Australian Motorcyclist Issue #69

Stay cool this summer while providing the highest degree of comfort, safety and durability.

Australia’s most versatile Goretex jacket with superb ventilation. A true FOUR season jacket.

Mojo!

The ideal commuting or touring companion with protection, ventilation, and adjustability.

Monday-Friday 9.00am - 5.15pm Saturday 9.00am - 3.00pm

Moto-Skiveez

Adventure / Sport / Cruiser Skiveez

Designed to suit your riding style, these shorts will ensure your “behind” can go the distance. #notjustundies

This base layer is not only cool but will keep your core cool with Coolcore™ fabric technology.

Forma Adventure Boots

Get the comfort and flexibility of a road boot with the protective features and full height of off-road boots.

BRISBANE

KLIM Badlands Pro Jacket

KLIM Marrakesh Jacket

KLIM Latitude Jacket & Pants

KLIM Aggressor Cool -1.0 Short Sleeve

GET GEARED UP

Everything for your dirty adventures

BENELLI LEONCINO TRAIL & TRK502X

Two Italians getting dirty

ADVENTURE COMPARO

Recap of the big boys adventure

LAMS ADVENTURE COMPARO

Benelli and CF Moto adventurers?

FAVOURITE DIRT ROADS

The Bear, Ralph and Stuart discuss

Lower Clarence Part 2 MONGOLIAN

Compass Expeditions

The

I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

Editor Stuart Woodbury

Contributing Editor J Peter Thoeming

Sales Manager Ralph Leavsey-Moase ralph@ausmotorcyclist.com.au

Photo Editor Nick Wood

Designer Amy Hale

Photographers Nick Wood

Photography, Half-Light Photography

Contributors Robert Crick, Jacqui Kennedy, Robert Lovas, Phil Gadd, Boris Mihailovic, Lester Morris, The Possum, Colin Whelan

Editorial contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au

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Distributor Gordon and Gotch

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EDITORSPEAKS

Adventure

THINK OF IT, PLAN IT

, mark it out and do it! This is adventure in a nutshell but the planning side of an adventure ride can sometimes be the hardest part of the entire thing. I’ll take you back to a time when I planned an adventure ride I organised for a four bike comparo. The route was to head out to Ivanhoe for the first night, over to Menindee, down to Pooncarie, to Balranald, then home across the Hay Plain.

I thought I had everything planned out – bikes were sorted, the route, the riders, photographer, lunch, dinner, accommodation, fuel, weather, times, dates places and even the first aid kit in case it all went pear shaped. I’d called every place we planned to stop for fuel, food and overnight. Everything was confirmed and away we went. The big thing I hadn’t planned for was if everything did go pear shaped and what the alternatives would be.

The first nights’ accommodation was to be at the “caravan park” at Ivanhoe. The lady who owned the place said to get the keys at the RSL from 6pm. I’d spoken to her the day before, as I did with every place for this route. What I didn’t know is that the place closed down during that night! The difficult part here is that Ivanhoe is in the middle of nowhere and riding the Gum Lake Road in pitch black to Menindee was our only option. Anyone that

knows this road will tell you there’s more wildlife than Noah’s Ark and our poor photographer, Cain who had limited (or no) off-road experience split a kangaroo in half with the big KTM 990 Adventure R. Some of Skippy’s fur burnt into the plastic fairing as a permanent reminder. Cain stopped and was shaking like a leaf. He didn’t want to ride on, but I said his only option was to continue or be eaten by whatever was out in the darkness – he rode on.

The next day we were told we wouldn’t get to Pooncarie as the road had been washed away, it turned out to be not so bad but when we got to Pooncarie and the “fuel station” (a single bowser on the road) the sign said, “All enquiries to the pub”. Turns out they hadn’t had fuel for eighteen months or so and the women I’d spoken to had no idea. We luckily came across a guy who had just enough fuel to get us to the next fuel station about 200km away.

To finish things off, the Caltex service station at Balranald was closed, even when I’d been talking to them on the phone there and then! We just made the one a few kilometres out of town for the minus five blizzard ride across the Hay Plain and the 1000km ride back to Sydney. I guess what I’m saying is always make a Plan B. We could have very easily been stuck in the middle of nowhere and been the next Wolf Creek movie stars –it certainly felt like it at times. LOL! Cheers, Stuart.

VENTURE TO THE TT

Dave at Get Routed has been offered another house for the 2019 IoM TT, so he can now take bookings from another 6 people. The phone lines are open!

The cottage is near Port Erin and will comfortably house 6 people in 1 double room, 1 twin room and 2 single rooms. It’s a self-contained, fully restored stone farm cottage built in 1850.

Until now the 2019 trip was all booked out. This accommodation is NOT available to people who don’t want to take a bike to the TT. The accommodation and ferry tickets are only available to those who want bikes shipped to the UK and back from either Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne.

Of course, for those wanting to take a tent and camp out at one of the many IoM camp sites Dave still has room for more bikes to be shipped over to the UK and a limited number of ferry tickets from Liverpool - to and from the IoM. The tickets are on fixed dates. Dave has a list of all those camp sites and there are some very good ones, very close to the race circuit. Bikes will be loaded in Australia towards the end of February and available for collection in Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK towards the end of April.

To make an enquiry or a booking please email to: dave@getrouted. com.au or phone 03 5625 9080. You better hurry!

PROBLEM SOLVED

Stuck for space? The need for safe, quick and easy storage solutions between rides is how Dynamoto stands came to life. Riders are regularly faced with problems caused by their bikes’ in-built stands and small storage spaces in which to store them safely out of the weather.

“It began as a way of solving my own personal problem,” said professional designer Stephen. “I wanted access to my bike to be quick and easy, and often got frustrated turning it in a tight parking space.

After discussing the problem with mechanical engineer Stuart, the mates came up with Dynamoto – bike stands that move in all directions.

“Thanks to the patented multidirectional movement, you can quickly and easily move your motorcycle in any direction on your own.

With Dynamoto it is possible for riders to get their bike into even the

tightest spaces and around previously impossible corners. To view the Dynamoto in action, visit https:// youtu.be/fvOTw9UtU1A or https:// dynamoto.com.au/

AERO-GUARD

Barkbusters is excited to announce the release of its new state of the art, aerodynamically designed AERO-GP lever guards. Conceived with safety in mind but created to be beautiful when fitted to your machine.

The innovative design will complement the look of today’s street bike aesthetics while providing the essential protection needed to prevent accidental activation of the brake or clutch lever during close quarters racing on the track. For street riders the same safety elements are evident for those riding in large groups, tight spaces and during lane filtering on congested urban roads.

The AERO-GP is compatible with most makes and models, including fully-faired sports bikes, tourers and scooters. Visit www.barkbusters.net for more. D

MT-09 TRIPLE THE FUN

MT-09SP SUPREME PERFORMANCE

MT-03 START TOUGH

MT-07LA LEARN TO BURN

MT-10SP APEX PREDATOR

MT-10 POWER PLUS

MT-07HO high output

BENELLI NOT TOO long ago released the Leoncino and TRK502 with notations two more dirt focused variants were on their way. Well, they have both arrived and I headed off to Victoria and the Mount Macedon area to give them a whirl in and around the pine forests.

LEONCINO TRAIL

My first preconceptions of the Leoncino Trail were that it would just be a Leoncino with off road tyres, how wrong was I as the Trail is quite different…let’s have a look.

First up there’s a 19 inch spoked wheel on the front, with a 17 inch spoked wheel on the rear. Suspension travel is longer which results in the seat height being higher – up from 785mm to 825mm. And finally the front brakes feature wave discs and twin piston slide calipers, whereas the road going Leoncino has normal (round) discs and radial mounted

four pistons calipers. The reason behind the change in calipers is that Benelli saw the need to reduce initial bite for dirt riding. Having lived with the road going Leoncino for the last few months I found the reduced braking a bit of a shock to start with, but once we got to the dirt I understood the decision as the radial brakes would be a bit too much in slippery mud.

The wonderful styling of the Leoncino has been retained and in my mind looks so much better with spoke wheels and having ridden both models I would buy the Trail over the road going version for that reason and the extra seat height which suits my long pins better.

TRK502X

The best-selling motorcycle in Italy. Yep, Benelli is rather proud to have reached number one status in Italian bikes sales for the month of August. The TRK502X

SPECS

BENELLI TRK502X

PRICE: $8490 (plus on-road charges)

WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance

SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 7000km or 12 months

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled parallel twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder

BORE x STROKE: 69 x 66.8mm

DISPLACEMENT: 500cc

COMPRESSION: 11.5:1

POWER: 35kW @ 8500rpm

TORQUE: 46Nm @ 6000rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, chain final drive

SUSPENSION: Front, 50mm inverted fork, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 145mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 138mm.

DIMENSIONS: Seat height 850mm, weight 213kg (wet), fuel capacity 20 litres, wheelbase 1525mm

TYRES: Front, 110/80/R19. Rear, 150/70/R17

FRAME: Tubular steel trellis

BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with twin-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: N/A

THEORETICAL RANGE: N/A

COLOURS: White, Black, Red

VERDICT: SERIOUS ADVENTURE TOURING

MX-9 ADVENTURE

FROM THE ROUGHEST SINGLETRACK TO URBAN BLACKTOP, THE MX-9 ADVENTURE GETS YOU THERE SAFELY IN STYLE THE INTEGRATED ANTI-FOG, ANTI-SCRATCH FACESHIELD FLIPS UP AND LEAVES ENOUGH ROOM FOR GOGGLES IN EXTREME CONDITIONS, OR IT CAN BE REMOVED COMPLETELY CONVERSELY, THE ADJUSTABLE VISOR CAN BE REMOVED FOR A STEALTH STREET LOOK

photo: Frank Gallo

LAUNCH

SPECS

BENELLI LEONCINO TRAIL

PRICE: $8690 (plus on-road charges)

WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance

SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 7000km or 12 months

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled parallel twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder

BORE x STROKE: 69 x 66.8mm

DISPLACEMENT: 500cc

COMPRESSION: 11.5:1

POWER: 35kW @ 8500rpm

TORQUE: 46Nm @ 6000rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, chain final drive

SUSPENSION: Front, 50mm inverted fork, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 135mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 138mm.

DIMENSIONS: Seat height 825mm, weight 207kg (wet), fuel capacity 12.7 litres, wheelbase 1470mm

TYRES: Front, 110/80/R19. Rear, 150/70/R17

FRAME: Tubular steel trellis

BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with twin-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: N/A

THEORETICAL RANGE: N/A

COLOURS: Red, Silver, Black

VERDICT: STYLE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

was up against some stiff competition (as you can imagine) and beat the likes of the Africa Twin, R1200GS, Z900RS, Tracer 900 and MT-07. Will that result in large volume sales in Australia? It should as the X is priced extremely well and outdoes any of the competition, not only in the mid-sized capacity market, but anything priced near it for standard features.

The big change from the road going model to the X is obviously the high mounted muffler. This was done to increase ground clearance as is the change to spoke wheels from the road going cast setup. Just like the Leoncino Trail the X features a 19inch front and 17inch rear. Seat height has seen a big increase up to 850mm (from 800mm) and this might rule out some shorter riders but having the overall increased travel and ground clearance means you can take the X to all sorts of rough trails.

During the launch we decided to

venture into a pine forest down an unused trail. This turned out to be a slushy, grey muddy trail that really tested both the X and the Leoncino Trail to see how they’d handle some difficult terrain. To say it was some of the best fun all of the riders on the launch have had for a while was backed up by the stupendous barrels of laughter we had once we finally got back

Servicing

There had been some confusion surrounding what exactly are the servicing intervals for the Benelli range. The guys at Benelli Australia were of the believe it was every 3000 or 4000km, but after much confusion going back and forth with the factory the actual figure is every 7000km or 12 months. I always thought every 3000km sounded a bit low!

FOR LIFE’S GREAT ADVENTURES

THE NEW ADVENTURE SPORT TYRE

Winding coastal roads leading to open blue sea vistas. Snow capped mountains rising above oceans of evergreens. Imperious castles silhouetted against dazzling azure skies. Let the world be your backdrop, the open road your stage and let Avon performance tyres race with your imagination to take you where you want to go.

Avon. The great British tyre that’s taking on the world.

Manufactured in the UK

• Typical fitments include BMW GS1200, Triumph Explorer, Yamaha XT1200 Tenere, Honda 1200 Cross Tourer

• Enhanced wet grip with new super rich silica compound and latest compounding technology

• Superb handling delivered by a high tech carcass construction

out onto the main dirt road. The bikes looked like they had just been pulled out of a creek but as a test of how the bikes handled such gnarly terrain they both passed with flying colours.

Engin E

Both models share the engine of the street bike, a 500cc fourstroke twin cylinder that is liquid cooled, with a power output of 35kW at 8500 rpm and torque of 46Nm at 6000 rpm. I am quite fond of this engine and the way it makes its power – as an allrounder that caters for Learners right through to the experienced it will more than satisfy unless you’re power hungry.

Su S p E n S ion

Suspension used by Benelli used to be Marzoochi forks and Sachs shock, but despite the components looking identical, Benelli has stated they are now using their ‘own’ suspension. This might mean they still source the hardware from Marzoochi and Sachs but fit their own internals. Those details aren’t known at this moment. Both bikes are a bit softer in setup compared to the road versions and I think they both are much better packages for the road as well!

Fram E

The donations continue with both models sharing their road going counterparts tubular steel trellis frames, bodywork and ergonomics. Both are light and easy to ride with high and wide handlebars for fast steering.

Which on E

Choosing which of these two ippers you should buy could be a tough decision. But I kind of look at it like this. If you want looks, go the Leoncino Trail and if you want to travel long distance, go the TRK502X – the large 20 litre fuel capacity gives it some serious adventure touring capability. D

Granite Sleet Snow

The joy of The journey

Adventure starts here! compiled by stuart

Adventure touring can be some of the most memorable journey’s you’ll ever have. Seeing places and riding ‘roads’ where not many others have been is something really special. Of all the places I’ve been the most special rides have been while adventure touring off the beaten track. So, what we’ve done for you on the following pages is ask those with adventure products to show you what they have to make your adventures even more enjoyable, we’ve even got some adventure tyres for you! SW

special feature Adventure

S A fAR i Po D - $255

+ P o STA ge

Strange name, interesting new product. The Safari Pod, a tank bag for long range fuel tanks by Andy Strapz.

Tool Roll Z - $45

+ P o STA ge

Over the years Andy had requests for tool rolls but resisted making. After much deliberation, Andy decided to make one and here it is! He wanted a roll with flexibility, a pocket for bits and pieces and a small work surface. It had to be compact; travelling with 125 kg of tools is not a smart idea. It’s constructed of tough Aussie canvas to the quality you’d expect from Andy Strapz, they are ready to go.

Ai D e f i RST Ai D Ki TS - $58 (Sm A ll), $125 ( lAR ge)

As an ex Emergency Nurse Andy found tracking down the best motorcyclist’s first aid kit pretty

difficult. Andy wanted a kit that was comprehensive, compact, waterproof, tamperproof, and robust, with an easy to follow guide. The Aide System is the one he found from NZ. Packed in a roll top waterproof bag the contents unfold like a tool roll, give a clear view and access to the various items. Includes a really handy guide book. There are two kits on offerComp - A smallish, compact kit and, Adventurer – designed for those a bit further from more immediate help. Either kit is essential kit for adventure touring.

Av D u R o PANN ie RZ - $435

Go deeper and harder into the outback with these awesome soft panniers. Made from extremely robust and weatherproof material (can be made waterproof with Liner Bagz) the Avduro is deliberately made without zippers to increase ease of use and longevity. Four pockets per bag and can be fitted pretty much however you want on the bike, and/or with Andy’s Pannier Framez.

AA B A g Z - $215

BARKB u ST e RS www.barkbusters.net

H ARD wAR e Ki T fo R 2018 Ho NDA Af R ic A Twi N - $126.90

Designed specifically for the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin – DCT (2018 on) and non DCT (2018 on) with OEM specifications. This new hardware features two mounting points that secure the full wrap around aluminium design, a heat-treated aluminium backbone for added strength and impact protection and bar end weights are included. Easy to install and compatible with JET, VPS, STORM or CARBON guards (each sold separately).

H ARD wAR e Ki T fo R 2018 T R ium PH Tige R 1200 e x P lo R e R - $121.95

Designed specifically for the Triumph Tiger 1200 Explorer (2018 on) with OEM specifications. This new hardware features two mounting points that secure the full wrap around aluminium design, a heat-treated aluminium backbone for added strength and impact

This trusted and rugged rear bag is made from 500 Denier Cordura, has a compact low-profile and is 18 litres in capacity. There’s a reason Andy sells so many of these –they’re that good.

protection and bar end weights are included. Easy to install and compatible with JET, VPS, STORM or CARBON guards (each sold separately).

AGV HELMETS

www.agvhelmets.com.au

AX-8 DUAL EVO –FROM $599

Ready for the most gruelling adventure rides, the AX-8 Dual Evo has both a sun peak and a face shield, and its lightweight Carbon-Aramid-Fiberglass shell was designed for maximum aerodynamic performance.

NELSON-RIGG

www.linkint.com.au

HURRICANE BACKPACK20 LITRE - $159.95, 40 LITRE - $189.95

Made of waterproof and durable Tarpaulin PVC with electronically heat welded seams make this bag 100% waterproof. Other features include a waterproof “purge” air

escape valve, reflective webbing and external bungee storage system, removable Molle panel is reversible with waterproof map pocket, integrated front pocket to hold optional hydration bladder, side mesh pockets, padded back panel with airflow system and it includes a quick release strap to mount as a waterproof Tail Bag.

