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EDITORSPEAKS
Oh…the wise words that spew forth
IHOPE EVERYONE had a great Christmas and New Year. Do you make a “New Year’s resolution”? I don’t, I think it’s a bit of BS, but I know many people do and whatever it may be that floats your boat, I want you to hit that goal. It could be that you’re going to ride that road you’ve always wanted to ride, or buy that motorcycle you’ve always dreamed of, whatever it is – get on it!
What did I get up to over the Christmas/New Year break? I got ‘Black Beauty’ out of storage and went for a little ride. Black Beauty is my CBR900RR roadie. I don’t ride it much at all really and I guess the main reason is that I’ve got our long term Kawasaki Z650L to ride and it is such a handy bike to have that I’m enjoying being on it, and that I don’t like to put too many kays on the CBR as it’s only just turned over 17,000km on the clock. Not bad for a 21 year old bike!
You know, I was thinking riding into the office the other day (I know! Shock horror!) about just how good it is to be riding a motorcycle. You can escape the daily rat race and whatever thoughts you have and just get out there and ride. Whether that ride is commuting, a short blast to a café or a multi-day ride out in the country it’s a chance to clear the head and just enjoy life.
Joining us on either our New Zealand tour or our Vietnam tour is a
chance to do exactly what I mentioned above – have a great time and not worry about anything other than checking out the stunning scenery! If you ask anyone that has been on one of our previous tours and they’ll all tell you it was the most amazing time of their life – a must-do travel experience, so get to it, book now!
This is our 60th issue of Australian Motorcyclist. We’re almost into our sixth year and it’s been great to produce the magazine every month for you guys and girls to enjoy. If the recent Sydney Motorcycle Show was anything to go by, then you all really love what we produce – thank you. You may have noticed we tried to keep you young by having ‘January 2017’ on the cover of issue #59, when it should have been 2018. Yes, I’ve given myself uppercuts, but I expect you’ll be thanking me that you all get to stay one year younger.
I will finish off my wise words this month with a little shout out for a get well soon to our colleague from one of the other bike mags. Snag had quite a decent high side and busted eight ribs, punctured his lung and broke his pelvis in three spots. It is always a bad moment seeing a fellow rider not moving on the ground after a crash and all of us here at Australian MOTORCYCLIST wish Snag a fast recovery and hope our well wishes since the crash haven’t given him too much pain from the laughter. Cheers, Stuart.
NEW XMAX 300 welcomes you to Yamaha’s sports scooter range for just $7999 ride away.
Powerful and efficient
300cc Blue Core engine
Dual clamp forks and twin rear shocks for sweet handling
Traction control and ABS standard
Big wheels assist stability
Massive underseat storage
Smartkey ignition system
XMAX 300. LUNAR GREY
XMAX 300. QUASAR BRONZE
MAESTRO RETURNS
TROY BAYLISS TO RACE ASBK
In what has been hot news and talked about more than anything in local motorcycling for quite some time is that Troy Bayliss is returning to full time racing – this time, racing in the Australian Superbike Championship. Troy mentioned that this is one title that he has always wanted to bag after achieving as high as second many moons ago. Troy will of course be riding a Ducati and will no doubt have the full support of the Ducati factory with the latest and greatest parts. To check out the ASBK calendar, visit www.asbk.com.au
LIVING IT UP
BEATNIK TOURS NZ
Enjoy the freedom and excitement of riding a Ducati through the picturesque and rugged New Zealand Marlborough region. Beatnik has selected the ever so cool, Ducati Scrambler range (including the LAMS
after eating too many cookies and mixing milk and beer on numerous occasions. Onlookers mentioned that all Santa was mumbling was, “I’ve had enough. Leave me alone”. We think he was more upset that he crashed his motorcycle than drinking too much milk and beer and we’re sure he’ll recover in time to deliver the presents again later this year.
Approved Scrambler 62) to offer customers. These motorcycles are comfortable, stylish and offer up something for all skill/experience levels. Beatnik also has a scooter experience - picnics, vines, tasting rooms, restaurants, local produce and smiles all around. A fun and stylish ride on Vespa Primavera 50 scooters for your Marlborough Wine Region expedition, taking your day to a whole new level of excitement and freedom –the best part: anyone with a valid driving license (and experience) can ride them, no motorcycle license needed. Sounds like a great time to be had. Visit www.beatnikandcompany. com to view the full experience.
HE’S HAD ENOUGH SANTA FOUND, DRUNK
IT’S COMING
PIRELLI ROSSO CORSA II
Reports came through that Santa was found drunk as a skunk in an alleyway after crashing his motorcycle
It’s been seven years since the original Pirelli Rosso Corsa was released. Many thousands of these have adorned all sorts of bikes across the globe and the upcoming release of the Rosso Corsa II will no doubt be one to watch! Applying brand technology developed in the FIM Superbike World Championship with multiple compounds, three on the rear and two on the front, Pirelli claims to provide the best combination of performance and versatility with grip that sets a new benchmark on both dry and wet surfaces. We can’t wait to ride on them. For more info, visit www.linkint.com.au D
In 1972, Kawasaki made history with the legendary Z1.
The four cylinder, four stroke 903cc engine was rated at over 80ps, making it one of the largest capacity and highest power, mass production motorcycles available in its time.
Today, the Kawasaki Z900RS is an evolution of the original Z1 and is set to again make Kawasaki history by marking our long awaited entry into the Retro Sport category.
Any visual, technical or engineering references to the original have been moulded in light of the demands from today’s rider expectations and environment. The all new Z900RS connects heritage with contemporary thinking in a way that embodies the True Spirit of the Kawasaki Z family, resulting in a pure motorcycling experience.
948cc IN-LINE FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE
KAWASAKI’S FIRST TUNED EXHAUST NOTE
TIMELESS STYLING, ICONIC TEAR-DROP TANK
RELAXED RIDING POSITION
KTRC TRACTION CONTROL
LIGHTWEIGHT TRELLIS FRAME
• SUPERB BRAKES WITH ABS
Find your and ride a Z900RS at your Kawasaki Dealership today
www.kawasaki.com.au
*Based on metro area in Adelaide. Includes 12mths rego, pre-delivery fees and 12mths CTP.
DUCATI MULTISTRADA
DUCATI HAS FINALLY released a Multistrada that is designed for the dirt and not just a road bike that you can take on some dirt roads. The Enduro Pro is a proper full-on adventure bike that can be ridden aggressively on gnarly trails in the bush.
The guys at Ducati Australia said to me they wanted us to show you the dirt prowess of the new Enduro Pro and when I mentioned the trail I had in mind, they were more than happy with my choice. The route entailed some good single trail, rocky hill climbs, sand, water and open fire trails – the perfect mix to see what this bike could really handle. In a snapshot, the Enduro Pro handled anything I could throw at it, including a recently cut down forest area that was a covered mini swamp! I did ride the Enduro Pro harder/faster than I normally might do out in the bush – all for you, our top class readers and I’m glad it handled the conditions well because binning it would have hurt the bank account and probably me!
The big question with the new Multistrada Enduro Pro is: would you risk the quite high price tag out in the bush? Any adventure bike you buy you
need to be prepared to drop at some point or be prepared for scratching from tree branches and the like. At $34,490 plus on roads you’d want to have a fat piggy bank if/ when you do drop it.
Thankfully Ducati has put as much thought into this very possibility. Matte, rough finished paintwork, black frame, subframe and engine covers, Touratech crash bars and an alloy sump guard are all great to have. The handguards with their integrated indicators are something that hasn’t been thought through, unfortunately. Smash these through some single trail and this expensive item will drain the piggy real quick. I suggest checking out Barkbusters handguards and indicators for a more solid (and less expensive) option.
The mirrors are also something that wasn’t revised with this bike. When you adjust the handlebar to give you some decent stand up comfort and
control, the mirrors won’t adjust down properly for a clear view out the back when the time comes to sit down and see where your mates have disappeared to. Very few grievances on an otherwise great adventure bike. The list of standard equipment on the Enduro Pro does ease the pain of the
Take in autumn in the iconic Alpine region!
➜ Manufacturer displays
➜ Test rides
➜ Accessories
➜ Adventure Challenge
➜ Presentations
➜ Show & Shine
➜ Food & Entertainment
➜ On-site camping
Mingle
high price tag a little. Apart from the aforementioned crash bars and alloy sump guard, there’s a 30 litre plastic fuel tank, short (adjustable) screen, wide, chunky footpegs, adjustable rear brake lever, Termignoni titanium muffler, fog lights, tubeless spoke wheels, 19 inch front wheel, longer travel suspension, Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), BoschBrembo ABS 9.1ME cornering braking system, electronic cruise control, riding modes, Ducati Multimedia System (DMS), Ride-by-Wire Power Modes (PM), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Ducati Traction Control (DTC), Vehicle Hold Control (VHC), Sachs semi-active electronic suspension (front and rear) which includes Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution system, full LED headlight with Ducati Cornering Lights (DCL), dashboard with fullTFT 5” colour screen and a centre stand. Now we’re getting somewhere with explaining the price tag!
To compare the Multistrada Enduro Pro with the likes of the BMW Rallye X and KTM 1290 Adventure R, the Enduro Pro is right there in the mix. In fact, if it had been released at the time we did our adventure comparo for issue #57, I would have knocked out the Africa Twin and included the Enduro Pro. Where it would have
TOUGH JUST GOT TOUGHER.
THE NEW TRAX ADVENTURE RANGE FROM SW-MOTECH.
The TraX Adventure sets a new benchmark in aluminium touring cases. They’re designed to be extremely tough and made from 1.5mm aluminium, further strengthened by lid and side wall ribbed contours. Weighing between 4.6 and 5.4 kilos, the TraX Adventure is one of the lightest cases available in it’s class.
Side cases are available in 37 and 45 litre sizes, the top case has a 38 litre capacity and the range starts at $593.
So whether you’re taking on an off-road challenge, touring the open road or just beating the rain to work, get a case that’s 100% adventureproof.
BIKE TEST
come in that comparo is hard to say, because testing all three at the same time, same day is what a comparo is about, but it’s certainly on par with both the BMW and KTM.
Ducati’s powerful L-twin engine with its 112kW of power and mega 136Nm of torque gives you versatility and massive amounts of fun and that’s what a bike should be – fun! Having so much torque helps when things get difficult as you just need to feed in a touch more throttle and pow! Out of the sand you go; up that steep hill you climb!
Braking is powerful, as you can imagine. I did have the ABS set so that the rear was off for more control in the dirt and while I liked ABS on the front most of the time, when it became really gnarly, it was better switched off too. This, however, is in places 99% of owners of this type of bike wouldn’t go anyway. The guys at Ducati wanted me to test this bike to its limits – so I did.
One of the things that makes or breaks an adventure bike is the handling. I was especially keen to get to a point on my travels that involved a steep rocky and rutted hillclimb. This particular section really tests a bike (and rider) and the Enduro Pro smashed this section with the utmost of ease, in fact I was a little shocked at how well it rode up, so I came back down and gave it another go with even higher speed and again, no problems, no smashing or bottoming out of the suspension, no unwanted nervousness, just a great feeling, with great control and a bike that makes you look good. The 200mm of suspension travel on Enduro Pro helps over the really rutted stuff and the electronic suspension in Enduro mode works an absolute treat – I’m very impressed. When the trails got sandy the weight distribution is excellent, you just keep a nice positive throttle and lean back, the weight is shifted perfectly onto the rear – none of that tucking the front of a bike that doesn’t shift its weight nicely.
Ergonomics are great for adventure riding. There is loads of room for the times you need to sit down and while I did rotate the handlebar forward a little
to give me more height and room, when standing up the bike feels natural with a heap of control. For average sized riders the handlebar height and adjustment is perfect but for taller riders, consider some bar risers for a bit more all-day stand up comfort.
Ducati has gone for a rough and tough styling design on the Enduro Pro, but I consider it a practical way of making an adventure bike. The matte and rough sand paintwork stood up okay for the trails I rode, as did the sand and black two-tone seat. The black frame, subframe and engine covers make it easy to touch up if they get scratched in the bush – great thinking there, Ducati! The one thing I didn’t get to test is outback red dust. Of any dirt around the world, Aussie red dust will show if a bike still looks any good after a few days’ riding. I think the paint will be fine, but the seat will get ingrained with red on the sand parts. You could treat this kind of like a trophy or be forever washing to try and get the sand colour back. I’d treat it as a trophy –“I’ve been there, have you?”
Accessories are extensive, some of the more purposeful ones would be the Zumo GPS, aluminium panniers, aluminium topbox or rear rack soft bag and pocket tankbag.
The electronic adjustability on the Enduro Pro is massive so getting it just how you like it can be achieved no matter your preference. I preferred power set to Sport, however there are also Touring, Urban and Enduro modes. I had traction and wheelie turned off, ABS on front only and the suspension set on Enduro which worked perfectly. I even left it in Enduro on the bitumen as it is more than capable. It was only when I caught up to a couple of sportsbikes through some twisties that I stiffened the suspension onto Touring and gave them a show with some nice sideways action thanks to the knobby tyres as I rode away and they tried to keep up.
The Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro Pro is set for your dirty, filthy adventures. It comes featured packed and is a fun and very capable bike to ride on the trails. D
SPECS
DUCATI MULTISTRADA
PRICE: $34,490 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 15,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled L-twin cylinder, 4-stroke, Desmodromic, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston cornering ABS calipers. Rear, 265mm disc, twin-piston cornering ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.21 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 415km
COLOURS: Sand
VERDICT: LOVES THE DIRT
11-Day Guided South Island New Zealand Tour
HOW CAN YOU RESIST!
WHEN: 17-27 FEBRUARY 2018
Start/Finish: Christchurch NZ
How to book: Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz +64 9473 9404 info@paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz
Price: From NZ$8,390 (based on share-twin)
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Motorcycle of your choice (mostly BMWs)
Panniers and top box Soft lift out luggage bags
Motorcycle Insurance
Good quality accommodation
Welcome drinks and farewell dinner Guide on a motorcycle Guide in a support vehicle
Tour booklet with route and maps
Airport transfers
NOT INCLUDED
Meals and drinks - except welcome and farewell dinners
Fuel
Airfares
Personal travel insurance
BONUS
Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ Cap Milford Sound Cruise, South Island, NZ
Visit to the Burt Munro ‘World’s Fastest Indian’ & ‘Motorcycle Mecca’ collections in Invercargill
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Christchurch to Hanmer Springs, 134km: Leave Christchurch and head north along the Coast Road to the thermal resort of Hanmer SpringsEnjoy the rolling Canterbury Plains and see Frog Rock along the way. Set in a basin of forest clad mountains and home to natural hot springs, Hamner Springs is where you can soak, relax and get in the holiday mood.
YEP, WE’RE organising another 11-day South Island tour in NZ with the supreme, Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ people. We had planned to give NZ a rest for a year but couldn’t resist the temptation for you guys to head back. There’s just so much to see and so many unbelievably amazing roads to be ridden on a motorcycle!
DAY 2
Hanmer Springs to Punakaiki, 260km: Ride the spectacular Lewis Pass - a fantastic scenic ride and an old Maori greenstone trail. Stop at Reefton, a historic gold mining town for lunch then head to Punakaiki on the wild West Coast. See Pancake Rocks, incredible rock formations and blowholes were 30 million years in the making.
DAY 3
Punakaiki to Franz Josef Glacier, 216km: The West Coast road looks towards the Tasman Sea on the right and Southern Alps on the left. Known as ‘The Ice Run’, this road provides superb riding. The glaciers are an awe inspiring spectacle, amazing seen from the ground, and even more stunning
from above. A helicopter can take you on a trip you’ll never forget!
Day 4
Franz Josef Glacier to Queenstown, 355km: Heading north on the Tasman coast road - wild and beautiful, we stop to sign a pebble on Bruce Bay - a Kiwi tradition! The scenery changes dramatically to native forest as we turn inland to cross the famous Haast Pass. Tumbling rivers, waterfalls and winding undulating riding. Again, the scenery changes as we enter central Otago and the Mount Aspiring National Park - we ride beside huge lakes with a background of snow capped mountains and cross the highest sealed road in New Zealand, the Crown Ranges and descend into the Adventure Capital of the World - Queenstown!
Day 5
Free day. Explore Queenstown: Paragliding, jet boating, bungee jumping and white water rafting are just a few of the adventure activities that you can try in Queenstown. Or, you could take a ride along the ribbon of lakeside road to Glenorchy, visit a vineyard for lunch, or explore Arrowtown a historic gold mining town full of cafes and art galleries, site of Lord of the Rings filming.
Day 6
Queenstown to Te Anau, 173 km:
Take a short, but stunning ride to Te Anau and see Fiordland’s primeval landscapes. This is one of the few places on the planet the wilderness is still pristine. Waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into forested valleys, the mirror surfaces of the fiords reflect the majestic towering mountains where the word ‘silence’ takes on a different meaning.
Day 7
Te Anau to Milford Sound to Te Anau, 110km each way: Ride along the shores of Lake Te Anau, through the famous Homer tunnel, and down to Milford Sound. The mountainous views on the road to Milford are almost as impressive as the Fiord itself. Keep an eye out for kea, a cheeky alpine parrot with a taste for rubber and plastic. Your cruise around Milford Sound is included.
Day 8
Te Anau to Dunedin, 320km: Today’s route is a curvaceous ride that winds through the Southern Scenic Route to the very Scottish city of Dunedin. Victorian architecture and the divine Otago Peninsula makes this a particularly attractive place to visit. We travel via Invercargill for the chance to visit the World’s Fastest Indian collection and also Motorcycle Mecca, the finest collection of classic motorcycles in the Southern Hemisphere.
Day 9
Free day. Explore Dunedin: Dunedin is the heritage and wilderness capital of New Zealand. You can choose to explore the city or ride out to the Otago Peninsula to see albatross and yellow-eyed penguins. The Peninsula has winding roads with stunning coastal views, while the city has historic buildings, museums and art galleries waiting to be explored
Day 10
Dunedin to Tekapo, 434km: Leave Dunedin for a great ride over the Maungatua Ranges. The area is typical of the dry Maniototo region - sparse, tussock clad, rolling hills. Stop at Cromwell the ‘fruit bowl of New Zealand’. Then take on the Lindis Pass, the saddle with alpine landscape between Lindis Valley and the Ahuriri River to Lake Tekapo.
