Introducing the heritage-inspired Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, with an all new parallel twin engine. So pick your play. from $9,790 ride away
EICMA MOTORCYCLE SHOW, MILAN
The good, the bad, and the downright sexy for 2020
EICMA SHOW ACCESSORIES
Time to bling the bikes
YAMAHA TENERE 700
We’ve
YAMAHA MT-10
Fangin’ a beast
TURKISH
PUB
The
Go
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
WALT DISNEY
WUNDERLICH
Get what you pay for
CUSTOM BMW
Starting right
MARCEL BODE INTERVIEW
The man behind two big brands
LONG TERMERS
Intercepting some dirt to and from The Island
KAWASAKI Z900 RESTO
Releasing the hounds
EDITORIAL
The ‘joys’ of racing NEWS
There’s always something going on
WHAT SAY YOU?
Talk to us, we’re nice guys
NEW BIKE PRICES
2020 bikes are coming, what’ll they cost
BEAR FACED
Handcrafting ‘swords’
BORIS
Hold fast, young riders
Please
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, Boris Mihailovic, Chris Pickett, The Possum, Colin Whelan, Bob Wozga
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine is published by Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066 Phone 0412 220 680.
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EDITORSPEAKS
I’LL
start this month’s editorial saying, The Bear and Ralph got it easy the last month as they both got to go to EICMA to not only see all the latest and greatest two wheeled machines, but also all the pretty ladies that adorn a lot of these machines – half their luck! All while I stayed to do the ‘work’. I recently raced at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship in the Superbike Masters support class at Sydney Motorsport Park. The plan was for me to sort out the handling on The Beast (our ’89 FZR1000) as Alex has always liked how I set up a bike and it was time to get the handling as we want it. The plan started well, after the first session I changed the front springs and adjusted the preload, compression and rebound to a good base setting. This knocked two seconds off the lap time instantly and felt really nice on turn in and to the apex. Some minor adjustments (probably more rebound) to the front and I suspect a slightly heavier rear spring is where the bike would need to go from here. The plan stopped midway through the second session - the engine decided to drop a valve (I suspect) so that was the weekend done for that bike. I blame myself for the damage as I popped the clutch out a bit too quick on the down change into turn 4 passing someone and more than likely over-revved it. I was very fortunate to then be able to jump on my mate, Chris’s Ducati 851 as our friend, Billy withdrew from the meeting.
back out there knowing my weekend of racing was back on, but the big Duc struck problems and wouldn’t rev over 7000rpm. We pulled a sensor out and got the spacer machined overnight to reduce the ‘air gap’. Roll on Saturday and I ride out of pitlane and the Duc revs cleanly and I warm it up to come around for lap one of qualifying and the fairings blow off coming down the straight! I would like to say because I was going so fast, but the Duc has one of the slowest top speeds against the competition. Qualifying 2 was much better and on treaded tyres, which Billy wanted, I set the 8th fastest time.
Race 1 I got 8th after dropping down the order at the start. Race 2 I’d fi tted Pirelli slick tyres, I again got 8th but was much closer to the big, fast bikes in front. Race 3 I fi nally got back in the groove and made my way up to 5th and set a 1.41.9. This is quite fast for a very slippery track, and a slow top speed and to think that this bike held the Period 6 lap record a few years ago at a 1.39 point something. I dare say with more time on the bike a low 1.40 was on the cards but it’s not easy to jump on someone else’s bike and bang in fast times, let alone when it’s a Ducati which does take a bit of a different riding style.
A big thanks as always goes to Pirelli for the amazing slicks and Shaun at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering for the help.
Enjoy.
Practice 3 I was pumped to get
Cheers, Stuart.
THE BEST THING, EVER
You know, in this world of dramatisation, bullshit and Nanny Stateism you have to be thankful there is one thing that can keep you sane, and that’s reading Australian Motorcyclist magazine. Forget watching the world destruct on the news or reading the sad and soggy fish n chip wrapper the newspapers have become, the best way to start your day while eating your breakfast (and for some) even while sitting on the porcelain throne, or eating lunch and as the perfect after diner mint, AMM is THE way to go. It’s not too late to get yourself the perfect Xmas gift or for that someone really special who just loves the best motorcycle mag in the country. Jump on our website (ausmotorcyclist.com. au) now to subscribe or just enjoy grabbing your copy from the local newsagent and relax.
MARK THE NEW CALENDAR
The Possum has kindly given us the dates of upcoming rallies for 2020. They are…
JANUARY
11/12 Capital Rally, Stewarts Crossing Campground, Oallen, on the Shoalhaven River, South Coast NSW
BYO everything, fire bans may be in force.
FEBRUARY
1/2 Nulli Secundus Rally
- Triumph Owners MCCNug Nug Reserve, 14 km south of Myrtleford Vic. Catering, bands, amenities block.
8/9 Karuah River RallyBMWTCNSW - Frying Pan Creek Campground, via Dungog NSW
Some catering, entry includes breakfast Sunday.
15 Al’s Ride - Fund raiser for children’s cancer research. See website.
MARCH
TBA - 34th Cold Flame - MonarchsBarry Way south of Jindabine NSW BYO everything.
TBA - Pigs ‘n’ Pine Run - Spring Ridge Hotel, free camping at Showground.
APRIL
TBA - Victoria Outfit RallyMonarchs - Carters Beach via Strathmerton. BYO everything. Last full weekend in April, Autumn Leaf Rally - Tumut Valley Riders, Tumorrama Hall, east of Tumut on Wee Jasper Road. Catered.
MAY
1/3 Loaded Dog - under new management - Tarago Showground ( via Goulburn ), catered, firewood available. TBA Pelikan Rally - SA BMW ClubCamp Kedron, Barmera SA. Dormitory Bunking, campground, catering.
JUNE
Queens Birthday Long Weekend - Alpine Rally - first under new management - 51st running of the event.
Same weekend, - Wintersun Rally at Motorsport Park, Mildura. Catering and amenities block.
Long Term Planning
First full weekend in August - Border Run, to SA WA Border.
Second full weekend in August - Off Centre Rally, Adels Grove, in the Gulf Country of QLD.
KIWI BUILDS OWN
H-D FAT BOY
At the recent Low Rider S launch, Harley-Davidson gave us reptiles of the press some personal-care products made by Crew to mark an association of the two brands. Knowing journalists as I do, that was a good choice. They also gave us a Lego kit
Two Fat Boys at Rolling Thunder Harley-Davidson, Christchurch
of a Harley Fat Boy. I’m not sure what that was supposed to suggest, although I have some ideas.
I looked at the kit, which has over a thousand pieces, and my blood ran cold. Then I remembered that my friend Paul William in Christchurch enjoys this kind of thing. I don’t know how he has time, considering he’s Content Director of the ADVrider.com website and completing a university degree. And he’s married. But then he’s a Kiwi. Here’s his report on the construction of his very own Fat Boy.
awareness for prostate and testicular cancer research, and men’s mental health on behalf of charity partner, the Movember Foundation.
“It took me over three hours, but I was quite excited to get it finished… it had its challenges. What is interesting is that other than some decals, I think the only custom-made pieces are the wheels and tires (stet). Everything else is regular Lego. The designer is a genius getting all those smooth lines and angles out of regular Lego.
“Can you mention it was photographed at Rolling Thunder Harley-Davidson, Christchurch? And if you have more space, a shout out to Mick Atkin for moving the bikes around the shop to help me get the best photo. He is one of the sales staff and I am sure he will get a kick out of it.”
I’m sure he will, and so did I. Three hours for a thousand pieces, including moving pistons! Unless… when he wrote “over three hours” he meant “several hours over three hours…” but Paul wouldn’t do that. PT
RIDING ON A SUNDAY
Ride Sunday returned to the streets of Australia, bringing motorcyclists together with the support of Yamaha Motor Australia, to raise funds and
The event welcomed all riders, no matter the style of bike or rider’s skill level, and succeeded in its goal to unite Australian riders and motivate them to ride for a cause. With 25 rides across Australia, Ride Sunday featured flagship rides in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, and raised $35,000 for men’s health.
The nation’s leading ride was the Sydney flagship event, where over 450 riders connected from various riding groups around Sydney, to ride together for men’s health. Ramsey Sayed, Ride Sunday’s Event’s and Marketing Manager, hosted the flagship ride in Sydney and was blown away by the turnout at their starting location inside the Royal National Park. For further information on Ride Sunday, please visit the website at www.ridesunday.com
LAST CHANCE!
Hurry! Shannons is offering motoring enthusiasts the chance to win a 15-day trip for two to the 2020 Goodwood Revival. This is one of the biggest historic motorsport events in the world. This event assembles the most significant racing cars and motorcycles along with legendary drivers and riders from the past and stars of today. The only event of its kind to be staged entirely in the nostalgic time capsule of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s.
Tour through the English countryside visiting historic locations and unique motoring museums including the Williams F1, British and Beaulieu Motor Museums, plus the Jaguar
and Morgan factories. Plus, win an all new 2019 Indian FTRTM 1200 S motorcycle.
To enter, just obtain an eligible quote and receive 1 entry. Take out a new motor policy and receive 5 entries. Take out a Home and Contents policy (or if you have an existing Home and Contents policy) and receive 10 entries. View full terms and conditions through Shannons. Competition closes at 5pm on the 13th December 2019.
THE TIME IS NOW
Have you planned how and which way you’ll be going to the opening round of World Superbike 28 Feb – 1 Mar 2020? Well, you better get your rear into gear and plan it now! Get your mates and
cash together, book a place at Phillip Island, Cowes or the surrounding area and be there. WSBK gives you better access to all the action and riders than almost any other ‘international’ racing held at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit so jump onto tickets.worldsbk.com.au and get the best spot. Can Jonathan Rea make it six titles in a row? D
Imagine this-Sir David Attenborough is involved in the development of Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 is during the very last marketing meetings leading up to the final release. He says, “I say lads, if this motorcycle were in the animal kingdom it would have been through a world record gestation period. The record stands at 640 days for an elephant…”. It was just over 700 days since I’d first set eyes on the then T7 prototype - and what a lot of hype it drew - at EICMA in Italy in 2017. But just as elephants are pretty impressive, one decent day in the saddle will be enough for adventuring hero types to be impressed enough to fork over their cash without flinching. It will come as no surprise that capacity-wise, the 689cc is based on the excellent and torquey MT-07 CP2 engine. The Ténéré sits comfortably close to the popular and direct competition of the KTM 790 and BMW’s F750/850 GS range although with a lot less in technology and spend. With 54kW of power (and a really
strong spread of torque topping out at 68Nm) it may look slightly underdone -until you take notice of the $15,499 sticker price.
As a pocket book guide, when you see the torque reading higher than the power rating, you can rely on the fact this latest adventure bike on our market will be near unstoppable - if the chassis and suspension are up to the task. On this front, Yamaha has invested well with the development program. The parallel twin is ideal in size, weight and shape to do the job it is designed to accomplish, but then, as will be often repeated, it took the Ténéré a long, long time to arrive.
We kicked off our two-day launch from Tamworth and were quickly into the ideal zone for this style of bike. Gravel roads, thin two-wheeled tracks and even some single trails at the highest points on the Great Divide (totally drought affected and torn apart by recent bushfires) heading across to the coast. We had the full range of low, medium and high-speed sections
covered and enough sealed curvy roads to suit the road-rider in me.
My first impression was that Yamaha has built a much ‘softer’ bike than perhaps what most of us were expecting. Not ‘soft’ as in jelly rolling down the road or having no right to be in the adventure environment. It just isn’t as hard-edge as you would imagine by the hype. The ergonomics are spot on straight off the bat. The cockpit is narrow and visually there is an absence of bulk and it is slim as an enduro bike if you don’t look down at the 16-litre tank. It feels neutral and non-threatening, with a balance of comfort and control. Crucially, it is a happy balance between a big plonking single and the big twins up and over 1000cc’s. In other words, it’s just what the market needs.
The vertical dash is a bit small for my crap eyes, but easy to glance at with enough information on hand. It is useless when the dust comes billowing in behind the upright protective screen (as are most adventure bikes with LCD
screens), so expect a lot of fingercleaning and a bit of frustration on the run. By lunchtime the signals from my derriere weren’t calling it quitting time yet. The thin sloping seat is comfortable and although the entire package looks more for off-road travel than eating up highway miles, it is fantastic. The ride belies the look because there is all-day comfort. I even had the low-seat option so I can only guess that the standard or rally seat will be even better. Every control interaction is smooth and effortless, but to be picky: the throttle roll is more than we are used to today with RBW throttle tubes. The performance falls in line with the chassis and offers a heap of ability and not a lot of fatigue. I fit into the demographic of the mature, not so fit, reasonably off-road skilled. The T7 is a very capable machine for a cross-section of talent. It does come ‘endorsed’ by the likes of off-road legends Stephen Gall and Rodney Faggotter. We were told the Australian connection had a big input into what was an otherwise European-designed machine.
A compliant engine delivers enough performance not to be baulked by anything, yet giving you as much predictable wheel-spinning fun as you could every dream of. The CP2 engine delivers strong glitch-free linear power from idle to maximum revs. There is next to no vibration from the 270-degree crankshaft except over 10,000rpm which is well past the peak power of 9000rpm.
There were a few really fast downhill sealed sections from Barrington Tops where it was better to use one gear than
change up and down. That was fun. What was equal fun was climbing up some snotty eroded mountain tracks using the smooth just-off-idle torque to plug on through. The weight over the front isn’t noticeable, even if it may look top-heavy with the tall engine in the frame and bodywork.
There is never the sensation of busyness or strain cruising along at 110km/h indicating just under 5000rpm on the digital readout. If you are so inclined, 175 comes up pretty quickly although the brilliant Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres protest loudly. I played with the idea of recording, in percentage terms, how much time spent on full throttle vs normal cruising or off the throttle and my conclusion is you spend little time on the 700 accessing all of the available power; you just don’t need it. It’s easy to see why Yamaha didn’t feel the need to go for traction control or a slipper clutch. Full throttle is rare. You can quickly justify the Ténéré in those terms. The big plus is the ride is always relaxed and never fatiguing. Without the intensity of heaps of power or weight, riders can concentrate on the fun and maxing out the enjoyment.
Part of the relaxed ‘soft’ nature is the the well sorted suspension, the Ténéré is compliant and comfortable and I
More Goodies
Our press fleet had a mix and match of various accessories. The Akrapovic muffler sounds a little better than stock and cuts a few kilos off the weight. There is a lowering kit as well as engine guards, soft luggage and luggage rack if you desire plus two types of seat and a neat mono-seat rack as well as hard luggage, ADV pegs and for winter, heated grips. I would definitely go for the alloy bash plate.
didn’t experience any bottoming out. Admittedly I didn’t do any significant jumps and was more content treating the 700 like most riders who have to maintain the bike and also pay for their damage. A big tick for the remotely adjustable rear suspension and the LED headlights although being almost summer, there was no after-dark riding at this launch.
I managed a quick swap onto Yamaha’s fully sorted (by Greg Yager) WR250 to gauge if I was suffering (well not suffering in fact) new model rosy glasses fever. No, the 700 is easy and as quick to punt in the bush was the WR. With 210/200mm front and rear travel there is plenty of ground clearance to the standard bash plate. Handling takes almost zero adjustment and is as predictable and well sorted as you could want.
If you are into upping the pace then the Brembo braking package has good feel and power. The ABS can be switched off (you need to stop and press the button on the dash and take note of the yellow warning light) and Yamaha kept reminding us of the desire for the model to be simple and userfriendly. Maybe the market might have liked an off-road ABS setting just for a little security. The 700 isn’t a LAMS model so the expectation is buyers will have good skills and a mature attitude.
Out of the box this bike feels more capable than almost anything I’ve ridden in a similar environment. It seems purpose built to convert riders away from smaller machines or anyone even considering something bulkier or heavier, let alone something with a lot more power. If you are after more around-the-world work with the ability to carry an extra person and more gear, then perhaps the Ténéré shouldn’t make it on your Christmas list, but if anything else adventure and touring takes your fancy, the Ténéré should kick the Christmas tree over in the loungeroom.
If you take into account the price and the usual high Yamaha production quality then I’d say there will be a lot more empty container ships sailing back to Japan than there were in 2019. This is one gestation that was worth the wait. D
BRAKES: Front dual 282mm discs with four pistons calipers, switchable ABS. Rear 245mm disc, single piston caliper, switchable ABS
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 320km
COLOURS: Competition White, Power Black, Ceramic Ice
VERDICT: SALES SUPERHERO
Ducati was the star of the show, as usual.
