Sales Manager Ralph Leavsey-Moase ralph@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Photo Editor Nick Wood
Designer Amy Hale
Photographers Nick Wood Photography, Half-Light Photography
Contributors Robert Crick, Mike Grant, Jacqui Kennedy, Robert Lovas, Phil Gadd, Boris Mihailovic, Lester Morris, The Possum,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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EDITORSPEAKS
What’s he blabbing on about now?
Justbefore Christmas I was in Tasmania for the Australia launch of the new Triumph T100 and Street Cup and it got me thinking of how the West Coast of Tassie is a lot like the South Island of New Zealand. I wonder if any of you geologists out there know about when the world was one big land mass and broke apart that either Tassie or New Zealand spun around in the process of reaching their current orientation?
I know we have said it before but Tassie is a motorcyclist’s heaven. Everywhere you go, there’s twisty corners and beautiful scenery. If you can’t handle the Spirit of Tasmania boat trip which is usually a rough crossing, I recommend getting in touch with one of the motorcycle hire companies so you can fly in, ride and fly out. It also cuts the number of days you need to be away.
2016 was a big year for us here at Australian Motorcyclist. Lots of bikes were tested, plenty of kilometres travelled all for your enjoyment and a heap of motorcycling gear reviewed that we hope you’ve read about and gone out and bought, which leads me onto which bike was my favourite of 2016. After much deliberation over a couple of frosty treats I have to say I’m in love with the Yamaha MT-10. The looks polarise some people but I kind of like the ‘transformerish’ appearance. But of course the main reason for my choice is that it is so much fun to ride and can tour with
comfort, despite its design parameter. Favourite road is a simple one, because I wrote about it. The Queenstown to Glenorchy road in New Zealand wins hands down. If you have to ride one simple stunning road in your lifetime, this is it!
Best riding gear would have to be my Shoei X-Spirit III helmet. It is so light, so aerodynamic and comfy at the same time for what is a ‘race’ helmet. As for a jacket, my Segura Retro leather jacket is by far my number one. I just love the uniqueness it gains the more I wear it. Jeans, definitely the new Draggin Revz – a riding jean that doesn’t look like a riding jean. Boots, well I’ve only had two pairs of boots to try throughout 2016 and the Dririder iRide 2 casual riding boots are excellent. They are also waterproof! 2017 is going to be a huge year for motorcycling. You will have read The Bear’s reports from both Intermot and Eicma with the bucket loads of new machines just waiting for you to salivate over. As you read this, I’ve already got three launches over a couple of week period, so bring it on!
I’d also like to thank the very tiny team that makes up Australian Motorcyclist. The Bear (obviously); Mal and now Ralph; our two photographers - Nick and Nick, and our designer, Amy. Thanks for all your efforts over the past year.
Enjoy!
Cheers, Stuart.
Tassie: corners upon corners!
GRIZZLING FROMTHEBEAR
WHAT THE @#%&*
As you’ll see from the next item, I confuse fairly easily. But there are some things that I don’t understand no matter how often I think about them.
Case in point one: why do so many drivers stop at red lights well back from the induction coils in the roadway that tell the little computer that someone is waiting? I mean, folks, if you don’t park over the coils – and they’re visible enough, or the lines in the tar that show where they lurk are – for you to easily see them. Is it that hard to understand that you need to be above them before they will register your presence? Do you enjoy sitting at traffic lights, maybe just listening to the radio, you know, shooting the breeze with your passenger… Sometimes I feel like shooting you when I’m stuck there because my bike hasn’t activated the coils.
Well, gee, thanks… but I’m not quite sure what that message means…
you’re waiting for the light to change, why not wait with your baby safe on the footpath? You can’t all be suffering from terminal post-natal depression… and just in case you think I’m being flippant, I’m not. Some unfortunate child is going to get wiped out one day, and it will be their mother’s (or carer’s) fault. Don’t do it!
I’m going to leave it at that. I can think of several more things like this, but I think I need a beer.
MIXED MESSAGE
Case in point two: why do so many women dare you to kill their babies? That might seem a bit extreme, but how else do you interpret the all too common habit of pushing baby strollers out into the road at pedestrian crossings? While
I don’t know about you, but I’m confused enough without the gummint putting out mixed messages. I mean, I used to think that “FALLING ROCKS DON’T STOP” was just a way of amusing us as we rode along. After all, it’s quite true but also a bit unnecessary. I mean, I know falling rocks don’t stop except in the Goon Show of the word. As Neddy Seagoon once said: “I fell, but fortunately the ground broke my fall.”
RESISTANCE IS USELESS
It’s the Borg! Check out the look on this one! Actually I wanted to run this picture to illustrate an interesting and unexpected contrast at the big motorcycle shows in 2016. Milan, where you would have expected a bit of fashionable input into the bike gear on show, was pretty traditional. Cologne, on the other hand, had some beautiful
But then I saw this beauty. Now is that requirement to “PREPARE TO STOP” meant for rocks, or for the traffic? And does it supersede the upper sign? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
gear on display with tailored jackets –unlike the usual baggy coats – and nice new materials. Unfortunately, the brands with the most stylish clothes for women and men, like Modeka, don’t seem to have Australian distributors. Bummer.
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming
On the other side of Wisemans Ferry the language changes its meaning. Or not.
“We are the Biking Borg…”
NEWS
Just one of the exciting tours already held this year - the Dakar with Edelweiss. Amazing times and well looked after, too!
OOPS…
Naughty Bear
In our well-received “In Their Own Pics” feature where we gave some of the travel operators a chance to show us what they do, I made a mistake. Just because I deal with the wonderful Franziska at Edelweiss, I thought she’d be the right person to act as contact for you, too. Turns out she is pretty busy doing other stuff (including dealing with me!) so I’ve reproduced the correct contact details for Edelweiss below. You’ll be reading more about them, too – I’m going to Iceland with them later in the year.
Edelweiss Bike Travel: +43 5264 5690-23, worldtours@edelweissbike. com, www.edelweissbike.com is the correct way to get in touch with them. Mention me anyway, though.
AQUA BEAR
Xmas fun
Christmas time in just about all business means a bit of a get together away from the workplace for some beverages and good times. We here at Australian Motorcyclist got out on a friend’s boat for an afternoon on Sydney Harbour. Upon our return to the wharf, The Bear decided he’d be the “rope” between the boat and wharf.
Harbour. Upon our return to the wharf,
Unfortunately humans don’t stretch that far, nor have the strength to hold onto a 3 tonne boat, so The Bear made an unwanted plunge into the harbour. Luckily his fur had been shaved not too long ago as he quickly made for a proper rope that was close by. His ride home dried most of his short fur and a couple of bruises were for his valent efforts not to drown.
GO LADIES!
Metzeler ‘Natural Born Lady Rider’ 2017 Calendar
SPOIL YOURSELF
MV Agusta Parramatta
Those boys (and girls) at Urban Moto Imports are doing big things and this includes plotting more MV dealers and Royal Enfield dealers around the countryside. You’ll read in this issue about Ralph attending the latest RE store in Melbourne, while in NSW there’s a new MV Agusta store opened up in Granville on James Ruse Drive, called MV Agusta Parramatta. Check them out for all you MV bikes and gear, along with servicing. Ph: 02 9637 0722.
Celebrating the talent and passion transmitted by women riders throughout twelve months of imagery: the 2017 Metzeler calendar. Titled Natural Born Lady Rider, it was created with the aim to dedicate a tribute to female motorcycle pride, emphasizing the determination shown by women of all ages to ride their motorcycles. Visit www.metzeler.com to get hold of one.
THIS WEEKEND, JAN 21!
Troy Bayliss Classic
Got nothing to do this weekend?
Well, get to the 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic at Taree. Enjoy a jam packed day and night of oil track racing with many superstars and legends sliding their way around the Taree circuit. For more info, visit www.troybaylissevents.com . D
Giant Loop is the pioneer of the biomorphic motorcycle saddlebag system that allows you to carry your gear on almost any motorcycle without racks.
No matter if you are a sports, trail or big bore adventure rider, you will appreciate travelling lighter and further with the Giant Loop high performance “Adventure Proof” soft luggage and packing systems for your ride.
Giant Loop is the ideal luggage system to take touring, especially when you are saddling up on a rental or a loaner or have too many bikes in the shed.
The Great Basin Saddlebag is now 100% waterproof with a set of three (RFwelded) roll top waterproof Dry Pods to keep your gear sorted and dry at all times. The Great basin holds up to 60 Litres and is the ideal bag to ride behind you on just about any motorcycle. Double your luggage capacity when you add a 100% waterproof Colombia Dry Bag.
Great Basin Saddlebag
Columbian Dry Bag
Gas Bag Fuel Safe Bladder
Fandango Tank Bag Pro
Diablo Tank Bag Pro
Coyote Roll Top Saddlebag
Zigzag Handlebar Bag
BaBy, BaBy!
LAMS bikeS Are MuLtipLying Words StuA rt
The Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) has grown and grown over the past couple of years, and you can now get a LAMS approved motorcycle from just about every manufacturer out there.
For 2017, the LAMS offering continues to grow with many new models hitting the showroom floor, while the current models have been tweaked or given new colour schemes. Any way you look at it, the LAMS market is hot to trot and it’s great to see so many new riders experiencing the wonders of motorcycling, and experienced riders realising that jumping on a LAMS machine will take care of pretty much all your needs for commuting and saving money – and with some of the new adventure touring models, even more!
*Overseas model shown
Wolf in LAMS clothing? If Triumph Australia is successful, you will be able to buy a Bonneville as your first bike!
the Versys X and the Z650L which is replacing the ER-6nL. These models will fit in well with the top selling Ninja 300 and extensive road and cruiser LAMS available.
KTM
Kato continues with the popular 390 Duke which is a funky looking and exciting machine to whirl around on.
ROYAL ENFIELD
All of Royal Enfield’s models are delicious LAMS. While all of the current range are retro models, 2017 will see the highly anticipated introduction of the Himalayan with an all-new engine making for what seems
to be quite a capable mid-level adventure tourer.
TRIUMPH
Some big news at Triumph. They have been talking with the powers that be to try and get bikes meeting European A2 licence regulations available as LAMS in this country. What that means is that bikes like the Bonneville would become LAMS models, since the A2 listing is determined only by power to weight ratio, not engine capacity and power rating as it is now in Australia.
SWM
This renowned enduro bike marque now has a range of LAMS bikes to suit the retro taste out there. We reviewed the Gran Milano 440 in the last issue and found it a nice looker.
YAMAHA
The boys in blue (as you might call them) have an extensive range of LAMS to suit your taste. The R3 and MT-07L have been big, big sellers for the Japanese marque with both sitting in the top ten overall in Australia for the last
quarter of 2016. The other notable mention for Yamaha is the stalwart XVS650 which continues to outsell many other models and has virtually been unchanged for more years than I can recall.
RARE, MEDIUM OR WELL DONE?
So how do you like your ‘LAM’? Any number of styles and engine sizes is available under the LAMS regulations, so no matter what your taste you can get your ‘LAM’ in pretty much any style you like. I’m sure I’ve missed some of the smaller manufacturers in this piece but the main thing to remember here is that the more younger riders we get on the road, the more riders we’ll have as the years go by as they progress to larger capacity machines. D
extra torque could certainly make it easier to ride.
Handling is another big consideration, especially for LAMS riders. It’s interesting to note that on the road the Ninja has more feel, whereas the R3 is a bit stiffer through the frame. On the track, however, the Ninja flexes quite a lot and the R3 is more stable and turns in a little faster thanks to its shorter wheelbase. With the majority of riders who would buy these kinds of bikes, I’d be looking at how they perform on the road, rather than the track.
Styling is what first attracts you to a particular bike and the Ninja has a more ‘supersport’ size look about it whereas the R3 is slimmer and looks like a smaller capacity machine. When you actually hop on and ride both bikes they both feel quite roomy and very similar with comfortable reach to the bars and width and good seat to peg spacing. Seat heights are 785mm for the Ninja and 780mm for the R3, giving just about any rider the confidence to firmly place a foot (or both feet) on the ground at a standstill.
Braking performance sees the Ninja come out in front with a little more feel
and power; in a direct comparison the R3’s front brake has that bit less of feel available. Both bikes do have ABS available, and for learner riders, this kind of safety is a great option to have. Accessories are mainly aimed at the boy racer market but you can also get luggage for both bikes and I would happily tour on either as they can easily sit at 110km/h, no worries.
Making that final decision as to which bike you go for comes down to a couple of factors. Do you have blue blood, or green blood running through your veins? And do you want to go with or without ABS? If you compare both base ABS versions on price, there’s only a $100 difference between the two. Either way you’re getting a well built, well finished and super fun bike for your money. I would go the Ninja 300 because it’s been around for a while and the factory has had time to improve it, and also, I’ve never owned a Kwaka so getting a green infusion into my already red (Honda) and blue (Yamaha) blood would not be a bad thing. But seriously, you can’t go wrong here. D
COLOURS: Race Blu, Matt Grey, Intensity White/Rapid Red, Special Edition Movistar Replica
YAMAHA R3
EVENT SWAPPING AT SURFSIDE
Everyone has favourites of various kinds, right? A favourite bike, a favourite destination, a favourite beer – a favourite bike shop. Mine is SurfSide Motorcycle Garage on Sydney’s northern beaches. Trev, Rob and Road Rat run a competent and classy, but above all versatile workshop with a ’60s style café out the front. Who could ask for more?
Well, how about an eclectic collection of bikes, some there to have work done, that fills the place and turns over regularly? And how about regular Sunday events, like the recent Christmas Party and Swap Meet? I have to admit that I find it hard to resist swap meets, even though I have hardly ever found anything I wanted and I am… bemused, perhaps by the inflated importance with which a lot of the sellers regard their goods. Still, it’s fun. Oh, look, a complete front end for a Velocette LE Whispering Death. I wonder if that would fit the Vogue I might restore one day if I can find one? And so on.
I like the way Trev and the others engage with their customers, and I also like the fact that they have a lot of skills themselves, but know who can do the jobs that perhaps they aren’t so prepared for, like paint.
So, take this as a purely personal little story about a place I really like, and I therefore recommend. If you feel like it, write to us about the places that you really like. We’ll try to make room for all opinions at some time or other. D
SurfSide Motorcycle Garage
www.surfside.net.au
02 9905 4755
trev@surfside.net.au
42 Winbourne Road, Brookvale NSW 2100
This is the coolest exhaust/ mudguard I’ve ever seen. Well, it’s the only one.
Yes, that’s an SS Ducati up there in storage with an aluminium fairing.
The same bike’s sidestand, welded up from a drive chain. Neat.
Meet the Moto Guzzi V9. A motorcycle which has been created in the purest spirit of Moto Guzzi and hand built on the shores of Lake Como. The V9 features the iconic Moto Guzzi 850cc transverse 90° V-Twin engine and the technology you have come to expect from a brand that has been at the forefront of motorcycle innovation since 1921. An authentic motorcycle in every sense, each component of the V9 has been designed to encompass superior quality, including Anti-Lock Brembo Braking System, Traction Control and reengineered ergonomics to enhance the pleasure derived from riding a motorcycle.
The V9 is an elegant cruiser which has been designed from the legacy of its predecessors. Created with genuine Italian style, this universal mid-range cruiser allows you to follow your heart wherever it may roam.
/motoguzziaus @motoguzziaus
motoguzziaus.com.au
STreeT
Do you reckon that Triumph has an urban sports model in its range? Just look at the Street Triple – a perfect example of what ‘urban sports’ is all about – fun, agile and capable of everything you might like to throw at it in the urban jungle. But Triumph has now released what they’re calling an urban sports model, and the Bonneville Street Cup does not resemble the Street Triple much at all.
Two different approaches to the same idea? The zoo of Australian media reptiles headed to lovely Tasmania to fi nd out, riding for two days up the west coast on the Street Cup after two days down the east coast on the equally new Bonneville T100 (launch report in the next issue).
Are you a potential Street Cup owner? If you are, Triumph sees you as the kind of rider who wants a modern classic but prefers a distinctly sports focused attitude, poise and style. Someone who wants a bike that’s beautiful and makes them feel cool, and someone who
wants premium quality. This is where Triumph has devoted a lot of attention, to the detail. The premium paint fi nish goes with Triumph’s hand painted coach lines and the initials of that very talented painter near the rear tank bolt. As well, check out the suede-like alcantara seat with its seat cowl and the fl yscreen. I really liked the radiator fi tment. This is the same on all the new Bonnies, and what Triumph has done in fi tting it between the frame rails allows the bike to retain a lot of the look of pre-radiator days. You
actually need to look for it to see it. Detail on the engine including the nuts and bolts has also come under the fi ne quality eye, which creates a feeling of a fully fi nished product which is well worth the money you pay. You even get a USB charging socket under the seat, standard. Speaking of the price, the Street Cup is selling for $15,600 plus on road costs – not bad for such a great looking machine. It comes in two colours – Racing Yellow/ Silver Ice or Jet Black/Silver Ice. Choosing your colour all depends
Trying to form up for a close-in photo – didn’t work.
on whether you want to stand out from the crowd or be a little more understated, but you get ubercoolness whichever way you go.