Day 11
Tekapo to Christchurch, 274km: Lake Tekapo offers breath taking views of Mt Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain. At the Church of the Good Shepherd, admire the bronze statue of a sheep dog and views of the turquoise lake. Ride on to Christchurch via Burkes Pass, Mount Hutt and the Canterbury plains. Arrive in Christchurch and relive the tour, say your goodbyes and make plans to return over a farewell meal! D
INDIAN ScoUt bobber LAUNCH
A Scout to lead you astray
WORDS the beAr phOtOS
jeff crow
IREMEMBER
aN ISSUE
of MAD Magazine where the usual crew of idiots lampooned ‘The Lone Ranger’. His trusty Indian scout sidekick Tonto kept wanting to go and spy in bar rooms. That effectively sums up the Indian Scout Bobber. Where the standard Scout is kind of a sensible, mid-sized cruiser with an outstanding engine and drivetrain, the Bobber adds a bit of attitude that is likely to see you heading for more than one bar room. Hey, Tonto. Want to go do the grocery shopping? Let’s go have a drink. Want to go check out the latest fluoro safety clothing? Let’s go for a drink, down at the Last Chance Saloon. Stop all this, let’s go for a drink. It’s just that kind of bike. Let me qualify that in only three ways. The first is the tyres. If you intend to ride, er, enthusiastically then you will want to change them for conventional road tyres. Otherwise, leave them alone because they actually do look good and suit the appearance of the bike. Form over function? Come on, this is a cruiser. Then there’s that peculiar enclosure around the headlight. Memo to Indian design engineers: bobbers are about taking stuff off, not putting stuff on. Especially not stuff that looks like it comes off a motorcycle built by the competition. Yes, the Harley-Davidson Road King. The third, Tonto, is the puzzling bit of metal framework that holds the number plate. I know that
Australian design rules are silly, but this is an almost equally silly way of getting around them. The rest of the world gets a proper bobbed tail, but Canberra insists that our cops are either dumber or more myopic than the ones in the rest of the world (it’s tempting…) and can’t read the number plate either at the side or at a flatter angle. That’s what the rest of the world gets, and whether you believe me or not that’s what they make do with.
Hey, Enrique, Gaston and Fritz – is this a problem? Tonto, go check in the bar rooms what the Plain People of Australia think of this. You don’t have to? You already know? I thought so.
Now paint me red white and blue and dip me in Lake Burley Griffin, but why can’t the folk who are too lazy to check their nationality or too stupid to read their job descriptions just do us all a favour and dump the dumb regulations that separate us from the slightly more sensible world off our shores? You’ve made a start, people; I can now wear a helmet that hasn’t been slammed twice in the same spot by a spear. European standards, which are actually more sensible than ours (lighter helmets, for a start) are now admissible. What about the location and angle of number plates, eh? Europe has prospered for decades with slanted or offset plates. America – well, okay, let’s not go there.
So anybody with the least bit of
Why have you brought me here?
1. Bob, bob, bobbin’ along.
2. Seating looks good both solo and two up.
3. I think this is the place, Tonto.
common sense and rebellion in his or her blood will remove that framework and BREAK THE LAW. You may be fined (although I gather they can’t (shouldn’t?) confiscate your bike since this is not a safety-related issue) but you will have struck a blow for freedom and common sense, not a bad score. If you’ve got a loose gorilla to pay the fine, anyway.
Back to the Bobber. It looks the goods, especially in either the Thunder Black Smoke or the Bronze Smoke. I like its ducked, muscular presence and the way it punches off the lights. For a cruiser, handling and ground clearance are fine and the accessory passenger seat with its sissy bar looks the goods as well – although I’d recommend you find a slim girl- or boy-friend. If you can’t, you might like to invest in the Solo Rack and Bag instead and leave her/him at home. There’s also a smartlooking saddlebag which will hold your stuff if you are modest.
You can get a wire wheel for the front, which quite definitely enhances the image. Forget the accessory Ape Hanger handlebar. Apes suit some bikes – the half Apes on my Sportster look and work great – but the Scout is designed to be cool with its street tracker bars.
You probably already know the technical details of the regular Scout, and they’re the same for the Bobber. Its liquid-cooled V twin offers 70kW and 97Nm at 5600rpm which heads for the rear wheel by way of a six-speed gearbox. The seat is nice and low at
648mm and surprisingly comfortable. The weight is acceptable at 649 mm. So is the 12.5 litre tank.
The rear suspension was a bit of a worry when it emerged that its travel was all of two inches, one less than the standard bike’s. That also changes the rake a little. But on the road (admittedly quite smooth Queensland tarmac) it seemed fine to me, and sampling the upgraded shocks which are available as accessories didn’t appear to make much difference. Are you going to spend a lot of time on badly broken-up roads on a bike like this? I didn’t think so.
1. No shortage of fun to be had.
2. Scout engine looks terrific all black.
Now here comes the cruncharoonie. Would I buy one?
Yes I would; if I didn’t have the Sportster.
The Bobber puts out 22kW more from 68cc less, but offers about the same torque. Other specs are remarkably similar including 6 speed boxes, so the numbers would seem to favour the Bobber, but power isn’t everything and I simply love the appearance and the… well, the feeling of the Sportster 72; this is the bike my friends and I were trying to build back in the ‘60s. While it doesn’t make me feel young again – it is beyond the power of a motorcycle to do that – at least it puts me into a young frame of mind. But this is intensely personal,
and the bike is no longer a current model; if I didn’t already own the Sporty, who knows?
Despite the minimal changes from the standard bike, the Bobber adds a lot of fun and at $18,995 ride away is a worthy addition to the Indian line-up. It may lead you astray, but it will do it in the best possible way. Let’s go have that drink, Tonto. You take Scout*, I’ll take the Bobber.
*All right, how many of you knew that the name of Tonto’s horse was Scout? D
SPECS
INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER
PRICE: $18,995 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 8000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled V-twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BORE x STROKE: 93 x 76.3mm
DISPLACEMENT: 1133cc
COMPRESSION: 10.7:1
POWER: 70kW @ N/A
TORQUE: 97Nm @ 5600rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, belt final drive
If jackets could have a split personality, they would probably look like this. Common grey by day, incredibly luminous at night; when placed in the range of a car’s headlights, it’ll light up completely!
So how does this radiant fabric work exactly? Basically, it’s coated with lots of tiny beads. They act as satellite dishes, reflecting light back to its source, even from long distances. Just like a road sign! To find out more about the full Macna range and Macna NightEye technology visit www.linkint.com.au
DAY NIGHT
SYDNEY MOTORCYCLE SHOW 2017
WORDS/ PHOTOS STUART
THE SYDNEY Motorcycle Show returned to Darling Harbour this year at the new International Convention Centre. A laudable turnout from the motorcycle industry ensured the hype before the event was at maximum levels, and the crowds didn’t disappoint. Loads of motorcyclists and people (over 25,000) with a motorcycling interest checked out the new models and wares of the industry, including the Australian MOTORCYCLIST stand which was jam packed for the three days.
We shared half of our stand with the Post Classic Racing Association whom I like to help out as a member. We also had Boris selling his book and telling tall tales throughout the weekend and may have scared off some and attracted others. Lester came along and was also telling tales for a couple of days and we also had Colin’s “Pub Yarns” book for sale.
Loads of new bikes were displayed from the various distributors; the two that attracted the most attention were the Kawasaki Z900RS and the MV
Agusta F4 LH44 – Lewis Hamilton edition. Other notable bikes on show included the KTM 790 Duke, Husqvarna Vitpilen, Royal Enfield 650’s, Yamaha MT-09 SP, Ducati Panigale V4, Ducati Multistrada 1260 and the Kawasaki H2 SX.
It was wonderful to see all the kids swarming over Yamaha’s display of kids’ dirt bikes. Let’s hope they were a sign of future interest.
Of all the stands it was hard to pick one or even two that stood out as every one was swamped with people, which is great to see. Now let’s hope this translates into increased new bike sales and aftermarket accessory sales!
We certainly worked hard – The Bear is still applying pain relief cream to his buggered hip! But it was all worth it. Next year the show heads back to Melbourne in November after Brisbane earlier on. To keep up to date with the latest on either show, visit www.troybaylissevents.com . D
ApriliA Tuono 1100 rr
When you hear the term, “naked bike” do you automatically think of something that’s been stripped of its bodywork and that’s it? Well, you’re in luck. If you were to take an Aprilia RSV4, take off the fairing, put an upright handlebar on it and present this as a ‘naked bike’, that is about as raw or close as you’d get to having a stripped down sportsbike in the form of the Aprilia Tuono 1100 RR. Save for a little bit of a ‘retune’ the Tuono 1100 RR is about as close to a full blown sportsbike as you can get on the market. Does this bring along the racetrack idiosyncrasies that many of these full blown racebikes with lights come with? Yes, it sure does.
Essentially, the Tuono 1100 RR loves to be ridden hard ‘n’ fast. Ride it loping along in the peak hour
traffic and it hates it, the gearbox has a lot of backlash at low speeds with light on/off throttle applications and the quickshifter only likes to work perfectly when you’re up it for the rent, not being a wuss and riding along at speeds that will keep you out of gaol!
But that V4 engine is what makes this bike. Grunty, punchy and eye popping are the words that come to mind. As with most other manufacturers’ machines, the Tuono 1100 RR has been made Euro 4 compliant. This involves a new exhaust system, twin oxygen sensors, new ECU and some slicker internals such as DiamondLike-Coating on the pistons, and the rods have a new finish. The result has made it better for any Tuono pilots as the rev limit has been raised 500rpm as a result and you still get the V4 sexiness rorting out of the silencer. On this subject the exhaust does have a flap that opens around the 55006000rpm mark and feels slightly like a Honda VTEC. Aprilia probably assumes that you’ll ride this bike at 100% and/or throw the exhaust in the bin and fit a full Akrapovic system (available as an accessory).
It’s still a thirsty beast – think the V8 of the motorcycling world and a reasonably heavy handed figure of 10.84L/100km is what you’ll get.
All previous Tuonos and RSV4s were overgeared, and the new Tuono 1100 RR is no different. You really do need to drop at least one tooth off the front sprocket to smooth things out. On the street, no one is going to be riding at 300km/h unless they like the ‘stardom’ of front page news.
Tuono suspension setup has always been set on the soft side, especially the shock, but there is a lot of adjustment available in the forks and shock, so don’t fret. The test bike we rode had a couple of adjustments which made it better than standard, but for the road
1. Note: “Heavy fines. Loss of licence”!
2. Wings! You’ll need them!
it was a little harsh in the front so feel free to crank up the rear, but think only about one turn of preload or one click of compression to balance things out.
Braking comes straight from the RSV4 with monobloc Brembo M50 calipers and 330mm discs up front. It offers amazing levels of power along with great feel. There is ABS, but unless you really stuffed things up, you won’t get it activated.
An extensive electronics package comes standard on the 1100 RR. The fourth generation of Aprilia’s APRC suite sees three engine maps (Sport, Track, and Race) which adjust power delivery but also engine-braking characteristics; three modes each of wheelie control and launch control, as well as eight levels of traction control which can be adjusted on the fly. All of these controls have more advanced parameters thanks to a repositioning of the sensors in the bike, according to Aprilia. There’s also a new ‘fly-bywire’ throttle which saves 590 grams in weight by removing a number of unnecessary components from the fuel injection.
The 1100 RR gets the same fullcolour, TFT dash as the RSV4, and it’s a beauty. Note the roll-meter in the bottom right, which shows live lean-angle – just don’t try looking at it while you’re cranked over too far in a corner! The TFT dash displays all of the info and options, and combines with the ECU to provide Bluetooth
connectivity for your smartphone and Aprilia’s “V4-MP” app, which has tons more info for you to absorb. That also means ECU and IMU data can be downloaded to your laptop or mobile device so you can review your laps, and even “tune” the bike corner by corner. Add to that the quickshifter (bidirectional, with auto-blip downshifts) and cruise control, which is very handy on the boring straight bits. There’s even a pit-lane speed limiter so you can feel more like a factory rider at your track day or set it to a limit where you know a speed camera is located! When you’re trail braking the ABS parameters measure everything from lever pressure to lean angle to make sure (or more to the point, help) you stay upright, and in two of the three modes it will keep the rear wheel on the ground, too. That’s all trickle-down technology from the RSV4 (and Aprilia’s racing program) and is seriously complex stuff.
Accessories are mainly performance orientated with all sorts of goodies to fit but you can also get a tank cover which a bag attaches to, a smaller tankbag that ties on, a gel seat and plenty of carbon bling.
If you love big power, V4 sexy exhaust tunes and a bike that is a hoot blasting through twisties and the occasional track day, check out the Aprilia Tuono 1100 RR – it certainly is a fun bike to ride. The fun is also trying to keep your licence! D
SPECS
APRILIA TUONO 1100 RR
PRICE: $22,490 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled V4 cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 330mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 220mm disc, twin-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 10.84 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 170km
COLOURS: Grigio Portimao, Nero Assen
VERDICT: RAW AND READY
MORE WHERE RIDE THOUSANDS MORE KMS
So, okay boys and girls, who’s in the mood for a love story? How about three love stories? How about one of the great love stories of the Australian Bush?
Great! Let’s go!
Cecil Arthur Butler was born in England in 1902 and turned up in Lithgow with his family eight years later. He was small and he was dyslexic and to protect himself from bullies he taught himself to box. Victimised by teachers at the Cooerwull Academy, Bowenfels, he was yanked out of school and home taught by his mother before getting a gig at Australian Aircraft & Engineering Co. Ltd at Mascot. He immediately fell in love (that didn't take long did it?) with flying and
after getting his pilot’s license, went barnstorming around the country. Flying was his life.
He dropped the ‘Cecil’ and became known as Arthur Butler and in 1929 visited Tooraweenah, near Gilgandra, where he met and instantly fell in love with local girl Doris Garling. Butler later wrote: “ ….without warning I fell in love with a lovely lady whose indescribable charm thoroughly bewildered me. Terrified, I fled the country, hoping distance would allay the startling sensation which had beset me.”
He ‘fled’ to England but he wasn't there long before he caught a train up to Rugby to visit an uncle and on the train opened a pile of letters from home. One was from a friend, who, amongst other news told him that the
young woman who’d caught his eye in Tooraweenah, was being courted by a rich young grazier.
Butler again: “ ..the idea of the lady being married to someone else set my mind in such turmoil, I arrived at my destination looking so miserable my uncle assumed the English climate did not agree with me.”
To clear his head he borrowed a bicycle and went for a ride and as he rode through a rural lane, he saw a tiny monoplane landing in a nearby field. He headed there and chatted with the pilot, Nicholas Comper, who’d also designed and built the machine: the Comper Swift.
Butler took up Comper’s amazing offer to take the plane up for a spin and when he landed, Comper suggested that it’d be great publicity
for his plane if Butler were to fly it solo to Australia.
Butler was gobsmacked. It’d now not be a matter of months until he could rescue his love in Tooraweenah, but days! The logistics and permissions were worked out and at 5am on October 31, 1931, “Quite elated at (the prospect of) seeing the lady I loved within a few days, I swung the Swift around to face a 3 knot zephyr coming in from the west and opened up the throttle.”
Nine days, one hour and a few minutes later, having slept a total of around 14 hours, Butler touched down in Darwin. A couple of days later, after stops at Brunette Downs, Bourke and Nyngan, he was circling over the Warrumbungles, looking for a place to land:
“Other than Yeo’s paddock all the other likely landing places within a reasonable distance of Tooraweenah were under crops: either I had to search further afield or attempt a landing on Alf Yeo’s property with the risk of skittling one of his cows. Choosing the latter, I selected a gap between the grazing animals, bringing the Swift to its final landing without so much as glance from a browsing beast.”
Now, somehow, and no-one knows quite how, Butler taxied the Swift up from Yeo’s paddock, down onto the main street of Tooraweenah, and up to the general store which was run by Doris’s parents, the Garlings. He filled the plane from the bowser out front then went in and proposed to Doris. I know that no-one knows quite how he got the plane up the street
because if anyone did, it’d be Mark, the bloke who’s telling me this wonderful story in the bar of the Mountain View Hotel at Tooraweenah. Arthur and Doris Butler were to have one child, a daughter; and Mark, a squat hard unit who’s hoeing into a surf and turf for dinner, is that daughter’s son. He has a special bond with his granddad. Arthur Butler was quick to recognise that his grandson, Mark, was also born with dyslexia and very early on, gifted him some gloves and taught him boxing so he could defend himself against the inevitable. The bullies came boldly and they left bloodied.
Mark ( “I never lost a fight” ) almost came to enjoy the battles – so much
so that he became a professional instructor working mainly at the North Sydney PCYC (where’d I’d first met him a good few months ago).
At that time he’d told of his love for Tooraweenah and his desire to get back there fulltime. (I told you there was a heap of love in this yarn!) Mark’s dreams are now real, and he lives with his mum in a rambling farm house beside the airstrip which was built on Alf Yeo’s property.
Having fl own back from England to rescue his love from a grazier’s clutches, Arthur set about establishing this country’s fi rst major private airline, based at Tooraweenah. He started with mail and branched out into passengers.
Business was tough but good and pretty soon over 100 passengers a week were transiting through the terminal at Tooraweenah. Arthur Butler was a fair man with a good heart. He encouraged his staff to acquire shares in the company and by 1957 staff owned 51% of Butler Airlines. In 1958 a bloke who was tough without the good heart convinced Butler’s CFO to rat on his boss and help him buy each of the employees’ shares on the promise that if the planned takeover was successful, there’d be a job for him in the new company.
It worked, and this grub, Reg Ansett, kicked Arthur Butler out of his own company (and then told the whiteanter that anyone who did that to his boss had no place in Ansett Airlines and reneged on his promise. Ah Karma!)