SHOWTIME
Motorcycling is as big and bright as ever
“It’s the ViBe OF it,” as Dennis Denuto said in The Castle. You can quote all the numbers you like, chasing bike sales figures downward into despond, but a good bike show will pull you out of that quick smart. By my long-established Motorcycle Show MoodMeter, the ratio of blondes to brunettes on the stands (blondes: positive mood, brunettes: less so), the industry itself is betting a bit each way – some were light, some were
Maybe I should write “journalists” there, but who’s to say that you can’t be a journo at the age of nine? More than a few enthusiasts lip in on both press and trade days. But they just add to that buzz.
dark. But the overall impression, the buzz,the vibe, definitely looked bright. A few quick words about the show. It occupied 280,000 square metres in eight of Fiera Milano’s giant halls. There were 1278 exhibitors from 44 countries and more than 2000 accredited journalists.
And a buzz it is. The reveals by major manufacturers which take up most of the opening day are usually much the same: the firm’s PR chief (or a boughtin Englishman) introduces the CEO, who tells us all about how well sales are going in Patagonia and Elbonia and then introduces the marketing chief, who tells us something marketing-ish about the new bikes. These are ridden onto the stage by successful racers, if the brand has any, or have their covers removed by glamorous young women if racing has been a bit slack.
There’s an interview with the successful racers – it was great to see Aussie boy Rennie Scaysbrook at the Aprilia reveal and to have a chat with him about his very bright future.
Even though the talks can be repetitive, the bikes are not and there is always considerable excitement when the dry ice smoke clears or the covers fall. Whatever you think of motorcycle engineering and styling in the early 21st
Century, you’d have to agree that we are getting more and more variety. I’m willing to argue about the desirability of that, but I’d hate to miss such bikes as Kawasaki’s Z H2 at one extreme, and KTM’s 390 Adventure bike at the other. I walked 10 kilometres on the first day and wasn’t bored for a single metre of it, even among the tiny Chinese accessory stands. Their goods are somewhat repetitive, but everywhere you look it’s… oh, shiny! And mixed in with the practical is the amazing, like the carbon fibre Carbogatto electric bike from Russia (www.carbogatto.com) or the hand-crafted Agnelli pedal-assisted retroelectric from right there in Milan (www. agnellimilanobici.com). Prices match the looks; a Carbogatto will set you back over 10,000 euros, and as for an Agnelli – if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Here’s a little additional something about the vibe: what I picked up was that Kawasaki is doing some heavy lifting. Not only have the folks in green bought into Bimota, they’re also doing a lot of interesting work with Bosch – and not just on electric propulsion. Have I whetted your appetite? There were quite a few stands exhibiting stuff I’ve never seen in Australia. I think a motorcycle accessory importer would find enough here to warrant a trip to Italy. So would a lot of motorcycle
Forced induction is obviously working for Kawasaki.The range is growing.
Milan’s own Agnelli electric pushbike is only for the well-heeled.
Moto Morini is alive! And with the Milano it raises memories of the 3 ½.
THE LEGEND EVOLVES.
MORE P OWER, BE T TER HA NDLING A ND E VEN MORE S T YLE.
The original café racing legend evolves with a higher power Thrux ton RS 1200cc t win engine, more supreme café racer handling, and extra contemporar y st yle finish and detailing
With 8PS more power, peak torque at 700rpm lower in the rev range and increased responsiveness, the new Thrux ton RS also comes with higher specification equipment, including Brembo M50 radial calipers, and at 5kg lighter than it s predecessor, this supreme café racer delivers enhanced agile intuitive handling, ensuring it lives up to it s legendar y name
Find out mor e, v isi t tr iumphmotorcycles com au
enthusiasts who are not in the industry. Just one thing: don’t count on getting much pleasant riding in, before or after the show. It’s the rainy, foggy and cold season. The show is on in the first or second week on November each year; keep an eye on www.eicma.it. For the vibe.
Below you’ll find the bikes that caused the most buzz among show visitors, including us reptiles of the press. Two thousand of us. Please note that I’ve quoted some of the manufacturers’ claims below without attributing them –I couldn’t check everything personally.
SPORTIN’ LIFE
Sports bikes race back
MV Agusta helps them along. The Superveloce 800 Serie Oro and Superveloce 800 bring MV Agusta’s timeless fascination to the roads, with their intoxicating curves, classic and contemporary at the same time. The engine and the chassis are the pinnacle of engineering that position the Superveloce 800 among the most fascinating and dynamic sports bikes on the scene.
has
For many of us ‘sports bike’ has been synonymous with ‘Fireblade’.
The latest version, inspired by Honda’s RC213V MotoGP machine and its street legal RC213V-S sibling, the 2020 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is powered by the most
MV Agusta’s Superveloce 800 looks the part and should have no trouble acting it, either
powerful inline four cylinder engine that Honda has ever made. Sharing the bore and stroke of the RC213V-S, the 2020 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade delivers maximum power of 160kW
Honda’s CBR1000RR-R (arr!) drew a huge crowd.
The Aprilia RS 660 is designed to rejuvenate the class.Will it do that? Let’s see.
@ 14500rpm and peak torque of 113Nm at 12500rpm while tipping the scales at only 201kg. It will also be available in an SP variant. In both variants, a cutting-edge aerodynamic package – also influenced by HRC’s multiple championship-winning RC213V – works in tandem with a new Bosch six-axis IMU.
The first of a brand-new generation of Aprilia bikes supported by the electronics and technology of the Aprilia Racing department is the RS 660. A sports bike to suit all motorcyclists and that requires no
particular experience level or ability. Its excellent weight/power ratio that makes for enjoyable riding, whether relaxed or more sports-orientated: 169 kg plus 100 HP is the perfect formula for enjoyment on the road. Inherited from the unbeatable RSV4, the electronics comprise a Ride-byWire throttle and a six-axis inertial platform for optimum operation of the APRC electronic aids. It offers five Riding Modes designed to regulate the behaviour of the electronic controls for safety and fun during daily riding, dynamic riding on the road, and
Ducati says it’s the best-selling sports bike in the world.Who wants to argue?
extreme riding on track.
In addition to winning best of show with the new Streetfighter, Ducati showed the completely renewed Panigale V2 and the 2020 version of the Panigale V4, the most sold sports bike in the world over the last two years.
GETTING NEKKID
Get it off and get off
Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 was selected as “Most Beautiful Bike” at EICMA. The competition, organized by the Italian magazine Motociclismo in collaboration with EICMA, reached its fifteenth edition this year, and for Ducati this is the tenth victory. Over 14,500 enthusiasts expressed their preference and the Streetfighter V4 was the most voted motorcycle by both visitors to the Fair and users of
The most beautiful bike of the show, Ducati’s staggering Streetfighter V4.
segment performance, but which guarantees enjoyment and fun even in daily use.
the Motociclismo site. The new supernaked Ducati took first place with 36.7% of voters and a considerable advantage over the second-placed bike. The bike is a super-naked with high and wide totally new handlebar, 178 kg in weight, Desmosedici Stradale 1103cc engine with 208 hp, biplane wings and a latest generation electronic package. The result of this “Fight Formula” is a stylish, modern and technological Ducati naked with an aggressive and exciting design. A bike that does nothing to hide top-of-the-
MV Agusta has topped its own headlining Brutale 1000 RR with the Rush 1000, embodying the unique and irreverent appeal associated with drag racing bikes, engineered to offer huge thrills over just a few hundred metres. It is the only production bike utilizing radial valves and titanium connecting rods to assist in developing 208hp in standard road homologation form (over 212 hp with non-homologated exhaust and updated ECU).
has undergone its most radical reinvention yet for 2020. A completely new chassis, styling, and electronics mean the KTM 1290 Super Duke R has trimmed weight across the board, while a reworked LC8 engine has unleashed even more power.
The new KTM 890 Duke R has shed some of the excellent daily capabilities of its younger brother – the KTM 790 Duke – and is a sportier and edgier naked bike for hard riding. More power and more torque come from the new engine, which has been teamed with ‘racier’ ergonomics, better brakes, and fully adjustable WP APEX suspension. The KTM 890 Duke R is ideal for the rider wanting
“The boundaries of the maxinaked bike sector have been shattered, crossing into the exclusive world of the hypernaked motorcycle,” says MV. KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R has been ‘re-Beasted’, says the factory. KTM’s flagship bike
a more extreme experience and extra ‘flickability’ compared to a larger capacity bike
At the pinnacle of Kawasaki’s 2020 Z family is “The Ultimate Z”, the Z H2 with its 998cc four-cylinder engine equipped with Kawasaki’s inhouse developed and manufactured integrated balanced supercharger with a peak of 200PS. A large number of electronic rider aids via the Bosch IMU such as traction control, intelligent anti-lock braking, cornering management function, selectable rider and power modes and anti-wheelie
The Beast is even beastlier, according to KTM.
Ready for a Rush? Only if you have deep, deep pockets, my friend.
With some of the hard edges rounded off, the 890 Duke R is more flickable than its predecessor.
The world is at your feet and all eyes are on you… and your new Diavel 1260. The performance of a maxi-naked combined with the comfort of a muscle cruiser. Its handling and agility will surprise you. The 159 hp 1262 Testastretta DVT engine, powerful and torquey at any speed, remaining fluid and manageable for maximum riding pleasure. Its beefy and aggressive design makes a significant impact and is further enhanced by extremely well-executed finishing touches. You can be one of those who admires. Or you can be one who is admired. The new Diavel 1260: so good to be bad.
Displacement 1,262
Diavel 1260 So good to be bad. Discover all the Ducati services on www.ducatiforyou.com
control are matched in the tech league table by Bluetooth connectivity which allows riders to discover more about their ride and machine status via the screen of their mobile phone.
Kawasaki has also updated its Z900 with new features including integrated Riding Modes (combining newly added KTRC and Power modes), new TFT colour instrument screen, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, all-LED lighting and cleaner emissions. A combination of greater exhaust chamber volume to accommodate catalyser updates designed with anticipated Euro5 legislation and changes to the exhaust pre-chamber plus silencer creates an exhaust note with greater presence –especially at startup, idle, and when snapping the throttle.
The Ducati Scrambler range added a low-cost entry model to the 800 range, the Icon Dark, and two concepts including this Motard.
The BMW F 900 R shares its engine and much else with the XR. The common backbone integrates the twin cylinder in-line engine with an increased capacity of 895 cc (previously 853 cc). Power and torque are now 77 kW at 8, 750 rpm and 92Nm at 6,500 rpm and with more than 87Nm torque in the midrange from 4,500 to 8,500 rpm. Two riding modes “Rain” and “Road” as well as ABS and ASC are standard. World first in motorcycle construction: light, plastic-welded fuel tanks with a capacity of 13 litres (F 900 R) and 15.5 litres (F 900 XR). The bike offers sophisticated ergonomics and numerous seat alternatives, and the bike has powerful LED lighting units all round as standard. Nothing soft comes out of the Bronx, they say, and the eponymous new
1.This is what the ‘office’ of Kawasaki’s new flagship, the Z H2, looks like.
2. An update has seen, or perhaps heard, the Z900 get more presence.
3.Well and truly overshadowed by its DesertX sister, the Scrambler Motard looks conventional.
Higher, Faster, Further - XR stands for a no-compromises mix of sportiness and longdistance performance. This mindset encompasses everything that the new S 1000 XR & F 900 XR have to offer. A dynamic mix of high performance and incredible responsiveness, encompassed in an ergonomic design and packed with a range of technology. Never settle for average, never get too comfortable - #neverstopchallenging Register Your Interest: bmw-motorrad.com.au/register-interest @bmwmotorradaus
A RIDE.
1. BMW’s F series engine is getting a workout with this bike. Presumably the plastic tank is capable of withstanding ethanol.
2. What better place to name a streetfighter for than the tough streets of the Bronx.
Harley-Davidson streetfighter looks the part to match the saying. Powered by the smaller 975cc version of the Revolution® Max engine (the Pan America gets the larger 1250cc version)
“this middleweight streetfighter model rolls with an unapologetic attitude and performance to match” according to Milwaukee. It may or may not be a final production model.
BOTH KINDS
Everybody goes adventure riding
Honda’s CRF1100L Africa Twin and CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure
Oh, Lordy! Not just one but two new Africa Twins from Honda. Makes sense when you think about it…
Sports feature a lighter more powerful 1100cc parallel twin engine, increasing both power and torque while meeting Euro5 requirements. Both versions of the Africa Twin use a lighter, narrower frame, improving both agility and comfort. A first for Honda, the Africa Twin comes complete with a new 6.5in TFT colour touchscreen interface. At the heart of each bike is a cutting-edge electronics package complete with a new six-axis IMU, which guides the Honda Selectable Torque Control, Wheelie and Rear Lift Control and Cornering ABS, while also allowing more intuitive gear shifts from the DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) system. The CRF1100L Africa Twinavailable in Grand Prix Red and Matte Ballistic Black - is primed for off-road adventure, with rally style body work, a slender 18.8L tank, low fixed screen and tubed tyres as standard. The CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports comes fully equipped for the long haul with a five-stage adjustable screen, three stage cornering lights, tubeless tyres and a 24.8L tank.
The new KTM 390 Adventure has harnessed the attributes and DNA from the popular 790 as well as the development information gleaned from nearly two decades of Dakar Rally success. A breezy, agile, and ideal entry model for riders keen to discover the ‘adventure’ sensation, this motorcycle offers added versatility for touring and light offroading. Using the KTM 390 DUKE as a base, the KTM 390 Adventure offers the feeling and some of the performance of the KTM 450 Rally with current Euro emissions standards.
Ducati showed one new and two concept bikes in the Scrambler range, one of which was the very interesting DesertX. It was inspired by the iconic
1. KTM’s lineup is just about complete with the 390, the entry version to the adventure range.
2.Will we see Ducati’s tougher Desert Sled, the DesertX? A lot of people are hoping so.
3. A bigger lion growls from Benelli’s stand; the Leoncino 800 is mild but interesting.
racing models of the 1990s’ rally raids such as the Paris-Dakar. Its retro-tech, functional style, combined with clean design lines, makes this a timeless, evergreen concept.
Probably the most exciting new model at the show for adventure riders was a concept bike, Husqvarna Motorcycles’ adventure-touring motorcycle, the NORDEN 901. A twin-cylinder motorcycle with advanced rider ergonomics and high performance based on years of rally experience, it offers a distinct modern design. A versatile long-distance exploration concept, it delivers both outstanding street and off road
performance. Delivering effortless rideability and sensible, high-end modern equipment this motorcycle can be used on daily commutes, extended adventures and everything in between.
Funny how the north dominates European offroad thinking, as it does with Husqvarna’s surprise.
brakes offer double 320 mm diameter semi-floating disc on the front and four-piston radial mount mono-block calliper, and a 260 mm diameter disc on the back with a double piston calliper. The 500 is similar but has the four-stroke twin cylinder liquid cooled engine, with a power output of 3 kW at 8500 rpm and torque of 46Nm at 6000 rpm.
Moto Guzzi meanwhile launched a new Travel version of its V85, the
Benelli introduced two new Leoncinos, the 800 and 500 Trails, motorcycles with a distinct off-road look supported by the raised double exhaust and the 19” front wheel. The larger bike’s 754-cc twin-cylinder, four-stroke engine is liquid cooled and is the same as the one mounted on Leoncino 800. It unleashes 60kW at 900 rpm and torque of 67 Nm at 6500 rpm, in order to ensure pure fun and performance off-road. Brembo
TT Travel, ready to take the long road with a dedicated range of touring accessory fitted as standard equipment. These include panniers and heated hand grips.
Eagerly awaited and much debated, the Harley-Davidson Pan America drew
Has Moto Guzzi finally hit the right note after trying so many different adventure bikes?
You’ve almost certainly seen it in teased shots, but here it is; Pan America!
The new V Strom 1050 has been equipped with the electronics its competitors have.
a huge crowd at EICMA. This all-new advanced adventure touring multi-purpose motorcycle equal parts campfire, wanderlust, and grit according to the factory. The Pan America is a two-wheel multitool built to endure, designed to explore, and engineered for the unknown.
Whether its contentious styling will help with this task – and that of selling –remains to be seen, but I was impressed with the level of detail.
Okay, there was no new Dr Big. A lot of people hoped that Suzuki would revive the big single, but it was not to be – yet. Instead, we got not just one but three seriously revamped big V-Stroms, the V-Strom 1050, V-Strom 1050XT and V-Strom 1050XT Adventure with sharper styling and advanced technological updates. Riding on cast aluminum wheels, the new
We’ll be testing Yamaha’s 700 Ténéré for you very shortly.
V-STROM 1050 arrives in new black and gray bodywork. The updated 1037cc V-twin engine has 106 hp @ 8,500 rpm, retaining its strong pull in the lower RPM range with good fuel economy while complying with the latest worldwide emissions standards. Features included with the V-STROM 1050XT and the V-STROM 1050XT Adventure models include the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) which offers cruise control among many other features. The bikes also get spoked wheels.
