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E D I T O R S P E A K S
You only live once
IT SEEMS THAT
EVERYONE being in pretty much lockdown has seen them pull out that motorcycle and give it a freshen up or realise all their gear is old and rubbish and bought new stuff. The motorcycle industry has seen one of its best-selling periods recently!
I’ve been talking with sales reps and shops that have all said they’ve had big increases in sales lately. A couple of them felt it could be people have pulled ten grand out of their super and realised you only live once and have bought that new or second-hand bike, freshened up their current ride or upgraded their apparel.
Whatever the cause it is great to see the industry have some sort of rebound from what I thought was going to be a hard road back for the motorcycle industry.
As I mentioned in the last issue, I too have bought myself a motorcycle. It’s a 2007 Honda CB1300S and I’m over the moon with it. I had to do quite a bit of work to it as it has sat in a shed for the last five years.
The tank needed chemical washing, so I also put a POR 15 Motorcycle Tank Kit through it. The fuel sender had died so a new one of those was ordered from Honda. I also had to change the coolant, clutch fluid, brake fluid, oil and oil filter as they were all well past their use by date. A new set of tyres, Bridgestone S22 were fitted up. I also have a set of Metzeler M9RR and Conti SportAttack 4 in the pipeline, so the tyre machine at D Moto Motorcycle Engineering will be getting a workout! Look for the three reviews soon.
A set of Venhill braided brake lines were fitted and the new, SBS EVO Sinter brake pads – these are simply amazing and give the big CB1300S sportsbike stopping power. Well, the CB1300S has ex-Fireblade calipers fitted to it standard anyway.
To give it better breathing I’ve fitted a DNA air filter and opened up the airbox snorkel. This is all in preparation for the new Rapid ECU I will be fitting. Rapid ECUs are among the best on the market. I’ve done a lot of research of all the tuning devices out there and feel the Rapid ECU is the best, it comes with a base map for mods you might have done to your bike – like air filter and slip-on muffler. It then relearns itself as you ride, working off the O2 sensor to maximise the amount of fuel/air needed. It can also be retuned if you want to refine things even further. Once I purchase it and fit it, I’ll let you all know what it’s like. Apart from a proper, ‘Stuart Woodbury’ wash, polish and detail (those that know me, know I’m rather fussy like that) the bike is in ‘like-new’ condition. Once I’d given it my once over, I’ve had people ask me if this bike is a new model just released. One thing I am very impressed with the CB1300S (for a 13-year old bike) is just how good it is compared to 2020 motorcycles. It is not overly heavy (236kg) compared to many current sports tourer models and has bulk amounts of torque that make it a very swift bike. Handling is awesome, despite what many might think of the old school twin shock setup. I do think the fork oil needs to be changed but that can be done at any time. You’ll be seeing plenty of the CB1300S within these pages –it is a rather pretty bike to look at, as I’m sure you’ll agree.
Enjoy!
Cheers, Stuart.
N E W S
SUPER SPECIAL
That awesome bloke, Toby Price has now got his own goggles, made by Oakley. They are so super special that they sold out in less than a day upon release! Stuart was lucky enough to grab a pair and will give them a review in an upcoming issue.
The Oakley Airbrake Toby Price Prizm MX Black Iridium Motocross Goggles ($279.99) might still be available at some selected shops if you hunt (or beg) hard enough, featuring hand-picked colourways by Toby and his initials on the goggle strap. Toby chose a sand wave type design for the strap, Aussie green and yellow for the ‘O’, orange for the frame and his ‘TP’ logo adorns the back. To coincide with this release, Oakley has introduced new levels of protection. High-impact resistance that makes you invincible, this landmark of technology is the first ever MX design with a lens of pure Plutonite. It’s the
new standard of protection and it lets you take the adapt-and-conquer approach with Oakley Switchlock Technology, the secret to fast and easy lens changing. The view is wide open, the comfort is almost beyond reason and the performance leaves other goggles scrambling for second place.
THE KING
Anyone who’s ridden to The Cape knows The King – Roy Kunda. In 2020, Roy has been riding to the tip of Aus (Cape York) for 30 years, and his miles on a bike equate to 15 times around the world. He’s guided more than 4000 people on his off-road adventure tours and seen and done some hilarious things. He writes about them all in his book, ‘King of the Cape’ which is available for pre-order here; https://bit.ly/ kingofthecapebook .
“The guide’s book to your ultimate motorcycling adventure” also covers some essential hacks, tips and hints that he’s learned along the way.
“I have been nagging Roy to write this collection of stories for quite some time but he was always too busy to get around to it. So, when Corona virus hit, he had nowhere to go,” says Renae Kunda with a giggle in her voice.
Features include a triple layer face foam fleece to wick away sweat, antifog treated high-impact resistant lens, removable nose guard and laminated tear-offs. Oakley offers the new Airbrake goggles in plenty of other colours, so check them out at your local bike shop or Oakley.com.au
Roy says, “It’s been an amazing journey so far and we’ve had plenty
of laughs during the writing process as the memories come back to me and flow out onto the page.”
You don’t do that many miles on a bike, meet that many people and not
witness some amazing things.
The pre-release on Friday May 15th 2020 was a very humbling experience for the couple with 1000s of comments on social media and 100s of shares of the book cover. There were 103 preorders in the first 48 hours. The hard copies should arrive in the post in time for Father’s Day 2020.
Cape York Motorcycle Adventures is a family business, operating fully guided off road tours from Cairns to Cape York since 1991. They were the second motorcycle tour company to start in Australia and are now the longest running. They were the world’s first motorcycle tour company to be Eco-Certified and have maintained that for over 10 years. They have won multiple tourism and business awards and continue to improve the industry they created. Check them out at capeyorkmotorcycles.com.au . We recommend them highly!
FASHIONISTA
Founded in the same year, 1946, the Italian brand Vespa and the Parisian couture house Christian Dior are linked by an unwavering desire to inspire a new, bright and creative vision of the world.
Today, more than ever, the Dior and Vespa collaboration reinvents this spirit of freedom, movement and expression that drives them. Out of this passionate dialogue, the Vespa 946 Christian Dior scooter comes to life, its monohull architecture and subtle graphic lines paying tribute to the heritage of the two houses. A symbol of refinement, this object of desire reflects their shared commitment to the excellence of savoir-faire and virtuoso art of detail.
A contemporary version of the iconic Vespa 946 – presented in 2012 in Milan and recognized for its elegant, streamlined curves and technological innovation –the new model was designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior women’s collections. The scooter is made in Italy, adhering to the exacting standards, commitment and precision of a couture atelier.
Echoing the design of the saddle, a top case patterned with the Dior Oblique motif – designed by Marc Bohan in 1967 –is specially designed to be fixed on the luggage rack, adding a distinctive allure. A helmet adorned with the same iconic motif rounds out the unique range.
Symbols of escape to new horizons, these limited-edition creations will launch in spring 2021 in Dior boutiques around the world and subsequently in a selection of Piaggio Group’s Motoplex stores. For more information, visit peterstevens. com.au
HOT AND COLD
Indian Motorcycle has announced a revolutionary new technology geared to improved rider comfort through a patent-pending system that delivers superior cooling for a more pleasant riding experience in warm weather.
The all-new ClimaCommand Classic Seat delivers both heating and cooling to riders and passengers and raises the bar for cooling thanks to three key elements:
• A proprietary thermoelectric module that pumps heat away from the rider.
• A patent-pending ducting system for cooling the thermoelectric module.
• Graphene, a highly conductive and flexible material that optimises the distribution of heating or cooling while maintaining superior comfort.
Indian Motorcycle’s thermoelectric technology is much more effective than the automotive market standard of HVAC convection systems. A critical performance benefit of the ClimaCommand technology is that it actually produces a surface that’s cold to the touch, rather than merely pushing cool air through perforations in the surface in the manner that HVAC system offerings operate.
To accomplish conduction heating and cooling, a thermoelectric module located within the seat directly regulates the temperature. Electricity is applied to the graphene material, causing one side of the material to absorb heat and the opposing side to dissipate it. By reversing electrical flow,
the hot and cold temperatures can be made to alternate sides. A graphene material, which is a nanomaterial created from 100% carbon atoms, is then used to ensure the heating and cooling is dispersed throughout the entire seat.
The well-cushioned ClimaCommand Classic Seat delivers unprecedented comfort for Thunderstroke models.
Independent rider and passenger controls (low, medium, high) allow the rider and passenger to remain in command of their heating and cooling levels. With no perforations, the seat’s vinyl cover is highlydurable and water and UV-resistant. Passengers can add more comfort with Armrest Pads and a Trunk Backrest Pad, both designed and developed to seamlessly pair with the new ClimaCommand Classic Seat.
It’s important to note that the ClimaCommand Classic Seat is not Ride Commandintegrated. However, Ride Command-integrated versions of the ClimaCommand Seat will be available for the 2020 Chieftain and Roadmaster later this year.
The ClimaCommand Classic Seat is now shipping to dealers and available at mcaustralia.com D
THE KAWASAKI NINJA
1000 has been around a few years, but so has the complaint by some owners that the handling was not what it could be. Kawasaki sought to address this issue when producing the 4th generation Ninja 1000 SX, this 2020 model. To put it as plainly as I can, they succeeded and the bike is simply awesome.
Some of the changes you will quickly note are the replacement of dual mufflers with a single side muffler, cruise control, new TFT dash, quickshifter up and down, new seats for rider and pillion, all-LED lighting and integrated riding modes.
Not so noticeable (to look at) changes which really up the ante are the change to the steering geometry and the fitment of a sportier tyre –the Bridgestone S22. Add in revised suspension settings by way of new damping pistons, which help to smooth out the ride. Gone is that lax feeling you might have got with the previous version, now you have a very sharp and predictable ride at all times.
At the rear, the suspension has been “fine-tuned”; the shock itself is the same as before. Maybe they had a fiddle with the preload and/ or rebound damping adjusters or changed the spring.
Brakes are unchanged from the previous model, with a pair of powerful four-piston Tokico calipers up front. There’s plenty of feel and if it all goes wrong Kawasaki’s clever cornering ABS system adjusts its behaviour to help keep you on your intended line.
Many inline-fours need to be revved to release their potential. Not so the Ninja 1000 with its fat, flat torque curve, loads of midrange, and close ratios giving any-gear, any-rev, any-speed flexibility. Add in the new up and down quickshifter and this is a sport and touring delight.
On open roads you can sit in third, fourth, fifth or sixth gear and it all feels equally natural. In top, you can drop as low as 40km/h and it still pulls cleanly. If you want to feel the Ninja’s sporty side, it’ll scream on to 11,000rpm and give you all the thrills you’re looking for.
Photo by Barnabas Imre
Technical changes are tiny. Camshaft profiles have been modified to reduce the engine’s mechanical noise. Intake funnels have been altered too, with shorter trumpets for the outer pair of cylinders – Kawasaki say this suits the new 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust and reduces emissions.
As before there are two power modes: Full, which does what it says; and Low, which has a milder response and limits output to 75%. These are now paired with one of the traction control’s three settings in the four intuitive riding modes: Sport, Road, Rain and a customisable Rider setting where you can turn traction control off.
Specs
Overall, the Ninja 1000SX’s motor won’t rip your arms out of their sockets, like the Z H2 in this issue will do, but it’s an easier, more useful and more rewarding engine on the road.
For this test I could have opted to have the seamlessly integrated panniers fitted, but that’s not how it comes off the showroom floor. We might look at a longer tour with the panniers soon, but I was interested in how it rides straight up, no added wind resistance to alter how it handles or feels while riding.
Ergonomics are excellent. The new wider and comfier seat will have you riding all day long with no troubles. The reach to the handlebars is just weighted on the wrists and the seat to peg height is a great in between of sport and touring.
A new, reshaped four-position adjustable screen is fitted and hand adjusted just like the previous one. For my height I found the lower three settings worked great, whereas the highest setting buffeted my helmet a little.
To work in with the new screen the fairing has also been revised. More engine heat is directed away from the rider than before, which is welcome. The new fairing does make the Ninja 1000 SX look similar to its racing brother, the ZX-10R and with all LED lighting, you’ll be knocking over that Big Red before you get anywhere near him.
KAWASAKI NINJA 1000 SX
PRICE: $16,999 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: 1043cc liquid-cooled cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
SUSPENSION: Front, 41mm inverted fork, adjustable preload, compression and rebound, travel 120mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 144mm.
works perfectly but I’m baffled why heated grips are not standard on a bike like this. You can get them as an accessory, but in my opinion they should be fitted off the showroom floor.
TYRES: Front, 120/70/ZR17. Rear, 190/50/ZR17
Cruise control is standard and
BRAKES: Front, twin 300mm discs with radial mount fourpiston cornering ABS calipers. Rear, 250mm disc, single-piston cornering ABS caliper.