As we talk on the verandah of the Mountain View, locals pull up in utes and head inside. Ashlee and Trent, effectively the owners of the pub, welcome them all and ask about their day, but not once do they ask what they’re after. There’s no need. These people aren’t home, but they’re ‘at home’. The publicans are true hosts and they know their drinks, know the glass size, know each person’s poison. Most arrivals head back out to the verandah. Groups are fluid. People flow from table to table, swapping news and sharing laughs. I head in
to buy a round and just tell Ashlee whom I’m buying for and she passes the drinks over.
“This is Stricko’s, this is Ernie’s…..”
I tell her it’s very comfortable and she smiles: “I just love this town, love the people and I love this pub.”
Back outside, Ernie’s telling stories of his day collecting timber - his hat and his hands eloquently attesting to a life of yakka.
He and his mate Stricko have been felling dead trees.
“We look for the ones that’ve been suckerbashed or rungbarked and they’re the ones it’s right to clear.” That’s not a typo - everyone at the table agrees that ‘rungbark’ is the past tense of ‘ringbark’ just like ‘rung’ is the past tense of ‘ring’.
Stricko shares yarns about doing it tough out here and his apprehensions about his wait for cataract operations, and about how they deal with smartarse drop-ins:
A bloke turned up one afternoon and was acting all tough and anyway he reckoned he could sleep like a log in his truck’s cabin but if anyone came near the truck he’d wake up. So Fifey, one of the locals figured he’d jack up the back of his trailer but couldn't find a jack so he slid the tarp off the trailer without this bloke twigging. Then he snigged it down the other end of the street and hung it over the fence. In the morning the bloke wakes up. No tarp! So he drives around town and sees it on the fence and calls the local copper. The copper comes down looks at the tarp and tells the bloke, “Why’d you call me? You haven’t lost a tarp, you’ve found one!”
As the sun begins to fade for the day and the locals head off for tea at home, Trent points out the yabbie race circle on the road in front of the pub. “We race on Australia Day, it’s huge!” Not many sports where the owner of the winner gets to eat the losers!
Ashlee’s closed the kitchen –not because of what the clock’s saying but because no-one else is needing a feed.
I say my “g’nites” and park Super-Ten around the back next
to the one of just three motel rooms that the pub has for accommodation. The room’s spick, plenty of outlets to recharge all the toys and the shower has reasonable pressure but endless hot bore water. It’s airconditioned, quiet and the big bed’s luxurious.
There’s a toaster and a jug and some makings in the bar fridge. I hit the sack wanting for nothing.
A good pub in a town with a rich history, where visitors are welcomed, where riders can park undercover beside their rooms, where you can share good times and enjoy good food before a good night’s sleep. What’s not to love?
You simply won’t fi nd a friendlier, more relaxing pub than the Mountain View at Tooraweenah. With the twisting John Renshaw Parkway through the Warrumbungles just up the road, it’s a perfect base for a weekend ride.
There’s only room for 8 sleepers in the 3 rooms at the pub but the Caravan Park across the road could host any overfl ows!
My room, with ensuite cost me 50 bucks and additional roomies would be charged just ten each.
There’s two mid-strength and two fulls on tap, schooners of full costing $5.50. The restaurant’s open for lunch and dinner 7 days except Saturday night when the BBQ is cranked up and hosted by local charities. It ain’t Bunnings though as you’ll be able to choose from snags, steak sangers and kebabs.
Get your head around this pub, for the last 30 years, giving away its most lucrative meal time (Saturday dinner) to local charities so they can fundraise and you’ll understand why it’s so loved by the locals and why you’ll love it too!
It’s the fi rst fi ve helmet pub we’ve had for a while and I’ll be back damn soon!
Full disclosure: I didn't seek, nor was I offered any freebie or discount during my stay at this standout pub. D
TAKE THE COLOURFUL paintwork of a MotoGP bike, put it on a standard motorcycle and bam! You have the new Suzuki GSX250R to attract younger riders!
Attracting attention on this metallic blue version of the GSX250R is something you’ll have to get used to.
Most of the people who talked to me about the little fun machine thought it was a 500 or larger. When I mentioned that it is a 250, some turned up their noses, others were still grinning and were even more interested in what this bike has to offer.
What it does offer is a 248cc parallel twin based on the Inazuma engine, but much less ‘vibey’ than the Inazuma was. In fact the GSX250R engine is one of the smoothest parallel twins I’ve ridden. Suzuki claims it is to do with the cam profile which also helps suppress engine noise.
The engine is designed for low-to-midrange torque and while it gets away from a standstill okay and is easy to ride, it does get a little exhausted for a bike of this capacity from the mid-range on. I don’t understand why Suzuki didn’t make this bike a 300 or even a 400 to compete with the mega popular Ninja 300 (soon to be Ninja 400) and Yamaha R3.
The handling of little, light bikes like this is normally quite fast on turn in. When I first jumped on the GSX and ripped into some well-known corners I was surprised that I needed to use a little more muscle than normally required for little bikes. It was not a problem, just that I had to get used to the tiny bit slower steering. In fact I came to enjoy the more neutral turn in, which also includes great stability over on the edge of the tyre. For those bigger riders a little more rear preload would be advisable, and that’s easily adjusted.
The single disc front brake would be the only downfall on this fun machine. It lacks power and feel and to improve it would hopefully only require a set of better brake pads, but a different ratio master cylinder could also be called for. There is ABS to help if things get right out of control, but I couldn’t even activate it on the front due to the lack of power.
Ergonomics are well suited to most sized riders. A low 790mm seat height with the front of the seat being slim means that even those with really short legs can place a foot down at a standstill. Comfort isn’t a selling point, but the seat to peg height is good, as is the just weighted wrists of the clip-on handlebars position.
Suzuki understands that motorcycle styling is important for their models, especially for entry level riders who want their machine to stand out from the crowd. Suzuki’s styling designers have created a sporty and aggressive look with
a futuristic flair which should help get many bums on seats. This is carried through with the classy LEDs for the position lamps up front and the tail light. Adding to the sporty styling are the multi-function full LCD instruments. Integrated into the fairing which makes some more expensive bikes’ instruments look cheap they come with all the usual features including a programmable engine-RPM indicator light (shift light), bright segmentedbar tachometer across the top, digital speedometer, gear position indicator, digital clock, dual trip meters, average
fuel consumption meters, fuel gauge and an oil change timing indicator. Unfortunately there are no genuine Suzuki accessories available for the GSX250R, apart from a generic Suzuki cover. If you want to change anything, you’ll need to look at the aftermarket. The new Suzuki GSX250R is a good choice for a wide range of riders. This includes those who are looking to buy their first sports street bike, or who are returning to the world of two-wheeled riding pleasure later in life and want something simple and easy to manage. D
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.09 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 366km
COLOURS: Pearl Black, Metallic Triton Blue
VERDICT: FUN AND STYLISH GP REPLICA
LAUNCH TEAROUTMAP#60
HEAD FOR THE HILLS
BLACKALL RANGE, QUEENSLAND
WORD S & PHOTOS THE BEAR
MUCH TO THE DISGUST of the locals (who were mostly blow-ins themselves) the Sunshine Coast is filling up with refugees from Victoria, NSW and even Tasmania. I seen ‘em meself! Indeed, several of them are friends of mine. What that does mean is that roads are becoming pretty crowded along the
provides cool relief from the coastal frypan without dropping you into the fire. In fact, the range offers many excellent motorcycle roads. I’ve selected a few of the more obvious ones for this map, but it’s probably true to say that any road you take up here is going to be a good one. There is some gravel, but it’s generally in good condition and shouldn’t worry even cruiser riders.
A word of warning. These roads are not a secret. On weekends and during holidays, the Blackall Range fills up with more motorcycles than FNQ has cane toads. Some places are so popular that you can’t get a parking space for your bike within comfortable walking distance. Avoid the range on these days and save your fun for the times when the roads are yours but for the few local commuters and delivery vans.
coast. As well, summer temperatures down there are not conducive to motorcycling unless you intend to participate in the sport of Near-Nude Motorcycling which takes you straight from home to hospital. But despair not. Just a few kilometres inland lies the Blackall Range. Up to some 500 metres high, the range
But let’s take a look at some of the towns and other places of interest in the range.
D’AGUILAR
The main attraction here is the services station; if you haven’t filled up recently, do it here. The turnoff at the pub takes you onto the Mount
www.hemamaps.com.au
BLACKALL RANGE, QUEENSLAND
Roads in the Blackall Range vary considerably in quality. In many places they offer the usual high-quality Queensland tar, while in others they would (and do – The Frog imports Fournales shock absorbers from France and tests them here) serve well as suspension test roads. The standard can change even on the same road, so I’ll just suggest that you look ahead. Let’s start from the north.
PINK
The Pink route takes you from the Bruce Highway up to Mapleton, by way of Nambour. It isn’t long after you’ve left Nambour behind before you fi nd yourself out in the country. There is a bit of traffi c on this road – but it’s also a terrifi c run. There are even hairpins. As you get closer to Mapleton the road becomes steeper and you ride up through forest. You’ll know you’ve reached the top when you see the Mapleton Tavern in front of you!
BLUE
The road begins in Montville as the Razorback Road, and I doubt that there’s a much better motorcycle road anywhere in Australia. It is a bit bumpy, but that just lets you show off your skill! Halfway down it becomes
the Hunch Road, and then you join the Palmwoods Montville Road to take you into town and past Ricks Garage. The Woombye Palmwoods Road will take you out to the Bruce Highway and the Big Pineapple. The best bit is Razorback, but the Hunchy Road and even the Palmwoods Montville Road are also good riding.
YELLOW
A variety of roads will take you from Maleny to the main roads of the coast, but my favourite is the Landsborough Maleny Road to just beyond Bald Knob and then the Bald Knob Road down to Peachester. From here it’s a very pleasant run down to Beerwah on the Steve Irwin Way, which connects to the Bruce Highway both in the north and in the south. All good and beautiful routes, but the Bald Knob Road takes my prize – except for some
TEAR-OUT MAP #60
potholes which it’s really time to fix; is anyone listening?
GREEN
You can take either Coral Street or Bunya Street from Maleny at the start of this run. They meet at Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World after the latter becomes Mountain View Road. King Ludwig’s Restaurant is along here, on your left. The roads join up to form Maleny Stanley River Road and after a terrific run through Wootha and Boroobin (there’s not much at either place) take you down to a junction with the Kilcoy Beerwah Road. This eventually meets the D’Aguilar Highway just short of Woodford. Follow that to D’Aguilar and you have the choice of taking the wonderful Mount Mee Road or the highway to Brisbane.
COLLECT THEM ALL
Mee Road which eventually, after a terrifi c ride, deposits you in Dayboro on the way to Brisbane.
MALENY
A tourist town somewhat like Berrima or Mogo in New South Wales, Maleny nevertheless manages to be less artifi cial than either of those places. Despite all the tourist shops the atmosphere in the main street is more like that of a genuine working town, and it’s a pleasure to stop for a coffee. Mind you, the warning against weekend visits applies here, too. At other times there is plenty of room to park a bike and there are interesting things in the shops. On Sundays there’s a country market.
Just outside Maleny, on Mountain View Road which really does overlook mountains – in this case the Glass House Mountains – is King Ludwig’s German Restaurant and Bar. Opening times are limited, but the food, beer selection and service are excellent. Views from the terrace are spectacular. Call 07 5499 9377 to fi nd out if they’re open, and to book. Tell them The Bear sent you.
MAPLETON
One of the smaller towns up on the range, Mapleton has the Mapleton Tavern with its wonderful views out along the Sunshine Coast from Maroochydore to Noosa. Fortunately you can’t hear or smell the traffi c down there…
MONTVILLE
Much like Maleny in its reliance on tourism, Montville has even more of a homey feel to it. The shops tend to sell genuine crafts rather than the standard Chinese-made tchotchkes that fi ll the establishments on the
THE BEST
Gold and more often than not Sunshine Coasts. This is a good place to stop for a break and even overnight. On the Mapleton Road, Montville has two interesting restaurants which are both worth checking out. Altitude has excellent, if relatively expensive, food served in a silver service atmosphere while down the road, the hokey Relais pretends to be a French highway stop. All good fun.
the Razorback Road down from Montville. The town is not, strictly speaking, in the Blackall Range – it’s almost at sea level – but it holds one of the prime motorcycle destinations north of Brisbane.
NAMBOUR
Down in the lowlands, Nambour has its own attractions but you just pass through it on your way to or from the range; it doesn’t really belong in this story. Except for one thing, and that’s The Basement bar, run by Your Mates Brewing Co. It’s downstairs at 35 Currie Street off Short Street.
PALMWOODS
Turn off the Bruce Freeway at the Big Pineapple and take the Kiel Mountain road to reach Palmwoods from the east, or
Ricks Garage is a two-storey American-style burger bar which offers, among other things, a gigantic burger that’s almost a foot tall. You’ll see it in the photo with The Frog showing his appreciation. It was good, too, although it took both of us to eat it. Ricks is licensed and has a good range of both Scotch and beer; you can eat or drink inside or out and there are even a couple of the new Indians on display. On sunny weekends, I’m told, the entire town is full of bikes.
WOODFORD
It’s the location of the annual music festival and it has a tourist office tucked up against the base of its water tower, but otherwise Woodford is pretty much just another highway town. Please note that there is no petrol station in Woodford; the nearest one is in D’Aguilar just past the turnoff to the Mount Mee road. D
Vietlong
VIETNAM HUNG PHAN TOUR
Let’s go!
YOU’VE BEEN waiting for it and here it is! Our next readers’ tour is to Vietnam and boy have we got a trip 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 North 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
WITH FLIGHTS – arrive on Saturday 3rd March 2018
(Son La) Tribal Villages
• 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
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
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
KAWASAKI TEAM GREEN AUSTRALIA
See green on the track WORDS STUART
AS PART OF THE deal with our long term Kawasaki Z650L, the team at Kawasaki booked me into one of their Team Green Australia track days, this one being at Wakefield Park. I am quite handy around Wakefield and thought that the Z650L would be quite swift around there as well, so it was off to get it best prepared as possible, the only thing I wasn’t hoping for was the rain!
We’ll do a bit more in depth review of what I did to the Z650L for the track day but essentially I fitted some Bridgestone sticky tyres and did some basic suspension work. www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
PHOTOS STEVEN HENDY
EVENT
I did remove the ABS fuse for the day so I trailered the bike down to Wakefi eld and in two ways I was glad. One, I would hate to be wearing full leathers down the highway and back, and two, it was raining and cold as hell!
I’ve raced around Wakefi eld in the rain and grip (or lack of) is not something this track is known for when the sky opens up. The front tyre was suited more for the dry than the wet – looking like a cut slick, but I was amazed at the grip it gave in the rain – awesome!
The morning briefi ng was long but people needed to know that the track would be slippery; it did catch a number of people out but I can report that the mighty Z650L LAMS bike showed up the big litre bikes and had tongues wagging.
Had the weather been dry, this event would have been so much fun to attend – the Kawasaki guys are there to help and a number of Kawasaki supported racers were also on hand to guide anyone with riding tips, set up and lines around the track.
The cost of this event is a bargain and a half, try seventy five bucks if you’re a Team Green member (which is free) and riding a Kawasaki! Nowhere in Australia can you get so much value from a track day! You also get a little goodies bag. For this particular event it included a limited edition cap, which my son pinched as soon as I got home! Whether you own a Kawasaki or not, the Team Green Australia track
days run by Champions Ride Days are a great event to attend. The day at Wakefield was the first time it had rained at a KTGA day in something like three years. Maybe I was the bad omen and Mother Nature was showing me how bad she can be?
For all the info on how to join and upcoming events, check out www.kawasaki.com.au or www. championsridedays.com.au D
Outta my way, Johnny boy! Kawasaki’s technician gets schooled by our LAMS bike.
CELEBRATE THE DARK
The new Classic Stealth Black and Gunmetal Grey. Available in matte finish, with pillion seat and ABS.
Classic 500 Stealth Black Classic 500 Gunmetal Grey.
JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS, ONLY BETTER!
More gear than a Kenworth’s gearbox, here
WE’VE HAD A bucket load of new gear pile in through the offi ce doors lately. It feels like Christmas and I suppose it is, seeing as we’re writing this up just before the fat man falls down the chimney. A bit of everything for just about every taste is what you’ll see below. Enjoy!
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME
Macna Vosges jacket - $499.95
Many riders only have one jacket in the wardrobe and if you fi t this description then checking out the Macna Vosges should be high on your list. It can be used for just about any type of riding from commuting to touring and adventure riding.
The Vosges jacket comes in three colours – Black; Ivory/grey/black; and the one you see here which is the extra special, Night Eye version. Essentially what this means is that
the front and back of the jacket, when hit with lights, will ‘light’ up/ refl ect brightly which is an awesome safety feature to have while riding at night. When viewing the jacket in daylight, it appears like any other jacket. Amazing technology! Packed with lots of smart innovations, the Vosges offers a great deal of comfort and functionality to the adventurous touring or everyday rider. Both the Raintex breathable waterproof membrane and the warm thermal lining are detachable to adapt to your needs. Ventilation panels and zips on the chest, arms and back can be opened when necessary and allow a decent fl ow of air through the jacket. Without the thermal and waterproof liner you’ll thank the arm adjustment straps to get the jacket ‘just right’ and the straps aren’t invasive. An easy cuff closure is just one of the added touches built into this jacket. Rather than bunching up, the design
allows the cuff to ‘fold’ nicely to not only make the jacket look uniform, but improve comfort. There are plenty of good sized pockets, including a lower back pocket. The versatility of the Macna Vosges jacket means that I’ll be wearing it quite a bit during the mid-seasons and winter. The airfl ow is good, but when the temperature rises over 32 degrees it can be a touch hot. However, as I mentioned, if you can only have one jacket in your stable, the Vosges will likely be just right for your riding. Sizes range from XS4XL – running true to size.
