcycling.”
Quaint? If you thought that was quaint, you should have read some of the workshop and spare parts manuals which were to follow as Honda gained strength before their English improved!
If the cover shot was impressive, then the motorcycles displayed inside were out of this world when compared with the current crop of English and (extremely rare) German and even rarer Italian machines we were desperately trying to flog at the time. Many of the original designs of those brand-new British machines we had on display were, in fact, 30 and more years old.
Honda Dream, the brochure shrieked, featured twin-cylinder, 250cc and 305cc four-stroke engines with overhead camshafts(!), totally enclosed rear chains(!), twin rear-view mirrors(!), blinkers(?) and –wait for it –electric self starters(!!).
In this, the 21st century, you may shout ‘what’s new about all that?’, but we are talking 1958 you may recall, just after the middle of last century. Clearly, Honda was well and truly ahead of the game with those new machines, for I had never seen equipment levels like this before, and must have stood slack-jawed at the
visions which unfolded before me at every turn of the page.
As I`ve said , there were 250 and 305cc ohc twins, but there were also a couple of brochures for the Honda Benly 125cc ohc twin which arrived several weeks later, and was even more mind-blowing because the only 125cc commuter machines which were on hand in those days were singlecylinder two-strokes or the occasional 200cc, ohv Triumph Tiger Cub. BSA Bantam had its own engine – pinched from the German DKW as part of war reparation – while the others (and there were several of them) were fitted with 125 or 200ccVilliers engines. We are, of course, excepting motor scooters at this time.
However, though the new Hondas employed unheard-of equipment levels, their appearance was nonetheless very familiar. The engines bore more than a passing resemblance to the German 250cc NSU twins which had won several World Championships in motorcycle racing a few years previously, while the chunky, pressedmetal frames and leading-link front forks were almost identical to the 250cc, single- cylinder overhead camshaft NSU roadsters.
The general finish of the machines looked fantastic in print, with Post-box Red and Reckitts Blue dominant, the bikes fitted with matching dual-seats and their unusual, rectangular ‘knifeedge’ styling. I can’t remember all of the technical specifications which may have been included, but the 250 employed the classic 54x54mm bore/ stroke specifications, while the 305cc (which, because it was in the higher
registration bracket, became the orphan of the storm) was over-bored to 57mm. Contrary to popular belief, the 50cc C100 step-thru which really secured Honda’s fortunes didn’t arrive in Australia until late in September,1958, a scant few weeks after the first model left the production lines the first week of August, the bike later displayed on the Bennett and Wood stand at the October, 1958 Motor Show. That odd little machine shared its spot with the few other machines in Honda’s – at the time – small range of motorcycles. That little step-thru was to prove to be the machine which saved the entire motorcycle industry world-wide, for I have always maintained that Honda was unarguably the motorcycle company which placed the whole world back on two wheels again. With more than 50 years gone and some 60 million-plus machines later, the machine is still being made (in various guises, it must be said), often with an overhead camshaft engine and up to 110cc capacity, with varieties of the original machine being used by postmen, farmers, commuters and a large variety of people from almost every field of endeavour you could think of. Incredibly, Honda was to presage this scenario in the design of that first Cub’s brochure, because that original brochure, which arrived with the first batch of machines, carried several photo illustrations of people riding it about who were clearly not your average motorcyclist but who were nonetheless actually mounted upon a ‘sort of’ motorcycle; however small and oddlooking that machine may have been. That initial full-colour brochure from September 1958, with its most unusual
To Advertise call Terri on 02 9938 5447 Get your message out faster! www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
illustrations, quite probably led to that great American Classic promotion which was to appear a few years later, and which extolled the virtues of the little machine as never before, while suggesting to a stunned world that “You Meet the Nicest People On a Honda!”. The later American promotion, possibly following on from the original Honda brochure, would surely have been amongst the greatest publicity campaigns ever created.