Tie down points to strap a seat bag are good and when taking the better half for a spin, she loved the seat and found the seat to pillion peg height nice.
Accessories are touring orientated – you can get a low seat, or a 2-tone comfort seat; 47 litre topbox, USB outlet, GPS mount, tankbag, seat bag and a number of other bits and pieces.
The 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX has been sharpened and refined making it one of the best sports tourers on the market. It should be high on anyone’s shopping list. D
HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS. WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS HAS SPENT ITSELF, OR WHEN WE’VE GOT ON TOP OF IT WITH A VACCINE, NONE OF THIS WILL MATTER. BRING IT ON!
WHERE DO I
TRAVEL
BY THE TIME YOU read this, we should be able to travel to travel anywhere we want to go within Australia. We may even be getting close to the airspace over the Tasman opening up, so that provides a lot of opportunities for motorcycle travel. Mind you, even here at or near home, not all destinations are going to be equal.
My choice would be somewhere away from crowds, which means away from the usual destinations. The NSW south coast, for instance, appears to be something of a scrum – Ralph reports that the traffic jams were even worse down there than usual, and that can’t be good with a potential second (or third, or whatever) wave of the virus coming through. The other destination I’d skip in NSW would be the North Coast. Byron Bay is not going to be a quiet place to spend a few days, so much is clear.
But the very fact that the usual places will have the usual – or even more than usual -crowds gives you a pointer to alternatives. In both the south and the north there are many towns some way inland that have never been much in the way of holiday destinations, and they should be where you insert the pins into the map. It’s made a little more complex in the south by the ski resorts, but Bombala, Dalgety or Delegate would be fine places to visit. In the north, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Casino or Kyogle would make good bases for a bit of exploration.
Inland there are towns like Coonabarabran, Inverell, Gulgong, Parkes, Forbes and Cowra that all have backcountry roads to explore. If you like aeroplanes (and what motorcyclist doesn’t?) you could do a lot worse than dropping by the aircraft museum in Temora.
Melburnians, for once, have a bit more of a problem because practically all of the towns that surround Bleak City are tourist destinations. I’d stretch my travel a bit and head for the Big River where there should be reasonably quiet places to base yourself for a bit of exploratory riding.
Tallangatta comes to mind, with a motorcycle-friendly pub to help it along. Rutherglen (a maybe),
Australia has some distinctly offbeat destinations – the weapons testing / space research settlement of Woomera is one of them.
Tasmania is always worth a visit; keep an eye on the news to see if the initiative to make motorcycle travel on the ferry free actually gets up!
The latest, the old and the relatively new: my Honda and a couple of Qantas jets at Longreach, where the airline was born.
Temora in NSW has a remarkable air museum which holds not only one but two Spitfires – and like all the other aircraft there, they fly!
TRAVEL
There are some superb roads along the Californian coast, not all of them right down by the water.
Yarrawonga and Cobram all come to mind as do Bendigo (another maybe), St Arnaud and Horsham. On the subject of motorcycle-friendly pubs, there’s Great Western. Terrific log fire in the bar. You’ll want to steer clear of ski destinations in Victoria just as you will in NSW, but there’s always East Gippsland where you can help the locals rebuild after the fires. Bruthen, Orbost and Mallacoota all come to mind, as does Genoa. Yes, another nice little pub.
In South Australia, the Eyre Peninsula beckons, as does the country up towards Peterborough and across to Quorn. Various parts of the Flinders Ranges would make wonderful destinations at this time of year and there are plenty of pleasant little pubs like the one at Cradock. It will probably be best to stay away from the winery areas; they’ll draw crowds, but there are alternatives like Swan Reach and Mannum across the river.
I suppose the recommendation for Queensland can be a very simple one: head west. You’d need to go a fair way to the north before you ran out of holiday destinations; forget the south entirely. But there are lots of opportunities out west, from Texas and Goondiwindi to Chinchilla, Mundubbera and Monto.
If you feel like a longer run, how about checking up on the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas museum in Longreach or the Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine?
It might pay you to stay out of Emerald, at least for a little while… until they track down whoever was spreading the virus there.
If you’re in Darwin, I’d hotfoot it to Litchfield National Park. From Alice Springs, there’s the Mereenie Loop or maybe a run out to the Mac Clark Conservation Reserve?
Western Australia presents a similar problem to Queensland’s, just reversed. Here the coast is also going to be rather too popular for us, so you’ll want to head east. Unfortunately, distances are either a bit short (to Northam, say) or a bit long (to Norseman) so I’m going to have to leave specific recommendations to someone with more intimate local knowledge. I’ve always liked Wave Rock, though. At a time like this, Tasmania is a bit too well set up and explored
Why have we stopped here in the NZ South Island? Probably just to prepare ourselves for Lewis Pass, not far away.
My Mexican buddy fills my MotoQuest Suzuki, just before I lost the key. An entire village dropped everything to help me find it.
as a travel destination for its own good. Still, there’s always the west coast, specifically the Smithton to Zeehan run and all the wonderful forested back country behind it. You could also head to the other corner over past Scottsdale, out to the Bay of Fires. And while the high plain around the Great Lake will be popular, it’s not likely to actually be crowded.
Kiwi Kapers
New Zealand presents a similar problem to Tasmania’s. There isn’t really anywhere that the tourists don’t flock to, right from Cape Reinga in the North Island to Bluff in the South. You know, I’ve never understood why the Kiwis haven’t come up with names that are a bit more… well, evocative. The Maori call them Te Ika a Maui, the fish of Maui, and Te Wai Pounamu, the waters of greenstone respectively. What’s wrong with those as names? If they’re too complicated what about Te Ika and Te Wai?
End of the sealed road up the west coast of NZ’s South Island.There are a few kilometres of gravel left before civilisation ceases completely.
Riding the mountains of Greece, Delphi, Athens, Meteora, Epidavros, Acropolis, Cephalonia Island, Mani region
TOUR DATES 2020
SEP 24 - OCT 7
SEP 26 - OCT 9
TOUR DATES 2021
MAY 22 - JUN 4
SEP 18 - OCT 1
OCT 2 - OCT 15
It’s really no wonder that France is the most visited country in the world.There are things to see, drinks to drink and amazing food to eat… and the roads are pretty good too.
This is an entirely gratuitous selfie, snapped outside my room in a German pub. The building is even older than I am –by about 800 years.
Just a suggestion. Sorry. East Cape still has some remoteness potential in the North Is… in Te Ika, along with all the back roads between the coast and Rotorua. The Bay of PLenty of Tourists might not be ideal. You can do plenty of exploring in Northland as long as you stay away from attractions like the Bay of Islands. The country north of Wellington can be pretty quiet in my experience, culminating in the Desert Road.
In Te Wai, I’d go for roads that are dead ends. Head for Collingwood or Karamea, or south of Haast. One dead end you’ll probably want to give a miss is the usually highly recommended run out to Milford Sound. That will be really busy, I’d suggest.
If you have a little more luck than I do, you will find either or both of the Molesworth Track and the Rainbow Road open, connecting Hanmer Springs with Blenheim or St Arnaud. It’s pretty certain that you won’t find any tourists at all on the former, and a limited number at the northern end of the latter where they’ll be heading for the Rainbow Valley Ski field.
Europe
Even as I write, Europe is opening up to the countries in the Schengen area (most of Europe) and some others. It’s pretty simple from my point of view: I’m prepared to treat Europe, and especially the Schengen countries, as a single bloc and accept what they say about themselves. The Australian government will do much the same, I suspect, so Europe will open up as a single entity. I hope that’s before the end of the year, because I have an Edelweiss tour booked for the Alps in September, and frankly I’ve had enough of cancelling tours.
Asia
Want to bet on the best motorcycle road in the entire world? My money is on the Djebel Hafeet road in Abu Dhabi, although I’m hearing terrible things about new speed limitations!
For all of the following destinations, I am assuming that the Australian government has also given the go-ahead. I do not fancy spending a fortnight in lockdown after a riding in any of these places. There are lots of unknowns in Asia, and a lot of countries
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TRAVEL
This is Iceland, one of my favourite destinations in the entire world. I’m planning to go back, with a stopover in the Faroe Islands. A cold paradise, but paradise nonetheless.
which have approached control of the virus in somewhat different ways. I might be a bit of a wuss, but I’d give the entire continent a miss for a while – unless I was reassured by a major and trustworthy tour operator. I would not go by myself. If that’s over-cautious, so be it. But as I say, if a long-established tour operator told me that wherever they were going was safe, I’d give it some thought.
North America
This is even more difficult. I would be pretty comfortable with riding in Canada and Alaska, once again as long the gummint has given the go-ahead.
As for the US, I am torn. So many states, so many different approaches, so many weird and wonderful happenings… frankly, I’m giving the United States a miss for the time being. Perhaps that’s over-cautious once again, but there you go – sue me. Or rather, don’t. I can’t afford it. It’s not too much to say that I love the US, but as with any love affair there are times when you fall out and the way things are going, I’ve fallen out with the place. I can see hopeful signs, not only for control of the virus but also for management of the police, and I would not want to underrate those. But some of the problems the place faces are simply too serious and too well entrenched for me to feel entirely comfortable there.
Look, I have probably been treated better in the US than anywhere else in the world. Once when my XL250 simply would not start, I had the entire official and emergency services of a small
Some Edelweiss tour companions and I, chilling in Eastern Europe somewhere. Food, terrific. Service, brilliant. Beer, too good to classify.
No, this is not a gratuitous picture of a pretty girl.This young woman poured beers at a championship rate in Beale Street, Memphis. I do love the United States.
1260 So good to be bad.
The world is at your feet and all eyes are on you… and your Diavel 1260. 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 Diavel 1260: so good to be bad.
Displacement 1,262 cc (77.0 cu in) | Power 159 hp (117 kW) @ 9,500 rpm* | Torque 95 lb-ft (13.1 kgm, 129 Nm) @ 7,500 rpm *157 hp (116 kW) @ 9,250 rpm for US/Canada/Mexico version
Discover the MY20 Ducati Range at ducati.com/au
Japanese ingenuity has no limits, but neither does the scenic beauty. The food is wonderful too, as is the culture and art. Japan never disappoints.Well, not since 1945.
Milton to Cromwell via Roxburgh and Alexander. Cromwell to Tekapo via Omarama. Tekapo to Geraldine to Methven to Rangiora via the Inland Scenic Route. Rangiora to Hanmer Springs and Reefton via Lewis Pass. Reefton to Greymouth, to Westport and to Murchison via the mighty Buller Gorge. Murchison to Tapawera to Motueka and on to Collingwood over Takaka Hill. Back to Motueka, to Nelson and Picton via Queen Charlotte Drive. Picton back to Christchurch via Kaikoura, a great coastal ride not to be missed.
Californian coastal town push-start me: the sheriff, the fire chief and the ambulance driver. Between the three of them they got me going. I love the place, I do. But it’s going to have to get its shit together a bit before I do much riding there again.
“Five years ago I rode that route over 10 days then went back and rode it in
Signposting in South Africa does not presume a knowledge on English, Afrikaans or any other written language. It gets the point across very well.
South America
4 5 6
reverse. It’s amazing how that changes your perspective and the scenery was just as good, if not better.
“Don’t underrate the North Island; there are some great roads in the North island. Don’t miss the East Cape road from Gisborne to Opotiki via Hicks Bay, and the Coromandel Peninsular. There are others, but the North Island has a bigger population, so the roads are not so empty.”
1. Err… is that all going to fit into a pair of panniers?
2. Here’s a chance to add a few more stickers to the GS.
Dunno. I guess if our gummint gives the go-ahead it will be fine, and I’m hanging out for a Compass Expeditions tour of Patagonia I had planned for this year to happen in ’21. But only if we get the all-clear. The various South American countries all have wonderful things to offer, but I want them to be sorted before I go. With any luck, in 2021!
Africa
3. It looks like it’s all stowed away. Excellent job.
4. Happy campers ready for the road. What a nice clean bike.
Dave is happy to help if you have any questions by email at dave(at)getrouted. com.au or phone 03 5625 9080 and 0412 689 849. The website is www. getrouted.com.au and he’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/getrouted. D
5. No shortage of helpers loading (or is it unloading?) bikes.
6. Relaxing after the ride.
Dunno some more. Especially since Africa is probably even more varied in its responses to the virus than South America. I suspect we still have some horror stories to come, so I’d say wait it out. That might not apply so much to northern Africa, especially Morocco. I’d treat that part of the Dark Continent a bit like Spain. D
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KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE GT theCrossing line
WORDS RALPH
PHOTOS NICK WOOD CREATIVE
WRoll call
This is my shortlist of sophisticated, performance and, semi-dressed tourers that go and handle and could be classed in the same category as the KTM: Aprilia Tuono V4 (at a stretch-without comfort or fuel range).
