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EDITORSPEAKS
REMEMBER PLAYING in the mud as a kid? That wonderful sensation of sloppy, wet mud and deep muddy puddles that brought so much joy into your head and so much anguish to your parents with its aftermath. Well, as ‘grownups’ we can still play in the dirt but on motorcycles and this is exactly what we’ve been doing for our adventure bike special feature this month. I hope you enjoy what we’ve brought to the table for you and you get out there and enjoy the many off-roads there are to enjoy. Have you signed up for our next readers tour yet? If you have, you’re going to have one hell of an awesome time; if you haven’t, then you better hurry the hell up and blow the cobwebs off that wallet and book! Yes, do it now! If you don’t you’ll regret it, I can assure you of that.
How did I go racing recently at the PCRA One Hour endurance races? Well, where do I start? I went out in practice and crashed my beautiful CBR900RR. My brain must have leaked out before I put my helmet on because I knew what I did was totally stupid –cold tyres, cold and extremely slippery track combined with too much lean angle and too much throttle – bam, down I went. My mate Chris and I managed to fix the damage, which was a broken handlebar cracked fairing and some wiring that tore apart, with plenty of red duct tape, just in time for Dan to go out in qualifying where he took it quite easy and still put us third
Banged up but ready for qualifying
on the grid. Unfortunately the little Commuterlite struck ECU troubles so we parked it for the day.
Around midday the rain came in making the track crazy slippery. Most people packed up and went home but the ‘toughies’ stayed and rode in the rain/sleet and downright miserable conditions. Many crashed and many near had frost bite, it was that cold! The weather report predicted snow in the Goulburn area but luckily they were wrong.
Because of a crash in the first race where the rider needed to be flown out, the rest of the races were reduced to 45 minutes due to the delay. I sent Dan out first and as soon as the rider change board came out after 15 minutes, he was in. I jumped on and almost lapped the second place runner to win Pre Modern F1 again for the fourth consecutive year. I will admit that my two main competitors (one in a different class, mind you) were two of the ones who packed up and went home, but you have to be in it to win it. I now have a lot of work to do to get my red beauty back to being eye blindingly good. Next year I hope to win again and make it five years in a row!
Next on the agenda is to get the engine back in the Noraha/Yamton FZR1000 ready for Alex to race at this year’s Australian Historic Titles. If you want to attend the event it’s over the 9-12 November weekend at Wakefield Park NSW. Check out www.wakefieldpark.com.au for the fine details. Cheers, Stuart.
Winner, winner. Chicken dinner!
Joining the Versys 650/L and Versys 1000 models, the highly versatile and lightweight Versys-X 300 opens up a category of its own.
• Powerful 296 cm3 Parallel Twin engine
• Assist and Slipper Clutch
All-new highly rigid backbone frame
• Long-travel suspension
• 19”/17” spoke wheels and multipurpose tubed tyres
• Stylish multi-functional instrumentation with gear position indicator
• Large-size windshield provides superior wind protection
• Slim, upright riding position
Large-volume bodywork and impressive adventure styling
Comfortable long-distance riding
• Abundant range of genuine touring equipment & accessories available
>> Candy Lime Green
>> Metallic Graphite Gray
RIDE EUROPE - JUNE 2018
EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES
European Motorcycle Adventures is offering some great bike tours in June 2018, in the French Italian Alps, the Dolomites and Tuscany. Ross Naylor, who operates the tours, has been offering them since 2003 for Australians looking for relaxed riding in small groups on handpicked roads and staying in great hotels. Ross has operated tours in Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia and Turkey. Tours are normally 7 days and are priced from $3200 per rider or $4900 for a couple. This includes bike hire, hotel stays and organisation. Lots of people have been on Ross’ tours over the years and many come back for more adventures. Come on your own, as a couple or in your own group. Check out the website - www. europeanmotorcycleadventures.com for details of the tours, or email him on naylor.ross@gmail.com . And if you think you’ve seen a Bear somewhere in the Dolomites, you could be right – he’s planning a trip just at that time!
HIT YOUR AURAL SENSES
DUCATI DESMOSEDICI
STRADALE V4
Out of the experience gained in MotoGP, where the 4-cylinder Desmosedici unleashes incomparable performance, comes a new 90° V4 engine designed to power the Ducati supersport models of tomorrow. In transferring the technology of its most cutting-edge power unit from racetrack to road, Ducati offers customers performance levels honed by years
of MotoGP experience. Called the Desmosedici Stradale, this engine is set to become yet another Ducati milestone: it will be the first time ever that the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer has equipped a standard production bike with a 4-cylinder engine. No, the 125cc four was a race bike!
The official unveiling took place in Misano during the San Marino and Rimini Riviera GP, the thirteenth round of the 2017 MotoGP championship. A perfectly natural setting for the presentation, as MotoGP is the proving ground from which the new engine has drawn experience, technology and grit.
The actual unveiling of the new Ducati V4 Panigale takes place on November 5.
YOUR LAST RIDE
HD PRESTIGE
FUNERAL SERVICES
We’ve always thought that your last ride by way of a motorcycle hearse a great idea. For any avid motorcyclist it would
be a fitting send off. Leon & Michelle McNeill had the same idea and have created HD Prestige Services and HD Prestige Funeral Services, having built a Harley-Davidson Hearse from a 2017 Milwaukee Eight Road King Special. Get in touch with them at 0421 863 677, admin@hdprestigeservices.com. au or check out the website - www. hdprestigeservices.com.au to discuss arranging that something special for a passed loved one.
HEAD FOR PARADISE PARADISE MOTORCYCLE TOURS NZ
Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ is just about to sign the docs for a new base in Queenstown. This is really aimed at us Aussies. With so many direct flights from major Aussie Airports to Queenstown, it really is a no-brainer. You’ll be able to do a self-guided tour or rental and fit it into a week or a long weekend and start your ride right in the middle of all the good stuff. They’ll pick
you up from the airport, and if you want you can be riding away 30 minutes after arrival!
The second part of the great news is they’ve been researching off-road tours in New Zealand for the last 5 years. Starting and finishing in Queenstown they have 5 and 10 day off-road tours and self-guided off-road tours that you can fit into a week or two. You’re really going to get off the beaten track on these tours, they’re as challenging as you want them to be, and reflect everything that is core to Paradise MC Tours, which is great experiences with great quality. We’ll give you all the details in the next AMM and Paradise will see you in Queenstown! www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz D
WORDS STUART PHOTOS NICK WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
YOU KNOW HOW it is. There can only ever be three on the podium, and for us, these are the top three adventure touring bikes. They make the podium because they offer outstanding off-road abilities along with great touring capacity. Getting both of these right at the level at which these three bikes offer them is practically unknown. But just how good are they when you compare them with each other? Time to find out, so here we go, riding out through the back of Lithgow along ‘Stuart’s track’ and up the Black Fellows Hand Trail back to Lithgow with all three bikes riding on Continental TKC 80 knobbies.
Pricing is always a consideration, whoever you are and whatever you’re buying. So the Honda Africa Twin being about ten grand cheaper than either the KTM or BMW raises a question that’s simple to ask but which may be difficult to answer: are the possible shortfalls of the Honda, compared to the KTM and BMW, something you can live with? Or do you need to spend some of that saved cash to bring it up to the standard of the other two?
Our riders for the comparo were Ralph, Nick (our photographer)
and I. We all have varying levels of off-road experience, but we agreed on the three things we thought needed changing on the Honda to bring it up to the KTM and BMW. These are: First, a set of rallye style pegs, or pivot pegz would be even better. Then, the handlebar needs to be raised for more control and finally the suspension needs a lot of work. The forks were very sticky and movement up and down was not as flowing as it should be. This resulted in a dead feeling from the front end and getting weight off the front wheel through sand was quite difficult. I did try backing off the rear preload (to one click only) to get the weight moving backwards and it seemed to help, but it was a compromise. A set of cartridges for the forks and a revalve and correct spring for the shock would bring the Honda up to par. You’re probably looking at three grand for this. For the pegs, another $240; handlebar risers, another $250. That still leaves a lot of play money in the kitty. On the bitumen section we rode on the way to the dirt the BMW was by far the best handling bike. We all felt that the smaller 19 inch front wheel with its wider tyre was what made the difference. The Honda and the KTM are more off-road orientated with their 21 inch, 90/90 front tyres. We rated their handling pretty equal on the black stuff.
Once we hit the dirt, the KTM just ate any type of terrain with ease. Nick has the least amount of off-road experience between us and he said that even a basic punter, the KTM made him look and feel good (although there was some scepticism about the looking good part). We hit some gnarly trails where on the approach a group of riders on more suitable bikes warned us not to ride on, but all three bikes powered easily up and into the rocky, crappy and sandy bush “road”. Ralph was divided in his opinion between the KTM and BMW; he reckoned they were both amazing to ride in the bush, whereas the Honda struggled a little. It was only a step down in
Cockpit
Luggage
Seats
Riding Suits
the grand scheme of things, but nonetheless it was harder to ride. The big consideration here is that both the KTM and BMW feel so much ‘at home’ or natural when you get on them. They’re balanced and just do everything you could ask of them.
Engine power has the KTM as the wild child, the BMW as the tractor and the Honda as the quiet child. Both the KTM and BMW eat rear tyres if you’re not kind with the throttle but the Honda could take a bit of punishment and still come away with a decent looking rear – a serious consideration for long adventures. KTM has tuned the 1290 R to have a soft bottom end but get just beyond that and it wheel spins for miles – a lot of fun, as we all found out. The BMW is like a tractor – point it and it will go there, uphill, downhill and everything in between. Those Germans really have got this new Rallye X to a level where you can take it to many places you might not have thought was possible. The Honda does like to sit above the 3000rpm mark, below this the weight bias over the front wheel makes it hard to ride through sand. Which reminds me, the shaft drive on the BMW will require less maintenance than the chains on the KTM and Honda. After our ride through the bush both chains were dry and full of dust, so having a shaft drive can be a bonus.
Ergonomics play a big part with these three. Seat heights range from 890mm for the KTM and BMW with its Rallye seat fitted to an adjustable 850-870mm for the Honda. Both the BMW and Honda have low and tall seat options whereas the KTM only has higher seat options. We all also found the distance to the levers was good on the BMW and Honda, whereas it was a bit of a stretch for the clutch lever on the KTM, even with it wound in. A minor thing but it makes a difference at low speed work in the thick scrub.
Standing up and sitting down on the Honda felt a little weird with the very small footpegs and low set bar compared to the big and wide pegs on both the BMW and KTM with their high and wide bars. The KTM was fitted with accessory Rallye pegs though, which retail for $299.99.
In terms of wind protection the Honda is the clear winner with its larger screen, the KTM and BMW have tiny little screens and despite them both being able to be wound up, they don’t really do much.
Electronics are relatively basic on the Honda compared to the BMW and KTM, but some people might say that’s less to go wrong once the bike gets full of bulldust or goes through the umpteenth water crossing. You would hope that any bike is ultra reliable nowadays, but it is a thought. The Honda has switchable traction control and ABS with the rear ABS able to be switched off, and the dash is nicely designed with an LCD display. We all found the front ABS to be a bit intrusive in the dirt, but fine on the bitumen.
Electronics on the KTM include switchable traction control, switchable cornering and combined ABS, power modes, tyre pressure monitors, cruise control, cornering headlight, remote key system and the tablet-like 6.5 inch TFT dash display. Hill hold control and the quickshifter up and down a re part of the Travel Pack, a $999.99 accessory.
BMW has the most electronic wizardry with its endlessly adjustable electronic suspension, switchable ABS, switchable traction control, power modes, cruise control, quickshifter up and down, tyre pressure monitors, hill hold, heated grips and multifunction dash. What makes the BMW so good as an allrounder is the Dynamic ESA (now in its second generation). You can switch it to suit whatever road/ terrain you’re riding for the best handling and it really does work and makes a difference.
Accessories are extensive from BMW and KTM with Honda
BRAKES: Front, twin 305mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 276mm disc, dual-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.12 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 326km
COLOURS: Lupin Blue Metallic
VERDICT: THE BEST ALL-ROUNDER
Where did we go?
The route we took for our comparo starts from the old Zig Zag railway just outside Lithgow on the Bells Line of Road. You head in along Old Bells Line of Road, onto Glowworm Tunnel Road for a short stretch and along Beecroft Fire Trail, with part of the route taking in the famed “Telegraph Wire Ride”. It can be tricky to navigate unless you’ve got a GPS or know where to go (obviously). I hadn’t done this trail in a little while and had to think twice at a couple of ‘Vs’ in the road. However, one thing to keep in mind is that whenever you do come to a ‘V’, stay left. That’s the final ‘V’ especially unless you are well experienced off-road and can handle a heavy adventure bike down the side of a mountain over big boulders – if you take this route it is Angus Place Trail. Following either final section will bring you to a private mining road. Head across it and out to the main bitumen road and turn right. Follow for a few kilometres until you need to turn right onto Black Fellows Hand Trail. Going along the Hand Trail if you get to the thick fern scrub you’ve gone a couple of hundred metres too far for the ride up and along the trail which brings you back around to where you’ve been on Glowworm Tunnel road. You can turn back down Old Bells Line of Road, or as we like to do, head along State Gully Mine Road into the back of Lithgow and stop at the Tin Shed Café for a bite to eat and a coffee.
offering quite a few, but nowhere near as much as the other two. This is not a problem though as the likes of Touratech have bucket loads including a complete suspension package consisting of fork inserts and shock. There is a variety of panniers, topboxes and tankbags you
TEN AIR VENTS INCLUDING TWO ON THE CHEST.
The Kodiak jacket by KLIM is a Euro designed and fit Jacket and Pant that will handle four seasons in one day keeping you comfortable and dry in every condition without having to add or peel off layers.
With 10 air vents to maximise air flow and our GORE-TEX® GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® you will have all the confidence, you need on your next adventure.
The Kodiak comes in a Regular, Stout and Tall sizing to fit just about any rider.
ADJUSTABLE ARM CINCHES
PERFORATED LEATHER OVERLAYS ON SHOULDERS AND ELBOWS.
can fit to all three and personal preference reigns here as to whether you fit hard aluminium or soft panniers and the like. Crash bars come standard on the KTM and Honda but not on the BMW and with the cylinder heads sticking out both sides they are highly recommended – a $613.87 from Touratech, or BMW has a set as an accessory.
The KTM we tested also had another couple of accessories. These were the Pre-Filters$99.99, Skid Plate - $499.99 and the ‘Dongle’ - $149.99 which stores your last settings, rather than having to go back in and set up the traction and ABS each time you turn it on. All up this makes the KTM the most expensive of this trio.
Now you’ll want a conclusion, won’t you? Here are a couple of answers. If your mates ask you what’s the best adventure bike for the dirt, the answer would be the KTM. If on the other hand you want the number one, all-round best adventure bike the answer is the BMW. But of course there is another consideration, and that’s King Cash. Ten grand is a lot of play money, but the Honda isn’t as
Featuring a sleek and aerodynamic new design, the scala rider FREECOM 2 Bluetooth® communication system is easy-to-use and fits virtually all helmet types.
DESIGNED FOR RIDERS WHO TOUR AS A COUPLE OR TRAVEL ALONE
With multiple connectivity options available, the FREECOM 2 is the perfect communication system for rider and passenger. Equipped with 2 Bluetooth channels, you can speak to your passenger, make or receive a phone call and listen to GPS navigation instructions.
Supported by cutting-edge technology, the FREECOM 2 makes the ride smoother than ever!
ADVENTURE FEATURE Comparo
good as either the BMW or the KTM in handling and basic setup, and has nowhere near the electronics. Does that make the two Europeans worth an extra ten big ones? In this instance, we think it is.
If you want to jump on the best adventure bike straight off the showroom floor to tackle any adventure, the top step of the podium goes to the BMW R 1200 GS Rallye X D
TECHNICAL DIRTY DOZEN
Enjoy the dirt riding experience
RIDING IN THE DIRT can be a hair-raising experience for many of us. I have had my fair share of moments in the dirt and also had a couple of crashes –albeit small ones. Most of my mistakes have come from fear, so if there’s one tip you take from this piece about riding off-road is to be confident and not try and overdo things –you’ll be surprised at just how well you ride those trails from now on!
STAND UP, OR SIT DOWN?
This is a big debate with many riders but in all the off-road riding I’ve done there are times when you need to stand and times when you should sit down and rest the body. Essentially my theory goes like this – if the dirt is smooth – sit down; if it’s rough or loose – stand up, but that’s just on the flat stuff. There’s also times when you should stand up or sit down over varying surfaces.
SAND
Riding in sand is a bogey for many riders. I’ll admit I’m not super good at it, but I get by. Most of the time you need to stand up and get your body/weight right back over the rear of the seat so the front wheel can do its thing. You also need to hold a constant throttle, or positive throttle as I’ve said to many riders. The second you back off for no reason is when you’ll be cartwheeling down the road as the front tucks and you take flying lessons. You might say, “what about braking”! Do it gradually and you’ll get by and then once you’ve done it a few times you’ll get the feel for how hard you can brake, and how hard you can’t brake for your particular bike.
WORDS STUART PHOTOS DEAN WALTERS
WATER
Riding through water/water crossings is essentially the same as sand – stand up, get your weight back and keep a positive throttle. If the underneath includes some stepups, you may need to stop and take it slow, or sit down over the rear of the seat to give you that bit more traction. If the water is fl owing fast do not stop and keep a positive throttle but not too high throttle so that the rear doesn’t step out. Of course when you come to any water crossing where you cannot see how deep it is, you should walk through it fi rst to gauge the depth and whether you’ll actually get through it!
HILL CLIMBS
There are times when you need to stand and times when you need to sit down over the rear of the seat and the two basic things to keep in mind are – if it’s really rough – stand up and let the bike do its thing, if you need more traction –sit down over the rear of the seat.
DOWN HILL
Stand up and get your weight back. If it’s a regular type of downhill section, use the front brake lightly, clutch out to use engine braking and a bit of rear brake.
If it’s really steep there are two things you can do – leave the clutch out to use the engine braking, don’t touch the front brake and use a little rear brake to help control some of the speed. Or, if it’s insanely steep you can “bulldog it” down the hill. This technique is having the engine switched off and using the clutch with the bike in gear to control things. I’ve only had to do this twice during my off-road riding and while it is scary (I think more for the crazy declines), it works.
WHICH WAY DO I LEAN?
Riding in the dirt is different to riding on the road (obviously). On the road you’ll be leaning into a corner, whereas this will put you on your butt in the dirt. I think the best explanation of how to ride in the dirt comes from ex-World Superbike,
A couple of tips from The Bear
GO TOGETHER
Don’t ride alone if you’re going far into the bush or the desert. A simple fall can leave you stranded and very unhappy.