So, Honda had arrived – the first machines had appeared in Sydney in April, 1958 – and the Renaissance of motorcycling had begun. It began in Australia, be well aware of that, for Honda arrived here a full year before the machines were introduced into its next markets, which of course included America. The bikes were on display on Bennett and Woods’ motorcycle stand at the Sydney Motor Show in October of 1958, a few months before they were seen in the Netherlands, and almost a full year before they appeared in 1959 at the Earls Court Motorcycle Show in England.
Clearly, they had arrived first in Australia because of our proximity to Japan, but just how good were they, how well did they perform, what problems, if any, did Honda have in those very early days? We shall shortly see as we unfurl the Good, the Bad and indeed, the Ugly of HONDA and its arrival in Australia, the first nation – in fact the first city - in the world to import this brand new machine!
Keep an eye out for the second instalment in Lester’s story of Honda’s early days in Australia.
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!
This month’s winner of the excellent Andy Strapz AA Bagz is Jeff Cole
BLOODY BORIS
Boris.
You’re a bloody nuisance, not because you speed but for what you wrote. I fell off my chair and hurt myself laughing before I could get a quarter of my way through your Deal With It article. The truth can be very funny. Go son go. Rob Mitchell Orange, NSW
FEEDBACK MARTIN
Hello, Bear.
You may recall meeting me in Maryborough at the Ulysses AGM, but
from Alice Springs. The thought of his Family Jewels hitting the Velo’s tank was enough to make every one of us grimace, so we thought we’d make him feel a little better, anyway. We need your postal address now Jeff, so Andy can send you the bag – which, as I think I may have mentioned, we use ourselves and would not know how to do without.
A perfect combination of size, fitting methods and shape makes our office bag(z) the bag(z) of choice whenever any of us go anywhere.
then again maybe not. I was the bloke with the grey beard and the Ulysses vest, ha ha. Oh, and we talked about feet forward bikes, especially the Quasar. Just thought I’d give you a bit of feedback on Motorcyclist. I’m pleased to say that I can leave it out on the coffee table in our reception (I run a mid-sized consulting firm). Even the addition of Boris’ wild imaginings hasn’t changed that, thank God. I read his stuff almost against my better judgement, simply because he is funny.
Someone who is also funny and who does not strain my better judgement is Lester
VELOCETTE BLUES
Bear,
In Issue 25 What Say You, you asked if anyone had put a permanent dent in the tank from cold or fear. I didn’t have time for fear when I T-boned a car that turned in front of my Velocette, leaving a rather large dent in the rear of the tank caused by my crotch. Fortunately the dent could be removed and my testicles (whose colour resembled the black of the tank with a hint of blue) recovered in time. Re the matt-finish cover: ‘Glossy magazine’ has become a derogatory term so best stick to the matt.
Jeff Cole
Alice Springs, NT
Morris. I did consider asking you to print his life story some time, but I suspect that would fill the entire magazine and then some.
The reviews of motorcycles are a little too technical for me, but at least they are concise and, I’m sure, useful to readers who are interested in technical background. All I really want is an idea of what’s out there, and what I might consider buying.
Your travel pieces are the best part of the magazine, to my mind. I prefer the ones written by you and your regular contributors, but I understand why
THE WINNER IS…
you also print readers’ trips. They are often inspirations to go and do something similar. I like the maps very much, and the Pub of the Month seems to me like a genuine attempt to support the bush. On quite a different note, the overseas travel is also welcome because it concerns journeys that I could (and will in a few years when I retire) do myself. I even enjoy the advertising, much of which is quite useful.
In other words, keep it up the way you’re going. If there is anything I would like more of, it is American travel stories. If there is anything I’d like to see less of it is the comic strip.