Probably the most fascinating thing about the Yamaha Ténéré 700, which had pride of place on the show stand, was the number of accessories available for it from all of the major manufacturers. You won’t have any trouble fitting your bike out to suit yourself.
TRAVEL TIME IS HERE
Further, faster… sorry, officer
The 2020 Ninja 1000SX marks the fourth generation of Kawasaki’s sports tourer. Cleaner emissions with the same great performance, sportier, more dynamic new styling, a singlesided muffler and all-LED lighting feature on the new spec list for sport and touring capability. Increased seat
Not new so much as improved, Kawasaki’s Ninja 1000SX is in its fourth generation.
and passenger is just one of the modifications that also include the debut of Electronic Cruise Control, a Quick Shifter, integrated Riding Modes combining KTRC and Power Modes and 10.9cm all-digital TFT colour
Anything one American motorcycle company can do, another can do better. So they say.
American muscle, next-level technology, and premium comfort to deliver a truly unmatched riding experience.
“The Indian Challenger delivers a new level of performance for riders who understand that the seemingly small details make a huge difference,” said Reid Wilson, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle. “Our mindset was to leave no stone unturned and deliver a bagger that exceeds the standards in categories like power, handling, comfort, and technology.”
instrumentation with
smartphone connectivity. The accessory pannier system continues for 2020 plus the option of accessory heated handlebar grips and even an under-seat USB port.
According to Indian Motorcycle, the bar for American motorcycles has officially been elevated. America’s First Motorcycle Company has dramatically redefined the American bagger with its introduction of the 2020 Indian Challenger – a striking combination of
BMW’s new F 900 XR is a parallel twin bored out from 853cc to 895cc which adds ten horsepower to the smaller engine’s 95hp at 8500rpm. Torque remains unchanged with 92Nm at 6500rpm, but offers significantly more midrange. The bike gets a nonadjustable 43mm upside-down fork at the front with 170 mm of travel with 17 inch cast wheels. The monoshock at the rear offers 172mm of travel and gets rebound damping and preload adjustment. There’s LED lighting front and back and a colour TFT display. Like big brother 1000, the bike is being promoted as a sports tourer with some adventure aspirations. Naturally, luggage is available as is much else in the usual BMW fashion.
BMW’s new adventure bike that will take you to the furthest reaches of the planet – on the road.
REMEMBER THIS
The retro movement stays ahead
Also for Kawasaki, the third and final bike in the W800 range is a corker. It keeps the 35kw, air-cooled 773cc bevel drive camshaft engine but the frame is a new construction featuring larger diameter tubes and a centre stand as a standard fit item. Front forks increase in diameter to 41mm and the wheels get wider rims with a 19inch front wheel for the most classic of looks. Add deep chrome mudguards and a chrome handlebar and the visual effect is impressive.
Indian Motorcycle introduced the FTR Rally, which builds on the 2019 FTR design framework but adds authentic retro styling to the modern performance capabilities riders expect. It features a 123-horsepower engine, commanding riding position
and nimble handling, perfect for city streets or back, canyon roads. Titanium Smoke paint with the Indian Motorcycle headdress logo, aluminium wire wheels with red pinstripe, brown aviator seat and a new rally windscreen add to the attraction.
CFMOTO was one of only two marques to hold a
Ducati) for its new 700CL-X range. It launched three models, the Hero, ADV and Sport, of basically identical bikes designed in Italy and powered by a newly developed 692cc inline twin-cylinder water-cooled engine. It features split-type connection rod, forged piston, electronic throttle, sliding clutch. The
Reaching back into history can lead you to gold, like the new W800.
The good folks from Spirit Lake just keep coming up with the goods in the FTR line.
efficiency and increases the peak power of the engine to 55kw/67Nm. They have a USB port and limp-home mode in case of ECU failure.
ELECTRIFICATION
That’s the name of the game
I have seen the future, and it is electric. Whether I really like that thought is
another question. But I was, if you’ll forgive the pun, shocked by what I saw at EICMA.
If you’d attended EICMA I suspect that you, too, would have been shocked. Electric bikes, scooters and motorcycles were everywhere. And while the exhibitors were still mostly from China, there were also electric bikes on the stands of some of the established European manufacturers like Husqvarna.
Does that mean the electricity is finally here as the propellant of choice? Not as far as the German industry is concerned, it seems. BMW’s director of development,
Klaus Frölich, recently told a (forgive me) shocked round-table interview in Munich that “There are no customer requests for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). There are regulator requests for BEVs.” While he was largely referring to cars, the Bavarians appear to feel much the same about two- and three-wheeler demand.
So why all the electric bikes of various types at EICMA?
There seem to be three reasons. The fi rst, obviously, is the raging success of electric propulsion in China, which is by far the biggest source of sparky bikes. Not only do the various manufacturers hope that the Europeans will follow their Chinese compatriot’s lithium lead, but they make so many that it’s no problem to divert a few hundred or thousand to Europe.
Breaking Nius: Chinese manufacturer Niu is the fastest-growing brand in just about all the European markets it has entered with its cheap and cheerful scooters. It showed three new models in Milan, as well as a maxi-scooter concept. Niu is not (yet) available in Australia, but it appears to be going great guns in the US from a small
This is CFMOTO’s adventure version of its new parallel twin range.
Energica leads the way with electric motorcycles that look like… motorcycles.
beginning, so its success is a clear lesson. Secondly, featuring a couple of flash electric bikes on your stand establishes some environmental cred. You don’t really need to put them into production; the fact that you have designed and prototyped them demonstrates that you care about the state of the world’s climate. Finally, there’s the opportunity to make some serous bucks. While there is an obvious limit to the amount you can charge for conventional bikes if you expect to sell reasonable numbers, that’s not so for electric ones. Early adopters and well-heeled environmental enthusiasts (who are also keen to be seen to be doing good) will pay well over the odds for electric bikes. Take the undeniably cute and seriously retro Schwalbe (swallow) going into production for Govecs. Its Bosch motor and plastic body will set you back something like 10,000 euros. One swallow may not make a summer for Govecs, but a decent production run surely will. There was no price indication for any of Ducati’s three e-bikes.
I’ve mentioned Bosch. They had one of the most interesting stands at the show, and I’ll be writing a separate story about that shortly. Let it be said that, apart from Panasonic for batteries, they are the go-to name in electric propulsion.
A combination of cost, unproven reliability and doubtful legality (in Australia) keeps me from taking electric vehicles seriously – for the time being. I’m with BMW’s Herr Frölich (whose name, incidentally, means “cheerful”) for now. But I also believe that the balance between internal combustion and electricity will shift. The
only question is when, and I suspect the answer is sooner than any of us think.
And there is already an area where electric bikes are being taken very seriously, and that’s racing. Energica, manufacturers of the bikes for the MotoGP series FIM Enel MotoE World Cup – had a substantial stand showing off their new lithiumpolymer battery with 21.5kWh capacity. They also showed their Ego+, Eva EsseEsse9+ and the new Eva Ribelle, all promisinglooking bikes. D
Even Ducati has realized that they need to show interest in electric bikes.
When the going gets electric, the smart people go to Bosch.
IT’S RAINING BAGS
Whatever the weather, your gear stays 100% dry with SW-Motech’s stylish range of versatile dry bags. Made from super-tough, high frequency welded tarpaulin in sizes from 2 to 70 litres.
MOTORRAD GARAGE - EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR OF
DRYBAG 180/260
DRYBAG 80
DRYBAG 250/450
DRYBAG 700
DRYBAG 350/600
BACKBAG BARRACUDA 25
BACKBAG 300
DRYBAG 20
BACKBAG TRITON 20
(Sincere thanks and apologies to Joe Hill)
WORDS the Bear PHOTOS MaNuFaCturerS
Accessories
IWunderlich has an extensive range of replacement screens.
F EICMA DIDN’T have a single motorcycle but just accessories, clothes and such, I would still be tempted to go. The thing is – you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t. Sure you can track manufacturers whom you know on the web, but will you always catch up with their latest development? And what about the fi rms you’ve never heard of? A big motorcycle show is the place to see them, and there is no bigger motorcycle show than this one. Here are just a few examples, and if I sound a bit gushy (I do) it’s because I have been seriously impressed by these people.
One firm I always find intriguing is Wunderlich, who make accessories for BMWs. With a brand as thorough as BMW, you might think that there is little or no room for improvement, but Wunderlich prove that wrong over and over. Not only do their products improve on BMW’s own, but their
You can check Wunderlich products online, or order the free catalogue.
Photo by Barnabas Imre
Accessories
designs go well beyond anything the Bavarians come up with. You can measure their success by both the outstanding specials they produce, and by their recent move to much larger premises. See https://www. wunderlich.de/en/ and “complete your BMW”.
Another firm I have had quite a bit to do with is Rizoma. Born in 2001 from a vision of Fabrizio Rigolio and his brother Fabio, the brand has established itself thanks to the passion for design and movement meant as an input to change, to evolve. Its
success is largely due to the ability to transform a motorcycle accessory into a design object. If that sounds a bit high-falutin’, just look at Rizoma products at www.rizoma.com . One of the most fascinating moments at the show was the preview presentation of a range of new multi-fit products which will be available for consumers from 2020. Specifically, this involved 6 new design components as always fine-tuned in order to enable riders to highly customize their own bikes. A brand that need no introduction is Akrapovic, https://www.akrapovic.
com/en/ . As always there was a substantial stand at EICMA, and as always it was only too easy to lose yourself in all the titanium and carbon fibre on display. Slip-on mufflers dominated the presentation, and
Here’s an Indian that’s had the complete Rizoma treatment. Not only better looking, but safer.
Akrapovic does a superb-looking slip-on for Triumph’s big Tiger.
received an enthusiastic reception. Unlike last year, I couldn’t see Igor on the stand – it’s always a bracing experience talking to him!
For all-round accessories, specializing in adventure gear, the go-to firm for me is SW-Motech. Their luggage and other accessories are a standout for quality and design. Parts are available for all kinds of different bikes, both the usual suspects like the BMW GS range and many others, with most of the range offering universal application. See www.motorradgarage.com.au for Australia. D
SW-Motech has one of the widest and best ranges of adventure and other equipment around.
On the road with...
We are continually adding to the range with innovating and exciting new products to meet all motorcycle needs. Now motorcyclists can enjoy any modern electronic device whilst riding, with a full range of plug ins or wired sockets and cables to suit most motorcycles.
Honda’s Africa Twin gets the Akrapovic treatment with another slip-on muffler.
LAUNCH TEAROUTMAP#83
BRING YOUR MONEY
Helping where you can
THIS MAP IS IN response to the massive bushfires roaring through NSW. We can only hope rain starts falling to help bring them under control and to try and inject some life back into the dry, desert-like conditions across not only NSW, but most of the country. We motorcyclists are usually pretty good at spending some hard earned in areas that need it and this particular ride takes in just one of the areas that could do with some cash splashed around. So, organise your mates, book accommodation and take a heap of cash in your pocket to spend up big knowing you’ll be helping communities out.
* Please note - for those that don’t
WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
like getting dirty, this route does contain some well-maintained dirt roads. Very easy to manage for most riders, though.
KEMPSEY
On the beautiful Macleay Valley Coast explore the life of country music legend Slim Dusty, enjoy magnificent national parks and relax on uncrowded beaches. You can surf a famous point break and cave dive with a school of sharks. You’ll also discover fascinating indigenous and colonial heritage.
The Slim Dusty Centre is in Kempsey, where Akubra hats are made. The singer-songwriter and guitarist is an Australian cultural icon
who grew up at Nulla Nulla Creek near Kempsey. Exhibitions and music memorabilia in the centre honour his stellar career.
Other wonderful attractions in Kempsey include the historical museum and the Dunghutti-Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery in a parkland building designed by award-winning architect Glenn Murcutt. You’ll be delighted, too, with a visit to Wigay Aboriginal Cultural Park, a tasty bush tucker garden.
In Arakoon National Park is the heritage-listed Trial Bay Gaol, which opened 1866 and served as an internment camp for people of German descent living in Australia in World War I. In adjacent Hat Head
www.hemamaps.com.au
LENDING
Nearly impossible to get lost on this routestarting out of Kempsey head west on River Street which shortly turns into Armidale Road (and around halfway turns into Kempsey Road). Follow this all the way to Waterfall Way and turn left. Then, follow Waterfall Way into Armidale and you’re done! See, told you it is hard to get lost on this one!
DISTANCE – 173km
FUEL – Kempsey, Willawarrin, Armidale
National Park is the 1891 Smoky Cape Lighthouse, a great vantage point for whale watching. All major services are available here.
WILLAWARRIN
The historic pub at Willawarrin (our pub of the month back in issue #76) is the perfect rest stop on your way through mountain country as you follow the Macleay River inland from the coast, but there’s also the iconic post office and general store. To fully appreciate your position within these forested mountains, stop at Collombatti Lookout.
BELLBROOK
A must for all country music fans is a visit to the old mountain village of Bellbrook. Arguably the birthplace of Australian country music, Bellbrook is the childhood home of country music legends Slim Dusty and his mate Shorty Ranger. You can still visit Slim’s original homestead nearby. It’s not hard to see where these musical talents drew their inspiration. This is Australian mountain country at its best. Babbling clear creeks and deep valleys, thick timber forest and the distinctive call of bellbirds, Bellbrook is surrounded by incredible natural beauty. Cedar cutters and timber getters settled the area, and today their legacy has been lovingly preserved in this historic township which is still dominated by the original timber buildings along the wide main street. Bellbrook township is heritage listed as it is an excellent example of an early 1900’s timber getting town.
GEORGES CREEK
Georges Creek (formerly known as Georges River), a perennial stream
rises below Point Lookout, on the western slopes of the Snowy Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, about 12 kilometres south by east of Ebor, within the New England National Park. The river flows generally to the south southwest before reaching its confluence with the Macleay River at the rural locality of Georges Creek. The river descends 1200 metres over its 53 kilometres (33 mi) course.
WOLLOMOMBI FALLS
In the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and about one and half kilometres off Waterfall Way, the Wollomombi Falls are atop the Wollomombi Gorge near the confluence of the Wollomombi River with the Chandler River. The Chandler Falls are on the Chandler River, adjacent to the Wollomombi Falls. The falls descend from an elevation of 907 metres above sea level in one drop of 100 metres, with a total descent that ranges in height between 150–230 metres depending on the flow of the river.
At one time they were believed to be the tallest in Australia. However, recent geographical revisions place them at second or third tallest, depending on the source, after the Tin Mine Falls in the Snowy Mountains and the Wallaman Falls, near Ingham, Queensland.
ARMIDALE
Armidale is on the banks of Dumaresq Creek. A short distance to the east of Armidale are heavily forested steep gorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain. Large parts of the highlands are covered by Palaeozoic aged metamorphosed
sedimentary rocks. Intruding into these meta-sediments are granite plutons which decompose to form sandy soil, slightly deficient in nutrients. There are also basalt flows which are more fertile for the soil substrates. Lots of different rocks, right? Places away from the deep gorge country tend to display gently undulating terrain mainly used for pastures and where granites occur the areas are usually covered in bushland. The area contains a number of places of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest as well as several World Heritage national parks including the New England National Park and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. To the west is Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve. Armidale has a subtropical highland climate infl uence. The city’s elevation gives it a milder climate, but the summers are still very warm. Winters are long and cool, with many frosty nights. Snowfall is rare, on average only one day in every three years.
The presence of four distinct seasons, unlike most of the rest of Australia, is the reason for the “New England” moniker and the autumn colours are a notable feature of the city. Summers are characterised by warm to very warm days followed almost always by cool, sometimes cold, nights. Thunderstorms often produce heavy falls of rain and occasionally hail in the afternoons and early evenings, also bringing a sudden drop in temperature. Unlike nearby coastal areas, Armidale does not usually experience high humidity levels making most of the summer days quite comfortable. All major services are available here. D
Just mental WORDS stuart PHOTOS Nick Wood c reative
As you’ll know, most manufacturers have taken one of their litre sportsbikes, ripped its clothes off and turned it into a ballistic naked street weapon. Yamaha has done this with the R1, turning it into the crazy MT-10.
The latest model of the MT-10 hasn’t really changed much from the first time we rode one a while ago. The main change is the new “Ice Fluo” colour scheme which runs through all of the Yamaha MT range. The red “fluo” wheels are the eye catching part but what you might consider to be plain old grey paintwork is in fact a pearl grey/white in bright sunlight, no doubt accounting for the word “Ice” in the name.
If you’re unfamiliar with the MT10 it shares most of its architecture with the R1. The in-line four cylinder engine features the same Crossplane crankshaft technology developed in the R1. The crossplane design nearly eliminates inertial engine torque to provide a direct connection between the throttle and rear wheel, for maximum traction and mega amounts of torque. Tuned specifically for the street, the MT- 10 engine develops awesome low and mid-rpm torque with arm-stretching top-end power. Using the insane levels of power/torque available is something unique to this engine configuration.