See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com.au SW
WHY “RUSH”, JUST ENJOY Macna Rush jacket - $229.95
Riding in hot weather requires you to keep as cool as possible so having the right summer jacket is something you really need to pay a lot of attention to. If you get hot, you will
end up losing concentration and this can result in many bad things! That’s why I’m quite fussy with summer jackets: I want mega amounts of air fl ow and if a jacket doesn’t have it, I won’t wear it. This is excellent news for the Macna Rush jacket, which as the name suggests, rushes tons of air fl ow past your body. I had the ‘fortune’ of riding with the Rush jacket on a forty plus degree day. No one, no matter what you’re wearing, is going to be cool on a motorcycle at that temperature but you can be comfortable and that is exactly what the Rush jacket gives you. There is protection in the areas you need it but the open mesh of the rest of the jacket is what gives you the rush of air. The Rush jacket has waist adjustment and an easy cuff similar to the Vosges jacket where the cuff is designed to be folded in, not scrunched up. There is a comfort mesh inner lining and a number of pockets. The fi nal touch I like about the Rush jacket is the external hanging hook and it’s the extra thought built into the Macna jackets that really sets them at the upper echelon of the apparel tree. Available
in Black or Black/grey and sizes S-4XL with sizing being just a tad larger (maybe half a size) than normal. See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com.au SW
BE POSH
Merlin Derrington jacket - $499.95
Getting a leather jacket is more ‘personal’ than buying a textile jacket, to me. Rather than just features of the jacket I’m looking mainly at the styling with a leather jacket – a jacket that can be worn out on the town if need be. The Merlin Derrington fi ts the bill more than adequately. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to know this is a motorcycle jacket! It’s made in a heritage style from
oil tanned premium leather (think mega soft!) for a unique fi nish. This means that if you and a mate bought a Derrington each, after a couple of months the jackets will look a little different/have their own characteristics and at the end of the day, being unique is the way to go. Features of the Derrington include a removable thermal liner with Marton Mills tartan panels (very posh), CE approved armour pre-fi tted to the shoulders and elbows, which I’ll admit I have removed to give the jacket a more casual look. There’s also top quality YKK zips, Velcro hem adjustment, two lower pockets plus one chest pocket, internal liner storage and quilted shoulder panels. This is a jacket I’m going to have for many years to come and love the more and more I wear it. Available in brown and sizes S-4XL with sizes running as per normal with me taking a 4XL as I do with most other jackets. See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com.au SW
CATCH THESE RIPPERS
Macna Catch gloves - $89.95
Catch me if you can with the Macna Catch summer gloves. They are the perfect, must-have mid-season and most of summer glove. Mesh panels on the top and some perforation in the leather palm with built in protection for the palm, fi ngers, top of hand and an ergo thumb for comfort make them an awesome addition to your winter and
mega hot summer glove ensemble. Available in black and sizes to 3XL with sizes running true to size. See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com.au SW
BE FASTER IN THE VORTEX
Macna Vortex gloves - $149.95
You’ll notice one major difference with the Vortex gloves compared to ‘normal’ gloves, and that’s the wrist closure. It isn’t a normal ‘around the wrist’ type of Velcro strap, the Vortex strap is diagonal and allows
black and sizes S-4XL. I take a 2XL and found they run true to normal sizing. See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com.au SW
MYRDDIN MAGIC
Merlin Stretton gloves - $129.95
more movement of the wrist, an excellent feature. The Vortex as you can probably tell is a sports type glove, which means it has a precise fi t. The cuff is not as large as some other sports type gloves but will fi t over your leathers or a closer fi tting textile jacket. As expected there’s plenty of protection built into this glove. Things like a palm slider, double leather on the pinky fi nger, extra leather on the palm and hard knuckle and fi nger protectors. I have worn these gloves both on the road and track. They fi tted like a, er, glove from the fi rst time I put them on and have moulded even better to be a super comfy sports glove. If you like a full length cuff glove that has all you could want from a sports glove, check them out. Available in black, or white/
The Welsh of course are exceptionally fond of Merlin, although for reasons of their own they insist on calling him Myrddin. I’ve done my best to fi nd a connection for him with gloves of any description, but have sadly failed. Even his eventual fate – being jammed into a tree by The Lady of the Lake – does not seem to offer any connection to hand protection. But there we go; some mysteries remain even in our logical modern world. The gloves named after him that I have been wearing are neat items which smell pleasantly of quality leather. They appear to be made all of leather, except for the liner, and have double stitching in the palm and double leather over the knuckles. While they are unlikely to offer as much protection as items with hard knuckle protection, they are still reassuringly sturdy and, of course, more comfortable. Closure is by a substantial and clearly highquality hook-and-loop pad on the wrist. There is a modest amount of perforation for air fl ow.
I think I would call them city or café racer gloves, and that is not faint praise. The abundance of
stitching makes it clear that they have been carefully designed with a pre-curve to fi t my (and presumably your) hand, and indeed they feel particularly comfortable when they’re on. The description says that they are designed “with a cantilever action for excellent mobility” but I don’t understand that.
One thing to keep in mind is that the sizing is somewhat tight, at least on my pair. I normally wear XL, and although these gloves are 2XL they are still tight to slip into. Once on, they’re fi ne, as I’ve said. See your local bike shop or www.linkint.com. au , and just watch out for The Lady of the Lake. PT
STEP IT UP A GEAR
Ixon Vortex one-piece leather suit - $1199.95
Ixon has just released the new Vortex one piece suit, which is now
the top of the range suit. Fit and features and an awesome look is what Ixon has built into this suit and I grabbed one and wore it at the recent Aprilia launch where we rode around Mac Park, or “The Piranha” as some call it. Having a top fi tting suit with top safety features is paramount when riding on any racetrack or blasting the twisties on the weekend.
The Ixon Vortex suit is made with thick and extra supple full grain leather and features perforated leather on the chest, arms, thighs and back for effi cient ventilation, fl ex leather on the armholes and bottom of the back, stretch under the arms, on back of the full leg and on the crotch for extra comfort and fl exibility, rubber reinforcements on the shoulders, secure stitching, removable and washable nylon lining, zipped calves, cuffs with strap, racing collar with neoprene high neck roll, aerodynamic hump with the suit having a very sportive preformed and fi tted cut. Being
quite ‘fi tted’ you will need to wear the suit a few times to get it moulded properly to your body, or you could wear it on a boiling hot day and get it soaked with sweat which will get it fi tting just right, except a little smelly! The other way is to wet it and go for a long ride.
I’ve had many compliments when I’ve worn this suit already, with everyone saying they like the look and fi nish of the suit, so if you want to be the top dog, grab one!
Colours available are Black/white/ green, Black/white/yellow, Black/ white/red or Black/white and sizes
XS – 4XL with sizes running one size smaller than you’re used to.
Getting a new helmet is like getting that awesome birthday or Christmas present you’ve always wanted and when Stuart got me
the Shark Race-R Pro to race with at the Australian Historic Road Race Championships I was over the moon. I’ve always worn Arai with custom inserts when racing at the Isle of Man but I have to say that the Shark Race-R Pro is an excellent fi tting helmet for racing straight off the shelf. Ventilation is amazing, much more than any other helmet I’ve ever worn. This helps you to keep cool when the pressure is on. Vision is probably the next major thing I noticed, the Shark Race-R Pro has great vision and clarity. I do
run tear-offs and clarity is still excellent. Stuart mentioned that he had a Race-R Pro when they fi rst came out a couple of years ago and said the high speed stability is awesome, which I also found. Quietness is the other thing I noticed.
The FZR and GSX are both pretty loud bikes and the Race-R Pro dampened some of the noise which made me able to concentrate a little more on riding the bikes faster. Of course, as you’ll know from the last issue, I ended up on the podium with the FZR and set the fastest lap on the GSX. I owe some of this to the Shark Race-R Pro. I also have a Shark Speed-R Carbon helmet for road use and the main differences are the Race-R Pro is more fi tted and has a bit more stability. Both are clear as you could want, so what I’m trying to say is that depending on how you like your helmet to fi t is which helmet you might like to look at. But, if you get out on the racetrack, the
Race-R Pro is a must! Available in two colours (in the Sauer version) –Black/red, or White/blue/red and sizes S-XL, see your local bike shop or www.fi ceda.com.au AP
CONTROL IT LIKE A PRO
Dririder Climate Control
Pro 4 jacket - $349.95
The Climate Control Pro series of Dririder jackets have been extremely popular over the years and the latest version 4 jacket sees further improvements for more protection,
comfort and ventilation – a jacket that is mostly a summer jacket but combined with the included 85 gram thermal and waterproof liners can be used as a year round jacket if need be. I guess that’s why the name is “Climate Control”. Funny that! The jacket features a Polyester 600D outer shell with 900D reinforcement and high tenacity mesh, a Dri-Tec 190T removable waterproof and breathable liner, 85 gram removable thermal liner, CE approved armour in the shoulders and elbows, foam back pad, shock absorbing air hump, safety stitching, shoulder airvents, action stretch, mesh comfort lining, soft neoprene collar, various adjustments, two inner and two outer pockets plus a mobile pocket and a waist connection zip –a feature packed jacket that stands up to daily riding perfectly. Available in Black or Black/
and Velcro wrist closure. Available Black/grey and Black/white and sizes S-2XL. See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories.com.au SW
FALL IN LOVE
White and sizes XS-8XL with sizes running true to normal motorcycle apparel sizing. See your local bike shop or www. mcleodaccessories. com.au SW
OWN THE STREET
Dririder Street gloves - $69.95
basic everyday kind of glove, the Dririder Street glove is one to look at.
Dririder RX Adventure gloves - $59.95
Made from goat skin, with twoway stretch, 3D mesh and synthetic suede they are comfy and great to wear on hotter days, even if you start to sweat. The Street also features an “ergonomic” knuckle protector, shock absorbing pads on the palm and fi ngers, carbon palm slider, reinforced pinky, neoprene wrist cuff
For adventure riding I want a ‘KISS’ (keep it simple stupid) type of glove – no frills, just comfy and good grip that can handle getting clogged with red outback dust and plenty of sweat. The Dririder RX Adventure gloves fi t this bill to a tee. Made from Clarino and “4-way” stretch with a double layer palm with Pittards leather for protection and grip they are just what I want. Having a polyester soft lining inside they are comfy and easy to get on and off out in the bush. There’s an integrated PU knuckle protector and adjustable Velcro closure which is not your normal Velcro but one that I see will stand up to some punishment. What I’ve normally found is that Velcro hates getting clogged with dust after a while, but this new Velcro seems to be more resistant to that problem. Available in a wide range colours and sizes XS-5XL! With sizing running true to what you’re used to. See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories. com.au SW
SCRAMBLER FOR A SCRAMBLER
Dririder Scrambler jacket - $299.95
Am I a hypocrite? Back when The Frog used to race in his brown leathers, I was among the multitude who laughed at him. In the nicest possible way, of course – this is the man who played Klunk in the
original Mad Max fi lm, after all. But laugh we did. And now… when I was offered a Dririder Scrambler jacket, I actually asked for the brown one.
Why did I do that? Am I turning into a frog in my dotage, and a brown one to boot? Don’t cut my legs off and cook them just yet; there is a good reason. In fact there are a few.
Firstly, for some reason (and it’s not just the name) I think the colour goes really well with my (Ducati Red) Scrambler. It has a certain European insouciance, a sort of casual but stylish look that really agrees with the relaxed attitude conveyed by the Ducati. Then there’s the abundance of black jackets hanging in my garage. I just wanted something different, and I am not a fan of fl uoro clothing, which often seems like the only other option. No, I don’t mind if you wear it. Much. I just don’t like it for myself. Finally I will probably wear this jacket on an upcoming trip to Baja California, and I don’t want to look like the typical gringo motocyclisto in obviously hightech motorcycle gear.
Good enough? Forgive me?
Of course I also like the look and utility of the thing. It has a 700-denier coated ‘Vintage’ outer shell, which gives it a pleasantly worn appearance. It is lined with a mesh comfort liner and is supplied with zip-in waterproof and thermal liners. Shoulder and elbow armour is CE standard, and I have replaced the EVA back pad with a CE pad as well. The jacket has all the other features you’d expect –expansion gussets, stretch panels, collar and cuffs lined with microfi bre and waist expander zips – very important for me! This is a summer jacket, so it also has perforations for air fl ow.
The three outside pockets are handy, but the pair of inside pockets are actually in the liner, rather than
the outer shell. So if you want inside pockets, you must have the liner zipped in. That’s about the only criticism I have, and it’s no big deal. See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories.com.au In retrospect, I think The Frog was just ahead of his time. PT
LET’S TWISTA AGAIN
Draggin Jeans Twista pants - $319
Draggin Jeans have been a part of my wardrobe for a couple of decades now, and I would not want to do without them (more on that later!). I’ve upgraded as the Victorian company put out new variations and have been saved by them from abrasion and contusion more than once. The most recent example was when I dumped my Ducati Scrambler and skidded across nature strip and footpath. The Twistas I was wearing left me unmarked, except for the damage to my ego. It’s a rare ride these days when I don’t wear one pair of Draggins or another.
The Twistas contain Draggin’s own proven RooMoto MR7+, which is said to protect you in slides of over 70 metres. That's more than 2 tennis courts, not that I know anything about tennis. Likewise I hope I never skid for 70 metres, but there you go – you never can tell! I really like the skinny fit, which almost makes even me look slim. They really do look like you're just wearing jeans, but offer protection at the same time. Not that that’s me in the photo.
I really like the lack of external stitching and the fact that they’re breathable and have a mesh comfort liner. I don’t use knee armour, at least for commuting, but pockets are included if you would like to. For both safety and looks, I cannot go past Draggin Jeans.
And now here comes the sad bit. I had my Twistas hanging over the railing to dry, outside my open motel door - and somebody nicked them. I’m saving for another pair. PT
SUMMERTIME IS HERE
Dririder Summertime
gloves - $99.95
You will have read my comments, above, about my new brown jacket from Dririder. Naturally I needed gloves to go with it – you can hardly ride your Ducati around wearing mis-matched kit, right? Not that I’m going to wear brown trousers; I’ll leave that to… another motorcycle scribe, no names no pack drill. As it happens, Dririder also offers very tidy brown – or at least two-tone – gloves in its range. What luck.
Called Summertime and described as Summer Sport Touring gloves, their outside is made of leather and abrasion-resistant mesh, which looks and indeed is pretty cool. They have Nyspan on the fi ngers for dexterity, Viscolab knuckle protectors, Airgel palm pads and Tricot comfort liners. They also offer Smart-Tip forefi nger and thumb patches, so you’ll be able to work your phone/GPS while
wearing them, and Velcro closures. What I particularly like is a tongue of leather below the wrist, just at the back of the palm, which lets you pull them on without pulling at the neoprene material of the cuff. Smart touch. And they go really nicely with the Scrambler jacket, thank you for asking. See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories.com.au for more info. PT
IT’S A BREEZE
Dririder Air-Ride 4 jacket - $199.95
How can anybody ride in this weather outside in leathers, or at worst no safety clothing at all? My Air-ride 4 ventilated jacket is now the only item I will wear on top between now and March unless we get one of Sydney’s famous Southerly Busters. The Air-ride 4 is made from 600D Maxtex polyester and abrasion resistant mesh and features a removable waterproof and breathable liner, CE armour and foam back pad, mesh comfort inner liner, power stretch, pre-curved
arms with adjusters, neoprene collar and two inner and outer pockets. Available in Black and seven other colour combos and sizes XS-8XL there can’t be a reason not to enjoy riding this summer and feel well protected for a bargain price tag! See your local bike shop or www. mcleodaccessories.com.au RLM
TWIRL THE DIRT
Dririder Vortex Adventure gloves - $69.95
Seriously ventilated and rugged should be all I need to say about Dririder’s well priced adventure glove. I have a run of brands (bought my own) that are two and three times the price and the Vortex
offer the same comfort but not as much protection in the knuckle and palm areas. Not a real disadvantage if you are after cool wearing and comfortable gloves that are a great comprise between scooter riding, road duties and the adventure times. Not surprisingly the glove matches the colours of Dririder’s adventure suit and comes in sizes from S - 4XL. See your local bike shop or www. mcleodaccessories.com.au RLM
SUPREMELY SUPREME
Shoei GT-Air helmet - $949.90
Andrew Wright (McLeod Accessories) took me for a wander through the McLeod's warehouse recently. Stacked
FOR A COMPLETE RANGE OF TINTED & LARGER SCREENS
floor to ceiling are the eleven Shoei models they carry and within that are the 100 plus varieties of colours. Add to that the sizing and you can tell that just pointing to the shelves and saying 'computer says that one' will mean it would be like winning Lotto to end up with the right one. Ask an expert! Andrew, I need great ventilation, top flight protection, light weight and excellent aerodynamics and while you are at it an Italian theme would be nice, just in case I get to do the V4 Ducati launch... (in your dreams, old fella! SW).
Behold the most excellent Shoei GTAir. Claiming that it is the best ever helmet on my bonce is a big call, but... the quality is outstanding, from the lining to the paint and of course the graphics suit me like Verdi suits pasta (Que? – the sub). Features include a one-touch internal tinted drop down visor, free flowing and adjustable ventilation, 3D max removable and washable interior, superior aerodynamics, Pinlock Evo, emergency quick release system and a shell that helps reduce noise. It’s also intercom compatible. I'm lost for words when it comes to how well the Shoei fi ts and feels on the road. I have owned at least twenty brands of helmets and although the last Shoei was in 1995 I can't say I will stray too far away from the quality again – this Shoei is just supreme in everything it does. The GT-Air also comes with a fi ve year warranty.
See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories.com.au RLM
NOT A MYTH!
Dririder Phoenix jacket - $499.95
The big fella Stuart wears the Dririder GT leather jacket and as he has remarked previously that it is one of those jackets which look and feel twice the price. I have recently been using my own version – the Phoenix, and if I do say so it is even better looking and arguably better in the eye of our Nikon lens. I usually go for more colourful options in my jackets but the Phoenix is so suitable in the dark brown for the myriad of retro and cruisers that pass through our hands. I’m not admitting the creep of age just yet. Swinging a leg over that revving nutcase of the Suzuki GSX250R recently had me coming away looking pretty fast I might say (cough, cough - SW). On that point there is a load of protection and strength built into this Dririder jacket. Just in case you want your ensemble to include a matching pair of brown gloves, I run the Summer glove with the jacket on
certain days. One of them isn't today as I write this, with the H-D Road King in for a story and the mercury hitting 42. Jacket sizing S to 4XL and the leather is as soft as you can get.