DON’T RIDE DRY
Take some water. The actual amount will vary depending on the weather and track conditions, but take some even if it’s just a Camelback full. Once you’re dehydrated you will not make good decisions.
ex-World Endurance racer, Steve Martin. He says to treat the dirt as if you’re ice skating. Essentially if you lean into a corner on your “ice skates” the front will slide away and you’ll fall over, whereas if you keep your body upright and lean the bike into the corner, which puts your weight onto the outside footpeg, you won’t fall over on your “ice skates”. Try thinking about this next time you’re in the dirt – it works.
...and meet the Motorrad Garage Team.
Over the past 10 years Motorrad Garage has established itself as one of Australia’s favourite suppliers of aftermarket accessories for road and adventure motorcycles.
Motorrad Garage keeps an extensive range of bike speci c and universal accessories from leading manufacturers such as SW-Motech, RAM, RotoPax and many more in store ready for immediate pick up or delivery anywhere in Australia.
Why not visit the new Sydney showroom centrally located at 53 Parramatta Road, Lidcombe and see what’s available for your ride.
GETTING TENSE
Try not to over analyse things, the moment you get scared and fear starts to creep in is when you’ll not make that climb/get through that bit of sand. You need to relax. The bike needs to move around underneath you – not wildly, but just enough to soak up the impact with that rock or bit of sand you’re riding through, so try and stay loose, man! Keep your elbows bent and keep them out wide.
MOMENTUM
Maintaining momentum is a big thing off-road. Keeping a bit of pace going up that hill climb, through that water crossing or through that bit of sand is what you need to do. But in saying that, having too high a speed or mega amounts of throttle will be your downfall and having too low a speed can also be your downfall! If you fail the first go, like when you go up that hill climb and the bike stalls – you know you need to get a bit more speed going.
ENJOYMENT
This is the big factor: if you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re going to crash. You might get away with it on the bitumen nine times out of ten, but on the dirt there are many hidden traps that will catch you out, so make it enjoyable.
TYRE PRESSURE
If you’ve reached the first section of dirt after a transport stage on the bitumen, you can let some pressure out of your tyres to help gain extra traction.
Depending on the size of the bike you can run as low as 25psi. For the big adventure bikes 30-35psi is something you might like to experiment with.
If you’re riding in deep sand for a long time you can go even lower –around 20psi with most bikes, but please remember to pump them back up as soon as you get back to the dirt or bitumen!
I hope these basic tips help you to explore the numerous dirt roads our big brown land has to offer. D
Vietlong
Tour Vietnam
VIETNAM HUNG PHAN TOUR
Let’s go!
LAST ISSUE WE gave you the entire itinerary, so in this issue you get the short version. Contact our friend, Mr Dong at Vietlong Travel for the full rundown or grab a copy of our last issue.
You’ve been waiting for it and here it is! Our next reader’s tour is to Vietnam and boy have we got a tour for you! We have an eleven day North Vietnam tour lined up
with the experienced Vietlong Travel people. This tour will take in some of the most stunning sights and experiences there are to see and do in Vietnam. (The route does contain some dirt roads but Stuart will help you through if need be. It isn’t overly challenging so don’t fret.) The Honda CRF250 is the perfect device to ride the route. We have also organised the days’ riding to
be not overly long (although very visually appealing) so we can all soak up the atmosphere and take plenty of photos. This ride is for solo riders; there is no facility for pillions.
We have organised two options for you to choose from. One is with fl ights, the other without. You can also choose for an additional price to have your own room each night.
THE IMPORTANT STUFF IS
Dates – 4-14 March 2018 (Arrive on Sat 3rd March, fly out 15 March
How to book
Vietlong Travel
Tel: (+84 4) 39766534
Email: sales@vietlongtravel.com www.vietlongtravel.com or www.vietnam-motorbiketour.com/
OPTION 1 – Without Flights
US$2310 per person
Inclusions:
• 11 days, 12 nights Vietnam private group tour sharing double/twin rooms at standard hotels plus homestay
• Private transfers for the airport pick-up and see-off
• 3-star hotels in Hanoi at start and finish of tour
• Motorbike (Honda CRF250)
• Helmet & riding gear (if needed)
• Gasoline on tour
• 2 English speaking guides
• 1 Mechanic
• Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary (based on twin or/and triple shared)
• Homestay permission
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Entrance fees & Sightseeing fees
• Bottled water
• 1 coffee or 1 cold beer or 1 cold soft drink for every stopover on tour
• Government taxes
• Van to carry luggage
• Add $220US if you want your own room
OPTION 2 – With Flights US$2950 per person
Inclusions:
• 11 days, 12 nights Vietnam private group tour sharing double/twin rooms at standard hotels plus homestay
• Private transfers for the airport pick-up and see-off
• 3-star hotels in Hanoi at start and finish of tour
• Motorbike (Honda CRF250)
• Helmet & riding gear (if needed)
• Gasoline on tour
• 2 English speaking guides
• 1 Mechanic
• Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
(based on twin or/ and triple shared)
• Homestay permission
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Entrance fees & Sightseeing fees
• Bottled water
• 1 Coffee or 1 cold beer or 1 cold soft drink for every stopover on tour
• Government taxes
• Van to carry luggage
• $220US if you want your own room
WITH FLIGHTS – arrive on Saturday 3rd March 2018
IS THAT GOOD VALUE OR WHAT? HERE’S THE ITINERARY
ARRIVAL: Saturday March 3 – Hanoi
LAY DAY: Sunday March 4 - Hanoi
DAY 1: Hanoi to Mai Chau (Hoa Binh)
DAY 2: Mai Chau to Phu Yen (Son La) Tribal Villages
DAY 3: Phu Yen to Than Uyen (Lai Chau)
DAY 4: Than Uyen to Sapa Villages (Lao Cai)
DAY 5: Sapa to Bac Ha (Lao Cai)
DAY 6: Bac Ha to Ha Giang City
DAY 7: Ha Giang to Dong Van (Ha Giang)
DAY 8: Dong Van to Bao Lac
DAY 9: Bao Lac to Ba Be Lake
DAY 10: Ba Be Lake to Hanoi
Departure day – Thursday
March 15: Hanoi D
KNEE-DEEP IN NICELAND (PArt 2)
WORDS/ ph O t OS the bear
We resume our tale of The Bear’s Icelandic adventure ride with Edelweiss Bike Tours.
Who would have thought that herrings would be interesting, except as
Island of fire, ice and herring
tucker? Well I’m here to tell you that the Herring Era Museum in Unpronounceable (and unspellable), a small town which in the 1940s and ‘50s was the Herring Capital of the World (seriously) is a knockout. The fascinating combination of displays of boats, photos and implements with a
The riding was just as impressive as the museum; we followed a couple of fjords around, the hillside road 1 4
complete salting works including the staff dormitories creates an impressive vision of those times. I had three types of herring for lunch, with some dried fish (not herring) on the side.
“He alone who wanders wide and has much experienced, knows by what disposition each man is ruled and who possesses common sense.”
Norse
proverb
interrupted only by some tunnels. The new ones were two-way; the older ones were single lane with voluntary passing bays along the way. I can’t imagine anywhere other than co-operative Iceland where this would work. Views (yes, except in the tunnels) were what we are used to calling ‘sweeping’, and the weather was good. This is apparently not uncommon in northwestern Iceland; some of the rest of the island is less benign… as we would discover.
But for now the sunshine continued. We rolled along the main highway into Akureyri where the modern
2.
1. Not all of Iceland is
just
3. Following the road around the fjord Hvalfjordur. And it’s sunny, look!
4.
rugged and uninviting. This is
near the site of the parliament, the Thingvellir.
‘F’ roads like these are off limits to rental cars, but perfect for our bikes on this Adventure Tour.
Three kinds of herring, dried fish and bread baked in a volcanic vent. Pretty good lunch!
Leaving one of the many waterfalls, each more impressive than the last. Well, if you ride them in order.
Icelandair hotel welcomed us not only with a sunny beer garden featuring conveniently supplied half litres of Viking Lager (for a change) but also with the usual three course meal. Yes, fish. Hey, I’d much rather that than lamb (a long-time aversion of mine).
First stop next morning was Godafoss. In the year 1000 at the annual parliamentary meeting, the Althing, Icelanders debated whether to become Christians. They referred the decision to their Law Speaker. He decided that yes, they would change their religion but that anyone who wanted to continue worshiping the old gods could do so – as long as it was done in private. When he returned home he threw all of his pagan paraphernalia into a waterfall, which was henceforth called Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods. It’s a beautiful place, and like all big waterfalls it’s seriously impressive.
The day’s riding was just as impressive as the day before; it’s not traditionally ‘great’ motorcycling, although the gravel is fun, but the combination of large-scale scenery and sweeping curves makes it an
outstanding experience. Our hotel for the night was in Husavik, one of the other Icelandic hotel chain beside Icelandair, Fosshotels. That means Waterfallhotels – the name might be a little odd, but the standard is high. In fact, I think we stayed in the best hotel in town every night except in Reykjavik itself, where we stayed in the best locally-owned hotel. Edelweiss has this sorted out very nicely.
Husavik is the ‘whale watching capital of Europe’, so most of the gang went off on a converted trawler to do just that while I took it easy visiting and photographing the harbourside bars. I’ve seen whales before, but I haven’t drunk in every bar in the world. Despite what Mrs Bear might tell you.
The town’s whale hunters – yes, Icelanders still kill whales, so much for ‘Niceland’ – were complaining that minke whales, their usual prey, were becoming hard to find. As it happens, the hunting and the whale watching use the same bay – but different ends of it. Whale watching tours were having no trouble finding minkes.
Say What?
‘The national language is Icelandic,’ says one of the guide books, ‘and… we’re grateful anytime a visitor tries to use godan daginn (good day) or takk (thank you).’ That might be true for simple words like those. But try to pronounce ‘getur du vinsamlegast hjalpa mer?’ (can you help me), Vatnajokull or Snaefellsnes and what they are likely to be grateful for is a good laugh. Stick to English except for basics, just remember that ‘beer’ is ‘bjor’. By the way, I have not tried to use or approximate the occasional Old Norse letter used by the Icelanders. I think everyone would be happier if they settled on using, for example, ‘th’ instead of the stick-and-circle letter that’s pronounced exactly the same way. Just me, just me.
“The whales have learned to stay out of that bad neighbourhood,” said one local barfly with whom I was sharing a few Brennivins. “And wouldn’t you go where they just watch you instead of where they kill you?” I had to agree that I would do precisely that,
TRAVEL
agree that I would do precisely that, we shared a good laugh and ordered a couple more Black Deaths.
MIX IT UP
In the morning, we set out along the tarred road that follows the northern coastline before turning off to look at the Asbyrgi Canyon with its hundredmetre high vertical cliffs. The threeand-a-half-kilometre canyon may have been formed over the course of only a few days when a volcanic hot spot under a glacier liquefied a great chunk of ice. That burst out in a narrow deluge and cut its way 100 metres into the countryside on its way to the sea. Imagine being there when a usually slow geological process happened in such a short time. Today the canyon holds a forest of dwarf birch trees, an unusual sight in Iceland.
But Asbyrgi was to be only the first fascinating sight on what I would call the best day of the tour. We left the sealed road and headed south to check out a few more waterfalls, which well repaid the effort. I am not particularly confident on dirt, but the road (like most gravel roads here) was at that nice standard where it doesn’t slow you down but definitely keeps you awake.
There was one stretch which was sandy and rocky, actually a bit difficult, so much so that a couple of our riders decided to skip it. The guides accommodated that very easily, and the excursion was well worthwhile. It took us to a line of huge rocks making up a
Whootps! Watch out! This is where the American and European tectonic plates move apart at 3mm a year.
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forbidding wall which was nothing of the kind; it was an end moraine of a since melted glacier. After a bit of tar as part of the Ring Road, it was back onto the dirt to cross the hills of, wait for it, Modrudalsfjallgardar. This, and most of the ensuing ride to our hotel in Egilsstadir, was large-scale wind-blown high country with little vegetation but the occasional huddle of two or three sheep. Icelandic sheep are really clean, much whiter than the Australian
or New Zealand critters. Opinions were divided on the reason. “They’re Icelandic – everything is clean here. They probably have a dip in a hot pool every night,” was one suggestion. “The reason that there’s almost always more than one is that they need to soap each other up.” The other thought was that most of them weren’t in fact real, but models placed out there to give the huge landscape scale. This may be true; only one of them ever attempted to commit sheepicide under
my wheels, although there were quite a few posed picturesquely by the side of the road, ignoring the bikes. While we’re on the subject of scale:
1. The glaciers are retreating and leaving small but deep lakes into which they drain.
2. Beatrice relaxes in style at the Fosshotel Nupar on the lava plain.
the next day took us over a bare, high saddle on Highway 1 (but on dirt again) down to the sea. From here we followed the rugged, beautiful coastline on the now-sealed main road to Hofn, where our hotel was right on the harbour. We got there relatively early and I wandered around to check out the local museum; it’s fascinating how interesting some photos and a few artefacts can be. Iceland has a serious history; from unpromising beginnings things often got worse with plagues and the like. At one stage, not all that long ago, Reykjavik’s population dropped to 200. You can only try to imagine how many people would have been left at that time in little Hofn. By the harbour I finally had one of the famous Icelandic hot dogs. They’re good, I recommend them and they only cost A$4.50.
ICE IS FREE
“Better grab this,” said our guide on the Army Duck plying the Glacier Lagoon. Small icebergs, calved from one of the valley glaciers fed by the
giant Vatnajokull shield glacier, float in the lagoon on their way into the open sea and the Ducks take you out to (nearly) touch them. The guide, a bouncy blonde with thick pigtails, was talking about a slab of ice from the lagoon that she was passing around. “Better grab this because it’s the only thing you’ll get in Iceland that’s free!” I had hopes of getting some of it into a glass of bourbon, but sadly it melted too quickly.
We spent the whole day riding along the southern border of the giant glacier and stopped a couple of times to admire its valley glaciers close up. At nearly 9000 square kilometres, Vatnajokull is the third-largest shield glacier in the world after the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and it feeds literally dozens of valley glaciers of varied sizes. As you ride past it, its curve is a constant presence above the mountains. You could mistake it for a great hovering cloud.
We stayed in another Fosshotel that night at… no, I won’t overload your brain with the name of the locality. You want it anyway? Okay, it was
Tour Mates
My thanks to my travel companions: Hans-Peter from Switzerland, Christine and Julian from Narrabeen, Felix from South Africa, Peter from Britain, Sonja and Martin from Germany, Beatrice and Denis from France and Jean-Claude from Luxembourg. It would not have been as much fun without you.
Kirkjubaejarklaustur – and I am not making that up. The name, like many Icelandic names, is in effect a history of the place and means church-farmconvent. It seems the area was first settled by Irish monks, well before the Norsemen arrived, and you can see how it would make a good place for meditation. The hotel is laid out like a motel but is modern, pleasant and well placed out in the impressive mosscovered lava plain. It demonstrated the Edelweiss capacity to pick just the right place to stay, once more.
Next morning, I had a decision to make.
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grim offshore rocks, various waterfalls and volcanic caves. I wanted to get some more scenic photos, so I gave Manuel my small camera with instructions to get some water crossing shots, and took the coast road.
Wet above, Wet beloW
The choice was between the highland route and the one along the coast. The former was gravel and offered some 20 water crossings, while the latter was tar and passed places like the famous long black sand beach, impressively
If it had crossed my mind that I might stay a bit drier on the lower road (and in the cause of absolute honesty I’m not saying it didn’t) then I was to be disappointed. The high riders had a beautiful sunny day; we down on the coast had rain, ranging from drizzle to a few good, soaking showers. If I hadn’t been grateful for my Klim Kodiak suit before (though I was) this would have done it. Not a drop got through. Photography was not going to be highly successful, especially as the beach, caves and waterfalls were all overrun by tourists in brightly-
coloured wet weather gear. Felix from South Africa had a simple solution.
“This calls for Photoshop,” he said looking at the screen of his camera.
“You there in the bright yellow windcheater: phht, gone.”
I was pleased to find that not all localities had long and detailed names. We rode through Vik, a small town whose name means simply ‘bay’. By the way, Reykjavik means ‘Smoky Bay’; no kidding, it’s ‘Smoke on the Water”!
At the hotel in Hekla, the high riders arrived well after us, but while we were wet all over they were only wet to the waist. An outstanding dinner and a careful tasting of the local craft beers concluded the day with all of us wet… inside, anyway.
Along the shores of Thingvallavatn, on our way to Thingvellir, the site of
1. Life might have been hard, but it was not without beauty. This is a drinking horn skilfully embellished with historic images. And no, horns were not worn on helmets!
2. Some of Iceland’s most spectacular sights are quite difficult to reach, like this river valley.
Iceland’s (and probably the world’s) first parliament starting in 930 (the year, not the time of day), we found something that had so far eluded us on our travels: a really good, twisty and well-surfaced bike road! With one corner after the other, through beautiful green hills, the road unleashed the beast in quite a few of the riders, including yours truly. Iceland has an overall speed limit of 90km/h, and we may have exceeded that, er, slightly.
A couple of people were expecting a building at Thingvellir, but apart from a thoroughly modern visitor centre and a sweet-looking little white-painted wooden house there
1. This is typical of the better gravel roads. They were not all as smooth as this one.
2. Waiting for some of the party to catch up on the high plain.
3. Hundred-metre-high walls were not created by volcanism, but by huge bursts of hot water from the base of a glacier.
travel
is just the plain. Tough as ever, the Icelanders had met by the Law Rock in the open air. The rift between continental plates is not a single chasm here, but a series of parallel cracks. Some are only a foot wide, so you can kid yourself that you’re standing with one foot in America and one in Europe. Until you meet the watchful termagant who let us know in no uncertain terms that this is frowned upon. I’m not sure why; you’re not going to accelerate or brake the 3mm that
the continental plates move per year. Are you? Hmm.
The fun continued when we reached the fjord north of Reykjavik. We took the loop road around it, an excellent bit of tar that also offered some interesting riding.
I stopped to get a photo and hit a thoroughly respectable speed while chasing the others. That was when the Suicide Sheep made its run, and I’m here to tell you that the ABS on the Triumph Tiger works. Our ride through the six kilometre
tunnel that connects Akranes and Reykjavik was made interesting by a traffic jam when we were about a kilometre from the end. A large truck had broken down ahead, and the police eventually stopped traffic from entering the tunnel to allow us to get out.