Martin the Greybeard Lismore, NSW
EMPEROR
LESTER
Hello Bear,
The machine to which your correspondent Trevor referred in Issue 23 - the bike from Issue 19 [page 12], was featured in the Galvo Obituary, with John and myself framed by two motorcycles – is a 1956 400cc twin-cylinder Horex ‘Imperator’ (Emperor), which mas made in Germany by the once-large Horex company. For some odd reason, the bike was sold into America as a ‘Citation’. It was owned by John, and was being ridden, at the time, as a subject in a two way comparison between it and the brand new, 1978 CB440T Honda, which was also a twincylinder single-overhead camshaft design. I was conducting the two-way ‘Comparo’ test for Two Wheels magazine at the time, while an in-depth road test report on the CB400 Honda had recently appeared in my own monthly newspaper, ‘Australian Motorcycling’, in 1978, at the time the photo was taken.
The two bikes sit carefully posed to illustrate the Comparison Test, the test proving to be very surprising, if not a total shock to the system. I might say John and I were not posing at the time, but enjoying a quick coffee before the in-depth comparison took place on the quiet, semi-private roads and back lanes in and around Annangrove. If I may point this out, with the space constraints which exist, the two machines were very similar in capacity and looks, but were really poles apart. They were both 400cc capacity twins, the Honda with bore x stroke measurements of 70.5mm x 50.6mm, the Horex 61.5 x 66mm. Honda employed twin 32mm Keihin vacuum carburettors, the Horex a single 25mm(?) Bing. The CB44T Honda was equipped with an electric starter, the Horex employed a kick-starter.
The Honda was said to develop 27BHP at a lofty 8000rpm, the Horex 26BHP at a more sedate 6,800rpm. Why the surprising discrepancy in power, in view of the Honda’s three-valve head, higher compression ratio and twin carbs?
Simple: Japanese horsepower ratings (Kilowatts in today’s language) use the American SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) ratings, which are read at an area near the spark plugs, whereas the European DIN ratings are read closer to the engine’s final drive sprocket, after the power generated has gone through the power-sapping gearbox.
The Honda employed a single downtube tubular ‘pipe-frame’, with Comstar fabricated wheels, telescopic front forks and single disc front brake; the Horex used a duplex down-tube, full-cradle design, with the British-designed Earles
front fork, with its rear pivot-action and short spring-damper units. The Earles fork was rarely seen in England, but was embraced with some eagerness by almost all the German factories at that time!
Honda of course featured a five-speed close-ratio gearbox, the Horex managing with just four more widely spaced gears.
The Honda, at 196kg, was just 20kg heavier than the Horex, which as near as makes no difference.
How did they compare? Surprisingly, if unhappily as well, and considering the fact that the German motorcycle was 20 years older than the Japanese machine, the Horex ate the poor Honda alive in every department!
John and I changed bikes on and off for most of the day, and carried out a large variety of tests in a very regular manner. We carried out side-by-side acceleration tests, flew through some very fast, smooth corners and some much slower, very choppy corners over broken bitumen, and carried out a series of braking tests as well.
The Horex was much faster and far more comfortable; to our surprise it stopped several meters earlier than the Honda; it ran more smoothly (even with the Honda’s contra-rotating balance shafts), while the German bike had a quieter exhaust and less engine noise. If it surprises the casual reader of this worthwhile publication to learn this unasked for information, then rest assured it actually amazed us.
Sadly, the Horex was gone the following year when the factory closed in 1957(!), just a few months before that first Honda C71 arrived in Oz in April, 1958.
* My first-hand history of Honda arriving in Oz is coming up in later issues of AMM.
WHAT SAY YOU?
Oh, yes, I was in the motorcycle trade at the time, and for several years afterwards!
Lester Morris
SIGN UP NOW
Hey Bear,
Can I still join the Bear Army? I need a new Tshirt!
Corky Ballina NSW
Yes, Corky, of course you can. Ballina, eh?
Nice place, my Mum used to live there –The Bear
BOILING SPUDS
Dear Bear,
It looks to me as if the motorcycle is being accepted more and more in the east. Parking on the footpath in Melbourne, your plan for parking changes in Sydney, the new regulations eliminating the need to put splash guards on the backs of bikes, allowing filtering in NSW, then Queensland and then Victoria: all of these things are heading in the right direction. Meanwhile, here in Perth we are going back to the Dark Ages with loss of parking and persecution of riders. What is the problem here in WA? It’s as if the powers-that-be want to drive bikes off the road, if you’ll pardon the image, and are using every way they can to piss us off. We have ideal climate for motorcycling here. Is there anything we can do?