BMW S 1000 XR. Ducati 1260 Multistrada S. Kawasaki H2 SX.
ITH ANY LUCK THERE is a laboratory somewhere (perhaps in Wuhan, China?) which has developed a magic pill for tricking your brain into thinking that what your eyes see as ugly, is in fact truly beautiful. That would turn the whole online dating industry on its head and give me more of a chance. More importantly, ninety-nine percent of the people who commented to me about the 1290 KTM GT should be swallowing two tablets, four times a day. With a bit of luck and medication they would perceive beauty in a whole new light. I’m not going to fill you in on the intricacies of online dating so let’s put looks aside. The big 1301cc 75-degree V twin has a lot of the features you want
TEST
or expect in a fast touring motorcycle, except standard panniers. The suite of electronics oozes pedigree, although like most KTM’s it wavers to the side of manic performance over outright smoothness and civility. Almost every facet is geared to low weight and pin sharp performance in the leanest possible way. The bike sits at the healthy end of a wellness diet and feels in tip-top shape at only 209kg dry. It takes a while to reveal its true character and ability, proving once again that the beauty of many another bike really is only skin-deep. Every other touring or sports touring motorcycle will feel languid and soft compared to the orange flash. The best way to get your head around the Austrian concept is to peel off the GT sticker and drop any pretence of an all-protective and comfortable fast tourer. Let the Super Duke and 1290 stickers stay along with the tall screen and enveloping frontal area and the makings of the fast, lean blaster/ tourer they describe remain.
Perched up high on an 835mm seat, leaning onto relatively low handlebars, and behind a screen which matches
most maxi-scoots for protection, you might be thinking more motard than mile-devouring runner. This it is deceiving, partly because the ergonomics are geared to crunch miles, and of course those effortless figures that need to be repeated and repeated. One hundred and 72 ponies and 140 knobs of grunt make a convincing argument for effortless long distances and never having to worry if there is enough power for either the long straights or big hills. There is even enough fuel in the 23-litre tank to take you beyond the horizon.
Power? This is a power-trip of epic proportions and there are less than a handful of bikes that will offer this kind of equation. The ability to cruise in excess of 200 kilometres per hour for over 400 kilometres with enough comfort will make you wonder why your mates’ 1000+cc superbikes are worth enduring. The KTM was surprisingly economical on a double demerit weekend, showing a constant 4.8L/100km and only dipping to 5.8 when I met up with Stu to swap over to the supercharged Kawasaki. I’m not
The haves and havenots and the maybes
The KTM might not look like it from the outside of its minimalist architecture but there is a host of technical features -- all of them equal or better than the competition.
THE HAVES
Electronics
Engine modes cover rain, touring and sport
Semi-active suspension, 3 modes with load adjustment settings
Brilliant LED lights and cornering lights
6.5 inch TFT screen with My Ride communication
Lean angle sensors for TC and ABS
USB charging point
Cruise Control
Hardware
Access all the modes and settings from easy to use switchgear
Adjustable windscreen, easy to move
Hand guards with handlebar warmers
Provision for factory panniers
THE MAYBES (OPTIONAL)
HHC-Hill Hold Control $199.99
Ergo seats and heated seats Rider $419.99 Pillion $319.99
Panniers $1299.99 a set
MSC standard with MSR Motor Slip Regulation $169.99
Track Pact (9-stage TC) Supermoto mode (plug in accessory) $599.99
9-way adjustable screen $249.99
THE HAVE NOTS
A centre stand
No colour choice, only black or white (with a splash of orange)
The envy of your style-conscious mates
sure if Stu will mention this, but we noted the Kato is measurably quicker and a lot more satisfying in every riding environment we sampled.
Still, when you have two 650cc singles pumping away, fighting for supremacy, there is barely any respite from the throbbing. It’s not unpleasant, just apparent. Slick shifting through the gears (up or down aided by the excellent quick shifter) and the way the KTM wants to motor on,
regardless of which gear you choose or the revs you want to dial in, you can be sure the ride is a gutsy thrilling one and I’m a hundred percent sure it will be addictive -- if you are game. I don’t want to understate how it pulls. It is mad and very few bikes will offer you that much temptation to indulge in misbehaviour. We should be thankful that the performance is tempered with electronic and excellent chassis control.
Ham-fisted pilots will probably get away with almost anything as long as their eyes and stomach can deal with the forces of speed and acceleration. In the power equation, I think 100 horses are good for mortals, up to 150 are for experienced level-headed riders and over that, well you need the occasional electronic aid. In the 1290’s case it really is obligatory. We should also be thankful the GT handles as well as almost anything that doesn’t qualify to be on a starting grid for Superbikes.
You should know the settings for the semi-active suspension has a pre-set Comfort, Street and Sport. It is more like real-sport and sport
and softer sport. Comfort is a little subjective because some, although not all, bumps and holes are isolated, but you still feel the major hits through the handlebar. Suspension compliance and comfort are a big step away from a BMW tourer or a Goldwing. On my favourite ‘control’ piece of road the balance is right, and the stutters caused by the trucks mashing the asphalt are electronically smoothed out. I climbed that hill at a barely felt 120km/h (under controlled conditions, natch) and the engine ticked over at 4000rpm in sixth. It is relaxed. It’s as relaxed as sitting on an undetonated nuclear bomb waiting to explode within the next few seconds. That apprehension is kind of addictive.
If I had started out on those Wuhan tablets, I would very quickly have dumped them after experiencing the 1301cc madness. I found that the GT will do slow and smoothish, it will cruise, and it will do distances. And I was never in any doubt the KTM does ballistic. With the Super Duke labelling you can expect that, and let’s face it – beauty is in the eyes of the throttle holder. D
SO slowly, electric motorcycles are slipping into our lives. Not cheaply, mind you: this Super Soco TC Max with spoked wheels will set you back $8290 ride away. Made in China, the bike is a good-looking take on the electric bike theme. That’s not true for many electric bikes or scooters on the market, which make it obvious that their designer has not come to terms with the alternative reality of the move from internal combustion engines to electric motors.
I spent a few days punting the Super Soco around town, on both commuting and shopping duties. In the former case I just wore a courier bag, while in the latter I strapped a Kuryakyn rack bag to the short piece of pillion seat that remained behind me. Both options worked fine with the bike quite able to handle the extra weight, but do not plan
to give Arnold Schwarzenegger a lift on a TC. That pillion seat is intended more for Keira Knightley. Fortunately, there is a grab bar for her if she finds herself sliding off the back.
The TC is quite small overall but it doesn’t look like some kind of hybrid; it looks like a motorcycle, while clearly being an electric one. The lines are clean and the design flows smoothly, with a pleasant selection of colors and the rear ‘side covers’ in white to keep the back of the bike looking light. Someone has thought about this design instead of simply imitating another one.
Super Socos are also practical, yet more evidence that real thought has gone into the design. Ready for a ride? Unplug the charger, pop the top of the fake fuel tank and insert charger and cables. This is useful, because it means you can charge the TC from any power point, anywhere. Climb aboard, press ‘unlock’
on the fob and the starter button lights up. Press that and the LCD instruments come on, complete with the word ‘READY’ in green. It would be nice if this and the blinker arrows were a little brighter.
The other controls are the brakes with their handlebar levers, just like a scooter’s.
because the motor reacts with a bit of bumping when the bike is pushed backwards. It rolls on cast 17” wheels shod with Cordial (brand, not attitude) tyres. The brochure does not specify the TC’s weight, but it’s pretty light and that helps it to handle cordially (attitude, not brand).
“FOR CITY TRANSPORT IT IS PRETTY CLOSE TO IDEAL”
A kill switch on the right handlebar cluster doesn’t seem to do anything, but I’m sure that’s just me. The allLED lighting is bright and effective.
There are three markings above the sliding switch on the right of the handlebar marked 1, 2 and 3. They indicate the power level you’re accessing from 1 which takes you to about 60km/h, to 2 which lets you ride at 80km/h and finally 3 which is good for a little more than 100km/h. The higher the level the greater the drain on the battery, and that’s shown on the instruments which also give you an estimate of the distance remaining. Unlike some other electric vehicles, the TC’s are pretty accurate as long as there aren’t any serious hills. There does not seem to be any power recovery from braking.
The Super Soco TC Max turned out to be quite a lot of fun, not only to ride but also when bystanders admired it. One thing that was slightly weird was an odd sort of pulsing, especially when rolling with the throttle off. No big deal, just initially odd.
The 3000 Watt hub motor from Bosch gets you off the lights quite quickly when you’re on power level 3, but it’s no neck snapper. I know that electric motors produce full torque from zero revs, some 150Nm in this case, but the motor still has to accelerate the mass of the bike and (in my case not immaterial) rider. Fitted with both batteries and run at power level 1, the Super Soco should take you some 160km before recharge. A neutral gear would be quite nice simply
The Super Soco would be hard to beat for around-town, as long as you don’t weigh terribly much more than my 95kg and stay off the freeway. Above all it is truly practical, and as long as you plug it in at night you should not have any problems with its range. For city transport it is pretty close to ideal: it’s clean and small enough so you don’t need a garage and will be able to store it in almost the same space as a bicycle; its range will allow you to do a day’s commuting and shopping; and it’s good for your conscience, especially if you recharge it from a solar power system.
Here comes the million dollar, or rather eight thousand two hundred and ninety dollar, question. Is the bike worth the money? Keep in mind that much the same money will buy you a pretty little Benelli Leoncino Sport or a practical CF Moto 650GT if you’re still talking Chinese manufacture, or a BMW G 310 GS. Lord knows where they make those. But if you’re a city person and practicality is your main concern, a Super Soco TC Max takes the prize. D
power stages allow you to trade performance off against range.
2. Individual parts look smart and attractive.
3. The recharge port is convenient and easy to use.
4. LCD instrument panel tells you everything you need to know.
5. Build quality is good; I had no complaints.
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IN JULY 1998 WE were heading west into Kashmir across the Zoji La and it had been raining for the past several days. This mountain pass is nowhere near as high as some of the others we had done in the last week; at a rather modest 11,600 feet it was not comparable to the 18,000s and 16,000s we had recently conquered.
But it was certainly one of the most challenging, particularly in the wet. The pass is narrow, steep and twisty, barely wider than an Indian Tata truck in many places but expected to cope with twoway traffic, including the lengthy convoys of army trucks on this military supply route to and from the border regions.
Precipitous drops to the river valleys below threatened the unwary at every corner. The surface of the road, if this goat-track could be called such, was rough and rocky to the point of being tortuous and was hidden for substantial lengths by deep, fine, powdery dust, somewhat like the notorious bulldust of Australia’s red outback. And when it was wet, it was soap-suds slippery.
With us were Allan and Carlene, from the delightfully-named suburb of Humbug Scrub in the Adelaide Hills, and by their own admission surely the most vertically-challenged couple ever to throw four short legs over an Enfield. Allan was finding it extremely trying, with his lack of ground contact undermining his confidence in these conditions, so I offered to take Carlene on the back of my bike until we were through the worst of it. I think they were both quite relieved.
We had been delayed by a puncture on one of the bikes and a broken chain on another and it was now dark, and cold, and still raining. The dozens of oncoming Tata truck drivers, as is the mysterious way in India, alternated their headlights between full high beam and completely off, rather than simply dipped. And the headlight of the poor old Enfield, it must be said, wouldn’t dazzle a rabbit at five
ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR Mission Impossible
WORDS/PHOTOS MIKE FERRIS, WORLD ON WHEELS
metres. This was extremely difficult going, even for the best of riders.
skills and ability but eventually fatigue had taken its toll. Blinded by oncoming headlights at a very narrow section of the pass, he had parked as wide as possible and teetered on the very edge for a second before he felt the bike starting to go over, and had wisely stepped off. He slumped to the ground and watched as the bike plunged over the precipice and vanished into the darkness.
stricken beast. They tethered it as best they could and then, one either side holding it upright in order to minimize further damage, they and the bike were hauled back up the cliff by many noisy but gallant comrades above.
Our support vehicle had been delayed by the inevitable army convoy, so I had now dropped to the rear and I instructed our group members that, in the event of any further breakdowns, please leave the bike by the side of the road, hide the key under the front tyre, and cadge a lift with one of the other riders in order to get to the safety of our hotel as quickly as possible. We were all hungry and tired, it had been a long day, and already something like nine or ten bikes out of 14 had been dropped in these appalling conditions.