TCX BOOTS

www.linkint.com.au

BAJA GORETEX BOOTS - $549

TCX’s top-of-the-range Adventure boot, the Baja Goretex is designed for the modern-day Adventure rider who loves all road types in all weathers. Featuring a full-length Gore-Tex lining the boot is durable, highly protective, waterproof and yet breathes keeping you cool on those hot, dusty back roads. Available in black in sizes EU 38-48 / US 5-13.

BAJA MIDWATERPROOF - $399

TCX’s mid-length Adventure boot,

the Baja Mid Waterproof has all the safety and comfort of its full length brothers in a shorty style boot, ideal for Australian conditions. This boot is made from full grain vintage leather, and has a twobuckle and Velcro closure system. The waterproof lining keeps your feet dry, while the padded collar around the top of the boot ensures maximum comfort. Available in brown in sizes EU 38-48 / US 5-13.

DRIFTER WATERPROOF - $499

The TCX Drifter Waterproof is a traditionally styled Adventure boot. The Drifter features a vintage leather upper with padded front and rear micro-fibre and Polyurethane (PU) panels, a T-Dry waterproof lining, ankle, toe and heel PU inserts, three 6060 grade aluminium buckles and Velcro closing flaps. The sole is a traditional sewn-on Commando style for grip, stability and durability. Available in Vintage Brown, sizes 36-48 EU or 3.5-13 US.

TRIUMPH

www.triumphmotorcycles.com. au or your local dealer

TREK SUIT - $580 (JKT), $385 (PANTS)

Especially developed for the harsh climates in the Southern Hemisphere. The Trek Jacket contains a removable waterproof and breathable liner to allow airflow through its zippered airflow sections

Eight zipped ventilation openings provide cooling when needed

Eleven pockets – four of which are completely waterproof –offer plenty of storage space Stretch inserts and width adjusters guarantee a perfect t.

SPECIAL FEATURE Adventure

in the arms, chest, shoulders and back. Full D30 armour keeps you safe and flexible. Jackets (sizes S-3XL) and Pants (30-42) are sold separately to allow you to find the perfect fit.

LADIES NAVIGATOR JACKET - $399

From the city commute to a long overland adventure the Ladies Navigator Jacket from Triumph will allow you to take in the harsh Australian summers with its large front and rear air-mesh ventilation panels to the cold challenges of mountain passes in the Andes with a removable Outlast liner. Sizes: XS-3XL.

SCHUBERTH

www.schuberth.com.au

E1 HELMET - $1100

The new E1 by Schuberth lets you

concentrate entirely on what’s in front of you. This innovative dual sports helmet for enduro touring and adventure bike riders offers the highest comfort, flexibility and safety for on and off-roading. Combines the characteristics and functionality of a flip-up helmet, with the looks and the feel of an adventure helmet. Available in a range of colours and sizes XS-3XL.

E1 COMMUNICATIONS - $350

Ready to be integrated into the E1 for perfect communications with your GPS, music and Smartphone.

RADGUARD

AUSTRALIA

www.radguard.com.au

BMW R1200 GS / GSA - $259 ON SPECIAL FOR $229

The essential aftermarket part. These guards only take approx. 5 minutes to install, blend in very well with the bike and don’t restrict the airflow to your radiator core at all. For the 1200 GS range you get both left and right sides, fitting instructions, no modifications

necessary, a corrosion resistant finish and a three-year worldwide warranty. They’re also Aussie made.

ADVENTURE MOTO

www.adventuremoto.com.au

KLIM BADLANDS PRO JACKET - $1495

The new Badlands Pro jacket & pant incorporate breakthroughs in armour impact, armour coverage, comfort, performance, ventilation, storage, all-weather functionality, abrasion resistance, durability and visibility.

ADVENTURE MOTO X-FRAME - FROM $365 - $385

The Adventure Moto X-Frames are the most universal and functional

R

Plate

Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin Upper Crash Bars & Engine Case Guard

Plate X-Frames

Designed By Adventure Moto Built By Outback Mototrek. To Suit The Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, BMW F800GS, KTM 690 Enduro, Suzuki DR650 & Yamaha WR250R

Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin Crash Bars & Bash Plate

special feature Adventure

side pannier frames yet, allowing simple, secure mounting of Rotopax, hard panniers and soft luggage. Available for the following bikes: Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, BMW F800GS, KTM 690 Enduro, 1090 Adventure/ 1190 Adventure/ 1290 Adventure/ 1050 Adventure, Suzuki DR650, Yamaha WR250R, XT660Z & Kawasaki KLR650

Klim Womens Artemis

J A c K et - $1075

Klim Artemis Jacket features stubborn durability, excellent cargo capacity and a custom-engineered, female-specific, comfort-mapped ventilation system, featuring ten adjustable ventilation ports, all whilst holding true to KLIM’s 100% waterproof guarantee.

o utb A c K m otorte K

Hond A cr F1000 l

A F ric A tW in c r A s H bA rs in b l A c K - $375

Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L is an adventure and off-road beast, thus

Outback Motortek has designed and made a set of crash bars that will take the beating and we have the test to prove it! Also fits the 2018 Africa Twin.

m oto HA ns A Pro c om PA ct

38 Piece t ool Kit F or bm W m otorcycles - $125

This Motohansa tool kit stores easily on your bike, taking up minimal space yet still containing all the tools required to tighten loose items and undertake emergency repairs when off-road.

Klim nA c PAK 2018 - $150

Klim Nac Pak 2018 is the perfect combination of cargo capacity, accessory carrying capacity, quick access and intelligent tool storage, redesigned for bigger days of riding with enhanced ergonomics to keep you going longer.

H nology - $680

Amongst the most powerful auxiliary lights on the market, thanks to a stingingly strong quartet of LEDs that help you identify trouble as far as 250 meters down the road yet still shines brightly to the edges of the road and beyond.

KAWA s AK i www.kawasaki.com.au or your local dealer

K lr l ugg A ge Kit - $797.50

This pack for the KLR650 consists of a Tank Bag, Tail Bag and Saddle Bags. The tank bag is convenient storage for touring and daily use. Manufactured from ballistic nylon. The tail bag features a unique rubberised vinyl finish that is durable and waterproof. The lid of the tail bag is semi ridged and the saddle bags are manufactured from the same rubberised vinyl that is also durable, water resistant and semi ridged. They also have a “KLR” raised logo on the sides.

www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au

MOTOPLUGS –VARIOUS PRICES

There’s nothing quite like having 1% power left on your phone battery, or picking up your camera for that once-in-a-lifetime shot and, “by Gosh” the battery’s dead. Believe me it’s happened to us all. Rocky Creek Designs has put together a range of charging and power

cables specifically aimed at you, the motorcycle rider, at very reasonable prices! And if you can’t find the right cable from Rocky Creek, it probably isn’t available.

MOTOPRESSOR POCKET PUMP - $49.95

Ultra compact, this stripped down pocket pump weighs in at only 590g and fits in the palm of your hand. Built around a custom modified

12V inflator. What it lacks in looks, it makes up for in performance and functionality – which is what you really need when you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere.

MOTOPRESSOR TYRE GAUGE - $29.95

Now standard with two chucks. A straight chuck for “easy to get at”

valve stems, plus a 45° chuck for those “not so easy to get at” valve stems. Get an instant and accurate reading in PSI or KPA. No need to switch between the gauge and air compressor hose! Added a little too much air to your tyre? Simply press the air bleed button and adjust to your desired pressure.

ROK STRAPS

www.rokstrapsaustralia.com.au

STRETCH STRAPS - $27 STANDARD COLOURS, $28 REFLECTIVE

Designed in Australia, now worldwide, the famous “flat cargo stretch straps” are for motorcycles, ATV’s & more! With a choice of adjustable or tailored lengths and a range of colours. Secure almost anything to your motorcycle with these flat cargo motorcycle straps.

INNOTESCO www.innotesco.com.au

RUKKA “AIRVENTUR” GLOVES - $215

The “AirventuR” gloves mark the launch of the first pair of Rukka motorcycle gloves taking advantage of the extraordinary properties of D3O protectors to offer a maximum of comfort, agility

and defence. Boasting high-quality materials and innovative protection as well as dynamic looks, these lightweight gloves provide clear feedback on the controls.

RUKKA R.O.R. SUIT - $855 (JKT), $715 (PANTS)

Loose-fit, laminated two-piece suit for warm days. With R.O.R. (Rukka Off-Road) Rukka launches a new

concept that appeals to touring and off-road riders. Jacket and trousers are wind and waterproof, using a 2-layer 100% breathable Gore-Tex material and incorporate advanced safety features with nine zipped air vents for great summer comfort.

DAYTONA TRANS OPEN ENDURO BOOTS - $565

Enduro-style touring boot of thick leather. Comfortable, lightweight and flexible, with maximum protection. The boots are naturally waterproof and breathable with a Goretex climatic membrane.

DAINESE

www.cassons.com.au

D-STORMER D-DRY JACKET - $699.95

Made from a Duratex fabric, this

jacket features removable composite protectors, quick dry fabric, pocket for back protector G1 and G2, removable liner with breathable waterproof D-Dry membrane, neck adjustment, anti-floating sleeve strap adjustment, wrist volume regulator, waist adjustment, jacket waist adjustment by drawstring, jacket-trousers fastening system, external fabric with water-resistance treatment and air vents on sleeves. Size: 48-56 and Colours: Nero/ Nero/Dark Gull Grey, Castle Rock/Nero/Rosso.

CENTAURI GORETEX BOOTS - $499.95

The most structured Touring boot in the Dainese collection, the Centauri is as tough and practical as its beefy good looks. Certified to CE – Cat. II and EN 13634, it combines a fullgrain leather upper with Goretex membrane, ankle reinforcement, strengthened toe cap, thermoformed shin insert and padded top collar to bring you outstanding protection and comfort.

ARAI

www.cassons.com.au

XD-4 HELMET –FROM $749.95

New exhaust ports, new shell shape, new chin vent, larger side cowl vents, enhanced interior, new cheek

pads and so much more, the XD-4 is a high quality adventure helmet for all adventure comfort. LEATT

www.cassons.com.au

5.5 NECK BRACE - $569.95

Totally new chassis design by Leatt featuring a new helmet rim striking platform profile, new improved helmet side clearance, new adjustable over the shoulder height, new on-board size adjusting, sliding front and rear for great fit, new folding Thoracic, new strap design and CE Certified as personal protective equipment 89/686/EEL.

GAERNE

www.cassons.com.au

G-ADVENTURE BOOTS$299.95

This adventure minded boot will keep your feet dry when riding gets wet. Lightweight full grain leather construction provides a comfortable fit and long lasting wear. This boot was designed with the adventure

touring, dual-sport and ATV rider in mind. Made in Italy for superb quality. Sizes 41-49.

O’NEAL

www.cassons.com.au

MAYHEM GLOVES - $34.95

Designed using the highest quality materials, state of the art ergonomic technology and over 30 years of racing experience, making the Mayhem “the best” (claimed) glove on the market, period. Available in many colours and sizes S-2XL.

CABERG

www.cassons.com.au

TOURMAX HELMET – FROM $379.95

Equipped with a peak that automatically moves close to the visor when opening the chin guard in order to minimise air resistance. Tourmax comes homologated to ride with the chin guard open, a

double visor system and so much more! Available in a range of colours and sizes XS-XL.

RJAYS

www.rjays.com.au

removable thermal zip out liner, waterproof zippered air vents, 7 waterproof pockets, chest, waist, wrist and 2 sleeve adjusters, zip to pants feature and Stout and Comfort Fit jackets are available for riders with a wider girth. Pants feature the same as the jacket but with knee armour and four pockets.

ALPINESTARS

www.monzaimports.com.au

DUNE SUIT - $279.95 (JKT), $179.95 (PANTS)

Feature packed with a Cordura construction, CE armour, 100% breathable and waterproof liner,

MIRAGE DRYSTAR

JACKET - $649.95

Featuring advanced laminated Drystar construction for reduced material bulk and close fit the Mirage Jacket features an effective ventilation system for internal airflow plus a range of class-leading protection and the ability to upgrade to Alpinestars Nucleon CE certified chest and back protection. Sizes: S–4XL.

REVENANT

JACKET - $1299.95

Features Goretex Pro threelayer laminate construction - incorporating a special highperformance Goretex membrane, bonded to a strong outer material and a durable inner lining, ensuring a thin, reduced material construction with no movement between the three layers, which promotes greater durability. Compatible with Alpinestars’ class-leading TechAir airbag system. Strategically positioned Armacor reinforcements

on shoulder, elbow and upper back for durability and comfort. Armacor’s advanced material construction means it is water and windproof while allowing high levels of moisture management. Advanced ventilation system comprised of multi-air intakes on front and exhaust ports on rear for the highest level of cooling airflow of any Alpinestars touring jacket. Front waterproof pockets and internal document pocket and rear large utility pocket and waterproof zips throughout, there’s also a hydration back pocket and conduits to allow integration of a hydration pack. Sizes: S–4XL.

BELIZE DRYSTAR OILED LEATHER BOOTS – $379.95

A touring boot that incorporates Alpinestars Drystar waterproof membrane, the Belize Oiled Boot is designed to offer flexibility and comfort, featuring a new lateral ankle closure and an innovative flexi-blade system the low-cut boot features Alpinestars

special feature Adventure

exclusive vulcanized rubber for grip and control on the bike’s footpegs. Sizes: 8-13.

HELD BIKER FASHION

www.heldaustralia.com.au

D ESERt g LO v ES - $130

Summer glove featuring a mesh fabric leather detailed back, highly abrasion-resistant kangaroo leather palm, colourfast and sweatproof, Velcro adjustment at cuffs, perforated finger panels and sidewalls of fingers, elasticated leather panels on back, thumb and fingers and a hard plastic knuckle. Available in Black and sizes 6-12.

S A m BIA g LO v ES - $145

Adventure glove featuring spandex leather detailed back, highly abrasion-resistant and tactile

kangaroo leather palm, colourfast and sweat-proof, special flat seam, Velcro adjustment at cuffs, perforated finger side walls, air-vents on fingers and hard plastic knuckle protection. Available in colours Black, Black/Grey/Red and sizes 7-12.

H AK u NA II j A c KE t - $650

Enduro spec touring jacket featuring DuPont Cordura 500 D construction, Coolmax breathable mesh inner lining, removable waterproof, windproof and breathable liner, 4 external pockets, 3 inner pockets, map/document pocket, internal cell phone pocket, 1 back pocket, zip-off panels on breast, zips also adjust ventilation, air-vent zippers in front, back and arms, dual arm adjustment, waist belt, soft collar, Held clipin technology and CE armour. Available in colours – Black/Grey, Grey/Orange, Grey/Black, Grey/ Blue and sizes S-6XL.

Now we get o N to a N umber of adve N ture touri N g specific tyres for your ride…

PIRELLI

www.linkint.com.au

Sc ORPION R ALLy S t R –F RON t S FRO m $169, REARS FRO m $219

Designed specifically for the latest generation of adventure,

dual purpose and enduro street bikes, it manages to combine the best performance of a rally competition tyre with that of an enduro street tyre. Providing off road performance combined with excellent handling, grip and stability on the road.

Sc ORPION R ALLy - F RON t S FRO m $149, REARS FRO m $169

Designed for the rider wanting a more aggressive tyre than Scorpion Rally STR while still maintaining good road manners.

Sc ORPION tRAIL IIF RON t S FRO m $159, REARS FRO m $229

Designed for the Adventure rider who uses their bike for more on

road applications but still wants a tyre to perform off road.

CONTINENTAL

www.ronangel.com.au

TKC80 - Fr ONT s F r O m $165, r EA rs F r O m $179

The TKC80 has been the class leader in knobby adventure tyres for over 30 years thanks to its amazing combination of excellent off road performance, and its surprisingly high grip levels and feel on the road – wet or dry. The TKC80’s latest generation tread compound and large knob surface provides high road grip, and its controlled carcass flex, optimum knob depth and spacing ensures excellent grip and performance in the dirt.

TKC70 - Fr ONT s F r O m $179, r EA rs F r O m $199

With a 60/40 road/dirt focus, the TKC70 offers the road performance of a Sports Touring tyre, while still performing very well off road. Conti’s ‘Continuous Compound’ tread technology gives a firmer

middle and softer sides for the best grip/wear ratio and great feel. Conti’s ‘Rain Grip’ compound with a delicate balance of Silica provides excellent grip in any conditions, and a Controlled Flex Zero Degree belted carcass provides great damping and feedback.

Tr AIL ATTACK 2 - Fr ONT s F r

Has the road performance of a premium Sports/Touring radial, but its revised carcass, RainGrip compound, and deep cut tread give it outstanding off-road performance for a tyre in the 80/20 road/dirt class. ‘Continuous Compound’ technology gives softer sides for more grip and firmer middle for better wear, and Conti’s ‘Traction Skin’ textured tread surface is ready to ride with no break in period!

Enduro tyre with very good on road performance featuring dedicated tread compound perfectly combining on road cornering grip and off road traction, fast self-cleaning tread pattern geometry and great handling with easy corner entry, stable cornering and high safety margins when riding at the limit.

Setting the standard for Enduro street bikes, featuring a dual compound rear tyre, improved wet grip, stability and mileage and being an ideal choice for the latest generation adventure touring bikes.

Dedicated to the off road explorer crowd, featuring improved off road traction and handling, 30% more mileage than its predecessor, cutting edge tread design which offers stability and reduced vibrations. Suitable for light and heavy enduro bikes. D

ADVENTURETRAVEL

DIRTY THREE

Where do we like to get grubby?