The 6-speed transmission “stacks” the crankshaft input and output shafts in a triangular layout to centralise mass and keep the engine shorter front-to-back, which allows optimised engine placement in the frame for outstanding handling and contributes to the short 1400mm wheelbase. Add in a quickshifter for upshifts and an assist/slipper clutch for downshifts and the fun factor just keeps getting better.
The MT-10’s stainless steel and titanium exhaust system features a compact mid-exhaust chamber, once again for mass centralisation. Exhaust flow is regulated by Yamaha’s “Exhaust Ultimate Power Valve” (EXUP) system to provide optimal
Check it out
Jump onto our YouTube channel and view the quick video we did with the MT-10 - https://youtu.be/aECsKisImXM
exhaust back-pressure across the entire rpm range, further improving efficiency. When the valve is fully open, those crossplane tunes sound very similar to the MotoGP bike. As with just about all higher end motorcycles nowadays, electronics feature heavily. The MT-10 features Yamaha’s Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) system (or ride-by-wire if you like). This allows the MT-10 to have three power modes – 1, 2 or 3. Mode 1 provides the sharpest throttle response, Mode 2 offers good allaround character, and Mode 3 gives the smoothest, most progressive throttle response. I found Mode 2 the happiest for my style of riding – it was strong but smooth, just what you want from a bike like this. Traction control is there to help you in case things get out of hand. Three levels and you can turn it off, too.
The MT-10 includes a cruise control system activated via the left handlebar switchgear – something that allows the MT-10 to be a serious touring machine if you wish. Yamaha genuine accessories does offer tank, seat and pannier bags to complete this package.
A highly-legible LCD instrument display provides crystal clear information in all lighting conditions. The design is compact yet with a large speedometer display and bar-type tachometer. The panel also includes a fuel gauge and fuel economy readouts, a gear position indicator, clock, trip meters and all the idiot lights. An upshift timing light is also programmable to your preference.
The MT-10 uses an aluminium Deltabox frame derived from the R1 and when combined with the upright handlebar creates a lightweight and responsive chassis built for agility.
Up front are inverted 43mm KYB forks offering full adjustability and providing excellent front-end feel and light yet stable turn in.
Out back is a full adjustable KYB shock. This is a little soft on the standard settings but with a good amount of adjustment this can easily be tuned to your liking.
Radial-mount, four-piston ABS front calipers use sintered brake pads to grip a pair of large 320mm discs for exceptional braking power most of the time. When pushed really hard the lever does get a little soft – nothing to worry about as most ABS equipped bikes do the same thing.
Comfortable, upright ergonomics with a comfortable seat and a little backrest give you the right balance between sporty and relaxed rider comfort. Again, the MT-10 can be a serious tourer if you wish to travel. I assume the reason Yamaha hasn’t brought out an ‘MT-10 GT’ is due to the range of accessories on offer for the base bike; that negates the need to bring out a specifi c touring biased version.
Continuing with the premium features fitted to the MT-10, in addition to LED turn signals, running lights and tail lights, the MT-10 features compact LED headlights which light up the road well at night.
Aggressive styling with that kind of ‘Transformer’ look isn’t every ones cup of tea, but when are you looking at the headlights while riding?
I’ve mentioned a range of genuine accessories already but so much more is available like a gel seat, windscreens, performance items, chassis protection and other items. Oh! And a 12V DC power outlet comes standard to recharge your mobile devices or various electronic accessories.
If you’ve ever thought about what it’s like to ride the Yamaha MT-10 I urge you to stop thinking and get to your local dealer for a whirl. You want a motorcycle that puts a smile on your dial and this is exactly what the MT-10 will do. Just be careful where you decide to stretch that grin – those nasty people in blue shirts will cut up your licence. LOL! D
Specs
PRICE: $21,149 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line four cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 220mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 8.68 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 195km
COLOURS: Ice Fluo,Yamaha Blue, Tech Black
VERDICT: MENTAL FUN MONSTER
YAMAHA MT-10
FLAmInGBuffalos!
InDIAn MoToRCyClE
Benelux revealed the winning ‘Project Scout Bobber’ contest build at the BigTwin Bikeshow and Expo earlier this month. ‘Hasty Flaming Buffalo’, by Dutch designer Luuc Muis of LM Creations, is a beautifully elegant blend of modern technology and the classic lines of a 1910 Indian board-track racer.
Open to amateur and professional builders from across the region, the
Indian Motorcycle Custom Contest: ‘Project Scout Bobber’ saw three finalists chosen by a professional jury and then put forward to a public Facebook vote. Luuc’s design proved so popular that he became the clear leader with over 54% of the votes and won the opportunity to create his unique vision.
Luuc’s design for ‘Hasty Flaming Buffalo’ draws on the rich and successful history of Indian
About LM Creations
Luuc Muis is a product designer from The Netherlands. In 2014 he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Product Design at Windesheim –Zwolle, as well a Merit degree 1 in Art &Design at Institute of Technology –Calow, Ireland. Combining his passion for motorcycles, technology and craftsmanship, he designs creations with his signature. Luuc enjoys working on his beaten-up vintage vehicles just as much as designing high-end motorcycles and products. To learn more, visit www.luucmuiscreations.com
Motorcycle racing, particularly the board track racers of the early 1900s. With their innovative designs, Indian Motorcycle had a big technological advantage at the Motordromes, the timber board tracks appearing all over the world at the time, and riders like Jake de Rosier became household names for their feats on these risky circuits.
“As an industrial product designer, this contest was something I had to enter. I wanted to explore the idea that, if over 100 years of motorcycling, materials and techniques had developed but visual design hadn’t, what would that look like,” says Luuc. “To be told that my design had won, and I now had the opportunity to explore the concept fully was both really exciting but also quite intimidating, especially with the short deadline to complete the build.”
Announced as the winner in the middle of June, Luuc had just 20 weeks to turn his design into reality for the November 1st unveiling, the opening day of the BigTwin Expo. With just the engine and axles retained from the original Scout Bobber, completing the build alongside
working his normal day job meant many late nights to stay on schedule. Blending his 2D design with a 3D scan of the Scout Bobber engine to refine his frame design, Luuc constructed the frame from aluminium tubing and parts machined in aluminium by Scheffers Engineering in Norway. The gorgeous handmade tank forms part of the frame and houses the airbox and electronic components to achieve the clean minimalist look inspired by the early Indian Motorcycle board track racers.
Luuc was able to attract great partners to the project and Hasty Flaming Buffalo benefits from exceptional bespoke parts including:
• Bespoke exhaust system by Akrapovic
• CeraCarbon Racing full carbon forks with diamond cut ceramic tubes
• One-off wheel rims by JSR Service
• Moto-Master Brakes and Brembo calipers
• Bespoke seat by
Leatherworks
• One-off air filter by DNA Performance Filters
• Mini indicators and rear light/brake light supplied by Kellerman.
“When we first saw the entries for this contest, we knew that the jury was going to have a very hard time choosing just three finalists to go to the public vote,” says Lynda Provoost, Marketing Manager Indian Motorcycle Benelux. “The creativity that went into all of the entries was outstanding, and I think you can see from Luuc’s winning build that the Benelux is a force to be reckoned with in the world of custom motorcycles. To take a Scout Bobber and transform it to such a high standard into a beautiful tribute to the heritage of Indian Motorcycle and the early riders of motorcycle sport has exceeded our hopes for this contest.”
‘Hasty Flaming Buffalo’ will make its next public appearances at the Autosalon in Belgium (January 1019) and Motorbeurs Utrecht in the Netherlands Bespoke seat by
SMOKEHEAD ISLAY Single
Malt Whisky has teamed up with Tyler Lunceford over the past nine months to build a one-of-a-kind customised Ducati, inspired by vintage motorcycles. The time has come to reveal ‘The Smoker’.
The expertly crafted motorcycle was unveiled to media, trade and bike fanatics on 12th November in London at The Bike Shed, Shoreditch.
Hosting the evening was bike blogger, Motobob who ran a Q&A with Tyler, while custom motorcycle helmet designer Piers Dowell painted two Smokehead helmets live on the night. Bike fans also enjoyed video footage of the creation of The Smoker, including the final video of the bike on the open road.
Mind-blowing cocktails made with Smokehead, Smokehead High Voltage and Smokehead Sherry Bomb were served throughout the night, including The Smoker serve, created exclusively for the project - a robust mix of Smokehead, lemon juice, honey syrup, ginger liqueur, a pinch of activated charcoal, shaken over ice and strained into a rocks glass, garnished with crystallised ginger.
About Ian Macleod Distillers:
• Established in 1933, Ian Macleod Distillers is one of Scotland’s leading independent, family-owned distillers, blenders and bottlers.
• Ian Macleod Distillers is the world’s 10th largest Scotch Whisky company, producing and selling over 15 million bottles of spirits every year.
• Ian Macleod Distillers has built up an enviable portfolio of premium quality spirits and is proud owner of Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Rosebank and Smokehead Scotch whiskies and Edinburgh Gin to name but a few.
The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club is a collective which celebrates bike builders, riders and fans, and is one of the UK’s best-known venues for customised motorcycles.
US born Lunceford of North Motorcycles is a renowned global biking sensation (known as the Ducati Whisperer of the New York tristate) with over 20 years’ experience customising bikes for obsessive bikers and rock stars. He owned a workshop in Brooklyn but recently relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland to raise a family, and this is where he crafted The Smoker.
Commenting on the partnership with Smokehead and the finished bike: “Smokehead’s support of unique craftsmen and women resonated with me immediately. Building a customised bike is an incredible process. And it’s a slow process. Notching, welding, grinding, every single detail needs to be accounted for. I wanted to make sure this bike was phenomenal before unleashing it.
“I wanted to make a bike for the street, something that’s comfortable, with a really vintage appeal. This isn’t a bike that’s going to be polished and put in a museum.
“Smokehead whisky is not for everyone and neither is The Smoker - it’s bold, it’s intimidating and it’s loud. It’s really loud. It attracts a certain crowd. It’s certainly not for everyone.”
Adding his thoughts, Iain Weir, Smokehead Brand Director, said: “We’re overwhelmed with how The
Smoker has turned out. Tyler has exceeded expectations and created something incredible for Smokehead. Just like our whisky, The Smoker is bold, daring, independent and most importantly, not for everyone.”
THE SMOKEHEAD REFINERY
The campaign shares stories of partnerships with the boldest of craftsmen and women that Smokehead is proud to rub shoulders with. Chapter 1 of the project was unleashed in 2018, a successful partnership with Dram & Smoke creating a series of ‘Smokehead Feasts’ for media and trade across the UK. Chapter 2 celebrates the collaboration with Tyler.
In late 2018, Smokehead released Sherry Bomb, a heavily peated Islay single malt that has been boldly blasted by sherry casks; following hot on the heels of Smokehead High Voltage, along with their louder and bolder look, which was unveiled in April. D
GettiNG
what you pay for
WORDS THE BEAR
PHOTOS WUNDERLICH
There are some questions that, as a motorcycle writer, I encounter more often than others. One of them is “why is product x more expensive than product y?” An associated question is “why is product x more expensive here in country y (Australia, say) than in country z (the US, for example)?” The latter question usually involves Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and is quite easy to answer.
Any sensible firm will sell its products for what they can get for them, and Australian buyers are prepared to pay more for Harleys than American buyers.
“But that’s wrong,” says the
questioner whom we shall call ‘you’. “They’re profiteering.”
Are they? Let’s say you buy a new bike. When you come to sell it however many years later, how do you decide on the amount you ask for? Do you depreciate it at the nominal rate of 17.5 percent a year, which probably leaves bugger all? No. You find out how much other, similar bikes are selling for and hope that that’s more than the depreciated amount. Are you profiteering?
Consider also that the American minimum wage is US$7.25 per hour. Our basic wage in Australia is A$19.49, with at least a 25 percent loading for casuals. There’s no such loading in the US, and almost no job security. Perhaps if you were prepared to work for seven bucks and a bit without knowing if you
have a job tomorrow*, you could have cheaper bikes too.
THE HARD qUEsTIoN
The other question is more difficult, because there are several potential answers. Usually, it’s because the manufacturer of product x spends more money on advertising. On average, retailers in the US spend just under 22 percent of their revenue on advertising or marketing. So if you buy something that costs $5 at a major retailer, a dollar ten of the price has nothing to do with the value of the item.
Other reasons might be that the product is better known (brands are worth big money), that it has a lot of word-of-mouth, that buyers trust the firm or the country in which the firm does its manufacturing and so on.
Sometimes, it’s even because product x is demonstrably better than product y.
“But how do I know product x is better?” you ask. There is really only one answer to this. Do some research. Read reviews, go look at the product in the shop if you can, try to find someone who’s bought the product. All potentially difficult, it’s true, so take the next-best option: research the firm making your products x and y. I’ve recently been dealing with Wunderlich, a German firm that makes accessories for BMW motorcycles, arranging to build a BMW F 750 GS project bike with them. They’ll do nicely as an example because I know a little about them. As far as I’m concerned they have a head start because they manufacture in small series, and many products are essentially hand-made. Let’s take a look at the way they make one of their ‘wunderfully’ (sorry) named Wunderbob seats, one of which I expect to fit to the GS.
The foam core of the seat is shaped.
1. Softer foam is added for comfort. 2. Cutting is also entirely by hand.
The core of the seat is handshaped from relatively hard foam, and then covered with a softer foam layer. Meanwhile, selected nubuck leather is traced out and then cut to shape, also by hand. More individual work as the cover is stitched on an industrial sewing machine using tough yarns in varying colours. The core is then fitted to the base, and the nubuck cover is slipped around it and fastened. After finishing touches to make sure that the cover is properly seated and attached, final quality control is done by a master saddler before the seat is sent out to a buyer. I realise that that description might sound a bit over the top, but I love this kind of work. It’s done by craftspeople who take pride in the product, not on an assembly line by interchangeable process workers (nothing against process workers) who may not even know what the finished product is. The result looks like it. It’s also done in Germany, where wage costs are high but matched by skill levels.
Keep an eye on these pages, because we will be working with Wunderlich products to build that upcoming GS project. We’ll keep you informed about the parts we fit to the bike.
*I’m not just making this up. I talked to a log truck driver recently in America, who told me that he only got paid for the days he worked – or actually the distance he covered – and got no loading, sick days, health insurance, holiday pay or long service leave. He also never knew if he’d have a job tomorrow. This arrangement, he assured me, was common and perfectly legal. D
1.The master saddler runs his fingers and eyes over the complete seat.
2. Finishing touches to make sure all is as it should be.
3. Carefully-selected nubuk leather is traced out.
4. A high-powered industrial sewing machine is used to make the cover.
BaseD in the western suburbs of Melbourne (100 New Street, Spotswood, Victoria 3015 to be exact) JAX Garage was created in mid-2019, so they’re definitely the new kids on the block in terms of custom motorcycle building. The company was primarily created to scratch a personal itch, but it turned out to be much more as the inaugural build (the K75C shown here) developed.
While the company itself doesn’t have a long history just yet, the people behind it do. The team is comprised of Jas Babalija (founder, builder, and engineer), Dom Scarpari (builder and lead mechanic), and Christina Scarpari (creative director). The custom builds are worked on by Dom and Jas. Christina captures this work, as she has a skillset in photography.
Dom has over 30 years’ experience as a motor mechanic. His experience and wisdom were among the most crucial parts of making the BMW K75C a successful first build and getting Jas on the right track to fulfilling his own creative purpose in JAX Garage.
Jas met Dom whilst first dating Christina about 10 years ago (Dom is her father). Back then Jas was an engineering student and paraprofessional while completing his honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. At the time Jas did some freelance work in the form of product design and 3D printing. Dom, who is a bit of a petrol head (to say the least) had a drift team and a business that manufactured components for drift cars in the Australian and International drift racing scene (he still has this business). At some stage he needed new brake kits designed for a new drift car, and quick to try and impress the girlfriend’s father Jas jumped in and offered help. Long story short, they were well received.
Jas completed his degree and started working as a Consulting Mechanical Engineer / Forensic Engineer, and he stopped the design, 3D printing and all things creative. Week-in week-out the job involves investigating why things fail, mostly heavy vehicle and agricultural equipment related (think truck crashes/ rollovers/brake malfunctions/mining equipment incidents/excavator failures/ engine failures etc.) Jas is also involved
in the homologation of light and heavy vehicles in Australia as an agent and an appointed Vehicle Engineer under the VASS Signatory scheme in Victoria (certifying the modification of light and heavy vehicles).
The aim of JAX Garage is therefore to build custom bikes that not only look great but comply with the relevant Australian design rules (unless otherwise requested for show-bike purposes), which also happen to coincide with UN Regulations for the most part, making it likely that all the bikes built could be made to pass TuV requirements in Europe. (Note: for the photoshoot the rear mudflap was removed).