Carlene and I came upon one of our bikes leaning against the rock wall, rather damaged and obviously out of action. We found out later what had transpired. Ol’ Charlie, at 74 the elder statesman in our group by far, had impressed everybody with his riding
Commotion ensued, as 20 or more Tata truck drivers emerged from their rigs in a rather excited fashion. They helped Charlie to his feet and made sure he was okay, then turned their attentions to the wayward motorbike. Flashlights revealed that it had come to rest only 20 or 30 metres down the rocky scree slope, so Indian manpower at its best swung into action.
Ropes were produced and two brave souls made their way down to the
By now several of our other riders had managed to arrive at the scene through the gridlock of stopped trucks. They attempted to start Charlie’s bike but to no avail, and then someone pointed out the reason. The battery compartment had burst open during the tumble, and the battery had disappeared into the abyss.
No amount of coaxing was likely to persuade our two truckie heroes to venture back down there to look for it so, following instructions, they moved the bike out of harm’s way and Charlie (rather gratefully, one suspects) jumped on the back of another rider’s bike and they moved on toward our
hotel. Unfortunately, he forgot the instruction to leave the key under the front tyre and slipped it into his pocket instead.
Carlene and I caught up with them and a few others just before the hotel, at nearly eleven o’clock at night. About eight of us dragged our weary bones off the bikes and stumbled into the foyer, just as the music on the hotel speakers burst dramatically into the soundtrack theme from the Tom Cruise movie ‘Mission: Impossible’! Impeccable timing. Meanwhile our support crew had come upon the damaged bike and tried to start it. It was in remarkably good shape considering its fall from grace, and was rideable.
They immediately identified that the battery was missing and they were carrying a spare, but there was no point replacing it when the key was
TRAVEL
also missing, safely in Charlie’s pocket a further 30km down the mountain. They free-wheeled it as far as they could with the help of gravity, then there was little alternative but to drive to the hotel, retrieve the key from a mortified Charlie, and return to collect the bike as the clock ticked past midnight.
It should be mentioned here that Kashmir was going through very troubled times, with the separatist militia escalating their terrorist activities. We had advised all our group members to be on the alert for suspicious behaviour, and to avoid crowd scenes.
But we were still surprised during breakfast the following morning when an official-looking army jeep swept into our hotel carpark and a very selfrighteous Commander demanded to
speak to the motorcycle tour leader.
I introduced myself, whereupon he asked which member of our group had been involved in an incident last night on the pass, please? About 12 hands went up in the air, to the merriment of all but our stern-faced Commander. He asked who had crashed his bike over the edge, to which Charlie duly ‘fessed up. The Commander told him that his camera had been found at the scene, and would Charlie please accompany him to his office nearby and recover it. Charlie said, No way chum, I have my camera right here with me, see? The Commander then insisted it must belong to one of our other group members who had spent some time at the accident scene last night, and would that person kindly come forward.
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We all had our cameras and were by now beginning to smell a rat but our token American, Larry, stepped up to the plate and said, Hey, I’ve finished my breakfast so I’ll go take a look at this mysterious camera. He and I had a quiet conversation aside and I advised him not to do this, but to cut a long story short Larry, who had “seen some action in ‘Nam,” ended up jumping in the jeep with the Commander to go and confirm that the camera did not belong to our group at all. What actually transpired, and again we didn’t find this out until after the event, was that the camera was not in the Commander’s office at all but was in fact still in situ at the top of the mountain pass. Larry was gone for two hours, by which stage I had set the rest of the group off on the
next leg of our journey and I was waiting for him alone at the army base, becoming more than a little anxious.
Larry eventually returned with quite a story. He had been taken back to the scene of Charlie’s little spill, where a camera was pointed out to him at the side of the road. Larry said, Hell, that’s no ordinary camera, anyone can see that’s a booby trap with all those wires hanging off it. Our Commander, who must have been in line for a promotion if he played his cards correctly, then asked Larry to sign an affidavit declaring that this was not our camera, which Larry promptly signed ‘Albert Einstein’. The small crowd was then pushed back some distance and an army sharpshooter with a rifle shot the offending device, which blew up with considerable force.
Evidently a trouble-maker in the crowd the previous night had sought to take advantage of the commotion in the darkness and had laid his booby trap, expecting someone to pick up the foreigner’s dropped camera and thereby detonate the explosive.
His probable aim was to damage the road and thereby interrupt the military supply route, without concerning himself with the collateral matter of innocent casualties. It did not escape our attention that these innocent casualties might very well have been our own mechanics, if the militant had been just a little smarter and placed his bomb on our motorbike instead.
All’s fair in love and war so they say, and this incident brought home to us the stark reality of daily existence in this undeclared war zone of beautiful but perennially bedeviled Kashmir. D
YOU MAY RECALL THAT our current project, designed to create a classy all-rounder for everyday use, is named Kitsune II after the mythological Japanese fox. I’m not so sure that was a really good choice. The foxes around Sydney (and there are many of them) have been acting up lately, giving the Reynard tribe a bad name. At University of NSW, one of them has been biting people; next door to me, one of them was discovered in the swimming pool, paddling around trying to catch a duck. Not good enough, foxes. Fortunately our fox has been behaving itself under the skilled ministrations of Brett Pieper. When the boxes of Rizoma* accessories arrived from Italy, I took them over to his place and we unpacked them to
sounds of unmitigated appreciation. There is no doubt about it, Rizoma makes beautiful parts.
Probably the most important part was the new handlebar (part number MA009B), a variable section in a beautiful, restrained black finish. To go with it was a riser kit (AZ402B) in the same finish, a pair of Sport grips (GR205B) also in black, but a polished finish, and a pair of gloss black Spirit RS rearview mirrors (BS192B) with end mount kits (LP200B). Brett added some height to the risers, and the final effect is not only a very comfortable riding position but also a highly stylish ‘office’ for the rider.
A universal license plate holder (PT061B) did the same for the rear end. The black holder has an
LED license plate illuminator, and attachment points on the sides for the turn signals. These are small, bullet-shaped and unobtrusive but highly effective 3-function Club S units (FR155B) which take care of tail light, brake light and blinker duties. They are matched at the front by another pair of Club units (FR150B) which only have one function, to blink. We used the Rizoma turn signal flasher kit (EE031H) to make sure that everything that was meant to blink, blinked. It can be hard to imagine that something so small can be effective enough, but the Club blinkers are not only type approved but also clearly noticed by the traffic. We replaced the front (FD002B) and rear (FD011B) mudguards with Rizoma aluminium fenders which look
Compared
absolutely the goods, as well. Their matt finish suits the bike perfectly. The rear fender fitted straight on, but Brett had to cut out a couple of crescent-shaped slices from the front fender to clear the fork tubes. The effect is spot-on. This was the only change we had to make to any of the Rizoma parts.
As a clear nod in the direction of safety, I had requested a pair of LED position lights (EE140B). Brett made up a tube mounting for them and they also look terrific. I’m a firm believer in giving drivers and even pedestrians a chance to triangulate the distance of an approaching motorcycle, and there is no better way to do that than to provide three spots of light instead of just one.
The combination of cream paint
PROJECT KITSUNE II, PART 2
The fox comes to life
WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
and black frame and fittings looks the goods, and I’m very happy with it. The only thing I will probably do up front is to replace the instrument binnacle with a near identical one, only – you guessed – in black.
Before it could roll off the stand the bike had to be fitted with tyres –Metzeler Lazertechs kindly applied to the rims by Brian Connor’s Motorcycle Centre in Brookvale, northern Sydney. Which leaves the seat, another internet purchase and probably the cheapest item on the bike! In due course it will be replaced by a custom-made item, but for the time being it looks fine.
I’ll be giving you reports from ‘on the road’ with Kitsune II, and there are already a couple of pieces of SW-Motech luggage on order from Motorrad Garage, www.
motorradgarage.com.auto, the Australian distributor, to make it an effective weekend warrior. In the meantime, it is a remarkably light and flickable motorcycle with a high recognition factor. That colour is unusual on motorcycles, although Triumph uses it as part of a mixed colour scheme. Let me give another nod to Lawrence at Collide A Scope (www.collideascope.com.au) for the excellent job he did.
If you see Kitsune II and me on the road, stop us and have a chat! Or let me know what you think of the project at thebear@ausmotorcyclist. com.au . As for the rest of the foxes out there: behave!
*Rizoma parts were supplied FOC for review purposes.
1. Looked at dispassionately, the LED headlight looks completely weird and the reverse cone muffler sticks out too far.We can fix the latter, one day, but the former we’re stuck with.
2.With the lights on, the front of the bike looks considerably less weird. Road coverage at night is excellent, with the running lights adding a significant amount of light.
3. Once again, a weird stare from the headlight. But that’s what they look like these days. The Rizoma blinkers sit neatly on each side above the running lights from the same place.
4. Mirrors and handgrips look as if they’re made for each other, which of course they are –both by Rizoma.
5.The handlebar looks terrific, up on its extra-raised risers.That odd bracket is the mount for the waterproof smartphone holder.
6. Off-centre dial looks just right. The cables are all new, made to the correct length by Venhill in Britain by way of Kenma Australia.
7.Brett did a neat job on the cutouts in the aluminium front fender, as well as the mounting bracket. It does pay to have somebody helping you who knows what he’s doing…
8. The sticker says ‘Kitsune’ and the badge says ‘Australia’s best monthly motorcycle magazine’. That’s not hard, seeing we’re the last of them!
9.The rear of the frame lost quite a significant piece, including a cross bracket. The new frame loop and bracket are considerably neater. A small vertical arm welded to the frame loop accommodates the Rizoma license plate and rear blinker/taillight/brake light pods.
10. Strong stainless steel spokes from Japan make the wheels not only more rigid but also more attractive.
11. Does this look as if it came from a CB900? About half of it has joined the choir invisible, but the remains look good and work well. Should we paint or powdercoat the foot controls black?
12.Those running lights have to be seen to be believed.They have a cat’s eye reflector which can be mounted vertically or, as we did, horizontally. Sharp cutoff for the beam!
Well, what do you think?
A simple and not too expensive custom job; what would you have done differently? Come on, I can take it… D
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
Rockhampton, QLD WORDS STUART
THIS PARTICULAR ROUTE
IS all about the short and sharp twisties of Mount Morgan, so you can choose to do the orange route of a shorter loop, or make it a big day ride and include the green route to explore the countryside a bit more.
ROCKHAMPTON
This is beef country and the Beef City of Rockhampton is booming; a modern throwback to the heydays of Queensland’s colonial past, offering all your cosmopolitan conveniences in a contemporary riverside setting.
Rockhampton is the heart of the Fitzroy Basin, Australia’s second largest river system, and bordered by the brooding Berserker Ranges, ultimately delivering the best of both worlds for outdoor and adventure buffs.
There are plenty of places to visit - including the newly redeveloped Riverbank Precinct, the beautiful Botanic Gardens and Zoo, which is proudly home to more than 70 species of native and exotic animals.
When the sun sets on the mighty Fitzroy River, premium dining can be found along the heritage-listed streets, with some of the best steak houses, restaurants, pubs, clubs and cocktail bars found anywhere in regional Queensland.
If you’ve got time, head to Mt Archer National Park where you
can enjoy outstanding views of Rockhampton from the new Nurim Circuit Elevated Boardwalk, extending 25 metres outward and 7.5 metres high on the mountain top.
The Southern Great Barrier Reef prides itself on quintessential Queensland heritage and you simply can’t experience the Rockhampton of today, without an appreciation of days’ past. Once upon a time, Rockhampton was Australia’s northernmost city and even touted as the future state capital, thanks largely to the region’s thriving resource and beef industries, which continue today.
In fact, you need only look around when riding into town for proof of their pastoral pedigree, with six iconic bull statues standing proudly throughout the city, and an undercover rodeo arena.
MOUNT MORGAN
Mount Morgan is one of a handful of genuinely fascinating mining towns. It is a true gem. A remarkably well-preserved historic town full of remarkable timber buildings. There is something wonderfully quirky and original about the town. The unique combination of huge timber pubs; remnants of mining equipment in the median strips; elegant buildings slowly fading as their relevance and use stretch further into the past; and
images of a time when the town was genuinely rich and prosperous; all combine to make it a town held in aspic. It is genuinely very friendly and has the feeling of a country town from the distant past. Many of the residents are retirees from Rockhampton who enjoy the country town lifestyle.
Go to the Visitor Information Centre in the old Railway Station and get a copy of the Mount Morgan Mud Map. It lists a total of thirty places of interest which can be visited either by a very vigorous walk or by a combination of riding and walking.
DULULU
Take your pick of camping, fishing and swimming spots.
The Dee River is at the doorstep –try the Dee at the Burnett Highway crossing for a close spot to throw a line – and the Don and Lake Victoria not far down the road.