WORDS stuart bear & ralph

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

ITHOUGHT IT BE A great idea if we told you what our favourite dirt road is. We get to ride many great roads around this great country so what has been the pick of the bunch for The Bear, Ralph and myself? Well, the truth is now out! SW

STUART

Mine is Barrington Tops Forest Road. Start out of Gloucester on Thunderbolts Way and turn left on Bowman River Road along the beautiful…Bowman River. Head up the side of the mountain to Barrington Tops Forest Road and enjoy the mystic feeling you get from this area. Make sure you stop at Devil’s Hole (and don’t fall in); close the Dingo Gate after you’ve been through and lap up the stunning vista this area offers.

There are heaps of camping grounds to make this a longer ride and heaps of side tracks for those who are a bit more adventurous. Watch out for those pesky little black wallabies along this route which brings you out at the town of Scone. If you are looking for a place to stay, Moonan Flat Hotel (before you hit Scone) is not a bad option, especially for groups.

THE BEAR

What’s in a name? There are two terrific roads that will take you from the Princes Highway in southern Victoria up into NSW. One runs from

Do you dare take the leap?

To keep the ‘dingoes’ out

Down to the Snowy River.

Orbost to Bombala, and I call it the Bonang Highway; apparently it is officially just Bonang Road. The other starts at the Lakes Entrance bypass road near Nowa Nowa and runs to Jindabyne, and I usually call it the Barry Way. It really has several names; where our target track leaves it, it’s called Gelantipy Road.

Head up through Buchan, which has a nice little pub, until you pass through Gelantipy, which like many ‘towns’ up here is not there. When you reach McKillops Road, turn right. This is the beginning of a terrific 80-kilometre ride on good dirt and across the spectacular McKillops Bridge, over the Snowy River. You start by dropping from the ridge nearly to the level of the river along a twisting and tight dirt track. After you cross the bridge, you effectively follow the Deddick River up onto the eastern ridge, but this road, while it’s still dirt, has much gentler curves. Eventually you reach the Bonang Highway.

There are no services worth mentioning along or at either end this

McKillops Bridge.

track, but it passes several inviting campgrounds. Some of the Victorian high country’s most popular enduro tracks start from this road.

RALPH

The Big Man was after some of my special secret ADV roads for this issue. Tough luck there fella, as I have to keep most of them to myself, however all roads that lead somewhere have to start somewhere and all great adventure roads should start with a decent bakery and finish at a pub. My choice is the quick belt across from Nimmitabel on the Monaro Hwy to the Dalgety village residing on the Snowy River. It is a mostly wide, well formed gravel road which in the dry season transports you to the Mongolian grass-plains and in the winter, well you can imagine you are in Canada and at either end you will never be in doubt Australian hospitality and quaintness is in evidence. This road has elements of everything I love. A challenge at speed, as I have played with traction keeping the plot upright and views to take your breath away. There is a cold beer (if you have already knocked over four or more hundred K’s) greeting you at a great country pub. Southern NSW has miles of some of the best riding radiating in all directions from this road. Two hundred kilometers in any direction will result in 100% adrenaline and riding and at its best. You can enjoy roads like the Snowball, Elliot’s Way and go chasing vistas over the Snowy and Murrumbidgee Rivers. By lunchtime you can ride to Victoria and back to NSW and avoid a sealed road.

This region will treat you to the best of adventure riding. Sandbanks, forests, mud, tight tracks and open top-up-the-soul invigorating riding. I have travelled solo and in groups riding anything from a Postie, to a scooter up to a BMW GSA and as an adventure playground you can’t go wrong if you base yourself down south. D

Last chance!

Lower CLarenCe DeLights

two rippers and one for a drink WORDS/phOtOS Colin Whelan

The Brushgrove Hotel

Short and simple: the only thing I can fault in this place is the lack of breakfast in a town with no other option. Apart from that, from the wonderful hosts to the welcoming locals, from the afternoon-sun drenched veranda to the pontoon on the river, from the comfortable rooms to the free swagging out back, this is what country pubs should try to be. Don’t make it a detour, make it your destination!

Very high 4 helmets, 130 on our value scale and 8/10 for unique character.

The Brushgrove Hotel, Brushgrove, Woodford Island T: 02 6647 6201

Brushgrove hotel

It WAS JuLiAn StuArt who brought me to Woodford Island, well he and a legend named Dan Frogan. Stuart was one of the leaders of the 1891 Shearers’ strike, a giant in the history of unionism in this country. He was arrested in Barcaldine, tried for conspiracy at Clermont and then imprisoned in the old gaol on St Helena Island off Straddie near Brisvegas. But he spent his early childhood at Brushgrove on Woodford Island in the Clarence River and I wanted to check out the place and search

for traces of this trailblazing fighter for workers’ rights.

The museum in Mclean says they might have some info, but then again they might not. But the lady isn’t permitted to tell me. If I send her 20 bucks she’ll tell me if they have anything and they’ll also tell me how much more it’ll cost for them to tell me what that info is. Doesn’t really seem like a great deal so I decide to hit Trove a bit harder and head out from Lawrence to the Ferry over the Clarence River and onto the island.

Then it’s an easy 10kms ride south along the western side of what is, or isn’t the biggest inland river in Australia (see sidebar) and I’m at the Brushy

Pub. Before I head in, (it’s still early arvo), I have a root around. The beergarden out the back is nothing less than superb, right on the river and it’s the first I’ve ever seen with its own jetty. Would be waaay too easy on a hot summer arvo to take a runner into the Clarence but right now it’s way too brisk for this black duck.

There’s not much else in Brushgove except a throng of houses and even one of them is mostly made up of the pub’s old billiard room which was considered surplus to requirements a few years back so Big Pete cut the bugger into pieces, carted it across the street, resembled it and took possession.

Big Pete’s passed away and like a few other lost and lamented locals, his photo’s on the wall of the bar where I find Luke who with wife Rebecca who runs the restaurant, is the licensee. And perched on his regular stool is Russell, a tough ex-union man who earned his stripes on coastal freighters and the wharfs at Balmain.

He’s been here for years, recalls the big nights and the big floods. On the wall behind him, lines mark just how high the water got in the epic ones.

Russell points out the space above the door where the old temprite sat, high enough to ensure that even when the water was a foot deep in the bar, the beer was still cold. It’s all about priorities!

It’s Wednesday night and a slow stream of utes pull up, workers on the way home, mostly regulars catching up with mates and their news and gossip. Luke’s only had the place less than a year but all are greeted by name and none needs to tell what they’re drinking.

New blow-ins join Russell and me, a smoker shares her two bob’s worth each time she comes in for a refill. But no-one knows anything about Julian Stuart. Not to worry, might have to sling the museum that 20 bucks.

As the yarns are shared I order a feed – long time since dinner yesterday.

The Brushy’s restaurant does lunch and dinner 7 days and the food is standard, unpretentious fare and, with Rebecca in charge, it’s becoming a real destination on weekends. If you’re thinking of turning up here, best to ring ahead.

The pub only has three rooms for accommodation, each with a queen double and a single with a room rate of $70 and all open onto the front

veranda. You can park your bike under cover in the back courtyard and if swagging’s your thing, just make yourself comfortable on the grass out the back. Luke keeps the back toilets open all night.

The Brushy doesn’t do breakfast so next morning I make myself a brew, 1take it down to the jetty and watch the fog dancing on the waters. Birds, sometimes solitary, sometimes in groups call and signal as they begin their day. A lone pelican patrols the middle stream and in the distance an anchored boat sways very gently almost like a deserted wreck.

I gear up and head out up the eastern side of the island, past cane cutting gangs working flat out, before crossing back off the island at Maclean. Then it’s onto the Pacific (don’t start me!) Hwy take the first on the left after the old Harwood Bridge and I’m at the Harwood Hotel, just in time for lunch, and a catch-up with a bloke I knew as ‘Smacka’ back at uni in the ‘70’s and who’s waiting out front when I pull up.

HARWOOD HOTEL

After leaving uni, Smacka kept playing rugby and found himself living at Dubbo and a few of the other players were under drinking age. So they created some fake ID’s for the kids (It was way easier in those days!)

So anyway, Smacka played the game wild and loose and predictably one day was marched by the ref who demanded his name as he sent him off. Smacka didn’t hesitate. He offered the name of one of the fake ID’s: “Frogan, Dan Frogan”.

On the Wednesday, whilst Smacka

was at the pub, the judiciary met and suspended Dan Frogan for two matches whilst Smack’s ‘career’ continued uninterrupted.

He played cricket (under his real name) at the County level in England and became a cricket coach, becoming friends with a good few of the Aussie Test team, particularly Gilly and Craig McDermott.

The test players embraced the legend of Dan Frogan and, when Australia was batting, would often call up the ground announcer and have Dr Dan Frogan summoned to the Australian Dressing Room ‘urgently please’. He’s been paged at every cricket ground in Australia, and at Lords, the Oval and Headingly in England.

A few years back a petition was got up and sent to the SCG Trust. Smacka received a letter addressed to Mr Frogan advising him that the Trust was responding positively and actively considering the request to rename a grandstand at the

e Harwood Hotel

Fabulous location, even better host! Didn’t stay here but I know I will. Absolutely nothing missing, the full package although the room rate makes it expensive for a single rider. Leave the highway and leave the next day open, chances are you’ll be here in the morning.

5 helmets, 90 on the value scale and 7/10 for unique character

ground in his name in recognition of his services to cricket.

Not too bad for a bloke who doesn’t exist!

Since last century Smacka’s been living at Yamba where he taught art at the high school and the reason we’ve caught up at the Harwood Pub is the place has an art gallery space which it makes available FOC to local artists and Smacka’s photography is part of the current group exhibition.

Wearing his embroidered Dan Frogan shirt he shows me around and then we head out front to the sun-drenched beer garden to kick back and watch the construction of the massive new bridge.

Pretty soon Michael cuts out of a conversation with a bunch of locals and joins us. This is his pub and very soon you realize he is the embodiment of a quality young publican. He took over as ‘publican, licensee, manager and general shit kicker’ in July 2017 after growing up in his parents’ pub at Ashford in northern NSW.

This is a man with vision and drive and he has two pet projects:

The fi rst is the rum distillery he’s building next to the pub. “Inner Circle Rum was fi rst made here from local sugar and we want to create a total rum experience. We’re going to have tastings but also show people the history of Harwood and its rum heritage. In fi ve years I see this town as a thriving local river community, connected with its past and with the other towns on the river.”

“We have to get people off the highway and into our town, not just to spend at the pub but at the other outlets and it’ll all grow.” He’s

as refreshing as his unique on-tap Coopers brewed “Two Bridges Ale”. He’s installing half a dozen public moorings out front of the pub and encouraging the other 6 pub owners on the river to do likewise. “We want to get people doing a 7 day pub crawl of the river. How good would that be? “ Oh stop it!

Meanwhile there’s two fully equipped motel style rooms attached to the pub, each with three beds and costing 100 bucks a night.

You can get meals including breakfast every day ‘cept Monday when they put on a giant urn of soup which you can help yourself to for just $5 for a bottomless mug. There’s undercover lockup facilities for your ride, and once you’ve put it to bed, there’s 8 beers and a couple of ciders on tap.

Michael table hops to the next group of visitors and Dan Frogan shows me around the photo exhibition before we head back out to the beer garden and watch the old bridge lift to allow a yacht to pass up-river.

This is a hotel you’ll love no matter if you’re having a quick recharge or staying the night. It has that rare and magical combination of location, facilities and ownership that make it a great pub.

The bridge construction is making route choice a bit random but I cross the Harwood then fi nd my way back into Maclean, cross the river and stay right for the ride down the western side of Woodford Island. Then it’s cross at the Lawrence Ferry, and a beautiful ride south with the river on my left until I reach the Ulmarra Ferry just north of my destination for the night:

Searching for the answer

So bloody often the simplest things aren’t. I think about some conundrum and figure the answer should be pretty straight forward and usually it isn’t. Like last month when I wondered why so much stuff on the east coast is called, “Pacific this” and “Pacific that” when the Pacific Ocean is thousands of kays from the Australian coast.

So this month another one hit me: what’s the definition of an island? Seems pretty easy doesn’t it? Well, er, no! You see, the boffins at the Clarence Valley Council reckon Woodford Island is the largest inland island in Australia. Back in 2009 they commissioned a mob or architects and (of course) consultants to come up with the Clarence River Way Masterplan and these experts echoed the locally popular chant: “Woodford Island covers 37 square kilometres (and), is the largest inland island in the southern hemisphere… The island is formed by the Clarence River where it splits into the South arm at Brushgrove and reforms at Maclean.” So here’s the problem: down at Picnic Point on the NSW/Vic border, an anabranch splits off the mainstream of the Murray and forms the Edward which continues for 383 kays, becoming the Kyalite and then the Wakool before rejoining the Murray west of Kyalite. So all that land between the Murray in the south and the Edward/Wakool/Kyalite rivers is surrounded by water, which I reckon makes it pretty damn insular! Apparently I’m wrong: being surrounded by water doesn’t make a place an island. I spent an entire day ringing professionals whom I thought would know but no-one did. So like last month, if any of our wise readers has the answer, please lemme know!

The CommerCial hoTel aT Ulmarra

There’s no undercover or secure parking for bikes that I can find so I park out front, head inside where it’s hard to get a “G’day” from the barstaff, grab a chardy and head out back to watch the day close. Across the river the cane fires augment the sunset and the birds are heading home.

This is a great location. Period.

If you’re riding up here you’ve gotta make this a place to have a break from the back roads or the highway and no matter how many in your group, there’ll be space enough.

But, unfortunately, for me, that’s about where the attraction ends. I’d been looking forward to staying here – the town has a rich history, the setting is special and their FB page pushes their restaurant as being special.

I was going to write about how much the food here disappointed me and I was going to detail the night-long ceaseless noise from a generator right under my bedroom. I was going to expound upon being accused by the owner of making stuff up after I posted an historical snippet about the town and its bubonic plague outbreak, simply because she was ignorant of it. I was going to suggest choosing the food van up on the highway for breakfast rather than risk a (dry) egg and (overcooked) bacon on a (tasteless white) roll but life and the word count is too short.

So let’s just be positive, view the glass as 10% full rather than 90% empty and say the beer-garden is great for a one drink break on the way to one of the Clarence River’s handful of great pubs!

J U s T in!

The beautiful Old Kirk Gallery at Yamba is hosting an exhibition of works by Dan Frogan and then of his mates for a month from October 27. If you find yourself on the lower Clarence, grab a bit of cultcha! D

LAUNCH TEAROUTMAP#69

COOMA ‘N’ GET DIRTY

Get adventurous WORD S STUART

AS THIS IS OUR annual adventure issue we decided to get you dirty with this nice loop out of Cooma. The Snowy Mountains area is littered with dirty adventures so you could make this a few days based in the area of Cooma and see many different roads. This being just one particular loop.

COOMA

Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountain region and consequently is seen as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains ski fields, the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electricity Scheme and the Kosciuszko National Park. In recent times tourism and the snowfields have ensured that it is more than just a rural service centre, which it was starting to head towards. It is the base for exploring the entire area and a prosperous tourist town. Central to the town’s attractions are the Snowy Hydro Information Centre; the Centennial Park which celebrates the town’s historic multiculturalism; an excellent historic walk and the fascinating Correctional Services Gaol Museum;

and the area’s excellent dirt trails and fishing areas. The town has a reputation for being bitterly cold in winter when the winds off the Snowy Mountains and the Antarctic whip across the flat, treeless Monaro Plains, so plan your trip as it can regularly snow!

All major services are available in Cooma, along with plenty of great accommodation places, including one of our new advertisers – Royal Hotel Cooma who welcomes motorcyclists.

NUMERALLA

Mostly a landmark for this route, but Numeralla has recently got mobile service and of interest is the annual Folk Festival held for three days every Australia Day. 2019 will be the 45th year it’s been held. www.numeralla.org. au/FolkFestival

JERANGLE

Jerangle is another of those blink and you’ll miss it villages. A stop and look around Jerangle is well worth the effort though, if only because of the historical buildings and

breathtaking scenery.

One of the earliest known references to Jerangle was in Gazette number 45, dated April 6, 1850. In the Gazette a, John Cutmore is listed as claiming the “Gerangle” run of 17,920 acres and a grazing capacity of 4000 sheep. From there development continued, with the site where the village now stands providing a focal point for people on properties in the area.

While the present village is not large, there are signs of it being more prosperous in years gone past and claims of ghosts being present (great to scare your mates). Buildings of significance are the Jerangle Public School which celebrated its centenary in 1992. Also contained within the village are the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church.

Jerangle Public school has a fairly comprehensive history page on Jerangle.

BREDBO

No, Bredbo isn’t famous for bread – okay, I’ll stop with the lame jokes. The village hosts a number of small

www.hemamaps.com.au

Wherever you’ve based yourself in Cooma you need to get onto Polo Flat Road and head east. Just out of town turn right onto Carlaminda Road and keep on the main section of dirt until you reach Numeralla. Turn right, and then turn left onto Peak View Road following it all the way to the end. Turn left and again follow to the end, which means you will be in Bredbo and meeting up with the Monaro

Highway. Head south around 8km and turn right onto Billilingra Road and, you guessed it, follow it all the way to the end. Turn right on Shannons Flat Road and head north about 6km where the bitumen you were on turns back to dirt. Follow your nose north where the road then becomes Bobeyan Road and this is where you need to use your head on this route. Once you get into the thicker bush and you come to a Y

TEAR-OUT MAP #69

intersection, veer right on Yaouk Road. This road goes in a horseshoe shape bringing you into the northern end of Adaminaby. You can either stay in Adaminaby or follow the bitumen back to Cooma. It all depends where your next adventure wants to take you.