JAX Garage currently has another three projects on the go (a 1981 Yamaha XS400, 1981 Honda CB750 and another BMW K series bike… which Jas thinks he’ll keep). JAX Garage is there for those who are time poor or don’t have the resources to do jobs themselves.
The philosophy at JAX Garage is that anybody can make a great custom motorcycle as long as they’re willing to learn and get their hands dirty. This is extremely relevant in today’s day and age where we have a plethora of knowledge on the internet in the form of technical articles, YouTube videos, blogs, forums and so on. When it comes to getting your hands dirty, it’s important to not be afraid to make mistakes. You need to understand that some modifications require specialist machines and tooling such as a lathe, welder and press etc. but JAX Garage are working on manufacturing as many products as possible that don’t require this kind of tooling. For example, their first product on the line is a “plug-and-play” USD triple clamp for BMW K series bikes for those using Honda CBR 929/954/1000 front ends (combination of the front end used for the K75C).
Jas says it’s not a full-time gig for him, it’s mainly done on weekends and after hours, but luckily he gets to be creative a few days of the week and he has Dom working on projects as they come. Contact them to discuss your next build…
Website: www.jaxgarage.com.au
Instagram: @jaxgarageau
YouTube channel: coming soon. D
Building the BMW K75C Café Racer
The bike was picked up from a local reseller of used and wrecked bikes, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It was involved in a minor crash that buckled the front forks and caused some cosmetic damage to the 1980s style fairings originally fitted. That was all perfect for JAX Garage. They didn’t need the front end, and the cosmetic fairings (if you can call them that) were coming off anyway.
The engine and all electronics were in great condition and she hummed along gracefully, as most K-series bikes do. These engines can pack quite a punch and are renowned for their reliability. Ask any K series purist and they’ll tell you all about it. But this build was anything but pure. Extensive modification work over 60+ days went into almost every aspect of the bike. This work includes a Honda CBR929RR front end, custom in-house pie-cut intake manifold, custom pie-cut exhaust and silencer, an Estoril Blue paint job, Acewell Speedo integration and much more.
The bike now comes in at 197.8kg with a 51/49 split in weight distribution between the front and rear. The CBR929RR front-end was designed for a bike of 194kg making the forks almost perfect (although they will need to be adjusted for the rider). The bike’s original specification indicates a wet weight of 236kg. In short, it dropped a total of 38.2kg.
LIST of ModIfICATIonS:
1. Cleaned and reduced frame by shortening rear sub-frame.
2. Complete paint-job to engine, swing arm and frame (satin black for mechanical and high gloss for modified frame).
3. Cleaned and de-badged fuel tank. Custom tank paint job (BMW Estoril Blue).
4. fibre-glass seat-pan and cowl, painted to match tank (BMW Estoril Blue).
5. Custom seat using black leather and impact blue diamond stitching.
6. Custom in-house fabricated pie cut exhaust and silencer.
7. Custom in-house fabricated pie cut air intake system (All stainless steel and polished).
8. Custom in-house fabricated over-flow canister relocated in cavity underneath tank (All stainless steel and polished).
9. All lighting upgraded to LEds including a Stedi 7inch Carbon Black LEd Headlight with in-house fabricated bracket.
10. front fork conversion using 2001 Honda CBR 929RR upside-down forks. As a result the front brake system was improved and now uses CBR twin rotors with nissin brake calipers.
11. Custom front brake reservoir, and custom braided brake lines courtesy of GK Tech.
12. Integrated CBR 929 Rear sets using in-house adapters to suit bike. As a result a new rear brake rod was fabricated to suit.
13. Integrated CBR 929 control switches for a more ergonomic functionality of controls.
14. Modified electrical wiring and removed original instrument cluster. n ew Acewell 2853 Speedometer integrated with Alex Joost Electrical Adapter. Relocated ignition barrel.
15. Electrical system is now supplied using an ultra-light-weight Lithium Ion battery that has been relocated just in-front of the alternator and underneath the seat.
16. Custom in-house bolt dress-up kit to conceal existing oEM frame and suspension bolts for a clean finish.
17. Wheels painted gloss black and equipped with Shinko 230 Tour Master tyres (Front: 120/90-17 and Rear: 130/90-18).
18. Custom front and rear fenders and many more other components making the bike work both functionally and aesthetically.
INDUSTRY
Marcel Bode
Which shirt will I wear today? INTERVIEW RALPH PHOTOS METZELER / PIRELLI
MARCEL IS THE Business Unit Manager Moto for Pirelli Tyres Australia and is responsible for the premium brands of Pirelli and Metzeler.
AMM Marcel you have an enviable position in the Australian motorcycling landscape. Tyres are an expensive item and it must be great to have a warehouse to go and plunder. How did you get to this point?
MARCEL I have been riding motorcycles since I was 18 yearS old, always loved bikes so it was logical to get into the motorcycle industry coming out of school with a marketing diploma. I went first into sales, working for the largest European motorcycle dealer in Europe (at that time) in the Netherlands, then joined the Benelux private distributor of Harley-Davidson, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, Malaguti and Hyosung in their marketing team. During that period, several manufacturers were starting up their subsidiaries in Europe and I joined the newly formed office of HarleyDavidson Benelux, looking after press, HOG and other marketing related projects. I met my wife through Harley and in 2001, we moved to the UK joining Harley-Davidson Europe, this time I was responsible for 14 countries in Europe, Middle East & Africa. In this role, I worked with different cultures and the most interesting was
to deal with people passionate about motorcycles, riding and growing their businesses. I learnt a lot.
In 2003, we moved to Australia (my wife is Aussie/French), I changed industry this time looking after luxury watches for Swatch Group Australia as well as consulting for a Saudi Arabian Harley distributor.
was probably the cherry on the cake. From there, it was a matter to add products and experiences for the riders: opening a Ducati dealership next to Dubai Autodrome meant that I could convince California Superbike School to work with us to have Middle-East representation. Troy Bayliss opened our Ducati dealerships in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi which at the time was the largest in the world. After 7 years in the UAE, it was time to move back to Australia as the family grew (we have 5 kids…) and we wanted to get our kids acquainted to life outside the ‘sandpit’. So, when I got back in Australia, I worked for one year for Fraser Motorcycles in the newly opened William Street Ducati Store.
In 2006, we moved to the UAE to look after the privately owned Harley-Davidson distributor – they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Another successful experience as GM and Motorcycle Division manager, growing the business, opening six new dealerships and boutiques. Getting the franchise for Ducati back in 2009
several grew 5 we wanted to get our kids
I got back in Australia, for in the newly opened Ducati and Pirelli are
Ducati and Pirelli are very intertwined companies and I joined Pirelli Tyres Australia in 2015. I am now looking after Business Unit Moto for Pirelli and Metzeler in Australia and New Zealand.
Pirelli Tyres Australia in for Pirelli and Metzeler in Zealand.
work for and I am happy to working experience: from racing to the riders’
Pirelli is a great company to work for and I am happy to continue working on motorcycles, tyres are such a vital part of the riding experience: from racing to the riders’ experience on/off-road. This has been an interesting journey.
AMM Marcel, with the marketing role for two premium brands in Pirelli and Metzeler it must be treading a fine line between the Germans and the Italians for a Dutch guy! Are you multilingual?
MARCEL I have also a split personality, no, I am kidding. Working with two different brands allows you to use the brand strength and heritage of each to maximize the business. Pirelli has got a clear advantage in brand recognition due to all our racing activities and our local involvement in ASBK, MX Nationals. Metzeler is the only premium tyre brand solely focused on motorcycle tyres. While it all starts with different languages and cultures, it gives us some flexibility to market the brands. Being from Dutch background, probably understanding the German approach is easier but I love the way the passionate Italian spirit vibrates in the brand.
AMM How important is the Australian market to head office and I think that the biggest segment might be Sports or DualSport? Please don’t tell us it is the 125cc commuter segment?
MARCEL Let’s not underestimate the 125cc commuter segment, it is developing. To come back on the Australian offi ce, to have a regional presence means the market is important for Pirelli and Metzeler, especially if you look at the mix of products sold and the volumes per capita. Combining the Pirelli / Metzeler brands, we are by far the market leader in terms of market share.
On top of that, Australia is ideal as the market switches activities between summer being a more road orientated to winter being a more off-road orientated market, hence the seasonal impact is less compared to other markets. Take the example of northern Europe where people just stop riding as temperatures drop sharply. This year, our Sport Touring Radial business has grown successfully with the launch of all new Pirelli Angel GT II and the very strong position of
Metzeler RoadTec 01, Z8 and the Pirelli Angel GT/ ST, while the volume of motocross tyres keeps us in the top spot. In Australia we have strong local partners Link International and Cassons representing our brands, understanding our country and its riders. Both organizations are extremely professional in their goto market approach and have a significant footprint with their sales forces. While we are producing and continuing developing the best tyres in the industry, it is a team effort with all parties to grow our presence.
representing
AMM
With a crystal ball (and I bet, the keeper of a few R&D secrets) what do you think the next big innovation will be in the ‘road’ segment of tyres? And - will it be linked to high-powered electric bikes?
MARCEL
As one of the most innovative tyre manufacture we always strive to implement new technologies in our product. The goal for
the future is to let the tyre better communicate and work with the bike and the rider which means to be able to receive from the tyre useful information not only regarding the pressure, but also some tips useful for our trip. On top of the electrification of the motorcycle park and the drive to reduce the use of natural resources we will continue to develop lighter tyres with a lesser rolling resistance.
AMM They say you don’t know someone until you have travelled with them! After a fair bit of travel and lots of wait-overs in airport lounges I’d say Marcel is one of the most affable and non-stop, full of energy, people in the industry I’ve come across. Believe me, he needs five kids just to wear him out. D
The irresistible charm of Turkey WORDS/PHOTOS World o n Wheels
2
The main man at World On Wheels, Mike Ferris, brought back some pleasant memories for us with this piece about the wonderful experience of touring Turkey.
ONe oF The comments you’ll hear quite often following, or even during, a visit to Turkey is how amazingly friendly and hospitable the Turkish people can be. Especially considering how we, the Anzacs, invaded their country during the First World War, it is quite astonishing to receive such warmth and welcoming from a people who could have every right to hold a grudge against us.
One cold bleak morning on the Black Sea coast, a bunch of riders had started fairly early and after a couple of hours’ riding we felt it might be time for a warming cup of tea. In a
quiet little town we easily located the ubiquitous tea-house, and swung the bikes to a stop outside. We were aware of being scrutinized as we dismounted and took off our helmets and gloves.
As I walked up to the small elevated terrace, a local gent rose from a table of men who were smoking and drinking tea. He greeted me with a friendly Merhaba and with almost no English, enquired which country we might be from. When I declared us all to be Australian, his eyebrows shot up with delight and he cried ‘Ah, Anzac!’ then he shook my hand so vigorously I thought he might dislocate my shoulder.
Before I could even ask for a cup of tea he turned and instructed the proprietor to bring me one. By now, more of the other motorcycles were starting to arrive and I answered his enquiring face with ‘Evet, Australia
1
moto group’. Brilliant Turkish. He greeted a few of them in a similar fashion and then quietly went back to his conversation with his friends at the table, as the rest of our riders arrived and took tea. Then after a short time the gent looked at his watch, drained his chai glass, and walked inside the teahouse. When he reappeared a few moments later, obviously departing, he paused halfway down the steps, turned to us and said, ‘My friends, nothing to pay. Tea is my pay.’ He had just paid the bill for 16 glasses of tea for 16 complete strangers.
On another occasion, a Kiwi couple were having an issue with their bike and found themselves rolling quietly to a standstill under a tree, where they had no option but to wait patiently for the support crew in the minibus behind. They had not been there two minutes when a local farmer walked
5 6
up out of his field and, again very much in sign language, enquired as to whether there was a problem. Our couple did their best to explain that the motorcycle was indeed giving trouble but help was on its way.
The Turkish farmer nodded and remained silent for a moment, then walked to his little cottage about 50 metres away. By the time the support crew arrived, he had returned with three cups of chai, and stood under the shade of the tree quietly drinking tea with his new friends.
In the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul one day, my good wife decided we needed to buy some Turkish teacups. The bazaar is an enormous cavern of nearly 3,000 tiny little shops, offering all manner of touristic and ‘traditional’ gifts and homewares. The shopkeepers tout their wares from the doorways, realizing they have approximately
five seconds in which to grab your attention as you pass by. They always speak about six different languages and they pride themselves on guessing your nationality by the way you dress and walk. Shorts and thongs will always be greeted with ‘G’day Aussie! How’s it going? Wanna buy a carpet?’
‘No mate, I don’t need your carpet’, growled one of our number, a bit salty this morning.
‘Hey that’s the funny thing, neither do I’, came the immediate retort, to much hilarity.
But I digress. Teacups, in a halfdozen box, with saucers and spoons included. How much please?
‘Very cheap sir. Just 30 lira’. A Turkish lira was approximately one Oz dollar.
‘No, I just need a cheaper set. I have 12 lira, was my opening gambit to commence the game.
1. Eating, drinking and being merry is the same everywhere!
2. Strom and the Taurus Mountains.
3.Tea is always on the boil.
4.Turkish tea, just the way it should be drunk.
5.This is the way to see the rock spires of Cappadocia.
6. Hello, ladies…
‘You are my first customer today sir. I can let you have it for 25 lira. And so play continued for a short while in good humour; I came up a little in price, he came down a little, but we eventually reached an impasse at 17-16.
‘I cannot pay 17, my wife will divorce
me’, I said with a smile.
‘I cannot accept 16, my children will starve’, said he with a twinkle in his eye. I laughed out loud, and had to admit defeat.
‘OK, I admire your good sense of humour’, I said. ‘I will pay you 17 lira.’
‘In that case, kind sir, it is yours for just 16’, he replied, beaming with delicious victory.
But it’s the country folk who are particularly hospitable and welcoming.
City shopkeepers and restaurateurs will of course often have a commercial agenda to their warmth, but when a struggling farmer’s wife invites 12 travelers into her home for tea and biscuits, with no expected reward but the company of strangers, you know it’s an authentic part of their makeup and character.
We met a middle-aged woman one morning in a one-horse town where we had stopped to photograph huge stork’s nests on the chimney-tops. She kept her distance until several riders took off their helmets to reveal themselves not only as foreigners but
as women, at which point she rushed over and became excitedly animated. She spoke not a word of English but in turn she took each of the ladies’ faces in her two hands and babbled warm Turkish salutations with a glowing smile.
Aysa (very appropriately pronounced, ‘I share’) insisted that everyone, including the men, come and sit in her parlor. There were no chairs, so we sat on cushions on the carpeted floor. She scurried around finding a dozen teacups, gently chiding her young daughter for not moving quickly enough with the plate of biscuits before sending her out to find the man of the house. Husband Yusuf duly arrived and was equally effusive in his greetings, and was obviously proud of his wife for showing such generous hospitality to unexpected guests. It’s the Turkish way.
I was with a group heading out of Safranbolu one day and having reached the open road, I dropped to the back of the pack, as I sometimes like to do. I often prefer people to set their own
Join right in
World On Wheels conducts a 20-day tour of Turkey, in April of each year. The detailed itinerary can be found on their webpage, www.WorldOnWheels.tours .
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”
Words attributed to Kemal Ataturk, “The Father of the Turks” after Gallipoli.
Mate, wanna buy a carpet?
pace, rather than simply play followthe-leader all the time. I don’t want people feeling like they’ve been led around by a ring through their nose. We were a procession of nine or 10 bikes as we rode past an old man on the side of the road; bent over and walking with a cane, grey bearded and wizened, a man of considerable years.
Performance
Cylinder
Welding
Fuel
Race
Tyre
Ducati
Although
He looked up and gently waved to each biker as they rode past, except for the last. As I approached, he straightened up a little. He raised his eyebrows, gave a little knowing smile, nodded his head wisely and instead of waving, he put his hand over his heart and patted it softly. I rode the next couple of kilometers with a tear in my eye. D
Photo of Dave Roper by Bill Burke
Sometime “cold tea” is better than tea…
RATED 4 OUT OF 5 HELMETS
Terminus Hotel
19 Railway Terrace, Morgan, SA
T: 08 8540 2006
FB:Terminus Hotel Morgan
Irock up to the bar of the Terminus Hotel at Morgan with a message from a mate.
Tony’s a water man - a bloke whose enthusiasm for boats, especially wooden sailing boats, knows no plimsoll line. A few months earlier he was sailing his new obsession up the Murray with his son, Tim, and as they were mooring at Morgan the young fella stood on something nasty and slashed his foot. Badly.
They wrapped it up (yes, gaffer tape was involved) and headed into the pub, a pub they’d never been to before.
They were told the town was medicodeficient on Saturdays – the closest qualified help was at the Waikerie Base Hospital 40kms away.
And getting there?