And then it was all over once again. Manuel and Pablo checked the bikes and we all got ready for the final night’s dinner. It was lamb, of course, and my request for fish and chips instead was met by
A shard from a small iceberg calved from one of Vatnajokull’s valley glaciers.
monumental reluctance. Manuel took a strong stance in my support and I eventually got my meal –probably the worst fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life. Smacks to the kitchen staff at the Icelandair Marina Hotel, Reykjavik.
But no matter how hard I try, that’s the only negative impression that I took away from the Edelweiss Fire and Ice tour. The planning was impeccable, the bikes exactly right and the guidance matched the style of the tour
perfectly. I commend the company and Niceland to you. And if you’re still hungry for a bit of Viking lore, check out Edelweiss’ Norway tours.
The Bear travelled at Edelweiss Bike Travel’s invitation and expense (except for lunches, booze and fuel), and would like to thank them for the opportunity to see this literally amazing place aboard one of their motorcycles. He would also like to thank guides Manuel and Pablo, who did a terrific job. D
Contact!
Check out the Edelweiss website, even if you don’t think you’re interested in a tour. You may just change your mind.
Edelweiss Bike Travel
Phone: +43 5264 5690
Email: worldtours@edelweissbike.com
Web: www.edelweissbike.com
LAUNCH TEAROUTMAP#57
DARK AND DUSTY
Do you take the dare?
WORD S STUART
PHOTOS DEA N WALTERS
THIS ADVENTURE RIDE is perfect for bikes of any size, but the machines with smaller fuel capacity should always carry a spare five litres of fuel whenever heading Outback. There is excellent bitumen up out of Cairns and heaps of dirt (and some sand) to enjoy. You do need to
keep your wits about you, as there are numerous ‘G-outs’, which are essentially wash outs over blind crests. The bulldust is thick and there are numerous bulldust holes along the way which will cartwheel you down the road if you don’t see them. Remember, help isn’t just around the corner, it can be hours away and being sprawled out, broken on the side of the track is not the way to go. The vultures, lions and tigers are lurking in the surrounds just waiting for your fresh meat to consume –being eaten alive is not something many would wish for, so be careful!
You also need to pick the time of year you ride as during the wet season you won’t be going anywhere along this route. April to early November is perfect and not overly hot for this ride, but remember to take fresh water to replenish yourself and some trail mix or a packet of snakes to keep you going. If you’re going to ride this route later – around December or January, take litres and litres of water. You will need to refresh often. Be prepared because you may (and probably will) hit the wet season and be blocked from riding some of this route.
www.hemamaps.com.au
Total distance – 440km
Fuel – Cairns, Mt Carbine, Laura Road conditions - www.tmr.qld.gov. au/Travel-and-transport/Roadand-traffic-info/Traffic-reportsand-road-conditions or call Ph: 13 19 40
Head north out of Cairns and get onto the Captain Cook Highway towards Mossman. Around 15km out veer left onto Kennedy Highway and follow up the mountain out of Cairns for 12 or so kilometres to turn right onto Black Mountain Road.
Ride through Black Mountain for almost 50km and turn left onto Euluma Creek Road, ride about 5km and turn left again onto Mossman Mount Molly Road. Turn left again a few kilometres down the road into Coodgie Street, then turn right onto Mulligan Highway. For 30km or so you’re on the bitumen heading to the fuel stop at Mt Carbine. Once you’ve filled up you’re still on the bitumen for around 60km where you need to turn left onto Whites Creek Road. About 80km later turn left onto High
TEAR-OUT MAP #57
Street, then right 3km later. 30 odd kays down the road turn left onto Palmerville Road and head northeast to the end of the road where you turn right to head to Laura (about 20km), or for the optional overnight stay, turn left to head for Koolburra Station.
OPTION
The entrance to Koolburra Station is about 50km from the T-intersection above and it’s about 6km along the entrance road before you get to the station itself.
COLLECT THEM ALL
CAIRNS
Everything is available at Cairns and this is the starting point of this ride. If you’re flying into Cairns there are a number of hotel/motels not too far away.
BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD
Do you dare ride THE Black Mountain! It’s dark, it’s scary, but most of all it’s slippery and exciting. Depending on the time of year Black Mountain Road is slippery in parts, if it’s been raining, most of it will be slippery. Being in a forest with the trees overhanging the dirt, it rarely dries out completely and adding some clay into the mix makes for an ‘exciting’ ride.
MT CARBINE
Plonked out in the middle of nowhere, Mt Carbine has fuel and a pub – what else could you ask for!
THE
BEST
Mt Carbine Roadhouse has food available too.
PALMER RIVER
Palmer River was one of Australia’s major gold rush locations from back in 1873. Most of the surface gold has long since been prospected and but there remain a handful of deeper mine projects in the area. Don’t let that put you off, bring along your metal detector and see if you can strike it rich!
LAURA
Laura is one of those tiny places that it is easy to ride through (with a population around 80 you can understand why) unless you want petrol or a beer. The Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre is worth visiting and the Aboriginal art in the rock galleries around the settlement is simply amazing.
Anyone interested in Aboriginal art will be staggered at the richness, strangeness and beauty of the images which cover wall after wall of the rock galleries, which are hidden far from where anyone but the local tour guides can venture. An unforgettable experience.
KOOLBURRA STATION
The Station has around 15,000 head of cattle and is about 2.5 million acres in size. You can stay there in one of the basic cabins and if you want a shower, the brown saltiness of bore water is what you get. There are no food facilities, fuel and so on other than the accommodation. Fuel is available either at Laura or 22km further on at Hahn River Roadhouse. To discuss your stay, contact 07 3012 8958. D
BMW
GS Safari Enduro
Pass the bucket and check the Tip off the list
WORDS STUART
RIdING To Cape York – the tip of Australia has to be one of the bucket list items on just about any riders’ list. I thought I’d never get the chance to do it, but courtesy of BMW I did, riding from Cairns to Cape York for the first half of the 2017 BMW GS Safari Enduro.
The Enduro safaris are meant for the more experienced off-road rider, with more challenging terrain to be tackled. I was surprised at the opening night Welcome Dinner that half the room put up their hand to say they had never done a Safari before. Having done a few of them myself I thought that maybe some riders had bitten off more than they could chew… and some had, indeed; but almost every participant made it to the tip.
My steed for this trip was none other than ex-BMW Marketing Manager, Miles Davis’ Finke Desert Rally race bike – an R 1200 GS Rallye X, with a few modifications. Those mods included larger, rally style pegs, self-made “Stegz Pegz”, some suspension mods which resulted in the spring rate being extremely stiff, but that’s what’s needed the for the endless whoops
ADVENTURE FEATURE Event
of the Finke, and surprisingly it worked superbly in the dirt and sand. The other mods included personal touches like some Wild Heart levers and bar risers – essentially this bike was designed for a tall person, which Miles fortunately is. Miles fi nished
the Finke race within the time limits and was the talk of the meet. No one could believe someone would race such a big, heavy machine at Finke – but Miles did. From memory he is the fi rst person to race a large adventure bike at this event – an
amazing achievement!
Roy Kunda from Cape York Motorcycle Adventures was the lead/marking rider for the GS Safari Enduro. No one knows the top end like Roy. He and co-rider/marker Olly would shoot off before sunrise
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on their F 800 GS machines to mark out the course for the rest of us who were allowed to leave from 7.30am on each morning. There was the usual ‘hounds out of the gate’ group of riders that would shoot off each day, but that was fine as most others would casually leave at their leisure with the final riders making their way out around 8.30am.
I did this ride with ex-World Superbike and World Endurance racer, Steve Martin. On the first day we got the hurry up as we were the last to leave by quite some time. This was not a problem as we made our way through the first day in good time for plenty of cold beers to be consumed. Well, by me mainly as Steve doesn’t drink.
Conditions of the ride to the tip were a mixed bag. There was a lot of fine bulldust, deep sand, some rocky sections, loads of ‘G-outs’ and plenty of water crossings to get your feet wet.
The first day was up the hill out of Cairns on the wet bitumen. It had been raining overnight which I was hoping might have compacted the dust. It hadn’t.
We headed through Black Mountain road which is rainforest with plenty of slippery dirt to really test out the skill of many riders first thing! To add to this there were plenty of erosion mounds which are fun to get some air over, but you really do need to know what’s over the other side as a few riders found out.
One thing that regularly happens during a Safari event is that riders get stuck. This could be that they’ve had an off, or buried themselves in sand, drowned through a water crossing and many other situations. This Enduro event was no different with Steve and I helping many riders through some difficult sections. For me, this really makes the event a lot of fun. There is no embarrassment, just mates helping each other out to get to the goal – the tip!
After the slipperiness of the Black Mountain Road we headed out through Palmer Goldfields and the start of the mega dust which would
be the consistent theme throughout the three days I rode. The sights of rocky mountains and amazing trails with loads of wash outs got you into the groove of riding back in the dirt. The big test for many was the sandy section for the last 60 kilometres or so. A well-earned beer was enjoyed by all and a shower in the bore water of Koolburra Station – our overnight accommodation. The fi rst day was 440km.
Rather than staying in motel rooms and the like (which there really aren’t any out in this neck of the world) just about all of the participants camped in tents or swags and it was a great way to really get ‘into’ the adventure.
Each night of the Safari Enduro there is a compulsory briefi ng of the days riding, along with the main point of view – the next day’s route. We were told it would be easier than the fi rst day, but many didn’t fi nd it that way – especially through the quite short (10km) optional section which had some properly deep sand. We were heading for Archer River, a 310km ride with sand, bulldust,
bulldust holes, more sand, water and more and more dust. I completed the day rather quickly as the further north we got, the hotter it got and coming from a rather fresh Sydney winter, the last thing I wanted to do was be out riding all day long in my adventure gear!
A lot of fun was had through the deeper sandy sections and the water crossings. Many got stuck, but there was always someone to help. I got to one dry river bed crossing which was really deep grainy sand and two blokes had got stuck as I came around into the sand. I managed to jump out of one rut into the next and stop on the other side. These two blokes had already got one bike out and were sweating more than someone who’s taken a chilli challenge! I said, “What’s doing, boys”? With a bit of cheek in my tone, it got a laugh out of them which was great – the ride is meant to be enjoyable and I rode their other bike out of the sand for them. That night we enjoyed a nice bottle of red and laughed our hearts out at the great day’s riding. I also got
stuck in one section. I sat down to look in my mirrors, which is the worst thing possible in deep sand. The front sank and I stopped. My foot couldn’t touch the ground and off I fell. The bike stayed completely upright which made me laugh as I rolled on the ground. I was made an example of at that night’s briefi ng with BMW Marketing Manager, Nigel Harvey telling everyone that I crashed Miles’ Finke bike – the result was I had to dig into my pockets and make a donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Despite the porkies Nigel poured out, I was more than happy to see (and hear) the waves of laughter and shocked look on many of the faces in the crowd! It was like I’d toppled the King off his throne! I also met up with a bloke I had met on the fi rst GS Safari Enduro, Leith. Leith is taller than I am and loves a drink, just quietly. I remember that fi rst Enduro ride back in 2013 where we drank a $300 bottle of scotch at Mt Buller – well, I think I can remember! Leith has been on every Enduro event since and has formed up a great friendship
with a few other blokes he’s met during the events and together they have an awesome time. For me, this is exactly what this event is –riding, seeing amazing sights, eating, drinking and talking crap with a great bunch of blokes and Leith and
the other few guys in this ‘group’ are the prime example of what fun you can have.
Day three was another big day, not only for the 415km ride, but the sights that had to be seen. The big one for many was Fruitbat Falls, just
“…almost every participant made it to the tip.”
one of the amazing waterfalls in this part of the country. But fi rst was the optional section, 50km of the Old Telegraph Track. On big adventure bikes you needed to really know what you were doing and it tested many. Closer towards the tip was a bit of World War II history with some of the aircraft wrecks littering the area. The story behind one particular plane not far from Bamaga airport is that it ran out of fuel and crashed. One of the wings has a huge divot from where it hit a gum tree.
We stayed at Punsand Bay Camping Resort this night and there was a reasonably deep water crossing on the way in. I played a little joke with a few of the guys asking them
ADVENTURE
which side they went through the crossing – then asking whether they saw the croc on the other side. I was eventually caught out when some who had just said they went through the right hand side, with me saying, “Did you see the croc on the left,” then saying, “Did you see the croc on the right?” to another bloke, with old mate still listening in! Peals of laughter ran through the crowd as those who had been sucked into my little joke realised they’d been had. The morning of day four was classed as a rest day. It was however the day to make your way to the tip.
Steve and I left before sunrise, we wanted to catch the sunrise as we walked to the sign which says you have reached the northern most point of the Australian continent. We roared along the beach and had many laughs with the BMW guys and Mark from Cape York Motorcycle Adventures who showed us the way. Steve and I flew back to Cairns
that afternoon with the Safari continuing on for another three days back to the same destination. I found this trip to be an amazing experience. Riding to the tip and making it feels like a real personal accomplishment. I didn’t find the conditions overly difficult, but you did need to know what you were doing.
The BMW GS Safari Enduro was once again an astonishingly great event. Well done to all of the people behind the scenes that make it happen and make sure you get on the next Enduro event – you will have memories you’ll dream about for many years to come!
www.bmwmotorrad.com.au www. bmwsafari.com.au #makelifearide D Welcome to Australia’s best kept secret. Gilberton Outback Retreat in the goldfields of North Queensland. Australia’s hidden gem. Experience life on a working cattle station, explore local ecological assets, discover native wildlife, view hidden Aboriginal rock art and soak up the peace and tranquillity.
We accommodate from 5 star luxury to group budget. We cater for all needs, fully inclusive accommodation. Meals, tours and fuel upon request.
TALK ABOUT CULT BIKES –
Suzuki’s 650 and 1000 V-Stroms have followers all over the globe. Popularity has been outstanding and owners have not been shy about creating riders’ groups on the interwebs and out on and off the road. Many members of these groups will be reading this right now, so I’d better be very careful what I write…maybe.
Suzuki has expanded the range of V-Stroms and the XT models are the
more off-road focused of each capacity. Obviously it was time to grab one of each of the 650 and 1000 XT models and compare them against each other to see which one really is the better for Aussie conditions.
The design principles behind the XT models include both toughness and functionality. The bikes exemplify Suzuki’s adventure DNA and both offer the ground-breaking (in the nicest way) beak design from the original DR-BIG.
I’m not sure that the XT models are as hardcore as that old beast, but the beak suggests some aspirations, at least.
For 2017, both models have seen a number of changes. The 650 has a touch more power and torque, a slimmer and more comfy seat, better cooling, a 9mm higher (two-position) screen and low slung muffler and is Euro 4 compliant as well as slimmer through the tank.
The 1000 is also Euro 4 compliant, slimmer and more comfy and has a 49mm higher screen which is mounted on a three position adjustable ratchet arrangement.
The bikes share their ABS system, switchgear, three level traction control including off, the headlight, dash, Suzuki’s Easy Start system and a 12V outlet near the dash. The wire wheels are made by DID and feature tubeless tyres, which is great.
For our ride we took in the twisty bitumen west of Sydney along Bells Line of Road. We soon hit the dirt heading over to Colo and the standard, mainly road biased tyres provided some ‘fun’ moments for both Ralph and myself. I would strongly recommend putting some knobbies on whichever of these bikes you owned.
We covered around 250km with both Ralph and I preferring the 650 on the bitumen. The new seat really is super comfy and easily handles the stress of your butt on it for long periods. The 1000 is comfy, too, but without the high level the comfort that the 650 gives. Adding to this is that the screen on the 650 on its lower setting was better for deflecting the wind. The 1000 gave a bit of buffeting at highway speeds no matter which position it was on. Admittedly I was wearing a peaked helmet).
Power and torque feel similar most of the time, it’s only when you reach the higher revs that the 1000 takes off. Fuel consumption sees the 650 winning by about 1 litre/100km. This theoretically relates to around 80km difference in the range and when there are some big distances between fuel stops in this country, that can make all the difference.
Once we hit the dirt, we both preferred the 1000. The slightly higher/wider handlebar and the extra bit of weight over the front wheel are a big benefit for feel; the small/lower handlebar on the 650 limits what you can do standing up in the loose stuff.
Both bikes have rubber footpegs which really need to be changed if you’re serious about any dirt riding. We hit one water crossing and the rubber got slippery straight away.
Accessories are virtually the same for each model. A high or low seat, panniers, topbox, heated grips, touring screen, centre stand, crash bars and fog lamps are the main ones. This leads me to the seat height and the weight, which for some riders will be a deciding factor. The 1000 is 15mm higher in the seat and 17kg heavier than the 650. If you get into trouble at low speed in the dirt/sand, the 1000 will be all that much more of a hassle to pick back up.
Pricing is significantly different and will probably be a major factor in choosing between the bikes. There’s $5000 difference between the two with the 650 XT retailing at $11,490 and the 1000 XT selling for $16,490 – and that five grand would buy you a lot of accessories or personalisation.
Adventure Bike Parts
SIDE STAND SUPPORTS
If you need a bigger footprint to support the weight of your motorcycle when parking on soft or uneven surfaces look no further than the Wild@Heart Side Stand Supports. Made in South Africa, the strong and sturdy Wild@Heart side stand support will e ectively support the weight of your adventure motorcycle, even when loaded.
CRASH BARS
Crash bars o er maximum protection against damage to critical components like your radiator, engine, frame or bodywork. Even the smallest tip over can result in a catastrophe.
TWO FINGER LEVERS
These levers allow the rider to cover the brake and clutch levers with 2 ngers while curling the other 2 around the grips. This gives you a more positive brake and clutch control, adding to overall con dence and handling ability.
ADJUSTABLE FOOT BRAKE PEDAL
Makes it easier to engage the rear brake when standing whilst riding o -road. The top piece ips up for road-riding and ips down for o -roading.
HANDLE BAR RISERS
Aluminium handlebar risers give the rider (especially taller riders) a more comfortable, upright and relaxed position on the motorcycle. When standing, there is less strain on the back, arms, shoulders and wrists of the rider.
FRAME PLUGS
A set of 7 Frame Plugs to cover those ugly holes in the frame of your R1200GS LC. You will not believe the di erence a small item like this can make to the overall appearance of your motorcycle.
SPECS
SUZUKI V-STROM 650 XT
PRICE: $11,490 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled V-twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 310mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5.12 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 390km
COLOURS: Champion Yellow, Pearl Glacier White, Glass Sparkle Black
VERDICT: THE BIG BRUTE BROTHER
So, picking which V-Strom is the one for you comes down to two things: what you want to do with it, and how fat your pocket is. Looking at them in standard trim, it comes down to this: is if you plan on doing 60/40 road/dirt, go the 650 and if you’re doing 40/60 road/dirt (or riding with a pillion), check out the 1000.