FUEL Cooma, Bredbo, Adaminaby DISTANCE Cooma – Adaminaby –185km. Cooma – Cooma – 238km

COLLECT THEM ALL

businesses and eateries, including the historic Bredbo Inn, which offers contemporary bistro fare, accommodation and free camping; the green-and-white-striped Pancake Inn, serving pancakes and crepes; Snowy Mountains Gourmet Food, providing daily pies and regional produce; and the Bredbo Pizzeria, where wood-fired pizzas are served, so make Bredbo your lunch stop on this route!

Art and craft is a growing feature of the community with a number of creative artists resident in the area. These include the children’s label Milli and Max; artist Lucy Culliton; and Canberra-region design collective, The Lost and Found Office. Locally made goods are available in a number of the village shops. Other retailers in the village include the Bredbo Christmas Barn and the Bredbo Aromatic Healing Centre – just in case you happen to be tired. Bredbo village is also located close to the junction of the Bredbo River and Murrumbidgee River, with several fi shing and swimming spots located within walking distance of the village hall

ADAMINABY

You can’t miss Adaminaby for the huge trout stature in the town. So, this obviously means there’s great fishing – catch your own dinner! If you do fancy yourself as a bit of an angler, the annual Snowy Mountains Trout Festival is in spring and the competition is open to all anglers – see how you go. At an elevation of over 1000 metres Adaminaby is truly “a town for four seasons”, with mild summers; autumns with clear blue skies and the brilliance of multi-coloured foliage; winters white with morning frost followed by bright days; and spring replete with daffodils, apple and plum blossoms and new born lambs (mmm, more dinner suggestions!).

Of course, one of the main attractions to Adaminaby is the Snowy Mountain Hydro-Electric Scheme. Check out www.snowyschememuseum.com.au for all the info. D

ADVENTURECOMPARO

SHOW US THE FIGURES

Scoring the Italian adventure

BACK IN ISSUE #67 we featured the latest big bore adventure tourers as part of an invite we received to accompany Italian motorcycle magazine, Motociclismo on their Aussie adventure comparo. They expected to see Kangaroos, Bikini Babes and Meat Pies and got two out of three. Rain meant the amazing Aussie girls donning their skimpy bikinis were nowhere to be seen. You have to laugh at their enthusiasm.

A collection of the latest adventure tourers was then the main focus of the trip into the Snowy Mountains and we got the chance to ride a couple of models that have only just been released as you read this now. The seven bikes chosen for the Motociclismo comparo were:

BMW R 1200 GS Rallye X

Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport

Ducati Multistrada 1260 S

Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 ESP

Triumph Explorer 1200 XCA

KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

Suzuki V-Strom 1000

A mix of bitumen and maintained dirt roads out west of Sydney, down to the Snowies and back made up the chosen route. A few days of repeated swapping between the bikes and marking each bike against a set list of items resulted in one winner. To recap the results, here are the scores and Ralph’s pick…

THE SCORES

The six riders not contracted to a manufacturer filled out an extensive scoresheet based on the riding and route. Here are the results.

Group standings:

Honda – 251.4

BMW – 250.7

KTM – 237

Triumph – 232

Suzuki - 225

Ducati – 215.9

Yamaha – 215.2

BREAKING THEM DOWN:

To break the scores down even further, here are the rounded off, on and off-road scores.

GROUP STANDINGS- ON ROAD

BMW - 190

Honda - 189

KTM - 181

Triumph - 179

Suzuki - 175

Ducati - 170

Yamaha - 164

GROUP STANDINGS- OFF ROAD

Honda - 62

BMW - 60

KTM - 56

Triumph - 53

Yamaha - 51

Suzuki - 50

Ducati – 45

RALPH’S LIST:

Honda

BMW

Triumph

Ducati

Yamaha

KTM

Suzuki

There are known knowns; There are Things we know we know. we also know There are known unknowns; ThaT is To say we know There are some Things we do noT know. BuT There are also unknown unknowns — The ones we don’T know we don’T know.

Did you know that there are adventure bikes you don’t even know about? No, of course you don’t. Otherwise you’d know about them...

People made fun of Donald Rumsfeld for saying that, and I’m not sure why. He’s establishing an important point. Actually I suspect they made fun of him because it was fashionable to make fun of Mr Rumsfeld whose family, by the way, comes from just near where I was born. Just

thought you might like to know.

When I first considered writing about these relatively unknown bikes, I was looking at a straightforward comparison test. My comparison tests are different from most other people’s, because I rarely if ever choose winners. There are several reasons for this, but one of them is that a winner means losers; and some of you out there will have bought the bikes or might be considering bikes that ‘lose’, and will feel disappointed about your choice. That is unfortunate, because nothing about that bike will have changed except my opinion; all the reasons that made you choose it in the first place will still apply.

But you might well be unhappy about riding a ‘loser’ (and your friends’ thinking you’re riding a ‘loser’) when it is no such thing – from your point of view.

So I was thinking of doing the usual no-winner-no-loser comparison test, but when I took a closer look at the bikes, I wasn’t quite sure. They don’t look as if they are meant for the same market. Their main similarities seemed to be that both come from China, and that you’re unlikely to have heard of either of them. But it turns out that they hit pretty much the same target, if from different directions.

CFMoto 650Mt

Many Italian stylists are still having trouble getting their heads around adventure bike design. Ducati gets it these days, more or less; the Multistrada has worked its way from looking like a praying mantis to a perhaps slightly too elegant fit-for-purpose appearance. But others, including Moto Guzzi and Aprilia, are still trapped in a world where motorcycles are good-looking. Unfortunately for these people, the parameters for the appearance of adventure bikes are, and pretty much always have been, set by BMW. That may change now that Harley-Davidson is on the scene with the Pan America and a look straight off a science fiction magazine cover, but it will take time even if it does take. Meanwhile, despite being designed in Austria, the 650MT does not look like an adventure bike. It is, on the other hand, good looking and also

LIVE RIDE TRAVEL

FEATURES

• Responsive 649.3cc parallel twin, DOHC, 41.5KW at 9500rpm and 62NM of torque at 7000rpm

• 6 speed transmission

• Superior performance with Bosch EFI

• Long travel USD front forks and cantilever rear shock for on or off road adventures

• Twin disc, 300mm / Rear: Single Disc, 240mm, with the safety of Continental ABS braking system

• Large 18L fuel tank for extended range

• 840mm standard seat height or an optional extra 820mm low seat

• Front/side & engine steel crash bar set as a standard feature

• New windscreen and side wind deflectors

• Integrated handguards

• USB charging port for GPS or smart phone

• 170mm ground clearance

• Available in two colour options, Matte Grey or Blue

• 2-Year Factory Warranty

appears well-made.

But is it an adventure bike? In a world where that title is often awarded more on appearance than functionality, I’d have to say “maybe”. For a start, it comes with 17 inch cast wheels and pretty much road tyres. If you’ve ever attempted any kind of muddy track with these kinds of hoops, you will know that it’s no fun. There are plenty of more dirt focused hybrid tyres around; equipping the bike with road tyres places it as, primarily, a road bike. Not, as I often say, that there’s anything wrong with that. The rest of the bike scrubs up well, too. An eight valve DOHC 650cc parallel twin with Bosch fuel injection puts out 41.5kW at 9500rpm and a pleasantly present 62Nm at 7000 revs. Wheel travel of 140mm at the front and 145mm at the rear is adequate for coping with our crap roads and even a lot of off roads, although it would be nice to have a bigger front tyre and wire wheels.

The Shad 32 litre panniers that come included in the $7990 ride-away price are a trifle small for adventure work and don’t look quite right, but the quality is fine. The brakes look better than they work, but they offer ABS and are still fine for anyone but a boy racer – who is not likely to find himself on a 650MT. It’s nice to have a USB port, but it’s hardly unusual. My Ducati Scrambler has one too.

On the road in pretty ordinary weather, the first thing I noticed after the reasonable 840mm (optional 820mm) seat height was the large and effective

(and adjustable) screen. It’s perhaps a surprise that the MT weighs 213kg but some of that is accounted for by the large 18 litre tank which gave me a fuel range of almost exactly the claimed 400km, which is all you want, even on an adventure bike. The bike was stable, capable of overtaking easily and comfortable. It is also available as a LAMs version.

Once on gravel fire trails, the MT surprised me with its effective setup. It was easy to handle standing up, something I don’t like doing because of my trick knee, and happy to tackle ripples and wheel tracks at low speed. Fit more dirt-capable tyres and you’ll cope with most Australian adventure conditions quite well.

That doesn’t change that the bike is essentially a tourer, but you won’t need to turn around when the road turns to a track. Whether it’s a ‘real’ adventure bike depends on you. And your tyres.

Benelli TRK 502

Unlike the CFMoto, the Benelli looks every bit a traditional adventure bike. That neatly contradicts my comments about Italian stylists, above, but as Walt Whitman said, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself.” It might not have the asymmetric headlights of a BMW (indeed, the headlights are distinctly Benelli) but it fits right into the Adventure canon. It also impresses with its build quality, and it’s worth noting that BMW itself now has at least one of its adventure bikes made in China.

SPECS

CF Moto 650Mt

PRICE: $7990 (ride away)

WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance

SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled parallel twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder

BORE x STROKE: 83 x 60mm

DISPLACEMENT: 649.3cc

COMPRESSION: 11.3:1

POWER: 41.5kW @ 9500rpm

TORQUE: 62Nm @ 7000rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multiplate clutch, chain final drive

SUSPENSION: Front, 43mm inverted fork, non-adjustable, travel 140mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable preload, travel 145mm.

DIMENSIONS: Seat height 840mm, weight 213kg (wet), fuel capacity 18 litres, wheelbase 1415mm

TYRES: Front, 120/70/17. Rear, 160/60/17

FRAME: Tubular steel

BRAKES: Front, twin 300mm discs with twin-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 240mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: N/A

THEORETICAL RANGE: N/A

COLOURS: Blue, Black

VERDICT: CHOICES, CHOICES

One thing you would probably not expect on something that looks like this is a relatively low seat; the one on the TRK check in at 800mm which will make the bike accessible to a lot of people who might have given up on the idea of an adventure bike, and it’s even a Learner Approved Motorcycle. Wait a little before you rejoice, though. No, I’m not going to carry on about the fact that the company that owns

Benelli, China’s QJ, is part owned by the company that makes Volvos, namely Geely. No. But let’s see what you’re actually getting.

The power comes from what I’m told is a newly-designed 500cc liquid cooled 8 valve DOHC parallel twin which puts out 35kW at 8500rpm and 45Nm at 5000rpm. That makes it rather less powerful than the CFMoto, and you can feel the difference both on the road and once you hit the gravel. The TRK also feels heavier than the other bike. Not that it feels heavy as such. In fact – and I hope I am not about to give the wrong impression – it feels a little like a toy. The TRK is fun; giving it a squirt is not going to give you a power slide in the gravel, but it will give a nice little spurt forward.

The Benelli TRK 502 is pretty close to the ideal LAMs bike. It has the looks, it has enough power and it handles predictably and steadily. The brakes look better than they are, with the rear especially limited, but there is Bosch ABS. Ralph did the fuel figures on this bike, and reckons it has almost a 600km range. Woo hoo!

On the gravel it is pleasantly neutral although it would benefit from more dirt-oriented tyres. Whipping around the fire trails in the Blue Mountains was enjoyable and never threatening, which is another recommendation for a LAMs bike.

Overall the design is as ‘traditional’ as it looks. The steel tube trellis frame is neatly welded, and the front suspension is by a 50mm diameter upside down

fork. The rear has a central shock absorber with spring preload, hydraulic rebound and compression setting all adjustable. The ergonomics match the appearance and offer more than adequate room to move for even somewhat bigger people. Wheels are 17 inch and cast, rather than the adventure bike preferred wire.

Unexpectedly, the bike vibrates a bit and the service intervals are quoted at 7000km. Check the price, too; seeing what the CFMoto goes for, $8790 ride away seems a bit steep especially as you’ll need to fork out another grand for the panniers. If you find the specs a bit tame, wait for the more aggressive TRK 502X which is in this issue also and offers things like wire wheels with a 19 inch front.

As it stands, or rather rolls, the TRK 502 is a pleasant bike on the road with limited power; mind you, the only time that’s likely to annoy you is when attempting to overtake.

As you will probably have noticed, despite looking quite different these two bikes will appeal to much the same demographic. Isn’t it great to have a choice!

WhoDuniT?

You will have noted, above, that both of these bikes might be made in China, but neither is designed there. The Benelli credits go to Benelli’s old-established studio in Pesaro, in Italy. The CFMoto’s looks come from Kiska Design in Austria (they do a lot of work for

Benelli TRK502

PRICE: $8790 (ride away)

WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance

SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 7000km or 12 months

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled parallel twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder

BORE x STROKE: 69 x 66.8mm

DISPLACEMENT: 500cc

COMPRESSION: 11.5:1

POWER: 35kW @ 8500rpm

TORQUE: 45Nm @ 5000rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, chain final drive

SUSPENSION: Front, 50mm inverted fork, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 135mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable preload, travel 130mm.

DIMENSIONS: Seat height 800mm, weight 213kg (wet), fuel capacity 20 litres, wheelbase 1525mm

TYRES: Front 120/70/17,. Rear, 160/60/17

FRAME: Tubular steel

BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: N/A

THEORETICAL RANGE: N/A

COLOURS: White, Red, Grey

VERDICT: DECISIONS, DECISIONS

KTM) . Both studios are among the most accomplished in the world. So if we just get back to Donald Rumsfeld for a moment, he once said, in a quote that might have come from Confucius himself, “When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.” These bikes make it clear that at least some of the Chinese motorcycle manufacturers are beginning to listen to those words. D

WINGING IT

WORDS & PHOTO MARI

“R

IDERS HELPING Riders” is what M.A.R.I (Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative) is all about.

Over the past 10 years or so, the M.A.R.I initiative has helped many riders and their families from Townsville in far North Queensland to Melbourne in the South, as well as other locations in Australia, on a fairly regular basis.

For those that have not heard of us before, it all started at St Vincents Hospital , Darlinghurst Sydney in 2007. A trained team of volunteers now called “Support Services” was grouped together and certified, to assist riders in need and riders who had been admitted to hospital. Since then the initiative has developed into what we have today. Now, we have developed another arm - M.A.R.I the Dr Wings Bike Force Volunteers. This team, guided by the M.A.R.I Team, will help riders with all sorts of problems outside the normal hospital care.

There are many ways we continue to help riders, such as

• Visits in hospital or a home,

• Supporting you with Motorcycling magazines to read, supplied direct by the publishers,

• Assisting with storing your ride gear until you are able to collect it,

• Helping with transporting your bike (if damaged) to your home

or chosen repairer. Police holding yards are expensive, charging by the day, and you may get a large storage bill, something you don’t need!

• Assisting with FREE Legal advice from our support team of specialists. You have different windows of opportunity to make a claim, they may change from state to state.

• This is for all motorists. We are offering a FREE loan vehicle for a period of time until your claim is settled. Yes, at no cost to you. All that is required is for you not to be at fault and the other driver being insured. You can have a choice of vehicle including another motorcycle if that is what you wish. The use of a loan car can help with getting to work, to a hospital or physio appointment, shopping, or to get the kids to school.

This service is available from Townsville to Melbourne within about 100k from the coast.

• We have just started a mobility aid support locker. We have already acquired some Mobility Scooters, also a Mercedes Van fitted with a chair lift. All these items will be available for sale shortly at the price we obtained them for. This will save the purchaser a great deal of money. These items may help

in getting you out of the house and back in touch with the local community.

• We can also now offer assistance with altering your bike, if you wish to keep riding. Specially engineered components like brake lever assemblies, clutch lever mods, electric gear changes etc, to help get you back out doing what you love.

The majority of the team have been injured themselves, or cared for someone that has. They have had to deal with

• Broken Limbs

• Hip Replacements

• Loss of limbs

• Heart conditions, plus many more problems that have occurred along the way.

Do you need a phone counselor to talk with? For that or for more information all you need do is call us, if the phone is not answered straight away leave a short message and we will call you back.

Call: 0449 186 761

Put the number into your mobile just in case Leave a message E-mail: ken1drwings@gmail.com Riders Helping Riders, Beyond Medicine www.drwings.org.au D

From left: Ken Lovegrove, Chairman; Glenda Lovegrove, National Secretary; and our very own Possum, the National Committee.

DESERT SLED THE LAND OF JOY

THE LAND OF JOY

DESERT SLED

Mongolian Magic

MonGolIa, THe VeRY

word conjures up images of wild horseman galloping across an ancient empty steppe landscape, with bow and arrow in hand, which today, isn’t that far from reality in what is the most sparsely populated country on earth and where the locals still practice the three “manly” sports of horse-riding, archery & wrestling.

The plane broke through a thick blanket of cloud to reveal a worrying

sight, as we made the final approach into Chinngis Khan International Airport the view out the window revealed swollen rivers, flooded roads and inundated buildings, the countryside, it seemed, had turned into a flooded quagmire. We knew we were in for the ride of a lifetime with some serious challenges, if the view from the plane predicated what lay ahead of us?

Riders had gathered in Ulaan Baatar from around the world for an epic

day ride that travelled over 2500kms of stunning vistas following a circular route that took us east toward China then north to within a 100kms of Russia before riding west then due south to return to Ulaan Baatar. I was not alone in my concerns, everyone it seems was talking about the “once in a century” floods that had hit all of Mongolia, tragically, sweeping over fifty people to their deaths, swept bridges away and isolated countless remote communities across the country, even the great Gobi Desert was waterlogged.

We collected our motley assortment of motorbikes consisting of Teneres, XTs, KTMs and Transalps, along with 4 mechanics and three support vehicles and made our way out past Sukh Baatar Square, with a giant statue of a stern looking Chinngis Khan standing guard over Parliament House that bordered the northern end of the square.