‘Spuds’ Savas
Fremantle WA
Yes, Spuds, there is something you can do – although it’s not going to be much good if you only do it by yourself. Some years ago I asked one of our contributors, Brendan Nelson, much the same question but about
all of Australia. Brendan was the leader of the Liberal Party at the time, and he had a very simple solution for me. “Things get attention when parliamentarians know that their constituents care about them,” he said (or words to that effect). “I have never heard motorcycling being raised in the party room; if enough people contacted their representative about it, it would get mentioned – and things would get done.” So the solution is simple; get enough riders together and get them to bombard their local members and ministers. Did I say simple? Well, we all know that organising motorcyclists is like herding cats… - The Bear
IT’S A WILD LIFE WITH IAN
Hi Bear and Stuart.
You were expecting debate. Here’s my bit. (about Colin Whelan’s suggestion to not swerve for wildlife.)
Braking hard and not swerving seems good advice for a lot of situations, especially if driving a ‘tin top’ and more so, a high and heavy thing like a 4wd. For bikes I think it’s not always so. Sometimes a short, quick swerve is all that is needed for small, slow/dead/ inanimate stuff. Sometimes acceleration is needed, when it’s too late to brake and the impact would have been at your front wheel.
A bit of advice that I think is sound is this. When an impact is unavoidable, in that millisecond before the hit, GET OFF THE BRAKES AND ON THE GAS. I’ve found that more often than not, when a bike smacks into most things, be they wildlife, pothole, wash-out, small log, floodway, usually dry (but not today) creek or whatever, the wheels either
leave the ground or at very least, lose grip.
Brakes on = wheels stop= loss of stability = possible prang. Wheels turning = more stability = more control = likely no prang and carry on unperturbed/check pants depending upon the incident.
In forty years of riding our backroads and tracks I’ve had more ‘close shaves’ and impacts than I can recall. Other than by good luck and forgiving, capable bikes, I’ve avoided all but the odd bruise and bent engine bar by application of the above ‘rule’.
Because there are so many variables, skills for all scenarios probably can’t be taught. It’s likely that they can mostly only be learned with time and exposure until reactions are automatic and hopefully, correct. Anyone who has ridden for decades has probably already got it, along with BOTC (Brain Operated Traction Control) and CRBS (Conditioned Reflex Braking System).
As for bovines: If they look up wild-eyed and stop chewing, I’m wary. Roos/ horses/deer /pigs/sheep: Dont trust them. Ever. Emus: Stupid as sheep of course but maybe they like a race. I’ve had one speed up after finally being overtaken and chase after me. I did not let it catch up.
Good luck.
Ian Window
Thank you, Ian. I suspect that you don’t actually disagree much with the opinion of the country copper whom Colin quoted. Especially when you write about throttling on at the last second; that’s something I have been doing for many years myself – The Bear
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FRATERNITY?
Onceupon a time (that’s always been a good way to start a story, hasn’t it?), motorcyclists held firmly to the belief that they were a fraternity. A brotherhood, as it were. Of the handlebars, no less.
I was one of those believers. My belief was grounded in my experiences, which admittedly were rather limited at the time. I rode a bike and viewed others who rode bikes as my kinsmen. Certainly, were you to wander around Mt Panorama during the Easter races, or attend a rally, this belief would be bolstered. The majority of my fellow bikers were welcoming and friendly.
But there were sections of the riding community that were not at all “Hail and well met, fellow rider!”
The outlaws for one.
Them weirdly aloof BMW touring chieftains for another.
And men who rode Moto Guzzis. They were the submariners of the motorcycle world – deranged, desperate and smelling strongly of pig-headedness.