See your local bike shop or www.mcleodaccessories.com.au
RLM
FLYING FALCO
Falco ESO LX 2.1 boots - $399.95
They look great, feel even better and have more features than I have ever possessed in a race/road boot. My old boots are cracking the five-year mark, so when Ficeda offered the black ESO LX it did feel like an early Christmas. Early indications are that they are supremely comfortable and the protection looks top rate.
There is an articulating system called the ESO motion which by the press of the button at the top rear locks the ankle joint in either the walking or riding position. Gimmick? Not really from my first 230-kilometre ride and shop shuffling getting the Christmas presents duties completed. I am quite impressed. The toe and heel sections are all one piece and I like the security of the Velcro and frontal zipper method to keep the foot locked in well. There is an extra buckle clip at the top for added security. New to me is a D3O impact protection ankle cup. Falco claim this was developed in the Snow-sports and Military industry and they say it is the first time it’s been applied to motorcycle boots. Unlike me they have ‘intelligent molecules flowing freely when moving slowly but on shock lock together in net to absorb impact energy’. The 36 degree plus days at the moment are highlighting
the ventilation is only adequate although for me protection is the top priority, which these boots have in spades. As a well-priced balanced boot suitable for the road and a track/ride-day and best of all, the little patch which says ‘Made in Italy’ I’m a sucker for that! Available in Black or White and sizes 39-47, see your local bike shop or www.ficeda.com.au RLM
ULTRA COMPACT POCKET PUMP
» Weighs only 570g
» Inflate a low or flat tyre quickly and safely
» Ideal for use on motorcycles, ATV’s and scooters
GEARLOK
LOCK & CABLE
» 5 ft long, 5mm thick plastic coated steel cable
» Re-settable 4 digit combination lock
TYRE GAUGE
Measures PSI or KPA
0-60 PSI/0-4.2 KPA read out
50mm (2”) analogue dial
300mm (12”) braided flex hose
Push button air bleed valve
Protective rubber gauge guard
Self-locking air chuck PLUS A SECOND 45° chuck for those hard to
» Soft silicone cover to protect lock and bike parts
Lock your helmet, jacket, backpack, or any other accessory to your motorcycle.
Available online from
BE A MOVIE STAR!
Innovv C5 camera - $198
We have an INNOVV C5 camera on trial, and before we test it we thought we’d ask someone who uses them every day and puts them through a tough test on the fleet – namely Compass Travel. Here is Craig with Compass Travel’s take on the camera system.
Compass Expeditions was asked to test and review the INNOVV C5 camera system on a couple of bikes in our motorcycle tour fleet. We sent one to our crew in South America and fitted the others two to our lead rider bike, a BMW R1200 GS and my own BMW F800 GS. Our first impression of the system were that the components were quality built for durability, compactness and simplicity. The system is comprised of a lens unit, controller unit and wiring harness. The lens and controller are housed in very solid, dust and water resistant, aluminium cases and the whole system looks like it will put up with a lot of abuse.
The C5 is a bit different to other cameras you might be thinking of mounting on your bike. It is fitted to the bike in a semi-permanent manner. You actually wire the setup into the bike with the supplied wiring harness. It is not a complex procedure, simply connect to the positive and negative terminals on the bike’s battery and connect a third wire to a switched power source circuit that is live when the bike’s ignition is on. For the two BMWs that was easy, as the headlight is always on when the bike is going. We simply scraped away some insulation from the wire leading to the
lights and soldered the third wire to it, sealed it up and we were done. This does mean the C5 starts filming as soon as the bike is started and will keep filming until it is switched off.
This makes the C5 more of a “Dashcam” than an action camera system like a Go Pro or other similar cameras that can be removed from a mount and placed anywhere on the bike for multiple camera angles.
Conceivably, since the lead to the C5’s lens is 1.8m long, you could have multiple mounts on the bike and reposition the camera around the bike also but this would involve more effort than other systems, so once installed onto the bracket that holds my headlight protector that is where it stayed.
The good thing about the C5 system is that it is discreet; the lens unit is small enough to hide under the headlight or inside an air intake of a bike’s fairing and be very unobtrusive. The controller unit can be conveniently stashed under the seat where it is hidden but easily accessed to remove the Micro SD card when required.
One of the key features of the C5 is the smartphone app that, once connected to the camera via Wi-Fi, can be used to switch from video, still photo or timelapse options, view live recording, access files for playback and change many other settings for the camera.
In testing, I had my phone in a clear pocket on top of a handlebar bag that also holds my regular camera and power cables etc. when I am out bush on the F800 GS. This let me change to still mode and fire off a shot when idling at a lookout or when I wanted to capture the action happening in front of the bike.
riding before filling the card. Once the card is full it will continue to record and write over the earlier files in the manner of a regular dashcam.
You can download the files to your phone’s memory via the app but being large Mpeg files this can take a while, drain your phone’s power and fill its memory quickly so I found it much easier to remove the Micro SD card each day or two and copy the files onto a computer.
Here is the other difference between the C5 and an action camera. Since the C5 is recording all of the time you end up with a whole heap of single point of view footage that needs to be sorted and edited to find the good bits and compile a watchable video, if that is the aim of mounting the camera in the first place. Now, down to the important stuff: how does the footage look? In short, it looks great.
The C5 captures HD 1080p video at 30 fps or 720p at 60fps (for slow motion capture). The lens has a very respectable F3.6 aperture and captures a wide angle of view (Diagonal 145°/ horizontal 120° / vertical angle 100°).
There are action cameras on the market that capture at a much higher quality but in practical use, if you are not intending to use your footage professionally then the C5 will produce very usable and manageable video files to allow you to show the world what you and your bike have been up to.
C5 do its job, I found that the camera
If you keep the lens clean of dust and dead bugs then footage from the C5 is sharp and clear, edge-to-edge, with only a little wide-angle distortion. There can be a bit of a stepped exposure adjustment when moving from extremely bright conditions into shade or the reverse but this is pretty par for course in a camera at this price point. So, to sum up, the INNOVV C5 is a great dashcam for recording your rides. As an action camera it has its limitations but would be great as a second camera for another point of view if you are getting serious about making videos and are using two cameras.
At under $200 the INNOVV C5 is extremely good value for such a highquality product as well. See https:// www.innovv.com/ for more. CJ D
5. Um, well, yes, but just what is it that’s open down there? 1 2 5
baCKROads aMeRICa
Funny about that...
YoU May HaVE read the recent/not so recent story about my travels down the Mississippi. Okay, so it wasn’t ‘Huckleberry Finn’, but it was a lot of fun to research and write. Inevitably there was more material than I could fit into even two episodes, so here’s a page of some sweet little looks at Backroads America. PT
1. Man, I know the queues at Walmart are long, but 72 hours?
2. They paved Paradise, put up a parking lot… thank you, Joni Mitchell.
3. It’ll polish out, man!
4. Er, could I have my live bait in a wholemeal roll?
WINDORAH – THE last piece of bitumen in far western Queensland before the hard slog on gibber plains to Birdsville. What was I thinking! Could a fully loaded postie bike with an inexperienced rider survive the gruelling 700 kilometre round tripto see a horse race?
I parked up in the main street and checked out Windorah. This only required me to stand on the spot and do a 360o turn. One pub, one shop, petrol station, info centre and post office. A few houses dotted around town – population about 70.
During the afternoon, to my utter amazement, a dozen postie bikes rocked into town. The Pelicans on Posties were all from Ballina heading out to the races with their support vehicle.
On the Wednesday evening of race week, Windorah hosts the Yabby Races and captures 1000 punters as they pass through. Fuelled by a decent amount of alcohol, the crowd
was entertained with live music and then the first race started with an auction. The auctioneer was obviously from the saleyards and before we knew it the first 10 yabbies had been auctioned off to the crowd at between $400 and $700 each. If their yabby was victorious, they could win around $1800, but regardless, all the profits went to the Royal Flying Doctors.
Then 388 kilometres to Birdsville. I had been fretting over this section for days, looking (hoping) for an excuse to chicken out. The day arrived and no excuse materialised so I left my comfort zone and set forth. I waited until 9am hoping that everyone else would be ahead of me and Mo; negating the need to overtake us and shower us with rocks and dust.
I couldn’t manage much above 40km/h with both the poor bike and my poor body taking a battering. We settled in for a hard slog: the choice of the wheel rut with the loose gravel like marbles or the wheel rut with
the teeth-jarring corrugations, or maybe the one with the large holes alternately swallowing one tyre, and setting up a nasty uncontrollable bounce. The gibber surface of golf ball sized rocks hid deep gravel pits without a discernible wheel rut to ride in – we were skating from one side of the road to the other.
The miles and the time ticked by. I was quite fatigued with the sun setting in my eyes by the time we pulled into the halfway point of Betoota –population 0.
The abandoned pub was lovely and cool with big thick walls and a long bar. The flyscreened sleep-out still contained beds, now thick with dust. The last publican, Simon, was buried out the back near an old rusty double decker bus. I set up camp on the quiet verandah with Simon’s ghost to keep me company.
Still with 160 kilometres to reach Birdsville, I reluctantly loaded Mo and once again did battle with the track. Both of Mo's fork seals had blown
out and leaked all over the front wheel - I’d broken my best boy and my spirit for adventure was waning. I vowed to find another way out of this hellhole.
And then finally, inevitably, it was over. We had made it after two days of gruelling torture. I was far too tired to feel ecstatic but I did feel rather smug.
Birdsville: population 115 (+/-7000).
The historic pub was heaving with bodies, spilling out onto the street with empty cans filling the gutters (apparently it's a tradition). For his lap of honour, Mo got lots of hollers and hoots from his personal cheersquad. We continued up to the bakery to sample one of the famous camel pies and here I met Postman Pete, an actual postman from Ballina and one of the Pelican Posties. When I asked if they could transport a small broken bike back to Windorah, he told me they were returning through Innaminka instead. Damn!
I asked a few other bike groups and the roadhouse and even the cops but
most were heading north to Mt Isa or simply didn't have room or didn't have tiedowns. I knew it would have been a long shot... and now I had to once again mentally prepare for the return journey on the gravel road from hell, there was no other option.
Birdsville Cup Day: what a spectacle! Everyone was dressed up in their finery with matching feather boas and colourful fascinators – blokes and sheilas alike. Ladies were tiptoeing through the dust in their stilettos and large groups wore matching outfits with novelty hats.
It was fun – much more fun than I’d imagined. There were no drunks, no yobbos, no aggression - just lots of people having a damn good time. Apparently there were some horses racing, but I didn’t notice as I was too busy watching the crowd.
The evening festivities in the town centre were more sedate than I expected – yes there were many people overindulging in alcohol but it didn’t overflow from the pub or impact the rest of the crowd. Everyone was
really well behaved and any fights were contained inside Fred Brophy’s boxing tent. Lots of grey nomads, family groups and kids running around everywhere having, dare I say it, good clean wholesome fun.
In a huge paddock beside the dry river Rent-a-Tent had set up 150 identical tents for people who fly in or don’t want to carry equipment. Andrew, the owner, thought I was totally nuts arriving on a postie bike and offered me a free tent. Derrick, their truck driver, offered to load Mo into the semi and take us both out to Windorah. I offered them my first born.
And so it was that I found myself, once again, the recipient of the most generous, spontaneous hospitality from kind-hearted souls. I was so grateful that I wouldn’t have to endure that bloody road for another two days hard slog and break any other bits off Mo.
I treated myself to a joy flight over the now empty racecourse, following the dust trails of the fleeing caravaners down the Birdsville Track and then out to Big Red at the start of the Simpson Desert.
On Monday morning Andrew’s team immediately began pulling down tents. They worked like trojans in a practiced, efficient manner battling the flies and the heat and soon the paddock began to return to dust. I helped where ever I could, to pay my passage. I packed up all the linen and folded hundreds of doonas before wrapping up 500+ nylon ropes. The day wore on and got hotter but still they laboured until every last tent peg was packed into the semi.
Mo was loaded into the van and what a wonderful sight that was. I did not feel one iota of guilt for wimping out. Four hours later we were delivered safe and sound back to the smooth bitumen, our adventure over.
Would I do it again – hell yeah. Would I do it again on a postie – not if you paid me a million dollars.
But as someone pointed out - it's like childbirth - the pain fades over time and you have another crack.
We'll see.
www.postienotes.com.au D
When World On Wheels took their first Enfield tour group across the Himalayas in 1994, they unknowingly kick-started a new industry in professional motorcycle touring. A quick flick through the pages of this very magazine will show how many other operators have taken a lead from WOW’s initiative. Many have followed but none has bettered!
Some 24 years later, WOW still sets the benchmark in offering new and exciting tour destinations. 2018 brings you the following adventures:
Feb/Mar
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Five Fingers of S E Asia
Moroccan Magic Inspiring Iceland
Himalayan Heights
Beautiful Baltics
Dalmatian Delights
Spectacular South Africa
Awesome Andes Tacos ‘n’ Tequila
View the detailed itineraries:
www.WorldOnWheels.tours
LONGTERMERS
TURN THE WORLD GREEN!
Kawasaki Z650L
BARKBUSTER HANDGUARDS
WHILE THINKING
about adding some more individuality to the Z650L, I was considering what was available off the shelf - and the first thing that came to mind was a set of Barkbuster handguards! Their universal single point bar end mount ($96.50) is for bikes on which you want a hand guard but which don’t allow (or on which you don’t want) the usual two point mounting framework. Not only that, the single point hardware looks
awesome! Fitment is easy with full instructions supplied. Next up was choosing the plastic guard and the colour. Of course, I went for green which is available in the VPS plastics ($41.95). There are four other styles I could have chosen from – Ego, Jet, Storm or Carbon but the VPS guards offer the protection and look I was after and only the Jet, Ego and VPS offer the green colour. As a bonus you can also get the ‘Skid Plates’ ($19.95) which protect the corner of the aluminium backbone and of course give the whole set up even more style.
Of all the things I’ve ever fitted to one of our long term bikes, the green Barkbusters have been the biggest talking point with anyone and everyone, wherever I go. You’d be surprised who comes up to you and just starts talking about the green handguards! I never thought that a handguard would be such a mind blowing experience. But, I guess that’s what you get with a world leading product from the Aussie guys at Barkbusters! Check out their entire range and grab a set for your bike at your local bike shop or www.barkbusters.net SW
RIZOMA GREENNESS
done
As we’ve done with a number of previous long term bikes, we got the awesome crew at Rizoma in Italy to send us a stack of their products to fit to the Z650L. I mainly wanted to continue the ‘green’ theme and this started with the fitment of the front brake fluid cap ($65.83 EU) which took all of one minute to fit and changes the look of the bike quite dramatically. You and I might wonder how this is possible just by fitting a brake reservoir cap but it does! Next up was to fit the B-Pro footpegs ($115 EU and $48.34EU for the mounting kit). Again, in anodised green aluminium. They took about fi ve minutes to fi t and changing from the standard rubber mounted pegs to an aluminium peg I was expecting quite a bit of vibration, but it is minuscule. I think you’ll agree the greenness is well suited to our ‘green frame’!
Rizoma’s Sport R engine guards/ crash knobs ($74.17EU) add protection and mega amounts of style at the same time. Fitment took around twenty minutes and judging by how close they are to the frame I’d say they’ll offer a little bit of protection but not as much as the Oggy Knobbs we had fi tted before. Finally, I fitted the Rizoma gas tank cap ($157.50EU). Five minutes is all it took to add supreme style and a touch of green via the cap ring. These top class Rizoma accessories we fitted have not only given the nice little Z650L outstanding style but also the look of a much pricier motorcycle, I think you’ll agree. SW D
EVENT BEAR ARMY MANOEUVRES, DORRIGO
WORDS THE BEAR PHOTOS JAN &GIL SCHILLING
THE 2017 AUTUMN Manoeuvres were, as usual, a violent and vicious affair with maniacal riders from all over Australia gathering in the unsuspecting small town of Dorrigo, NSW to intimidate the locals and… ah, what the hell, I can’t go on with this. It was a pleasant, relatively quiet and highly humorous gathering, as they always are. Our thanks to Jan for the coffee in the morning – she drives a mean espresso machine – and Peter-fromBallina for the waitering services. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite if you’ve been thinking about joining. Membership costs $250 and includes a two year subscription to MOTORCYCLIST, a T-shirt, a metal badge and a perpetual invitation to the twice-yearly manoeuvres. Expressions of interest to thebear@ ausmotorcyclist.com.au or The Bear, Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. D
1. “See? This is what they call a ‘burnout’, boys!”
2. “Who turned out the lights?”
3. You must be called ’Peter’ in the Army.
4. “Where are the toggles on this damn thing?”
5. “Now Peter, this is what’s known as a real motorcycle…”
6. “All right, so where are the dancing gir… err, people?”
7. “Bloody… where did we leave our keys?”
OLD BLOKES
Words/photos thE BEar
“May you live all the days of your life.”
- JOnathan Swift
WE ARE ALL IN the prime of life, which means our ages range from 67 to 82 (Cough, cough! Ed). We have all been involved in the motorcycle industry in various ways for most of our lives; in my case, for over 50 years (although I’m not the oldest here). And we ride whenever we can; one most welcome thing about getting a bit older is that you can just take time out and go – although some things don’t change. We still argue. But liked the man said, “One good thing about passing 60 is that you argue less. It’s not that you agree, you just can’t hear each other.”
This was a four-day ride down to the Snowy Mountains and, with a bit of luck, back again. It was planned by our most senior member but, as always, I couldn’t help sticking my oar in. Over pizzas on the first evening, I pointed at the map and said, “You know, we don’t have to follow the highway here. This road along the coast was sealed recently.”
Now you need to understand that there are different kinds of time.
“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana,” Groucho Marx said, and that has absolutely nothing to do with this story. What I’m on about is the difference between time as it is measured by calendars and what Mrs Bear calls “Bear Time”. To get from that to calendar time, you double it and add a bit. Anything that I reckon happened ten years ago, in calendar time happened at least twice that long ago.