Our destination was the first 5-star hotel ever built in Mongolia located at the stunning Terelj National Park, via the biggest statue of a horse in the world, with of course, Chinngis Khan sitting astride the horse. In fact, the statue was so big you needed to take

an elevator to the head of the horse where one can walk out to marvel the view across the landscape where legend has it that Ghinngis, (as he is locally known), found his golden sword, a sword that guaranteed battle success, it must have worked as he built up the largest empire the world has ever known!

Our first shakedown ride on the dirt was via the wonderfully remote Kerlin River Valley to Mongoramit, in the far east of Mongolia, not far from the Chinese border. The recent rains had indeed swollen the rivers and it wasn’t long before a bike was drowned, the riding was immediately challenging especially for those who had never been off-road before! The scenery however was the stuff of legends with impossibly green steppe landscape dotted with brilliant white yurts, with nomadic families eking out an existence in this wild landscape. Mobs of wild horses galloped by while nervous sheep & yaks roamed the green endless pastures, devoid of fences and other such constraints, it was epic Mongolia. Immediately our itinerary was changed due to a bridge being washed

away with no possible way to cross what was a raging torrent, a town of 6000 people were utterly isolated! Sun had returned as we rode northwest toward the Russian border to one of only a handful of monasteries that was spared destruction during the Stalinist purges of 1937 where thousands of monks were executed, and most temples in Mongolia destroyed. Crossing two creeks occupied by horses cooling off, we reached Amarsbayagalant Monastery that lay at the confluence of three valleys. The monastery was beautiful, its bright colours in sharp contrast to the surrounding landscape. We were fortunate enough to witness Buddhist chanting, horn playing and prayer time; there was something ethereal about witnessing something so traditional in such a remote silent environment. The visit was an incredible insight into the monks’ way of life. Our stay was shortened due to some of the blackest clouds any of us had even seen as a mighty storm approached, we raced across a green empty landscape, as day turned to night, to our first yurt camp, arriving just as the heavens opened up.

The yurt stays provided us with a unique opportunity to experience the time-honoured nomadic way of life of the Mongolian people, although I think we had it a lot better than most nomads’ yurts, with hot showers, restaurant and bar all laid on for the guests. At night a log fire inside the yurt was lit ensuring a toasty warm yurt before bed.

Our ride west was slowed as we came across a wonderful traditional Mongolian country fair, the highlight being a 14km long horse race with over 100 horses racing along an undefined course with a plethora of vehicles following behind the horses, some of which were riderless as they crossed

the finishing line? Locals had turned out in the best finery and horse trainers wiped the sweat off their horses with wooden paddles, you couldn’t pay for this truly local experience.

Arriving at the “jewel in the Mongolian crown”, Khovsguul Nuur, the weather had remained stunning and Mongolia basked under its legendary blue skies, quickly drying the sodden landscape out. To this point we had mostly been on paved roads however the following days would be all on dirt and we were worried.

Bikes put aside for a day we enjoyed the superb landscapes around Khovsguul Nuur, of towering granite peaks, pine forests, intense rainbows

and a breathtaking full moon as it rose silently over the still waters of the lake, the day left us in awe of the endless beauty of Mongolia.

Riding the Mongolian dirt is an experience within itself as there is always dozens of tracks to choose from, all going, generally, in the same direction but the rule of thumb is always to follow the single powerline that will lead you to the next village.

The 3-day dirt track ride from Khovsguul Nuur to Tsaguun Nuur was, for some, the greatest days riding of their lives and a huge challenge. The tracks varied wildly from easy, fast single tracks that were barely discernible across endless grassy steppe

to challenging rocky tracks that wound their way over lofty mountain passes.

The rains returned, and we slid and scrambled our way up muddy fog shrouded 2500mt mountain passes and crossed waist deep rivers averaging around 20km/h. More bikes were drowned riders were wet & exhausted but as we shared a beer at the Tsaguun Nuur yurt camp after an epic 10-hour day we all agreed every moment was worth it, we all felt a huge sense of achievement remembering some had never ridden off road before.

After three days of dirt we finally hit the pavement again and welcomed the chance to soak up the endlessly beautiful surrounds as we rode east toward the legendary Fairfield Hotel, run by Australian expats Malcom and his wife, legendary for its food including “Aussie burgers” and curries. We had been in the “bush” for nearly 2 weeks and we savoured familiar food again.

Our final run in Ulaan Baatar saw another itinerary change as the planned 230kms of dirt was now 230kms of deep mud, where even the local 4 x 4 guides were refusing to venture. We visited the former capital, established by Chinngis Khan, of Erdene Zuu Khid, at Kharhorin before riding back into the chaos of Ulaan Baatar, well anything would seem like chaos after two weeks in some of the most empty and remote landscapes on earth, we all wished we could have turned around and ridden back out into the country.

I had never seen Mongolia so wet and the rivers so high, never, and talking to locals neither had they, in their lifetime. The ride had proven to be a huge challenge for some, but all came away with a real sense of achievement and vowed to return to what has to be some of the finest riding on earth, it was as the names suggest Mongolian Magic. This ride had proven to be the biggest challenge for me in over a decade of visiting Mongolia, three weeks earlier, on the previous Mongolian ride I led, Mongolia was in the grip of a drought, and I had never seen it so dry!

For more information on this epic riding destination visit: www.compassexpeditions.com/ tours/mongolian-magic/ D

words/photos RobeRt CRiCk

And to think that some unkind fellow riders reckon my F700GS is a “girl bike!”

Well, having parked it for the night outside the Grafton Hotel after riding

the Old Grafton Road, I was inside enjoying a small refreshment when another bike pulled up and parked next to mine.

How impressive. A great big mongrel

of a bike bearing a pretentious Rottweiler livery to emphasise its pedigree; and equipped with safari tank and so many adventure accoutrements that you’d think it had just endured a

Dakar jaunt across the Simpson Desert. But on closer inspection, there was not so much as a water-drop stain anywhere to be found; and the shine was almost blinding. I wondered if

the rider had really been on it when it arrived or was it unloaded from a hermetically sealed truck.

It looked more like a Poodle next to my Terrier that had just endured the

Old Grafton Road and the backblocks of New England country roads the day before; and proudly showed its willingness to get dirty. Girl bike, indeed. D

TECHNICAL On the Road

HONDA CRF1000L AFRICA TWIN

Sings

WE HAD AN Africa Twin here at AMM for a while, but I didn’t get a chance to take a close look at it. That’s the first thing I did, then, when tour guide Peter from Edelweiss Bike Travel allocated the bike to me for the Canary Islands ride. I would be spending five days on it, and I wanted to get a good look at it first. My immediate thought was what it often is these days when I look at a new bike. How can they do it for the money? The Africa Twin lacks some of the electronics that adorn most of its competitors, but it has ABS (although only the rear can be switched off), which is important to me, and traction control which isn’t, really. I’m just not a gun; I don’t need the ammunition.

The seat is not excessively high and the bike sits comfortably on its side stand. That’s important, as you will know if you’ve ever dealt with a big adventure bike. If you need to swing yourself into the saddle you don’t want the bloody thing falling over in the opposite direction. What? That’s just me? I don’t think so.

I wouldn’t mind a somewhat larger

tank than 18.8 litres, but on this ride it wasn’t going to matter. The other bikes had no more range than the Africa Twin. I did like the idea of the slipper clutch and the fully adjustable suspension, but more in the abstract. Peter had set the bike up for my, er, comfortable body weight and shape, and I did not need to change a thing for all of the five days. It didn’t take long on the first of those days for my main problem with the bike to show up. In the tight corners leading up to the caldera surrounding the giant volcano that

Luggage capacity of the Africa Twin is substantial.

forms the centre of Tenerife, I found that it took quite a bit of work to turn the bike. That’s due to the 21-inch front wheel, which is terrific in the dirt, but makes for some extra work on the tar. I did get a chance to get off the bitumen for a while and appreciated the 21-incher there. I’ve heard other riders complain about the position and size of the handlebar and foot pegs when you want to stand up in the dirt, but I’m a kind of sedentary bear so that didn’t matter to me. There’s plenty of power for me on the tar once the revs get up and maybe even a bit too much (torque, rather than power) on the dirt but overall I was very happy with the engine and transmission. No surprise there – after all, this is a Honda.

On the freeway the bike was fine and I appreciated the coverage of the deceptively small screen. The bike kept up with the Multistrada and the BMW GSs easily enough, too.

So what’s the verdict after five days of the wonderfully varied Canarian roads? Well, some of the continuous hairpin sections were hard work, although the bike certainly remained comfortable. If I were to ride significantly more dirt than we did on this trip, I’d be very happy with an Africa Twin. D continuous

Edelweiss Bike Travel looks after its fleet very carefully.

TECHNICAL

WhAt’s neW pussycAt…

Adventure bound

ThERE aRE a nUMBER of very exciting new adventure bikes coming onto the market over the next few months. Here’s a little look at some of them.

Yamaha T7 (Tenere 700)

Many existing mid-size adventure models are perceived as being too road oriented and too sophisticated, and are unsuited to real off-road riding. The adventure world needs a new kind of motorcycle that can offer the genuine long distance versatility and pure durability of the original Yamaha Ténéré, combined with contemporary design plus cutting

edge engine and chassis technology. A committed team composed of Yamaha’s engineers, designers and product planners from the Official Rally Team in France, the R&D in Italy and GK Design in the Netherlands have developed the T7 concept. We expect the bike to be officially released at either Intermot or EICMA. Each member of the team is driven by a desire to create something that would fit the needs of the adventure traveller and represent the Yamaha vision for the next generation of adventure bikes. Created using the race-bred DNA that has made Yamaha one of the most successful names in the Rally

world, the Yamaha T7 Concept is a fully functioning prototype developed to achieve a perfect balance between road and off road capability.

This lightweight machine is based on an all new chassis that has been designed to complement a specially developed version of Yamaha’s highly acclaimed 700cc CP2 engine (as used in the MT-07), delivering strong torque and an easy power delivery for perfect traction in all conditions.

Equipped with an aluminium fuel tank, 4-projector LED headlight, a carbon fairing and skid plate, and a custom made Akrapovic exhaust – as well as high specification KYB front suspension - the T7 is a vision of the

ideal adventure machine, and is playing a major role in the development of Yamaha’s next generation adventure models. A new chapter from the book of legends will be on the street - and on the dirt – very shortly.

Expect the T7 to be a massive seller, so get your order in now!

Moto Guzzi V85 TT

The highly versatile V85 TT pays homage to the quintessence of travel, and is dedicated to motorcyclists who do not stop when they reach the end of the asphalt.

The acronym ‘TT’ stands for “tutto terreno” (all terrain) and builds on a tradition that was established by the marque with their Gold Medal

winning ISDE machines in the 1930’s. Now the V85 TT offers a window into the brand’s bright future and a commitment to meeting the needs of aficionados in a modern age. The features it has place it between the classic V7 and V9 family and the 1400 large cruisers to cover the gap left by the Stelvio. It is a motorcycle that has travel in its blood and the indomitable spirit of Moto Guzzi in spades.

The V85 TT is built out of authenticity, which is a fundamental value of the Factory in Mandello. A new lighter and more powerful small block engine guarantees rider enjoyment and takes inspiration from the epic rally raids of the 1980s; a point of reference from which the model inherits style, charm and

proficiency on long-distance routes with cutting edge technology.

In its use as a touring bike, the V85 is new and original combining stylistic ideas from the golden age of the motorcycling with the contents and functionality of a modern adventure bike. This motorcycle represents a revolution in the motorcycle industry and is part of a natural evolution by the Lake Como-based brand wholly consistent with their launch of the V9 a year ago and the third generation of the V7 this year.

BMW R 1250 GS

BMW has a couple of new adventure models coming out, the first being the R 1250 GS which takes things to another level. The highlights of this new model are:

Further developed boxer engine with BMW ShiftCam technology for variation of the valve timings and valve stroke on the intake side.

Even more power across the entire engine speed range, optimised fuel consumption and emission levels, increased running smoothness and refinement.

Increased output and torque: 100 kW at 7750 rpm and 143 Nm at 6250 rpm (previously: 92 kW at 7750 rpm and 125 Nm at 6500 rpm)).

Capacity increased to 1254 cc (previously: 1170 cc).

therefore more effective combustion.

Camshaft drive now via toothed chain (previously roller chain).

Optimised oil supply and piston base cooling.

Knock sensor system for optimised travel suitability.

Latest generation of BMS-O engine control and use of twinjet injection valves for even more effective ‘carburetion’.

New exhaust system for optimum performance characteristics.

characteristics.

Two riding modes, ASC and Hill Start Control as standard.

Riding Modes

Pro, featuring additional riding modes, Dynamic Traction Control

DTC, ABS Pro, Hill Start Control Pro and Dynamic Brake Assistant DBC, available as an optional

Electronic suspension Dynamic ESA “Next Generation” with fully

In addition to standard adjustability of seat height (exception: HP style for the R 1250 GS), wide range of seat height variants ex works.

LED headlamp for the R 1250 GS as standard and LED daytime riding light for both models as optional equipment items ex works.

Connectivity: multifunctional instrument cluster with 6.5-inch fullcolour TFT screen and numerous

features as standard in the R 1250 GS. Intelligent Emergency Call as an ex works option.

BMW Motorrad Spezial –customisation features as optional equipment items ex works.

Extended range of optional equipment items and Original BMW Motorrad Accessories.

The new R 1250 GS: travel and offroad prowess in two modern basic finishes and two striking style variants.

BMW F 850 GS

The second major new adventure bike from BMW is the F 850 GS. It will be made available in four models – F 850 GS, Rallye, Rallye X and Tour variants for any riders taste. Expect the F 850 GS to be more trim, taut and terrific than the outgoing model and be jampacked with technology. At a glance it could be much closer to the tech of big brother, which gives BMW some serious fire power in their range.

TRIUMPH

TIGER TRAMONTANA RALLY

Venturing into probably-won’thappen-anytime-soon territory but, dare to dream. The Triumph Tiger Tramontana was a one-off,

competition only Tiger 800 built to compete in the 2017 PanAfrica Rally. Dream on, baby!

HONDA AFRICA TWIN ENDURO SPORTS

Another dreaming concept that we can only hope comes to fruition! The Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports is a Honda R&D project created inhouse pulling from the CRF off-road and motocross models. The reason it is so enticing is that, as a lot of you know, the standard Africa Twin is a pretty good bike. Starting with a solid platform and making it lighter, slimmer, more agile, and with better suspension sounds like a winning combination. We also understand that with deep pockets, connections, and a lot of time, anyone could turn their AT into something close to this bike, but it’s a whole different story when it comes stock from the manufacturer themselves!

KTM 790 ADVENTURE R

For those who have orange pumping through their veins, we haven’t forgot about the KTM 790 Adventure R which we presume will be unveiled at either Intermot or EICMA this year in production form. The adventure world has been abuzz with anticipation since the fi rst spy photos of this bike surfaced in late 2016.

Fitted with a 799cc engine places it neatly in the middleweight adventure market. Again, just like the new Yamaha T7, this KTM should be a big seller. D

I TOOK THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED BY, AND NOW WHERE THE HELL AM I?

AFTER ROBERT FROST

Guided tours (in this case, Beach’s) will give you scenery and riding combined –adventuring with a good meal and a comfortable bed at night. Mostly. (Photo Uwe Krauss)

ADVENTURE IN COMPANY

COMPILED BY THE BEAR

GOING OFF (ROAD)

“T HERE'S A REASON to celebrate: We have nine new tours for you!” says Edelweiss. “We worked meticulously, scouted in different countries, developed new routes, explored hidden highlights, discovered great accommodations – and fi nally the

time has come: Now we have brandnew tours in our program for you! There is defi nitely something for every taste, also for off-road fans! Yes, Edelweiss goes unpaved! Our three new enduro tours on unpaved gravel roads as well as grass, fi eld and forest roads guarantee 100% riding fun!”

Sounds pretty good, right? Can

they back it up? Let’s see…

Andalusia Unpaved: Spain. "Onand off-road through the Sierra Nevada!" 7 vacation days, 5 riding days. Ronda, Cordoba, GranadaAlhambra, Gibraltar, Arcos...

Istria Unpaved: Croatia. "Enduro fun in Istria: between gravel roads and artist villages!" 7 vacation days, 5 riding days. Motovun and its historic

center, nature park Ucka, Pula... Tuscany Unpaved: Italy. "Enduro fun in Tuscany: Enjoy a ride in Italy at its best!" 7 vacation days, 5 riding days. Grotta del Vento, Park Apuan Alps, Pania della Croce...

But of course there’s always more. Here are a few examples.

Atlantic Mountains Extreme, Spain. "Enjoy a week of fantastic islandhopping on the Canary Islands and feel eternal spring!" 7 vacation days, 5 riding days. Includes Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Parque Natural de Tamadaba, Parque Nacional del Teide, Parque Natural de Pilancones, Corona Forestal Natural Park, Barranco del Cabrito, Anaga Mountains… Balkan Adventure. Albania, BosniaHerzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia. "Through the wildest parts of Europe in two weeks – true adventure can be so close!" 14 vacation days, 12 riding days. Plitvice Lakes, Una Canyon, Durmitor National Park, Valbona valley, Mavrovo national park, Lake Ohrid,

Tetovo, Skopje, Rila monastery, Kopaonik mountain range, Danube, Sisak Castle…

Best of Italy. "Loads of riding fun in the land of pizza, pasta and amore!" 10 vacation days, 8 riding days. Roma (Rome), Norcia, Monti Sibillini National Park, Assisi, Cortona, Urbino, San Marino, Florence, Mugello racetrack, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti Region, Montalcino, Abbazia Sant'Antimo, Pienza, Lago Trasimeno, Orvieto, Bolsena Lake... Edelweiss Bike Travel, worldtours@edelweissbike.com and www.edelweissbike.com. They have a knockout catalogue, too.