At the rest area in Dululu a plaque bearing the names of early settlers is
ROCKHAMAPTON, QLD
ORANGE ROUTE
Distance - 155km
Fuel – Rockhampton, Mount Morgan
Jump onto Bruce Highway and head south out of Rockhampton and turn right onto Burnett Highway. Follow this all the way to Dululu and turn right onto Leichhardt Highway. Head to the end and make another right turn on Capricorn Highway and cruise on back to Rocky.
Once you arrive at Dululu continue straight on, which turns into Leichhardt Highway. Ride on for Banana and watch out for the skins on the ground (only kidding). Head through town and continue on Dawson Highway to Bauhinia and turn right on Fitzroy Development Road. If you get to the Truckstop, you’ve gone a few metres too far. Follow Fitzroy Development road to the end and make another right turn, which is Capricorn Highway. If you’re low on fuel it’s only four kilometres or so to Duaringa. The rest of this route is following Capricorn Highway back to Rocky for a nice cold beverage or two.
mounted on a hexagonal shaped rock similar to those found at Mount Scoria near Thangool.
Owners of vast areas of grazing land, these were folks who helped found the region’s cattle industry, including the Scot born Leith-Hays brothers who named the Dee and Don rivers.
BANANA
Not what you think grows here, there isn’t a single banana tree in sight. A dun-coloured bullock is responsible for that.
A favourite of local stockmen in the 1860’s, Banana the bullock, so named for his yellowish colouring, would help herd wild cattle into holding yards. When Banana died, the gully was given the name in honour of his feats.
A replica of Banana proudly stands in the town, a warm reminder of his legacy to those pioneering days.
A key junction point between the Dawson and Leichhardt highways, and from Banana travellers can reach all the wonders of the region in next to no time.
MOURA
Moura is not like other coal mining towns. It existed before coal was discovered in the area (the coal mine didn’t open until the early 1960s) and consequently it doesn’t feel like a mining town. It is more a rural service centre surrounded by cattle and dairy as well as cotton which is processed at the Moura Gin. Consequently. it has become known as ‘The Coal and Cattle Centre of the Dawson Valley’. Although there is diversity in the town’s economic base it is still easy to find evidence of its involvement with coal. The playground which lies on the northern outskirts of the town features a giant cog and a huge shovel which are part of the play equipment and the brass statue of a miner commemorating the Moura Underground No 4 Disaster is a reminder of the way tragedies have affected the district.
BAUHINIA
A waypoint for this route, but there is a truckstop if you need a feed, drink or fuel.
DUARINGA
A quick stop at Mackenzie Park on the eastern side of town and just off the Capricorn Highway, and which is home to a rare tree that is only found in the Duaringa township, is recommended. The Duaringa Stringy Bark, known to local Aborigines as ‘Budgeroo’, grows up to 10 metres tall and has bushy foliage with small white flowers that bloom in spring. These trees were of great cultural significance to the Ghungala people who used the bark to make rope, baskets and building materials. D
T H E R I D E R ‘ S T O U R
IT HAS BEEN a couple of years since we held an Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Tour but our great association with Paradise Motorcycle Tours has got the brains – Stuart (AMM) and Mike (PMT) -together to come up with our next tour: The Rider’s Tour!
This is a tour that is NOT to be missed. It really is going to be that good. Not only will the tour be covering a lot of the best of the South Island, but the cream is we’ll be tying it in with the Burt Munro Challenge – four days of blow your mind racing events, motorcycles, and simply old fashioned motorcycling fun.
Before we get into the details, if the first paragraph had you saying, “I’m in already!” well, do not delay
and book your spot. Contact Mike or one of the fine crew at Paradise Motorcycle Tours now – jump onto paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz, email info@aradisemotorcycletours. co.nz or phone +64 274 765 035.
Due to Covid-19, Paradise Motorcycle Tours has a fully refundable deposit if restrictions are still in place and an extended time before full payment is due to allow this ever-changing pandemic to ease.
The Rider’s Tour will see you riding the best roads with the best guides, all on new/near new BMW motorcycles as Paradise Motorcycle Tours is an Official BMW Motorrad Partner. This means they have attained certification by BMW Motorrad that they know how
to conduct a professional and exciting tour and offer you amazing motorcycles to ride. This really does make the experience all the more better. Paradise Motorcycle Tours isn’t a Trip Advisor ‘Hall of Famer’ for nothing.
Both AMM and Paradise are encouraging solo and two-up riders to attend this ripper tour. If your pillion feels like hitching a ride in the support van for a section of road to let you tear up some tyres or would like a whole day off the bike – cool. They’ll just to put up with weird New Zealand jokes from the driver. LOL!
The AMM Burt Munro Challenge Rider’s Tour 2021 in association with Paradise Motorcycle Tours NZ will include the following…
THE RIDER’S
THE RIDER’S TOUR
Monday 8 February
Arrive Christchurch
Our accommodation is just 7 minutes from the Airport. On arrival use the courtesy phone to inform the hotel you’ve arrived and they will collect you and bring you to the hotel.
Meet Stuart and his partner Lisa and the Paradise team that evening. Say hello to your motorcycle and complete the paperwork. Welcome drinks are on us tonight.
Tuesday 9 February
Christchurch to Mount Cook Village 335km
We’ll be away by 9am and three bends and three short straights and we’re out of Christchurch and into the countryside. Thankfully we’re not north of Christchurch and don’t have to put up with interminably brain numbing dead straight roads, you’ll be straight into it at the click of the fingers.
We’ll ride through The Canterbury Plains, across the Rakaia Gorge on the Inland Scenic Route, and onwards through Geraldine and Fairlie, Bukes Pass and Tekapo, before arriving at our accommodation in Mount Cook Village.
We will have marvelled at the Blue Lakes of Tekapo and Pukaki and had our first taste of sweeping bends with views of magnificent mountains and very little traffic. A chance to take a helicopter trip around Mount Cook and land in the snow from Glentanner heliport near Mount Cook this afternoon, weather dependent. This is at additional cost and has to be booked in advance, we’ll talk about it with you after you have booked the tour. It’s the most popular activity on any NZ tour. The ride into Mount Cook Village is one that will simply blow your mind out of the universe, if not for the view, but the awesome road.
Wednesday 10 February
Mount Cook Village to Invercargill 430km
An awesome ride through Central Otago today. Fantastic roads, stunning scenery, the Lindis Pass, Cromwell,
Alexandra and its moonscape, just wonderful riding all the way to Invercargill. No State Highway 1 for us, only stunning roads.
Thursday
11 February
Start of BMC
We’re at the Burt Munro Challenge for the next four days and exclusive to Paradise we aren’t going to miss a thing. First up is the Hill Climb this morning and then you have a choice of E Hayes and Sons, the most amazing hardware shop in the world, with its eclectic mix of all things combustion engine powered, as well as all the original Burt Munro Bikes, a film copy you can sit in for a photo, and lots of memorabilia. You also have tickets to Motorcycle Mecca and Bill Richardson Transport World. This evening we have the Drag Races to entertain us.
Friday 12 February
Today we can see where Burt learnt to race and ride a bike fast, we’re off to the Beach races. Don’t forget you should take the opportunity to ride through the Catlins when you get time, your guides will be only too happy to give you advice on routes. Live music tonight if you’re interested.
Saturday 13 February
Its Sprint races this morning and Speedway this afternoon and more live music tonight, and your last chance to go see anything you didn’t have time to fit in before.
THE RIDER’S TOUR
Sunday 14 February
Invercargill to Te Anau 220km
We have Street Races this morning, and then it’s time to bid a fond farewell to Invercargill as we avoid the crowds taking the obvious route to Queenstown, and take the road less travelled, the Southern Scenic route to Te Anau, our gateway to the unspoilt area of Fiordland, with its lakes and mountains and waterfalls.
Monday 15 February
Te Anau-Milford SoundQueenstown 392km
An early start today as we ride 110kms to Milford Sound to arrive in time for our cruise on the Sound. Henry Cole of “Worlds Greatest Motorcycle Rides” toured with us and after the Milford Ride said it was the best motorcycle day ride of his life. The ride up to The Homer Tunnel and the entry into a cathedral of mountains,
snow, ice and waterfalls is awesome. It might even snow (if you’re lucky) in the middle of summer!
Our Milford cruise is another example of not taking the obvious route. We cruise in a small ship, far from the madding crowd that the other cruise ships have, which enables us to get far closer to all the points of interest in the Fiord – get wet if you want under one of the many waterfalls. Our day continues after the cruise, we get to enjoy the spectacle and the road to Te Anau, and then after lunch we ride to Queenstown for the first of a two-night stop.
Tuesday 16 February
Relax day - Explore Queenstown.
Take a ride to Glenorchy or Coronet Peak, explore Arrowtown, enjoy wine at Gibbston, throw yourself off something high attached to your life by elastic, or take a jet boat ride: the opportunities are endless, and
your guides and the hotel will help you arrange and book anything you’re interested in. Or just kick back and relax, take a stroll into town, enjoy the lake and mountain views and don’t do anything much.
Wednesday 17 February
Queenstown to Franz Josef 350km
It’s the Ice Run today, a wonderful ride up the Crown Range, the highest sealed road in New Zealand, and then onto Wanaka, alongside lakes and mountains to the Haast Pass, then the Salmon Farm, Bruces Bay, glorious rainforest, Fox Glacier Village and our home for the night, Franz Josef. You have another chance to take a helicopter trip this afternoon if you missed the first trip, and again tomorrow morning, the weather (mountains attract clouds) means we get up about 50% of the time. The riding today will be some of the best you could imagine.
Thursday 18 February
Franz Josef to Punakaiki 220km
Through the rainforest heading north on the west coast, our first stop is Hokitika, the centre of a Gold Rush in the 1800s, and its too grand buildings are memorials to its once wealthy heritage. It’s the town the book The Luminaries was based on. It’s now the centre of the greenstone or Pounamu industry and if you are interested in buying genuine and authentic greenstone ask your guides where to go to get the real thing at a reasonable price. Heading north again we ride through Greymouth, and then alongside the sea until we
reach Punakaiki, and our hotel beside the sea for the night. Don’t forget the Pancake Rocks!
Friday 19 February
Punakaiki to Hanmer Springs 290km
We start the day riding beside the ocean heading north and then turn inland to the lower Buller Gorge. We ride alongside the river following the twists and turns before heading inland to Reefton, the first town in New Zealand to get electric light. We’ll stop for a break and give you time to wander the interesting collection of shops in Main Street, maybe chat to the bearded miners, although there is speculation locally that they may not have mined anywhere, they’re certainly bearded. Onward through the forest, we have
left ‘rainforest’ behind at the ocean and now we are riding through beech forest, long sweeping bends through the forest until we reach Springs Junction. A quick stretch and a comfort stop and we’re into the Lewis Pass, in our opinion one of the most scenic of the main passes and great riding. Hanmer Springs is our next stop staying at a new hotel just 10 minutes walk from town.
Saturday 20 February
Hanmer Springs to Christchurch via Kaikoura 310km
An early start for those who have asked for Whale Watching out of Kaikoura (additional cost, must be pre-booked, weather dependent). For the rest it’s a lovely ride through the inland route to Kaikoura for an
early lunch and then a ride beside the sea before heading inland and then onward to Christchurch.
It’s the end of your tour, but we won’t abandon you at the hotel, we will celebrate the tour with drinks and a farewell dinner as we look at all the photos people have taken during the tour, and tonight it’s all on us.
Sunday 21 February
Departure
After breakfast it’s time to say our sad farewells. Paradise hope to see you again, in New Zealand or maybe on one of their European Alps or Balkans tours, when we can travel to Europe again.
Get excited! The time to book is now, this is going to be a trip of a lifetime. D
It’s going to be all smoke and mirrors this year from Cologne.
COLOGNE PULLS OUT
INTERMOT is cancelled for 2020
DIGITAL “INTERMOT EVENTS” AT year’s end will have to suffice to keep the motorcycle community informed of innovations and industry news, unless the Italians go ahead with the Milan show EICMA. That is a month later than INTERMOT, so there is still a chance that it will happen.
“Following extensive consultations, and in coordination with the conceptual sponsor, the German Motorcycle Industry Association (IVM), Koelnmesse GmbH has decided to suspend INTERMOT 2020,” says the press release. “A digital format for this is under preparation and will be implemented by year’s end. In contrast to trade fairs with a business-to-business orientation, major events such as
INTERMOT draw tens of thousands of private visitors on all days of the trade fair; the hall space is limited and the time available is short. Spatial proximity and the shared experience of the trade fair form an integral part of the character of this event. At this point in time, the specifications currently in effect cannot be met at major events.