The big ‘but’ for me, though, is the price. Five grand difference means you could really kit out the 650 to be a dirt/touring weapon with a higher/wider bar, better pegs, luggage, knobbies and even some better suspension. A true weapon. D
TICKING THE FIRST BOX AND DECKING IT OUT
Kawasa K i Z650L FIrSt SerVICe tIMe!
We’ve Rolled oveR the first one thousand kilometres with our long term Z650L so I popped into Kawasaki Motors Australia for their technician to wave his magic hands over this beauty.
The first service is mostly a check over with a change of oil and filter. The check over was pretty much stress free with only the chain and throttle cable needing minor adjustments to get them bang on the money. The oil was still clean but a
stressed all motorcycle owners should do when they change their oil, regardless of the brand. The
Kawasaki washer retails for $2.40. Then the golden stuff was poured into the innards of the 650 parallel twin. Kawasaki Performance Oils - 10W-40 (3.785 litres $38) is the oil that now resides inside and the engine is silky smooth.
At this early stage we’ve been riding the Z650L mainly for commuting duties and a couple of midweek blasts. It has performed faultlessly and is a barrel of fun to ride and I guess the best comparison for the Z650L is its main competition, the Yamaha MT-07L which we have also had as a long termer. The power/torque are remarkably similar but the big difference between these two bikes is the better quality suspension on the Kawasaki. For the $200 it costs less, the Kawasaki is mega value for money. We’ve also had a truckload of accessories rolling into the office to fit up to the Z650L, these include bits from Rizoma, Kawasaki Genuine, Radguard and of course the Oggy Knobbs products we’ve already fitted SW
new Kawasaki oil filter ($10.50) was fitted, along with a new sump plug washer – something that Kawasaki
Technical Skill - Personal Service
Cylinder
Fuel
Race
ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN
TIME TO DECK IT OUT!
Looking good! Our long-term loan Himalayan is beginning to pick up accessories. The Giant Loop tank panniers in the photo will get their turn for review in the next issue.
HOLD MY HAND
BARKBUSTER HAND GUARDS
Hardware kit BHG-065, VPS
Plastic guards VPS-003
Price - $121.95, $41.95
Don’t ever say that we do not take our testing seriously. Just to confirm that Barkbusters work, I smacked into the back of a 4WD last week. It wasn’t on this bike, but Barkbusters were fitted to the machine in question and they didn’t just protect my hand but also made the hit less damaging to the car! Instead of a ding or at the very least a
days 7.00am to 5.00pm and by appointment
scratch, the paint just showed some scuffing from the plastic shield, and it polished out. That saved considerably more than the cost of the Barkbusters in just one crash – and my knuckles were fine as well.
The Barkbusters go with our Himalayan like chapattis go with dhal; even the brackets holding them to the handlebar appear almost like original fitments. It’s true that the brackets are a little complex; there’s quite a bit going on around the handlebar. Royal Enfield has used most of the available space, so the designers at Rideworx, manufacturers of Barkbusters, have had to be inventive. But the effort has paid off. We have more plans for the Himalayan’s Barkbusters. Stay tuned as we fit the accessory LED lights to these accessory hand guards! But that’s for another issue.
Himalayan
I doubt that anyone would argue with my opinion that Barkbusters are Good Things. Much stronger than the simple plastic handguards fitted to many bikes, they really do protect your hands even in a solid smack against a tree branch or a fence post. Or a 4WD, as I found out.
many tree
Barkbusters are designed and made by Rideworx, www.barkbusters.net. PT
SPECIAL ALLOWANCE ROYAL ENFIELD RACK AND PANNIERS
Price - $1000
1. Barkbusters are a musthave accessory. They look good in white, matching the bike’s colour.
2. Brackets take a little working out, but they end up looking like standard equipment.
3. That alloy bar behind the shield makes the difference between Barkbusters and imitations.
The Australian Royal Enfield distributor, Urban Moto Imports, was kind enough to let us have a perproduction rack and alloy panniers so we could assess the touring capability of the Himalayan. Pretty much identical with the finished product, except that it lacks brackets to relocate the blinkers, the rack is well designed –for instance it has a bracket across the back, connecting the two sides, which is something that you need to buy separately with some other luggage racks. Welding and finish are quite acceptable, even on this prototype. The space between the panniers and the bike is perhaps a little wide, but the Adventure riders we know will soon fill that with something like a tool box or a fire extinguisher. Tent poles would fit in there, too.
Fitting the panniers to the rack is simple. Just slip the brackets near the base of the box over the rail at the bottom of the rack, then turn the solid aluminium pins at the top to secure the box against the top rail and tighten
the plastic wheels inside the pannier. One advantage of this, apart from its simplicity, is that you don’t need a separate lock to secure a pannier to the bike. The little wheels do protrude into the pannier, but they take up less space than many other locking systems.
One question we will need to settle is how well the rack’s relatively thin tubes will stand up to Australian conditions. Never underestimate the ability of corrugations to destroy anything and everything fitted to a motorcycle! We’ll let you know when we’ve had a chance to punish the Himalayan in the Outback.
4. RE’s panniers need only one lock to secure each to the bike and lock the lid.
5. You can see the plastic ‘wheels’ that tighten the bars holding the pannier in place.
6. The pannier boxes are well made with anti-scuffing black plastic in important places.
The pannier boxes have stronglooking brackets and black plastic corner protection, which makes it easier to keep them looking good. A steel cable limits the opening distance of the lids, which is also welcome.
There has been some criticism of the bike in India, but most of that seems to come down to quality of assembly. Here in Australia that should be taken care of by thorough pre-delivery; our bike is fine. All in all, while the proof will be in eating of the as yet pristine pudding, things are looking good with the Himalayan and its accessories. Especially at the prices. Stick around and you shall learn more!
Royal Enfield motorcycles and accessories are distributed in Australia by Urban Moto Imports, www. urbanmotoimports.com.au. PT
THAT’S HOW WE ROLL SHINKO E705 TYRES
Price – 90/90 H 21 front $114, 120/90-17 64H rear $143
Nothing against OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tyres, you understand. But sometimes there is a more appropriate tyre available than
the one the manufacturer slipped onto a particular bike’s rims. The reason is often simply that the purpose they had in mind is different from the purpose for which we use the bike.
Something like that seems to have been the case with our newly-acquired Royal Enfield Himalayan. We mostly use the bike on the more-or-less smoothly tarred roads of Sydney, so
we really wanted road tyres which would however not pack up completely when we did tackle a bit of dirt. Shinko’s E705 series tyres sounded like exactly what we wanted, with a rating of 80% road and 20% ‘trail riding’ according to the manufacturer.
Shinko Group has a good pedigree. Established in 1946, they began by making bicycle tyres and tubes. In 1998, the group bought the motorcycle tyre technology and moulds from Yokohama Rubber Co., and began making these tyres under the Shinko Tire brand. Today, they produce about 200,000 motorcycle tyres a month in Korea, with design and research done in Japan.
We headed off to Scooteria (www. scooteria.com.au) for their fine mechanics to fit the tyres up for us. I’ve found that the 4 ply E705s (all tyres can be fitted front or rear) with their reasonably aggressive tread pattern offer good adhesion on the road wet or dry. Last week I finally had a chance to take the bike up onto the Blue Mountains trails and found that they work well in the gravel, too. Even sand patches, which are far from my favourite surface, didn’t faze the
Shinkos, and neither did a wet timber bridge.
It’s always interesting to see how different tyres change the feel and behaviour of a bike. In the case of these tyres, the bike felt more secure on the road with better braking in the wet. I don’t know how the original CEAT tyres would have felt in the dirt, but the Shinkos were more than acceptable. That’s not bad for a mere 20% of their design envelope.
You’ll see quite a bit more of the Himalayan in this section; it’s proving to be a good testbed for all sorts of things. But it won’t be getting any more tyres for testing, for quite a while. I like the E705s, and given the fact that I ride the bike more than any of the others, that means my preference counts. Oh, and here’s a really reassuring quote from the Shinko website: the “rubber compound resists tearing during off road use”. As if I’d ever get close to tearing up tyres with my sedate riding style!
Distributed by Bruce Collins Enterprises (www.shinkotyres.com.au or www.bce.net.au), Shinko tyres are also available for sports bikes, cruisers, scooters and full-on off-road bikes. PT D
Tread pattern of the Shinko E705s is not particularly aggressive, but effective.
Scooteria was the place we used to get the tyres changed.
Robyn Procter’s name came out of the hat, which was pretty full this time. Obviously, Nowendoc is pretty well known among our readers.
“Hello,” wrote Robyn, “My email is very very sick and slow as a wet week… You are at the Nowendoc General Store. The distance would be to Barrington I think or Walcha via Thunderbolts Way. It is much further to Tamworth. About 120 klms via Topdale Rd to Ogunbil and on to Tamworth. The store is RUN by Mr Maxie Holstien. All roads are exciting to ride whether on dirt to Walcha or dirt to Wingham. The tar roads would be much more enjoyable if in better condition. The scenery is magnificent, the hills and views grand. This and watching the cattle is food for the soul. Great places to stop for a picnic on the crossings. Especially on the Cooplacurripa side.”
“Thank you, Robyn Procter”
And thank you, Robyn.Your foggy days are over now with the amazing Fogstop pen and microfibre cloth from Rocky Creek Designs – see www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au
The size of the Prize
With a value of nearly $99, the jump starter is the most valuable prize we’ve offered. Janice likes it, too.
“This little lithium jump starter is pocket-sized, light and packs a real punch and will easily tuck into a tank bag, top box or pannier,” she writes. “Comes with a recharging plug suitable for both BMW (merit) sockets and normal car type accessory sockets, a USB port and 1 into 4 5V/2.1A USB accessory cable that can plug in many different devices including Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Motorola, and Sony phones, I-pad, GPS etc. It also has an LED fl ashlight with 3 modes, illumination, strobe or SOS.
IT’S A BIG ASK
But it’s also a big prize this month. Where is the Bear in this photo? Yes, that’s his BMW XCountry there on the left, but where is this servo? As usual it’s in Australia, and regular readers will have a better chance than others of picking the location. Others – well, we told you that you should be regular readers, didn’t we?
No more clues – the level of difficulty is meant to reflect the size of the prize. Entries to this puzzle as usual to contactus@ ausmotorcyclist.com.au – go for it! Oh, and remember your postal address, you winners you.
this jump starter on a bike with a dead fl at battery. We consistently got 15+ starts out of the jump starter and this is connecting the jump starter through a dead battery.
“This mini jump starter has short circuit protection, overcharge protection and discharge protection.”
motorcycle? The answer is
“Can this little jump starter really start a motorcycle? The answer is most defi nitely YES and it will do it over and over again. We tested
So what are you waiting for? It could be yours, and it could get you out of a lot of trouble.
HERE’S OUR WINNER!
Luxury adventuring
TRIUMPH EXPLORER
BIKETEST XCa
WANT A BIKE that will let you get yourself dirty from time to time, but whose main duty is to tour our big brown land in comfort and style on bitumen or gravel? Well, come and have a gander at the Triumph Explorer 1200 XCa – a luxury adventure tourer that has all the bells and whistles straight off the showroom fl oor.
The list of standard kit on the XCa is long, but here we go! Wire wheels, crash bars, pannier frames, sump guard, fog lights, heated rider and pillion seats… and radial mount Brembo calipers up front which are probably what will fi rst catch your eyes. Once you delve a bit deeper there’s electronic suspension, electric screen, heated grips, hill hold, 12V and USB sockets, centre stand, cruise control, self-cancelling indicators, ride modes, tyre pressure monitors and the list goes on…
Powering this big tourer is Triumph’s aural delight – that three cylinder beauty. Power and torque are plentiful for both single and two-up riding. You can switch through the different modes to fi nd the perfect setting for the current situation but I preferred just to leave it in Sport which allowed me to feel connected to the bike, whereas the other modes dulled the power too much.
When TSAS is set in Road (auto) mode, optimum rear shock preload is identifi ed and then adjusted at bike start up to take into account rider and passenger weight and any luggage and will refi ne settings continually as needed and will recheck the setting again when you stop. Rebound and compression damping are checked and adjustments made every 10m if required.
TSAS Off-Road mode has softer preload settings and damping, adjusted to manage any type of terrain. The system is even smart enough to recognise when you suddenly stumble upon some gnarly surface and quickly switches to the off-road mode.
WP’s version of semi-active suspension called Triumph Semi Active Suspension (TSAS) takes care of the handling duties. TSAS electronically controls front and rear damping, as well as rear preload settings. IMU data measures pitch rate, yaw and roll rates, as well as vertical, longitudinal and lateral acceleration to determine optimum rear suspension settings.
TSAS however is designed with rider preference and control in mind. Each ride mode has a predetermined comfort setting, but it is easy to adjust the level of damping on the fl y to match how you want the bike to respond to road conditions and handling. Choose from nine steps ranging from Comfort to Sport. You can change the suspension response inside any given rider mode.
In real-world use the system works especially well to adapt the suspension to a wide range of conditions, but I did fi nd the front to be quite heavy on turn in, no matter which setting I had it on. I guess the bike is overall quite heavy at nearly 290kg wet.
As this bike is about luxury and comfort you’ll be pleased to know that it actually is comfortable. Even my pillion in a million was pleased with the padding and loved the heated seat. She mentioned that with the screen at its highest setting most of the wind was defl ected away, too. If there is one drawback with the XCa it
SPECS
TRIUMPH EXPLORER 1200 XCA
PRICE: $26,900 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 15,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled three cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 305mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 282mm disc, dual-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.69 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 298km
COLOURS: Crystal White, Khaki Green, Lucerne Blue
VERDICT: LUXURY IN THE DUST
would be for shorter riders who may not like the quite wide handlebar, but that is only a very minor complaint. Being as wide as it is, it just takes time to get used to and offers great leverage.
An advanced ABS system helps manage brake power and features two modes - Road and Off-Road - plus off. But the system is much smarter than just having three settings. The Road ABS mode links the rear brake with the front when using the front brake lever, but using the rear pedal only activates the rear brake. In Off-Road mode, applying the front and rear brakes or applying the front brake only activates ABS at both front and rear wheels. Applying the rear brake only does not activate any ABS, making brake steering possible. Great, huh!
The dash looks traditional with the centre mounted analogue tacho but the two LCD screens either side are busy and it will take some time to get them all worked out. I can see many nights in front of the tele for new owners reading the owner’s manual a few times.
More than fifty accessories are available for the Explorer including both hard and soft luggage and high and low seats, so customising it to just the way you like to go touring is at your fingertips.
The Triumph Explorer 1200 XCa is the top billing in the range and while I think some of the other Explorer models are more suitable for off-road work, as a luxury tourer with the capability to do some very light offroad work this is an awesome bike for your travels. D
Take some time to get used to it
The pillion in a million will be happy
ADVENTUREGEAR
THE RIGHT STUFF
Dirty gear for you
MONZA IMPORTS
www.monzaimports.com.au
weather performance. Ventilation system features large zippered air intakes on chest and arms, with air exhausts on the back for cooling performance which can be adapted according to climate. Front, deep waterproof pockets provide safe and secure storage. Pockets incorporate seal closing waterproof zips and zip garages, plus internal waterproof wallet/document pocket.
ALPINESTARS
YOKOHAMA JACKET
Price: $649.95
The Yokohama Jacket is a superior multi-material laminated jacket featuring a host of comfort features such as Alpinestars proprietary Jet Ventilation System for excellent levels of internal cooling performance. With removable shoulder and elbow protectors and the ability to upgrade to Alpinestars’ Nucleon chest and back protectors, the Yokohama allows the rider to cope with the toughest of conditions.
Waterproof, multi-material, laminated construction for superior levels of abrasion and tear resistance and
Removable long sleeve thermal liner and includes a mesh collar for comfort. High collar construction with soft textile finish and 3D mesh interior for excellent comfort and weather protection for the neck.
BELL MX9
ADVENTURE HELMET
Price: $299.95
It was Bell that came up with the
immortal slogan, ‘If you’ve got a $10 head, get a $10 helmet’. The MX9 features 3 shell and EPS sizes for a personalised fit. Five-year warranty, integrated/removable shield with NutraFog II anti-fog, anti-scratch and UV protection. Lightweight polycarbonate/ABS shell construction. MIPS-equipped. Padded chin-strap with D-ring closure. Removable/ washable anti-bacterial interior. Two point adjustable visor with air intake vents. Velocity flow ventilation system for maximum cooling.
touring gear can make a huge difference to your off-road riding. So can the wrong gear, leaving you cold or wet and miserable, snivelling by the side of the track. A pair of proper adventure or full-on offroad boots will be far more relaxing, supportive and comfortable for the long haul than cheap boots – especially if you have to stand up for hours. Not to mention having an appropriate
hydration pack; that’s pretty much essential out in the bush. And I’m sure you can add more than one other product to that list.
But it can be quite difficult to keep track of just what is available, especially when it’s new. We asked various suppliers of adventure touring gear to show us what their latest and greatest is and we’ve given you the website of the importers, too, but you should be able to find all of this gear at the relevant dealers.
complement a bike’s appearance, they offer rider protection and comfort too. The full wrap around, heat-treated, aluminium handguard can help protect the bike’s levers from impact damage and the JET impact resistant plastic guards offer defence from the elements for the rider’s hands.
Barkbusters utilises a simple to fit two-point mounting system for the JET guards to keep them secure. The handguard is available in two formats to fit straight 22mm (7/8in) or tapered handlebars, and the three axis mounting clamps ensure every rider is able to position the handguards exactly how they want them.
The interchangeable JET plastic shields are offered in black, blue, green, orange, red, and white making it easy for dealers to carry the entire range without having to manage multiple SKUs. It also gives the customer the opportunity to match the JET guards to their bike’s finish.
BMW MOTORRAD
www.bmwmotorrad.com.au or your local dealer
ENDUROGUARD SUIT
Prices: Jacket, $1400; Trousers, $1000
The EnduroGuard suit is a professional, waterproof adventure suit with a new cut, new material, new colours and new features that satisfy the wish list of men and women seeking maximum functionality, safety and comfort while navigating roads less travelled. Highly abrasion-resistant shell of dynatec and dynatec stretch, with a ceraspace layer in some areas, a BMW innovation in cooperation with Schoeller Textil AG. Three-layer laminate with BMW climate membrane, wind and waterproof, highly breathable. NP2 protectors on back, shoulders, elbows, hips and knees (infinitely height-adjustable). Extremely good all-round ventilation through many generously sized ventilation options, double front zipper as an AirVent
system. Eight jacket pockets, 7 of which are waterproof, men's jacket with additional breast pocket, 3 pants pockets, 1 of which is a key holder (ideal for Keyless Ride). Sleeves and legs can be opened wide, recessed cuffs provide protection in foul weather. Waterproof storm hood integrated into the collar. Snap buttons on the jacket front are concealed to avoid scratching the tank; and hook-and-loop straps allow a variety of width adjustments and ventilation openings.