Both the T100 and Street Cup are built in Triumph’s Thai factory. I know that many people out there might think they would be getting a lesser quality product than a bike built in the UK, but you’d be wrong. I’m told the Thai factory has regular competitions with its UK counterparts as to who can build the better quality motorcycle, and guess who wins every time? The Thai factory! So no more whining about lesser quality, okay?
The Street Cup is based on the Street Twin (reviewed in issue #39) with the 900 High Torque twin motor and ‘Street’ frame, which is different from that of the T120 and T100. Handling is medium weighted on turn in with great stability. Even the retro looking Pirelli Sportcomp tyres do a decent job of handling a variety of conditions.
Power and torque from the 900 HT parallel twin are not as punchy as from the same engine fi tted to the T100. This is a result of the different exhausts which require a slightly different tune for the ECU. It is only a small difference, but noticeable after riding the T100 for two days then jumping onto the Street Cup. The best thing about the twin exhausts are the sweet tunes that sing their way from the rear of the Street Cup. It was a delight to ride close to other bikes on the launch just to listen to the soundtrack. This is all down to the 270 degree fi ring order which gives the parallel twin a deep bassy tone.
Triumph has tuned the Street Cup to produce 80% of its torque in the 2750 – 4750rpm range, which is where they see the majority of riders using the bike. They are spot on, pretty much anything over this mark and you’re only doing it to rev the you know what out of it.
Braking sees the dual-piston Nissin caliper up front doing a good job seeing as there’s only a single disc for stopping the Street Cup when you’re
Black or yellow? Nice seat.
having some fun through corners. And corners we did riding around Tassie!
Accessories are extensive with more than 120 dedicated for the Street Cup. Of note is the association with the brand Fox which has supplied a sweet pair of performance rear shocks. And continuing the quality brands, Vance & Hines exhausts are available. Another great option is tyre pressure monitoring, also available for the Street Cup. If you want to fi t LED indicators, the Street Cup is set up to accept them. No relays and messy wiring to fi t in somewhere: just program them through the dash once fi tted! Instrumentation is retro yet
Tassie, such beauty and so many corners!
packed with all you could want. Aside from standard anti-lock braking you also get switchable (on or off) traction control. I found no difference with it on or off, but you might like it switched on in slippery wet conditions.
As Triumph has done in the past, it has used the Bonneville platform to spawn numerous offspring and rather than just sticking with the “T” series styled bikes, it’s great to see the Street Twin and now the quality, fun loving Street Cup join the fold. What do you reckon, are you ready to hold up this urban sports ‘Cup’? D
COLOURS: Racing Yellow/Silver Ice, Jet Black/Silver Ice
VERDICT:YOUR GOLDEN EGG IS WAITING
Fun tracing
Our long term Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is an awesome touring machine. It handled the mix of open road, twisty corners to maintained dirt roads with ease. Comfort is good, but I found the seat to be a little weird on this trip –maybe I was sitting in the wrong position? The triple cylinder engine is sweet as a peach so I have no words other than to ask you, “If you haven’t got a Tracer, why not?!” Trust me, you’ll really enjoy this bike for all of your travels, including the masses of luggage capacity!
TRACING OUT THE MAP
YAMAHA MT-09 TRACER WORDS/PHOTOS STUART
Making the best tourer with our long term Yamaha MT-09 Tracer means we have to go touring! So I headed out for a day with not a cloud in the sky – the kind of day you sit in the office and dream of being out riding and while it is a rare
occurrence that I can get out for days like this, riding the Tracer made it all the better.
I decided I’d drop a pin onto a map of New South Wales and work out what might be a nice ride with that as a destination. The pin ended up
TRAVEL
landing pretty much near Aberdeen so I worked out two possible rides and then thought, bugger it, let’s take in one of the most stunning roads you’ll ever ride that’s manageable on a road bike – Barrington Tops. So, out of Sydney, head out to Windsor and up the Putty Road to Singleton. On through Gresford, Dungog and up to Gloucester. From Gloucester head west along Thunderbolts Way, then continue on Scone Road, following the signs to Scone. From Gloucester to a right turn at the T-intersection on Scone Road is about 34km. Scone Road turns into Barrington Tops Forest Road. About 78km from Gloucester over a mixture of dirt and tar you’ll come to the “Dingo Gate” and the world will open up to some of the prettiest views you’ll ever see. Carry on down past Moonan Flat and its comfortable old
pub, getting onto Hunter Road and into Scone. Follow the New England Highway south to Aberdeen and you’ve arrived at your mark. You can now prick yourself with that pin to realise you’re not in a dreamland and the sights you’ve just seen are for real! Once you hit Muswellbrook get onto Denman Road and go through Denman, Jerrys Plains and rather
than heading back down the Putty Road, ride a touch further and get onto Broke Road for the ride along Wollombi Road, heading through Laguna, Kulnura and turning right onto Bloodtree Road/Wisemans Ferry Road for the nice scenic gravel route to St Albans and the tar on to Wisemans Ferry and back to Windsor, making your way home from there. D
AMD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CUSTOMISING’S CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
WORDS THE BEAR PHOTOS AMD/THE BEAR
Eighty-two bikes, 67 competitors, 23 countries - the 12th AMD World Championship at 'INTERMOT Customized' in Cologne in October was by far the most impressive custom show I have ever seen. Not only was the standard of craftsmanship outstanding, but the level of imagination matched it every time. The winner of the vote by the competitors themselves was a Japanese builder, the third time in a row that the crown has gone to Japan. Suicide Customs scored a convincing fi rst place to take the coveted title of AMD World Champion of Custom Bike Building for the next two years.
Before we go to the bikes themselves, here’s a well-deserved credit: in the motorcycle customising world there are a lot of staggeringly talented builders, but it takes skilled and inspired organisation to make a great show. There is one organiser who stands out as the man who creates truly great shows, and that’s Robin Bradley of American Motorcycle Dealer Magazine. Robin’s shows hit the spot, as INTERMOT Customized demonstrated. But on to the bikes!
The World Champions on stage with their creation projected behind them, flanked by an AMD staffer and Robin.
OVERALL WINNER
This is decided in the Freestyle Class, and Suicide Customs’ 1000cc V-twin “Rumble Racer” took it out, making it a third win in a row for Japan. With the bike crated for dry shipping to Europe several weeks before the show, Koh Niwa had tense days and late evenings at the World Championship before managing to get the bike fi red up and completing the necessary run test to qualify for the competition - his determination in the face of tough odds won the admiration of the “Class of 2016”.
CUSTOMISING
SECOND PLACE AND FIRST RESERVE CHAMPION
In a very broad international spread of top honours, this went to Michael Naumann of Germany for his Ironhead Sportster-engined “Simple Iron”. Those Ironheads never die.
Yes, the bikes have to run and be capable of being ridden, a nice touch and a major difference between the AMD World Championship and many other customizing shows. This is a true world championship. Altogether 42 bikes competed in the Freestyle class, with no less than 14 different countries featuring in the Top 20, with TEAM USA’s Larry Moore of Witchita, Kansas, taking fourth overall for his “Kontrolled Kaos”, with North Coast Custom taking fifth for “Alcatraz 521”.
RETRO MODIFIED In an extremely high quality field, this class was taken by PDF Motociclette of Italy with “Big Kahuna”, a 1000cc engined 1927 JD 8-valve.
CUSTOMISING
CAFÉ RACER
STEAM CRAZY
Flying the flag for Eastern Europe, Kharkov, Ukraine based Iron Custom Motorcycles (ICM) took this class with with “Beckman”, featuring a hand-made 56bhp, 555cc 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine.
THIRD PLACE AND SECOND RESERVE CHAMPION
This went to 2014 World Champion Fred “Krugger” Bertrand of Krugger Motorcycles in Belgium for his S&S Cycle 103 cubic inch engined “LADD”.
20th place Freestyle, the unique “Black Pearl” from Revatu Customs. Yes, these people are insane but don’t they do it well!
STREET PERFORMANCE
In another success for the small but fast-growing and innovative Irish custom scene, 2013 World Champions Mick O’Shea and Don Cronin (Medaza Cycles) took this demanding class with “Road Fever”, a 1978 Ducati 750.
CUSTOMISING
MODIFIED HARLEY-DAVIDSON
This ever-popular World Championship class was won by German-Motorcycle-Authority (Christoph Madaus) with his 1340cc (S&S heads) “Milwaukee Mile”.
11th place Freestyle, from Flame Art Design – “Strom”.
2nd place in Street Performance: Crazy Racers’-“CR1100”.
“Staged as the lead feature at the first ever ‘INTERMOT Customized’, the showwithin-a-show concept created to showcase custom industry excellence, was widely praised by exhibitors and visitors alike as delivering an inspirational and aspirational show environment that is set to champion the professionalism of the international custom market for years to come,” said Robin when I had a chat with him in his office at the show.
and Kawasaki; Ural from Russia; and German V-8 specialist Boss Hoss and much more, including some wonderful hands-on displays of things like engraving and even tattooing. I’m looking seriously at getting some engraving done on the Sporty!
In addition to the AMD World Championship bikes, the 200,000 plus high-mileage riders who visit INTERMOT saw presentations of custom excellence from a wide range of exhibitors that included several of the leading major manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson, BMW, Triumph, Yamaha
The 13th AMD World Championship will be staged at INTERMOT Customized at the Cologne Exhibition Center (Koelnmesse) in October 2018. Make a note right now and don’t miss it. It’s only a 24 hour flight from Australia, including stopovers…
And if you’re interested in more information (and maybe thinking of an entry), see www. dealer-world.com. D
Royal Hotel, GRonG GRonG
Where the hell is that?! WORDS/PHOTOS CO li N W
I’d been chatting on the phone for a while with Kay who, with husband Ted, runs the Royal Hotel at Grong Grong, and she’s expecting me when I cross the railway and pull up at the front door.
Ted’s inside using the pool table as his office desk: bills, invoices, letters cover nearly half of the green and he looks up and says his g’day. They’ve had this place for almost a quarter of a century, a long stretch for country publicans and although it’s quiet now I ask if any of the bar stools
is the private domain of any regular who might be about to front. Never want to be sitting in some bloke’s chair when he turns up tonguing for a beer! Turns out all the regulars except one have died so I can have any one I want.
That chair you’re in was Jack Evans’s but his name wasn't really Jack, it was John. He’d have his scotch and soda and then take a pie home for his tea. Every now and then he’d take two pies and I ask him if his girlfriend was coming over. Every time he’d look at
me the same way and every time he’d just say, ‘no, the cleaner’.
Next to him was Merv and Jamie sat over there and Wally would be in that seat. His wife Betty would come in and stand over there.
Old Les Wall the station master and also the post master, would come in on his crutches and sit at the end next to Cec. He was the only man who insisted on having his beer in the same glass, never a new one. Used to drink handles.
The only bloke still around is Charlie Ross who’s had his 70th, 80th and 90th birthdays in the pub.
“We got out all our teacups and put on an urn for his 90th but no-one was interested. The place was packed and they drank us dry!”
With just 150 in the town and the regulars shuffl ing off, Kay and Ted were beginning to worry about the Royal’s future when a traveller walked into their pub in 2011 and got talking.
He was looking for a place to camp, somewhere off the road, away from the traffi c and because of that chat Ted decided to open up the fi eld behind the pub for free, unpowered parking and camping.
The first year one shy of 100 people overnighted and that figure has doubled every year since and right as Kay’s explaining all this two gents come in. They’ve parked their rigs out back and can they have a couple of menus to ‘take back to the girls’ so they can decide what they’re having for dinner.
The free parking has turned the pub around and the sign out front is very carefully worded: “Free Camping for Motorhomes and Caravans”. Campervans and ‘wizzbangs’ are definitely not welcome.
“We allowed them at the start but there wasn't one that we didn't have a bad experience with. From noise to misuse of facilities and waste of water
and then cooking their own stuff in their vans and never coming into the pub, it was just unpleasant so we banned ‘em”.
But motorcycle riders?
“We’ve never had a single motorcycle rider who’s abused the system. They all respect the facilities and they all come into the pub for a feed and a drink.”
“Or three!” booms Ted from over at his ‘office’.
Good to hear but there’s another subject I want to get my teeth into: Neenish Tarts.
For sixty odd years Grong Grong was the fabled home of the Neenish Tart, the ridiculously sweet little, well I’m calling it a ‘pie’, ‘a cream pie’. A pastry base, filled with mock cream and jam and topped with two-tone icing, they were probably the most fattening thing in any school tuckshop when I was growing up. So good they’re probably banned now.
And it was all because some time in the 1980’s the Sydney Morning Herald wrote a piece about them, asking if any reader knew their origin. A bloke from Grong Grong called Doug Evans did:
“Dear Mr Journalist, My sister Venus and I clearly remember our mother's good friend Ruby Neenish of Kolabi via Ardlethan who got short of cocoa powder when baking for her daughter's unexpected shower tea in 1913.
Made do by making them with half cocoa and half white icing. From then on they were known as Neenish tarts.”
The professional and thorough staff at the Sydney Morning Herald, published the story the following week and Grong Grong’s place in the historical culinary atlas of the world was secure.
That was all good until July 2016 when Rachel Carbonell, a reporter with Radio National took an interest in these things and began digging. Pretty soon she dug up Doug Evans. Now Doug’s getting on a bit and he had a confession.
In the 60’s and 70’s a certain theatre critic at the SMH would dismiss sub-standard shows with throwaway line of, “suitable perhaps only for the Grong Grong School of Arts.”
Now this pissed-off the locals like Doug more than a little so when he saw the Herald’s interest in Neenish
Tarts he sensed a karmic moment, fortified himself with a glass of red and put fountain pen to paper.
When Rachel Carbonell called Doug he decided it was time to come clean. It was all rubbish, one big get-even. He’d made it all up. There was no sister, Venus, no Ruby Neenish and certainly no unexpected shower tea!
Just one big pisstake. Total myth! Just a very successful get-square with Aunty up in the smoke!
While we’re chatting, a naked woman on the other side of the bar catches my eye. It’s redolent of Chloe at Young and Jacksons down in Melbourne so I ask about her.
“Chloe of the West” is a painting bought by a mate of old Les Wall. Les had no use for it at either the post office or the train station so he donated it to the pub. Ted chimes in from the pool table:
“Go over and have a closer look and tell us if you see anything strange.”
Now I don't want to be too much of a perve so I take a couple of quick glances from up close.
“Nup”
“Check out her boobs and her feet,” is the suggestion.
Chloe turns out to be the lucky owner of not just two but three breasts and the not so lucky owner of two left feet. Chloe’s gone from being alluring to overtly sinister!
I’m beginning to wonder about this place: Devious and deceptive locals and women with 150% of nipples and a 100% insuffi ciency of right legs. I’m beginning to think the gene pool needs fl ushing.
I glance down at Kay’s feet but alas, she’s not wearing thongs!
There’s no bakery in Grong Grong anymore and the places I tried down the road didn't have any for me to bring but Kay had convinced Fran over at the general store to do her best.
After we’ve chatted for a while Kay pulls out a beautiful plate with a couple of almost melting moments sort of things but with the distinctive neenish duotone icing.
Now I know tarts, I’ve got a fair bit of experience with tarts, and these aren’t tarts but they’re damn fine
Ain’t like that
I’m getting a bit sick of being disappointed by country pubs which think that sticking some hats, maybe a rabbit trap, a couple of photos and a whip on the wall is enough to make their place attractive.
The Grong Grong Royal Hotel ain’t like that. Ted and Kay know that some conversation starters around the place are great but they’re no substitute for a welcoming smile, a friendly attitude and warm hospitality. At the end of each day they know the story of every guest, because they’ve actually asked. They’re as interested in your stories as in separating you from a little of your cash!
The lack of undercover parking and any
whatever they’re called. And the chardy washes mine down perfectly. Kay and Ted share the other, as we steer the conversation to a bit of truth and reality.
There’s just three beers on tap and a schooner of XXXX is $5.40, about average and there’s food on from 6pm every night.
Apart from the camping and swagging out back, (5 bucks for a shower), there’re four rooms inside the hotel, all with at least 2 single beds. On your own you’ll part with $35 for a night, with a mate, it’s just $20 more.
All the rooms have either a ceiling or pedestal fan and all beds have
motorcycle specific catering dragged this great little pub down into the high three helmet territory whilst the value for money was 180 where 100 is good and I gave it 3/5 for unique character. Rock up with a bunch of mates, throw your tent or swag out the back, piss Ted off the pool table, crank up the music and you’re going to have a great night. Oh, and buy a sticker before you leave, then spend time and almost every stop explaining where “Grongy” is! Disclosure: Kay wouldn't take any money for one of my chardys. Apart from that everything was paid for. This did not in any way affect my judgements or comments about the pub.
electric blankets. Each has good strong hooks to hang your gear and the water pressure in the very clean bathrooms is top notch.
The Gongy’s well enough off the main drag to give you a good night’s sleep after an enjoyable evening with fun hosts but alas, a diminishing number of locals.