The “recent” tarring of the Bermagui to Tathra road, then, was at least 15 years back. But at least it is tarred; I remember telling someone that the road north from Taralga was sealed, when in fact the local council had ripped it up years back to protest the lack of government funding… But I’m getting ahead of myself.
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
“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”
– GEORGE BURNS
When this mature age blokes’ ride was announced, I cast a jaundiced eye over the contents of my garage. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my bikes. But they aren’t necessarily useful for all purposes. None, for a start, have anywhere near the range of the pair of Harley-Davidson Limiteds and the BMW F 800 ST that the other trio would be fielding.
You may have read my recent little piece in these pages about the Ducati Multistrada 950 that I borrowed for a day, to suss out its qualities for a three-week ride in Europe, next year. To say that I liked it is a bit of an understatement, and it struck me that this ride would be the perfect opportunity to confirm its capacity for travel. Ducati Australia was, as always, helpful and even fitted the bike with road tyres for me. It still had its enormous panniers, and they added a small, clip-on tank bag with recharging sockets for my phone. Handy, that, since I frequently forget to plug the charger in at night.
This is a good time to explain something that I occasionally get pulled up for by you, my valued readers. “How is it,” you ask, “that you always seem to love the bikes you ride? Is it just that you get them for free, or that you have to keep the advertisers happy?”
The answer is manifold. Yes, I almost always love the bikes I ride.
This is partly because I just love motorcycles and motorcycling; I have put up with the most diabolical sleds just because they were, after all, motorcycles. But it’s mainly because I try to evaluate the bikes for what they are, and from the point of view of someone who might like to buy them. So it’s my job to find the things that are good about them, and pass those things on to the people who are likely to appreciate them – as well as warning about things that really are not good. Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer of those. I like the bikes for what they are, and I try to get that across because that matters most to you.
As for getting them for free – I hate to say this, but I can get just about any bike I want, for free. So there is no point in my effusively praising the one I am riding at the moment; it’s only one of many.
The problem with this is that I keep falling in love with whatever I’m riding…
But here’s a point where I would
“
like to get serious for a moment. This business about keeping advertisers happy is a furphy. If we wrote up bikes and other products simply to keep advertisers on side – in other words, if we liedwe would be found out pretty quickly. Australian motorcyclists are not fools. You would stop buying the magazine, and the advertisers would no longer get a result for their money. It’s in everybody’s interest for us to stay honest, including yours, ours and the advertisers’. It just wouldn’t work otherwise. Now then, where were we? We met at Brays Bay Reserve, just off Concord Road. “Ah,” said one of the Harley riders, “so this is where the Kokoda Track is.” And indeed
there it is, although it’s only a scale model of the original one. You wouldn’t break a sweat even if you ran it at top speed. Good idea, though. The timing of our ride had been
calculated to avoid peak hour traffic, but we had forgotten that ‘peak hour traffic’ is now more or less a 24 hour a day phenomenon in Sydney. We were pleased to reach Royal National Park, which proved to be relatively traffic-free and fun for all. We regrouped at Stanwell Tops and continued to Thirroul where breakfast consisted of various odd combinations of coffee-andsomething. I suggested taking Memorial Drive, the main distributor north from Wollongong, instead of Bulli Pass. This turned out to be a good idea because Bulli Pass was closed, but I managed to miss the beginning of Memorial Drive to take us on a pleasant and traffic-free swing through the beachside streets instead.
We finally reached Memorial Drive and continued south on the more or less freeway-ised Princes Highway. The Ducati was true to its promise of being a comfortable, handy, torquey and (when nobody was looking and there appeared to be no chance of meeting Mr Plod) zippy motorcycle that seems to be made for this kind of travel.
Except for the damn traffic, of course. Even in the relatively open country south of Kiama there was always somebody in the way when you wanted to give it a squirt, or even if you just wanted to cruise at a reasonable rate. The great thing about travelling with older blokes is that they don’t make a secret of their unhappiness.
“Who picked this route, anyway?”
“It was me. Reckon you could do better?”
“Where do all these bloody cars come from?”
“The South Coast is totally stuffed! We’re never coming this way again!”
We found the Argyle Terrace Motor Inn in Batemans Bay without much trouble. It has undercover parking for many of its units, which we took advantage of. Location is convenient, and my bed was comfortable. The only obvious drawback was the International Roast provided for ‘coffee’ making. No points there.
“Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.”
- LUIS BUNUEL
We walked to the Soldiers Club, bickering happily among ourselves, and found that it was effectively defended by plastic bollards, unfinished brickwork and parked cars. Finally, after nearly circumnavigating the place, we located its hospitality area and found that the menu consisted of pretty much typical pub grub, headlined by Chicken Parmy. We agreed that this was not for sophisticates like us.
After sedately finishing our beers and other drinks I will not dignify by naming, we trucked further along the Bay’s main road (Many Real Estate Agents Avenue) and found Sam’s Pizzeria on the waterfront. Excellent pizzas and a comely waitress who was hugely amused by us old bikers set the tone for the rest of the evening’s entertainment, which consisted of sleeping.
We took the back road to Tathra next morning, which turned out (thank the gods) to be nearly traffic free and a good ride for all of our machines. Lunch, or something like it, in Bega was pleasant at one of the cafés in the main street. Bega never used to have cafés, did it? Plenty of them now.
After that came Brown Mountain. It actually takes ages to get to the foot of the mountain from the Princes Highway turnoff, but that road (which is the eastern end of the Snowy Mountains Highway) is pretty good too. Brown Mountain was made for the Multistrada. I am no gun, but I reckon I took the mountain road at a very respectable pace, helped by the fact that the Ducati just keeps leaning and leaning when you have, perhaps, gone into a corner a little fast. In the past I have sometimes criticised this road, mainly for the amount of leaf litter it seemed to collect. No sign of that now; the road surface was clean and smooth from bottom to top.
The wait at the top was pleasant, with the BMW making it some reasonable time after me and the Harleys eventually chugging into sight as well.
We turned off onto the Monaro Highway and then onto the back road to Jindabyne by way of Delegate. This is a wonderful stretch these days, all sealed and well surveyed. The servo and one of the cafés at Delegate had closed – always a sad sight – but the Buckleys Crossing Hotel seems still to be pulling beers. One unfortunate aspect of riding with a mature age group is that they don’t tend to stop for beer along the way, even if (like me) you insist that it is necessary to support the local economy.
No undercover parking that night at the Jindy Inn, but the room was pleasant and large and the coffee
wasn’t International Roast. We dined across the road at the Lake Jindabyne Hotel, and I had a chance to sample some of the local brews. All very tasty, as I recall. And so, once again, to bed. We headed south in the morning, on the way to Thredbo and beyond. At around Dead Horse Gap I slipped to the front of our little dusty group and gave the Multistrada its head once again. The Alpine Way can be a bit tricky, mainly because it was originally surveyed for vehicles somewhat slower than 950 Ducatis. But once again I found myself swinging from side to side at, err, a decent pace – leading to another wait, this time down at the Geehi bridge.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
- MArk TwAIn
I have a lot of happy memories of this place; it was the end of the Hodaka 125 Motorcycle Touring Club’s Murray River Run from its mouth in South Australia, and the scene of more than one excellent rally. On one occasion I was on the grog run to Khancoban when I chanced on a Highway Patrol car pulled up at the side of the road, with the officer apparently busy booking as many of the riders as he could. I pulled alongside and shouted, “You bastard, haven’t you got anything better to do?”
Then I took off. He caught me at the pub in Khancoban and we had a good laugh; yes, he was a mate and a regular at my Bike Australia rallies, and I’d recognised him before sounding off. He hadn’t been booking the riders, either, just warning them of the poor road surface.
Back to the present. We rolled through Khancoban, once again without paying our respects to the entirely pleasant hostelry, and took Tooma Road up towards Cabramurra.
Another wonderful road, it does get tight in places and can test your brakes. I recall once pulling into the parking area atop Tooma Dam to see The Frog arriving with the brakes of his 650 Suzuki literally smoking, and the disc glowing a beautiful cherry colour. It’s a tough bit of work for Harley riders, but our pair did well and thundered up to the Kiandra intersection with the Snowy Mountains Highway not too long after us lighter folk.
Lunch was taken just across from the Big Trout at Adaminaby, and we managed to avoid taking any photos of ourselves or the bikes with the fibreglass fish in the background. There was another inexplicable failure to linger at one of my favourite pubs, the Alpine in Cooma (Bear Army members will recall it with pleasure) and toddled along the Monaro Highway to Struggletown itself, Queanbeyan. The Heavy Brigade had stayed at the Leagues Motel before and promised garages for the bikes, which indeed materialised. One of
our members demonstrated one of the disadvantages of dementia when he kept insisting that there was a wonderful restaurant of some kind just along here… or no, maybe in the next block… no, no, I’m sure it was here or perhaps up there by the big pub… Eventually, dinner was taken at the entirely enjoyable Villa Olivo, a small Italian restaurant which served up a storm. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
We very nearly got run over on our way to the motel and then we once again sought Morpheus’ arms.
After a hearty breakfast in Bungendore at a café which appeared to be dedicated to the proposition that women can do anything better than men – we four are all married, so we understand that anyway. (If a man says something in the forest and his wife is not there to hear it, is he still wrong?) It was delicious, of course. We passed the Intermodal Transfer Station (I think that’s what it’s called) where they take Sydney’s rubbish off the trains and load it onto
trucks, to be deposited into the now defunct Woodlawn gold mine. There is something irresistibly metaphorical about taking out gold and replacing it with garbage.
A smooth drift up the freeway and we were back in Sydney with its traffic. Next time we’ll go north, or west, in the hope that there isn’t that much traffic.
•
“What though youth gave love and roses, Age still leaves us friends and wine.”
– THOMAS MOORE
ARE YOU READY TO ORDER?
This will clear things up!
“G’day,” wrote Greg Luscombe, who tells us he is an ST1100 rider. “The Bear is about to enter a carpark in Christchurch, New Zealand...I believe it’s located in Worcester Street. Cheers.”
And what do you know – the bugger is
right! I even had to check Google Maps to find the exact location, and he’s nailed it. All he has to do now is give us his mailing address so Rocky Creek Designs can send him the prize.
It is winter, it’s chilly, foggy and occasionally rainy. You’ve probably done your share of swearing inside your helmet because of a fogged visor or glasses. Visor fogging is easily solved with a good insert. Your glasses fogging behind your visor is something else. Sure you could just open your visor, which will keep your glasses from fogging, but now you’re letting in freezing air. But wait, now it’s raining and you have to close your visor. Big problem. We’ve all done our share of riding with fogged up glasses, you know the one, tilting your head so you can see out the one corner of your glasses that are not fogged up. Very dangerous!
I’ve used a number of products with varying degrees of success but I
What can The Bear possibly be thinking of ordering from a Neil Diamond album? For those of you too young to remember this, Diamond had a double album called “Hot August Night” which was in every Australian home, safely stored in the K-Tel Record Selector. But that doesn’t help you much, does it? If you can’t work it out, see the clue at the bottom of this page. Answers to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au.
think I’ve found something that’s “A” Easy to apply, “B” actually works very well and “C” one application last quite a long time. The kit comes with an application pen and a nice microfi ber cloth. To apply, unscrew the end off the pen, give the other end 3 or 4 pumps to get the liquid fl owing onto the brush, brush/paint your glasses, let dry for 10-15 seconds then lightly wipe off the excess with the supplied cloth. You’ll get around 70 applications from the pen, that works out around 50 cents an application. Cheap insurance for clear vision at $28.00, but for Greg it’s free!
THE GROG
Words/photos
“Whiskey, whiskey, my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again…”
THOMAS GHENT
YOU MAY HAVE noticed that the people who are keen to look after other people’s health (whether the other people like it or not) have been changing one of their targets. Chubbas (that lovely, affectionate Australian word for people carrying a touch too much weight) are still their concern, of course. Now advice about losing weight is a good thing, I think, but I wonder about such things as punitive taxes on sugar, introduction of ‘artificially’ sweetened foods or legislative requirements for smaller soft drink bottles*.
But now that the campaigners see the war on tobacco as just about won, they need a fresh target. And guess what – they’ve got our old mate Al Cohol in their sights. Nobody should be unaware of the dangers of drinking, to be sure. But concrete footpaths are dangerous too, and in fact regularly kill people when they fall on their heads. Before you dismiss that comparison as silly, ask yourself: where do we stop when we try to protect our fellow citizens? When everybody is legally required to carry an umbrella if it looks like rain?
The latest argument in the Battle of the Bottle, as far as I know, is about the dangers of ‘secondary drinking’. You know,
secondary smoking was all about the deleterious effects that tobacco smoke has on non-smokers who are exposed to it; secondary drinking is… well, not the sniff of gin you might get from someone’s Martini. No; someone beats up their wife or husband after a night at the pub? Secondary drinking. Someone crashes their car with more alcohol in their blood than is legal?
Secondary drinking. Kids go to school in threadbare uniforms and cardboard shoes because the parents blow all their money on the booze? You guessed it.
Why not draw up your own list over a few drinks? But enough of that. Anybody would think that I get paid by the word, when in fact I don’t get paid at all.
This story, intended partly but not entirely for travelers, was inspired by a pamphlet produced by those wonderful folks at Moët Hennessy in France which contains some useful information about drinking and riding in Europe. For example, did you know that a 90kg bloke, a figure not unlike my respectful self (err, umm… - the Editor), can put away three standard drinks (details of those later) on an empty stomach before hitting 0.05, which is the limit in Australia and in many European countries?
A 70kg woman on the other hand is limited to one drink before she crosses the line, whereas a bloke weighing the same can have two.
“These figures are for information only,” says Moët, very sensibly. “State of health, fatigue, use of medication and other factors may result in higher levels for the same amount of alcohol.
If you’re thinking of passing through this door, it might be wise to arrange a bed for the night first…
“These figures may also be lower if the alcohol is consumed during a meal, in which case, 2 glasses of alcohol for a woman weighing 60 kilos will give a
blood level of 0.05 instead of 0.07.”
They also tell us that “A healthy person eliminates between 0.01 and 0.015 (per hour).”
On to the standard drinks. In France, Moët says, a quarter litre of 5% beer is a standard drink. So are 10cl of 12% wine, 6cl of 20% port and 3cl of 40% spirits. Interestingly, it takes only 2cl of anise-based spirits, which are typically 45% alcohol, to make a standard drink. The WHO (World Health Organisation) suggests that blokes should have no more than 3 or 4 standard drinks a day, while women should stop at 2 or 3.
The figures for Australia, which has an overall blood alcohol limit of 0.05 for riders or drivers with full licenses, are similar but not entirely identical. A standard drink here contains 10gms of alcohol, no matter what kind of drink it is.
See www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/ alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/ drinksguide-cnt for an excellent and
detailed listing of the number of standard drinks in different glasses and other containers.
Europeans, like the rich, are sometimes different from you and me. While the majority of countries in the European Union also have a blood alcohol limit of 0.05, there are exceptions. You are legally permitted to have a bit of an extra sniff in Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta and the United Kingdom: their limit is 0.08, as it once was in Australia. Latvia allows less than others at 0.049 (they must have some pretty hot measuring equipment), while
“stay off the damn road if you’re pissed”
Lithuania goes for 0.04. Cyprus allows 0.022 while Sweden, Poland, Estonia and Finland drop that to 0.02. You think that’s kind of mean? Try Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Their blood alcohol limit is zero.
Make sure you check these figures before you have a drop; I might be wrong, and the rules do change. And in France, make sure you have your own breathalyzer on you if you’re riding or driving. It is zer lew, as Inspector Clouseau would say.
Most articles about drinking and riding or driving would close with an injunction to simply not drink if you’re going to hit the road. I’m a little more realistic, and with good reason. Unrealistic scenarios (whether in advertising or advice) are not convincing. Here is my
version, which I hope you’ll find worth following: know your limit (some people should drink less than the recommended amount, for example) and know how much you’ve drunk. And stay off the damn road if you’re pissed.
*This is an interesting debate. On the one side, primarily, are profit-focused multinational ‘food’ manufacturers who know that human beings have a sweet tooth bequeathed to us by evolution. On the other side are activists and governments who want to stop them from taking advantage of that sweet tooth – by reducing our choice. Whose side are you on? The capitalists or the nannies? I’m on neither, which makes my life difficult; insisting on education – and educated choice - is popular with nobody. D
WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
WHEN IN DOUBT, quote Dorothy Parker. The Scout I borrowed from the kind folk at Indian Motorcycle Brisbane was a seriously attractive blue over white (or is it white over blue? I can never sort that out) and was admired wherever I went for its paint and general appearance, although one bloke insisted that “beauty is only skin deep”. I hit him with Mrs Parker’s “What do you want, an adorable pancreas?”
The fact is that bikes like this are often bought largely for their appearance; potential buyers know perfectly well that mechanical quality and reliability are excellent these days and they don’t need to worry about them. And of course they should be. Indian has an outstanding record here, and the other established brands are good too.
So in my not-so-humble opinion (when you’ve been around as long as I have, humility is optional while grey hair is obligatory) you can actually go some way towards judging a bike by its paint job.
Not that the Scout needs to hide anything mechanical under its glittering surface. It has an outstanding powertrain, pleasant ergonomics – a
Indian
ON THE ROAD
Scout
leather seat! – and even the suspension is surprisingly effective considering how little travel it has. And if you think about it, the name is relevant. Scouting is generally defined as checking out the lay of the land before the main force is committed to an attack. Obviously that’s a military meaning; Boy Scouts (or as they are probably known these days, Person Scouts) are more about knots than reconnaissance, and we’re knot. Not.
But never mind the dib-dib-dibbers; Indian’s Scouts are out there exploring and preparing the terrain for the bigger bikes. These larger Indians are big bikes indeed and may be a little intimidating for new buyers; but once they’ve experienced a Scout they will presumably be more likely to graduate to the full-on Indian machines.
On my ride from Brisbane up to Mapleton behind the Sunshine Coast, and later back again, I’m sure I scouted out more than one potential buyer. The bike was greeted with a lot of interest, except when I was caught in a humungous thunderstorm. On that occasion, everybody just ran and hid under whatever cover they could find. Given the crappy weather I stuck to the Bruce Freeway going north, and the Scout not only happily stayed
with the traffic moving at a little over the speed limit, but offered generous passing power as well. The riding position is relaxed, or it was after I borrowed a couple of plastic bags to augment my wet weather suit in the foot region.