ENDUROGUARD GLOVES
Price: $300
Twice the utility! The BMW EnduroGuard Gloves with 2-chamber technology are uniquely multifunctional; you can switch between the two chambers depending on the weather. The Proof chamber for wet weather is breathable,
Adventure gear
windproof and waterproof and has a thermally insulated lining. The Grip chamber has extra-thin and tearresistant kangaroo leather for excellent tactile feedback and crease-free fit. Highly abrasive-resistant ceraspace protection on knuckle shell and ball of the hand. Plastic hard shell knuckle protector with impact-absorbing foam padding. Palm has highly abrasionresistant leather (approx. 0.7 mm thick), unlined and perforated. Double layer of leather at edge of hand. Lightweight foam on upper side of glove.
Tip of index finger and thumb suitable for operating touchscreens. Rubber wiper lip on left index finger. Special seams on fingers and palms to avoid pressure points.
MCLEOD ACCESSORIES
www.mcleodaccess.com.au
DRIRIDER VORTEX
ADVENTURE 2 JACKET
Price: $499.95
Australian-designed and developed to suit our climate, this All Season adventure/touring jacket has an outer shell of Polyester 900D with 1200D shoulders and elbows, a removable throat coat and CE armour with hi-density foam back pad (Prepared for optional D30 CE Level 2 back protector).
Removable waterproof and breathable liner. Removable 150g thermal quilted liner. Concealed chest vent panels, Arm vents and large rear exhaust
vents. Hydration bladder pocket (Bladder not included). Arm and waist adjusters for optimum fit. Stretch panels in shoulder and elbow. Multiple storage pockets and hand warmer pockets. Waist expander zips. Waist connection zip. Grey/Black in sizes up to 8XL.
DRIRIDER VORTEX ADVENTURE 2 PANTS
Price: $329.99
All Season adventure/ touring pants to match the jacket, above. Offers much the same features as the jacket, plus CE approved armour in knees (Height adjustable), Safety stitching. Large panels on the thigh which unzip and fold away to reveal large air vents. Power stretch panels in waist, thigh and crotch. Soft panel behind knees. TPR grip on inner knee. Four outer pockets. Dual waist adjusters. Width and height adjusters lower leg. Heat resistant material on lower inner leg. Grey/Black and Black/Black, sizes up to 6XL.
Why hasn’t someone thought of this before? I guess it’s no surprise that the idea comes from Shoei, a company that’s both traditionally excellent and innovative. This helmet design incorporates Shoei's premium road helmet features and aerodynamics into an off-road styled helmet. The Hornet ADV is the result of thousands of hours of wind tunnel and real world testing, offering reduced drag, lift and wind noise compared to other adventure helmet designs. The result is a premium touring helmet with complete off-road capability. Stuart has worn one all over the place and absolutely loves it!
CASSONS MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES
www.cassons.com.au
DRIRIDER VORTEX ADVENTURE GLOVES
Price: $69.95
Don’t forget your hands out there in the bush! Synthetic leather and mesh construction. Shock absorbing knuckle protection. Clarino palm. Reinforced palm and little finger. Stretch panels for dexterity. Velcro wrist closure.
ONEAL SIERRA DUAL SPORT HELMET
Price: $199.95 – $219.95
Aerodynamic and lightweight shell
construction. Meets or exceeds DOT/ ECE/AS safety standards. Adjustable mouth, brow and rear vents for a controlled airflow with a total of 17 air vents for a maximum cooling effect. Integrated flip-down inner sun visor. Shield can be removed to allow open face riding or goggle use. Removable and washable comfort liner and cheek pads.
Cordura construction for extremely high abrasion resistance. C.E EN16211 approved body armour in shoulders, elbows and back. 100% breathable and waterproof liner. Removable thermal zip out liner. Liners have colour coded attachment loops for easy fitting to jacket. Waterproof zippered air vents - 2 vents in front, 2 at the side, 2 on the forearms and 1 at the rear. Seven waterproof pockets, 4 in the front, 1 in the tail, 1 inside jacket and 1 phone. Chest, waist, wrist and 2 sleeve adjusters. Stout (to 8XL) and comfort fit are designed for riders with a wider girth. Pants also available.
RJAYS RACE COLLAR
Price: $34.95
Helps prevent injury from hard cornering or accidents. Nylon outer
material. Available in youth and adult sizes. Available in both standard type or tapered for extra support from helmet weight.
ARAI XD-4 HELMET
Price: $749.95 - $849.95
Helmets are a good example of gear that can make the difference between a good day’s ride and a torture track – and that’s even if you don’t crash!
The new XD-4 has new exhaust ports added to the top diffuser vents nearly double the airflow while using the same (4) 10mm vent holes in the helmet shell. The ability to increase performance from existing designs is typical of Arai’s evolutionary thinking. New shell shape for better aerodynamic stability at higher street speeds, works in concert with the high-flow peak and new side cowl vents. New chin vent with more intake ports.
The 5mm peel-away temple pads add another level of customization, providing a little extra width when needed.
The all new XD-4 now comes standard with the Visor fitted with Pinlock Posts, and Arai has added trademark Brow Vents to the new XD4 face shield, providing airflow to your temples.
CABERG TOURMAX HELMET
Prices: Matt/Metal, $379.95; Sonic $419.95
Tourmax is the at flip up adventure helmet for all the touring, adventure, enduro and maxi enduro riders. It is equipped with a peak that automatically moves close to the visor when opening the chin guard in order
to minimize air resistance. Tourmax comes with the dual homologation P/J which allows you to ride with the chin guard opened guaranteeing safety. Tourmax is equipped with Double Visor Tech system that includes the inner antiscratch sunvisor, while the outer clear visor is not only antiscratch but also antifog thanks to the double lens Pinlock. Ventilation is by two wide vents placed on the chin guard and on the shell that are easy to maneuver with gloves. The lining is completely removable and washable, realised with breathable and hypoallergenic fabric for maximum freshness, with reflective inserts at the back of the neck.
DAINESE TEMPEST D-DRY JACKET
Price: $449.95
The Tempest D-Dry touring jacket is made from resistant Duratex fabric and is ideal for varied weather conditions thanks to its waterproof, breathable D-Dry membrane and water repellent outer layer. Temperature control is taken care of by a completely removable inner lining and by air vents on the chest and at the back. The fact that the Tempest D-Dry has a wide range of
Adventure gear
adjustments lets it adapt perfectly to the rider's body and better follow movements. To round off the technical characteristics the jacket has reflective inserts and it has been designed to accommodate G1 & G2 back protectors and "Double Chest" chest protectors. Features include antifloating sleeve adjustment; drawstring adjustable jacket bottom; pocket for double chest protector; removable composite protectors certified to EN 1621.1 standard; breathable waterproof D-Dry membrane and a removable thermal liner.
DAINESE D-DAKAR HYDRATION BACKPACK
Price: $199.95
For uncompromising travelers, the D-Dakar is designed for extreme adventure touring. With its large hydration bag you will be able to take on any adventure. Comes with 3 litre OGIO bladder made from BPAfree polyurethane film protected by Microban antimicrobial technology. Two external side pockets for stowing smaller gear in conjunction with the upper compression straps to hold larger items. Clear TPU window for displaying ID or a trail map. Upper compression straps to maintain pack stability and load distribution. Two stretch mesh pockets on shoulder straps for storing gel packets and/ or a bite valve docking station. Ergonomically padded air mesh shoulder straps for wicking moisture away. Raised air mesh POD back panel directs cooling airflow down the body. Large compartment for stowing excess layers of clothing, gear and tools. WebTECH feature safely secures
excess webbing keeping the rider safe from potential hang-ups in wooded areas. Total capacity: 9.4L.
INNOTESCO
www.innotesco.com.au or call 0414 814 194
RUKKA ROUGHROAD SUIT
Prices: Jacket, $1070; Pants, $855
The most recent addition to the Rukka range is the “Roughroad” which impresses with top equipment and unbeatable versatility.
Fully equipped, Roughroad braves even the worst of weather conditions. As precipitation decreases, temperature rises or physical strain increases, the outfit can be gradually adjusted to changing riding conditions. The storm collar made of elastic Gore-Tex three-layer laminate can be removed, numerous ventilation zippers allow control of the entry of fresh air, and the inner jacket and inner trousers equipped with a waterproof, windproof and breathable Gore-Tex membrane as well as with temperature regulating Outlast lining can be removed.
A total of nine pockets, some of them waterproof, offer plenty of storage space, while numerous stretch inserts and width adjusters ensure a perfect fit. In the seat area, the trousers feature the climate regulating Rukka AirCushion System as well as Antiglide leather to prevent slippage on the seat. Long zippers on the legs allow wearing the trousers inside or outside, even over off-road boots. Leather on the inside of the legs protects the trousers from hot parts of the motorcycle. Certified according to the latest CE standards,
the highly comfortable Rukka D3O Air joint protectors and the Rukka D3O Air Allback protector ensure high levels of safety by multiplying their impact protection at the very moment an impact occurs.
RUKKA KASTOR AND CEPI PROTECTOR VESTS
Prices: Kastor, $245; Cepi, $215 Kastor and Cepi are both made of highly elastic Stretch Cordura. Kastor is a sleeveless jacket while Cepi is cut like a traditional waistcoat equipped with adjustable shoulder straps. Both are not only equipped with the full-size back protector CE-certified according to EN 1621-2 2014 but also with a newly developed, large chest protector that complies with the EU directive 89/686/ ECC for personal protective equipment. Both vests are highly comfortable to wear thanks to the soft and breathable protectors and their temperature regulating Outlast equipment. Both have a very body-hugging fit due to their cut and the elastic Cordura fabric. This means they can be worn comfortably beneath the motorcycle protective garments and there is no risk of the protectors shifting out of place. Both vests feature a front zipper and a long zipper at the bottom hem that allows connecting the vest to any Rukka trousers.
RUKKA AIRVENTUR GLOVES
Price: $215
There is good news for those who
appreciate sportive, functional motorcycle outfits: By name of AirventuR Rukka introduces a pair of gloves that boast high-quality materials and innovative protection as well as dynamic looks. These lightweight gloves provide clear feedback on throttle, brake, clutch and switches, nevertheless they ensure effective protection of the rider’s hands. The AirventuR is made of a combination of high-quality leather and tear-resistant Cordura which provides outstanding breathability and extraordinary abrasion resistance. Additionally the fingers, the scaphoid bone and the edge of the hand are protected by impact- and breakproof plastic reinforcements, while an integrated D3O protector safeguards the knuckles. Thanks to its soft, flexible material that instantly multiplies crash damping in case of an impact the D3O protector combines optimum agility with maximum protection. A strong Velcro strap grants excellent fit of the glove – even in the case of a fall.
TOURATECH
www.touratech.com.au or call 03 5729 5529
TOURATECH AVENTURO CARBON HELMET
Price: From $699
Touratech’s Aventuro Carbon helmet is a comfortable, clever, safe, multipurpose helmet made specially for adventure motorcycling. It’s lightweight, has ventilation that actually works, and comes intercom ready with a range of accessories, including a camera holder.
A no-compromise 3-in-1 adventure helmet, the Aventuro Carbon is made from an ultra-hard carbon shell, and complies with ECE 2205 and DOT.
GUARDO DESERT GLOVES
Price: $179.21
Choosing the right motorcycle gloves is important, both for comfort and for keeping the bike under control in all conditions. Guardo Desert gloves are airy enough to prevent sweaty hands and still offer excellent grip and effective protection. The airy, lightweight summer glove - not just for desert expeditions!
Unlined summer glove. Highly wearresistant goat leather palm (100%). Polyester upper (100%) with leather trim. Velcro at the cuff. Padded inserts on the fingers. Soft knuckle protection for high comfort. Hand edge reinforcement with Superfabric.
BRUCE COLLINS ENTERPRISES
www.bce.net.au
EMERGENCY CABLE REPAIR KIT
Contains 2 inner cables 1 x (1.5mm x 2M) and 1 x (1.2mm x 2M) with 9 assorted Cable end nipples. Price: $16
BLACK or RED CARGO NET
An indispensable accessory for transporting awkward goods. Strong 15"x 15" elasticated webbing. 6 PP
Coated steel hooks to secure baggage firmly without scratching. Interwoven and knotted cords to prevent slippage or gaps. Rolls into compact size for easy storage.
MOTORCYCLE UNDERSEAT TOOL KIT
Long nose pliers; Wire cutters; Six Allen key sizes: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6; Seven sockets 5mm-11mm and extension; Two electrical screw drivers; Seven screw driver heads for the handle; Carry case with strap. Price: $20
ADVENTURE MOTO
www.adventuremoto.com.au or call 02 9651 3355
KLIM CARLSBAD JACKET
Price: $795
The Klim Carlsbad Jacket was conceived of the need for highly
mobile, highly vented, guaranteed waterproof and minimized bulk adventure gear, all while maintaining KLIM’s highest abrasion resistance and durability standards.
DENALI D4 2.0 TRIOPTIC LED LIGHT KIT
Price: $595
Adventure gear
The Denali D4 2.0 TriOptic LED light kit is among the most powerful auxiliary lights on the market, thanks to a stingingly strong quartet of LEDs that help you identify trouble as far as 240 meters down the road, yet still shines brightly to the edges of the road and beyond.
METAL MULE MAX PANNIER BOX
Price: $695 - 745 per box
Built using 2mm high-grade aluminium throughout and classified to IP66 water resistance standard, the Metal Mule Max Panniers are truely adventure proof.
HELD BIKER FASHION
www.heldaustralia.com.au
SOLID DRY GLOVES
Price - $265
Held Goretex gloves + Gore 2in1 technology
Made from a Taslan (100% polyester), leather detailed back and highly
lined (waterproof), the other unlined. There’s a velcro adjustment at wrists and cuffs, perforated finger side walls, perforated hand, stretch fabric panels (100% polyamide) on back, stretch material on thumb and fingers, special leather at thumb and finger which allows smartphone operation, visor wiper, SAS-TEC knuckle protection, ball of thumb reinforced with SuperFabric and a reinforced edge of hand. Available in Black and sizes 7-12.
RAINBLOCK TOP
Price
$150
Waterproof over-jacket which is breathable and features, 2 external pockets, 1 inner pocket, Velcro closure at wrists and packs down small. Available Black/White or Black/ Fluoro and sizes S-5XL.
DUCATI
www.ducati.com.au or your local dealer
ARAI EXPLORER HELMET
Price: $849
The Explorer helmet, created in collaboration with Arai (MX-V), is perfect for enduro and off-road use. The light, resistant ScLc fiber shell is equipped with an air vent on the chin
and an efficient venting system with air vents that can be easily removed for cleaning. The Dry-Cool inner liner, completely removable and washable, remains fresh and dry even on the longest and most eventful of rides. The helmet is equipped with guides to firmly fix the strap of the Explorer goggles, even during the most extreme use.
DUCATI ENDURO KNEE PROTECTORS
Price: $129
The adjustable Enduro knee guards are protective, breathable and adapt perfectly thanks to the two Velcro adjustment elastic bands. Created in high-resistance plastic with EVA padding, they protect and provide comfort through frontal openings that help the ventilation of the leg. They are produced in Italy in collaboration with UFO Plast.
DUCATI ENDURO BODY ARMOUR
Price: $319
Lightweight and breathable, the Enduro vest with protectors is ideal for the globetrotter who wants to enjoy the pleasure of off-road riding or motocross without running any risk. Created in collaboration with UFO Plast, it is designed to be worn under the jacket. It ensures certifi ed protection of the back, chest, shoulders and elbows and comfort thanks to the volume adjustment inserts.
SCHUBERTH HELMETS AUSTRALIA
www.schuberth.com.au
E1
The characteristics and functionality of a flip-up helmet combined with the looks and the feel of an adventure helmet. The E1 helmet features a complex air channel system on the inside of the helmet shell that provides a comfortable air flow, visors are of the optical class 1. They warrant an undistorted view and are anti-scratch treated, there’s also Turbulators for noise reduction on the visor edge. The visor mechanics allow a quick exchange completely without tools. Of course the E1 features an anti-fog lens. A drop down inner sunvisor completes the package. The chin piece of the E1 can be swivelled up as a single piece
together with the visor and shield. A Coolmax removable/washable liner provides the perfect conditions inside the helmet. The E1 is stable in the wind, without pendulum effect, lift, or buffeting and on top of it is extremely quiet. Apart from the adapted helmet shape, a spoiler is responsible for this streamlining. Available in sizes from XS to 3XL and a variety or colours.
KENMA
www.kenma.com.au
VENTURA TOUGH RACK SYSTEM
Price: $489
The Ventura Tough-Rack system is a heavy duty luggage system designed to handle the extreme conditions and loads dished up by Aussie Adventure tourers. The innovative design features a bolt on Pack-Frame that can be positioned vertically, horizontally or removed all together. The ADVentura Tough-Rack system comes as model specific rear carrier and panniermount assemblies, which can be purchased together with a choice of different packs and soft panniers or as standalone Tough-Rack only.
SUZUKI
www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au or your local dealer
HEATED GRIPS
Price: $349
Designed for the V-Strom 650 and 1000 the heated grip set includes all the hardware and plugs into the original harness.
BRANDED LUGGAGE
Price: $64 - $490
Suzuki offers a range of branded luggage which ranges from the Dry Hip Bag, to a small or large tank bag, rear bag and a 35L roll bag. A great range to complement your beautiful Suzuki.
SIDE STAND EXTENSION PLATE
Price: $169
Make sure your stunning ride doesn’t fall over on soft ground with the side stand extension plate. This plate adds stability by offering a larger platform on the ground. Bolts directly to your existing side stand and comes etched with a nice “V-Strom” logo. D
HERE’S THE MAN!
Or is he? WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN
IUSED TO HATE Bredbo.
Bredbo and Tarcutta and Breadalbane and Bookham and a pile of other towns on the old Hume, Federal and Monaro Highways where the cops would hide behind buildings and cars and probably the odd bloody horse to ambush travellers who’d not slowed down just quite enough. Those four are named because they’re the ones where I got pinged
and decided to never give the towns a cent of my hard-earned. As the Hume straightened out and towns like Bookham and Breadalbane became billabongs and then pretty much closed down, the boycott became easy but then as I started to learn the stories of these places I figured it was time to let go.