This is an abridged and adapted version of a chapter from my forthcoming book, “The Pub, the Whole Pub and Nothing but the Pub” to be published in August by New Holland. Keep abreast at Facebook/ Nothing but the Pub D
TEAROUTMAP#48
CYCLOPS AND THE PUNTS
Iforgive you if you can’t work out what the blazes I’m on about this time. My mate Campbell once told me that I was an obscurantist, and I guess he’s right – but hang in. Let me explain…
I’d been punting (er, sorry) the HarleyDavidson Street 500 around the city and on my way to and from work for a while, and I thought I’d better give it a bit of a run. Seeing the temperature outside Sydney was 40 degrees, it was however going to be only a bit of a
run – I thought 200km or so would be just about right, and the 5 Punts looked like the way to go. Maybe it would be cooler by the Hawkesbury. In case you’re wondering, it wasn’t. Fortunately I have a BMW Venting riding suit, which is brilliant in really hot conditions.
Now to make it interesting. This run is actually interesting enough in its own right, but seeing it was relatively short I thought I’d try something different. The idea that finally worked its way through to the front in the congestion in my brain was: how about I take all the photos from one position? I dug out my RAM handlebar mount and fitted one of the cameras to the bar of the Harley, and with the view screen of the camera tilted up I was good to go. So all the photos, except for the one of the bike itself taken at the Sackville Ferry, were snapped from handlebar level on the H-D Street using its one-eyed “cyclops” eye. Those RAM mounts are effective and versatile; take a look at them on the web.
The map is a bit of a rat’s nest of routes, so let me break with tradition and just quickly describe them here as well as on the back of the map.
The Orange route, starting from Berowra and ending at Hornsby, is the
base route. It includes little gravel. If you return from St Albans to the Webbs Creek ferry by the road you took up there, almost none. The Pink route is gravel from Lower Portland to Webbs Creek, while the Yellow route is all tar, most of it pretty good, and leaves you at Peats Ridge. But let’s get going. I started snapping on my way down to the ferry at Berowra Waters. This is a lovely run, although very tight, and it certainly gave the Street 500 something to think about – not to mention its rider – but both coped well.
BEROWRA WATERS
With a small café at the eastern end of the ferry crossing and a much larger one in the west, this is quite a well-served little place. Try to get off the Ferry first so you don’t get stuck behind a car on the ways up the other side of the valley, because it’s fun.
GALSTON
A plant nursery and café called Greenshades greets you straight ahead as you roll into Galston. The café is expensive, but their coffee is
www.hemamaps.com.au
The Orange route is the basic one here. Start at Berowra shops on Highway 1 and turn down the road opposite the railway station. It’s signposted to Berowra Waters; just follow the signs fairly carefully (there are a couple of sharp corners) until the road takes you out of the built-up area. You’ve got a terrific piece of tight and generally well-surfaced road in front of you now all the way down to the ferry; just watch for oncoming traffic, because it can be very narrow. The ferry is straight ahead when you get to the bottom. Once across, try to avoid getting stuck behind a car or worse yet a truck; the road up is just as much
TEAR-OUT MAP #48
ferry, turn left along the River Road. This is now almost entirely paved, and it will take you through some terrific countryside, sticking almost entirely to the river. At Webbs Creek, ride past the ferry and then do a U-turn; queuing is done from the Wisemans Ferry side. When you leave the ferry, stick to the right and a paved road will take you up to St Albans. You can return by the same road or, if you don’t mind a bit of rough surface, take Settlers Road on the eastern side of the Macdonald River. If you do that, the Wisemans Ferry ferry will take you to –Wisemans Ferry.
To get back to Sydney, take the steep road up the hill with its hairpin turn and then continue along Old North Road to the Galston turnoff on the left. This time right straight through Galston and continue down into Galston Gorge, which is another wonderful and rather tight run that leaves you at Asquith on the highway.
fun as the road down. Follow the signs to Galston through some pleasant horse studs and the like. In Galston, turn right and then take the right-hand exit at the big roundabout just outside of town. This will take you out to the Old North Road, where you turn right again. Five kilometres up the road you turn left into Cattai Ridge Road. This road eventually splits, and you want the right-hand branch again, to Cattai. Turn right at the T-intersection and left at the turn for Sackville. Once over the ferry, continue a little way to the right-hand turn to Lower Portland. Be careful when you get there; it is possible to miss the ferry turnoff on the right. Once over this
COLLECT THEM ALL
If you take the left branch of Cattai Ridge Road through Maraylya, you will reach the main road where you turn left. At the McGraths Hill T-intersection, turn right and continue through Windsor and over the Hawkesbury Bridge. Turn right again in Wilberforce and consider taking the right turn to the Ebenezer Church if you feel like a cuppa; return to the main road when you’re hydrated and turn right. This takes you to the opposite side of the Sackville Ferry, so turn left at the Lower Portland turnoff and cross the ferry there. Now turn right, over the new bridge. There’s some tar, but once you get a bit further it becomes quite reasonable dirt – although the climb up the scarp is a bit tricky. At the top, turn right into Bicentennial Road and continue to Webbs Creek, where you cross the river, and cross it again at Wisemans Ferry. You can continue back to Sydney via Mangrove Mountain, or return across the ferry and take the Orange route home.
alright. There are other shops, and a cheaper café called Rosie’s.
WISEMANS FERRY
Solomon Wiseman certainly picked his location when he built his punt and the pub here back in colonial days. The little town has a full range of services, including a doctor whose assistance we have required on one memorable occasion. The pub of course is a much-loved motorcyclists’ destination. There are no services at the northern ferry wharf.
ST ALBANS
The Settlers Arms is a small stone building surrounded by shade trees and offers the usual liquid refreshments and quite good food. It has accommodation out the back, and camping across the road in front on the banks of the Macdonald River.
WINDSOR
On the Pink route, Windsor offers a full range of services plus an
impressive pub. We usually stop for a coffee just opposite the pub, where parking is normally available. The bridge over the Hawkesbury is set to be demolished and replaced, but I imagine the authorities will make sure that there is always some kind of crossing available. This is the route that leads up to the Putty Road.
EBENEZER
The Ebenezer church is a little way off the route on the banks of the river, and it’s worth a look all by itself. But it also has a little café run by some local ladies, and their scones are just excellent. A good refreshment stop if you haven’t succumbed to the coffee perfume in Windsor.
SPENCER
On the Yellow route, the place to keep in mind is Spencer. Set at the confl uence of Mangrove Creek and the Hawkesbury, it has a pleasant and motorcycle-friendly little restaurant/servo. There’s seating on the bank of the creek and a reasonable amount of parking.
MANGROVE MOUNTAIN
A small shopping centre offers a chance to rehydrate here. Don’t forget that you need to keep your fl uids up!
PEATS RIDGE
Finally, and just off our map at the end of the yellow line, the Corrugated Café provides nice big burgers and another chance to meet some more motorcyclists. At last look, the service station across the road appeared to have shut.
Distance: Call it more or less 200km, depending on the route you take.
Ferry closing times: All ferries run 24 hours a day, except as below. Berowra Waters, 2nd Tuesday of the month between 12 noon and 14.30; Sackville, 1st Wednesday of the month between 12.45 and 15.00; Lower Portland, 1st Wednesday of the month between 09.00 and 11.00 and nightly between 12 midnight and 0500; Webbs Creek: 1st Tuesday of the month between 09.30 and 12 noon; Wisemans Ferry, no closure (they have a spare ferry). D
TRAVEL
Imust have sounded like a, er, sounding whale. I’d pushed my way out of the hotel lobby through the rotating door when I released a huge guffaw, a combination of outrage and mirth. An elderly couple who had just rolled up on an RT Spyder stepped back to establish that they were not in any way associated with this loonie who was now wheezing with laughter. I waved them through the door and wished them luck.
The attractive young lady behind the reception counter had just quoted me two hundred and forty-five bucks for a room. For one night. In a kind of average-looking multi-storey hotel with no under cover parking for the bike. When I replied that I hadn’t intended to spend quite that much, she immediately lost interest in me. That was okay; I had immediately lost interest in her when she quoted me that price.
I was still snickering as I pulled away, back up to the main road, but it soon became obvious that I wasn’t going to get anything much cheaper in Wenatchee. I suspect the place is simply too prosperous. Certainly it was surrounded by lush-looking orchards which no doubt produced enough apples for every Mom in the entire USA to bake into pies, and made the place well off indeed. As for me, though, it was a wee bit too rich... Looking for something that matched my credit card a little more accurately, I headed north on State Highway 97, following the Colorado River. I found exactly what I had been looking for in Pateros, a small town right on the river. The back of the Lake Pateros Motor Inn was the grassy bank of the river and there were tables and chairs just outside the rear entrance to my room. My fifty-one dollars a night room, that was, made irresistible by that riverbank on which I consumed some of the beers I’d bought at the Pateros store as I watched the sunset. In Wenatchee I would have had to sit in my room and grumble about the $194 I’d wasted.
Admittedly the Tex-Mex food at the Pateros cantina was genuinely terrible, but the beer, a local small brewery IPA, was just fine with enough hops
bite to wash down even the cantina’s greasy enchiladas. Ah yes, if life was perfect what would we have to aspire to, eh?
But what had I been doing in Wenatchee WA anyway?
LOOPING THE LOOP
Wenatchee, along with Twisp, Skykomish, Gold Bar, Leavenworth, Cashmere and Concrete, lies along the Cascade Loop, “Washington’s Ultimate Road Trip” according to the Cascade Loop Association. They, of course, would know. Since I was in Washington anyway, courtesy of Harley-Davidson whose new touring bikes I had just ridden over on the Olympic Peninsula, I thought I might as well take the Association at their word and loop their loop.
On a bike, naturally. Usually I can rely on Harley-Davidson to arrange wheels for me, but this time with the launch and all they were regretfully not able to help. Never mind; a quick call to Santina Keith at EagleRider Australia and EagleRider Seattle had a bike for me. Not only that, but it came at a 50% discount; and not only that, but it was a discount on the Sportster price, for a RoadGlide. Nice. Thank you, folks. Let me say that this was not the first time I had used EagleRider, and I’ve always found them to be helpful and efficient. Even in Hawaii, where people are helpful enough but where there appears to be no translation of “efficient” into the local language.
The cab driver who took me to EagleRider on 1st Avenue from the airport implied in a none too delicate way that I might as well have walked. This cost him his tip. My gleaming copper-coloured freedom machine was sitting in the forecourt, and after transferring what I thought I needed for a few days from my suitcase to the bike’s luggage, and storing same suitcase with manager Josh Dunne, I was off. Interesting point here; the bike I was riding was a 2016 model, and I had no trouble picking the ways in which the new 2017 models I had been riding were better. H-D really has done a good job transforming a good tourer into an excellent tourer.
But hey, my EagleRider bike was doing the job! The County Fair was on at Roosevelt (I think) and traffic was backed up for at least three miles, waiting to turn into the parking lot. Nobody seemed to mind my using the breakdown lane – well actually it was just the side of the road – to keep moving. I even got some waves, and no they were not of the middle finger. Then I was past the paddocks and into the mountains. This really is beautiful country, with the road winding through tall pines which occasionally give you a glimpse of the impressive mountains. The road condition was good too, something that can be rare where there are frosts – these can do terrible things to tar seal if the roadbed is not deep enough.
It’s always a new experience when you ride into ‘young’ mountains like the Cascades. The rock walls aren’t just steep, they’re amazingly steep and they all look different; I don’t think you would confuse the Sierra or the Rockies with the Alps or the Himalaya. Mind you, here on the Loop they do their best to confuse you in other ways. Take the town names. I’ve always thought of Leavenworth as a prison; it appears in enough American movies and TV shows as such. But here in Washington, Leavenworth is a Bavarian town. Not a real one, of course, but one dressed up in borrowed architecture. “Leavenworth delivers high-voltage Bavarian memories,” says the Cascade Loop Association just in case you’re both blind and deaf. “Everything from yodelling, schnitzel, oom-pa-pa music, lederhosen and dirndls-a-plenty.” Not to mention the world’s largest nutcracker collection!
I told you not to mention that. A bit further along is Cashmere, with the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village and free “internationally recognised” candy at the towns’ lolly factory. “Da. Is Cashmere lolly.”-“Si.”“Oui.”- “Ja.”.
Next is Wenatchee, which is where you came in. It is actually a pretty standard-looking American town with a long main drag featuring every fast-food chain outlets and car yards.
Pleasant enough, but lacking the cheap family-owned motels which are among the things I seriously love about the United States.
Roll on, Columbia
My ride up the river as I left was not a random move; I was on my way to see one of the wonders of the world, the Grand Coulee Dam. Interestingly, the ‘grand’ in the name comes from the ravine in which it was built, the Grand Coulee, not from some kind of
claim of glory for the dam. Built in the days when folk singers praised public works rather than condemning them on environmental grounds, Woody Guthrie had this to say about it:
“…on up the river is Grand Coulee dam the miGhtiest thinG ever built by a man to run the Great faCtories and water the land so roll on, Columbia, roll on.”
In the morning the turnoff from 97 took me further along the Columbia to Bridgeport, where the road crosses the river just upstream from Chief Joseph Dam. One of the Native Americans’ greatest tacticians, Chief Joseph once said “I only ask of the government to be treated as all other men are treated.” He was to be disappointed, but I suppose having a dam named after you is better than nothing. A little.
Thick, green forest lines the road.
One of the boys keeping guard – but he actually looks more like Bigfoot!
Just when you need it, there’s an open café or pub.
It’s a spectacular run across to the Grand Coulee Dam from Bridgeport; not so much because of what we usually describe as ‘scenery’ but because this is part of that great open land often called Big Sky Country. That’s more a term for Montana, to the east, but it applies here too. I breathe easier when I’m out in the open like this, and so does my bike. Did you know what the top speed of the Harley-Davidson Road Glide is?
Just before the dam itself there is a
turnoff to the left for Crown Point Vista. Not only is there an impressive view of the dam, but there’s even a little structure like a Roman temple from which to view it. More cute than anything else, it does create a sense of occasion.
The dam deserves a sense of occasion, as well. Stretching across the valley it backs up the huge Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and provides, as Woody said, both electricity and irrigation water. Grand Coulee, the
small town below the dam on the river’s left bank, looks really sweet, like something out of a ‘60s television serial – think ‘Leave it to Beaver’. On the other side of the river, crossed by an iron bridge, is Elmer City in the Colville Indian Reservation. Looking somewhat more modern it is also clearly prosperous.
I continued through the reservation to Omak and good ol’ 97 where I turned left and right again to the 4000 foot Loup Loup Summit pass and then
Road surface is excellent just about everywhere you go.
Grand Coulee Dam from Crown Point Vista.
to Twisp. I checked in at the converted Nissen huts of the Sportsman Motel on the way into town on the basis of its claim to provide “clean, quiet rooms at reasonable rates”. That’s exactly what I got, too, as well as words of wisdom from owner Brian. I wasn’t game to raise the subject of politics; this was a month or so before the election and I had seen literally dozens of ‘Trump’ signs, but not a solitary ‘Clinton’ placard. That was when I first got a sense of the fact that Trump would win, I think.
Sadly the Twisp River Pub had burned down – see, this doesn’t just happen to Australian pubs – but since I was in America, getting a beer was no problem. Twisp is an arty sort of place and there are obviously quite a few artists and artisans living in or near town who probably like a brew or two; there’s also good coffee at Blue Star Coffee Roasters.
Back in the loop
I was back on the Cascade Loop now, but Winthrop, the next town, was pretty much the last of the touristy settlements. Where the southern loop features tourist traps like Leavenworth and Cashmere, the northern loop is more natural. Winthrop, unlike many tourist towns, is a pleasant place with an Old West atmosphere and businesses like Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon, a magnet for local and visiting bikers.
The many local beers had to remain unsampled, unfortunately, because I had a ways to go. After fuelling up at the tiny servo of tiny Mazama, “last gas this side of the range”, I headed off to what is supposedly the grandest view on the Loop – the 5477 foot Washington Pass.
The claims are not wrong. The sight of the rugged Liberty Bell Mountain on the right and the road stretching up to the pass on the left is truly outstanding. I nearly got cleaned up by a pickup when I stopped to take a photo – I’m always complaining about tourists stopping on the road for photos, so I was only getting what I deserved.
From here on, the ride through North Cascades National Park and
The Cascades are real mountains, all right. In the reservation – not many Indians to be seen.
Another one of the boys, just hanging around.
Bridge connecting two of the Puget Sound islands off Seattle.
It gets hot out in the open country on the way to Grand Coulee.
This gets my championship award for brevity and conciseness in advertising.
That’s Liberty Bell Mountain and friends, on the way up Washington Pass.
Local beer good!
The dam from the town of Grand Coulee.
past Ross Lake is just wonderful. I didn’t make really good time because I kept stopping to take in the views and take photos. Well off the roadway, though.
And then, eventually but all too soon, I was back in ‘civilisation’. The first sign of that was a… well, a sign that said “Welcome to Concrete”. I assumed that this was a humorous way of referring to the long Seattle conurbation that stretches along Interstate 5 from Olympia in the south to Bellingham in the north, but no. It was just the name of a town. I rode straight through the settlements and crossed the highway before taking the b ridge to the chain of islands that lies along Puget Sound. By Oak Harbour I was ready to look for somewhere to spend the night – and the Auld Holland Inn with its windmill hit the spot. No, I don’t know why; usually I try to avoid “themed” motels. But I was tired, yerronner… and it turned out for the best anyway. The kindly bloke in reception gave me a ground floor room and after a quick dinner I hit the pillow.