“With this in mind, after conferring with key players from the industry, and with a view to the health of exhibitors and visitors, Koelnmesse and IVM have decided not to host this trade fair in 2020. As an important part of the motorcycle industry, however, and particularly in difficult times, we want to actively support our partners and are now working full steam on a digital format. With the digital INTERMOT news stream, we are creating a communication platform that will provide sustainable inspiration for the industry and the motorcycle community alike. We can then turn our full focus to the event
scheduled for 2022.”
It’s sad, but it makes sense. It is also a guide to future shows, which will probably include much more digital content.
“In future, trade fairs such as INTERMOT will incorporate more hybrid elements – to supplement the on-site experience with added digital reach. All of the stakeholders involved now have plenty of time to prepare accordingly for the next INTERMOT in Cologne, and to make this the meeting place for the international motorcycle community once again”, explained Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, and Reiner Brendicke, General Executive Manager of IVM, in a joint statement. Sadly, the cancellation of INTERMOT also means that the brilliant international Custom show that is such a vital part of it, is also off. Organiser Robin Bradley tells me that there is no point in making alternative plans at the moment, until we know what’s happening around the world. He’s right, of course. Stay tuned for updates on that subject. D
Technical and industry news will have to be online for 2020.
CARCOAR ROYAL HOTEL
WORDS/PHOTOS
COLIN WHELAN
THE TRUE STORY THAT
I’m hoping to hang a yarn on as I descend past the old Catholic Church and then the Retreat Centre and down into the valley village of Carcoar involves this country’s biggest ever robbery – the bailing-up of the bullion transport from Forbes to Sydney that became known as the Eugowra Gold Robbery of 1862.
It featured a better all-star heist cast than Ocean’s Eleven. The eight bushrangers were led by Frank Gardiner (later a publican in Qld) and they included luminaries like John Gilbert, John Row and the up-andcoming Ben Hall.
Accompanying the gold coach were three troopers including a Sergeant Condell and the rig was driven by ‘an old whip’ named Jack Fagan. (‘Guarding’ seems to overstate the cops’ role by more than a few ounces.)
When they were bailed up east of Eugowra (and about 90kms west of Carcoar) and the shooting started, the troopers and Fagan started heading for the hills. Condell later testified they’d been attacked on all sides by a ‘party of 12 to 15 men’, that he’d been shot 4 times, one of the other troopers ‘received two balls, one of which wounded him in the testicles’, (yeah I know, ouch) and that the driver had
‘received two bullets, but was not hurt’.
No bushranger lost any blood and they got away with today’s equivalent of 10 million bucks worth of gold, cash and cheques.
The troopers and driver made it to Orange where Condell later testified, “that constable Haviland was shot. I examined the arms, and found that the revolver he had in his charge had one chamber discharged. The bullet entered underneath his chin, killing him instantly.”
An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict that the trooper, “died from a bullet wound under the chin, but how received there was not sufficient evidence to show.”
Doesn’t that all sound just a bit suss? The complete lack of fight put up by the armed escort, the ease of the bushrangers bagging the 6500 ounces of gold, the exaggeration of the number of bushrangers by the head trooper, the mysterious death of one of the cops just before they got to town where he’d soon be asked his version of events.
But it’s not the troopers or the bushrangers that bring me to Carcoar, it’s the driver, Jack Fagan who, Condell
had claimed, had been shot twice. Once in Orange Fagan breathlessly explained just how narrowly he’d cheated death by showing the entry and exit bullet holes in his hat, and the marks on his tunic where the second shot had hit.
Soon after, Jack Fagan sold his run to Cobb & Co and bought a pub and his hat, with its twin holes in the crown, had pride of place on one wall of the bar. That pub was the Royal Hotel at Carcoar, which is on my right at the bottom of the hill but it’s a bit early and the sun’s still a bit above the western ridges so I head up to the exquisite old railway station which stands glowing halfway up the rise on the far side of town.
A few years ago there was a tearoom tried here but now the place, well painted and well maintained is a sadly mute sentinel balancing the spire on the eastern hill. Then it’s down to get a couple of images of the old saddlery and the museum before heading back to town, more pictures of the old cinema a couple of doors down from the pub. Then “G’day” to a pair of blokes sitting outside, one with an English sheepdog, the other
wearing thongs in what must now be no more than 8 degrees. Both are drinking from brown-paper wrapped bottles.
Into the warmth of the bar with its open log fire where Maysie, who’s getting close to the end of her shift, books me in, explains the Covid-era regulations and gets me a drink which I take back out to the brown bottle blokes.
Robert, the one with the canine (‘this is Rex’) smiles wryly when I explain my presence in town by mentioning Jack Fagan and his hat.
He pats Rex, takes a swig. “Well you know that’s bullshit don’t ya?”
“My great-grandfather, or it may’ve been my great-great-grandfather knew Jack Fagan and saw that hat. The holes were right down the bottom of the crown near the brim and if he’d been wearing that when the bullet went in, he’d have been shot through the temple. My grand-dad told me that.”
His grandfather thought Fagan’s story about the heist didn’t add up, thought he just might’ve put a round through the hat himself for effect, and then there was how he managed to ante up the money to buy the pub and later become one of the biggest landowners in the district.
He reckoned it might not’ve been what it seemed.
Robert was born in Carcoar – him and his three sisters – and lived here all his life. He asks me what I was taking photos of a couple of doors down.
“The old cinema.”
“Ah”, pats Rex and takes another swig, “and did you get some of the Saddlers down over the river?’
“Yep.”
“Well, they’re bullshit too you know.”
“What?”
“The place here with the Cinema painted on the front, it was always the town garage and the place with the Saddlers painted on it was just a little grocery.”
Turns out they shot a movie about Peter Allen here a few years back and the saddler’s was made up for the Tenterfield Saddler scenes and the garage was face-lifted into the Tenterfield flicks. Fair dinkum, I’ve been with this bloke for 5 minutes and he’s shot holes in every story idea I have about the joint. Lucky I don’t have a hat.
Someone across the road is blowing a blues storm on a harmonica – doing a great job and when Robert gives me the player’s very abbreviated CV, I beg him to go get the bloke to come over.
Alan, probably now in his 60s, has always been a music head, begging his ways into gigs as a kid and earning his right to stay by cleaning the floors and
running errands. As Robert’s son Dane joins us with his new pup, Alan runs off the names of the music idols of my youth – all stars he worked for and met - Doc Neeson, Richard Clapton, Mark Gable, Mark Seymour, Richard Pleasance, Dave Faulkner and Dave Gleeson.
Meanwhile he’d qualified as an osteopath and slid from brushing floors to manipulating the abused bodies of the musicians. One night, Michael Hutchence told a roadie that he needed Dr Bones and he’s been known as that ever since.
Seeking a different life to what existence in Hurstville had become, he semi-retired to Carcoar and is working on reinvigorating the railway station on the hill. His plans include exploiting the attractions of the long tunnel just downline from the station.
Covid added another bloody layer
of red tape to his plans but he reckons he’s starting to see light at the end of all his tunnels. Stay tuned.
The outside gang all have to rattle their dags, so I head inside where Maysie (who was born in the pub when her parents ran it at the end of last century) has handed over to McKenzie, I manage to get to the outside of a too big, too filled pizza as a steady mid-week trickle of workers flows in, all fighting for their 4 square metres in front of the fire and then settle down to share stories of the day.
Gerry, the licensee and who runs the pub with a bit of a hand from Jason who works days at the Cadia goalmine half an hour north, finishes in the kitchen, grabs a glass of red and has time for a yarn.
She’s been ‘in pubs’ for 25 years, managing a few including the now sadly closed hotel at Neville and the pub at Trangie but this is her first go as a licensee. She took it over in November and the first three months saw it thriving. She reckons if the lockdown continued for a few more months there would’ve been existential challenges but now the people are coming back.
Already two groups of riders have booked out the place for a couple of weekends in September (one of these is the Bear Army) and weekends see the place jumping.
“We really love having riders here – can’t wait for them to start coming back.”
She heads out the back to photocopy a history of the town for me and I set about working out a shot of McKenzie in situ and she needs no
convincing to jump up and recline on the bar.
It’s that kinda place. What there ain’t here is gambling: No TAB, no Keno, no pokies. But there’s a set of quoits in the bar that’re used almost daily (just don’t go challenging any of the staff coz you’ll do your dough) and there’s darts there for the chucking, plus a pool table out the back.
Why waste time backing nags when you can back yourself?
The fire rages all night and I cut out around 10pm. Upstairs, someone’s been in my room since I chucked my gear on the bed: the electric blanket’s been turned as has the room’s oil heater – just like it’d be if you were staying at a (good) friend’s place.
Next morning, after a great sleep I watch through the window at the foot of my queen bed as the morning sun morning paints its light on the hills off to the west and then head across the street to the Village Grocer café. It’s owned and run by Courtney who opens here Thursday to Sundays and spends the evenings at home making the pastries, the pies and the cakes. Jobkeeper kept her going through Covid and now she’s selling out most days and looking to put her local staffer back on. Coffee’s damn reasonable too!
Between the pub and the faux cinema is the town’s old general store, closed now for 4 or 5 years. It was run for over forty by Robert’s parents and Robert had organized for his gentle, kindly widowed mum to have a chat in the morning sun.
We talk out front of the old store and she tells tales of going to school in her sulky and days when a train trip to Blaney was a treat and how the steam engine smoke would choke her as they chugged through the tunnels. Of how the store was gossip centre of the town and of over-hearing conversations when she worked the manual telephone exchange. What a treat to be graced by such a person. Who really cares if Jack Fagan faked the gunshots or if some of the facades in Carcoar are phoney when you’ve got less than Buckley’s of finding a person who is!
Full disclosure: I wasn’t offered nor did I seek any discount on any charge during my stay. D
Oh yes, oh yes
Simply put – you’d be seriously struggling to find a pub filled with friendlier, more helpful people on either side of the bar. And they love bike riders.
In these freshly post-lockdown times, pubs are wrestling with the new normals, especially the provision of food so judging the tucker from the limited menu is difficult but my pizza was massive and delish.
Carcoar is a mobile phone black hole but the pub has wi-fi which works in every area from out front to upstairs.
Out back in the huge western facing yard, (with a very decent 44 gallon fire pit that’d be fun if you rock up with a big group) there’s undercover parking for maybe twenty bikes and the gates can be locked at night but if you’re that paranoid in a town like this you’re probably wearing a tin foil hat under your helmet and spending your weekends at anti-5G rallies because it causes pandemics.
My room – one of 11 that’re available cost $60 and had all that’s needed: heat, cooling fan, sink, strong hooks for the winter gear and a good bed. The amenities are all clean and the hot water is mains.
The common-room’s downstairs with the makings for a brew and cereal breakfast – but Courtney’s place across the road, with its homemade goodies will get you started way better and deserves support.
The Royal Hotel at Carcoar lacks nothing: 5 Helmets
For value I rated it 130 where 100 is benchmark, and for character, the absence of any hat with holes was made up for by the attitude of the staff and the availability of games. 5/5.
KAWASAKI
SUPERCHARGING A MOTORCYCLE SOUNDS
pretty crazy (unless you remember post-war BMW race bikes), but Kawasaki did just that with the release of the H2 and H2R a handful of years ago. There were always rumours of a naked version but until they actually release a bike you can never rely on just speculation.
However, pictures of the new Z H2 naked were released to the world last year and having ridden the H2 sportsbike on the road and track I was pretty excited to get my backside on the naked version with its more upright handlebar.
One thing you need to do with the Z H2 is not look at it in photos – it looks a bit weird, whereas when you’re standing there looking at it, it’s quite different. It does look physically big in the metal (and according to the specs, a bit meaty: 239kg) but doesn’t feel
this way when you sit on it and ride it. The big difference in viewing this bike in the flesh is the screen. In photos it all blends in, whereas in the flesh you can see it’s separate and makes the Z H2 look very similar to the rest of the Z range with that ‘transformer’ styled headlight.
To style the Z H2, Kawasaki used the Sugomi and minimalist design concept. Its crouching form is supposed to give the poise of a predator poised to attack, and the asymmetric Ram Air intake on its left side is an element of its fiercely intense and highly individualistic Sugomi design. Its compact chassis is the product of a minimalist design philosophy, with all functional parts shown simply and made as small as possible. To mark the stature of this high-level motorcycle, the Kawasaki River Mark emblem displayed on the headlamp cowl
has been used. Its use, an honour permitted only for machines powered by supercharged engines. Computers control a lot of how this bike rides. It is the same with the H2 – the computer decides how much power it gives you through the inputs to the throttle thanks to the Electronic Throttle Valves. You might have one hundred percent at some times and seventy-five percent at other times (and so on) with the same throttle input. This does feel quite weird; I think the rider should be the one deciding how much throttle is twisted. Expecting a certain power level and having it change does make this bike a little harder to ride fast. To put this into context, the corner we took the riding photos you see here was kinda sketchy with some loose gravel. With the same throttle input I was spinning up the tyre, then on another pass it felt doughy (traction was turned off
for both passes).