But everyone else seemed to be of a mind.
As I got older – and boy, that sure happened in a hurry – I came to realise I had been fooling myself. The brotherhood I had imagined I was a part of was entirely illusory and largely a product of my naïve desires to belong – even though I did not take up riding for that reason.
I imagined that I wanted there to be a brotherhood and had therefore convinced myself there was such a thing.
But it was a lie. And as the years wore on and the miles passed, it
became ever more evident that I had been bullshitting myself. And with that realisation, I finally admitted to myself that I actually didn’t much like most of my fellow riders.
Yes, I am somewhat of a misanthrope in any case. Molière had the absolute right of it when he stated: “We ought to punish pitilessly that shameful pretence of friendly intercourse. I like a man to be a man, and to show on all occasions the bottom of his heart in his discourse. Let that be the thing to speak, and never let our feelings be beneath vain compliments.”
So that is how I roll. You don’t like it? Turn the page now. Shit’s only gonna get worse.
But my misanthropy is irrelevant to the fact that in this day and age, the vast majority of motorcycle riders are bone-deep knob-ends. I once imagined that the ratio of dipshit-to-decent bloke within motorcycling was about the same as for general society – perhaps even weighted a little further towards the decent-bloke end.
I am now convinced it is the other way around.
This does not mean that I live in a cave like some piss-stained curmudgeon and throw rocks at each rider that passes. But that might well be the next stage.
For as surely as chrome sparkles in the sun, so many of you are a disgrace to motorcycling. You ride like shit, you whine like curs and you’re deranged enough to think we’re all one big, happy two-wheeled family. Far too many of you like to play dress-ups and ride in parades. What’s left seems to spend its
time bemoaning what other riders wear or what speed limits are being ignored. Such creatures are certainly not my comrades.
I have a large and wonderful circle of great friends. I have never lacked in that regard. All of them ride. I have no business or any friendship with people who don’t ride bikes. And all my friends don’t consider other motorcyclists ‘brothers of the handlebars’. That’s probably why we’re friends.
After all, true friendship is based upon shared politics, passions, needs and hatreds. It is strengthened by mutual experiences.
It’s not based on simply owning a bike. Or even the same brand of bike. That’s just a marketing exercise.
Now calm down. If you’re broken down on the side of the road, I will stop and render assistance if I can. Not because you’re a fellow rider, but because you need help. My misanthropy does not extend to leaving you for the vultures.
But let’s just be clear on this; just because you’re on a bike does not make us mates, or brothers. I got over nodding at other motorcyclists decades ago. I will certainly acknowledge you if our paths cross on some outback road, but you need to stop bobbing your head at me around town like we share some special secret.
We don’t. We never will.
My motorcycling truth is not yours, nor is yours mine.
That is the searing solitary glory of motorcycling.
We all ride alone. Even in a group, we are alone.
I have all the mates I’ll ever need and I require no-one’s affirmation or approval – and in fact I am much happier if you don’t approve of what I do and how I ride.
I didn’t take up motorcycling to make friends, or join a fellowship. I was never that socially needy or inept.
I took it up to ride bloody motorcycles. I love motorcycling. I love it like a shark loves blood.
Motorcyclists? Not so much.
HBEAR FACED
EXTREME CAMPING
ave you ever been stung on the… er, the backside by a mosquito the size of a hummingbird? I mean, for all I know it actually was a hummingbird that got me near Ain Salah in the Sahara; a vampire desert hummingbird. Whatever it was, I was reminded of its attentions and those of its friends every time I sat down for a week after our night camping at the palmeries.
Ain Salah is quite a pleasant sort of place, but then again any place would look pleasant if you had just covered near enough to 700km from Ghardaia without seeing anything other than sand. This is the real desert, and when we were there the road was a narrow ribbon of poorly maintained tar, swallowed regularly by peripatetic sandhills which challenged the XS1100 Yamaha Mrs Bear and I were riding. Not that the bike was short of power, but there is only so much soft, windblown sand any bike can manage. To this day I am in awe of the ParisDakar desert riders.