Just as well I got some sleep. The next morning dawned wet and cool, and when I attempted to start the bike I got nothing. Not an idiot light, not a whisper. Twisting and turning the ignition switch did nothing for a while – and then the switch, backed up with a long and serious-looking stick of metal just came right out of the tank. Umm. I called EagleRider, and Josh talked me through the fix. All I had to do, it seemed, was to reinsert the stick, turn the switch to the right just beyond the usual stop and then turn it back –and the bike would start. It did, too. The run down to the ferry at Clinton was damp but bearable – I did have my wet weather gear handy – and by the time I rolled off the boat at Mukilteo and up through the seemingly endless Boeing factory the drizzle had more or less stopped. Down Interstate 5 to Renton, across to Burien and I was rolling into the EagleRider lot. Mission accomplished: loop ridden, dam seen and another view of the fascinating place that is the United States ready to think and write about. D
Public advertising wall in Twisp.
My only wet day, on the $10 ferry returning to Mukilteo.
“The
PETER & KATH WRIGHT, WARRINGTON, UK
Your Journey Starts Here www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz
TRAVEL
Business Meets Leisure
This is one of our series of “bleisure” or business/leisure stories; they tell you how to fill the days off that some of you can get when you travel for work in Australia or overseas. Naturally, they involve motorcycling…
Back in my younger days I had a mate who had been sent to Lithgow to work off his Teachers’ College Scholarship. I know that some of these terms and concepts won’t mean anything to the younger among you, but it was all simple enough: if you wanted to become a teacher you attended Teachers’ College; most potential teachers received scholarships, and once you graduated you had to go and work wherever the Department of Education sent you. An interesting take on the possible results can be seen in a fi lm called Wake in Fright; Lithgow, to be fair, was not quite
AUSSIE BREAK
LITHGOW,
NSW
that bad. But it was bad enough so that my friend packed his bag and lit out for Sydney on every Friday afternoon, only to return across the mountains on Monday morning.
Lithgow is a far cry from those days now, although the town’s slogan: “Easy to Get To, Impossible to Forget” may still resonate with my mate.
But you can get good coffee, and there are cafés where you can also get a healthy, fresh bite to eat. There are also numerous sights to see both historic and natural. Many of the shops in the main street are painted in heritage colours, too. Further, Lithgow is surrounded by some truly interesting little villages and other settlements. Mind you, the locals appear to still have a bit of
an inferiority complex; headings in my tourist brochure about Lithgow are “Surprisingly interesting”, “Surprisingly spectacular”, “Surprisingly exciting” and so on… But come, let’s go and visit. You can of course use your own bike if you have one on hand, or you can rent one from various places in Sydney. Then it’s just a matter of following the Great Western Highway (if you like freeways) or Bells Line of Road (if you like pleasant two-lane blacktop through scenic bush). Sadly, the latter alternative is receiving increasing attention from the boys in blue, and speed limits are dropping. Despite that it’s worth sampling; you can always go back along the highway. It’s worth stopping at Bilpin and if
you like plants (and who doesn’t?) at the Botanical Garden at Mt Tomah. I can take or leave the café there for service, prices and choice but the plants are pretty smart and there are barbecue facilities.
On the main road your descent into Lithgow will be by way of a terrifi c long, steep downhill left- and then right-hander. Then you’re pretty much in town. A little further along, at the church, there is a set of traffi c lights. Turn right here and you’ll fi nd one of Lithgow’s prime attractions pretty much immediately on your right; this is the Tin Shed which houses a favourite café of ours called Salud. Tania Aussel runs it and welcomes motorcyclists with open arms; she tells me that “We are almost 2 years old hence we are launching a new menu 1st December. We are refi ning our menu with a strong focus on local produce. We have a lovely Orange based Coffee “Academy Roasters” and a Lamazoco machine to churn out the grind.”
Sounds good? If you are going up to Lithgow in a group, ring her on 6352 1740 and Tania will open the gate to the Tin Shed’s back yard to let you park all together, and securely. Salud is open 7 days 6.30am Monday to Friday and 8am weekends, with dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with live music Fridays 6-9pm. That same turnoff will take you to an impressive ruin on the other side of the railway tracks. This is – or was – the fi rst modern blast furnace in Australia, built here because of Lithgow’s coal mines. There isn’t much left except for the brick stump you can see from the main road, but the atmosphere is impressive and it’s been used as a backdrop for many a photo session. The blast furnace’s presence in Lithgow caused the National Small Arms Factory to be built here, and you can look over its absolutely fascinating museum where you can buy bolt action roller ball pens, Desert Eagle
key rings and much more! (Well, maybe it’s a bit of a boy thing, but the Small Arms Factory made sewing machines, too.) See www.lithgowsafmuseum. org.au for more information. The museum is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30 to 2 and on weekends and public holidays from 10 to 4. School holidays, 7 days a week 10 to 4.
There is spectacular scenery on just about any road around Lithgow, both gravel and tarred. The road out to Newnes used to be a favourite of mine, but it’s almost all tarred now and a bit too easy! The huge camping ground at the end, at Newnes itself, is still worth a visit. No supplies out there these days, ever since the pub closed. It’s a kind of holiday cabin place now. A different road which is still gravel and dirt will take you from the ZigZag Railway (currently closed, I think) to the amazing Glow Worm Tunnel. Bring a torch. So Lithgow might not be particularly different in a lot of ways from the town my mate escaped from every weekend, but it has learned to make a lot more of its attractions, freshened up its appearance and added good coffee and food. Seeing that it’s less than two and a half hours from Sydney, along some excellent roads, that makes it well and truly worth a visit. D
By the light
There really is a lot to do and see around Lithgow, so I’d suggest the first thing you do is head for the Visitor Information Centre out on the Great Western Highway just west of town; you can’t miss the giant miners’ lamp by the side of the road. Or you can check www. tourism.lithgow.com before you go, or ring 6350 3239.
YOUR FIRST TRACK DAY
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?
WORDS STUART
So, you’re thinking about giving a track day a whirl? You’ve probably seen what race teams take or have been told by your mates of a bazillion and one “must-haves” to get you out on the track to enjoy your machine. It can all be confusing. After a number of requests from you guys and gals I thought I’d give you a bit of a run down on the basics to get you through the day with maximum enjoyment. Here’s a list of items you might consider depending on just how serious you want to get.
The atmosphere in the pits is friendly and along with the organiser, almost all of the other riders will be helpful.
My multiple winning race bike, which is tested and optimised at track days before it gets raced – most of the time.
of the session as to which way you go with adjusting the pressures for the optimum setting for other sessions throughout the day.
TYRE PUMP AND GAUGE: Remember to pack in a tyre pump and quality tyre gauge. You’ll use them as much as you use fuel!
TYRE WARMERS: Sure, having tyre warmers allows you to have better tyre wear and more grip from the get go, but are they essential for average track day punters? Not really, so long as you warm up your tyres correctly, as I mentioned above.
FOLD UP CHAIRS: You’ll buy me a beer or two for suggesting you take a couple of fold up chairs. There is a lot of down time at track days while other sessions are running. Being comfy, relaxing in a chair is a top priority. Trust me!
FRONT AND REAR STANDS: Good to have so you can work on your bike between sessions (if need be), but unless you’ve got tyre warmers, not a really essential item to have.
TOOLS: Taking some tools along that are common for your bike is a great idea, especially tools for adjusting the front and rear suspension and taking the front and rear wheels out and adjusting the chain.
WATER: A must have, though you can normally buy some at the track. You’ll be in need of a good swig of cold water after each session so make sure you’ve got plenty of it to replenish yourself.
SNACKS: Another great thing to have with you. As with water, you can buy food at most tracks, but a packet of snakes or some trail mix will work wonders and potentially save a lot of money.
GEAR: Of course your gear should be in top condition. You probably won’t get on the track without these anyway, but the things you need are a full-face helmet (obviously), either a one or
two-piece leather suit, gloves that cover your wrists, boots that allow your leathers to tuck into or over comfortably and, I’d recommend, a back protector. This is a requirement if you race, because breaking your back is bad news, that’s for sure!
CHAIN LUBE: Throw in a can of chain lube and consider giving the chain a squirt after your second session.
100 MILE AN HOUR TAPE: Another great item to have, especially if you happen to throw the bike down the road, a roll of hundred mile an hour tape can (almost) make fairings and all sorts of bits on the bike like new again.
CABLE TIES: Same goes for a packet of cable ties which can help keep your bike together if any bolts fall off or if things get broken in a crash.
RAGS: Chuck in a handful of rags for cleaning up mess, or cleaning the bike.
EXTENSION LEAD: A five metre extension lead is essential if you’ve got tyre warmers or have taken a cooker to whip up something tasty for lunch!
POWER BOARD: And add in a power board so you can run a few things off the one lead.
FOLD UP TABLE: A small fold up table is one of the handiest items to have at the track. You can put your helmet and gloves on there after each session and you’ll also have somewhere to put your food.
BIKE CLEANER: Of course it’s nice to have your bike looking its best for the photographer who will be snapping your style during the day. Seriously, you’ll be surprised at the amount of rubber that will be plastered onto your machine and cleaning your bike throughout the day can also let you see any other potential problems that aren’t visible from your chair.
TRAILER AND RAMP: If you want to go all out, or don’t have a friend who can give you a hand, a trailer and a ramp
are the way to go. Then you can pack everything you need into the car and whip the bike off the trailer at the track for an enjoyable day. And don’t worry, there’s always someone who will give you a hand to unload/load your bike at the start and end of the day – just ask.
THE DAY ITSELF: Finding a track day provider is pretty easy. Search via Google for your local circuit and if you can’t find anything on their website about a motorcycle day, give them a call. You’ll also need to enter before the actual track day (most of the time) and pick a group that is suitable to your riding level. Being your first day, I’d suggest giving the ‘slowest’ group a go first, because if you are much faster during the first or second session, any good track day provider will move you up to a suitable group. You also need to learn the track, which will take time before you get up to speed. If you happen to pick a faster group and you’re not up to the group’s speed, any good track day provider will notice this and move you to the right group. Ask for help from the track day provider if you’re unsure of anything throughout the day or if you’d like a couple of pointers on lines you should be taking. They are there to help you have a great time!
ENJOY YOURSELF!
The most essential thing to do at any track day is just to enjoy yourself! If you aren’t having a great time, pack it up and head home, because when you aren’t having fun is when you’ll crash due to a lack of concentration.
As for cost, take a look at my recommendations and you’ll see that there’s a good chance that you won’t have to buy anything at all – probably you’ve got all of this stuff anyway. And if you have to buy a fuel container, that will come in handy at other times. I hope my little rundown helps you get out there and explore your beautiful machine in a safe environment. If you really have a good time, maybe I’ll see you out racing a beautiful classic machine someday! That’s where the fun is, you know, not on these modern superbikes! LOL! D
WINNING TECHNOLOGY FROM RACE TO ROAD
Tuono V4, direct descendant of the RSV4, is the world champion bike in the world of superbikes. With 294 grand prix races won in world championship GP motorcycle racing, Aprilia holds the record for the most wins of any european manufacturer in the history of maximum motorcycle competition. These are joined by an impressive 54 world titles: 38 in world championship GP motorcycle racing (20 in 125 and 18 in 250), 7 in superbike (rider and manufacturer double win in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and manufacturer in 2013) and 9 in off road disciplines (7 in supermoto and 2 in trial). Technology, innovation: Aprilia has racing in its blood, in its head, in its DNA.
Official Aprilia /apriliaaus @apriliaaus aprilia.com.au
HELLO TO BOLLYWOOD
SECOND WORLD SOLUTION TO A FIRST WORLD PROBLEM
WORDS RALPH PHOTOS ROYAL ENFIELD
We were ready, on this perfect riding day, to tackle Rajasthan. Sadly that was not to be because, as I quickly realised, we were lined up in Melbourne, not desert India… but we really had the right bikes for both places. The full range of Royal Enfield models, unfortunately missing the brandnew Himalayan, was patiently waiting for us outside Australia’s first full-on Royal Enfield Concept Store: the freshly re-imaged Mid Life Cycles, which will fly the Indian flag for the marque in Melbourne’s near-inner city Cremorne. Perfect location – after all, Royal Enfields are ideal city and commuter bikes as well as conquerors of the world’s tallest mountains. Instead of climbing every mountain we tackled the rather more amenable environment of bayside Melbourne on a range of the company’s bikes to give us a chance to discover just what it is that is expected to justify an annual production rate of 900,000 bikes once the new factory is finished. Mid Life Cycles owner Michael Catchpole had good reason to host a full-on opening party for the shop with celebrities and live music as well as marketing gurus and other factory representatives. We got there late – Melbourne’s traffic was not kind to us - but there was still plenty to do. Such as grabbing a chilled beverage and Rudy (Rudratej) Singh, the CEO of Royal Enfield, for a private word after his off-the-cuff speech to the crowd. He actually covered almost everything we needed to know about the 115 year old company, including its growth and the hint of more to come. Seven years ago, he told us, Royal Enfield manufactured an already remarkable 55,000 units a year. That annual figure was smashed in just one month this past October. The company expects
to continue the same growth and profitability while meeting the tougher Euro 4 emissions standard as well as bringing new and exciting models on stream.
I asked Rudy whether the massive increase in sales was a result of organic growth or a huge injection of cash - or maybe something else. Ever the consummate businessman, his answer was considered and measured, like every answer he gave.
After twenty seconds of accessing his right side brain, sifting through what must be millions of bytes of information, and bingo: "That is a great question and one where a detailed explanation is required,” he said. “Royal Enfield has increased ten times its production to become the largest manufacturer in the motorcycle world by understanding and working to an 'order books' system”. That means there is no on-spec manufacturing; dealers place their orders and the factory kicks into gear and fills the orders. Interestingly, many large car factories like BMW’s Mini
plant in Oxford work the same way.
I steered Rudy into discussing how happy the company’s workers are, with my mind drifting over to India’s northern neighbour Bhutan and its index of ‘Gross National Happiness’.
Rudy dived into his repertoire of answers and pulled out a beauty. “Good question; no one has asked me that before, but I know our factory has the lowest rate of attrition [that is, people quitting and leaving] in the automotive sector. Also we implemented a Ride Leave system where our workers, if they own or can use a motorcycle, are allowed, in fact encouraged to take up to six days a year off,” to, well, ride.
How cool is that! I don’t know where else you could get a job like that. And of course it’s free advertising for the brand.
We talked about how having a Royal Enfield in the garage is much the same as being the custodian of a Patek Philippe watch (rather than owning it). Becoming the custodian of, instance, one of the new Himalayan models would mean that I could ride and ride and pass
on those memories and experiences, along with the bike, to my currently ten year old son.
With the Classic, Bullet and the Continental GT the mainstays of the current range and the new 410cc Himalayan hitting the showrooms soon (probably by the time you read this) it was an ideal time to talk about the ways in which a non-conforming model lineup has relevance and offers success in this fast paced world.
Rudy suggested that it is precisely this that encourages people to think again and slow down, turning to a “Go Slow” mentality. What better cue to introducing the range.
ClaSSiC 350 anD 500
If the Classic was a movie classic, it wouldn't be 'Gone with the Wind' or its Bollywood equivalent, nor would it go like the wind. The simple yet elegant single cylinder and single seater in matt or gloss retro colours would be more like a Humphrey Bogart character study. The bike requires you to reconsider your own
Bullet
riding style and on-road aspirations, and learn to deal with the lack of power that almost any other bike of its engine size can offer. The look-alike (single cylinder) twins, in capacities of 350 and 500, offer simple and un-fussed transport like yesteryear’s with the advantage of modern technology like electronic fuel injection. The 350 is pleasantly smoother and doesn’t have much of a power deficit over the 500 and both offer solid riding and, in Royal Enfield-speak, a sense of “Pure Motorcycling”.
Bullet 350 and 500
The Bullet, which differs from the Classic mainly in styling and in that it offers a dual seat, would be the star in a working class movie. As ubiquitous as ‘dahl baht’, the staple food of the subcontinent, this retro motorcycle carries the entire nation. Also found on almost every motorcycle tour in India or Nepal, I think it is the most convincing step back in time that you can buy today. This is the above-250cc transportation choice in its homeland. The riding position is the most comfortable of the small range and there isn’t much that needs changing to have a great time out on the road or in the suburbs as well as in the Himalaya. You couldn’t get more Indian than the Bullet, even with a proper Madras curry. A sensational assault on the senses… right to the Punjab!
Continental Gt
You can feel the difference of another 34cc. The GT is like the Director’s Cut edition of Blade Runner, the ’80s Sci-Fi movie with a young Harrison Ford. It has more mystery, added pace, more action and the punch is more noticeable. In 2017 you can swing back to 1982 in a blink of an eye, turning back the clock to a Café Racer look and feel and something else that’s often missing these days - character by the jam-pot full. You get clip-ons and a crouch to suit, and the only thing missing is a stumpy and more assertive (louder, let’s face it) muffler. More of a real Café Racer than you might image, the GT is my favourite of the range. In an android Blade Runner world of Replicants, the Continental looks as good as a young Sean Young! She’s hot, in a Vindaloo kind of way. D
Rudy Singh meditates on the relevance of Royal Enfield to today’s rushing crowd.
Inside the showroom of Mid Life Cycles
EVENT
35TH THUNDER RALLY
RUMBLE AROUND NUNDLE
WORDS/PHOTOS THE POSSUM
The 35th Thunder Rally conducted by the Ducati Owners Club of NSW was again held at the Sheba Dams camping ground, not far from Nundle.