BOTH SIDES NOW

I like Rob Beach a lot. Gretchen, his wife, not so much. She took appalling pictures of me, dozing (and dribbling) on the ferry to Corsica… and no, I’m not going to show it to you.

But Rob’s fine. Except when he sends me notes like the following,

about the Alpine Adventure East tour I have no chance of making because I’m busy elsewhere.

“Hey Bear,” he wrote, “when you visited Europe, did you see both sides? Don't be fooled into thinking that this is just some other version of our Classic Alpine tour. This one is different.

“Some parts are similar, such as the endless ascents, descents, twists and turns of great Alpine riding. Also present is the adventure, exploration, and camaraderie that Beach's is known for. Yet from the first turn away from Munich, this tour comes at Europe from a different direction than our other tours by first heading towards the Europe once separated by the infamous Iron Curtain.

“The tour's laundry-list of "perfect medieval cities" begins with either Augsburg or Rothenburg. Soak in the ancient atmosphere and wander the narrow streets, enjoy coffee and

The Croatian back country offers a lot of wonderful riding.

New Zealand’s only BMW Motorrad approved Travel Partner

Guided and self-guided tours and rentals RIDE WITH THE BEST.

pastries in the town square, or walk a patrol on the old town wall. Then an overnight in Bamberg, a historic city known for its witch trials, to sleep in a city that the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II molded to be a "Second Rome".

“Leaving Bamberg to descend from German hills to the plains of the Czech Republic is a trip from one culture to another. Once across the border, now freely open, obvious differences expose themselves. There are fewer roads, larger farms, poorer towns, and some missing decades of progress. Landing in Prague for a

double overnight provides the chance to explore a city inhabited since prehistory, bearing signs of every era from the stone age into the 21st Century.

“From Prague, the route turns south to Austria, and back into the excellent riding of the Alps. A free day in Villach means an opportunity to visit Slovenia and see the beautiful old city of Bled. Or, stay in Austria to play on the great roads and enjoy an Alpine picnic from atop a mountain.

“Heading back west, the tour fl ips its focus to Italy, and the challenging

passes contained within. This westerly course exposes the singular beauty of the Dolomites, including a free day in Arabba surrounded by mountain peaks and passes.

“to really understand the multifaceted nature of the continent, a taste of Switzerland is required and the Stelvio Pass is non-negotiable. Accordingly, an overnight in Zuoz provides. This short stay in

Shopping in a Corsican market. Beach’s tours get you close to the people, everywhere.

Switzerland fi xes the course through more "must see" Alpine passes before turning back towards Munich. The last day is not a surrender, though, and is focused on great riding before departure.”

Damn the man. Now I have to see if I can make time for this tour next year – if Beach’s is still running it, and if I can finagle an invitation… and Gretchen promises to stop taking embarrassing photos of me.

WHALE OF A TIME

“What does MotoQuest have in common with the Pacifi c Gray Whale”, asks Phil Freeman? “Each year, as winter approaches the whales begin an epic journey south along more than 5,000 miles of coast to the warm shallows off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Likewise, we close down our shop in Anchorage and migrate south to our offi ces in Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. We both call Alaska home during the summer months and enjoy escaping the cold with annual visits to Baja!

“Sunshine and warm ocean breezes, authentic Mexican food with cold beer and margaritas, peaceful deserts and beaches, and the relaxed vibe of the locals weave a perfect tapestry for riders seeking a winter escape. It is the middle of summer here in the northern hemisphere and most people are probably looking forward to cooler temperatures. But our Baja program has become so popular that

if you wait until the cold sets in to start planning your Baja vacation, we'll already be booked up for the year.

“While we have been running our Best of Baja Adventures for quite a few years now, we recently added the Baja Backroads Adventure to the menu, and it's already proven to be in demand as the November ride is almost sold out. We have just one spot remaining on this weeklong loop that explores the best paved and unpaved roads throughout Northern Baja, and we've added a second trip in January.

“Our Best of Baja Southbound and Best of Baja Northbound trips include a special treat: we take a side trip out to one of the lagoons where all of those Gray Whales are hanging out, we hop in small boats, and get

to interact with the whales! You may come to Baja for the riding, the weather, the food, or the relaxation, but we promise that this will be something you remember and talk about for the rest of your life!

“Check out our lineup of upcoming Baja Adventures, and remember that if these dates don't work for you, you prefer to ride alone, or have your own group of riding buddies, we can create a custom tour or rental package for you. We did it for The Bear. More at info@motoquest.com .” D

Bonjour Provence

Riding Provence, Gorge du Verdon, Avignon, Carcassonne, Aix-en-Provence, Vercors, Grasse, Luberon villages, Pont du Gard, Millau Viaduct

HigHligHTs

Baja California is the place to make many memories.

TOUR OPERATOR DIRECTORY

The

guide to the stars - The who’s who in the zoo of motorcycle travel worldwide is what you’ll fi nd here. These companies want to make your motorcycle travel the best it can be. We’ve travelled with many of them and know them all, so they come highly recommended. In alphabetical order, they are:

ADRIATIC MOTO TOURS – Europe & Asia

www.adriaticmototours.com info@adriaticmototours.com

ASIAN EXPERIENCE

MOTORBIKE TOURS - Asia www.asianexperience.com.au

BEACH’S MOTORCYCLE

ADVENTURES - Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Isle of Man, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany and Austria tours@bmca.com www.bmca.com

BIKE TOUR ASIA - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China & Myanmar. www.biketourasia.com info@biketourasia.com

BLUE STRADA MOTORCYCLE

TOURS – North Carolina USA www.bluestradatours.com billk@bluestradatours.com

CENTRAL OTAGO MOTORCYCLE

EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLE

ADVENTURE S – Italy & French Alps www.europeanmotorcycleadventures.com naylor.ross@gmail.com

GET ROUTED – Isle of Man www.getrouted.com.au dave@getrouted.com.au

HIRE AND TOURS – New Zealand www.comotorcyclehire.co.nz Info@comotorcyclehire.co.nz

COMPASS EXPEDITIONS - North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa www.compassexpeditions.com

EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL –Worldwide tours www.edelweissbike.com

PARADISE MOTORCYCLE TOURS –

New Zealand & European Alps www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz

RIDE THE WORLD - Australia, India,

HEAR THE ROAD MOTORCYCLE

TOURS ITALY - Italy www.motorcycletoursitaly.com enrico@motorcycletoursitaly.com

HORIZONTE TOURS – Europe & South America www.horizonte-tours.com info@horizonte-tours.com

IMT BIKE TOURS & RENTALS - Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Europe and Thailand www.imtbike.com tours@imtbike.com

MASCHINE - Europe and Australia www.maschine.com.au

MOTOAVENTURES - South Africa & Morocco

www.motoaventures.com info@motoaventures.com

MOTOLOMBIA TOURS & RENTALS

- Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina www.Motolombia.com mike@motolombia.com

South Africa, Vietnam, USA Adventure rides out of Las Vegas www.ridetheworld.com.au david@ridetheworld.com.au

ROYAL BIKE RIDERS - India & Himalaya www.royalbikeriders.com info@royalbikeriders.com

SERENDIB MOTORCYCLING ADVENTURES – Sri Lanka

www.SerendibMotorcyclingAdventures.com info@SerendibMotorcyclingAdventures.com

SOUTH PACIFIC MOTORCYCLE

TOURS – New Zealand www.motorbiketours.co.nz offi ce@motorbiketours.co.nz

VIETLONG TRAVEL - Asia www.vietlongtravel.com sales@vietlongtravel.com

WORLD ON WHEELS - Europe, Iceland, South America, India, Asia, Mexico, Africa & Himalaya www.worldonwheels.tours Adventure@WorldOnWheels.Tours

BMW R 90 S HEY, GOOD LOOKIN’

Wunderlich Engine Protection Bars – $342.63 (A$ equivalent in Germany)

THE CRASH BARS

fitted to most BMW Airheads from the ‘70s and ‘80s were beaten severely with the Ugly Stick before installation. Their shape is far from elegant; they are too high and too intrusive. I make no comment regarding their effectiveness, although I’m inclined to think that having a single loop of tubing protecting the rocker covers is less than optimal. Whatever; I just plain don’t like the old bars. In keeping with its slogan ‘Complete your BMW’, Wunderlich in Germany has an answer. This company is dedicated to providing “well over 3,000 accessories products for all current BMW motorcycle models and almost all Boxer two-valve engines.” That’s impressive enough, but a large part of the parts (umm…) Wunderlich offers are in-house designs “tailor(ed) perfectly to fit your motorcycles with plenty of attention to detail and the highest level of care”. I like their stuff a lot.

The crash bars from Wunderlich are less intrusive in looks but appear to actually be stronger than the originals. The chrome looks every bit as good as the best of the American aftermarket stuff from people like Kuryakyn, and from me that’s high praise. I am not about to test them (I hope) but I find that the bike looks far more attractive now. And yes, I know it doesn’t look original – see the next item for my take on that. In the meantime, check the bars out on the Wunderlich website at www.wunderlich.de . PT

GET A GRIP

Wunderlich Translucent Handgrips - $53.95

It’s an age-old argument: what’s better, to have a bike that looks original, or one that looks good and possibly works a little better? In some cases, of course, the two go hand-in-hand, or rather hand-on-grip, as in this case. BMW bikes from the ‘70s have distinctive handgrips, slim, hard and quite elegant. The problem from my point of view is that they are not especially comfortable. It’s easier to keep your hands wrapped around something with a little more bulk, and possibly softer –

despite the potential loss of elegance. Fortunately, Wunderlich has a set of translucent grips in its catalogue which suits the age and style of the bike, even if it’s a long way from original. The grips are not especially soft but they are definitely more comfortable to use. On long rides that extra little bit of comfort adds up and in the end you get off the bike with hands that feel just that little bit less abused. They don’t look out of place on the bike, either, except to BMW tragics – and they have a lot of other things to pick on, on this particular machine!

LONG TERMERS

One slight problem I had not anticipated is that the extra thickness of the grips would reduce the space for my hands – between grip and bikini fairing – enough to be noticeable. No big deal, but I need to slip my hands in now, rather than just placing them on the grips. I’ll see about fixing this by raising the fairing a few millimetres. Apart from that I am happy with the new grips. I think they look cool, in fact. If you’d like to ‘detail’ your BMW with small changes like this, or if you want to totally rebuild it closer to your heart’s desire, see the Wunderlich website at www.wunderlich.de (there is an option to open it in English) or check out the website of the Australian importer procycles.com.au. They also have shops in Hornsby and St Peters, both in Sydney. Say hello to Adrian for me if you go to the St Peters shop; he helped me get some of the info for these reviews. PT

CLEAR VIEWS

Bar-End Mirrors

The R 90 S came from the factory with one of two kinds of mirrors, and I don’t like either of them. So when I found these bar ends in my ‘stuff’ box, left over from a previous project where they didn’t work, they were obvious candidates to replace the original chrome stalks.

On this bike, the mirrors work perfectly; there isn’t even much vibration transmitted to them, so they’re clear as a priest’s conscience (oh, wait a minute…) at any speed. They

also don’t make the bike any wider overall, which is what was the problem on the bike for which I originally bought them. There’s no brand name on them and I have no idea how much they cost, but I suspect that you’ll have little trouble finding these or something very much like them. From memory, I bought them at Motorcycle Accessory Supermarket. PT

KAWASAKI Z900RS

Goin’ old school

As much as it pains my father I finally got the key to the Z900RS from him. I was immediately at home on the RS and the first thing I felt was the high level of build quality. The finish is like nothing else and the suspension feels like you’ve spent three grand plus on aftermarket top shelf stuff. We’ve also had some more accessories fitted to it and they start with the old school tank badges…

Tank a

Tank Emblem Set - $200.18

What has to be a compulsory accessory with the mighty Z900RS,

Photo credits to: Andre Phillipe De-Brissac Bernard

Kawasaki’s genuine accessory tank emblem set which harks back to the original Z1 tank badges is a must! See your local dealer or www.kawasaki.com.au

Smoked Meter Cover - $429.30

Protect that amazing set of instruments with the genuine Kawasaki screen. Supplied with all the hardware for fitting I’m told it takes about half an hour to bolt it up. The screen does also deflect a small amount of wind away from your chest and as the name suggests, covers the instruments just nicely. Worst thing you’d want to have happen is some kamikaze bug splatter itself all over those lovely instruments! See your local dealer or www.kawasaki.com.au

Front Axle Protector - $154

Manufactured from durable ABS nylon, the functional yet stylish and compact design of this front axle slider adds that extra level of protection to the beautiful Z900RS. It would be sacrilege to damage such a delightful machine, wouldn’t it!

Takes all of a minute or so to fit, the axle protector comes with fitting instructions if you’re not sure. See your local dealer or www.kawasaki.com.au

Oggy Knobbs - $195

When I spoke with the Australian Oggy Knobb distributor, Kenma

about some crash protectors for the Z900RS they mentioned the folk at Oggy Knobb weren’t sure anyone would want to fi t them to such a pretty bike. I said that was more the reason to fi t them because no one would want to scratch this bike, especially if it happened to fall over at a servo as is usually the case with a lot of motorcycles. So, a couple of months went by and here they are! Fitment is simply and once they’ve been on there for a couple of weeks you’ll hardly notice them…until you need them! See your local bike shop or www.kenma.com.au SW

BENELLI LEONCINO

Ridin’ all day long

The little lion has continued being an awesome little commuter. It’s been fl ogged from pillar to post in the dry and in the rain, and never missed a beat. The only thing I’ve had to do to it in the last month is wash it, lube the chain, check the oil (which was perfect) and top up the coolant which had dropped about 100ml – normal for any motorcycle that’s six months old.

If you’ve been following our time with the Leoncino I can honestly say it has been one hundred percent reliable the entire time we’ve had it, so if you thought otherwise of the brand, you’re wrong. I have tried to get it to do something wrong by pulling its ears, poking it in the belly and sticking my foot up its arse with the little lion essentially laughing at me and taking everything I could give it.

you get to your local Benelli dealer and take one for a test ride –you’ll love it. SW

SUZUKI GSX1100S KATANA

Rollin’ on by

A great looking bike that is more than enough for commuting and even for a weekend blast. I highly recommend

The big Kat is essentially fi nished this month, but time will now be rolling by before I get the bodywork back. I’ve been stuffed around by one painter (organised through a mate) and have taken the bits from him to a much more reliable painter, who as I type this has already got the bodywork under Hi-Fill (primer). The wiring harness was one area I wasn’t sure would be okay or not. The tape looked very second-hand and that usually means the wires will be rubbish as well. Luckily when I untapped it all they were in good nick so some shiny new electrical tape was wound around so it looks new again. After fi tting all the new parts,

matched up to any of the old parts I bled the brakes, adjusted the new throttle and clutch cables, checked the chain, the tyre pressures and fi lled up the engine with some new oil. It was now time to start the big Kat and check all was well and balance the carbs. After a couple of pumps of the throttle, it boomed into life once again. Once the carbs were balanced it sounded as sweet as singing bird, so now

I can’t wait to get the bodywork back and fi nally ride it! Until that time it’s sitting in my garage with a cover over it. SW D

JUMP STARTERS

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Far CaIrN raLLY 2018 EVENT

Possum goes West words/photos The Possum

The Far Cairn rally

is a great ride out to the geographical Centre of NSW. This year also gave us a first-hand look at the way the bush was being belted by the drought.

Not many sheep in sight, and very little wheat, although there was plenty of Canola in places.

Dry dams and paddocks full of nothing.

Our motley band made our way west, leaving Friday morning and heading out over the Bells Line of Road. Our overnight was at a caravan park in Forbes where the well-appointed camp kitchen coped with our antics – this was no glamour cooking show folks!

We gained four more riders at Forbes and made an early start for Tottenham. Along the way we stopped off in Tullamore for coffee. There is a town struggling to keep afloat ! Very little action in town and plenty of empty shops. The coffee was not Barista quality, but I am sure the cash injection from our group was appreciated.

We hit Tottenham before midday and made straight for the servo to top up. The Rural Trader closes at midday and generally does not open on Sunday. For this weekend though, they make an exception and the closest thing to a traffic jam happens Sunday

morning around the one petrol pump. So the moral is to get in early and beat the rush.

The cafe I tried last time I was out there seems to have a new policy –closed on Saturday. So they missed out big time, but there is always a plan B. B for Bowling Club – and the kitchen there turned out a great feed for our group and quite a few other riders.

Well-fed and with some cool refreshments, we settled into the Racecourse rally site. There were all the usual suspects, plenty of blokes seen at various rallies around the place – if only we could attract some fresh blood!

As usual, the Lions Club turned out a BBQ evening meal, and backed up next morning to dish up the bacon and egg rolls with plenty of tea and coffee.

The formal part of the event got underway with the mob being addressed by Jason the BMWTCNSW Club President, followed by Rob Lovett.

The charity of choice for the Club is MARI (Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative), and the CEO if MARI , Ken Lovegrove, was on hand to tell everyone of the progress of the charity and its support to crashed riders. MARI is always looking for volunteers to help with its work, so if you are interested check out the web site.