It was a bit late to make amends with Breadalbane where the bypass has killed the place and the pub’s now a private home, and there’s not much in Bookham and little special in Tarcutta. But Bredbo, with the highway still cutting through the guts, is something else and the best reason for slowing down nowadays is not to avoid getting a bluey, but to prepare for a stop at the pub.
There’s a few feuds between pubs and towns out in the bush: there’s
one between Kynuna and Winton over Waltzing Matilda, between Blackall and Merriwagga over the black stump, between Taylors Arm and Ingham about The Pub with No Beer and there’s the stink between Bredbo and Corryong over The Man from Snowy River.
Corryong has built its entire identity on a connection with Jack Riley whom they claim to have been Banjo’s model for ‘The Man”. Riders are welcomed to the town with silhouettes of a bloke on a horse, whip cracking and his graveyard even reads, “In memory of the man from Snowy River.”
All good fun and pretty harmless. Problem is, it’s unsubstantiated circumstantial bullshit. All disinterested scholars who’ve investigated the issue have concluded that in the unlikely event Paterson
Bredbo Hotel
Monaro Highway, Bredbo NSW
Stay the night
There’s only five rooms at the Bredbo Inn, all with ensuites with showers. The plumbing all worked a treat and some skiers who had stayed there for a week reckoned there was no better joint from here to the snowfields.
Three rooms have a double and a single, one has a Queen and a set of bunks and the last has just the double bed. So it’s not the place for a stopover for a big group ride. But it’s perfect for small groups overnighting or larger mobs having a midday break.
It’s 100 bucks per room with no discount for single riders, but an understanding cancellation policy. I was near the front but had no issue with traffic noise during the night.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday and on the other two days, there’s pies 24/7.
Like many places nowadays it’s closed Monday and Tuesday mornings but at nights it’ll stay open as long as you and your mates are pushing folding over the bar.
The room rates make it preferable to turn up here with a roomie but no matter whom you spend the ride with, they aint going to be the most interesting person in the bar. On either side of the bar you’ll find good, welcoming people.
The lack of undercover parking and single rider room rates dragged this excellent pub just south of 4 helmets but its history and attitude of everyone I met there got its character rating up to the maximum.
If you live in NSW, chances are you’ve ridden past. Next time stop – you’ll thank me!
based ‘the man’ on the life and exploits of any one person, then it would’ve been Charlie McKeahnie who was born near Queanbeyan, raised in Adaminaby and killed on the bridge at Bredbo, falling dead in the pub.
Bill Refshauge literally wrote the book on all this:
“(Charlie Mac) is the only candidate .. (who) satisfies all the criteria. Therefore, of all those candidates, only he could reasonably be The Man.”
He also writes:
“McKeahnie was killed when his horse slipped in the frost one night …. on the Little Bridge at Bredbo .. just near Povey’s store….(he) was treated by Dr Clifford .. (he) had a bad cut, but there must have been an internal injury because Charlie McKeahnie died at the Bredbo Hotel two days later.”
I park Super Ten around the back next to the original stables (there’s a Bash car taking up the only undercover space)
and head inside to be welcomed by a good fire, Lisa behind the bar and Ken, a local having a quiet one after work.
There’s 240 people in the village of Bredbo, and 499 in the postcode according to Ken, and most belong to one of a handful of clans, the Poveys, the Bowermans and the Goggins.
The Goggins used to own the pub, the Poveys ran the general store and
the Bowermans were in charge of the railway station.
Ken’s a Bowerman and a long time earth-moving contractor. He knows the country and its history and when I tell him what I’m doing in town, he grabs a framed piece off the wall.
It’s a transcript copy of a letter written by a fella named Mal Lawrence, the great grandson of Albert Povey one of the first of his clan to make Bredbo his home.
Greece Tour
“I thought it was time to put pen to paper and tell you a story my Grandfather VICTOR ALBERT POVEY 18861987 told me over 40 years ago…… My Grandfather told me that BANJO PATERSON and my Great Grandfather (k)new each other quite well. ….
BANJO told my Great Grandfather a young man called CHARLES LACHLEN (sic) MCKEAHNIE 1868-1895 was the inspiration for his poem.”
The folks down Corryong way have led the attack on the veracity of this letter but Ken reckons the truth is in the writing. He’s a Bowerman but his family has married Poveys and they “don’t bullshit”.
His quiet passion and conviction are pure oxygen.
Ken says in the morning he’ll take me down to the site of the old bridge where Charlie’s horse slipped and tossed him, oh, and would I be interested in chatting with his Aunty Audrey? She’s just gone 92 and Victor Povey was her father-in-law.
We agree to meet in the community hall. Ken’s wife Louise has the keys and she’ll show me the old photos on the wall while we wait for Audrey.
Ken’s had a long one so he bails and I chat with Lisa. This is their first pub, a change for Lisa from running a day care in western Sydney and for Steve after twenty six years on the road as a Coke rep.
The tree change has worked well although once again, neither was quite prepared for the hours, the long days and the long weeks without much time off.
There’s some confusion and controversy over just where Charlie Mac collapsed and Lisa explains how the two parts of the bar were originally one, how the wall at one end is new and how the fireplace in the pool room used to be part of the main bar.
“Charlie McKeahnie collapsed in the bar in front of the fireplace which is now part in the pool room. That’s where he died.”
The scene crystalizes and it all works. There was a Charlie McKeahnie who was a master horseman, who chased a wild horse through the mountains and about whom a poem was written.
And this Charlie Mac did indeed fall from his horse just down the road and it’s certain he died in the bar of the Bredbo Inn, now Bredbo Hotel, a place where Banjo Paterson definitely stayed several times.
It’s great to be in a pub where the newish publicans know all the locals, know all their stories and know the story of their town and their pub. I head out for a night in room 2, the same one where Banjo would kip when he was down for a visit.
Ken and Louise are at the community hall when I turn up in the morning.
Louise shows me through the old photos and the fine set of drawings of the extant old buildings donated by an artist in town and Ken nicks off to pick up Audrey.
It’s unusual for this wonderful woman to be chauffeured around town. She has a pair of electric mobility scooters which she usually pilots to the pub and the store.
“I have two,” she explains not long after turning up, “in case I get a puncture in one. I would hate being stuck at home”
For 75 years, from age nine until she was 84, Audrey rode a pushbike. And for the last fifty years, she only ever worn high heels when riding.
“I’m not tall and I like heels but I could never see the point of changing shoes when I got off the bike so I always rode in high heels.”
Eight years ago, Audrey had two falls from her bike, decided to stop riding and grab the electric carts.
She never heard her father-in-law talk about Banjo Paterson which means he probably didn’t because her recall of other things is all encompassing.
“I remember we moved up to the railway station when I was four. My dad used to work on the railways and my sister was the attendant at the station.
It used to be really busy. There were lots of people catching the train up to Sydney or down to Cooma and then there was a mixed train that went down to Bombala. Steam trains, there was one every day, used to get here about 6 o’clock in the morning from Sydney. Then it would go down to Cooma.”
And her memories of days at Bredbo Public School are lucid and vivid:
“One day a boy reported to the headmaster that other boys had been swearing and all the boys involved got four cuts of the cane from the headmaster. Mr Watson, the father of one of the boys knew that the boy who did the dobbing lived up at Bumbalong and rode to school on his bicycle.
So he waited for him along the road and pulled him off his bike and took to him with his whip. The police were called but old Watson got off. We all reckoned that he got to the judge. He got away with it. You wouldn’t get away with it today would you?”
Audrey, a Bowerman married Kevin Povey in the Catholic church just south of the pub. He was a young soldier from up the road and when she was 28 she caught the train to Cooma for the birth of their first child.
We talk on about life in a country village on the Monaro 30,40,50,60,70 years ago and again I feel blessed that someone like Audrey, the daughter-inlaw of the man who held one of the keys to the mystery of ‘The Man’ is sharing her experiences with me.
Ken and I leave Audrey and Louise to have a cuppa and we head down to the old bridge. There’s not much evidence of its existence and Louise has been unable to find any photos of it but Ken explains where it was beside the new one. Charlie Mac fell just a short cooee from the pub.
We head back to the hall but Ken’s gotta rattle his dags and get to work.
He gives me a mud map to get to Bredbo Station where scenes from The Sundowners were shot in the 1950’s. He’s rung ahead and spoken to the owner and all’s good just be certain to shut the gates.
I shake hands with Audrey and thank her for her time. Ken leads her down the ramp to his car and she asks if he could look at one of the tyres on her second scooter. It looked a bit flat this morning.
I fix Ken’s mudmap to my windscreen and head east. The skies have cleared, the grasses are bending in the breeze as I pull out from the Bredbo Hotel thinking of the yarns I missed boycotting this place just because of the narks in blue with not much to do! D
HENTY COPILOT BAG
Jump the Pilot Price - $349
Targeted at the crowd that doesn’t have enough sense to use an engine, the Henty bags were originally developed with push-bike riders in mind. Heaving along with nil-power, of course the equipment they use needs to be light,
durable and rugged. Funny about that; when I spoke to Henty and said their range of kit would be perfect for our crowd with hydrocarbon assistance, Simon from Henty agreed. So what we have is a shoulder bag ideally suited to slinging on as a backpack
or strapping to a rear rack or back seat to put to the test.
If you want to know the perfect scenario for the CoPilot, it goes like this. I often pack gear for a two or three day trip interstate needing clothes, a jacket and an extra pair of shoes plus socks and jocks. This is loaded in neatly and slung on as a backpack and it’s off to Sydney Airport, throw the bike in the free parking section and walk on board with my carry-on luggage. The garment bag rolls up neatly and doesn’t compress my gear and is not only waterproof but is designed to be hung up using the supplied clothes hanger in the cheap-house hotel I tend to stay in. A real bonus is the padded waterproof 15 inch laptop compartment as well as
the 20L rain bag which doubles as a gym bag or dirty washing duffle bag. This is a magic solution to a perennial problem of always needing a few different bags for these trips. With plenty of straps and clip-buckles for tightening and even reflective piping the Henty CoPilot is well thought out and practical in so many ways. This so-called Garment Bag would suit travellers and neatness-obsessive types alike.
There are three styles and sizes (see www.henty.cc) and while the CoPilot is the largest, the Messenger or the Wingman look equally suitable for motorcyclists who are always on the run. I can’t recommend the Henty bag enough – it’s a must have! RLM
FALCO SHIRO BOOTS
Better than owning a Castle Price - $199.95
I have been sniffing around the heels (poor pun intended) of a number of press launches lately (thanks Stu!) and it is easy to see the swing away from the obligatory motorcycle boot, which gets crowded in under a pair of jeans or over leather pants. Many of the journos on the recent HarleyDavidson and Moto Guzzi launches I attended were dressed up in the same ‘Hipster’ casual fashion as I was. I’m not a trendsetter by any stretch of imagination but I do favour a bit of retro style and comfort over the squeaking plastic on plastic noises that normal race style boots make on the way to the food trough.
The Italian-made Falco Shiro ankle high boots are comfortable enough for scaling embankments to chase that extra special camera angle. The waterproofing from the membrane helps at the urinal and the Shiro is robust enough to kickstart a real Triumph Bonnie.
Just the fact that the Italian colours grace the lace up area is almost enough for me although the most needed aspect of the
boots is safety and D3O inserts help raise the impact resistance to a reasonable level. I can see the Ying and Yang of lace-up boots like the Shiro versus a more traditional style roadboot and allowing for the convenience of shorty dress boots I guess we are going to see more and more choices of footwear and not just for Hipsters. The Falco’s like all of this style needs extra attention to lace up properly ensuring the bows don’t get caught up on the foot controls. The inside zip helps along with the laces to make the boots snug and well fitted, and after a few days of 42C in the US of A I can say they still look and smell like new (not that anyone smelt
them! Ed). Bless my cotton socks. Available in Brown or Black, and sizes 39 to 47. See your local bike shop or visit www.ficeda.com.au RLM
CABERG STUNT BLADE HELMET
Ready to cut a swathe Price - $269.95
You may not have heard of Caberg helmets in Australia before, but the good folk at Cassons are now importing them into our big brown land. They have something for everyone with full face, adventure, flip up and combination/open face helmets available. I grabbed the fancy Stunt Blade which is one of the cheaper of the range and cuts a flashy path of style with its matt bright red and black graphics.
A sporty look and compact design is what you get with the Stunt from
Caberg. It comes in two shell sizes to offer the best fitting proportion between the shell volume and your head size. Equipped with a double visor system that incorporates the drop down sunshade visor, it is easy to use in all light conditions. The sunshade visor is anti-scratch treated, while the outer clear one is treated to be anti-scratch and prepared to take the Pinlock insert. Ventilation is pretty good with three wide air vents and opening/closing them is easy to do even with gloves on. The lower vent on the chin guard drives air directly to the inner side of the visor to avoid misting (most of the time).
The lining is made with transpiring fabrics and is removable and washable. The wind stop under the chin guard of the helmet is also removable, as is the breath guard.
The Caberg Stunt is available in 2 solid colours: Matt Black and Metal White; and in 2 Graphic versions: the Blade in a number of colours, or the Blizzard, also in a variety of colour combos.
For one of the cheaper helmets
on the market, the Stunt is quite adequate for day to day commuting and general riding, however for longer touring, I would go one of the upspec models. Sizing ranges from XS-2XL. See your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au SW
CABERG GHOST JET HELMET
Ghost with a Shell Price - $399.95
Although it’s not quite in the same league as Scarlett Johansson, the Caberg Ghost is nevertheless worth your attention, especially if you’re out on the street fighting the big-time bad guys… all right, that’s enough of the movie references. Although it’s always worth mentioning Scarlett Johansson, in my opinion. Where was I?
Ah, yes, the Caberg Ghost. It is a lightweight streetfighter helmet, available in two shell sizes and a variety of fitting sizes and colours. Let’s face it, though, you will want this helmet in the matt black that I have; projecting a streetfighter image in a multi-coloured
helmet just doesn’t cut it. It is also available in carbon fibre as well as the tri-composite material, which is appropriate because it means that you can paint the helmet. Huh? Didn’t I just write that colours would detract from the effect? Most colours would, but imagine some real-looking flames writhing back along the shell. Cool. The styling is pretty much typical of the Italian sense of design, and Caberg helmets do in fact come from Italy –
Motorcyclists Ken and Tania welcome you to their highly recommended cafe. Wood Fired Pizza, Tapas and Espresso Bar.
more specifically from Bergamo, north of Milan. This general area is a hotbed of motorcycle clothing and accessory design and I suspect Caberg looked at what was available in the way of outthere helmets, found that there wasn’t much in the way of genuinely different streetfighter headwear and came up with the Ghost to fill that gap in the market.
What else do you need to know before you rush out on your Streetfighter to buy this most appropriate helmet? Caberg has been making helmets since 1974 and was one of the earliest factories to introduce flip-front helmets. You can see the experience in the Ghost, which is as light as the name suggests; its chin piece is especially light and offers protection from the wind but not so much from, er, direct contact with the road. With this chin piece, the helmet is more of a statement than a simple protective item. The chin piece is removable, but I can’t see why you would want to turn the Ghost into something much more like a standard open face.
I tend to wear light helmets on my way to work and around town (one at a time, of course) and the Ghost fits nicely into this niche. Its lightlysmoked visor suits me well (other colours and clear are available) and it comes with a Pinlock insert for those foggy mornings in spring or autumn. The spring-loaded chin piece rotates upwards easily, and you can wear even quite bulky specs under the visor. It’s a
little like wearing goggles, but without the drawbacks. For some weird reason, the helmet also has a goggle strap at the back. The insert is removable and washable.
It’s not often that we see a helmet that is targeted as carefully at a particular user as the Ghost; Caberg has hit the target precisely. Just like Scarlett Johansson as the Major… Stop that dreaming and get down to your local bike shop or visit www.cassons.com.au PT
HELD AIR N DRY GLOVES
Two for the price of one Price - $275
Only want to have one pair of gloves and not three, four or even five pairs of gloves, like me, for all occasions? Well, let me introduce you to the Held Biker Fashion Air N Dry gloves! Essentially a warm and waterproof chamber in one part of the glove and a summer glove in the other part. You are probably thinking, how does this work? There are two separate chambers that you can slide your hand into. The top is the Goretex part and the bottom the summer part. I found the temperature range is not as wide as I expected. The Goretex part is okay down to about 9 degrees and the summer part okay up to around the high 20s. Maybe I was expecting too much from this combo glove but if you only have to have one pair of gloves there is nothing else in the
market that compares.
Made with a highly abrasion-resistant kangaroo leather palm and DuPont Cordura, the waterproof chamber features a Goretex membrane and the unlined chamber is perforated for maximum ventilation, feel and comfort.
There’s also a Velcro adjustment at the wrists and cuffs, the all-important visor wipe, stretch fabric panels on the back, hard plastic knuckle protection, Superfabric reinforcement on the edge of the hand and 3M Scotchlite reflectors. Sizes range from 7 – 12 and you can get them in all black or the black/grey you see in the photos.
To purchase, jump onto www.heldaustralia.com.au SW
VOZZ RS 1.0 HELMET
Get this around your head
Price - $699.95
As so often, Niccolo Machiavelli got his head around this a long time ago. “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand… than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things,” he wrote. And Vozz Helmets is clearly introducing a new order of motorcycle (and potentially other) helmets with its Voztec design. Just to start with, the helmets have AS/NZ, ECE and DOT certification.
What, you will no doubt be wondering, is the Voztec System? I’ll get Mark Bryant, Managing Director of VOZZ Helmets, to explain it to
make sure we get this right.
“The VOZZ Helmet is a full face, rear access, dual locking helmet. The mechanics and the system are globally patented and is (sic) referred to as the Voztec System.
“The Voztec System has an emergency safety release system and fully adjustable chin cup that replaces the old-fashioned chinstrap. Both features significantly improve the safety of fullface helmets by allowing medical personnel access in case of an accident. In addition, this innovation eradicates strap creep and allows the lower edge of the helmet to be rolled, thus producing a helmet with fewer snag points.”
Okay, but how does it work?
“Inside a VOZZ Helmet you will find a world of difference from the conventional pull on, pull off, fullface helmet. The first difference you will notice is the fit, whereby you slide your face into the opening and secure by way of a fully adjustable chin cup, which is a ‘set and forget retention system’. Once the helmet is closed
exterior and the rolled lower front edge. Better than average, though. And there’s something else which is distinctly better than average.
and secured to the head, the fit is ultra comfortable with no chinstrap required to fasten the helmet to the head. You will also find a multi-density EPS liner, with ultra low density areas to improve impact results.”