The weather forecast was not to promising, but we thought we would have a crack anyway. The ride up to Nundle was under near perfect skies, and most enjoyable.
After a stop at the Peel Inn, for necessary refreshments, we tackled the climb up to the Sheba Dams, always with an eye on the rear view mirror for any budding Carl Fogartys charging up from behind on an overloaded Ducati !
Wheeling into the control tent, we were greeted by Aunty Mal and his hard working helpers who relieved us of money for badges and raffle tickets. Mal was quick to point out that there was about $5000 worth of goodies to be handed out later that night.
The camping ground is well shaded, but you need to get in early to get the flat ground. There is the self composting
Scrambler.
long drop dunny, some ancient solid concrete picnic tables, and some new shelter sheds with timber picnic tables. Those new sheds came in very handy later in the afternoon.
My mate and I spent the afternoon chatting to various folk and inspecting some interesting machinery, while periodically some joker would accelerate fiercely away in the direction of town –obviously a pub run.
I noticed quite a representation of cruisers, both metric and North American, and a good roll up of dualsport machines from Japan, Austria and Germany. There were also some Ducatis – plenty of Multistradas among them. More than one group had the back-up ute/van with the barby and the big esky, well organised.
Sitting over a snack of cheese and crackers, washed down with a coldie, we watched the clouds building and heard the thunder start. And down she came ! Sitting in the new shelter sheds, we weathered the cloud burst, and after a while it was back to blue skys and sunshine – normal service resumed !
Later in the evening, Mal assembled the troops and got on with the awards and raffles. The Club alternated with an award, then a raffle draw, to keep everyone on their toes. Tex and Bundy made a guest appearance and helped with passing out awards.
Awards were long and mixed, but highlights were as follows -
John Hubner from Alice Springs took home – Longest Distance, Longest Distance Male, Longest Distance
Tex helps out with the award ceremony – where’s Bundy?
Stuffed Cat and Longest Distance
Single at 4480km on his KLR650. John attended the MotoGP at the Island before heading to Nundle, and was then on his way home to Alice. A big effort for a bloke battling kidney stones – I’m sure the vibrations of the KLR kept the stones to a managable size !
Youngest Rider was a 17 year old Tom Burke. Chris Hillas with 1758 km was the Longest Distance Ducati Rider, and Stan on his R75/6 ( which he has owned from new) picked up Oldest Combined Bike & Rider with 112 years. Stan had also collected this award at the Kosciuszko Rally a few weeks earlier ! The hungry horde were well catered for by the Nundle Lions Club who again rose to the challenge with their excellent travelling kitchen. The evening feeding was well received, and even more so the restorative coffee and tea the next morning. The bacon and egg rolls were pretty good too !
All profits from the rally go to the Spinal Unit, Royal Rehabilitation Hospital, Ryde. This Unit is the Ducati Club’s organisation of choice and all their profits from other ventures through the year also support this excellent facility.
Pencil in this rally for October, it‘s a beauty! D
The control tent, and a small crowd admiring a
It’s still possible to collect most issues. We recommend checking availability via our website as to which issues are available, sold out or are low in stock.
Back issues only cost $12.00 each including postage and packaging; just visit the website and place your order – www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au; or drop us a line at contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111 and Stuart or The Bear will look after you.
SOLDOUT
Please send me the following back issues at the cost of $12 each including postage:
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TRUST THE TRUSS
ALL RIGHT, SO HE’S EASILY IMPRESSED… WORDS & PHOTOS THE BEAR
In art and especially movies, bridges (except Lloyd Bridges) are often used as symbols of connection or involvement. And as with most metaphors, simplicity makes for strength. Take Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Waters. There is something touching about bridges. Sometime in the past, someone cared enough to want to establish this connection, to bring people together. That’s why I like the Australian tendency to name bridges after people.
It’s not just individual bridges, either – whole classes of bridges were named after their inventor. Take the bridge over Pearces Creek in Hornsby shire, north of Sydney. The 1894 bridge is a McDonald truss bridge, but not just any McDonald truss bridge - it is
believed to be the only timber truss road bridge in NSW to survive with its original style deck still in use. So show some respect next time you take that road.
John A McDonald, the designer, was a significant figure in bridge design and construction in NSW, and McDonald truss bridges are good examples of early Australian methods of bridge construction. Timber truss bridges were developed and refined in Australia to achieve the highest level of timber bridge construction at the time.
Timber truss road bridges were built extensively in NSW because of the high quality of local hardwoods and the shortage of steel until the steelworks at Newcastle were built in the early 20th century.
There are timber bridges in northern
California too, but most of the back roads seem to cross the rivers and creeks on iron bridges like the ones in the photos. In Utah, the citizens of Rockville are trying to save their iron Parker Through Truss bridge, the last in the State. Many iron constructions are effectively kit bridges – made elsewhere and taken to their location in bits before being assembled on the spot, tab A into slot B. As well, they have often been moved as the road they carried needed higher capacity constructions, and placed where there was less traffic.
The California Department of Transportation’s Historic Highway Bridges of California tells me that “the proliferation of railroads in the late 1800s brought a flurry of bridge building. The railroads favored… iron
or steel trusses for larger structures… The technologies and materials were already in place when the need for highway bridges arose soon after the turn of the century. Thus many of the earliest California highway bridges were built by the same bridge companies from designs similar to the train bridges, and in some cases actually were recycled train bridges.
“Those boxy metal truss spans that could be ordered up in standard designs from the bridge company catalogs served the purpose of facilitating California highways expansion at a good pace in the first fifteen years of the twentieth century… Some have even been dismantled and moved to new locations.”
And there’s more to bridges than you might think. Take the Pound Crossing Bridge near Dungog, in northern NSW. When it was opened in August 1994, the 60 metre long bridge had the largest cellular stress laminated hardwood timber bridge deck in the world. Just exactly what is that? Go and have a look at it if you’re interested in finding out more. What inspired this story, and what I would like to pass on to you, is the feeling that I get when I come out of some stretch of forest on a back road, gravel or tar, and suddenly see one of these iron beauties or one of the Australian wooden bridges in front of me. It’s a kind of connection to the
days when they were built, when the riders of early motorcycles no doubt found them just as useful as I do now. Ghostly Hendersons, Matchlesses or NSUs drift across them…
The American iron bridges, just like the few remaining wooden arch bridges on the NSW North Coast, also take me back to a time when craftsmanship was a more powerful driver than it is today. Modern is not always best; new is not necessarily the most useful; reinforced concrete is not the inevitable material to use. Go ride some old bridges of your own, and pay a silent tribute to the people who built them. PT D
The sign says it all, more or less, about the Pound Crossing Bridge in NSW.
A bridge in Humboldt County, northern California, with my trusty (borrowed) Indian Chief.
The stress rods stick out from the side of the laminated bridge deck.
FEEL THE REVZ RISE!
Draggin Jeans Revz
Price - $319
Motorcycle riding jeans are never quite the same in style and looks as a normal every day type jean you might wear, although a lot of the time you really need to be looking. However those amazing people at Draggin Jeans, who have led the motorcycle riding jeans world and continue to do so has released what I am calling the safest non-motorcycling looking riding jeans to date!
They are called “Revz” and they have a classic look that will suit any bike, but also they do not really look like a riding jean, nor do they have the bulk of a riding jean with a Kevlar liner. To make the Revz as safe as you can get, Draggin has used RooMoto – a unique knit of the world’s toughest fibres to give you over 7.5 seconds of road abrasion resistance and both Level 1 and Level 2 CE approval. I dare say that is better than some leather products out there on the market!
Fitment is excellent with a mid-rise waist, plenty of length in the legs, wider belt loops for any type of belt and a quality YKK front zipper which is a decent length to make doing the business much easier. There’s also a good sized coin pocket which makes getting that change out for a coffee a breeze.
An important feature that makes the Revz so comfy is the sports mesh liner. Similar in appearance to the mesh liner you might find in many other types of motorcycle garments, but softer. You can also get knee and hip armour, but I’m not a fan of that stuff in riding jeans.
Ralph also recently got a pair of the Revz jeans and is in love with them. He loves the comfort and the non-motorcycling jean looks. I’ve also seen the new Revz in action with the rider sliding along the road. No injuries sustained and not a mark on the jeans! He was going reasonably slow at the time through a 15km/h switchback, but a slide is a slide and getting up with no skin missing is
testament to just how good Draggin Jeans really are.
It seems as though everyone is wearing a pair of Revz and I reckon you should be too! See your local bike shop or visit www.dragginjeans.net to purchase. SW
BUILDING A CUBBY
Bike Kubby
Price – from $315.70
How about a nice little ‘cubby house’ to park your bike? Well, you can now get a Bike Kubby which is a retractable cover that goes over your entire bike and protects it from sun, hail and in a way, even thieves.
The Bike Kubby comes with everything you need to set it up and easy enough instructions to follow when building it, although you’d better ignore the time listed to build it in the instructions; allow yourself three or so hours to get it all together.
The Bike Kubby is well made from TIG welded steel tubing and CNC cut for an exact fit. The tubing is then powder coated for longevity. The
cover is made from strong, 600 Denier polyester fabric and available in either the Midnight Black as you see here, or Dove Grey. The cover is also waterproof with fully taped seams, blocks 96.7% of the sun’s rays and is even fi re resistant. To keep everything nice under the cover, it is vented to eliminate condensation.
As an added bonus (well, I think so), you can lock the cover shut with a padlock making it one more item to get through if someone really wants your ride. Since it’s a cover that doesn’t show anything of your bike, no one will really know what’s under there, which is a deterrent in itself.
The Bike Kubby is available in two sizes – Sport or Touring - and comes with a 12 month warranty which can be upgraded to 24 months. You can also get a floor and other bits and pieces to really make it a luxurious ‘kubby’ for your ride.
To purchase, call 1300 087 016 or visit the website www.kubbys.com.au SW D
Compact and businesslike, the
T120 looks exactly what it is – a thoroughly competent
High Torque engine; it claims more than half as much torque again as its predecessor, 105Nm at 3100rpm and most of that is available from idle. Power peaks at 59kW, but that relatively low figure belies the bike’s performance. It goes just fine, and I’m pleased that the NSW Powers That Be are not using the elapsed time/distance method to control those irresponsible, dreadful speed freaks who might exceed the limit by a few kliks.
height at 785mm, and the 224kg (dry) machine is easy to manoeuvre around. It also has a centre stand, bless you Mr Bloor.
The T120 has heated grips, and they exemplify the amount of effort Triumph has put into this motorcycle. The button that operates the heated grips is incorporated beautifully into the left grip. The instruments look pretty trad as well, but they offer a lot of useful information like fuel range. The jury is still out for me on gear indicators, but the Bonnie has one. I just find that I pay too much attention to these things, attention that is better directed at the road ahead or (sadly) at the speedo.
But onto the long and lonesome road.
The T120’s service intervals are a pleasing 16,000km.You are not meant to fiddle with this bike, which will
disappoint some riders (but not me); the only adjustment is to the rear preload. The seat is at a reasonable
There is a USB charging socket, for such things as navigators, but I knew where I was going – Sydney to Cooma by as many back roads as I could remember. I had fitted the smart-looking leather saddle bags, which slip onto a unique and terribly clever (and reasonably unobtrusive) chrome loop and then clip onto a pad
The long and, in this case, straight road is just as much the T120’s home as winding mountain routes.
The Bear wears a Nolan N21, a BMW Venting suit, BMW Winter gloves, Rossi boots (not shown) and a smug grin. And why not? He gets to ride as often as he wants to. Well, almost.
Bonneville
mile muncher.
that sits under the seat. Simple and useful. The bags are capacious and held easily enough for a weekend ride.
Claimed fuel economy is 4.5 litres per 100 kliks, which gives a decent range of about 320km from the 14,5l tank. I usually get good fuel figures (mainly because I change up early) and I almost matched the factory consumption figure. Unless you ride like a loonie (in which case you will be on a different motorcycle) you should get 300km comfortably.
This and its tinted sister the T120 Black are the first Bonnevilles with twin discs up front. I wasn’t absolutely sure the bike needed the 310mm discs with their Nissin 2 piston floating calipers, but a near encounter with a wallaby near Nerriga disabused me of that opinion. They get a tick from me, as does the ABS. Handling is just fine, thank you.
The ergonomics are excellent as well, for someone of my just-above average height. The controls, as the old cliché has it, fall easily to hand. But the best thing about the bike from a touring point of view is the seat. For the rider it is just right, a bit hard initially but then pleasantly
complying. The pillion doesn’t quite get the same standard of comfort, but the back seat is still better than the majority of bikes’. I covered just under a thousand kilometres in my two-day ride, which was broken most pleasantly by the Bear Army’s 2016 Southern Manoeuvres at the Alpine Hotel, and I could not have asked for a better seat or a more comfortable bike in any other way. The small accessory flyscreen helped a surprising amount during highway travel on the Monaro.
So at a reasonable $17,000 why isn’t there one permanently in my garage? Don’t rush me. There may soon be just that; I’m also tempted by one of the smaller capacity Street series Bonnevilles, and by a Himalayan, and... Never mind. But remember: park a T120 anywhere and you’ll cop at least one, er, bonnie compliment. D
The Bear liked the little flyscreen, one of about 160 accessories available from Triumph.
Twin discs on the front are a first for a Bonneville.
The bag slides onto the chrome loop, and then clips onto a pad under the seat.
Those are the BMW gloves on the seat of the bike. Mirrors work well, top speed is a (calculaled!) 200km/h plus.
NOBODY LIKES US…
WORDS DAVID MCMULLAN*
Our man in China looks at some of the obstacles for Chinese motorcycle manufacturers trying to crack the European market, and the way these difficulties are being perceived. It’s unfortunate that the manufacturers in one of the world’s most bureaucratised nations don’t understand the never-ending push from their brothers in Europe’s bureaucracy for the constant tightening of rules…
Chinese motorcycle manufacturers are very good at creating obstacles for themselves but
Hmm, that frame looks familiar somehow.
European taxi manufacturers beware…
here I will detail some of the aspects (mainly outside of their control) that they (especially the small and medium sized manufacturers) will have to overcome to become a power on European Union nation markets. We have recently seen a lot of movement from Chinese motorcycle companies wanting to produce models for the European market, this rapid development is intended to get them bedded in before the Indian motorcycle manufacturers begin their inexorable march into Europe. Despite the Chinese factories slow reaction to EURO 4 certificates of conformity there are, at least style, quality and price wise, several models from the likes of Zongshen, Tayo, CFMoto, Fuego and Loncin that would undoubtedly become popular on European markets if they can overcome the obstacles.
“…why
would a commuter [bike] with small engine need an abs brake system? the simple answer is that it just doesn ’ t. ”
There is a conversation with a common theme pervasive in the Chinese motorcycle industry. The over-riding feeling is that European and Japanese motorcycle manufacturers increasingly fear the evolution of Chinese motorcycles market shares on the commuter markets in European countries and that these companies have reacted by lobbying the European Union to change the conformity of motorcycles to make it difficult for the Chinese manufacturers to continue their rise.
Motorcycle industry analyst and motorcycle parts fair organiser Ziwen Zhang commented “What’s wrong with EURO 3? It’s a perfectly good conformity for modern conditions. I have spoken to lots of industry staff on this matter and everyone has the same opinion, EURO 4 is completely unnecessary for the rider of a motorcycle with a displacement under 250cc. We Chinese rarely make a motorcycle over 250cc. Of course there are exceptions like CFMoto and Loncin but 98% of our export models are under 250cc (another exception could be ATV’s but I’m really talking about 2-wheelers here). While I agree that electric fuel injection is better for the environment why would a commuter with small engine need an ABS brake system?
Yeah, who needs Euro4?
The simple answer is that it just doesn’t. In the opinion of many in the motorcycle industry EURO 4 was invented to make it difficult for Chinese motorcycle manufacturers to export to Europe as many of them had only just adapted to EURO 3 when EURO 4 was announced. Chinese bikes are cheaper and less technical and they were gaining a better reputation in Europe and even outselling the Japanese at certain times in countries like the UK. EURO 4 was a huge spanner in the works for some Chinese manufacturers who had to absolutely revamp their research and development departments and hire foreign experts to aid with their
attainment of EURO 4 certificates. It seems that the European free market really is just for Europeans.”
This year will see the event of the 2 most important and popular motorcycle exhibitions on the planet, Intermot in Cologne, Germany, and EICMA Milan. In previous years these expos have been busy with Chinese motorcycle industry exhibitors of bikes, parts and accessories but in recent years the attendance of Chinese companies has reduced, Chen Long from the industry council explains why. “In the early years of Chinese motorcycle export expansion exhibitions were everything, they were the only way of displaying new
Well, except for those pesky European bureaucrats!
models to a growing world market. In China we had Canton fair to display models but Chinese manufacturers began to utilise exhibitions around the world including smaller ones in Latin America, the Dealer expo in America and of course Intermot and EICMA. The way that Chinese exhibitors were treated by Intermot and EICMA was an absolute disgrace. They were placed in the most remote parts of the exhibition halls, the places were fewer visitors went. They were absolutely marginalized. I remember when Xie Fie from Junsun called you (David McMullan) to ask you to make a complaint to the organisers of EICMA. After receiving that treatment for a few years it was decided by many companies that they would not exhibit at these European expos any more. All the exhibitors used to go to these expos under the organizational umbrella of one business travel company so when one firm decided that they would boycott the European expos many followed their lead. I will tell you honestly that the treatment that the exhibitors got was very, very unfair.”