NexT uP was The awards

longest Distance Sidecar – Alan from the Eyre Peninsula SA at 1107 km youngest rider – Paul from Sydney at 30 years old

longest Distance Male – Bailey from SA at 1194 km – this bloke seems to have a stranglehold on this trophy ! longest Distance Female – Glenda from the Central Coast at 619 km Oldest Combined age – Trevor and his R75/5 at 108 years longest Distance Pillion – Rose from Central Coast at 620 km- first rally too ! hard luck – Pogo had some mechanical woes with his Can-Am but was able to fix it with an occy strap and make the rally.

Sunday morning saw most up and packed for a fast getaway after the bacon & egg roll. It was good to see some riders dropping off their leftover coldies at the Lions Club shed as a show of thanks. Get your mates together and go for a long ride to places west of the Newell Highway and spread a few dollars around in these struggling towns. You will even see the unbelievable occur, out there you will see Harley riders waving to BMW riders, and having that wave returned ! Remember that the BMWTCNSW has two rallies each year, and the next on is the Karuah River Rally in February –check their web site. D

THE COST OF NOSTALGIA

WORDS/PHOTOS PICKO

Ilook at most modern bikes these days and they barely get my passion meter above zero. Sure, there are some retro machines like the Kawasaki Z900RS and BMW’s RnineT for example but overall it’s all a bit ‘same same’ for my liking. The funny thing is I have a Yamaha MT-10, essentially

for its engine. It has a soulful feel to it. I love it. Modern bikes might lack a nostalgic aura about them but they do have their uses. What I do to compensate is surround myself with classics, importantly, of the era I was spreading my wings as a car and bike obsessed youth. There

70-80 grands worth of GT750? Mmm, not for this bloke.

were girls too. I love bikes of the ’80s and ’90s. I have a few favourites, namely the Suzuki GSX1100 and the likes, and Honda V Fours. There’s

My $2500, GSX1100. Big power with average handling – a great combination.

Not the actual bike I mentioned, but ‘green frames’ are fetching huge money.

a smattering of others in the stable, including a mid ’90s Triumph and even a couple of belt drive Ducatis. In the main though, I’m stuck in a time-warp. What I struggle to understand though, is the pricing of certain bikes. Many are overrated and overpriced in my opinion. Take the bevel drive Ducati for example. They stopped making them in the mid-1980s and prices are currently extremely strong. These are some of the most overrated bikes around. Before the Ducatisti among you send me death threats, I do work on them on a weekly basis. A good example of a 1978 900SS will command at least $50,000, a GT750 in similar condition is now fetching $35,000 plus. That blows my mind, when you can buy a 1981 Suzuki GSX1100 in similar condition for less than 10 grand, a Katana 1100 for a bit more, a Yamaha RZ500 between 10 and 15K and so on. As soon as one

wag puts a high price on a collectable bike then everyone starts to think theirs is worth it too.

Recently we (Ron Young Engineering) put the finishing touches to a genuine Green Frame 750SS Ducati. Yes, a real one. I transported it to Sydney for it to be crated and shipped to the USA for a Bonhams auction. As I write this, the auction is less than a week away. How much? The bike is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $250,000. This model is the most collectable ‘mainstream’ Ducati, other than special race bikes and so on. It’s a very nice bike, but how much? Are these people off their meds? I asked the Bonhams representative if she believed there would be a ‘ceiling’ to this type of spending by collectors, who will most likely never start or ride the bike. They would be bloody disappointed if they did. They are not that great to ride.

Anyway, the nice lady from Bonhams said she doesn’t expect there to be a ceiling as such. In her opinion the collector money that’s out there is hard to even fathom by ‘regular’ wage earners. She mentioned the Jack Ehrets Vincent Black Lightning that made its way home to Australia within the last 12 months. Besides the person who won the auction, there was another bidder who went hard but didn’t win in the end. That bidder already had two Black Lightnings. We are talking a million plus here - crazy money. People with that sort of dosh will just pay what they want. It’s probably small change in the scheme of things.

My MT-10 and Norton 961. One is everything you’d expect from a modern road burner and the other pretends to be modern.

There is a thought among enthusiasts that collectors have ruined the collectable car and motorcycle market for true enthusiasts who are now getting priced out of the action. That’s why you see everyday nondescript cars and motorcycles from the 1970s and ’80s now going up in price. Cars that were just transport back in the day, like say, a six cylinder 1977 XC Ford Falcon for example, are being sold for 20 grand. The more desirable cars are out of reach for most people. Sure, there are ‘bargains’ out there but these often require more work and money than is realistically worthwhile.

About 25 years ago, before the internet as we know it, I had a nice XU-1 Torana. Try as I might, it was hard to sell, and I eventually did so for $4500. Less than 10 years later the prices had increased more than tenfold, and now double that. I still can’t come to terms with those prices, and think if someone pays 100 grand for an XU-1 Torana they need counselling.

In many ways there is more fun to be

had swanning around in cheap classics than there is in the more expensive ones. Do you reckon the guy who bought the Jack Ehret Vincent is going to be cutting some laps on the track or giving it a run up the road any time soon?

Besides my ’80s two wheeled classics I have a 1976 MGB and a 1960 HT Holden panel van. The MGB is worth around six grand and I love taking my wife out for breakfast in it. If it gets a scratch then who really cares. The panel van on the other hand is like my third child. It’s nearly ready for the road after a six or seven year resto but I know if it gets scratched I will be mortified. The panel van when finished will be worth at least $50,000. When I say ‘worth it’ I mean what I could most likely sell it for. Like the MGB, the 1983 Suzuki GSX1100 I recently paid $2500 for is a useable classic. What a great bike. It could be cleaner but hey, it was cheap and it’s fun. Now before you go thinking I’m

some sort of capitalist with a huge collection, I’ve had many of my ‘lot’ for years now, bought when prices were a bit lower. And four or fi ve of them are co-owned with a very close friend. We share the costs, ride and drive (in the case of the MGB) them whenever we feel like it. That is one good way of buying a few classics. When I bought the GSX1100 a good mate of mine bagged the bike, asking why I was prepared to pay $2500 for an old Jap bike. This is the same bloke who owns half a dozen Ducati GT750s, and believes they are worth $35-45k each. Of course he does, he’s got them. If he was buying them, it would be a different story. I do love the expensive end of town, and can imagine owning a Vincent, Manx Norton or Brough Superior to be a wonderful experience, but even if I won a million on the lottery I wouldn’t pay the money asked for these exclusive classics. That’s just me though. Nostalgia. It’s a powerful thing. D

Triumph Explorer 1200

To keep you in the mood of awesome adventures – this was the camp site of the Triumph Explorer 1200 a number of years ago, just inside the Northern Territory on a cattle farm. The launch was from Adelaide to Uluru. The highlight of this camp spot was the Camel and Date sausages for breakfast! LOL!

To many people, riding off-road is something they’ll never do, only ever dream about, or will never be confident at doing. There are many things you can do to improve your skills off-road. Certainly, there are a number of off-road riding courses which should be a consideration but if this isn’t for you, here are some thoughts to help you improve –

If you are anything like me, you learned how to ride a bike quite a while ago. Sitting on a little dirt bike (more than likely a Yamaha PeeWee 50) in a field (or a backyard), a smile wider than the horizon and your dad standing beside you, showing/telling you how to let out the clutch while feeding in the throttle before progressing into how to change gear. And with that knowledge your motorcycling career was set; for most people, they’ve taken no other instruction since those halcyon days with Dad.

Refocusing on the basics is where you should start, and just maybe you won’t end up knackered, falling off and beat-up within the first hour… If used together, these thoughts will improve your riding every time you throw a leg over your adventurer. For newbies, it will give you an idea of what you should be doing, for seasoned veterans, it might just remind you!

ChANGE It Up

When your bike left the factory, it was set up specifically for you, right? No, of course it wasn’t – the manufacturers make machines that come as close as they can to catering for all sized riders from Hobart to Darwin and everything else in-between. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Rather than just expect those stock bars, stock grips and stock levers to be the best possible bend, it’s

worth experimenting to see if that’s actually correct.

Just in terms of the bars alone, companies like Renthal make a myriad of different models with variations in sweep, rise, height, width, clamp area and control length. Then there’s FatBars, Twinwalls, 7/8” bars and different bar mounts to consider. All these dimensions will make a difference, so it’s pretty likely that there’s a bar and set up that will suit you and your bike better than stock.

Moving on from that, there are different levers to consider –unbreakable versions, adjustable spans, stepped designs – do your research and they are all there.

The final part of the puzzle are the grips – as the major point of contact with the bike, having comfortable grips that suit your riding style will make a difference. It’s a false

assumption to think that OEM versions are the only ones that will work for your bike.

TWIRL THE SPANNERS

Your bike is set for an average rider of average weight and ability – you are not that guy/girl (more than likely!), so it follows that your suspension is not set for you.

At the very least you should look to set up the sag on the rear spring to fit your weight when fully kitted up, and if you can’t make the figures work, chances are you’re outside the target weight for the standard spring. Don’t think it’ll be

1. When your, “mate” tries to kick you off

2. Sit down and relax when it’s easy

3. Watch out for the croc!

okay and leave it – get the correct spring fitted and you bike will handle better. It really is an inexpensive item to buy and have fitted. A spring will cost around two hundred bucks and fitment around the same, unless you take it out yourself first, with any good suspension shop fitting the spring for free (if you bought it from them). The same goes for the front –check the sag and change the springs if they are not right – are we clear?

As for the damping, both compression and rebound, again it’s not a question of leave alone. Find your manual and look at the suggested options for your style of riding, then set your clickers. If your bike still has issues, think about consulting a suspension expert to discuss.

Setting up your suspension is the single most effective performance upgrade you can make.

More changing

Having setup your riding position and suspension, this does not mean that this can be left alone for every single ride you go on. Depending on the terrain and the mix of off-road to onroad and the amount of luggage you carry, you may need to tweak those controls to get the best from them and maintain the best control.

If you are going to be on bitumen for big kays, then a relatively flat lever set up will be the most comfortable

set up, but if there’s going to be 75% off-road, then angling the levers down further will make far more sense when you are stood up.

You might even consider (it can be a pain though) doing the same with your bars, rolling them back in the clamps for seated riding and rolling them forward for the off-road stuff to take your weight forward and your head over the headstock. Generally, having the bars in the same line as the forks works best for off-road. This will mean keeping an Allen key of the right size (and easily accessible) in your tankbag, panniers or seat bag. Trust me, it makes a difference!

Up yoU get!

A bit like setting the suspension, spending more time standing rather than on the seat will be the single most effective way to improve your riding once the going gets tough. Take a look at the top riders in any off-road discipline from Toby Price in the Dakar to Graham Jarvis in Extreme enduro, and it’s clear that you can do quite astounding things on a motorcycle once you stand up. This however is not to say you shouldn’t be seated at times. As I’ve mentioned before – when it’s time to relax, sit down, when the going gets tough, stand up.

It’s all about the physics – standing transfers the centre of gravity from the

saddle down to a point directly between the wheels, and this is what you want for maximum control and manoeuvrability.

But even if that wasn’t the case, getting on the pegs isolates you from the bangs and jolts the bike is receiving as you travel across the terrain. The suspension is free to soak up the punishment, and your own body absorbs the hits through moving your knees, hips, shoulders and elbows – infinitely preferable to feeling every single bump travelling up through your spine and not letting the suspension move its entire movement.

Off road riding often involves long hours on the bike, and although it might sound more tiring to stand, it’s actually easier when you isolate yourself from the bike’s movements.

gripping stUff

So hopefully now you’re convinced to get out of the saddle, you are going to need to hang on to the bars until your knuckles turn white? No, no, no!

When you are on the pegs you should aim to grip the bike with your legs, pushing in towards the centre of the bike to keep the bike in check and using the big thigh and calf muscles rather than the little ones in your fingers.

Your hands should be relatively relaxed and ideally gripping with the outer two fingers and thumb most of the time which will enable you to use two fingers

to slip the clutch if needed and work the front brake. If you always ride gripping with your entire hand, the transition to the levers will make you feel out of control and panicky. Practice loosening up your hands on the smoother stuff so that it becomes more natural on the technical stuff. I call it the funky chicken – flap those wings and relax! Loosening up your hands will also reduce the possibility of getting arm pump while you ride, so that’s another reason to give it a try. It’s a win-win situation.

STAND ON YOUR BALLS

This sounds like a bad plan but we are talking feet here. If you are riding long distances or just short trails, moving your foot so that the ball of your foot is the contact with the footpegs rather than your instep is the way to go. Just by making this small movement allows your ankle to become another shock absorber, joining the knees and hips to smooth out the terrain.

Another advantage is that it will

allow you to experiment with steering the bike with your feet. Push down on the right hand peg and see what happens – who knew? Foot steering is used in all disciplines from motocross to road racing, so it’s sensible that offroad riders give it a go.

BEND IT LIKE…

With all the focus on the lower body, you don’t want you to overlook your torso and the importance of maintaining the right posture.

Ideally you want to be riding with your arms slightly bent, never locked out and straight as an arrow, this is a short-cut to a broken collarbone every time. A bent arm will allow you to move with the bike rather than fi ght against it.

In terms of your posture, you should be bent slightly forward on the rough stuff to position your head over the clamps of your bars. Once things smooth out you might want to straighten up a bit to have a stretch.

OH! LOOK AT THAT!

This might sound obvious, but for newbies and experienced riders alike, the temptation to look in the wrong place is ever present. Yes, I’ve done it too! New riders will tend to over concentrate on the track directly in front of them, worrying about every slight variation in the terrain, rather than raising their heads and taking in the broader picture of the 100 metres of trail ahead of them. They will also lock onto obstacles in an effort to avoid them, but the opposite tends to be true.

This is all about target fixation. You need to look where you want to go, rather than where you don’t. You’ve no doubt heard it before, but it needs to be reinforced.

Getting fixated on the ten metre drop alongside you will tend to mean you fall down it, whereas looking past the drop to the trail ahead and where you want to be will be far more successful.

And it’s the same with riding in ruts or sand, focussing two metres in front of you is unlikely to be anything like as successful as looking well ahead. If

you overthink the possibility of getting it wrong and hitting the deck, don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what happens. Head up and twist that throttle!

The fundamenTals

Your motorcycle has pretty good brakes at both the back and front, but they are at their most effective when you are travelling in a straight line and your wheels have maximum grip on the ground. Yes, they will still work if you use them in the turns but basic physics dictate that the possibility of the front tucking under or braking away is vastly higher, as is the chance that the rear will lock up and slide out.

And don’t forget that using the brakes changes the geometry of your bike, so if you are in the turns with the brakes on, your steering angle is steeper and hence that tuck under is even more likely. The rear brake makes the back squat, which again alters the steering angle – it’s all complicated stuff that can be avoided if you do the majority of your braking before the turning bits.

While I’m on the subject of brakes, if you’re a newbie who normally rides on the road then the mantra of 80% front and 20% back will have been drummed into you. But once you head for the dirt, this is a ratio that is rarely going to be correct. While there is not the space to cover every possible scenario and which brake to use, you are going to need to develop a whole set of braking techniques to keep yourself and the bike upright. Going 80% front on a GS going down the side of a steep hill it won’t take you long to know it was a bad choice.

smooTh as, bro

If you watch the best riders in the world, they tend to ride in a smooth consistent and flowing style. There’s no violent stopping and starting if they can avoid it, they just keep their momentum wherever they can and work hard to make sure they focus on making forward progress with the least drama and effort possible.

So if you are the kind of guy that uses his throttle like a two-position toggle switch, spending your time either thrashing the valves or slamming on the brakes to avoid impending disaster, this is not a sustainable riding style for off-road riding. It might be fun (or scary as hell – the reason you’re doing it) for a while, but approaching a day’s off-road riding like it’s a 15 minute motocross race will have you knackered and with arms like Popeye within a short period of time.

ride wiThin your abiliTy

If there are two things that bring about a large proportion of off-road disasters, they are male pride and peer pressure. It seems that a lot of the time the male brain is hard-wired towards bravado rather than wisdom, and this can end up very badly. Okay, ladies, you’re right! It’s why complete off-road novices will buy themselves something like a Honda CR500 and then end up breaking bones very quickly,

rather than learning the ropes on a 250 4-stroke and then upgrading if and when required.

Think posiTive

Just as the suspension is one of the most important parts of the bike, your brain is arguably the most important part of the rider. You can be as fit as you want and perched on the best possible off-road machine, but if your brain isn’t convinced then it all falls apart.

Positive mental attitude is important in all aspects of life and will help you to be a ‘glass half full’ rather than a ‘glass half empty’ kind of person. And that’s certainly true when it comes to tackling the more difficult aspects of off-road riding. If you come up to a set of rock steps and are consumed by a sense of dread at your impending failure, then that’s more likely to happen.

As a new rider – watch a few of the more experienced guys to try to identify a line that works and then, without overthinking, give it a go. This might sound like it contradicts what I’ve said, but we all have to learn. Clearly don’t attempt anything that you are genuinely concerned about – there’s usually somebody who will get your bike through the tricky stuff.

Off-road riding is not rocket science, it’s only a question of confidence and learning, and we tend to learn a lot when things don’t go to plan! Start with the idea that you can and go!

So that’s our guide to basic off-road skills. Each is only a small step, but put together they will improve your bike skills regardless of whether you are an old hand or a complete novice.

Enjoy! D

GRIZZLING

IT’S LUCKY WE DON’T HAVE TO WEAR WHITE ROBES…

Do you know that every ride you take on your motorcycle is influenced by Lawrence of Arabia? T.E. Lawrence is probably best known to the general public from his portrayal by Peter O’Toole in the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. But as a motorcyclist, you should know him better as the inspiration for one of the most debated accessories in the sport –the crash helmet. Mind you, while he certainly inspired the creation of helmets, he was only indirectly involved because he was dead at the time. Yes, in 1935 he died from head injuries, the effects of a motorcycle crash.