Mind you, they didn’t travel two up with tools, camping gear, personal luggage, food and spare fuel and water on board. We even had a plastic washing-up bowl, as close as I’ve come to travelling with the kitchen sinkand extremely useful.
When we rolled into Ain Salah after 11 hours or so from Ghardaia, we were hoping for a campsite but our hopes were dashed. Finally one of the more trustworthy-looking locals suggested that we camp on the outskirts of town in the palmeries, the groves of date palms that form just about all the agriculture that will flourish out here.
It looked pretty good at first. The long rows of palms created a reassuring kind of pattern, and there was even water in a small pond, looking remarkably like the kind of oasis you
see in cartoons. We were aware of the mozzie problem, so we camped a fair distance from the pond; what we didn’t realise was that the palms had drip irrigation, so there was a bit of water everywhere; enough for the bastard insects (or hummingbirds) to breed.
They arrived not long after dinner, but we had good mosquito (or hummingbird) netting on our tent, so we just withdrew under the flysheet and played our usual evening game of Mastermind before going to bed. When you’re travelling, your digestion can become a bit confused. After all, what does a meal of tinned sardines with white bread and an orange suggest to you? Breakfast? Dinner? Lunch? We had had pretty much that for every meal for a while, because these were the only things you could buy in Algeria then. No wonder my digestive tract was confused.
Whatever it was, at some stage during the night I had to go and relive myself. I got up, unzipped and re-zipped the flysheet after sidling outside, and found a palm some distance away. I dropped my dacks and the mozzies (or the… you know) picked up their knives and forks. Dinner time! And no boring tinned sardines for them. It would be blood –my blood.
By the time I got back inside the fly’s mosquito netting I had, I reckon, lost a tenth of my blood supply. I swear that some of the suckers had to walk away they were so full.
Fortunately these vampire creatures matched their classical counterparts by not liking the light of the sun, so by the time we broke camp in the morning they were gone. No doubt telling their friends that “you shoulda bin there!”
But the Ain Salah palmeries were not finished with us yet. After a breakfast of an orange, some stale bread and a tin of sardines, we packed the bike and I fired it up. The XS11 was a fantastic bike for this kind of trip – it never caused the slightest problem, except after it had been serviced by a Yamaha technician in Rome – but that was later. The problem here was that whenever I applied any power, the rear wheel dug itself a little ditch and the back of the bike descended until the bottoms of the panniers rested on the sand.
O-kay. Unload the bike and carry the gear to the road; collect dry palm fronds and jam them under the rear wheel; and drop the clutch. The wheel spun up, dug itself in again but provided some forward motion as well.
I dug a narrow channel for about twenty feet before the tyre finally had enough grip for the wheel to ride up onto the top of the sand.
Re-load the bike and head back north, that 700-odd kilometres to Ghardaia. But therein lies another tale…
The Bear
NOW THAT‛S REALLY A BIT MUCH! I‛LL BET THEY‛RE A COUPLE OF 18 YEAR OLDS WITH LAMS IN THE PAPERS AND FULL POWER AT THE REAR WHEEL…
HELP ME OFF THIS THING!
THERE THEY ARE! I‛LL HAVE A WORD WITH THEM!
HE‛S TALKING ABOUT THAT CORNER JUST THEN…!
OH, YEAH, THAT WASN‛T TOO GREAT, EH?
NOW LISTEN, YOU TWO! THAT CORNER JUST THEN… ALL RIGHT?
AAH, IT‛S THIS DAMNED ARTIFICIAL…
WE USED TO TAKE THAT 20 KLIKS FASTER!
NOTHING WORKS SO WELL ANY MORE!
…HIP!
OH, ER, I WANTED… I MEAN.. WHAT IS IT?
YEAH, YEAH, WE ALL GET QUIETER WITH AGE, EH? COME ON, TIME FOR A COFFEE!
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