Right. So here is my Vozz helmet, in my hands. I unlock the helmet with the twin thumb releases and slide my head into the front part until my chin is snug in the chin cup. Now I rotate the back part down… and can’t get it to click into place despite carefully using both hands. Hmm.
Ah! The chin cup is adjustable. I move it forward and on the second try both locks click audibly into place. I’m locked, ready to rock. Can it really be as simple as that? Yes, it can. As promised, peripheral vision is good through the anti-fog, anti-scratch visor. The helmets come in three shell sizes, so they look good and are not unduly heavy. The company quotes 1780 grams for the medium shell size.
Out riding, the helmet is indeed comfortable and wind noise is minimal but still present, despite the smooth
Here’s Mark Bryant again, explaining the Safety Release System.
“The VOZZ Helmets S.R.S has been developed to assist medical staff with a quick and safer removal of the helmet and to enable access to the user’s head in the event of an accident… This is a world first for paramedics and will provide a safer alternative of helmet removal... The safety release system is positioned at either end of the hinge pin at the crown of the helmet. By removing these pins, medical personnel are able to separate the front of the shell from the back with minimal movement to the user’s head.”
Your head ends up on the rear part of the helmet, rather like an oyster on the half shell. Good idea, this. I’m still getting used to putting the helmet on after a few days of using it, but I’m already comfortable with wearing it. Take a look at vozzhelmets.com; it’s a comprehensive website that will answer any remaining questions you may have. Meanwhile, Niccolo, I pop my hat at you! PT D
FOR A COMPLETE RANGE OF TINTED & LARGER SCREENS
GRIZZLING
HISTORIC GAS
POTUS be b… err, never mind Mr Trump. I’m going to the States again next year even if you haven’t been impeached. And while I was looking through the material from a previous visit, I found this photo of an old Phillips 66 sign. And so I thought – why don’t I bore you with the history of that name? Phillips Petroleum Co. was incorporated on June 13, 1917. After the discovery of Texas’s huge Panhandle gas field in 1918 and the
Can I explain this? No. And I expect that the promo people from Beta Motorcycles couldn’t, either. But it got them some exposure, didn’t it, which the usual modeltype outfits for the girls would not have. But what could they have been thinking?
Maybe it’s a ‘beta’ test…
Hugoton Field to its north in Kansas, Phillips became increasingly involved in the rapidly developing natural gas industry. In particular, the company specialized in extracting liquids from natural gas and by 1925 was the nation’s largest producer of natural gas liquids.
A couple of years later, In 1927, the company’s gasoline was being tested
This sounds like the kind of newspaper we could all trust! The photo was taken somewhere in the backblocks of Oregon, USA and the newspaper is the real thing.
The first Phillips 66 service station opened that same year, but the Phillips 66 shield logo, created for its link to the famous highway of the same number, was not introduced until 1930 in a black and orange colour scheme which was not replaced until 1959, when Phillips introduced a revised version of the shield in red, white and black. That’s still used by Phillips 66 Co. for the brand.
And did you know that from the late 1930s until the 1960s, Phillips employed registered nurses as “highway hostesses” who made periodic and random visits to Phillips 66 stations within their regions. They inspected station restroom facilities to ensure they were well cleaned and stocked. The highway hostesses also served as ambassadors for the company by directing motorists to suitable dining and lodging facilities.
Isn’t that fascinating? No? Come on. You’re a tough audience…
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming on U.S. Highway 66 in Oklahoma. When it turned out that the car reached the then breakneck speed of 66mph (106km/h) the company decided to name the new fuel Phillips 66.
CLASSICMORRIS
I’VE GOT AN IDEA!
WORDS LESTER MORRIS
IT WAS BACK IN 1974 when the mooted junket seemed like a good idea, but alas it was not. Well, in fact it was a good idea, but its execution was not. Then again, perhaps it was the fault of the three certifiable jackasses who were involved in the exercise which made the excursion such a strange, and more than a little comical, interlude. In retrospect, that’s probably what put paid to it being any sort of a good idea at all! What was all that again?
The plan was simple; every bit as simple as the trio of oddly-assorted characters themselves were, while two of the three men - it could be argued - are still more than a little odd. Unhappily, the third party to the odd charade has long since departed this realm to enjoy his Next Experience. One of these men, whose half-fast idea it was in the first place, was a certain Norm Sharp, who was Ron Angel’s Manager in the large Richmond, Victoria, store at the time, another was an uncertain bloke called ‘Murph’, the
dearly-departed oddball, who betrayed his Irish ancestry by always behaving in a very odd fashion, and that on a very regular, if almost hourly, basis. But he was a lovable enough character who would do anything for anyone (whether you asked for it or not), even if he was all too often a king-sized pain in the arse.
The third character in this drama was your humble correspondent, who was also working in the Angel establishment at the time: yes, folks, it was my simple self.
Murph was a ‘come-and-go’ person in the store, who seemed to spend quite some time sniffing about at Angel’s, but then either disappearing for long periods of time or not turning up at all, with the result that I never knew whether he had another job to go to somewhere. Then again it was a little like that for me as well. I could trot off from time to time, with little notice, to film a TV commercial or to make so-called “guest” appearances in any one of a raft of Crawford Productions’
numerous TV programmes which were being churned out of his TV drama factory almost every day like a long string of sausages.
A great advantage to us all was being able to work with Ron Angel, not for Ron Angel because, provided what had to be done in the store with some haste and efficiency was done – and didn’t have to be done again - Ron was always a relaxed character.
I never heard Ron’s voice raised in anything more than a hoarse whisper, even when I crashed (at just over a brisk walking speed) the first of two recently-imported Imola-replica 750SS Desmo Ducati motorcycles as I left the showroom’s rear door on the way to the Motor Registry. It transpired that Murph, who had been sitting on the bike earlier, had nipped the steering damper up so tightly that the handlebars couldn’t be turned at all. My fault, I suppose, for I had fired the engine up with the bike still on its stand then rolled the bike forward as I fed the clutch in. Prior to this I had of
course checked the controls, the seating position and all the other little things on my short ‘check-list’ before climbing onto the bike again.
We hit the deck with a deafening crash, and I quite expected to be flung out of the place on the spot as a result, but, as I was underneath the bike when we went SPLAT!, only the left blinker was busted and was replaced directly from stock. Murph had mysteriously disappeared by then, as a Pantomime Demon King might have done while enshrouded within a small cloud of red smoke, and was missing in action for some days thereafter. I think I saw Ron muttering under his breath and looking about for the miscreant, but I could have been mistaken about that.
On another occasion, I had jumped on the purple ‘Water Bottle’ 750 Suzuki triple - which was my daily transport between bikes I was road-testing for Two Wheels magazine or the REVS newspaper - and rode out to the banks of the Yarra to film a couple of scenes in a Crawford “Homicide” epic. I didn’t know this at the time, but Murph had followed me all the way to the set on a bike he had managed to quietly snaffle from the showroom.
As I was getting made-up and climbing into my costume I could see him lurking about the place and noted the First Assistant Director trying, without much success, to buzz him off. He came back to me: “Can’t you piss this bloke off who came here with you?” he berated me,” he’s all over the set.” I pointed out to the A.D that I didn’t invite Murph along at all, and that he hadn’t come there with me, but had apparently followed me to the location. So help me, almost every time the
cameras rolled Murph would casually stroll out from behind a convenient tree in the centre of the scene, either check his non-existent wrist watch for a moment, or scratch himself with the reckless aplomb of a Rhesus monkey as he gazed into the middle distance.
I made the fatuous suggestion that he ought to be invited to sit at the essential refreshments truck if we couldn’t buzz him off, where he could stuff himself stupid with gallons of the caterer’s poisonous coffee and a large selection of gooey foodstuffs which ranged from soft biscuits sometimes covered with a subtle green beard to very odd-looking cream buns. Murph declared himself delighted with the AD’s invitation and was no longer a nuisance… on the set, that is.
As for Norm Sharp? He remains a close friend, whom I once conned into touring New Zealand with me in 2004 as Stage Manager in my own production of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Live! On Stage!’ He had to be thrown in at the deep end, be it known, for he had never been involved in anything quite like that before (and only once since then) but surprised all of us, including himself, by picking up all the clues, cues, stage directions, back-stage jargon and unwanted dressing-room intrigue during the short rehearsal period.
Now then where the hell were we? Oh, yes, the Great Idea!
In 1974 Norm was the owner of a near-new 124S, 1800cc DOHC , twodoor FIAT sports saloon, which he declared he was going to drive to the up-coming motorcycle races at Winton, that trim little circuit at Benalla, and suggested that Murph and I ought
to go along with him. I was to be the delegated driver for the return journey, he told me, for he knew I didn’t imbibe any form of alcoholic beverages and could thus, he hoped, conduct us safely back to Melbourne after the meeting. He suggested, and rightly so as it happens, that should he – and of course Murph - be in such a highly inebriated state at the end of the day’s racing that neither of them might have any idea of who or where they were, much less where the vehicle was, I should be able to safely drive us back to Melbourne.
That trim little sports car looked great and was a very capable, great handling little vehicle with well upholstered front seats, but it was what they called a 2+2-seater, with the ‘seats’ in the rear just large enough to accommodate a pair of legless dwarfs, or – just possibly – a pair of legless drunks. There was tons of room for a bloke of my economical size in the back, they happily suggested, even if I had to sit side-saddle for the journey. They were right, of course, and it was comfortable enough with just enough room for me to sit more-or-less upright and facing head-on for most of the journey.
We took off in the early morn and enjoyed an uneventful trip to the tight Winton circuit, then de-camped for the rest of the day to enjoy some very fast, close races. Norm and Murph disappeared while I consumed a couple of suspicious-looking meat pies for lunch which looked as though they had been trodden upon, the impression highlighted by the large dollop of blood-like, rich-red Fountain brand tomato sauce with which they had both been enthusiastically anointed. The tasty
CLASSIC MORRIS
morsels were washed down with the agency of a pale grey, half-cold coffeelike beverage, to be followed in the evening by a swiftly-developing two-day belly ache.
Not long after the end of the day’s races I beheld the approaching duo, whom I had not seen at all for much of the day, staggering in my direction. Both of them were leaning inwards upon one another at about 45 degrees, like two sides of a lop-sided equilateral triangle, both giggling like a pair of pre-pubescent schoolgirls. I had no idea where they had been, but it was a safe bet they had found the brewer’s tent at some point and were both more than a little sozzled, which was not an encouraging sight.
Norm dangled the car keys in my face like a long-coveted trophy and demanded we make it back to Melbourne with all haste as it was coming on for darkness and there were heavy storm clouds broiling ominously overhead. The two inebriates fell headfirst into the car with Norm in the front passenger’s seat and his companion assuming a position behind the steering wheel. It took some little time for us to convince Murph that not only was he not going to drive the car anywhere, he was to be scrunched up into a tight little ball on the minuscule rear bench. He didn’t like it, but ended up being shoved in there anyway, where he shortly drifted off into a deep sleep, punctuating the air within by the sounds of stentorian snoring accompanied by a surprising number of other unwanted, windinduced noises.
The trip home again was attended by at least two incidents which I would have been very happy not to have endured.
The first of these occurred when I pulled into a service station to topup the fuel tank. I climbed out and was making my way into the service station for a lolly of some sort when Norm, who had managed to struggle out of the passenger’s seat, called my attention. He didn’t want his car pinched he declared loudly as he dangled the ignition keys in front of his eyes and then flung them in my general direction. Not only did the keys come nowhere near me, they landed high up on the roof of the service station!
It took more than an hour for the bloke running the place to climb up and find them, then to fill the fuel tank so we could resume our journey. Norm found it all very amusing: I did not, neither did Murph who knew nothing about any of it.
We had been on the road for perhaps an hour and making good time as rain was just beginning to fall when Murph suddenly sat up and looked blearily about him. “Quick. Pull over” he shouted. “I’m boiling for a leak!” Norm agreed that it might be a good idea, and I confessed I was thinking we should all have had an empty-out as well as a fill-up at the station, so I pulled over at what looked like an ideal spot. It was just past a small bridge, where water was gurgling softly in a small stream several meters below, accessed by a steep bank leading from the roadway to the river side.
I slithered down the steep embankment to the side of the stream as rain continued to lightly fall, the raindrops whipped about by a cold, swirling wind which had just sprung up. I was remarking to myself on the
simple pleasure of such a swift relief when I noticed that the rain was now a little heavier, but had become strangely warmer as well.
That seemed odd but the source of that warmer rain soon became apparent as I glanced upwards to see, illuminated in the glow of many swiftly approaching headlights and the cacophonous blast of many car horns, Norm and Murph standing by the roadside directly above me. They both stood with their hands on their hips as they unashamedly relieved themselves mightily into the winds that blew. Those winds dispersed their draughthorse-like nocturnal emissions into small clouds of rain-like heavy droplets and then gleefully deposited the lot of it all over me!
On top of everything else which had happened that day, that pair of amiable buffoons unintentionally anointed me heavily for several seconds… and they did it from a great height as well! When I discovered this and shouted out to them from below to cease and desist the sniggering pair seemed to think it was all very amusing: that is until I scrambled back to the car to tell them to stay where they were while I dove home on my own.
To add insult to injury they insisted that I couldn’t get into the pristine little car in my current damp condition, but I had the car keys in my pocket and was in far better control of the situation than either of them were. I must say I was thrilled beyond measure when they decided it would be prudent for them to continue the journey coiled up together on that little bench seat behind me. It was no more than the unfeeling buggers deserved. D
CAFE - GENERAL STORE
WHATSAYYOU
WELOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words. Then you can read many, not just a couple. We do reserve the right to cut them and, unless you identify yourself and at least your town or suburb and state, we will print your email address instead. Please address letters to contactus@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!
HEAR AND NOW!
THANKS TO THE wonderful people at Rocky Creek
Designs this month’s letter winner gets a set of the NoNoise Motorsport earplugs valued at $35. To give you an idea how good they are, here’s the blurb… Why do I need NoNoise Hearing Protectors?
Wind noise on a motorbike produces noise levels up to
105dB. Permanent hearing damage can occur from 85dB up, so it is essential always to use hearing protection. Why are these Hearing Protectors different?
Developed
Developed over 20 years by leading experts, NoNoise MOTORSPORT Hearing Protectors are [claimed to be] superior to traditional foam, wax or silicone earplugs. Precisiontuned, patented ceramic filters ensure maximum protection from dangerous levels of engine, wind and road noise. Unique filtration allows conversation, sirens and horns to remain clearly audible, with no muffled effect. NoNoise earplugs have a build-in ceramic sound filter, which forces the sound waves to pass through something called a Venturi pipe. The Venturi effect attenuates sounds only when the sound gets louder. Comfortable and suitable for all ages - ideal for bikers and other motorsport enthusiasts. To grab a pair, jump onto
WHAT A BEAUTY
Hi Stuart,
Loved the map and your story in issue 54 of the Bright - Mount Beauty run. I’ve got a stock Tracer 900 which I Love but wondering if this particular ride is suitable... there were a couple of pics with dirt... some looked semi sealed. Any thoughts or recommendations... what if I threw on a set of say the TKC70’s or similar from the same issue? Or is it a
hardcore Adventure bike route?
Really enjoying the mag... have been buying issue at a time for last 9 issues and just subscribed (Father’s day suggestion to my family come true). Maybe there’s a suitable set of Metzelers... Cheers.
Peter Oastler
Hi Peter,
If you put a set of TKC70 or similar you’d be
www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au
And…drum roll…here’s this month’s winner!
IT WAS MY IDEA! MINE I TELL YOU!
Hi Stuart,
The latest amc magazine had an article on older touring bikes.
Enjoyed the read.
As you are aware I previously wrote to you about having this type of segment.
I hope it will be a regular section and also hope you’ll include info on learner bikes.
As it was MY IDEA. Can I assume I’m on the payroll and can claim corporate lunches cheap airfares and test a bike or three?
Peter Tarran
PS. I would like to refer further to the articulate but my cheap bastard mate grabbed my copy.
Hi Peter,
I’m sure the gold leaves will start falling over your house any moment now! LOL! Thanks, mate, glad you liked it. Tell your “cheap bastard mate” to subscribe ;) Then he might win the tyres and he can give them to you! Send me your postal address, too and we’ll get your earplugs on the way.
Cheers, Stuart.
fine depending on your level of off-road riding experience. Just be careful in case some of the trail is chopped up. Glad you’re enjoying the mag…you never know, we could be calling you very soon ;) Cheers, Stuart.
MOVE IT, MATE!
Hi Bear, Getting older? - keep moving! I see lots more grey hair every time I pull up at my favourite motorcycle
haunts - we are all getting older and slower (Speak for yourself! LOL! Ed). Long rides, shifting in the saddle in the ‘twisties’, maneuvering at the petrol station - it all gets just a bit harder. I was not sure how I was going to keep going, until at the (repeated) suggestion of my beautiful bride I decided to start Pilates.
At first I was worried it would be too easy, too ‘girly’ and not a real man’s workout. My tough and capable instructor, Sarah, proved me wrong and the first few classes left me in no doubt that this was tough stuff. Six months later I have more flexibility, greater endurance, better core strength and much better balance. It has improved my riding out of sight and I will keep doing Pilates for as long as I am riding. And that will be for a long time to come. Man up lads, find a Pilates class, slip into the shorts and t-shirt and regain that flexibility you once had.
Regards,
Kim Ellis North Balgowlah
WHERE IS IT?
G’day Stuart,
I remember reading about that lovely Norton Yamaha race bike you have got. I haven’t seen it for a while? What’s the latest with it?
Regards
Jayden
Hi Jayden,
It spun a big end bearing at the Island Classic back in January and has been with Shaun at D Moto ever since getting rebuilt. As Shaun is doing it in his spare time it has taken all this time to get it nearly completed. It will be ready and run in for the Australian Historic Titles in early November then ready to go for next year’s Island Classic and International Festival of Speed. I will do a report on how things go to keep everyone in the loop. Cheers, Stuart.
ROOKIE IS BACK
Hi, Stuart
As a little boy in the after war Germany much time was spent on the country road, not far from home. The
British army, then occupying force, was busy moving heavy equipment like tanks and cannons along, with wrecked airplanes fallen from the sky as a backdrop.
Years later the scene changed, military hardware was replaced by British personnel on British motorcycles, they were all there, spare me the list of badges. Us kids were fascinated by the variety and after a while, we could tell the brand by the sound of the engine, from a distance. Later all German brands just blended in, completing the picture. This initial emotion has never left me, I still like motorbikes today. I have had a few over the years and luckily stayed away from serious accidents but I still see myself rather as a rookie. It is that, why I appreciated your advice, Stuart, a few months ago.