On an optimistic note, the ride and tech reports dedicated to Chinese brands in many of Europe’s motorcycle trade magazines are increasingly positive. The European 2-wheeler media seems to concur that Chinese models are being progressively better styled than their predecessors and that the quality to cost ratio now provides good value for money. This is essential for the success of Chinese bikes in Europe as apart from the bigger joint venture companies like Zongshen-Piaggio and Loncin-BMW you are very unlikely to see new models displayed at Europe’s exhibitions anymore!
*David McMullan is Chief Editor of China Motorcycle News Magazine and Auto Trade China magazine, as well as being Organiser of the CMPF Motorcycle Parts Fair and the Electric Motorcycle Show. D
RIDING IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Until you’ve tried it, you have no idea how much fun it can be to ride in other countries. Even New Zealand. Around every corner
THE BEAR
could be something you’ve never seen before, including a border post. If you’re in the Balkans, you can encounter them just about literally
around every corner; when the old Jugoslavia was split up, some of the splinters created are so small they’re hardly there – but they still have border posts.
Okay, so let’s see. Before you start out you should make certain that you have all the paperwork you might need. Proof of registration and insurance for the bike, plus a letter from the owner if the bike is borrowed, is a start. You should obviously have your
This
driver’s licence; I don’t usually bother with an International Driving Permit (obtainable from the RAC or NRMA) but I’m told it’s vital in Spain. This is your call.
Oh, while we’re on the subject of calls: if you have a bike-to-bike intercom, check that the frequency is legally available. I spent a week in Europe once talking to my mate on the emergency services channel and would have been in serious trouble if caught. Within reason, you can adjust your riding to match the locals’ style. But don’t forget common sense. In the Alps, the locals habitually overtake in blind corners, for example. I don’t recommend that. But in Borneo, the Kota Kinabalu riders overtake any damn way and ride on the wrong side of the road. I do the same when I’m there – it’s expected. In Thailand you are almost at the bottom of the pile of respect, just above pedestrians and bicyclists. Don’t push your luck.
Be polite to the cops wherever you are. In some countries they have staggering powers, and they use them. Politely claiming ignorance works; when they try to extract an on the spot fi ne without a receipt, pull out a previously hidden medium-sized currency note and sadly explain that that’s all you’ve got. Sometimes it works; make sure it doesn’t look like a bribe.
And take it easy, at least until you have had a look at the scenery and aren’t likely to be stunned by it every time you turn a corner. You’ll need your attention to stay on the road and out from under the wheels of the rest of the traffic! D
0022 + years
formerly Ferris Wheels Safaris
21 days: Peru, Chile, Bolivia
Andes
is a fairly typical scene from New Zealand. Why don’t you join us there on our tour in 2017?
TECHNICAL
WHAT IS THAT?
SIDE CHAPTER WORDS & PHOTOS THE BEAR
The story of the Newmount is very much a side chapter of the much larger tale of Zündapp, the German motorcycle manufacturer which was at one time one of the biggest maker of motorcycles in the world and which beat BMW in the competition to design a sidecar outfi t with two powered wheels for the Wehrmacht, the WW2 German army, to use whenever it felt like invading someone through some mud.
Erwin Tragatsch in his Encyclopaedia of Motorcycles claims that Zündapp’s fi rst bike, the Z22 which hit the market in
1921, was a straight copy of a British Levis two-stroke. The factory promoted the Z22 as the Motorrad für Jedermann or motorcycle for everyman and built it for fi ve years. It sold very well, by all reports, and Zündapp went on to create its own engines and notably frames, many of which were made of pressed metal. By the end of the 1920s, Zündapp’s success was enough to encourage J K Starley Jnr, formerly of the Rover Company, to sign a licensing agreement with the Germans which saw him importing most of the parts of a 200cc two-stroke. The tubular and somewhat basic frame was made
at Warwick Road, Coventry, and the entire bike was also assembled there. It weighed 198lbs and the steering head and frame backbone are a onepiece steel forging. As you can see in the photo, the frame was quite basic in some ways; tubes were fl attened at the ends and often bolted rather than welded together. Paint showed orange peel fi nish and there was little chrome, but the striping on the guards and the tank was very workmanlike and consistent. The bike was priced at £33.
Newmount started with Zündapp’s own engine in 200 and later 300cc versions but eventually branched out into the larger end of the market with 348 and 499cc Rudge Python engines. Patriotism only took Newmount so far, however; reports indicate that the bigger bikes had German-made frames.
Interesting slogan; I wonder how Matchless (which started all the way back in 1901) felt about it?
Zündapp fl ourished in the early ‘30s and even began design work on the Volkswagen in competition with Ferdinand Porsche. Instead of Porsche’s air cooled fl at four, Zündapp proposed a liquid-cooled fi ve cylinder radial engine. Guess
who won that one.
Earlier, Ferdinand Porsche had also talked the SS into commissioning his Kübelwagen instead of a sidecar outfi t. I imagine his name was not popular around Zündapp… but its side valve twins and fours continued to sell well.
Newmount, meanwhile, languished and the factory closed its doors in 1933. Shame, really. The unpretentious but compact and
Zündapp didn’t always use pressed steel for its frames, that was mostly on the bigger Richard Kuchen designs. This post-war Zündapp Comfort 200 still shows much of the same DNA that made the Newmount such a good looker.
attractive 1929 model in the photo, taken at the National Motorcycle Museum in the Midlands, would defi nitely fi nd a place in my garage. D
NEWINTHESHOPS
Fancy Floor
Rust-Oleum Rock Solid
Ever wondered how a showroom floor gets to be so spick and span, while no matter how long and hard you scrub your garage, you can’t seem to get that glossy finish? The answer is Rust-Oleum’s RockSolid range. RockSolid is the DIY concrete and flooring polish that will leave your garage floor looking just like the showroom. The average Joe can enjoy seeing their ride on gloss thanks to RockSolid’s long lasting sheen. RockSolid is an easy to apply floor and concrete epoxy that is quick dry and self-levelling. Most floor and concrete polishes require a full 7 days before they’re ready to bear loads again, but not RockSolid. You can park on a
freshly applied coat after just one day. RockSolid is available in a number of finishes including Denim Chip, Saddle Tan Chip, Cherry Bomb, Earth Brown, Gun Metal, and Brilliant Blue. For more information or to find your nearest stockist visit www.rustoleum.com.au
Pure gold
Motocell Lithium Gold Batteries
Price – From $129
We all need power and having a powerful battery to keep you going as best as possible is a must. Claimed lightest option available for motorcycle power supply; for those looking to achieve weight reduction - approx 1/3 lighter than the equivalent lead acid battery. The Motocell Gold is made from a new tough nylon outer case construction for greater durability, has an integrated LCD battery “State of Charge” indicator, brass terminals with three position multi mount connectivity and each battery comes with self-adhesive foam pads to adjust fitting dimensions and to reduce vibrations. Motocell Lithium Gold Batteries are imported and distributed exclusively in Australia by Link
International. For more information on the range visit, www.linkint.com. au/motocell-gold-batteries.html
ah, that Feels nice!
Dainese Pro Armour Lumbar
Price - $89.95
Want to help make your travels more comfortable, well what you need is exactly what Dainese has released –the Pro Armour Lumbar. Boasting
EN certification and constructed of flexible expanded nitrile rubber, the Pro Armour Lumbar is extremely comfortable while still offering excellent lower-back protection. Just what the doctor ordered. Available in Short or Long lumbar and two sizes –S/M, L/XL. See your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au
FliP it
Rjays Tour Tech III helmet
Price – From $199.95 - $219.95
Rjays constantly evolves the range and the latest to come under the eye is their Tour Tech III flip front helmet. Constructed from ABS the Tour Tech III features 6 air vents, removable and washable interior lining, space for intercom headset speakers, single action chin bar with dual locking system, Twin Shield
NEWINTHESHOPS
LEAVE HOME WITHOUT
NEW!
SHARP AS AN…
Mini Pump
Arrow exhaust for Honda Grom
Price – from $964
» Select pressure, switch ON and the pump automatically switches OFF when the pressure is reached
» Displays in PSI, BAR or KPA
» Pumps to 50 PSI
» Actual Pump size: 13 x 17 x 5.5cm
» Light weight and portable - weighs only 497g
The Kit includes the MotoPressor Mini Pump with Digital Pressure Gauge and all the power leads and connectors to run from your motorcycle battery or a mini jump starter, packed neatly into a sturdy carry case.
ASK FOR IT AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR BUY ONLINE
Link International is excited to announce the release of the latest range of Arrow Exhausts to suit the 2016 Honda MSX125 Grom. There are three full-system options available in the Arrow range, so you can suit your budget and desired look.
Fully road legal, they give a deep and mellow Arrow exhaust note. Made from aerospace quality Nichrome stainless steel the systems are available in "natural" and "dark" finishes and for the "spare no expense" Grom rider, there is also a Titanium silencer available to special order. See your local bike shop or visit www.linkint.com.au
FRUITY
Fist Handwear
What do you get when a death defying legend (Robbie Maddison), an industry heavyweight (Jesse Pidgeon) and a man with a big idea (Sam Moore) cross paths? You get Fist Handwear - a premium, stylish and high impact range of protective handwear with designs to blow your mind (but not your budget), just like the Pina Colada glove shown. There’s also a really nice Road Warrior full leather glove available. For more information visit www.ficeda.com.au
FREE AS A BUTTERFLY
Dainese Freeland Goretex boots
Price - $399.95
The Freeland boots are a plain but excellently featured touring boot with a breathable waterproof Goretex membrane, perforated upper, rubber sole, elasticated inserts, zip closure, upper in microfiber, rigid inserts on the ankles and certified to CE level 2. Available in sizes 41-47. See your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au D
MOTORCYCLISTTOUR
FLY TO THE BIRDS
OMAKA CLASSIC FIGHTERS AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLIST
MAGAZINE / SOUTH PACIFIC MOTORCYCLE TOURS
Book on our South Pacific Motorcycle Tour and the first 5 Riders will score a Giant Loop Columbia Dry Bag from our friends at AdventureMoto valued at $247.50. Don't leave home with out one!
We’ve had a lot of requests for our 2017 New Zealand tour and here it is! We’ve picked South Pacific Motorcycle Tours to run this one, specifically because of this fantastic tour they offer, including the Omaka Classic Fighters event.
If any of that gets you going, you’d better hurry and book your spot! You also get Peter “The Bear” Thoeming as your special host rider.
TOUR BOOKING &
DATES…
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours www.motorbiketours.co.nz
office@motorbiketours.co.nz
Ph: +64 3 312 0066
Skype: ride.nz
Depart - Christchurch Saturday 08 April 2017
Return - Christchurch Monday 17 April 2017
KEY POINTS FOR THE TOUR ...
RIDING TIMES: 9am-4pm approx with breaks throughout the day for lunch, coffee, activities etc.
DISTANCE: 2500kms approximately REST OR RIDE: Blenheim for Omaka Classic Fighters Airshow – video: https://youtu.be/QGwi3ogieNU
RIDER COMPETENCE: For riders with safe motorcycle control in all situations
MOTORCYCLES: South Pacific Motorcycle Tours has late model bikes from various manufacturers for you to choose from, in different sized to suit all types of riders.
SUPPORT VEHICLE INFO: Tour guide on a motorcycle plus support vehicle with enclosed luggage trailer.
WHERE YOU’LL GO…
10 Day Omaka Classic Fighters Fully Guided AMM Tour - Easter 2017
Arrival Day: Fri 07 April
Christchurch Hotel Check-in and Happy Hour
Day 1: Sat 08 Christchurch to Mount Cook National Park
Day 2: Sun 09 Mount Cook National Park to Queenstown
Day 3: Mon 10 Explore Queenstown/ Queenstown to Wanaka
Day 4: Tue 11 Wanaka to Franz Josef
Glacier Village
Day 5: Wed 12 Franz Josef Glacier Village to Punakaiki
Day 6: Thu 13 Punakaiki to Nelson
Day 7: Fri 14 Nelson to Blenheim
Day 8: Sat 15 Spectacular Omaka
Classic Fighters Airshow
Day 9: Sun 16 Blenheim to Kaikoura
Day 10: Mon 17 Kaikoura to Christchurch D
TRAVEL
POSTIE NOTES 12
MO’S ON THE BUNDY NOW
WORDS/PHOTOS JACQUI KENNEDY
Central Queensland holds many gems – literally and figuratively. I was two months into my second year riding my indomitable postie bike Mo around Australia and revelling in our second winter above the Tropic of Capricorn. I had purposefully chosen a full mesh protective jacket from Corazzo in anticipation of the higher temperatures and it was turning out to be one of my better choices on this trip. I was finally beginning to fully understand the Grey Nomad calling.
The Sugar Bowl region of Bundaberg and Rockhampton held very little appeal once we’d done the Bundy Rum and Ginger Beer factory. The cane cutting season had not quite begun but the cane was high and dry, swaying gently in the breeze for mile upon mile. The smell of molasses was in the air, heralding the new season. The towns were heaving with casual workers and fruit pickers with camp grounds and hostels bursting at the seams. The only escape was west into mining country. Noel, from Horizons Unlimited, had invited me to visit Emerald and aside from having a Big Easel to add to my Big Things collection, it was a welcome change from the coastal mayhem.
The 200km of road between Rockhampton and Emerald contained the largest concentration of trucks I have encountered since Port Hedland in WA. Luckily there was a nice wide verge and I was hyper-vigilant of the approaching behemoths, being able to maintain my speed in the breakdown lane at the same time allowing the trucks to overtake Mo safely. While refuelling in the little town of Dingo, a truck driver approached and complimented me on my safe riding
TRAVEL
stating that I was “the talk of the truckie airwaves”. When I entered the roadhouse to pay for my petrol, the lady said “it’s all taken care of love”. One of the truckies had expressed his appreciation by paying for fi lling Mo’s tank.
Life on the road continually delivers nice surprises from unexpected tangents.
Escaping from the busy road and the heaving tourist parks, Mo and I hit the gravel and camped at Blackdown National Park with the only company being magpies. The dirt road in deters many caravaners from venturing too far afield.
After a relaxing few days at Emerald being introduced to the farming
culture, Noel and I ventured further west to gem country. Sapphire, Anakie and Rubyvale contain rich veins of semi-precious stones and an entire community living off-grid and outside the confines of council regulations. Stake a claim and build a shack.
For a lesson in finding sapphire chips, head down to Pat’s Gems where even the most bogan postie rider can find a stone chip or two.
After Noel returned to Emerald, I headed north for a night at the stunning Theresa Creek Dam and then I backtracked to Capella to visit the Light Horse memorial – a magnificent design and fitting monument to the Anzacs. Cutting across through Dysart I passed through the coal mining
region, stunned to see the extent of the hole in the ground. Mile after mile, slashing a nasty scar on the landscape whilst employing thousands of workers living in temporary humpies of fly-in, fly-out townships. While free camping one night I met Ian, Dennis, Heidi and Chris from the Walk for Life team. They were raising money for breast and prostate cancer by walking around Australia over the next 14 months, they tag-team 10km at a time and cover about 50km a day. If you want to be a grey nomad and see the great land of Oz - then this is the way to do it!!
Back on the coast I was told about the tiny hilltop town of Eungella where I could see platypi in the
wild. Winding our way through high canefields, ready for harvest, the hill climb was a struggle for my poor overloaded little mate. The anticipated glorious view from the top was down to two metres with a thick fog enveloping everything. We picked our way slowly up to Broken River and spent a few hours poking around the little creek waiting to spot the elusive monotremes – without luck. A light drizzly rain had set in so we retraced
our route to the Eungella campsite where we were treated to the most magnificent double rainbow sunset across the valley. Other tourists were happily showing off their happy snaps of platypi frolicking in the water but that item on my fauna list remained unticked.
The following day we descended to the valley floor once more and rode through many kilometres of high cane before venturing up the Finch
Technical Skill - Personal Service
and machining service
Fuel injection specialists
Race and track bike preparation
Tyre supply and fitting
Ducati spares
REXXER ecu tuning
Although our background is Ducati we will happily service any motorcycle brand!
Hatton Gorge and stopping for lunch at the Ulysses Garden Cafe. I had encountered virtually no rain in the past two months touring in Queensland with the winter temperatures and humidity a pure delight. The tropical north was amazing and it was about to get a thousand times better with a highly anticipated detour to the Whitsunday Islands. Tune in again for Postie Notes number 13. D
)? )?
EASY AS ABC
It was in 1973, just a day or so after I had finished working in Melbourne during the short run of a stage musical, the unsuccessful production running for only nine weeks, that I received an odd phone call from a producer of the ABC’s ‘Torque’ programme, the short-lived TV feature dedicated, as its name subtly suggested, to test reports and other information for the delectation of avid motoring enthusiasts.
For some obscure reason, the stage production’s Broadway Director, Sammy Bayes, had cast me from Sydney in three entirely different –and extremely odd - character roles in the Melbourne production of the musical version of Shakespeare’s ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’, which the Management of J.C.Williamsons thought would play for some 18 months. How wrong they were about that prediction!