“Not a problem”, said the Publican, “take my ute. There’s no keys, just turn the lock and it’ll start. Oh, and the windows don’t work, the levers are buggered but it’ll get you there. Help yourself, it’s out the back”
They got young Tim to the hospital and a few hours later, bandaged and on crutches in the 45C heat, they slid back into the windowless HZ Holden for the ride back to Morgan and the pub.
“When you get to the Terminus at Morgan,” Tony instructs me,”just tell Phil who owns the place, ‘thanks’ again for helping out and making us feel special.”
Now, three years before, on a seriously foul night on the southern coast of Victoria, another good publican, this one at the Royal Hotel at Portland where I was kipping, made me feel special too. He decided the blow was too foul to even leave my bike out in the weather so we parked it in the front bar. Memories of special
publicans are the froth on the inside of the glass of my mind.
I head up the street between the only two pubs in town, turn left into the parking area around the back near the motel rooms and then walk back to the main entrance of the Terminus.
I open the door and the bloke behind the bar squints at me for a bit and then, ”What’re you doing here?” I tell him I could ask him the same question. The two blokes I’ve just told you about are the same bloke. Phil from Portland’s had an away-from-the-seachange and is about to host me for a second time.
Turns out that about five years ago down on the windswept Victorian coast, Phil and his partner were looking to escape to milder climes and bought themselves a place a few kilometres out of town here at Morgan.
It was intended to be some sort of holiday slash retirement home for them both, but then in 2016 they fast-forwarded their plans, cashed in their chips and moved into their place near the Murray.
He went to work on the Brenda Park Vineyards just south of town and started using a local bloke, Brian, as the courier to service the needs of the vineyard.
Meanwhile the fella running the Terminus Hotel in Morgan was hating it. He’d only had it a year. It was his first pub and it wasn’t what he’d dreamed of. So six months after Phil’d signed on at the vineyards he put the bloke out of his misery and bought the pub.
I give him the news from Tony and he wonders how Tim patched up. The bar’s one long counter with a short end, sort of like a long reversed L shape and I’m at the foot.
In the middle, right beside the taps sits an old bloke delicately devouring a fish n chips lunch. He has an aura of tranquillity, of grace, and it’s obvious he’s treated reverentially by the staff and by the locals.
Now the bar stools at the Terminus are all the same – standard black round tops, without backs except the one this old fella’s perched on.
When Phil took over the pub he set about employing locals and ramping up the food and the service. And he gave Brian the contract to courier in all his booze from out of town.
Now Brian, Phil’s courier bloke had recently had an addition to his household. In 2012 his mother had passed away and the following year his dad, then aged 88 had sold the family home south of Adelaide and joined him at this place some 13 kms out
The Right Ingredients
Great pub run by a great publican in a great town.
Phil knows how to make everyone who comes in feel right at home, and the regulars appreciate his efforts and amplify the welcome you’ll get.
At only 2 hours from Adelaide by the shortest route, less than an hour more via Murray Bridge then following the river, if I lived and worked in the City of Churches I’d be heading there after Friday night knock-off at least once a month.
The pub opens at ten each morning and there’s a choice of eight beers on tap with SA pints costing $7.00 to $7.50 and their schooners (NSW middies) between $5.00 - $6.00. Meals are well priced and not deep-fried dominated. There’s no special deals or facilities for bike riders and stay rates are per room rather than per person and so single riders are hit harder. These things dropped the pub to 4 helmets but in all other aspects it was 100%.
For unique character I gave it 4.5/5 and value for money was 140 where 100 is benchmark.
R.I.P
A couple of months after my visit, I get a call from Phil and he doesn’t sound good. The previous afternoon Alwyn’s carer had helped him shower and he’d gone to his bedroom to dress. Too long passed and she pushed the door open. ‘Dad’ was on his bed motionless. He’d sat down and passed away, as peacefully and as tranquilly as he’d lived. The town was in shock. I thank him for calling and he thanks me for my interest and when I tell him, “I’m sure you helped make his last few years fuller and happier than they may have been,” the publican, the person just says he hopes so, “because that’s why we’re here.”
I make myself an excuse to head out to the river bend country. I’m told the funeral in Adelaide was ‘huge’ with people from down south where he ran his bakery for years, people from Adelaide and half the town of Morgan. Alwyn’s chair in the pub seemingly hasn’t moved, just been changed a fraction. In the same bold script as the original name, someone’s added a poignant ‘R.I.P’ in the top left corner. And on the edge of the bar where he sat from 11 am every day, there’s a brass plate which simply reads, “Alwyn ‘Dad’ Always Remembered”.
from Morgan.
I ask Phil who’s the peaceful looking old bloke on the stool with a back and he reveals that this is Brian’s father, Alywn, known to everyone simply as’ “Dad”.
“Dad comes in at the same time every day and if anyone’s in his seat around quarter to eleven, they’ll be asked to move, either by me or one of the regulars. And yeah, he’d be up for a chat for sure.”
His knife and fork are old school - placed together in the middle of his plate despite one fi sh fi llet and a stack of chips remaining so I understand he’s done eating and I cruise around.
On the back of his seat’s support, in white paint, a fi rm hand has written, “MR Brian”.
friendly. But it’s not just for me. Locals and visitors, everyone’s treated the same.”
And that, in a nutshell is what this publican and his pub are about: Making long term, every-day-visiting locals and once in a lifetime blow-ins all welcome is a mantra of mine but when you chuck in giving a random like my mate the use of a car to get to a doctor, you realise that this publican and this pub are something way above average..
But it’s not just the pub here that’s special, the whole town seems to be. When Phil knocks off and feels like a beer, he heads across the road to the Commercial for a quiet one, and it’s just as common for their boss to finish his day with Phil pulling him a glass.
“We’re not opposition like footy teams, we’re slightly different and we both have the same aim of serving the community and doing our bit to ensure out-of-towners come back by making their visit enjoyable.”
There’s only about 500 permanents in the town but summer sees that swell to, “three or four thousand and then we really do need to two pubs.”
“ My son thought it’d be an idea to bring me into town while he was working because I do like a bit of company. At the start I used to share my time between both pubs but since Phil’s taken over here I haven’t strayed. I wasn’t a pub person back in Adelaide but when I did have a drop it was West End but once I came here I changed to drinking XXXX. Schooners. Pretty soon Phil decided I needed my own seat with a back so he got me this and put my name on the back. That made me feel very special and this really is my second home now. It’s like family here now for me. And I’m never bored in here. Always someone to chat to, always someone with news of the town or from Adelaide. Everyone’s just so
Phil’s sorted a lift home for Dad and his half-meal has been doggie-bagged for his tea, so I say, “Seeya next time,” as he heads out to the waiting car of a local who’s said he’s going past his door but who’s probably making a detour or even a special trip to get the old bloke home.
Time for a tour: Upstairs it’s still a bit of a work in progress but already there’re 7 rooms, each with a queen double or a king single. The main
stayers are contractors and, ‘they tend not to be small blokes’. In the generous common room there’s the usual suspects plus access to the eastfacing balcony for morning brew in the sunshine.
Good water pressure from mains in the showers that’re spread between two unisex amenity rooms but this place is very much in drought so try considering your swim in the river as your bath for the day.
Out the back there’re six selfcontained units, all with a queen double plus one or two single beds. I stayed in one of these with my laden bike parked right out front but at $100 prpn (double the price of the upstairs rooms) and without the access to the balcony, made a note to change next time.
Back in the bar where the walls are filled with old photos of old carts, men in hats, barges and floods, plus a bit of bourbon paraphernalia, there’s ten pokies in a discreet, non-invasive alcove off the main section but there’s no TAB or Keno. If you feel the need to feed a bookie, there’s Ubet across at the Commercial.
Phil’s particularly proud of the reno’s in the restaurant. It’s a light-filled airy extension outside the original stonewalls at the side of the front of the pub. The space works brilliantly and food’s on for lunch and dinner every day, prepared by a new chef for whom I can’t vouch but Phil reckons he’s a ‘corker’. (sounds like he should be a sommelier)
After a wander around this historic and interesting place, right up with the best towns on the entire river, I enjoy a night in my air-conned motel room. After breakfast at the Riverview Café next door, watching caravanners in the park across the road preparing food they’ve bought in big stores in big towns, scrupulously avoiding spending any money in the place they’ve spent the night, I crank up Super Ten and head south.
In my head I have a message for my mate: Don’t go feeling special in the treatment you were given in the Terminus at Morgan – everyone who comes by gets the same. D
LONGTERMERS
TRAVELLING DIRTY
Royal Enfi eld 650 Interceptor
OUR ROYAL ENFIELD
650 has made the pilgrimage to, ‘The Island’ for MotoGP. My mate, Shaun goes to the races each year and with a bunch a of mates tries to come up with an alternative route each year. This time round they took the long way and headed out to Bathurst and down inland to Yass, Cooma, Delegate, Orbost and over to Phillip Island.
The weather was a mixed bag on the way there and back and riding the Bonang Highway on the way back and the section of dirt meant the 650 looked like a concrete truck had taken a dump on it.
MotoMuck wash to the rescue which easily and simply removed all the ‘concrete’ and made the 650 sparkle once more.
The 650 handled the trip easily and the report was the only time it struggled was when the group decided to blast off at 150 plus a few times. The seat was decent but not perfect, so a lambswool pad brought the comfort required. The trusty Ventura EVO rack
and bag carried most of the gear with a set of Oxford retro styled throw over panniers to carry the leftovers, and that was basically it – the 650 toured just nicely at 120-130 and thanks to good handling kept up with more ‘fancied’ machines through the tight stuff. What could be changed or made
different to make the 650 even better? The seat is the first start and a little more power; we have just confirmed a DNA air filter and airbox cover are on their way to fit up. I’ll try and do a before and after dyno run to show the comparison and have the report in the next issue. SW D
1976
KAWASAKI Z900 A4
Hunt them down
WORDS/PHOTOS STUART
ANOTHER MONTH has rolled by and not much has happened to the Z900. I haven’t been idle, though; I’ve been on the hunt for everything that lives under the left-hand engine cover. Remember that I mentioned that this bike was more than likely used as a drag bike at some time in its life? Well, whoever worked on the bike
FOR A COMPLETE RANGE OF TINTED & LARGER SCREENS
decided to throw away the starter clutch, starter gear, alternator rotor, the bolts, the washers and anything and everything else you might think that lives under that shiny cover.
The problem here is the components are another bunch of rare as rocking horse crap parts to fi nd, let alone buy! I did fi nd an almost complete set in the US but the guy wanted mega dollars and then I’d still have to source and buy some other bits – I guess you are a captive market if you want these parts, huh. I also had some people on the hunt here and one of them came up trumps with everything except the bolt that goes in the end of the crank. I could near kiss the ugly bastard for fi nding these parts – all at a good price too. The bolt that goes in the end of the crank
is not a worry as we can fi nd one similar (or the same) and if it needs modifying, chuck it in the lathe. Now that I’ve got these bits sorted I might buy a new clutch kit, buy the new (reproduction) engine covers and get this part of the motor done. This will include hooking up the electronic Dyna ignition that was already on the bike when I got it. Adjusting points and so on can go jump in the lake. Hahaha.
I haven’t sent the paintwork off as yet. I’m going to wait until the new year, no use it sitting there doing nothing over the Christmas period. I also spoke to the vapour blaster and he’s going to come grab the bits for the carbs that need blasting and get them underway.
So there is movement at the station, if not much. D
BEST OF BOTH CONTINENTS
Our friends at IMTBIKE in Spain have issued an invitation for you to start your new year in Morocco – and not only that, but possibly southern Spain as well. This is a terrific opportunity to ride some truly great bike roads with people who are almost locals – did you know that Spain actually has two small enclaves on the North African coast, surrounded by Morocco?
IMTBIKE offers three Morocco tours early next year: Magical Morocco, Mountains, Oases and Casbahs, from the 15th to the 29th of February; Morocco Adventure, The Essence of Morocco from the 7th to the 16th of March; and Morocco & Southern Spain, The Ancient Moorish Kingdom, from the 21st of March to the 6th of April.
Morocco was one of my favourite countries on Mrs Bear’s and my tour of Europe and North Africa (except perhaps for Mrs Bear’s visit to the dentist in Essaouira) and I’d recommend it to anyone. The “green oases, endless deserts and… Atlas Mountains” that IMTBIKE promises are wonderful, and so are the “dreamy roads through breathtaking landscapes”. Highly recommended. I can also personally vouch for the exceptional hotel selection and the multilingual guides; I’ve done a northern Spain tour with IMTBIKE where they came up tops. And if you
find that the tours I’ve mentioned above are sold out, which is actually more than likely, they have the same or similar ones later in the year. See imtbike.com for details.
ADVENTURE HO!
As you’ll read elsewhere in this issue, I recently attended EICMA, the annual Milan motorcycle show. It’s the biggest in the world, and an excellent guide to the thinking and planning of the motorcycle industry. This year, adventure bikes and scramblers are on everybody’s mind. You can read more about this in my coverage of the show, but here are a couple of bikes that didn’t make it into my story, and one that did.
Moto Morini, I’m pleased to say, continues the tradition of Italian press releases in tangled English.
“X-CAPE is the Moto Morini styled
I hate to say this, but I prefer motorcycles to camels, even in the desert…
Adventure: versatility, fun and comfort distilled in a futuristic, eye-catching look,” they tell us. “The 19’’ front wheel and a large 50 mm diameter front adjustable fork guarantee a surprising road holding… There is no lack of fundamental accessories such as the trio of bags, the protective bars or the heated knobs, indispensable on a true adventure.”
That might seem a bit garbled, but the bike it announces is a terrific piece of work. I can’t wait to try out the heated
Here’s one they prepared earlier: a Moto Morini X-Cape, appropriately dirtied for the show.
Magical Croatian Tour
This spectacular combination of rugged mountains and stunning coastal roads will satisfy the real rider in you, giving you some of the most invigorating riding in Europe. Breathtaking scenery, roads to die for and rich history will make this trip a truly magical experience.
11 Day Adventure 15 - 25 May 2020 NZ $7,500 Attend MotoGP Mugello, Italy on 29-31 May
Join us for the ride of a lifetime in northern Thailand. Experience the most incredible, scenic and challenging motorcycle riding you’ll ever have! Our tour on sealed back roads will satisfy the most ardent corner loving road rider. Come and have a blast with us!
13 Day Adventure 2-14 July 2020 NZ $4,795 10 Day Adventure 19-28 July 2020 NZ $3,995
knobs. There are no power figures available, but I suspect both power and torque will be “adequate” at least. Honda, naturally enough, couldn’t help boasting about its ‘adventure scooter’ which has actually been winning races! But the most interesting of the new adventure bikes is the Husqvarna Norden concept bike. An interesting departure from the standard GS imitator, it’s looking the goods. Can’t wait to sample it.
JAPAN TIMES THREE
Have you ever wanted to get under the skin of mysterious Japan? Here’s your chance, along with lots of hot spring bathing! Alaskan-based tour operator MotoQuest, another of our favourite operators, offers the Japan Three Island motorcycle tour which features the best riding of the three main southern Japanese Islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.The route is laid out to avoid city traffic and focuses on open country roads, elevation changes, and stunning coastal riding.
I bet you weren’t expecting Honda’s guerilla scooter to win off-road events.
It might still be behind glass for now, but watch for the Husqvarna Norden on and off the road next year.
“Be prepared to not see foreigners the entire motorcycle trip, as we will be staying at some places only the locals go,” says MotoQuest’s Phil Freeman. “Dinners and breakfasts during this tour are included in the tour package, and are most appropriately describes as worldclass cuisine: ornate and decadent. With the exception of one night, all lodging includes natural thermal hot springs. These are traditional Japanese “onsens” and are a great way to unwind after a day in the elements. Get ready to ride past steaming volcanoes, through lush forests, along clear running rivers and rugged coastline.
“There is a style and elegance about the Japanese that can only be experienced to be appreciated. This ride coincides with the short cherry blossom season when vibrant pink, white and red cherry blossom pedals surround you at every turn.”
The 2020 tours run from March 28 to April 08 and April 11 to April 22. More information from www.motoquest.com .
MORE THAN JUST THE ADRIATIC
Adriatic Moto Tours’ brochure for 2020 is available now, and you can order yours now at https://www. adriaticmototours.com/Brochuresorder or contact them at
1. Brilliant roads and cherry blossoms: Japan with MotoQuest.
2. Here I am, rappin’ with the bros somewhere in Sarajevo on an Adriatic Moto Tours ride.
info@adriaticmototours.com. They offer tours of the Balkans, the Adriatic coast, the Alps, Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Italy, France and Greece. Their motto is “Ride Roads Less Travelled” and they’ve been doing that for 16 years. And yes, I’ve done a trip with them and recommend them highly.