The time we had with the Z H2 the suspension was soft and was overwhelmed by the amount of acceleration. I asked Kawasaki if it was on the standard settings? Alas it wasn’t, someone from another magazine had decided to back off the suspension for some weird reason and made the Z H2 handle like a pig. I really wish people that think they can test a bike or think they know how to adjust suspension would leave things alone when they clearly have no idea. Anyway, after getting Kawasaki to adjust the bike back to how you would grab it off the showroom floor, I was much happier with how the Z H2 rides. The rear was still a touch soft but the front was pretty good, much better on turn in and the rear didn’t sag like a homie’s pants.
Do not underestimate this bike –it is extremely fast on the road and
TEST
thanks to the super quiet exhaust it is even more deceiving: if you want longer arms, this bike will do it.
One of the keys to achieving the Z H2’s impressive power is its 69mm supercharger impeller. Formed from a forged aluminium block using a 5-axis CNC machining centre to ensure high precision and high durability, its complex shape features 6 blades at the tip, expanding to 12 blades at the base. You’ll also love the flutter of the supercharger on overrun, it’s like sweet butterflies giving you fluffy goosebumps as they spin your brain into a frenzy. For reliability, to withstand high pressures and high temperatures not found in a naturally aspirated engine, cast pistons are used. Cast pistons offer better strength than forged pistons for the very high temperatures generated by the supercharged engine.
To pull up this mega fast motorcycle, the latest hardware from Brembo is fitted, as is the latest Cornering ABS module from Bosch. This combination is powerful and predictable and
having the latest ABS functions, great if you really get it all wrong.
As mentioned, electronics feature heavily in this bike. Integrated Riding Modes, which link KTRC (traction control) and the Power Mode to simplify setting adjustments. A Bosch IMU, monitors chassis orientation and provides feedback to enable even more precise management by the KTRC and KIBS (anti-lock braking) systems, which optimises traction in a wide variety of riding situations.
Power Mode Selection offers three (actually four) output modes for riders to choose according to preference and conditions – Sport, Road, Rain and the manually adjustable Rider mode.
Other electronic features include KCMF (Kawasaki Cornering Management Function) which oversees traction and braking management, KIBS (Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System), which uses high-precision control to regulate hydraulic brake pressure to minimise interference during sporty riding, KLCM (Kawasaki Launch Control Mode), which helps to achieve mega fast acceleration from a stop, KQS (Kawasaki Quick Shifter), which
enables clutchless gear shifts and the one great feature which is popping up on many other Kawasaki modelsElectronic Cruise Control.
The full-colour TFT LCD instrument panel comprehensively displays heaps of information and is jam-packed with info on various functions. It also has functions that can help you manage daily vehicle operating status and schedule for long distance riding. Display functions include a digital speedometer, gear position indicator, shift indicator, odometer, dual trip meters, fuel gauge, remaining range, current/ average fuel consumption, outside temperature, coolant temperature, clock, Economical Riding Indicator, IMU indicator: lean angle/weight distribution, KIBS indicator: brake pressure being applied, boost pressure and boost temperature.
Kawasaki’s Rideology app means you can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth and check machine information and recording and download logs, settings such as Riding Mode can be prepared
remotely. Things such as Vehicle Info: information such as fuel gauge, odometer, maintenance schedule, can be viewed. Riding Log: GPS route information as well as vehicle running information can be logged and viewed via the smartphone.
Telephone notices: when a call or mail is received by the smartphone, this is indicated on the instrument display.
Tuning – General Settings: general instrument display settings (such |as preferred units, date, date format) can be adjusted via the smartphone. Tuning – Kawasaki Riding Management:
Riding Mode (Road, Sport, Rain, Rider) can be set in advance on the smartphone and uploaded when in proximity of the bike, as can riding support systems (like KQS).
All of this gives you something to do on the couch at night rather than wiping up the dishes, although I’m not too sure the better half will be too happy with you not doing the household chores!
Ergonomics are surprisingly quite good for what you might consider to be a sportsbike arrangement. I could see myself touring on this bike very easily and still be comfortable between fuel stops. The pillion would not be so comfortable as my better half mentioned to me. She said the seat itself is okay, but the pegs are set a little high. Accessories are limited but well thought out. You can get a USB outlet for the left side of the instrument panel and one for under the rear seat, you can also get comfort seats for rider and pillion, heated grips, tank bag, larger screen and a smattering of other bits and pieces.
As much as I think the Kawasaki Z H2 is a crazy fast motorcycle, the computer over-riding the power levels would see me having to get the bike tuned to get rid of this and give me full power on my terms, and I’d have to spend some money on decent suspension. But, to have a bike that is unusual and will be the talking point of every stop you make, the Z H2 is a hell of a bike. Keep that big exhaust for the silent treatment, or get something a bit louder to smack onlookers on the chops – it depends how you like to serve it up. D
Specs
KAWASAKI Z H2
PRICE: $23,000 (ride away)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: 998cc liquid-cooled cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston cornering ABS calipers. Rear, 260mm disc, two-piston cornering ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.43 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 255km
COLOURS: Metallic Spark Black
VERDICT: The Quiet Assassin
YOUR BIKE DESERVES IT
COMPILED BY STUART
FIND TINKERING, WORKING ON or doing up my bike wondrously satisfying. You might like to call it my de-stress activity, but once you do something to your bike -- it can be as simple as washing it then showing it off to admiring eyes from onlookers -- will bring you smiles for miles. And of course you can make improvements to the bike which make it more practical for you. We’ve asked the distributors to show you some items you might like to consider in ‘Doin’ up your bike’.
KAWASAKI
kawasaki.com.au or your local dealer
Top Case – $362
Add extra carrying capacity, enough room for 2 average sized helmets. One key system available.
*Other parts required
*Fitting kits and colour panels not included.
Engine Sliders – $275.35
Protect the Versys fairings from tip over damage.
Pannier System – $1293.60
28L hard case panniers with integrated mounting system. One key system available.
*Other parts required
*Fitting kits and colour panels not included.
Note: Top Case and Panniers can be fitted at the same time.
Radiator Guard – $125.51
Protect the radiator from road debris.
Heated Grips – $369.56
Enhanced rider comfort on cold days.
Low Seat – $557.78
Replaces the standard seat. Ergo-fit seat is 20mm lower.
ROCKY CREEK DESIGNS
rockycreekdesigns. com.au
Side Stand Support – $46
The Side Stand Support is ideal for all those uneven surfaces where a flat rock is just nowhere to be found. This sturdy and strong aluminium enlarger will effectively support the weight of your adventure motorcycle.
Headlight
Protector – $123
The Headlight Protector fits the BMW R1200GS LC and GSA LC 2013 – 2016 models. Help protect the expensive BMW headlight against stones, branches and road debris.
MOTORRAD GARAGE
motorradgarage.com.au
Legend Gear – Made For Legends
Legend Gear uses state of the art materials with classic style. It’s the perfect balance of form and function. The Legend Gear Luggage line combines ageless retro design with choice materials and a versatile fastening system. Whether you are after a tank bag, rear bag, pannier bags, back pack or tank strap, there is a Legend Gear product for most bikes.
Leg Bag Set – From $77
Going for a short ride and only want to carry a few small items? Then the Leg Bag from Legend Gear might be for you. The holster can be adjusted to fit the length of your leg, thigh and hip size for optimal comfort. Multiple inner pockets keep your gear organised. The Set includes a 0.8 or 1.25L bag, holster and a waterproof cover.
Tool Bag – $134
This is no doubt one of the grooviest looking tool bags you can fit to your bike. But it doesn’t just have to be a tool bag. Use it to carry your wallet, phone or any other small items. It can be strapped to your bike’s frame or handle bar and it can also be worn on the waist or carried as a shoulder bag – a strap is included. Multiple inner compartments keep your items organised.
Doin’ Up Your Bike
MOTUL
linkint.com.au
and all good bike shops
Air Filter Wash Kit
– $119.90
A comprehensive kit that contains everything you need to stay on top of your air filter maintenance. No-one enjoys cleaning air filters, but this kit makes it as easy as possible.
• Air Filter Oil - Industry leading air filter oil, providing improved air filter efficiency for better carburation. Effectively retains dust, mud and sand for greater engine durability. Prevents water from entering the filter.
• Grease- Multipurpose High Performance grease. Used to grease the outer rim of the air filter to provide a seal against the airbox to ensure no dirt or dust enters the motor.
• Filter Clean - Specially formulated for foam air filters. Removes dirt and breaks down air filter oil. Contains a detergent to ensure a thorough clean by simply rinsing with water.
• Drying Rack - Used inside the wash bucket to provide a separation from sediment during the cleaning process. Conveniently doubles as a drying rack for the freshly cleaned air filter.
• Container - Store your excessive Air Filter Oil ready for reuse.
• Bucket - Ideally sized bucket to wash your dirty Air Filters.
Perfect Seat – $18.90
Perfect Seat is a cleaner and restorer for the vinyl saddles of motorcycles, scooters, quadbikes, snowmobiles, and the like.
Motul Perfect Seat’s active agent removes even the most ingrained dirt and dust, with the added benefit of an anti-static/antidust effect and affording anti-UV protection preventing the saddle from fading. The product restores lustre, revives colours and leaves a longlasting protective film on the saddle, while offering a silica-free and solventfree formula. Pleasantly orangescented, Motul Perfect Seat does not slide or damage the saddle and does not leave any greasy film. Not suitable for leather saddles.
Spray the product on the saddle, while avoiding direct sunlight. Leave to work for a few moments, then wipe with a soft, non-fluffy cloth.
• Removes encrusted dirt and grime.
• Brings back the original finish and restores like-new color.
• Dries evenly and leaves a protective dry and non-greasy sheen.
• Silicon free formula for a non-slip effect on the saddle.
• Dust repellant for a long-lasting protection.
• UV protection to prevent the seat from fading.
• Orange perfume.
KENMA
kenma.com.au and all good bike shops
Oggy Knobbs Fender
Eliminators – $129 – $169
provided engine and transmission, the R 50 donated the frame and running gear) turned out to be useful but never really ideal; for a start the Ural sidecar was too heavy. I didn’t build the perfect outfit until I matched a Yamaha Bolt to a replica Steib chair. Still, the Beemer outfit covered a lot of miles and was a lot of fun. I don’t seem to be able to find any photos, so you’ll have to settle for one of the Bolt.
RALPH - KTM SUPERDUKE / BMW R 1200 GS
Split Decision
I owned both in the late 2000s and these bikes meant different things for
Manufactured right here in Australia with the same quality materials and attention to detail we have all come to expect from the people at Oggy Knobbs. These Fender Eliminator kits come with LED lamp and bracketry to suit the original indicators, with brackets for aftermarket indicators available. Designed for use with Australian number plates, these are truly a plug and play fitment, with no need to cut wires or drill holes.
Specific models for SA and NT number plates available. To check availability for your model, go to kenma. com.au
Ventura EVO-12 12L Kit – $399
The EVO-12 Kit is the most recent addition to the EVO Rack range, consisting of the all new versatile and adjustable EVO-Rack.
The EVO-Rack new flat sleek design features the new adjustable mounting system allowing the EVO-Rack to be mounted in 4 positions on the same bike depending on the bike and the rider’s preference. The EVO-12 pack is designed to specifically fit with the new EVO-Rack using an innovative new pocket fastening system that securely holds the packs on the rack while riding. The EVO-12 is geared toward commuting and day riding with its 12 litre capacity. With quick release buckles, carry handle and shoulder strap you can quickly and easily be on your way.
Oggy Knobbs–Starting from $195
LEXTEK
bce.net.au
Royal Enfield 650 Twin Exhaust Slip-on kit – $687
This Royal Enfield 650 Twin kit comes with right side and left side stainless steel silencers with 51mm exhaust clamp, 2 x fitting brackets, removable baffles and stainless-steel link pipe set with heat shields.
Oggy Knobbs take the brunt of impacts and road surface abrasion. Oggy Knobbs are proudly manufactured in Australia using the strongest, most resilient materials, to ensure strength, performance and appearance. All metallic components are fully finished for corrosion resistance and durability. Protect your investment, accept no substitute and demand the best.
me and my riding. Both bikes I bought without test riding, and placed an order prior to their arriving in Australia. It’s proof that marketing hype works! Both represented freedom in every sense -performance or travel, wheelstanding or chugging through the countryside. Both were instrumental in consolidating their brands in their respective markets.