Crash helmets have two ‘fathers’. One was an Australian surgeon called Hugh Cairns, one of the medics who attended to Lawrence. Cairns started researching the number of deaths caused by head injuries in motorcycle accidents. Six years after Lawrence’s death, Cairns published a report in the British Medical Journal under the name ‘Head Injuries in Motorcyclists - the importance of the crash helmet’.

The major obstacle Cairns faced in his research was that he couldn’t find enough riders who would voluntarily wear a helmet to show that this made a significant difference. In November 1941, however, he had a win when the British Army, having lost two

better be

a

or

riders within a week in crashes, ordered all despatch riders to wear helmets. These were basic with either a cork shell or a rubber cover. Enter ‘father’ number two. In 1953, Professor C.F. Lombard of University of South California designed the first ever shock-absorbing helmet It comprised a tough outer shell and two layers of padding: one for comfort and the other to absorb and disperse as much of the energy from the impact as possible. That’s essentially how helmets are still made today.

I’ve seen claims that the first ever mandatory motorcycle helmet law in the world was introduced in Australia on January 1, 1961, but of course that’s wrong. That law was not introduced until 1972, which was well after 1966 when the Highway Safety Act, requiring helmet use, came into force in the United States.

So should you wear a helmet, perhaps in memory of Lawrence of Arabia? That’s a subject for another article; I wear a helmet whether the law requires it or not, but I’m not sure that this should be compulsory. What do you think?

PICK ONE

You know that weird so-called psychology thing where you’re asked whether you would let a ‘trolley’ (I presume that’s a ‘tram’ in a civilised

country) run over and kill four people, or change the points so that it only runs over - and kills - one? This is so unlikely that it is clearly from la-la land; when somebody puts it to me (yes, I know a lot of more or less insane people) I always say, “But I don’t know how to change trolley points”, or “What are the people’s names?” or something like that. But now I’ve come up with a much more realistic version of this conundrum. Let’s say it’s the 8th of August 1969 and you’re riding your bike at speed down Abbey Road in North London. You don’t notice the pedestrian crossing ahead, so you can’t stop in time – but you can still swerve. The question, then, is: would you choose to hit John, Ringo, Paul or George?

Is your decision affected by the theory that Paul was dead anyway and the bloke walking across the zebra crossing is an imposter? People have pointed to the fact that John is dressed in white, the traditional colour of mourning in parts of Asia; Ringo is dressed in European mourning black; and George is wearing denim, the traditional colour of mourning in Canada?

All right, an American mate of mine suggested that last one.

But try this little quiz out in the pub some time; the great thing about it is that you can make up anything you like as the explanation for someone’s choice…

Peter ‘The Bear’ Thoeming

You

wearing

helmet,

I’ll ‘bear’ down on you! (Photo Peter Colwell)

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.

Awonderful Rocky Creek Designs cable lock from the awesomeness that is Rocky Creek Designs –www.rockycreekdesigns. com.au SW

TIME TO HARLEY UP

Hi guys,

nother Phil has won letter of the month this time round! What is it with you, “Phil’s”? LOL! Anyway, Phil (Taylor) has written some words on his thoughts after a trip OS on a Harley. For his troubles he gets the

Below is a review I typed out while waiting numerous hours at the Heathrow Airport in the UK, for my fl ight. As indicated, it’s for the 2018 Street Glide. I know the new models have come out, however for those of us contemplating spending our hard earned cash on one of these I didn’t think the 2019 model would provide any real advancement on the model. Plus the 2018 will now be a little cheaper as it’s

now the ‘Run Out’ model. What can an avid bike rider do with a week’s holiday? Go to the UK, hire a bike and see just what the beautiful UK country side has to offer, so that’s just what I did. Next question was just as easy to answer. What type of bike to hire? I’d heard a lot about the new Harley Street Glide, so I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about. Besides, I’m in the market for a new bike and what a great way to test it out. As a result, I’ve written the below review (from a buyers viewpoint) for anyone also thinking about the new Street Glide.

After hiring the 2018 street glide for my four day tour I set off through the south coast of the UK. The second day of riding was done in reasonably heavy

rain but the batwing fairing helped to keep the day enjoyable. I found the new M8 107ci to have more than enough power without the need to down shift for passing other road users. The throttle was smooth as silk when rolling on the power helping to glide right past anything slowing me down. The engine and overall ride continued this smooth theme and the bike is so beautifully balanced, when putting it through the bends makes you think it can’t possibly weigh 376kg fully loaded as Harley indicates. The seat is nicely cushioned allowing a full days riding while leaving you at the end of the day rested enough to keep riding (except the pints were calling louder). Suspension helped to soak up the somewhat average back country roads (once I readjusted the rear from 20 back to 5. Pays to check the suspension is set right when renting, as the previous rider, in this case was well on the stout side.)

The few things I had concerns with fi rstly, was the gearbox. Now we all know and accept the traditional Harley-Davidson CLUNK into fi rst gear (that’s a Harley) but having an over loud and physical clunk upshifting and downshifting through every gear making it sound like one of the gears is about to throw through the casing seemed to be a little excessive. I own and ride a 2005 Softail which has the normal clunk into fi rst gear but it’s nothing like the over aggressive shifting on this particular rental when both upshifting and downshifting. I’m hoping this particular rental had not been looked after / serviced and it’s not indicative of the new Harley’s right across the board.

The second slight niggle, although it’s not a deal breaker, is the Garmin GPS system. As with all satnav systems in vehicles, it was a little delayed (as you would expect traveling at 70-80mph on the freeways) and didn’t always show the large screen for individual lanes as per the satnav in some cars. However, it did guide me throughout the beautiful green English country side without too much of an issue so as I said, only a little niggle.

Finally, the last issue was the head buffeting above 65mph. It felt like my head was sitting between two jackhammers. Unfortunately one of the indicated designs of the vent in the batwing, by Harley Davidson, is to assist with this. However, it did very little if anything to smooth the airfl ow. At 5’9” I felt the riding position was extremely comfortable and ergonomic with the footboards allowing plenty of movement for which to slightly change feet positions when getting restless, but this is a good indicator it’s probably time to stretch the legs anyway. The sound system was easy to hear at 75mph on the freeway and only needed to be at 2/3rds level while wearing an open face helmet with visor. Controls are easy to reach and fi gure out (cruise control and boom box) for someone who hasn’t had the luxury of these in the past, but real men don’t need or use instructions anyway so thumbs up there. The touch screen is exactly that, touch sensitive. Doesn’t matter if

you’re wearing gloves or poking around prior to putting them on, the screen is quick and responsive and once its kicked into gear when first turning the ignition on, it’ll do exactly what you ask it to. For those of you who might be concerned about the fuel usage and after something that runs on the smell of an oily rag then buy a smaller bike. After all your riding something that commands the use

TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST?

Hello Stuart,

I was so disappointed with the above article (Honda Goldwing) I had to write. Good story shame about the missing details. An important new model release deserves more than this article, it was a three model release after 17 years and warranted more effort. I didn’t care for the mocking tone aimed at those who might just be prepared to pay the $45k for this bike, and if your readers wanted to read information on the manufacturers website, there would be little use for motor magazines. An opinion on the $10,000 price increase on the outgoing steed

of the throttle and why wouldn’t you. Once those pipes have been changed its hard not to get the most from them. Although i must admit, the miles under the belt versus the needle on the fuel gauge pleasantly surprised me. I managed around 250 miles from 3/4 of a tank. Its only when paying in the English Pound does it burn at the pocket. At anywhere between £1.25 to £1.30 per litre to fill a 22.71 litre tank does the math give

would not have been out of place. Shame about the photos too. Did Peter take the wrong camera? Not one decent shot of the bike or its features and only three of the nine photos were of the bike, none showing any of the improved features.

I’m a happy subscriber but this article didn’t meet your usual standards. Regards, Werner

Hi Werner,

The Bear didn’t write this as a bike test, it was a combo – travel/ride of the bike piece. Look for a review in the future. Cheers, Stuart.

you an Aussie dollar figure around the $45-$50 mark, depending on the conversion rate at the time. All in all a great bike with only one real concern being the gearbox but as I said, this may be isolated to this individual bike due to being a rental.

Regards,

Phil Taylor squiz817@hotmail.com

BORIS THE ANGRY

Well Stuart, I just read Boris’s latest rant and may I suggest that when Boris writes his future columns that he checks his calendar and keeps away from the red days (should only have 3 red days per month) I don’t know any motorcyclist who rides to please car drivers, but they do blend in with the greater society for two reasons, one they need and prefer to keep their riders license and also try not to allow there wallet to deflate too quickly, as for wearing safety clothing I would much prefer to be wearing $3000 worth of safety clothing than $3000 worth of tattoos (I know tats make you tough but not that tough) if or when I am skating down the road. Yours in motorcycling Ian Gregory Regents Park

MORE BORIS

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Boris about Dani Pedrosa. A very underrated motorcycle racer. I’d love to see any of the “keyboard warriors” that always slag him see if they can even get within ten seconds a lap of his times. Regards, Simon Penrith NSW D

R

R 1200

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$16,940

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R

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Chieftain

KAWASAKI

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V-Strom 1000 GT $18,490

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SM 500 R $8990

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SM 650 R $9490 adv TouRing Superdual

TRIUMPH

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*Some Triumph prices are ride away

Road

Street Triple S 660 $12,800

Street Triple S

Street Triple R

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Bonneville Street Twin

Bonne Street Cup

Street Scrambler $15,900

Bonne T100 $15,300

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Bonneville T120

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Thruxton R 1200

BEARFACED

MTOOLED UP

Y, MY, HAVEN’T times changed. That would make a good opening sentence for almost any story about the past, but it’s probably even more accurate when you’re thinking about tools. What did we take with us back in the day when new motorcycles cost a thousand dollars and motorcycle clothing consisted of – well, the clothes you wore every day, augmented by some pair of gloves that you’d found in the back of the garage? Marlon Brando leather jackets were the latest thing, and the only sartorial accessory you’d add to your gear for serious travel was a pair of lambswool-lined flying boots.

Just like today, you would start with the toolkit that came with the bike. Wonder of wonders, that kit was exactly the same as the one you get today, especially if you’re riding a Japanese bike. I suspect that the manufacturers ordered several million of these, to be delivered over the next few decades. “Tick that one off the list, let’s see what else we need: oh yes, how about several million pairs of cheap tyres…”

Tubeless tyres were unheard of, of course, and the arrival of Trials Universals was generally hailed as the best thing since, ah, tyres with air in their tubes. Sadly, tyres without air in their tubes were an all too common occurrence. (Wait for it, here comes the first ‘you young fellas today don’t know how good you have it…’) You young fellas today don’t know how good you have it with tyres that tend to stay inflated for an entire trip of a few thousand kilometres. That’s a relatively new experience. Probably the first thing you would add to your toolkit in those days would have been a tyre repair set, usually one intended for bicycles. Contrary to the name, this was actually intended to fix tubes; repairing tyres was possible, but usually left to specialists.

Having said that, I did know a couple of blokes who would happily (well, perhaps not often happily) repair

cracked sidewalls or gaping holes in the tread, by the side of the road. They rode outfits and carried enough tools to rebuild a River Class frigate. To give you an idea of their capabilities, consider the experience of one of the BMW riders on his way to the Rabbit Flat BMW club rally. His bike suffered terminal failure of the hardening on the end of one of the pushrods, way out along the Tanami Track.

He remembered seeing the wreck of a Holden sedan a few kilometres back, so he walked back carrying a tool bag and extracted a pushrod from the car’s rusty carcass. Back at the bike, he found that the rod was too long, so he hacksawed (memo – add hacksaw to tool kit) a piece out of it. He then found a screw in his box of miscellaneous spares (memo…) and hacksawed the head off that before aralditing (memo…) it into one of the pieces of pushrod. He then wound the other piece onto the end of the screw and, at the correct distance, araldited that in place as well.

He brewed up some tea and sipped it comfortably while waiting for the Araldite to set. Then he replaced the stuffed pushrod with his newly-manufactured one, reassembled the bike and fired it up. He arrived at Rabbit Flat a little later than he’d expected to, but he did arrive and made his way into BMW riders’ folklore. Actually, he was there already for any number of other feats. I wish I could remember his name.

Something

The Dutchman, I think. I’m sure there are several readers out there who can supply the name.

Fixing a flat tyre

posed little difficulty but required a lot of effort. Flats are usually at the back, for reasons often (but not convincingly) explained. So you would need to remove the rear wheel, being careful of the chain and of the correct order of all the washers and spacers, and then break the tyre’s bead. You’d extract the tube and find the hole – although that is rather too simplistic a way of putting it. Holes were not always easy to find. When you did, you’d check that the cause of the hole was no longer in the tyre – a wonderful opportunity to slash the end of your finger as you felt about inside the carcass.

Having found the hole (and, if you were smart, having checked that there was only one) you would clean the area around it, roughen it with the little cheese-grater type thing inside the repair kit and finally cover it in rubber solution. You’d peel the backing from the adhesive side of a patch and add that. Then you would apply the clamp over the patch and light the vulcanizing pad to heat the glue and set it. So you would need matches, but there was no need to carry those specially because everyone in those days smoked. You would then have an opportunity to pinch the tube as you reassembled the wheel to cause another flat. When the rubber that made up inner tubes was replaced by butyl you needed an entirely different method and it took a while for the slower among us (guilty) to pick up on that.

Ah – I seem to have run out of space. More on tools next month, I guess. D

ADVERTISERS LISTING

BORIS

WORDS

BORIS MIHAILOVIC

IHAVE ALREADY addressed the whole “exciting” and still relatively new paradigm of adventuring astride a motorcycle. But since Editor Woodbury is again examining one of the few burgeoning motorcycle markets left to the industry in this issue, I probably should address it again. Just in case you didn’t get it the first time.

The relatively new take on the Adventuring genre is to spend tens of thousands of dollars securing a purpose-built Adventure bike, clothing yourself in several more thousands worth of ‘Goretexevlar Corduranium’ and setting forth to conquer the already conquered in style and comfort.

I’m good with that. I’m of an age, and I love them ‘uber-electronicated’ Euroweapons like a shark loves blood. I relish their insane abilities, their “You’ll be right, mate” attitude and their capacity to also be a great on-road bike.

But it’s not real adventuring, is it?

It’s like those two shameful Pom muppets from a few years back –Boorman and Obi-Wan and their yawnworthy sojourn around the world. This journey, as you’ll recall, was billed as an “Against all odds adventure” despite it being nothing of the sort. There was even a ghost-written book you could get with the 400-episode-long DVD.

Of course, I had no idea this was the case until the publicity company sent me the book to review. Which I did. Which then prompted Boorman to call my editor at the time and demand five minutes alone in a room with me – apparently so he could protest my somewhat unfavourable review. The editor, his voice cracking with mirth, called me with this information, whereupon I immediately made my way to where Boorman was waiting (the Sydney Motorcycle Show at Homebush), only to have him clap eyes on me and then bolt out the

“NOT ON THAT YOU’RE NOT…”

back door with his producer. So that went relatively well, I thought. He was spared from recounting his tedious tales through a mouth full of surgical hardware that weekend, and I was spared telling Lord knows what kind of terrible lies to a magistrate.

The point here is that very same widely-watched celebrity non-adventure set the tone for what has come to be the adventuring-a-la-mode of today.

Like Charlie and Ewan, you too can go an organised Adventure ride, with back-up vehicles, mechanics, booked accommodation, pre-planned meals and what-not. You pay for it, and it is provided.

And at my age, this is a tempting proposal despite the fact I am not all spiritually aligned with people who love these hyper-organised things.

One day, I may give in to temptation and go along on one of these events, but until that happens, my idea of an adventure remains much as it has always been, ie. Me, some stupid motorcycle entirely unsuited for where I have ridden it, some random shit strapped to the back of it, a song in my heart, and a level of terror that can be measured with a voltmeter.

Many years ago, I attended the inaugural Rough Road Rally. On a Yoshi-equipped GSX1100EX with clip-ons and a hot girlfriend mounted on the back. Upon arriving at what I thought was the rally-site and beholding a Ducati being winched out of the attendant river, I was pleased we had made it unscathed.

But we had not made it. We had just arrived at the starting checkpoint. The rally-site was still a billion creek-crossings, cliffs, and shale-drops further on.

“You going to the rally?” asked an incredulous organiser as he took my money.

“Yes, I am,” I stated flatly, my mouth already dry with terror.

“Not on that you’re not,” he giggled. But on “that” I did indeed go to the rally.

It cost me my fork seals, a burnt-out clutch, most of the bearings in my steering head and swingarm, a cracked sub-frame, a bunch of broken spokes on the most beautiful Akront rims in the world, and a girlfriend who would not agree to sexual congress with me for a month – no matter how much Ben Ean moselle I poured into her.

But I made it to the rally-site and I made it home the next day, although the journey was a bit wobbly and fraught. I had had an adventure. A real one. Not some confected celebrity fool-fest. I had striven against terrifying odds and I had prevailed. No-one had my back. There was no back-up vehicle. Hell, there wasn’t even a tyre-repair kit in those days. Had my Pirelli Phantom Silver Dots exploded, I would have been stuffing them with grass. Or sheep’s wool and Silastic, as a cocky had once advised me during a similar adventure. He did adjure me not to actually murder any of his sheep for the wool, but to gather it from the fence-line where it might have rubbed off the animals.

Or I would have waited for the rescue crews. My girlfriend would have kept me warm. Or I would have eaten her and hiked out.

Adventure righteously, pilgrims. This is not a dress rehearsal. D

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ADVENTURE

ISSUE / BENELLI LEONCINO & TRK502X / BEST ADV ROADS / MONGOLIA / DIRTY TIPS