I was to play the impish Cupid in the opening scenes, the 84-year old Antonio some 30 minutes later in the first act, and the drunken, unkempt Inn-keeper in the second act. In the role of Cupid I was dressed in spangled, pink-and-gold lame Budgie-smugglers with matching bolero jacket featuring a pair of very large pink hearts. A red wig was entwined with flowers, while my pink sandals – which matched Cupid’s pink bow - were laced with pink and gold leather thongs which wrapped round my legs. Pink garters encircled my thighs and upper arms.
I did my own white-face make-up which featured a classic Cupid’s bow lip-line, in brilliant scarlet, topped off with gold eye-shadow, thick, jetblack eyebrows and heavy mascara. What a sight!
On the other hand, Antonio wore a large grey wig, his heavy – and very swiftly! – made-up face by now sad and deeply lined, the gnarled hands also made-up to age dramatically. His smart costume was a grey, skivvy-like top, calf-length patterned sleeveless tunic, grey breeches and close-fitting boots. The drunken Inn-keeper had his own (sparse) dark hair teased out from the temples, his florid face and bulbous nose disguising the two earlier characters, who were themselves entirely unrecognisable from each other. He carried an enormous beer stein, from which he took the occasional slurp as he staggered about, singing lustily with the ensemble.
The disparate characters were apparently so unusual for one actor to perform that, as part of the show’s publicity, a full-page piece was published in the Melbourne Age in early 1973, which featured photos of my three characters highlighted alongside my ‘ordinary’ face. This article had caught the attention of the ABC Producer as had my photos outside the Theatre. He recalled my assistance for a ‘Big Country’ programme he had produced for the ABC some years earlier, where I was an adviser for a piece they had filmed on motocross racing in Australia. He had wanted to include motorcycle tests in the programme for some time, he told me.
He said he had rung Her Majesty’s Theatre, was given my agent’s details, and had then contacted me. It was a welcome surprise, because there was not a whole lot happening in theatre at that time, with just the odd TV commercial, and a few other bits on local TV.
And so began a short career as the motorcycle compere on the ‘Torque’ programme.
First off, I was flown to Sydney in late 1973 to film a test of the brandnew R90S BMW on the Oran Park circuit, then back to Melbourne to film the new RE5 Rotary Suzuki at Sandown - in colour for the first time – another featuring Dennis Skinner’s unbeatable, hub-centre steered Laverda outfit, and an interview with the incomparable Ken Blake. This was followed by another trip to Sydney to film, and comment upon, motocross racing and the accoutrements necessary to engage in this pursuit.
One or two other Torque episodes then led to the biggest gig of all, a ride in the ‘Forest 300’, a twoday Enduro which was to be run through the daunting, heavilywooded Barrington Tops area. The event was organised by the Cessnock Motorcycle Club, with input from a Maitland motorcycle dealer called Winston Stokes, an Enduro rider of some standing. I had ridden along the occasional fire-trail many years previously, but had never ridden in an Enduro event. I accepted the challenge – although I had no blind idea what to expect! – for I was to be filmed at some stages during the event for a forthcoming Torque episode, and there seemed to be no way out of it!
It might be remembered that the current Forest 300 is a very serious event indeed, which includes motocross races on the local Showground as well.
I was flown to Sydney, to be slowly transported to the distant Dorrigo Motel within a small, 400cc Jeep-like
LESTER MORRIS, TV STAR WORDS (WHO ELSE) LESTER MORRIS
off-roader Suzuki called the ‘Jimny’, which remains the only vehicle I have ever encountered anywhere on earth which had a red-lined speedometer! The speedo was red-lined at a point from 70 km/ hour to 80 km/hour which was clearly its upper limit, because the little engine seemed to be revving its two-stroke(!) head off from about seventy Kay onwards, the noise in the cabin almost over-powering. It employed a canvas, fold-down roof and noisy, fl apping canvas sides. On the long trip we were overtaken by everything on wheels, including (believe it or not!) a pushbike on one noteworthy occasion. Dorrigo is said to be some three hours from Sydney, but we seemed to take all day to get there in the little, ill-handling screamer.
When we fi nally arrived I was immediately issued with a set of Belstaff ‘greasies’ by the fi lm crew – I had brought my own Belstaffs along, of course, along with helmet, boots and heavy gloves – the jacket
emblazoned with a full-sized ‘ABC –TORQUE’ screamer across the back. We fi lmed a fi ve-minute preamble in which I addressed the camera to explain what was going on(?), before being handed my machine, an ‘ordinary’, off-road 250cc two-
" I ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE – ALTHOUGH I HAD NO BLIND IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT! – FOR I WAS TO BE FILMED AT SOME STAGES DURING THE EVENT FOR A FORTHCOMING TORQUE EPISODE, AND THERE SEEMED TO BE NO WAY OUT OF IT! ”
stroke Yamaha. This was before really long-travel suspension systems had surfaced, which meant that my short legs could just about touch the ground. I was comfortable enough, so I fi red the bike up and, while
the cameras rolled and some of the more expert riders shook their grizzled heads at this intrusion, took the bike for an enthusiastic, lock-tolock squirt over some very muddy, rough terrain.
There was no practice on the day, and none before the event on the morrow, but there had clearly been an enormous amount of work done over the preceding days – or weeks – because I could see that there were miles of coloured tapes for us to follow which were attached to poles on both sides of the track. They seemed to snake off into the bush for as far as the eye could see, to suddenly drop down into hidden valleys to re-emerge here and there between the trees atop narrow escarpments which seemed to be perched precariously upon a knifeedge, with sheer drops down each side. I could see that there were a few small signs mounted on some poles, which I assumed were there to advise riders of dangerous areas or sudden, blind corners (?).
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CLASSICMORRIS
If I had never ridden in anything like this in my life before I was enthusiastic enough, for I was more than forty years younger at the time, but I fervently hoped I would never have to ride in anything like the Forest 300 again!
All riders were given a long briefing on the first day of the event, including the fact that the average speeds over the carefully timed sections was expected to be (if I remember correctly) 22 miles per hour – a seemingly easy thing to manage, but in the event very difficult to achieve when forced to slowly ford swiftly flowing, rockstrewn streams or bounding along the rugged, mountainous terrain over which the event was being held. We moved off singly at one-minute intervals, to be confronted almost immediately with a sudden drop into a greasy, overgrown valley and a small stream, an area which had clearly seen no traffic other than the thin wheel tracks of the machines which had been ridden through there days before when the bunting had been put up. We then climbed a very precipitous, near vertical slope, standing on the footrests while negotiating a narrow trail which was clearly no more than a track flattened out by a range of forest creatures which were either nocturnal or had fled the area in terror.
It was no place for heroics, because it was no more than a secondgear climb, the throttle carefully feathered because the rear wheel was constantly on the point of wheelspin, which it very occasionally achieved for a second or two. It was very dicey stuff, because of the deep drop down both sides, but we climbed ever upwards, the tail-end of the Yamaha occasionally attempting to slide over the side of the knife-edged trail. This then broadened out a little, which was not much help, because the thick carpet of leaves we then encountered were as slippery as if they had just had an enthusiastic, al fresco greasing. The next few miles were somewhat quicker as the track flattened out
after that steep climb, and I picked up the pace, slotted into third gear and swept sideways round a bend at the top to discover we had arrived at the first check-point. There was a small clutch of riders waiting to be checked in, their engines silent. One of their number loudly declared to the others his total amazement that the ‘Poof from the ABC’ had managed to climb to the check point and was, in fact, on time! He reckoned it was probably the most difficult section he had ever ridden over, but I didn’t bother to mention to him that it was probably more arse than class that had got me safely to that point!
Of course it couldn’t last, because the next leg involved a steep drop down a near-vertical cliff-face, followed by an equally steep ascent immediately opposite. I gunned the engine, expecting to be catapulted over the crest of the cliff-face opposite, only to find the bike rewarded this absurdity by executing a neat loop-the-loop and speared side-on down the hill, digging the full length of its prop-stand into the buttery clay. That was it for me, as I dragged myself from under the bike and tried with all my might to lift it up again. Bikes slid past on either side as I heaved on that immobile machine, but later in the day when the ‘sweep’ riders came around, it took three of them to lift the bike because the prop-stand was solidly locked within embrace of the cloying, thick clay. I followed the sweep riders along an easier route to the finish line, without an inch of additional film being recorded. The bike was OK, but the following day saw me mounted on a smaller, 175cc Yamaha off-roader, which suited me better. Even though I was actually disqualified, we needed the extra filming to be done so I set off again, this time with nothing like the urgency of the previous day but still making our way through various check-points – through which we were waved without reference to clipboards or times. Finally, I was slithering
sideways down another steep, greasy slope when I espied one of the film crew on the side of the track holding a loud-hailer.
“Here he comes!” he bellowed triumphantly. “Here he comes,” shouted another loud-hailer somewhere. I saw one of the two cameras which they had set-up turn toward me just as the front wheel dropped into a deep hole and I was spat unceremoniously over the handlebars. I leapt up, grabbed the bike and fired it out of the hole only to be pelted over the ’bars yet again about 50 meters further on, with both cameras well and truly focussed upon me.
The engine conked out on the second occasion, but I started it up without trouble and shot off, this time executing the classic, semicontrolled ‘Lazy S’ manoeuvre before almost disappearing at some speed around a high rock face. Of course I was pelted off again several metres later, the drama captured on film by the lower-most camera in those few brief seconds before I finally vanished from their sight as I slid over the slimy surface alongside the hapless Yamaha.
“Hey thanks for that, it was great TV, couldn’t ask for better,” the director said when I finally arrived back at the starting line and they had filmed my triumphant (?) arrival, with my subsequent wrapup. Naturally, they had taken a short-cut to the finish, arriving there long before I did, to set up the two cameras. “That last fall was great as you slid quickly out of sight alongside the bike, we just managed to capture it!”
Of course the event was gleefully shown on National TV on the Torque program.
It was quite an adventure, but I have noted, in the information issued concerning the latest Forest 300, a comment that “the earliest Forest 300 was a bike and body wrecker, but these days we are more sensible, and have more care for the riders, machines and the environment”.
It’s too late for me… D
EVENT SIDECAR GATHERING 2016
THOSE WILD MEN AND THEIR OUTFITS
WORDS/PHOTOS THE POSSUM
Following the Off Centre Rally, I retired to Adelaide for some R&R. Fortunately it’s also the home of Rossi Boots, as I had suffered a blow-out on the zipper in one boot, so it was dropped off for repair.
Getting out of Adelaide was pretty uneventful after picking up the repaired boot and heading north again. The wind was really picking up and the sky looked threatening as I got past Gawler.
As luck would have it, whenever a really dark wet cloud mass loomed up, the road skirted around it, so it was just the wind that annoyed me.
My travelling mate had left ahead of me, and we had arranged to meet at the Peterborough Hotel. I got there and put the bike out the back and moved it to the ensuite room on the ground floor, and still no sign of Fred. He showed up eventually, it seems he
is related to half of SA and had been visiting. Rained like a good thing half the night, but we were inside by the fire. Earlier, I had bagged the only copy of Australian Motorcyclist that the Peterborough newsagent gets and was pleased to see the Winifred Wells story – more on this later.
Saturday dawned cool and clear as we headed further north. The Silver City Highway will never make best biking roads, but
Oh dear me chappy
Watch out for those pesky emus!
Ready for anything
That’s not a swag. This is a swag!
it gets us to the pub at Manna Hill where old mate Beetle Bailey was running the Sidecar Gathering.
There had been some noise on certain forums to attempt the greatest gathering of outfits in Australia at this rally. There were plenty on hand !
We found Beet sitting out in the sun in front of the pub, watching the endless stream of caravaners passing by. I showed him the Winifred Wells article and he was very pleased indeed. Beetle is organising a fund raiser for the Guide Dogs next year based on the exploits of young Winifred.
There were a great many SA registered outfits, but the WA crew that had done the OCR were somewhere well to the west by now, heading home. Harry the Dutchman represented the WA crew on his well engineered outfit – think three wheeled tank !
McCardigan was in residence, having not had a breakdown since Roxyby Downs.
Many of the outfits showed
membership of the Monarchs, a Victorian Club with a strong leaning to three wheels.
Best effort goes to the blokes who turned up on a late 1948 M21 600 BSA outfit. Big flywheels and slogging side-valve single made the M21 the sidecar bike back in the day.
All attendees found a place to camp in the large back yard of the pub and all night long could listen to the road trains rattling through and the bloody freight train drivers sounding their horns.
As the afternoon rolled along, we had the awards ceremony -
Longest Distance Sidecar went to Neil and Vicki from Melbourne. I first met them on one of my first Alpine Rallies in the mid to late ‘70’s, and they are still riding the R60 outfit they had then!
Hardluck Award went to a (different) couple from Melbourne who were ambushed by an emu near Wilcannia.
Urals don‘t go fast enough to collide with anything, the emu attacked them and covered the right side of the bike
with blood, feathers and crap – lots of crap. The impact knocked out the fuel pump, and the lucky couple had an enforced stay in Wilcannia until a new pump was ferried up to them. This also caused them to miss the Off Centre Rally!
Longest Distance Solo – that was me.
In addition to the usual badges, Beet was flogging t-shirts and later fired up the BBQ to feed the horde. All funds raised went to the Guide Dogs, and the official count came out at 55 sidecars, 28 solos and one CanAm thing.
Sunday morning saw us get away and head for Broken Hill then Mildura for an overnight stay before heading for home.
If you have an outfit or have an interest in them, this rally is a good place to tap into the knowledge base of some pretty amazing blokes and their equally amazing machines. Next year the Gathering is moving to a new location over towards Burra SA, so keep an eye out for it, Beetle would love to see you. D
WHATSAYYOU
LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words. 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!
GOT TO HAND IT TO YOU…
This month, the prize for the best letter of the month – a pair of the exceptional Rain Off Overgloves from the equally exceptional Andy Strapz – goes to an unusually long letter, one which wouldn’t usually fi t in the Letters column. We’ve included it anyway because it deserves to be aired, both for the serious fi rst part and the (I hope intentionally) funny second bit.
A quick word about the prize. As you may be aware by now, Andy Strapz is offering a pair of these amazing and highly effective Rain Off Overgloves to the writer of the letter of the month. The gloves are truly waterproof (I first tried out a pair years ago and still use them) and have welded seams and elastic forearm closures. They won’t just keep your hands dry, they’ll also keep them warm and even preserve leather gloves worn under them. Warm hands in the cold are priceless, and Andy says that they even make heated grips work better.
The gloves come in five sizes, so our winners will have to take a look at the Andy Strapz website to work out their size and then drop Andy a line at info@andystrapz.com to claim their gloves. Please quote your full address to show that you are the person entitled to claim the gloves. And then – ride dry, ride warm! Hands-wise, anyway…
LAUGH? WE NEARLY…
Stuart and Peter, I often sit down and write a letter but
rarely send them as the act of letter writing is therapeutic in itself.
I’m really not the whinger I appear to be from my writings, however, I do resent the idea of someone financing their motorcycling adventures by claiming to be raising money for charity. You will never see a summary of the money received from donors and the corresponding receipt from the charity for the money they received. On top of that, there is the cheek of rewarding the person who raised the most money by giving them an expensive prize. This charity business is all so much BS. I wonder what Boris makes of it? You might also wonder about the integrity of charities accepting money raised in these circumstances. Are the charities made aware of exactly how much money is raised and what their share of it is, or are they just putting their hand out for whatever they can get? I personally believe that all charities should be required by law to operate within a set ratio of, say, 20% of funds raised to administration and 80% to whatever it is they support, I imagine a lot of registered charities would disappear if held to this level of accountability. These days it’s rare for charities to have 20% of the money raised going to the cause they exist for. If I ever want to celebrate Winifred Wells’ ride I will do it in my own way and at my own expense and just maybe I’ll write about it and submit it to a magazine.
[Bruce, we would not promote a charity ride where we didn’t trust the operator. Anyway, The Possum knows where Beetle lives… The best kinds of fundraisers are ones like The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride where the money goes direct to the charity. The organisers don’t see it. Having said that, I do agree with you about many of the charities around – The Bear]
I enjoy reading your magazine each month and look forward to my copy arriving in the post. I start at the first page and read every single article. In the couple of times I’ve met Stuart, I’d have to say I found him a nice bloke and like him. Wait for it… However, I do find some of his bike tests irritating. I suppose, in order of priority the thing I dislike most is Stuart’s constant claim that a bike’s fuel consumption is good. What does that mean? It would be far better to say that a bike’s fuel consumption is good when compared to a similar horsepower/capacity bike. I know motorcycles are self-indulgent devices and probably shouldn’t be compared with cars, but a motorcycle returning above 5 litres per hundred kilometres should never be given a general description of “Good fuel consumption” in my view. Perhaps for my own amusement I’ve written and attached a copy of statements that I imagine Stuart will NEVER put in his reviews.
As to Boris, with a famous surname like his (one of Serbia’s greatest heroes) you just have to pay attention. I guess Boris is long practised at ‘pot stirring’, but it is important that people like Boris can stick his finger up at so much of the nonsense and ridiculous political correctness that our current Australian society heaps on those of us who can remember what it was like living in this country in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. That’s not even mentioning the individuals we find on the road that we have to endure with equanimity to avoid being arrested for beating them about the head for their ill-mannered stupidity. Keep it up Boris, you have plenty of fans out there. This has turned out to be three or four letters rolled into one. The Bear will always be the Bear and long may
Lester share his reminiscences.