Once in Mapleton and given the unpredictable weather, I parked the bike in my friend Bertrand’s garage and we got around in his car. Bertrand is the Australian importer of Fournales oleo-pneumatic shocks, and he told me that he’d already sold six sets for Scouts. He’s going to send me a pair to try out, so if we can borrow a Scout down here I’ll provide a report.
On the return journey to Brisbane the weather gods were more obliging and I took some of the wonderful back roads in the hinterland. Once again the Scout acquitted itself well and I had a good time scratching its low bits. When the road became bumpy, the short-travel suspension did show its limitations, but it never upset the handling or cornering.
So drop into your local Indian Motorcycle dealer and check out just how nicely made these bikes are. D
Indian Motorcycle Brisbane
632 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley 4006 07 3363 5400
Year: 1996
Make: Yamaha
Model: TRX850
Basic specs
Yamaha TRX850
Colours: Black, Red, Blue
Claimed power: 58.6kW[79.7hp]@7500rpm
Claimed torque: 83.8Nm[61.8ftlbs]@6000rpm
Dry weight: 190kg
Fuel capacity: 18L
Chassis: Aluminium twin-spar frame with alloy swingarm
Suspension: 38mm conventional forks, single rear monoshock
Front brakes: Dual 320mm rotors with four-piston calipers
YAMAHA TRX850
YAMAHA CAME UP with the parallel twin TRX850 in an attempt to keep up with the Italians and created one of the best sounding bikes ever.
The TRX was introduced in 1996 and used an upgraded version of the TDM850 engine, which included the crank configuration being changed to 270 degrees. This gave the engine a distinct ‘Ducati-ish’ sound. The motor was then squeezed into a steel trellis type frame, which was again strangely Ducati looking, although the engine was not overly powerful, only putting out 79 horses from its twin-cylinder five-valve heads – but it was enough to
Underrated bargain
keep close to the heels of Italian rivals in the sports touring range.
Fuelling on the TRX is by way of dual Mikuni 38mm carb’s, which means it would be a good idea to get them serviced and balanced to keep your used TRX running smooth. When I say smooth, even when the bike was new, fuelling below 4000rpm was a bit of an issue but after that, the bike pulled like a steam train all the way to the redline at 8000rpm and would happily rev past that to 9000rpm.
But this bike is all about using the engine’s torque and a twisty mountain road is the best place for that. Even
The bad
Fuelling issues below 4000rpm, possible false neutrals, headlight and mirrors, possible rust problems.
The good
Sporty ride position, grunty twin engine, sensational sound, good brakes for their day and under-seat storage.
The price
NEW PRICE: $11,999 + ORC
USED PRICE: $3100 - $3700 (1996 model)
by today’s standards, the TRX can keep up a respectable pace in the right hands, especially with the benefit of the decent suspension that the bike came with but the brakes were more impressive – with 320mm rotors and large four-piston calipers, they provide more than adequate stopping power.
The TRX only lasted until 2000 and didn’t sell in big numbers because the more powerful Italian and Japanese V-twins started to overshadow it, which was a shame. There are still a few bargains around to be had - just have a mechanic give it the once over before you buy – not that the TRX had any major mechanical issues but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The TRX is a basic bike that’s certainly different and
has presence. When you throw a set of pipes on, there’s no greater sound. D
Original sales brochure –“Double barrelled excitement”!
HIGHWAY
ONCE IT WAS THE common thread that tied Australian motorcyclists together. Highway 1 was still gravel in parts and had single lane bridges; the Sandstone Curtain kept most of us from Highway 39; and the Olympic Way was pretty much an unknown. So it was Highway 31, the Hume, that saw us crossing the expanses of inland NSW and Victoria, or making our way to Canberra from either direction. It was poorly-maintained two-lane blacktop for much of the way, but it was all we knew. Freeways? Well, there was the Geelong Freeway and… err… the Geelong Freeway, going the other way.
There were people who simply didn’t understand the scale of the Hume.
Sometime in the early ‘80s, Japanese representatives of a certain motorcycle manufacturer with its headquarters in Victoria had a meeting in Canberra. They flew from Japan into Sydney and then down to the Bush Capital, after arranging for a car to collect them from their meeting and take them to head office. One of the office workers
duly left Melbourne the day before the appointment, and in due time, a little bleary-eyed, collected the executives. They were halfway to Yass with the sun sinking over the paddocks when one of them rather impatiently enquired just how much longer it would be before they reached the office.
“Six hours,” said the hapless driver. Most riders have anecdotes about the Hume. I have more than most, I suspect, because I drove, hitchhiked and rode it so often – partly because I had various girlfriends in Melbourne (no, I don’t know why Melbourne), and partly because I was involved in the Intervarsity Jazz Society and had to get to meetings. One time the headlight bulb blew on my HarleyDavidson WLA, some kilometres out of Goulburn. The low beam had blown a few days before and instead of replacing the globe I had just tipped the headlight shell downwards a little. I rode into Goulburn in the headlights of a semi, an interesting experience in corners. The last servo of the half dozen I tried had one of the appropriate bulbs.
But this isn’t about my stories. I’d like to see your stories and/ or photos on and about the old highway. What happened to you when you were threading the two- and eventually fourand even six-lane road? Breakdowns, strange encounters, unplanned happenings – share them with us and with the rest of our readers. Your story can be short or long; your pictures can be sharp or fuzzy. We’re looking forward to being amused, entertained and even horrified.
Your tales, please, to Hume Memories, thebear@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or to Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066. Have fun with your recollections as you pass them on. D
GRIZZLING
THE BEAR GETS A few things off his (ample, ha ha) chest
WHAT’S UP, DOC?
You’ve probably realised that one of the functions of this column is to just let me blow off steam. Now I’ve had one of those sessions with my doctor which involves him drawing off litres of my precious blood while chatting amiably about the advantages of losing weight, cutting down on drinking and other absurd topics. Among the matters he mentioned was the advisability of getting less
NO BRAINER
Just got the annual Australian Cost of Congestion report from TomTom Telematics. It found that approximately $3.5 billion worth of time is being lost per year due to traffic in Australia’s busiest cities - an increase of $469.87 million on last year. Traffic travel times in Australia’s 10 busiest cities are up 3% from 2016. This is extending the time spent on the road by an average of 27 minutes per day, costing businesses an average of $8.20 per vehicle per day - up 14% on last year. Since 2008, congestion has increased by 7% on average, with the biggest increases taking place this year. Sydney remained Australia’s most congested city. Now, match that up with a Dutch university report which showed that even if only 20% of drivers switched to motorcycles, congestion would simply disappear. I’m sure I don’t need to paint you a picture. Why isn’t the gummint encouraging the switch from cars to bikes or scooters?
Well, I’ve had a look through my files of photos from IFMA motorcycle shows of the past and I’ve come up with proof.
agitated about stuff. I’m not sure I can do that, and in fact I’m not sure I want to do it. Outrage fuels a lot of useful action.
What do you think? More meditation and less grizzling?
THEY WERE GIANTS IN THOSE DAYS
You know how old people are always on about how much better and bigger everything was back in the ‘old days’?
The Big Things in 1982 really were big things, as you can see from the Vespa in the photo, and they had become even bigger by 1992 as the helmet shows. What a shame that things have become so much smaller since…
Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming
Perhaps introducing smart-looking helmets like this might get more people to switch from their tin boxes to scooters or bikes!
[Photo Rheinisches Bildarchiv, IFMA 1968]
Calling in an air strike with an early Cruise Missile on an idiot who sat on his backside in his car after the lights changed and made me miss the green light. [Photo Paul Healey]
[Photo Rheinisches Bildarchiv, IFMA 1992]
[Photo Rheinisches Bildarchiv, IFMA 1982]
ClaSSICMOrrIS
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
In the last issue of Australian Motorcyclist we had a pictorial of Bill Forsyth’s latest journey to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. SW
Ace AustrAliAn motor race and road test photographer Bill Forsyth attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed again for three days at end of June and into early July this year, as he has done for more years than he cares to remember, and insists he will continue to do as long as he can manage to drag himself off to Britain for this great annual event. Bill has photographed me twice on Black Shadow Vincent motorcycles and on the odd 1939 500cc OHV Levis, among several others, while contributing a truck-load of similarly perfect colour photos to car and motorcycle magazines alike for decades. He is closely involved in the VMX (Vintage Motocross) magazine. His new book on Goodwood is filled to the brim with action and still photographs he has taken of many of the greatest race cars and motorcycles this world will be ever likely to look upon, some of which were campaigned in anger when the circuit was at its best. All of these vehicles– along with far more modern machinery – were flung about that tight little circuit with reckless abandon during several Speed Festivals. Goodwood circuit is situated in Chichester, Southern England, and is 2.367 miles (3.809Km) in length, built – as Sydney’s Mount Druitt circuit was – by lengthening and greatly enhancing a wartime airfield’s landing strip. It began operating as a regional track in 1948 and continued to function as a popular, first class circuit for car and motorcycle racing until 1966, where it was suggested it ought to be lengthened again in a bid to allow more open, sweeping corners catering for the much higher speeds of more modern
WORDS lEstEr MOrrIs
racing machinery, both on two wheels and four. It was also suggested that, should the narrow circuit be widened, then modified and lengthened, it might one day host International GP races as well, but the expense of building a special circuit for these types of events proved to be too much, so Goodwood was closed in 1966 and almost abandoned, except as a ‘test’ circuit or to cater to Sports Club events.
In 1993 Lord March, the owner of the huge, sprawling Goodwood property, decided to hold the very first, nostalgic Festival of Speed, which was, by a happy accident of timing and Fate, to become an enormous, highly popular annual event. In the past the Festival of Speed had to be capped at no more than 150,000 visitors for it became, almost at once, far too unwieldy for its own good. The Festival now commemorates – among many other things - thirty years of post-war open-wheeler and motorcycle racing on the Classic motor race circuit, and has become a major annual attraction which seems certain to continue forever.
But the surprising (?) demand for nostalgic motorcycle and car racing from that Golden Era just after the war became so great that the circuit was re-opened in 1998, some five years after that first Festival, to cater for the types of now-Classic racing motorcycles and open-wheel GP cars which had raced there during the circuit’s heyday. These events have become enormously popular not only in Goodwood, but world-wide, including, of course, here in Oz. On his return, Bill and I chatted for far too long about Goodwood but also (and at length) about those Good Old Days in Australia when plain black leathers and un-streamlined motorcycles were the norm when racing on road race circuits or smaller dirt tracks. We also recognised that
we are among a small army of rabid enthusiasts who were privileged to have been closely involved in the Golden Era of motorcycling which existed during the turbulent years just after WW2.
I recalled my first year at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, in 1948, where the 500cc Senior race was won by Frank Mussett from Victoria, who was riding his rare, factory 500cc KTT Velocette. He was chased home by Harry Hinton, who was mounted on the new, allalloy OHV Grand Prix Triumph twin at the time, the only genuine racer which Triumph ever made, but which they abandoned a few years later for it proved to be not as competitive as they had hoped it would be. In fact, there were more than a few ‘home-tuned’ Triumphs in Australia which were every bit as fast as the GP Triumph, both in Clubman’s and in the ‘Title’ events as well.
Harry’s ill-handling machine was not only fitted with the factory’s frightful sprung-hub on its rear wheel, but the oil pump was not at its best, which resulted in the crankcase breather squirting oil all over his rear wheel. Hinton slid onto the dirt on several occasions, if only to cover the rear tyre with a thin coating of dust.
Mussett’s new lap record at Bathurst was 3 min.05sec, which was only just eclipsed by Alf Barrett’s great drive two days later on Easter Monday in his supercharged straight-8, 4.2-Litre Alfa Romeo ‘Monza’ open-wheeler. Barrett looked very relaxed as he sat half out of the cockpit with his ‘uniform’ of black helmet and dark blue polo shirt. The new lap record then stood at 3min.02 seconds.
If Mussett’s style was the old fashioned ‘sit-up-and-beg’ on his ‘naked’ Velocette, then modern racing motorcycles are very different. They are heavily streamlined, very colourful, look very similar to one another and
CLASSIC MORRIS
sound similar as well, while extremely fat, bald tyres with remarkable tread compounds allow riders to ignore Newton’s Laws of Motion as they crank their machines over to the most impossible angles. Riders compound this absurdity by hanging off the inside of their machines, while knees – and elbows! - scrape along the road surface. Compare this, say, to the greatest ride ever seen on a motorcycle just about anywhere on this planet, which occurred during the shocking weather conditions which prevailed at Mount Panorama in 1956. Rain pelted down heavily all day, the circuit streaming with water, in particular at the fast left-hander on McPhillamy Park, where a small stream of muddy water was running unabated out of the gates of the Park, carrying with it small sticks and stones across the apex of the corner, along with the occasional brown paper bag and small collections of leaves and other flora.
It was the 500cc Senior event, the rider was the great Jack Forrest, who was riding the powerful, un-streamlined and obviously very unwieldy, ultralightweight, DOHC shaft-drive Rennsport BMW, one of two of the rare German racers which had entered Australia. It has been said that no more than about 30 of those machines were ever built, with Forrest and the large German Walter Zeller claimed to be the only two men on earth to have been able to tame that rocket-ship of a bike. Well-known British rider Dickie Dale was killed while riding one, as was another expert rider Fergus Anderson , while the immortal Geoff Duke rode a Rennsport just once, then jumped off to denounce it as being far too fast and far too dangerous to ride.
It’s interesting to note that Rennsport BMW never won a world championship as a solo, but the engine was powerful enough as a sidecar mount to win the world championship in sidecar racing no fewer than 20 times!!
In 1956 there was no such a thing as wet-weather tyres, the thin tyres on the Rennsport no more than 75mm across, compared to modern-day motorcycle race tyres which are at once more than
three times that wide, much better contoured and with far, far ‘stickier’ compounds.
Witness, then, Forrest’s attack on the streaming, creek-like track surface as he entered McPhillamy on that first lap, with the entire field well into the Esses, the leaders well onto the lip of the left-hand corner onto Con Rod Straight which still bears his name. Forrest was away last, having been push-started by officials 10 seconds after the entire field had shot away, for he could not pushstart the bike himself due to a broken right ankle sustained in practice on the Good Friday.
Buy it!
Hey, my 196-page book, “Vintage Morris: Tall Tales but True from a Lifetime in Motorcycling” is available for purchase.
Forrest was a lonely figure as the BMW howled full-bore into that very fast corner, cranked hard over and almost side-on, with his left foot on the deck, dirt-track fashion, in an effort to control the machine which was happily aquaplaning. With the bike upright, I could clearly see the machine was wobbling like a spinning top which was about to slow down and stop, thanks – I have always felt - to the effect of that longitudinally-spinning crankshaft and skinny tyres, the open megaphones screaming like a Banshee in extreme torment. The BMW emitted an eerie, almost ear-piercing exhaust note. Once heard that thrilling sound was never to be forgotten, and bids fair to never be heard again!
Every lap was the same as the rain still sheeted down, the Rennsport’s rear end fish-tailing from one limited lock to the other along the short Mountain Straight at the top of the circuit before the bike dived, side-on, over the lip of Skyline. Forrest told me, very many years later, that even he didn’t know how he managed to stay on board the
To secure your signed copy, please send a cheque or money order for $42 ($29 + $14 postage nationwide) to: L&L Morris, PO Box 392, Winston Hills NSW 2153. Cheers for now. LM
bike, but he won that shocker of a race by half a lap: an incredible, almost unbelievable effort! And, in passing, he had no front brake after the very first lap, relying on the gearbox and rear brake to take the edge of the speed of this too-powerful German flat-twin. His entry onto Pit Straight after the 130mph drop down Con-Rod Straight must have been terrifying to witness. Nor was this the only ride at Bathurst which kept us on the tips of our toes at the Mount, (and, for that matter, on many other tar sealed, Speedway or dirt tracks) for the furious dice between Tony McAlpine and Lloyd Hirst on two Black Lightning Vincents at Bathurst several years earlier, Bill and I decided, was absolutely the stuff of Legend.
The two were racing in the Unlimited GP on their super-quick, 100bhp 1000cc OHV racers, with never more than the width of a Queen-sized bedspread between them for lap after lap after lap, the rasping, out-of-step sounds of their open exhausts echoing in our ears for years thereafter. On two succeeding laps, McAlpine attempted to ride side-on around the outside of Hirst on the apex of McPhillamy Park (always a favourite vantage point for us), his front wheel just on the road surface, the rear wheel spinning into the granite chips in the dirt, pelting a rooster-tail of the pain-inducing material all over the small army of cheering spectators who were standing there. That event was a marvellous race to behold and has been spoken of in hushed tones for many years by those of us who were lucky enough to have been there to witness it.
Probably the greatest single-cylinder racing motorcycle of all time was the 500cc 30M Manx Norton, initially a single OHC 79 x 100mm longstroker, but later an unbeatable DOHC engine with over-square bore x stoke dimensions of 90 x 78.4mm. However, it may come as a surprise to many enthusiasts to learn that the Norton factory built just seventeen (17) 600cc single-cylinder OHC Manx Norton machines, the bikes mostly intended for reigning World Champion Eric Oliver to campaign in the Unlimited (up to 1000cc) International road race championships and for also for other, if very few, interested parties elsewhere. It may be equally surprising to learn that Hazell and Moore, the Sydney Norton distributors, imported two of these extremely rare 600cc
OHC Featherbed Manx Nortons, one to be ridden by Laurie Hayes who worked in Hazell’s workshop at the time while I worked upstairs in the spare parts department. The other 600 Manx – it was said, but never substantiated - for the great Harry Hinton to use in selected events.
Hayes won the Unlimited (1000cc) GP at Bathurst on the 600 Manx in 1950, and the Unlimited Australian TT at Lowood in S.A. on the same machine in 1951.
It was thought that the Manx Norton which Hinton rode during another thrilling, cut-and-thrust dice with Vincent-mounted Lloyd Hurst for most of the Unlimited race at Bathurst a year or so later was probably the rare six-hundred, but this still cannot be proven one way or the other, if only because of such little knowledge of the rare machine.