GOOD NEWS FROM CHRISTCHURCH
The South Island’s premier city has been copping it from every direction lately, with the news today that it’s
been hit by a storm! It’s good then to hear from tour and rental operator Te Waipounamu, based in that windy and trembly city, with positive news.
“Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours has been appointed an Official BMW Travel Partner in New Zealand,” writes a very proud John Rains, incidentally a friend of mine. “Established in 1987 Te Wai is one of the longest established motorcycle rental and tour companies in the world.”
Spokesman Nan Miao adds “We began with R100RS and R65 models 32 years ago and we are delighted, now, to be connected with BMW in an official capacity. The bikes are still at the leading edge of rider experience and technology and we have more history with them than anyone in the southern hemisphere. With depots in Auckland and Christchurch Te
Waipounamu has the country well covered, and while some of the staff may be greying around the edges a little, in the motorcycle touring business that's called experience!”
You can reach them on +64 3 and at nzbike@motorcycle-hire.co.nz , or you can look them up at www.motorcyclehire.co.nz .
LIFE’S A BEACH (‘S TOUR)
Beach's Motorcycle Adventures is the world's oldest motorcycle touring company. It’s been operating as a family business since 1972, but it doesn’t have the world’s oldest tour guides – at least, it didn’t when I explored Corsica with them!
“Everyone at Beach's is dedicated to turning your dreams into memories, says Rob Beach.
About the Adriatic Spring tour, he adds that “Very few riders picture the Balkan States when they imagine Europe. All the publicity goes to the French Riviera, the Italian countryside, spring break in Barcelona or Copenhagen. We prefer a more laid back trip - a rush of tourists all battling for the same overcrowded spot sounds worse than going back to work in a cubicle farm.
“Why not ride the less-traveled path in an adventure to discover the oft-overlooked beaches east of the Adriatic? Starting off in the northern Slovenian city of Bled, the first water seen is a far inland lake. Beauty and culture to be found, and a great starting point for a great ride, but no warm sand to lie in. Not yet. Riding through Croatia is a step back in time.
Can you beat Unzud for that wonderful light on laid-back scenery? Probably not. Or for unlimited speed zones, for that matter
If any tourists are encountered, they likely will also be discovering the beauty of inland Croatia for the fi rst time.
“The next stop on the itinerary is one of the few tourist attractions to be found in the area, Plitvice's 16 magical cascading lakes. Our overnight in Plitvice offers a unique opportunity to visit this mystical natural wonder and experience the local flavor. Located in a low valley of the mountainous karst region, the ride in and out guarantees an enjoyable mix of twisting roads, lurching elevations, and interesting landscapes.
Part of the Dinaric Alps, the riding here offers its own rewards despite lacking the same Alpine altitudes of Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
Here I am, turning memories into dreams, or vice versa, on a Beach’s tour.
“Before turning west for a weeklong ride up the coast, things must get serious for a few days. A double overnight in Sarajevo and a third in Mostar brings the group face to face with the brutality and beauty of history, both distant and close. The 90's were not kind to Bosnia & Herzegovina, and the opportunity to see fi rst hand what has become of the war zone we all saw live on television is a sharp reminder of what could be.
“After a dip into Montenegro, the ride turns west and follows potentially the most beautiful and underappreciated coastline in Europe. From pirates to partyislands, the storied past of Croatia seems as diverse as the landscapes. From sheer cliffs to beautiful sandy beaches, serious alpine heights and microscopic fi shing villages, the path back to Bled is an experience waiting to engulf you.”
Fine words indeed, and I reckon the experience will be just as good or even better. See bmca.com for more, or enquire at tours@bmca.com . Nature calls – are you listening? It’s not surprising that Alaska and western Canada are becoming ever more popular as motorcycle destinations. I put 4500 miles on one of MotoQuest’s V Strom 650s earlier in the year, and that was only in Canada and Washington state, USA. Imagine all the roads I didn’t ride, and the sights I didn’t see…
Phil Freeman from MotoQuest
1. It’s not everywhere that you can get this close to a glacier on your bike. See them before they’re gone…
2. My MotoQuest Suzuki in the southern Canadian Rockies.Terrific bikes for this kind of work.
3. Take a trip back into the ‘60s at one of the ferry landings in Canada. Tie-dyed memories for sale!
recently announced that they plan to end the 2020 season with a Cassiar Scouting trip, but how does MotoQuest usually kick-off its riding season in Alaska?
“With an epic North to Alaska adventure from Portland to Anchorage!” says Phil. “Each year our customarily sold-out North to Alaska adventure takes riders on an evolution of landscape as they move through the Pacific Northwest, cross into British Columbia, and trek through the Yukon Territory before crossing into Alaska. Since the journey covers over 3,000 miles, riders get to experience the differences in scenery that makes each of these regions unique.
“The timing of this adventure is right around when the northern chill has started to subside, which offers a huge opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife. From moose to bears to buffalo, our groups have come face-to-face with some of nature’s most majestic creatures. Get
ready to see more wildlife than you could have ever expected!
“Riders who are considering the North to Alaska adventure quickly realize the huge benefit of taking this trip. It’s an adventure of breathtaking surroundings that they wouldn't have normally done in one stint on their own. Because of North to Alaska’s one-way nature, riders are able to experience much more than they would if they tried to fit it into a round trip.
“Even with all those miles under their belt, often times when riders pull into the MotoQuest Anchorage facility in Alaska, they’re still yearning for more. Guests often take the opportunity to tack on a few extra days around the area with our rental program, and we’ve even found some of the most adventurous people are ready for another adventure - a trip down the Kenai Peninsula, which starts the day after arriving in Anchorage.“
Find out more about the North
to Alaska rides for the next couple of years on May 15, 2020 - May 26, 2020 and May 14, 2021 - May 25, 2021, at www.motoquest.com . And don’t go just yet!
The Cassiar Scout Adventure is on from August 30, 2020 - September 12, 2020 and August 29, 2021September 11, 2021.
“Our North to Alaska riders were so happy with the beauty and adventure of the May trip,” writes Phil, “that we started looking into offering another trip in the region. This is what prompted the launch of our Cassiar Scouting adventure. A trip not for the faint of heart, this route explores the “other way down” via the Cassiar Highway. The North to Alaska adventure is a great beginner-friendly ride, while the Cassiar takes it up a notch.”
So are you ready for the bears and the bees… er, no, the bears and the mooses and the buffalo? If you are, remember that website address: www.motoquest.com .
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE SOUTH AMERICAN ADVENTURE RIDE
Have you ever thought that you would like to see South America: really experience the cultures, absorb the wonderful sights and indulge in the amazing variety of cuisines? Compass Expeditions has just released the latest in their epic “Major Expeditions” range of adventures.
The Ultimate South America Expedition is a 100 day total immersion into South America, which lines up with the already extremely popular 105 day Road of Bones – London to Magadan; The 80 day Cape Town to Cairo; and the 90 day Asian Overland from Singapore to Beijing, which will depart for the first time in February.
South America is home to the world’s longest mountain range,
largest rainforest, driest desert, highest navigable lake and incredible Incan ruins which all await riders, and pillion passengers, on this epic motorcycle tour.
Compass riders on the road, doing the big distances.
During this massive adventure you will travel through Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Experience the otherworldly Salar de Uyuni, explore Machu Picchu, gaze in awe at the Foz do Iguazu waterfalls, see glaciers, fjords and rare forests of Patagonia and the amazon as well as experiencing some of the world’s most iconic cities along the way.
From the mystical deep southern regions of Patagonia to the heat and beat of Brazil, the dawn-lit ruins of Machu Picchu and the rocky slopes of Galapagos, South America is alive with sights, sounds and experiences unique to this continent and waiting for you. Compass Expeditions have been running motorcycle tours in South America for more than 11 years and it is the in-depth knowledge and experience in each and every region that the itinerary covers that makes them the people to best support you on an undertaking of this magnitude.
It ain’t cheap, but when you consider that it includes shipping your bike from wherever you are in the world to Santiago, Chile for the start of the ride and then home again from Cartagena, Colombia at the end of the ride as well as 100 days of 3-4 star hotel accommodation, all breakfasts, fresh lunches on every ride day, all entrance fees and scheduled excursions - including a three day jaunt to the Galapagos Islands and another to the Amazon jungle, medical, mechanical and logistical support and of course a support vehicle to carry your luggage and a lead rider out the front to make sure you don’t get too lost, this is an extremely attractive way to truly experience South America.
This is the only organised journey of its kind on the continent. The Ultimate South America Expedition will depart in February 2021, which might seem like a long way away, but these expeditions book out quickly, so it does not give you too much time to
Neither Boris nor The Bear, photographed outside the
mull it over before your preparations will need to begin.
Visit www.compassexpeditions.com/ tours/ultimate-south-america for all of the dates, details and a week by week itinerary, then contact info@ compassexpeditions.com if you have any further questions.
AND NOW IT’S YOUR TURN I regularly get questions about motorcycle tours, and not only about the tours themselves and the operators, but also about the best gear and possibly gadgets to take. It makes a lot of sense to think about this kind of thing beforehand; after all, I got it wrong on a recent tour of Europe and sweated off a few pounds in my too-warm suit. Not that I can’t do without them…
What I’m leading up to is this: what recommendations do you, our mightily well-traveled readers, have for others setting out on trips, including me? What do you wear, what do you take by way of cameras, computers and underwear? What tips do you have for us? Drop me a line at thebear@ ausmotorcyclist.com.au with the heading ‘traveltips’ in the subject line and you may be bound for immortality in these pages. You may save me and others from discomfort. Too. Do it now, okay? D
adriaticmototours.com
TOUR DATE AUG 22 - SEP 5, 2020
COUNTRIES Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia
HIGHLIGHTS Riding in the Alps (Italy, Austria, Slovenia), wine growing regions, Otocec Castle, Skocjan Caves, Bovec, Bled Lake, Bohinj Lake
Cardrona Tavern in New Zealand.Would you take advice from either of these blokes?
The guide to the stars - The who’s who in the zoo of motorcycle travel worldwide is what you’ll find here. We’ve travelled with many of them and know them all, so they come highly recommended. In alphabetical order, they are:
IMTBIKE TOURS & RENTALS
- Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Europe and Thailand www.imtbike.com tours@imtbike.com
MAGIC MOTORCYCLING
Thailand and Croatia www.magicmotorcycling.com tour@magicmotorcycling.com
TOURS – New Zealand & European Alps www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz
Cafe directory
INLINE4 CAFE
Best café and fully licensed restaurant on the way to Philip Island Circuit
I Vista Place, Cape Woolamai Philip Island, Victoria 0427 475 681
RIDE THE WORLD - Australia, India, South Africa, Vietnam, USA Adventure rides out of Las Vegas www.ridetheworld.com.au david@ridetheworld.com.au
ROMANIA MOTORCYCLE
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BEAR ARMY AT BAY
“And what do you do then?”
WORDS & PHOTOS PETER COLWELL / THE BEAR
ONCE UPON A TIME, when I was editing another motorcycle magazine, my then-publisher looked at me in disbelief. Mind you, this wasn’t the only time she looked at me in disbelief. She simply didn’t know anything about motorcycles and, more importantly, motorcyclists so the idea of launching a small stuffed koala to attend events for me, for example, just didn’t make any sense to her. Likewise the fact that we had 500 subscriptions to the now sadly departed Cruiser & Trike magazine before it was even launched. And neither did the Bear Army, which meets twice a year in far-flung places to have a few beers, dinner and… well, and nothing.
“Bizarre,” she’d say. “Bizarre.”
Of course none of these things is
bizarre at all. That stuffed koala, dubbed Mini-Me Bear, has been around the world so many times and has attended so many GPs and other occasions for a pissup with the Ulysses Club that its frequent flyer points, if it collected them, would take it – well, many times around the world again!
Likewise, Cruiser & Trike was a successful magazine. Until after I left that publisher, anyway. It’s gone now, to the place where all good magazines go when they’re not understood by the people who produce them.
And the Bear Army? Well, read this report by Peter Colwell, Trooper #20 of the second 2019 Manoeuvres at Streaky Bay, South Australia. Take it away, Peter.
“Oh, you’re off to the Bear Army weekend?”
And so we started planning for out tenth event, and 100% attendance rate, at Streaky Bay South Australia. Kate & I decided to take three days for the 1600km ride. Hay, Waikeri on the Murray, and the tiny hamlet of Cowell on Spencers Gulf were our stops. As usual we had lots of weather, 43 degrees and dust at Cowell, 11 degrees next morning in heavy storms with gale force winds on SA south coast. But all that faded as we approached Streaky Bay, and all was good. Especially the heated seats, grips, and adjustable windscreen on the big BMW! Technology can be wonderful. When asked how I cope with really bad weather, my answer is that it is like going to the dentist. In a few hours it will be over..!
Others had arrived and more soon came in, from Western Australia and Queensland, Sydney, and Adelaide. And the ACT. All in a day’s work really. I often reflect on just what it is about motorcycle touring that draws us, and
the influences we have on the wider community. Many issues are solved in my helmet at 120kmh. I like to spread the good news, so always engage with everyone I meet. This attitude and habit has led to some amazing outcomes. ‘If I have to explain.., - like having a chat with three old CWA type girls in the bakery at Elliston. Of course one used to ride. It is truly amazing what you learn and how infectious a positive friendly attitude can be, - when you are on a bike. I just know that if you start talking to a perfect stranger when travelling by car, you will get weird looks and suspicion. But never when on the bike. I remember a quote from the Bear’s Motorcycle Touring book bible of last century. It is written that when travelling by bike, there is no barrier between you and the natives or elements. You cannot wind up the window and escape. Sort of ‘here I am for better or worse’, and ‘I come in peace’. Others sense this somewhat naive attitude and immediately feel safe to respond. And do they ever. It is truly one of the delights of travelling by bike. I love it!
And so the Saturday evening saw us enjoying the social atmosphere of the Streaky Bay hotel on the water. And
then dinner. We’re all party animals, well, until about 10pm anyway. Several enjoyed a celebratory single malt provided by the Western Australian contingent - who faced an 1100km day next morning across the Nullarbor. Thanks, Lionel. A final breakfast together, and then, homeward bound. All making plans for the next one, which in my case is 90km distant, versus 1600km for Streaky Bay.
Thanks, Peter, and yes, thanks, Lionel. Not only for the single malt but for the bike battery you once sourced for me in Perth on a Sunday, when the one in my G 650 GS turned out to be stuffed. And for the way you put me up on a rainy, windy night when every bit of accommodation in – was it Karratha? –was booked out. The Bear Army looks after its General. The Army is not the first ‘club’ I’ve fired up along these lines. The previous one was the Hodaka 125 Motorcycle
Touring Club. It had only one rule – that anyone attending a club get-together on a Hodaka 125 would shout the bar. The army is even less rule-bound. There are none. Absolutely none. Nada. How do we manage? Pretty well, I’d say – just read Peter’s report again.
With the help of Tony Orlando, Trooper #39, I select the places where our twice-yearly manoeuvres will take place. We then advise the Troopers of the place and date, and that’s it. And no matter how far away the place is,
One more cup of coffee for the road… before setting out from Adelaide aboard the Chieftain.
Troopers come. In the case of Streaky Bay it was 14 of us, with two riding across from Perth.
3 2 1
This year, some of the Troopers (and their General) did not ride all the way from home. In my case, I would not have made it back in time to catch the plane to go to the bike show in Milan, so I borrowed a Chieftain from the good folk at Indian Australia, by way of the equally kind folk at Adelaide Motorcycle Centre. I spent the first night at Cradock, in the pub which holds good memories for me, and the next at Elliston after a whole mob of Skippies made goo-goo eyes at me from the side of the road in the gathering dusk. Even with the bulk of the Chieftain protecting me I didn’t feel like taking them on.
The Streaky Bay manoeuvres were excellent, with an obliging publican and a talented chef and, of course, Lionel.
On the way back I took the Streaky Bay – Poochera road. It’s good tar; last time I rode it, it was dirt with deep sand in places. Then again, that was in 1978. I took the Eyre Highway back to Port Augusta, mainly to check if it’s still as boring as ever. I’m here to report to you that yea, it is precisely that. Taking some of the back roads south saw me in Clare at Skippytime. I checked into the northernmost motel – there are two, one in the north and one in the south.
Returned the Chieftain the next morning, convinced that these behemoths are a wonderful way to cover distances even when it’s hot. You’re really well protected. These are terrific bikes. Not only do they handle well and even corner quite nicely before they scratch, their seats are comfortable and the dash provides all sorts of thing to play with on the open, flat stretches that typify Australian country roads. Thank you, Indian, you made the 1200km or so of the trip a pleasure.
Now then, Tony, where did we say we’re going next year? D
3.
1. Mannanarie’s Public Hall has seen better days.The Indian Chieftain, on the other hand, is in top form.
2. Pertinent protest in Streaky Bay.
Make sure you stop at the Sheringa Roadhouse. It is home to eight cats.