Finally however I ended up buying a BMW Rnine T second hand from someone in Sydney, who was something like a perfectionist and an artist at the same time. This bike looks simply beautiful and I could not resist. I also kept a promise, made 4 years ago, that I would have another bike before I turn 75, this December.
My second passion is another twowheeler, the bicycle. I have done much more mileage on these and many of
my best memories are connected with that. Disaster struck 2011, when I fell off not far from home. I needed surgery and got “rewarded” with a new hip. After one year recovery I was back on the bike. A few weeks later I was booked on a tour through Africa, Cairo to Capetown. The next year it was India from Agra to Kanyakumari, the most southern tip. The next ride was from Anchorage, Alaska across Canada/ US down to Mexico City. In June this year I was booked on a tour from London to Rome.
At this time I had done 60,000km with that replacement hip, here in Australia and overseas. I arrived in London just on time after having spent two weeks with old time friends across the channel in Leverkusen, so I was in good spirits. An early highlight on this tour was an opportunity to lay down a wreath with two Americans in Ypres/Belgium at the WWI memorial. After that we “enjoyed” the cobble stones of Roubaix and the stadium.
Disaster struck again the next day in northern France, when I fell from the bike again with similar consequences. Two days later I had surgery and then got airlifted back to Australia. Two days later I was diagnosed with an internal infection on the hip. This needed special treatment and for the next 10 weeks I was treated through a pic-line, a direct connection from a vein to the heart. In the meantime I am free from all that, living a normal life again. My chances are 50/50 that I will get out of this fine and I am programmed to do whatever it takes to tip the scale in my favour. I am well underway to restore strength and fitness and I am looking forward to my first ride on the BMW Rnine T.
Cheers
Volker Ecke
Hi Volker,
You certainly have been around! Good luck with your recovery and we’ll see you out there on the road for a ride very soon!
Cheers, Stuart, Bear and Ralph.
AWAY WE GO!
Stuart,
We went to Alaska in 2013, and I wrote a story about that for AMM. We went again recently at the behest of friends, so probably won’t do another story on that. It’s a great ride and destination though. First Alaska ride was in 2001, so that’s three times for me.
Our Morocco plan is to fly to Rome and spend a few days riding the Amalfi Coast, before getting back on the plane to hop across to Malaga in Spain. That’s where our Hispania Tours 12 day Morocco adventure starts. There are five American couples going, all experienced, and all friends so it should be terrific. Starts and ends in Malaga after crossing Gibraltar. I will certainly be taking notes for that one. All paved roads, Atlas mountains etc.
Cheers
Peter Colwell
Hi Peter,
Have a great time!
Cheers, Stuart.
S
R nineT
ew motorcycle prices go up and they sometimes come down. It can be hard to keep track of all the changes. Australian Motorcyclist supplies you with all the latest prices in the country. Bear in mind most prices exclude dealer and on road costs and some are ride away prices – ask your local dealer for the best possible price!
R nineT Pure
R nineT Scrambler
R nineT Racer
R nineT Urban G/S
R 1200 R
R 1200 R Sport
R 1200 R Exclusive
R 1200 RS
R 1200 RS Sport
R 1200 RT
K 1600 B
K 1600 GT
K 1600 GT Sport
K 1600 GTL
K 1600 GTL Elegance
adv SpoRt
S 1000 XR
adv touRing
F 700 GS
F 800 GS
F 800 GSA
R 1200 GS
R 1200 GS Rallye
R 1200 GS Rallye X
R 1200 GS Tour
R 1200 GSA
R 1200 GSA Triple Black
ScooteR
C 650 Sport
C 650 GT
CAN-AM (BRP) www.brp.com
*All prices are ride away Road
Spyder RS SM5
Spyder RS S Red SE5
Spyder RS S Wht SE5
F3S SM5
F3S SE5
Spyder ST S SE5
Spyder ST Ltd SE5
Spyder RT SM6
Spyder RT S SE6
Spyder RT Ltd SE6
$17,690
$18,750
$19,150
$18,750
$22,100
$22,500
$22,500
$23,100
$23,450
$30,940
$TBA
$36,490
$36,990
$37,990
$40,490
$22,190
$12,890
$16,940
$18,650
$21,850
$23,050
$27,250
$27,250
$24,890
$29,585
$14,150
$14,990
$19,990
$23,990
$23,990
$25,790
$28,890
$25,490
$28,990
$31,490
$39,990
$41,990
Panigale 959 Red
Panigale 959 White
Monster 1200 Red
Monster 1200 S Red
Monster 1200 S Grey
Monster 1200 R Red
Monster 1200 R Black
Diavel Dark
Diavel Carbon
XDiavel
$19,990
$20,490
$20,990
$24,790
$24,990
$27,790
$27,990
$24,990
$30,490
$27,490
XDiavel S $32,490
Panigale 1299
$27,990
Panigale 1299 S $35,490
Panigale R
Adv Touring
Multistrada 950
Multistrada 950 White
Multistrada 1200 Red
Multistrada 1200 S Red
Multi 1200 S White / Grey
Multi 1200 Enduro Red
Multi Enduro White / Grey
Multi 1200 S Pikes Peak
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
www.harley-davidson.com
* All Harley-Davidson prices are ride away Cruiser
$46,990
$18,790
$18,990
$24,490
$28,490
$28,690
$29,790
$29,990
$34,490
Road Glide Special
Street Glide
$37,495
$36,495
Street Glide Anniversary $36,995
Street Glide Special
Street Glide Special Ann
Ultra Limited
Ultra Limited Anniversary
Freewheeler
Tri Glide Ultra
Tri Glide Ultra Anniversary
Cvo
Street Glide 117
Road Glide 117
Ultra Limited 117
Ultra Limited Ann 117
HONDA
Street 500 $9995
Street Rod $12,995
SuperLow 883 $15,495
Iron 883 $15,495
Forty-Eight $18,995
Forty-Eight Anniversary $19,250
Custom 1200 $19,250
Roadster $19,495
Street Bob
Low Rider
Slim
Fat Bob
Fat Bob 114
Deluxe
Fat Boy
Fat Boy 114
Fat Boy Ann 114 V
Fat Boy Ann 114 X
Breakout
Breakout 114
Breakout Anniversary 114
Heritage Classic
Heritage Classic 114
Heritage Classic Ann 114
Road King
Road King Special
Road Glide
$23,495
$24,250
$26,250
$27,495
$30,250
$29,495
$30,995
$33,995
$34,750
$34,750
$31,250
$33,995
$34,495
$31,750
$33,995
$34,750
$34,250
$35,250
$36,495
$37,495
$37,995
$39,995
$40,495
$40,250
$50,995
$52,250
$49,750
$49,995
$52,995
$53,995
http://motorcycles.honda.com.au roAd
Grom
CB125E
CB300F
CBR300R
CBR300R ABS
CB400 ABS
CB500F
CBR500R ABS
CBR600RR
CB650FL ABS
CB650F ABS
CBR650FL ABS
CBR650F ABS
NC750SA ABS
VFR800F $15,199
CBR1000RR Fireblade $22,500
CBR1000RR Fireblade SP $28,499
VFR1200F ABS $17,799
CTX1300 $19,499
Goldwing F6B $27,299
GL1800 Goldwing $37,999 Cruiser
VT400C $9799
CMX $8999
CTX700NA ABS $9999
VT750C Shadow $12,299
VT1300CXA Fury
GL1800 Valkyrie $21,999 Adv Touring
CB500X $7999
NC750XA $9599
VFR800X Crossrunner $15,099
VFR1200X Crosstourer
CRF1000 Africa Twin
CRF1000 Africa Twin DCT
V9 Bobber
Cali Audace Carbon
Cali 1400 Eldorado
Cali 1400 Touring SE
MGX-21
MV AGUSTA
www.mvagusta.com.au
roAd
Brutale 675
F3 675
F3 675 RC
Brutale 800
Brutale 800 RR
Brutale 800 Dragster
Brutale 800 Dragster RR
F3 800
F3 800 RC
Stradale 800
Turismo Veloce 800
Turismo Veloce Lusso 800
Brutale 1090
Brutale 1090 RR
Brutale 1090 Corsa
F4
F4 RR
F4 RC
PIAGGIO
www.piaggio.com.au
*Some Piaggio prices are ride away sCooTer
$15,190
$23,990
$23,990
$25,990
$35,000
$15,799
$18,699
$20,999
$18,699
$19,999
$20,499
$23,499
$19,999
$23,490
$19,999
$20,499
$23,499
$19,999
$22,999
$27,999
$24,499
$33,999
$55,880
Typhoon 125 $2790
Fly 150 3V $3490
Liberty S 150 3V $3790
Medley 150 $5290
Yourban 300 $9790
BV 350 Sport Touring
ROYAL ENFIELD
www.royalenfield.com.au roAd
SYM
www.tgbscooters.com.au ScooTer
TORINO
www.torinomotorcycles.com.au
Thruxton 1200
Thruxton R 1200
Tiger Sport
Speed Triple S
Speed Triple R
cruiSer
Thunderbird Storm
Thunderbird Commander
Thunderbird LT
Rocket Roadster
Rocket Touring
Adv Touring
Tiger 800 XR
Tiger 800 XRx/L
Tiger 800 XRt
Tiger 800 XC
Tiger 800 XCx/L
Tiger 800 XCa
Explorer 1200 XRx
Explorer 1200 XCx/L
Explorer 1200 XRt
Explorer 1200 XCa
URAL
www.imz-ural.com.au
cT
cT Dark Force
Adv Touring
Tourist
Retro/M70
TRIUMPH
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
T100 Black
Bobber
Bonneville T120
Bonneville T120 Black
$15,300
$18,000
$17,200
$17,200
$18,700
$21,100
$17,550
$18,500
$20,900
$22,800
$23,800
$25,000
$23,990
$26,490
$14,090
$17,100
$18,350
$15,590
$18,150
$19,950
$22,900
$23,900
$24,900
$26,900
$21,780
$24,850
$23,760
$24,970
$24,970 Ranger
VESPA
www.vespa.com.au
ScooTer
Primavera 125 3V
Primavera 150 3V
Sprint 150 3V
Sprint 150 3V SE
GTS 150 3V
PX150
PX150 Touring
946 Bellissima
946 Armani
GTS250ie FL
GTS300 Super
GTS300 Super Sport
VIPER MOTORCYCLES
www.vipermotors.com.au
$5590
$6290
$6390
$6490
$6290
BEARFACED
IADVENTURE? NAAH
“The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.”
YVON CHOUINARD, 180° SOUTH
F YOU GO BY Chouinard’s definition, I’ve never had an adventure. I have never had everything go wrong, not all at once. Maybe what I’ve had are miniadventures. And not so much the traditional kind, where your gearbox lets go while you’re crossing a five-foot deep stream in tiger country and you’re a dozen miles from civilization… wait, I’ve had the next best thing. It was in Nepal, my mate Charlie (the mechanical brain of the operation) was off trecking and I thought I’d just try this little dotted line on the map… after all, I had my trusty XL250 so what could go wrong? Now it wasn’t that the gearbox went and I wasn’t crossing a five-foot deep stream. It was the chain, and three feet of gluey mud… and I was definitely in tiger country. People were paying large amounts of money to visit and ride around on elephantback to check out the tigers, but I thought that was just a tourist ripoff. Standing next to my bike, which was standing up in the mud, and suddenly super-sensitive to every sound from the bamboo thickets around me, I reconsidered that position. After all, why would these people pay all that money if there were no tigers?
The trouble with dragging your bike out of the mud, cleaning it with your bare (no, no bear jokes) hands and then refitting the chain with those same trembling hands while listening for tigers – no, actually listening for an absence of tigers – is that while some of your senses become extremely acute (hearing, in this case) others dull away to
nothing (feeling, in my case). Once I was back under way I discovered that I had burned several of my fingers quite badly on the exhaust pipe, or somewhere. I didn’t mind the pain because feeling it was a clear indication that I was still alive. I have no idea if there were any tigers around there, and to this day I don’t want to know. You don’t need to be in some exotic location to almost have adventures, at least I don’t. How about Tasmania? On one trip down there, riding a borrowed Tenere, I turned off Highway 1 onto a back road that led up to Meunna Hills. Well, I thought it did. It was fine at first, a good, established track. Then it went to a less established track, before going to hardly any track at all. I stopped and checked my compass, but I was going the right way. Or I would have been going the right way if I had been on the right road. Finally I reached a gate. By now the ground had gone from gravel, to sand and to mud under the tough, tall grass. I debated about opening the gate, but quite often tracks are at their worst in the middle section, before improving as you reach the stretch where there are more users again. I went through the gate and kept telling myself that as I was slowly swallowed by the ever-taller grass. To say it was spooky is
an understatement. In the end I turned around – no easy task even on a relatively light Tenere - and headed back to the main road. Thank you, compass, for getting me back there. I must have taken a dozen wrong turns along the way.
Of course I’d taken the wrong turnoff. When I looked at the map later I found the track I’d chosen. It just kind of faded out in the swamps… Another Tasmania trip saw me spending some time with friends in Low Head, near George Town. One afternoon I headed out to the lighthouse on my WLA, and noticed that the low tide had exposed a wide stretch of dry and to all appearances hard sand. With a little bit of a struggle I got the bike down to the beach, and discovered that the sand was, indeed, passable on the old Harley. I strapped my helmet to the carrier rack and took off for Five Mile Bluff in the distance. Yes, your Honour, guilty of riding without a helmet. It felt terrific, the wind whistling through my hair and the bike bucking every now and then as we encountered ridges in the sand.
Eventually I realized that the tide had turned, and did the same thing. Or tried to. I almost completed the turn, but as soon as my speed dropped, so did my rear wheel into the sand. Umm. It wasn’t quite as hard as I had thought. Picture me jamming everything I could find – rocks, seaweed, flotsam of all kinds – under the rear wheel while watching the water creep ever closer. Yes, of course I got out, spraying seaweed and rocks and flotsam, and made it back to the lighthouse. I reckon I lost a couple of kilos in nervous sweat, that was all. Adventure. Where would we be without it, even if we only ever have mini-adventures. Oh, wait, I was going to tell you about the time I got lost in the Anatolian Highlands… D
ADVERTISERS LISTING
BORIS
REAL ADVENTURE
ILIKE SO-CALLED “adventure” bikes.
I have ridden many of them to all sorts of interesting places. I have dropped them into deep holes full of water. I have held grimly onto their handlebars as they cascaded down rocky hillsides.
I have even lost my licence on them, in one go, just outside of Coolah for doing 145 in a hundred zone. So I am a fan.
But I have had a strange ache in my head about them ever since those two massive pox-blankets did that TV show a few years ago about riding around the world on a pair of borrowed BMW GSs.
Yes, Charlie and Ewan. BMW sold quite a few bikes off the back of that duo of useless shit-gibbons.
You see, they didn’t ride all the way around the world at all. They caught a train instead of riding the Road of Bones, if you’ll recall. And with the level of back-up vehicles, fixers, bodyguards, doctors and massage therapists they had along, it was hardly what one might call an “against all odds” adventure.
That did not stop them calling it that anyway, selling a whole bunch of DVDs, and so introducing a whole generation of riders to a whole new genre of motorcycles – the so-called “Adventure” bike.
Austrian Adventure bike becomes the motorcycle equivalent of the Land Cruiser Prado that will never see a metre of dirt – but sure looks like it could, huh?
Which is fine, I guess. Adventure bikes are quite capable and brilliant road bikes, after all.
But as for adventure itself, and the having of it, you don’t need a purposebuilt bike. Not really. Not if you actually crave real adventure.
All you need is a bike. Any bike that is not a purpose-built adventure bike and off you go. People do it all the time. You should too. Take your R1 and ride it through the Simpson Desert. Go ride your Ultra Glide through a Cambodian jungle.
Take your F4 MV Agusta through a bunch of swollen rivers on your way to Cape York. Hell, take that fancy Italian sex-machine to the Hindu Kush. Fix it with a rock and some goat-innards when it stops. Have an adventure. A proper one.
It would be much like taking your Adventure bike to the racetrack and cutting sick laps on it, dirt tyres and all. You punch that tall-arse Teutonic twin and its knobbies into Southern Loop at 180km/h and you will know adventure.
And while some few folks do indeed ride these purposebuilt beasts into the wilderness and have a ball, others (just like Charlie and Ewan) quickly discover their ambitions don’t quite match up with their abilities to punt a relatively heavy and quite tall motorcycle up the side of a mountain, and so their mega-dollar German or
If you want to observe adventure from a remove, then that’s fine. Observe. Don’t pretend. Not all of us are mentally or physically equipped to go adventuring, and so when we choose instead to only “look” like we go adventuring, people laugh at us.
Just like those pathetic Christian pseudobikies who only want to “look”
like patch-wearing one-percenters.
On that same, and very valid point, not all of us are suited to ride motorcycles, and while I appreciate the efforts some of those people go to so they look the part, each and every time I pass them wobbling hopelessly along the road, I cannot help but feel we would all be better off as a species if they would just stop it and go back to driving cars.
I guess so much of motorcycling has become image rather than substance these days, and I think that’s pretty sad.
I remember a time when I thought nothing of hurling a modified Shovelhead down a dirt-track because there was a cool swimming spot at the other end and my girlfriend was going to get her 19-year-old boobies out and bake them in the sun. I remember manhandling ill-mannered GSXs along rock-filled creek beds because there was a rally site somewhere ahead and my mate Mudguard had a pocketful of hash he needed to share with me if only I made it there in one piece. No-one had an Adventure bike. No-one even knew what one of those was.
But we sure as shit had adventures. Real ones where we risked our lives sipping deeply from the cup of life.
After all, if there is no real risk, there is no reward. And yes, some of my compatriots paid the ultimate price. They bought the ticket, they took the ride. I don’t mourn them now and didn’t mourn them then. I celebrate their lives instead.
Sure, you can dress up, buy the bike, and get all the accoutrements. And to the casual and ignorant observer you’ll certainly look like a risk-taking, high-stepping, hip-swinging adventurer par excellence. Which I’m sure is important to you, and that’s why you do it.
But to people who know what adventure is, what risk is and what reward it brings, and that style is nothing without substance, you only look like a dickhead. D
Shannons are offering motoring enthusiasts the chance to win a 13-night fully escorted self-drive tour for two to the world’s greatest classic motoring event –the 2018 Goodwood Revival. Plus, tour through the English countryside visiting iconic events, attractions and motoring collections. The winner will
receive an all new 2018 Indian Scout Bobber Motorcycle in Thunder
2017
ISSUE / COMPARO / GEAR / BIKES / RIDING IN THE DIRT / ICELAND PART 2 / GS SAFARI ENDUR O