Bruce Walker Baulkham Hills
And here is Bruce’s contribution to honesty in motorcycle reviewing:
Words and Phrases we’ll never see Stuart Woodbury write in his bike test reviews:
“I won’t mention how tall I am because everyone knows that by now as I mention it in every review I write. By the way, I’m really tall, actually 1.95 metres.”
“I’m not going to recommend you fit Staintunes, Akrapovics, Screaming Eagles or any of the other aftermarket mufflers because I hate to see you wasting so much money and putting perfectly good factory fitted mufflers on your garage shelf to rot away, especially since you’ve just spent $25,000+ of your hard earned cash on this motorcycle.”
“Please be aware that a lot of our advertising revenue comes from the makers and importers of aftermarket mufflers.”
0022 + years
“My garage shelves are chock full of brand new unused factory fitted mufflers which I’ve removed from every bike I’ve ever bought.”
“This new motorcycle develops 50 horsepower and that should be enough for anyone.”
“I can list many motorcycles that have enough power and torque.”
“The newest model actually doesn’t have and doesn’t need any increase in power or torque.”
“This new motorcycle has a top speed of around 170 kilometres an hour which, given the top speed limit in Australia is 130km/h, is fast enough for anyone.”
“Fuel consumption of 5.5 litres per hundred kilometres on this motorcycle is spectacularly lousy when you consider that most European cars can do better than that these days.”
“Anyone who thinks the motorcycles I like are about fuel conservation is stupid. Luckily The Bear pays for my fuel.
“If you’re concerned about excessive fuel consumption, go and buy a car.”
“I like this motorcycle just as it is and
I wouldn’t want to personalise or change it in any way. It’s the motorcycle I’d choose for myself, especially if I had to pay for it myself.”
“I know the motorcyclists who read this magazine are really loaded with money, that’s why I use and recommend the most expensive stuff. Mind you I wouldn’t buy half that stuff if I had to pay for it myself.”
“This motorcycle costs $35,000 but factor in another $5000 to cover all the ridiculous accessories and personalising bling I am about to recommend and which I’d add if I had as much money as you obviously have, to spend this much on a motorcycle.”
That’s not bad, Bruce (you don’t mind if we call you Bruce, do you?) What do you reckon, other ladies and Bruces out there, can you supply any more “words & phrases” along these lines? Actually, never mind what Stuart might or might not write. What about The Bear? Surely he’s guilty too…
Advertise your products and services to passionate travelling motorcyclists!
TO ADVERTISE CONTACT RALPH ralph@ausmotorcyclist.com.au 0497 046 064
Ferris Wheels Safaris
SOFT BAG SCRAMBLING
Bear,
I’ll keep this short and try not to ramble. I took a set of these… www.kriega.com.au/ saddlebags/ducati-scrambler-duo-saddlebagplatforms.html, and added these… www. aussiebikershop.com.au/index.php.
Fitted up and tested with a few added fastening bits, and hey, it all works giving 50 plus litre capacity with no flapping or rubbing: It seems ok to me Bear, just might like to do a few adjustments, and reckon I could also still fit my Givi 25 Ltr tail bag if needed. Both the Kriega platforms (easily taken off) and the bags were sourced in Australia at reasonable prices, making the combination cheaper than the Duc accessories and other aftermarket solutions. Not too shabby at all imo.
Cheers, Gil
Northern Rivers NSW
Thank you, Gil, I’m always interested in ideas that work – especially when I may be able to steal them for my bike! – The Bear
IAN’S OFF
My report on the bike show after taking her majesty for a 3 day shopping binge in Melbourne interrupted by the Melbourne motorcycle show, I can say with great delight it was very well worth the effort as I had many queries to sort out, track leathers for girls (my daughter) this would have been impossible going through normal channels, some summer wear for real pillions not those lunch boxes some guys get to take as pillions.
Of course the one stand that was a must was the Australian Motorcyclist magazine manned by the usual suspects (Pete & Stuart) unfortunately the star of that stand (Boris) was away, the word on the street was there were two exhibitions on in Melbourne at the same time, one was big boys toys (motorcycle exhibition) the other was toys for big boys (the sexpo exhibition) and as we know Boris is famous for following his nose and you guessed it Boris ended up at the sexpo exhibition, undeterred by this Boris immediately went into action on one of the stands as of yet we don’t know what gizmos he was peddling but apparently he was right at home explaining the ins and outs of this gizmo (Boris would have learnt all about these gizmos at Sydney Boys High) and that is where Boris spent the entire three days.
There was confusion amongst many visitors
to the sexpo regarding one particular gizmo having an internal shaft drive and being controlled by a fly by wire throttle sending it up to an 11,000 rpm orgasm.
Back to the bike show to me the star of the show was the yellow and grey Triumph 900 cafe racer, my wife’s choose was the blue FJR1300 both would look very nice in my little stable, as for Boris’s choice we will have to wait for his report
Yours in motorcycling
Ian Gregory
Regents Park NSW
TOP BEANIE
Hi Bear,
I have received my official Aus Motorcyclist Magazine Beanie, What a Ripper. I love it and it fits perfectly “how did you know”? It probably won’t get much immediate use but it will be great for our Canberra winters also it will get a very good outing at the upcoming Isle of Man races.
I’d send you a photo but there is enough of my ugly mug in the Bear Army article in the January edition.
Love the Mag and the articles on the Motorcycle shows. Keep up the good work.
Live loud.
Cheers
Paul Donkin (Donk)
Trooper #25
UP THE GUTS AGAIN
Bear,
I have just finished reading Colin Whelan’s second instalment of Up The Guts (riding from Port Augusta to Darwin, AMM #43 & #45). I liked Colin’s down-to-earth description of the towns/roadhouses along the route but have somethings to add.
I have been told Spud’s at Pimba no longer sells premium petrol, just 91 and diesel, although I don’t know how long they can continue to not sell premium. If your ride must have premium then have enough to make it to Glendambo. If you do have sufficient fuel or if, like mine, your ride will drink 91 consider a 7 km detour to Woomera. I haven’t done this yet but people who have say it is an interesting town and there is accommodation including camping there although I couldn’t confirm the availability of fuel.
North of Alice Springs Colin (probably deliberately) Colin missed a couple of roadhouses; Wycliffe Well and Devils Marbles (formerly Wauchope, pronounce Walk-up) Hotel. I haven’t stayed at Wycliffe Well - “The UFO Capital of Australia” but apparently it is OK. I have stayed at Devils Marbles Hotel and that was a very pleasant experience. Good food, accommodation and camping available.
Cheers
Jeff Cole
Alice Springs
That’s good news, Jeff. I’ve just heard from a friend of a friend who did the Darwin-Adelaide ride – her first Outback trip – and came back absolutely stoked, stars in her eyes and all – The Bear D
NEWBiKEPricEs
New motorcycle prices go up, they go down. It can be hard to keep track of all the changes. Australian Motorcyclist Magazine supplies you with all the latest up to date prices
RS4 125
from all the manufacturers currently in the country. Things like special deals, cashbacks, factory discounts and bonuses are what you’ll find. Bear in mind
F 800 R
F 800 GT
S 1000 R
S 1000 RR
R nineT
R nineT Scrambler
R nineT Racer
R nineT Pure
R 1200 R
R 1200 RS
R 1200 RT
K 1300 R
all prices (unless indicated) exclude dealer and on road costs and some prices may have changed at the last minute as we went to the printer.
$13,100
$16,300
$19,350
$22,990
$21,250
$19,150
$TBA
$TBA
$22,100
$23,100
$30,940
$22,990
R 1200 GS
R 1200 GSA
ScooteR
C 650 Sport
C 650 GT
$18,650
$21,990
$24,590
$14,150
$14,990 CAN-AM (BRP) www.brp.com
*All prices are ride away Road
Spyder RS SM5
NORTON MOTORCYCLeS
www.frasermotorcycles.com.au
Commando 961
Commander 961
PGO
www.pgo-scooter.com
sCooteR
Ligero 150
PIAGGIO
www.piaggio.com.au
*Some Piaggio prices are ride away
sCooteR Typhoon 125
ROYAL eNFIeLD
www.royalenfield.com.au
TGB
www.tgbscooters.com.au
www.torinomotorcycles.com.au crUISer
Tiger 800 XRX/L
Tiger 800 XRT
Tiger 800 XC
Tiger 800 XCX/L
Tiger 800 XCA
Explorer 1200 XRx
Explorer 1200 XRt
$16,850
$18,150
$15,590
$17,950
$19,750
$22,700
$25,200
Explorer 1200 XCx/L $24,200 Explorer 1200 XCa
URAL
www.imz-ural.com.au
TRIUMPH
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
VESPA
www.vespa.com.au
Scooter Primavera 125 3V
150 3V
150 3V
150 3V SE
GTS 150 3V
Bonne T100
Bonne T100
Bonne Bobber
Bonne Scrambler
VICTORY
www.victorymotorcycles.com.au
Thruxton 1200 PC
Thruxton R 1200
$18,900
$21,100
Tiger Sport (new) $17,150
Speed Triple S $17,900
Speed Triple R $20,350 crUISer America $11,990 Speedmaster $12,990 Thunderbird Storm ABS $21,990
VIPER MOTORCYCLES
BEARFACED
YEAH, RIGHT
Don’t you just love the people who tell you that they were caught by the constabulary at some astronomical speed but then “talked their way out of it”?
Have you ever tried this? There is a range of responses from the Highway Patrol or whatever offi cer, from “Yeah, right”, to “Would you like me to book you at the actual speed you were doing?” and on to “Are you trying to get smart with me, sonny?” usually delivered by someone who still has nappy rash.
Okay, I have talked my way out of it a couple of times, which is an average of once every 24 years of riding, and never in Australia. I’ve tried, but very carefully, always remembering the experience of one of our road testers. Pulled over for speeding, Bill tried to soften the cop’s heart by telling him that he was working for a bike magazine, and testing the bike he was on, and… And the eyes of the cop lit up.
“I’ve been hoping to book one of you blokes for ages…” he breathed. Then, the abyss.
The fact that I haven’t managed to talk myself out of a booking in Australia does not, however, mean that I’ve never got away with it. I was on a friend’s Norton Atlas (thanks again, Rocky) on the fi rst stretch of the Newcastle tollway to be completed, and I was determined to “do the ton”. The speedo had been checked and I knew that I would have to hit 172km/h on the speedo to be able to claim the old ton. The Norton was weaving a bit as we
approached 160, but I kept it pinned and saw the needle touch 175.
As I rolled off, I heard the siren. Just for a moment I considered doing a runner – it was something like 2.30am – but common sense, which had been noticeably lacking so far, took over and I pulled up. It was just near the Mount White turnoff, on a warm, starry night. Funny what you remember. While I waited for the car I momentarily wondered what the temperature would be like in the Gosford lockup.
The Highway Patrolman got out of the car and wandered over to me.
“Hopwood’s fi nest, eh?” he said cheerfully, looking at the bike. “The 12 volt model, too. Now then, er, sir, (I had just turned 20) is there any reason why you were doing 150km/h?” It was usual even then to quote a lower fi gure than actual –presumably to reduce the likelihood of the miscreant arguing. I would actually have preferred him to give the real speed, if only to be able to show my mates the ticket. In a fl ash I thought of a clever answer.
“Um, no.” I said.
“Yeah right,” he replied. “You were just wondering what she would do, weren’t you?” Once again I used all my wits to come up with a corker.
“Ah… yes.” I said.
“At least you picked a good time,” said the cop, a Senior Constable.
“Because it’s night?” I ventured.
“No, because I’m the one on duty. I like these things. Got a Commando coming. Now then, er, sir, I am going to issue you with a warning for
exceeding the 110km/h speed limit by less than 15km/h. There is no fine (points had not been thought of).
Please be more thoughtful in future.”
I’m sure he was laughing as he spun the HP car’s wheels getting back onto the slab and heading north.
At least I could understand the reason why he was letting me go. There was another time, down south on the Princes Highway near Eden, which was not so obvious.
I had come around a left-hander and over a small bridge when I saw the lights up ahead. The cop was standing next to his car, just off the road to the left, and holding a radar gun. As I pulled over I couldn’t help but notice that he was quite angry. I thought uh oh, here’s trouble. And there was, at least at first. I copped a torrent of furious abuse that ended in a promise to book me and all my mates if we were still around the next day (and speeding, presumably) and throw away the key.
“Now clear out,” he added. Eh? I’d probably been doing about 130 on a 100km/h stretch of road, and the last thing I expected was to be let go. But of course I didn’t argue.
When I got to Eden, I was telling my friends about this staggering event when one of the others pulled in. He shall remain nameless but he knows who he is. I turned to him with my story, and a smug grin took over his spacious face.
“I know,” he said. “One hundred and seventy-six kilometres an hour.” I didn’t have to ask him if he had been let go as well, the answer was plastered all over his grinning mug.
Later, I found out from a friend in the cops that the Highway Patrol in NSW had been having a protest day, refusing to book anyone.
“Yeah, right,” I hear you say. It’s true, though. D
BORIS
RAINMEN
Steve and I and about 60 other like-minded people had been out riding in the desert for three days. Well, it wasn’t a real desert. It didn’t have sand dunes and Bedouins and the US Air Force carpetbombing it, but it was close enough for our purposes.
It was that big empty area in the middle of NSW, pin-marked by the romantically-named village of Ivanhoe, and our purposes, such as they were, consisted of holding the throttles of our motorcycles open for as long as we could stand it, then doing it again.
When we were done with that, deaf and blasted by the high-speed wind roar, our brains sludged with madness, we went to the pub.
Continuing in the vein of Macbeth, where “Damned be him that fi rst cries ‘Hold, enough!”, we literally drank the Ivanhoe pub dry (the publican was reduced to calling his friends to see if they had an “spare slabs in the fridge”) and so it was time to go home.
We thundered back to Hay, where we were forced to abandon Biffa. He had to wait for a new tyre after having fanged his until the belts where showing. Naturally, because he was one of my most beloved of brothers, we attempted a makeshift repair. We bought fi ve rolls of duct tape from the servo, wound them around the tattered centreline of his tyre, advised him to “take it easy until the shit bedded in” and set off for Sydney which was only 723km away. We made fi ve, then the duct tape fl ew off, would itself around his axle and almost pitched him into a table drain.
So Steve and I left him in Hay and headed east for Narrandera via Darlington Point.
We were maybe 40km out of Darlington Point when I pulled over and stared open-mouthed to the north. Steve stopped beside me, and he too stared to the north.
Across the vast plain that runs all the way to the Gulf, was coming the biggest purple bastard of a storm either of us had seen outside of a movie. We could see all of it, such was the view. It was big and tall and pain-bruise dark. And misty with the amount of water it was hammering down on the land, which we couldn’t see at all because of the aforementioned water. There seemed to be nothing underneath its fl at, black bottom except water. The land had gone.
There was also nothing much to north of where we were except the old tin sheds that were the map-dots of One Tree, Roto and Cubba –and, from what I could see coming towards us, they were all now under 100-metres of water.
“You can have my wet-weather gear,” I said to Steve.
“You sure?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with gratitude, or possibly fear. I fi nd people’s eyes gleam much the same for both emotions.
Steve hadn’t done a lot of longdistance riding and only came on this crazy fi ve-day desert-run because I told him I would sell him to Arab sex-slavers as a pleasure-boy if he didn’t come. So I lent him some gear and he’d had a very good time, and now, from what we could see, it was time to pay the ferryman.
Lending him my wet-weather gear was no biggie. I knew it would make him feel better about what was about to happen to him. And he would think me benevolent and selfsacrifi cing, which meant he would buy me beer all the way home and probably for the next month or so.
I also knew he would be no dryer than me, judging by what was rapidly closing in on us. Wet-weather gear is fi ne and works for a bit, but nothing would be proof against the liquid Armageddon that was almost upon us.
And then it was on us. It was like being fi re-hosed from above. I could
not see across the road, and was completely drenched even before I started the bike. Steve was hunched against the forced of the rain and looking small and crumpled in my outsize wet-weather gear.
But to his eternal credit, he did start his bike and we rolled on east –the road totally awash and our eyes frantically trying to blink away the rain. Steve had his visor up, and I had taken off my sunnies – it was the only way to get any vision at all.
Cars and trucks had either pulled up on the side of the road, or just stopped in the middle, hazards fl ashing. So there was all that to ride around. I don’t think we went much over 60. I couldn’t see the speedo, but that’s what it felt like.
Of course, such climactic ferocity is relatively short-lived. It was all over in 20kms, and by the time we rode into Darlington Point and stopped at the pub, all that was left was that magical post-rain smell.
“That was amazing,” Steve said, bringing me the fi rst of many beers he planned to buy me over the coming weeks. “I have never been more terrifi ed or more alive at the same time!”
“Just like being a pleasure-boy in Bahrain, huh?” I grinned. D
AMM FEBRUARY 2017 LAMS / STREET CUP / AMD CUSTOM / CASCADE LOOP / RE RANGE RIDE / 1ST TRACK DAY / MAP: 5 PUNTS ISSUE #12, VOL 4