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.
are
LETTER OF THE MONTH
THIS MONTH’S winner is Tony Gray, who reminds us that yes, there is a world out there behind the Sandstone Curtain, and we would do well to support the people living there. Send us your t-shirt size, Tony!
Cheers, The Bear
LET’S GET OUT THERE AND HELP
Hi Stuart,
My wife and I have just returned from the annual pilgrimage to Phillip Island (wasn’t it great to see Jack Miller on the podium) followed by a couple of weeks in Tassie (what a beautiful place) then the ride home to Brisbane dodging bushfi res.
It is the last part of this fabulous monthlong trip that causes me to take pen to paper. We frequently ride the many challenging mountain roads that twist and turn along the length of the Great Dividing Range from the Gold Coast hinterland to Gloucester in the south. We have many favourites as I am sure most east coast motorcyclists do also. Large parts of this beautiful land have been and are still being devastated by raging bushfi res and our hearts go out to those affected. The bushfi res drove us inland up through back ways to Gilgandra then on the Castlereagh and Gwydir Highways through Gulargambone, Coonamble, Walgett, Collarenebri and on to Moree. These towns and communities have been devastated by years of drought but still offer a rare beauty to a touring motorcyclist with their eyes open. There is some great artwork in Gulargambone and silo-art painting there and at
Coonamble (water towers in these cases). An early morning run north from Coonamble presented us with a mob of emus off to the side and fl ocks of galahs, cockatoos and currawongs taking fl ight at the sound of our approaching GS. Sadly what we didn’t see were other touring motorcyclists.
These communities, like many others across the land are doing it tough and welcome not only our dollars but our presence as well. A couple of beers and a chat with the locals, an overnight stay or coffee & pie on the road can do wonders in these places. If you’re out that way call in to see the lovely ladies at ‘Stone’s Throw’ Café in Walgett. This is a real oasis with great coffee and a menu that you could expect to fi nd in an inner city café but at country prices. As we bid farewell our host asked where we were from and thanked us ‘for coming out to see us’. How often do you hear that?
Cheers,
Tony Gray, Graceville QLD
Thank you for your letter and the suggestion, Tony. We’ve been trying to promote this for quite a long time now, and it’s great to get support from our readers. I’ll be heading out for a NSW country trip soon myself, and of course the Bear Army tries to pump a few bucks into regional towns twice a year with its manoeuvres. I’m happy to reinforce your comments – let’s show solidarity, people. Cheers, The Bear
ANTI-WHINGE WHINGE
Good morning, Stuart.
I realise that there is a certain irony in what follows, ie, whingeing about whingeing but this is the second editorial where you’ve encouraged readers to write in and complain, esp. about car drivers. Stop it. Please. It might be a Sydney-centric affliction and I might understand; but don’t, anyway.
We’re motor-cyclists. If any such think that they are owed any form of courtesy or deference then they won’t make old bones. Boris, for all his manifold sins of omission and commission gets it and I agree with him 100%.
If any of us, at any age goes on the road, at any time, with the view that somehow we’re not invisible, dismissable, disposable or completely inconsequential then that person will be in for a short reign and probably a not entirely happy one.
Apart from that, you’re going well. A bit more Bear would suit my personal taste but I suppose the poor chap is getting on a bit… Cheers and best wishes to both of you.
Ross Halpin, Mitchell.Q.
Hi Ross, and thanks for writing in. I don’t see how I’ve encouraged people to whinge about car drivers? I merely was explaining my experiences with the variety of bikes I ride and the wild and varied reactions these bikes receive. If you have experienced it you’ll know what I’m talking about.
You mention Boris, he knows exactly the experience I’m talking about too. Whether he’s written about it, I don’t know.
I hope you don’t think I’m one of those riders that thinks they own the road or whatever. You might need to come riding with me to see how I ride?
LOL! Yes, Pete is getting on a bit – just don’t tell him! Cheers, Stuart.
No need to tell him – he knows! Cheers, The Bear
BOB’S OUR MAN
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for printing the Burrawang story and the ones earlier in the year. Looks like it must have been very cold on the trip through the Snowys earlier this year and the motorcycle show in Europe is something to put on the bucket list.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and your team, Cheers
Bob
Hi Bob, and a big thank you to you for writing the various interesting pieces you did. You and the fam have a great xmas and new year too. Cheers, Stuart.
DISTANCE MATTERS
Stuart
Many good thanks for printing the article I submitted in this month’s Australian Motorcyclist. I also appreciate the reward but it was sufficient to be allowed to have the privileged of telling a good story. There’s plenty more too.
I do have a bit of a whine so to speak. It’s the great geographical maps of some of Australia. They do not have a legend re distances in kilometres; this would help no end. A good rider would really be interested in planning a trip
and fuel stations seems to be getting scarcer than ever as in less servos. How many have you seen abandoned? I am a navigational freak and need to know approximately when I’m going to crash and burn or run out of fuel. Just a small think.
BTW I’m the proud owner of a Kawasaki Z1000 A1 of which there is a magnificent story of a rebuild as the previous owner was a Yak herder who lived in Mongolia on the mid north coast and only had a 12 inch shifter, a cold chisel and a big hammer! What a mess. It’s now a pristine beast which goes extremely well and is reliable with NO oil leaks and believe it or not, comfortable.
The insides are totally new Wiseco pistons 10.25 :1 Cylinder Head by Robert Benge (Brother) Wollongong. Double acting valve springs, new valve seats and guides, timing gear renewed. Compression is 187/8/7/9/; speaks for it self
The “boys” at Jerrys at Kulnura on the NSW central coast back road think it’s good Just like a “Stone” version in Diamond sky blue which is for all intents and purposes green (regional paint).
PS A good ride on a motor bike beats a good Christmas.
PPS one 1977 Kawasaki Z1000A1 & the head with innards involved (Size XL).
Thank you
David Benge
Thank you, David, especially for the photos! The maps present us with a bit of a problem because we re-size them to fit the page, and the scale is lost. We have been looking at ways of fixing this; please leave it with us for now. Cheers, Stuart.
LOVE AN ANGEL
Stuart,
Thanks for the test on the new Pirelli Angel GT II. I’ve been waiting for you to test this tyre and now that I know you like them I’m going to get a set for
my Triumph Trophy. Cheers, Robert.
SORRY
Hi Stuart, I’m sorry but you make that R1 (launch report in issue #82) look like a toy motorcycle. Are you sure you’re 195cm as you tell us and really not, like 3 metres tall? Sorry, mate.
Regards, Jack
Hi Jack, LOL! I’m sorry to destroy your deepest, darkest fantasies about me, but no I’m not three metres tall, and yes, I’m 195cm or 6’4 in the old language. Cheers, Stuart.
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NEW BIKES
Gents,
I went to the show they had in Wollongong and have to say it was terrible. No new bikes for 2020 and a waste of my day. I don’t understand the point of showing 12 month old motorcycles. Why don’t they hold the show early each year so the companies can show the new bikes? I also didn’t see the point in the test rides, again as you’re riding 12 month old bikes. It would be a good idea if the new bikes were here and you could test ride them. I know the sales of new bikes are bad in Australia so why don’t the powers that be use some of their brains. Or don’t they have any?
Kind regards, John Smythe
MORE KWAKA RESTORATION!
Hi Stuart.
Your notion of an article on bike restoration is a top idea. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way about doing a restoration. I bought a GPZ 1100, as a going concern, a few years ago. I was still working so I worked out what I needed to replace or repair and spent fi ve years sourcing all parts before I even took the bike off the trailer. When I fi nally had time to start the project I had just about everything I needed, including special tools. I started by completely dismantling everything, then reassembly started with the easiest: frame, suspension then motor. Anything else I just fi tted in where needed eg wiring, wheels and painting. It took nearly six months, I had plenty of spare time, and slightly more than $7,000.
I’m tackling a Norton project the same way although it was bought as a complete basket case occupying 3 fi sh crates! Thanks again for the best motorcycle magazine available, keep up the good work.
Regards, Peter Glasson.
Hi Peter. Yep, “restoration” can be anything from a sympathetic to a full-on concourse one as you know. I just thought I’d explain the various things involved, places to search out for help and so on? What do you reckon? The GPZ looks very nice.
My mate Shaun at D Moto is also doing a Norton basket case - he’s having lots of fun :) cheers, Stuart.
BIKES AND BREWS, AGAIN
Hey guys, Read with interest the Devil Drink article in the December issue. I came across this and thought you may wish to add it to the list of bike related brews.
Keith B
Any more bike-themed booze out there? For that matter, any more bike-themed products
of any kind? Cheers, The Bear
LAWBREAKING BEAR
Hi Bear,
Was that you I saw doing an illegal U-turn in North Adelaide the other morning? I forgive you, it looked like you were desperate for a coffee fix.
Enclosed you’ll find a subscription. My newsagent has closed after god-knows how many years and I can’t buy the mag over the counter anymore.
Greetings, Lyndon, Adelaide SA
Ah, while I was in North Adelaide recently, cruising around on an Indian Chieftain and desperate for a coffee, I was definitely not doing illegal U-turns! Not me. Must have been my identical twin brother Fred, The Bear D
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BEARFACED
YMODERN MATCHES MEDIEVAL
OU PROBABLY KNEW that medieval bladesmiths took a long time, maybe months, to make a sword. That always seemed both wasteful and poor business to me. Metal smelting is an energy-intensive industry and producing substantial amounts of iron or steel would always be relatively cheaper than making just enough for one sword. And what did the bladesmith and his family (it was always ‘he’, except in modern fairytales) live on while he toiled on that one blade?
A bit of background reading has taught me that he didn’t just make the one blade at a time. He made a small batch of them. The number in the batch would have been determined by the number of journeymen and apprentices he could afford to employ. The swords were still hand-crafted, although they were no longer one-offs. This made swordsmithing a sustainable business, but the individual swords were still expensive. Turn the clock forward and the introduction of stamping mills made it even more sustainable, of course, but the individual touch was lost. Potentially the quality was lower because there was less supervision by a highly qualified tradesman, but the product was cheaper to make.
Turn the clock forward to the present day and mass production using huge open-hearth furnaces, rolling mills and giant factories has made any kind of production a more than sustainable business with cheap output. With one caveat. You need to make not one, or even a few, products at a time. You
need to make lots. The bladesmith’s problem is neatly inverted.
How does this relate to motorcycle accessories? Well, consider that in 2018, BMW Motorrad manufactured more than 51,000 examples of the R 1200/1250 GS and GS Adventure, its best-selling range. Making the parts would have been a job for one of those giant factories, because every bike would need one or more of each. And I’m certainly not suggesting that BMW would make inferior products just because they need a lot of them. Just the same, the products – let’s look at Paralever torque arms, for examplewould be made to a price because the entire bike needs to be made to a price.
Now consider that there will inevitably be some buyers out there who will want, say, a Paralever torque arm that isn’t made to a price, but to a quality standard – a higher one. Once again, I’m not saying that BMW makes poor products that don’t meet its own standards, but you can always make something better.
The trouble is that there will not be 51,000 people who will want that better arm. There might be, say, 5000 who would like one, but only 500 who are prepared to pay for it. It’s a pity, but that kind of production number takes the arm not only out of the ‘giant factory’ scale but even out of the ‘stamping mill’ scale because a die would be prohibitively expensive. So our Paralever torque arm is probably made from the requisite material in billet form,
in a process that’s not too different from the bladesmith’s. That’s still expensive, but if those 500 people are willing to cover the cost then it’s worth Wunderlich’s* while to design (expensive in itself), test (more cost), prototype (ditto) and finally have its craftspeople manufacture it in Germany (also an expensive, because individual, process). Like the swordsmith’s products, these craftsperson-made torque arms will inevitably cost more.
Having decided that they’re prepared to pay extra, the 500 people who wanted and could afford the improved Paralever torque arm will get it, and will be happy. The other 4500 who would quite have liked one will be happy too, presumably, because they haven’t spent their money on something they can’t afford.
Win-win, right? Except for the other 46,000 GS buyers who, if they ever find out that such a product exists, will wonder why anybody would want a Wunderlich Paralever torque arm even if it is made in Germany. But that’s okay; they didn’t, and presumably still don’t, want one - so we can ignore them. The point is that many people have been made happy, some of them because they spent their money on a product and some of them because they didn’t.
Which means that the price of the arm doesn’t matter. People who say “how can it possibly cost that much” are from the final group of 46,000 who were never relevant to this question. As for us, perhaps we can start saving for one of Wunderlich’s bash plates…
*I’m using Wunderlich as an example because they took me through this process, and because I’m about to start customising a BMW with their products – and their help. There’s a story about how they do things – by hand, mostly - elsewhere in this issue. D
BORIS WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC HOLD FAST
IREALISE THIS COLUMN
will not be read by the people who maybe need to read it.
People who are still in their teens and flubbing about on L-plates wondering if this whole motorcycle thing is really all it’s cracked up to be. Listening to a 300cc Kwaka boring a hole in your brain through the pipe you bought on eBay from China can do that to you.
So, I’m hoping the old leathery warhorses who read this might take it upon themselves to photocopy this article (not a hope anyone over 60 can scan anything) and pass it to the next L-plater they see.
Beloved L-platers, hold fast! Maintain the strain! Do not give up!
Because this motorcycling thing is ever so worth it. Trust me. I’ve been doing it for a million years. It never gets old.
Now, I know our terrifying rulers are hell-bent on destroying the whole caper.
They make you ride little tiddler bikes for years. They force you to wear fluoro vests. They instruct their armed revenue-raisers to torment you at every opportunity. They want you to NOT ride.
Then there’s the fact good riding clobber is expensive and people laugh at you when you shop at Aldi for motorcycle gear. You can never seem to afford good tyres, and your chains and sprockets are a disaster area. And maybe you’ve fallen off and broken some shit, and while you know deep down inside it was really your fault, you fi nd comfort
in your social media echo chamber which will tell you all car-drivers are bastards and it’s not your fault you crashed.
Don’t worry. That mindset will hopefully change the longer you ride.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? You have to keep on riding. In the rain, in the heat – and not just in the city, or those same-old same-old loops you go to every Sunday where the cops are waiting for you with chafing erections. I know, I know. It’s hard. I was once like you are now, as they say in the classics. The difference is there was no social media to stroke my fur the way I wanted it stroked. Instead, there were horrible leathery old bastards on criminally loud motorcycles I had to chase, and who would laugh at me in my shiny, new, cheap-shit gear when I pulled up at a pub they were in.
But I’m a stubborn cuss. And the thrill and the joy motorcycling gave me each time I threw my leg over my bike was irreplaceable. It was more addictive than heroin made from tobacco, and seriously more fun than rooting – which at your age, is normally just an embarrassment of ignorance and discomfort. Sex, like riding, gets better the more of it you do. But riding’s better because there are no tedious preliminaries you need to deal with. You just get on and go. So how are you meant to survive the seemingly endless years in the wilderness of L- and P-platerism?
The easy thing to say is “Suck it up, princess.” When I
started riding we were not forced to ride small-capacity bikes. So we normally bought the biggest-capacity monster we could afford and went at it. Yes, some of us died. Some of us were maimed. The survivors, and I am one of them, now congratulate ourselves each time we come back from a ride and are alive to tell of it. Strange thing, this motorcycle-riding. It’s divinely dangerous. Which is why it appeals and why we do it. That’s the bit that never gets old. What changes is you. You eventually become a riskmanager rather than a risk-taker.
At your age, it’s all about banging hard and being cool. I can assure you it’s still all about that for me. But wisdom doesn’t come with age. Only perspective. I bang less hard these days, but I am faster than I was as a 17-year-old.
It’s because I ride better.
And this is what you have to do to get past these hard years. You have to improve your skills. Do courses if you can afford them. They will certainly help.
But most importantly, you have to ride. All the time. To far-away places.
This is not all that expensive and heaps safer and more convenient than when I was sleeping on the side of the road back in the late ‘70s. You have mobile phones now. You’re able to call for help if you need it. We used to have to wait for a passing car and then send it to the next town with a message. You have tyre repair kits and very reliable bikes – even if you skimp on oil, tyres and chains.
Going on long rides will help you put up with the banality of being on a LAM for three or four years.
And at the end of that time, if you do as I suggest…well, Hell, pilgrim, have you even seen the magical twowheeled stuff us old people ride?
Hopefully, one day that will be you. If you hold fast. D
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Photo: F.
Your adventure. Our policy.
As a motorcyclist, you know that bike riders are different. It’s the open road, how it feels to be at one with your machine and the freedom to go your own way.
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AMM JANUARY 2020
YAMAHA TENERE 700 / NEW BIKES OF 2020 / CUSTOM BIKES / POTM: TERMINUS HOTEL, MORGAN / MAP: KEMPSEY-ARMIDALE / YAMAHA MT-10 / TURKEY