Other rare, ‘home-made’, beautifully-engineered Australian machines such as the 250cc DOHC Velocettes of Ted Cary, Les Diener and the jockey-sized Sid Willis, started life as simple lightweight OHV pushrod commuter machines. One of them, Les Diener’s trim little LDS, proved to be capable of easily beating Fergus Anderson’s Championshipwinning 250cc Moto Guzzi which was brought to Australia in the early fifties by the then-World Champion. It was a common sight at Mount Druitt and Bathurst to see Sid Willis ride into the pit area on his huge Harley outfit with his own DOHC 250 and 350cc Velocettes securely strapped into a heavy side-box. He won more than his fair share of races on those very swift, home-tuned machines.
What of the amazing race on the one-mile dirt-track at Poplars in Blacktown in 1949 (where Blacktown Hospital now stands) which pitted Hinton on his incredible pre-war 250cc OHV Blue Star BSA against Johnny Astley on the big 1000cc Vincent. Neither machine should have been racing on dirt at all: the highlytuned little BSA was initially a cheap commuter model, the big Vincent more than a monstrous handful on soft dirt. But the pair fought furiously for the entire distance of the Unlimited feature event, the lead changing several times each lap, the pair never more than about an arm’s length apart! OK, that was then and this is now, where we live in a very different era, whether we like it or not. Modern road racing motorcycles are highly sophisticated projectiles which are more than twice as fast as they were in that Golden Era, the professional riders of today probably unable to tell the differences between a flat tyre and a flywheel, for few people build their own racing engines from scratch these days. The Golden Era just after WW2, when there were probably some twenty or more marques competing on more or less equal terms, has long gone but, happily for us who saw It all back then and revelled in it, we can now bask in the sight and sounds of a New Era, while fondly reminiscing on what motorcycle racing was like Way Back When. Of course we can always trot off to any number of Historic race events if we want to shed a tear as we enjoy anew the sights and sounds of Yesteryear. And three cheers for that, I hope I hear you shout! D
WHATSAYYOU
WE
LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words. 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, Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity.
PAUL WINS THIS month’s set of ear plugs because we reckon he’ll need them to listen to his, “elevator music CD”.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Hi guys,
I’m probably out of line here because we all have different likes and dislikes about our bikes and I’m good with that but thirteen or something pages, including ads plus the cover image whacking on about Harleys, jeez..!!
The rest of the magazine was great as usual, just had to keep fl icking pages till I got to it..!!!
Next time you need stuff to fi ll pages, how about Best Elevator Music for 2017 or My Favourite Airline Food, you know, something interesting....hmm!! It’s Christmas and now I feel bad...
Cheers Paul Cadman
Hi Paul,
LOL! As you know, we try to cater to all tastes and H-D’s do come into that. Maybe a CD of “elevator music greatest hits” stuck to the cover will be something you’d like? Hahahaha!
NOT BUYING IT
Gidday Stuart, Just opened the December issue and was reading your editorial. The fi rst thing that popped into my head was the new bike laws here in QLD. If you are learning to ride and want to work your way up to an unrestricted licence, you have to stay on your ‘P’s longer and have to do an extra course along the way now. So it costs you over $1000 in course costs now to have your full licence. With that and the extra time you’re on your ‘P’s now, people are shying away.
Cheers Greg
Hi Greg,
Bit of a shame, isn’t it! Cheers, Stuart.
BACK TO IT
Hi, Stuart, Bear, and Ralph, Thanks for your good wishes. My recovery is making very good progress and I renewed my bikes’ insurance. Just in case... Cheers Volker
Hi Volker,
That’s the way, mate! Back on the horse
Have a great one, Chris
NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY BEAR! Gents,
My, my, what’s been going on behind the scenes that we readers don’t get to hear about?
Cheers, Robert Crick
For those that are wondering what this is about, Robert sent a link - www.abc.net.au/ news/2017-12-02/the-mysterious-life-ofperth-brothel-madam-shirley-finn/9216800 with the headline being, “Parties with Elton and meetings with The Bear: The mysterious life of Shirley Finn”. I highly recommend reading what The Bear has been up to in his secret life. LOL!
Don’t feel bad, mate. Tell us what you’d like to see in the mag. Have a great Xmas and new year! Cheers, Stuart.
stupid fob things! What a wank of an idea they are for a motorcycle. We’re not driving f…ing cars, FFS!
Cheers, Stuart.
ON
Hi,
SHOW
I live on the Sunshine Coast in Qld and spent last weekend in Sydney for the bike show. Thought it was great, disappointing that there were no Guzzi displays, but otherwise excellent. I met Lester at your stand and bought one of his books which he kindly autographed for me. Now I realise I should’ve bought one for my son who is an avid motorcycle fan but probably will never have
one due to an anxiety disorder which has tormented him for years. He just can’t handle the thought of managing a bike, sadly. Anyway, he does enjoy Lester’s stories, I subscribe to your mag and he always turns to Lester’s articles whenever he’s up for a visit and sees my mags lying about. He’d be chuffed to have an autographed copy of the book, I’m sure. Could you please pass on Lester’s contact so I can arrange that? Thanks heaps. My bikes are ‘76 Ducati GTS that I’ve had as a regular ride for 25 years, a 2004 Multistrada and a 2010 KLR , great bike. I’ve been a subscriber for a while now and will be signing up again.
Thanks again, Greg Treichel
Hi Greg,
Yes, some of the show was good, some not so good. For a copy of Lester’s book he says to just send a cheque or money order for $42 ($29 + $14 postage) to L&L Morris, PO Box 392, Winston Hills NSW 2153 Also, please include a note of whom (name) you’d like him to sign the copy to.
Hold onto that GTS, I just read last night their value has started to really go up!
Cheers, Stuart.
ON THE TOOLS
Hey Peter,
Thanks for the update and I wish you three Merry Men and your families all the very best over the Christmas break. Take care.
Cheers, Morry Cantarella
Same to you, mate. What’s happening with you? Are you still working at the mine?
Cheers, The Bear
Hey Peter,
Yes mate still there in the Beautiful North West. after 42 years on the tools I fi nally hung the big spanners up and now sit in a drill rig drilling 225mm diameter holes, 10 meters in the ground, so the only spanners I pick up with renewed vigour are my motorcycle mechanic tools. I have built a beautiful workshop here in Perth and have mainly been maintaining my own small fl eet of motorcycles plus a couple of close mates’ bikes and race bikes, usually drag bikes. So, on many levels life is good, I for one don’t have to explain “the passion” we all feel riding.
It’s funny my drill rig weighs 100 or so tonnes, it’s on caterpillar tracks and at full speed does 3.5km/h. When I go to Kwinana drag strip even on my beloved Suzuki
B King I usually run a 10.4 second pass @ around 220km/h, the feeling from that fi rst pass is usually a few expletives, but let’s say “Woo Hoo” just to fi ll in the gaps. What I often say to people with “that “ line, “oh aren’t you a little old to be racing motorbikes isn’t that dangerous”? My response always is the same “I never feel more alive than when I am on that race bike”. That’s
WHAT SAY YOU
why I enjoy Stuart and Chris with their road racing and the beautiful bikes they have built together with Alex Pickett riding as well.
We met Chris and Kerrie in Abu Dhabi on a 4X4 desert tour, such a small world. Chris and I just sat around talking ‘motorcycle’ (funny that). Anyway Peter I’m waffling on but as always just so good to read all of your writings in each new issue, I often think of meeting up with you at the Billabong Roadhouse and the ride and a couple of beers in Carnarvon. Please take care.
Sincerely Morry
SPREADING THE CHEER
We got a few of you wishing us all the best over the Xmas break – which follows on below. Luckily we worked extra hard before Xmas so we could have a week off. Enjoy!
Cheers, Stuart, The Bear and Ralph
Gents,
Just wanted to wish you guys a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Keep up the great work. I can’t wait for each issue!
Regards, Kev
Stuart,
Hope you and The Bear have a great Christmas and keep up the hard work.
Thanks, Robert
Boys,
Have a few over the xmas period and enjoy. All the best. Cheers, Adrian
Stuart, Bear & Ralph
I want you guys to know I really appreciate all the great work you do with AMM. I love every issue, even my wife reads each issue. Wishing you and your families all the best for Christmas and the New Year.
Sincerely, James
Bear,
To all the team at AMM, have a good Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Regards, Gerard
GROUNDHOG DAY
Hi Stuart,
Got my January issue and when I saw the “January 2017” date on the front cover it felt like Groundhog Day.
Cheers, Max
Hi Max,
Good spot. Big uppercut to me for not picking that one up!
Have a great Xmas and new year, so, yeah, it does feel a bit like groundhog day! LOL! Cheers, Stuart.
GREAT WORK
Stuart,
I wanted to say that I took up your recommendation of using the guys at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering. The guys did a service on my Multistrada and did an awesome job. So I can highly recommend them to all of the AMM readers.
Thanks, John.
Hi John,
That’s great to hear. Shaun, George and Mark are fantastic blokes and really know what they’re talking about. Cheers, Stuart.
I SEE YOU?
Bear,
Did I happen to see you riding along on the Pacifi c Highway last week (early Dec)? I think you were on a cruiser of some sort, I might be wrong?
Regards, Bill.
Hi Bill,
It could have been? I recently rode an Indian Scout in Queensland, which isn’t really the Pacific Highway or you might have seen me riding my Harley-Davidson 72 up to The Pie in the Sky on the old Pac Hwy for a coffee?
Cheers, The Bear
GIMME DAT
Hello to The Bear & Happy New Year!
In the interests of fairness & starting the year off on the right foot, the head honchos at my favourite motorcycle publication, Australian Motorcyclist Magazine should seriously consider awarding me with a free 1 year sub to said magazine, for spotting the typo on the cover of the January 2018 edition, released in December 2017. January 2017 indeed...
Best regards, Tim Storck
Hi Tim,
LOL! We thought we’d keep you a year younger! Uppercuts for me for not picking it up before it went to the printer!
Happy new year, mate.
Cheers, Stuart.
Geez, you fellas are hard to get a free sub out of…
Have a stellar 2018 Stuart.
Rgds, Tim
PS: Keep the Adventure riding stories coming too please mate. D
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BEARFACED
“BSOMEONE DID IT!
UILT IT?” SAID MY newly-acquired First Best Friend. “Nobody built it. It’s always been there.” We were talking about the back ‘road’ from somewhere to somewhere else and eventually to what was then Titograd in what was then Jugoslavia. He was my FBF because his mountain hut offered shelter from the ceaseless soaking rain and ice-cold wind, and he sold the vicious, cheap local brandy called Slivovitz which was currently assisting in returning feeling, mainly pain, to my limbs and other extensions.
“Someone must have built it,” I insisted. “Even dirt tracks like that must have been made.” He turned down the corners of his mouth and stuck out his chin in the unmistakable Balkan gesture that means, among other things, ‘damned if I know’. “Maybe the goats made it. Or God made it. More likely,” he grinned and showed off his spectacularly mismatched brown teeth, “it was the Devil. The Devil made a lot of things around here.”
When you’re out in Backofnowherestan it matters who built the roads. Take Nepal. There are a few options if you want to get down into India from Nepal, but there are only two that should be taken seriously. The first is from Kathmandu to the border crossing at Raxaul; the other leads from Pokhara to Sonauli. They look the same on the map, but that’s misleading.
“The road to Raxaul was built by the Chinese,” the owner of our rickety ‘hotel’ told me, probably
inaccurately. I’ll accept his statement anyway because I was never able to find out what I would consider truly the truth. “The road to Sonauli was built by the Indians,” he went on, and that is true. “So you should take the road to Raxaul. The Chinese build good roads. The Indians…” he shrugged “they build Indian roads. You understand?” I certainly did after taking the Sonauli road a few days later. ‘Scary’ is a much-overused word; at the edge of this road the tar, where there was tar, crumbled into river gorges several hundred feet deep. Naturally the trucks did not give way or share the road in any meaningful way.
In Afghanistan it was a different pair of roadbuilding nations. We were staying in what was quite a pleasant hotel. It had once been some kind of mansion and its huge rooms had been divided into smaller ones with all sorts of material, including some wood. Apart from the showers which were icy cold – the water in Kabul comes straight off the ice on the Hindu Kush – it had all the comforts of home including a sunny garden with a few trees and scruffy grass. Here the owner had simple and heartfelt advice for us. “Why do you want to go to Bamiyan?” he wondered. “There is nothing there except those stone Buddhas, and they have had their tops
blown off by the crazy people.” Anyone not actively involved in encouraging tourism was, to him, crazy. He was probably right. “And to get there you will have to go on the Mazar road. Do not go on the Mazar road. It was built by the Russians; it is terrible. Stay here a few days and then go to Kandahar on the road the Americans built.”
As it turned out, the Mazar road wasn’t all that bad. It certainly got worse when we turned off onto the Bamiyan road at Bagram. There was no tar seal, and while the dusty surface was reasonably good most of the time, it did occasionally disintegrate into deep sand. He was right about the Kandahar road, though. We sampled that a few days later and it was as good as anything you’d fi nd in New South Wales. The EU has done a remarkable amount of road building all over Europe. I assume that they decided, quite correctly, that nothing else can really help an underdeveloped region until it’s got halfway decent roads, so that’s what they start with. And don’t assume that ‘underdeveloped’ necessarily means Eastern Europe or the Balkans. Even northern Spain has benefi ted from EU (that is, German) money with a new set of freeways which motorcyclists of course avoid in favour of the older, sometimes terrible but always exciting road network.
But it is the east that has got the most out of the EU. Croatia now has a terrifi c freeway network where once even the best of its roads had so much grease and oil impregnated in the surface that they were more like motorcycle skating rinks.
I’ll leave you this month with the wish that all the good people I met over the years in Nepal, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Croatia and the other fl ashpoints around the globe are safe and well. D
ADVERTISERS LISTING
BORIS
YOU NEVER FORGET
ONE OF THE consequences of riding motorcycles is that suddenly you lose all your friends. This is fine, because motorcycles quite effectively fill the hole those feckless, non-riding bastards leave in your life. So you don’t really miss them at all. For a while, anyway. Eventually, the driving human need for socialisation with likeminded creatures kicks in and you begin to seek out people who laugh at the same things you do.
I lost my best childhood friend when I took to the handlebars. I didn’t think I would, because Alex and I were tight. Hell, I had set him on fire when we were twelve and that kinda thing tends to make or break friendships.
Immediately after I had put him out, it made ours. We were becoming increasingly attracted to the motorcycle thing, and as we approached our midteens we started making plans to ride around Australia. We even bought a map, seeing ourselves as the wog-kid version of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in the movie Easy Rider; except we were more like Corporal Serbia and Silly than Captain America and Billy. Anyway, upon finishing high school, the plan was to purchase motorcycles and hit the road.
It was a simple plan, but Alex still managed to screw it up by buying a car. He was a few months older than me, so he got his licence first, and two days later there he was at the door of my house with an orange VW Passat sitting on the street behind him.
‘Whose is that?’ I asked, peering over his shoulder.
‘Mine!’ he said proudly.
‘I thought we were gonna buy bikes...’ He looked a little uncomfortable, but he had clearly rehearsed an answer.
‘Yeah . . . umm, look, it’s only until you get a bike,’ he muttered. ‘Then I’ll sell it and get one too.’ Except when that happened a few months later, he didn’t. All of a sudden we didn’t have much in common anymore.
By that time, I didn’t really care. I had a motorcycle, which I had acquired via
parental manipulation, extreme pleading and the telling of vast lies.
I had managed to save half the price of the bike doing part-time work, and then a bit more when I got some brief full-time work as the indentured servant of a crazy Holocaust survivor who ran an army disposal store in the city. In the three months I worked for Mr Aaronovich, and for which he paid me in small notes from the till every afternoon after I had finished sweeping the store entry and the footpath, cleaning the display windows and cases, and straightening the shelves that overflowed with musty-smelling exarmy gear, I vowed I would never again be taken in by classified ads seeking Trainee Assistant Store Managers, when all they really wanted were cleaners.
I was still short a grand, and after many high-level family summits, which began with my father vowing to put an axe through any motorcycle I brought home and eventually ended with my mother in tears on her knees before an icon of the Virgin Mary and my father’s guarantor signature on a small bank loan, I was in a bike shop on Parramatta Road and buying the object of my eternal salvation – or damnation, if you believed the muttered prayers of my mum.
That object was a Yamaha XJ650. It had four cylinders, 650ccs and it was red. I was complete. I didn’t need friends, I didn’t need family. Hell, I even stopped paying attention to the pretty Greek girl who lived in the house behind ours and used to dance to the radio in her underpants most evenings. It was all I could do to keep a job for any longer than a month at a time because working ate into my riding time.
The first fortnight after the purchase was spent in a haze of euphoric amazement. I even stopped masturbating for a while. My mother grew concerned I had suddenly become a little retarded because I would, in the middle of dinner, stop
chewing my food and stare into space with a silly grin on my face. I was, of course, reliving a series of corners, or a particularly fast blast, but to her it looked as if part of my brain had turned into soap.
The whole riding experience was so intense it was as if I had to relive it a few times in my head to absorb it and process it. For the next eighteen months I funned myself stupid by riding everywhere all the time. I had no fear. There was no hesitancy in my riding, I just went at it with singleminded zealotry. I might as well have been retarded.
‘How you learnink raid dis?’ she demanded to know one day.
‘There’s not all that much to learn, Mum,’ I grinned. ‘It’s like riding a pushbike, but heaps easier ’cause you don’t have to pedal.’
‘Don’t be goink too fast,’ she pleaded. My expression was immediately one of shock. ‘Never!’ I declared and followed that bullshit up with a lie of such epic grandeur it was a miracle the God to whom Mum prayed several times a day didn’t strike me dead: ‘They don’t go that fast anyway.’
But they did.
(This is an edited extract from Boris’ book, At the Altar of the Road Gods. Get yours from boris@bikeme.tv) D
MULTI ENDURO PRO / TUONO 1100 RR / GSX250R / INDIAN BOBBER / MAP: BLACKALL RANGE ISSUE #12, VOL 5