Royal Enfield Himalayan Exhaust Slip-on kit – $360
The Royal Enfield Himalayan Exhaust kit comes with rightside stainless-steel round carbon tip silencer with exhaust clamp, exhaust strap rubber, exhaust strap and removeable baffle.
Let it be known, BMW have pretty much always held amazing new bike launches and the introduction of the
e 2010s
STUART – BMW R 1200 GS Water-Cooled Magic
NELSON-RIGG
nelsonrigg.com.au and all good bike shops
Magnetic Phone Holder – NR-50 – $49.95
This handy holder comes with a lifetime warranty and features UltraMax fabric construction for maximum UV protection, is sized for plus size phones, attaches with strong shielded magnets, adjustable positioning for optimal viewing, reverse coil zippers help keep out dust, clear top is touch screen device friendly, protective base material and inner elastic sleeves to hold credit cards and licence. Dimensions: L 16.5cm x W 9cm x 3cm
Hurricane Enduro Tankbag – SE-3060 – $49.95
Made from 100% waterproof PVC tarpaulin with welded seams this tankbag comes with a lifetime warranty. Other features include a UV-coated outer material, perfect size for Dual Sport and Enduros, quick release strap system for easy refueling, protective base material, straps in base to help secure your belongings, waterproof zipper flaps protects from dust and dirt, clear touch screen device friendly top pocket, small mesh pocket under lid and rubberized carry handle for easy transport. Holds 2-6 litres in volume and the main compartment measures: L 20cm x W 13cm x H 10cm.
BRUCE COLLINS ENTERPRISES
bce.net.au and all good bike shops
Motorcycle/Scooter under seat Tool Kit – $29
This handy tool kit is the ideal companion for every bike with an essential selection of tools presented in an easy carry compact case. Includes long nose pliers, wire cutters, six allen key sizes; 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, seven sockets 5mm-11mm and extension, two electrical screw drivers, seven screw driver heads for the handle and carry case with strap.
OGIO
SECURITY
cassons.com.au and all good bike shops
Saddle Bag Duffel Stealth – $229.95
This is a pretty short list. The bike, being the ‘cooking’ version, does not have keyless ignition. I prefer that for security reasons, even if it does mean that I have to carry a key. I’ve got to carry a couple for the locks on the panniers anyway, so it’s no big deal. The pannier locks, by the way, have rubber covers that protect them from dust and moisture; well done, Wunderlich.
Most of my security comes from a set of cables. One of them is a good, fat, tough coiled job that I’ve had for so long I have forgotten where and how I found it in the first place. Together with an equally tough padlock, an Italian-made EC, it has served many motorcycles and has never let me down. The padlock, by the way, is set up in such a way that the widely-promoted ways of opening padlocks without a key will not work on it. That locks the bike to lampposts or prayer shrine or whatever.
Deluxe dual main compartments with wide U-shaped openings, sleek streamlined design for optimal air flow, 2” expansion zippers for extra storage, integrated hidden rain hoods, heat-resistant silicone impregnated bottoms, textured neoprene non-slip pad for paint protection, universal webbing mount system for secure attachment. 29 litre volume expanded. Add OGIO Tail Bag for a complete rear bag bike set.
Super Mini Tanker
The other cables are also steel, but thinner and lighter. One is another coiled cable, which locks the seat bag to the bike using the Rocky Creek Products combination helmet lock I’ve mentioned before. It can be used for both jobs at the same time. The other is just a plain cable which locks the camera bag and simultaneously locks it to the bike. I use whatever padlock happens to be handy with this, usually a combination lock.
Stealth – $129.95
Wunderlich
SAFETY
Despite its small (6L) size, you can really pack the Supermini Tanker tankbag tight thanks to several compartments and organization pockets. Grab and go with the reinforced handle, and when it’s time to jump off the bike, use the convenient shoulder strap and throw it on and go.
I have considered a lock that sounds an alarm, but we all know how effective car alarms are.
Back to the Wunderlich website. To protect the bike in case of a drop, I chose the firm’s engine and tank protection bars. As you’ll see in the photos, they are remarkably unobtrusive but still look as if they’d handle anything you might throw at them – so to speak. The upper and lower bars cost $497 and $565.03 respectively, and they fit snugly. The money they could save you even in a mild drop makes the investment well worthwhile.
NUMBER ONE WORLDWIDE IN BMW ACCESSORIES
Protect Your Vitals with Engine and Tank Bars, Skid Plates, Screens, Guards and Sliders.
A radiator guard goes without saying. So why am I saying it? Because you really don’t want to forget it. Radiators are ridiculously prone to damage, especially on an adventure
1. It’s difficult to photograph a bash plate without turning the bike upside down, but trust me – this one is a beauty. Hydroformed in Germany it fitted perfectly.
2. A radiator guard is essential. I would almost say that these things should be fitted by the factory on all bikes, but that would not suit aftermarket manufacturers.
Tail Bag Duffel
Customise Your Luggage Options. Safely Store and Access Everything You Need When You Need It.
Manage Airflow and Turbulence with Windscreens, Deflectors and Rain Protection to Enjoy Your Ride.
Personalise Your Ride Comfort with Seats, Handlebar Risers, Grips, Levers, Mirrors and Adapters.
Stealth - $139.95
Mickey Baumberger,
Deluxe main compartment with 30 litres of expansion volume, sleek streamlined airflow surface design, top organizer pocket, dual molded side accessory pockets, integrated hidden
4. That extensible gear lever is a great idea, especially if you wear different boots at different times.
rain hood, reinforced textured neoprene non-slip pad for paint protection, universal webbing mount system for secure attachment and an easy grab reinforced handle. D
3.
the Ulysses Club Mature Apprentice of the Year, fits the clutch and alternator covers at Procycles.
WE ARRIVED AT
THE airport in Auckland and were grateful to be re-united with our luggage, most importantly our riding gear. Did a trip to the USA some years ago and our riding gear got to us on the last day of a 14 day tour, always been a little paranoid about it since.
As we walked into the arrivals area we turned left as instructed and there was a bloke with our names on a board who led us to a very nice car to transport us to our hotel. The sky was blue and it was warm, the light seemed very bright, almost harsh.
On arrival at our hotel we were given access to our room immediately, even though it was only 11am. The hotel was very nice, staff was very friendly, and that was typical of the whole 21 days we toured in NZ, great accommodation, often with a view; friendly and mostly efficient staff.
We had two days to get over our jetlag and explore Auckland before our tour guides were due to meet us.
We were ready to ride and eager to get on the road two days later, when we were introduced to our BMW R 1200 RT. As promised, it was the latest model. After meeting the rest of the group, three couples and a single male, we were given a safety briefing, filled out the necessary paperwork and we were on our way. Our tour-guides were Mike, the owner of the company and lead rider, and his wife Jo, who drove the support vehicle which was carrying our luggage.
We were soon out of the city and
onto country roads, lovely long curves and some tight twisties, the scenery changing from farmland to dense forest full of ferns and then opening up to wide open views as we climbed, it was hard to keep your eyes on the road.
The road surfaces were superb, no pot-holes, good grip and bends and corners were constant radius, Mike explained that in the South Island the roads were more grippy, as a coarser chip was used to try and compensate for the ice and snow in the winter. It was also good in heavy rain, as we found out later.
We arrived after stopping several times for excellent coffee, comfort stops and lunch at our destination around 4pm… time to relax before dinner. The hotel was excellent again, right on the beach near the treaty grounds in Paihia, with wonderful sea views.
We met at reception at 7pm and were taken to the restaurant that Jo the tour-guide had booked. The food was exceptional.
The tour quickly settled into a rhythm, up early for breakfast, great riding with new friends, stunning views, arrive at another great location, socialise with the group at dinner after a briefing on what tomorrow’s ride would be by Mike. Jo, a nurse in real life, was very good at keeping everyone involved in conversations, Mike described her as social glue.
At dinner in Wellington we were told that our starter, the North Island, was over and the main course started with our ferry across the Cook Straits. Our group had grown to eight bikes overall, as we
READER’S TRAVEL
gained riders when we returned to Auckland from the far north 18 day riders, and Rotorua, 16 day riders.
I confess I had been worried that the tour group that topped out at 12 riders (more were joining in the South island, 11 day riders) would stop being fun to ride in, but the group were all of an age, and well managed by Mike with rules on no overtaking, and no peer pressure, everyone being encouraged to ride their own ride and have a great time.
The ferry crossing was great, and even though Dot, my wife, gets seasick she didn’t have any problems at all.
The South Island lived up to its billing, it’s hard to describe the diversity of the scenery and how quickly it changes.
On the West Coast we were warned that heavy rain was approaching, and after days and days of glorious sunshine we were likely to get wet.
We left Franz Josef early, in a bid to miss the rain front fast approaching, our destination Queenstown, some 355km away. The first part of the ride was twisty through rainforest, but dry, and then it started to rain. Heavy and windy and the temperature dropped to
8 degrees in midsummer! We stopped at the Salmon farm for a hot drink and six of the pillion passengers decided to ride in the support vehicle (it has eight seats for passengers) until the temperature rose.
The ride through Haast Pass was superb. Waterfalls were falling across the road and we were riding through them, it was the most amazing experience, and one I’ll never forget. We stopped at a café and love them, they had a roaring fire which we used to dry out, all soaked to the skin.
The tour had so many highlights, and was so much fun, we laughed so much it hurt. People of all stripes curiously bonded by shared experiences. Our tour guides were great hosts, with an in-depth knowledge of their country, an innate ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently, and great fun to be with. The tour was well designed with rest or explore days every four or five days. I would do it again in a heartbeat. D
WE’LL RIDE AGAIN
MANY OF THE JOURNEYS I write about in this part of the magazine are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for readers. The problem with that, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, is that once-in-alifetime experiences only happen once in your lifetime. It’s true that some people become addicted motorcycle travelers who can afford to and quite happily take regular and frequent trips, but most of us have mortgages, kids to provide for and businesses to run. What this means is that motorcycle journeys deserve decent planning and require some targeted saving. That, in turn, means that the current closed world not only contains the coronavirus, but also gives us the time to do both of those. And many tour operators have rewritten their contracts so that you can book in comfort, knowing that you’ll get your money back if borders are still closed or sickness is rampant when you booked to go. Booking now is not a bad choice. Some of those tour operators are offering bonuses of various kinds, and you can be sure that you’ll get a place on the tour you want. So while
smartraveller@smartraveller.gov.au is telling you to not even think about visiting any of the places on your bucket list at the moment, that too will pass and you’ll be in the catbird seat. But it’s good to do some research whether you already know where you want to go or you’re simply sure that you will want to go somewhere – maybe even anywhere! With that in mind I am continuing to produce this Journeys feature. If nothing else it’s keeping me sane! I react really badly to not being able to lay out some future plans. If I know I’m going somewhere, even if I don’t know when, I can put up with a lot.
I hope we can enable you to do the same, and stay sane as well. Let’s have a look at the journeys the industry is preparing for us. I’m sure we can find something for you.
Edelweiss has some ideas
My friends at Edelweiss Bike Travel seem to have much the same idea I do. The management team of Rainer and Tobias suggest that we should “discover the world together, while we have to stay at home.
“The sunny weather, our longing for
freedom, the desire to feel the wind in our hair, the craving for exotic scents, faraway lands and breathtaking roads are tempting - but at the moment we can only experience these things in a very limited way. While we practice social distancing and thus contribute to defeating the virus, we at Edelweiss would like to support you from time to time with one or the other visual motorcycle adventure. We all hope that the difficult time for all of us will pass quickly and that we can dedicate ourselves again to one of the most beautiful hobbies in the world.
“This is how you fight camp fever: Simply browse the Edelweiss website www.edelweissbike.com and start dreaming.”
And here’s a specific suggestion from Edelweiss to get your planning and dreaming started.
“Offer of the Week: the Grand Alps Tour. We don’t know exactly when we can resume our familiar lives, but sitting around idle or moping are no options. On the contrary, we are looking forward to working with you on our mutual future. Book the Grand Alps Tour between April 10th, 2020 and April 17th, 2020 and support
COMPILED BY THE BEAR
our office staff and tour guides. As a special token of appreciation you will receive a free motorcycle upgrade!”
How’s the serenity, Matej and Marina?
“Without a doubt, these are challenging and difficult times,” write husband and wife team Matej and Martina Malovrh, who are also good friends of mine. “We at Adriatic Moto Tours hope that you and your families are safe.
“We’ve been blessed with so many friendships from all over the world since we started our touring business 17 years ago. You are all in our thoughts and we wish you all good health. We would be very happy to hear from you. If you can, send a short notice.
“It is difficult to predict how things will develop in the next few months. Due to the changing situation we’re making decisions on daily basis. We are adjusting our payment and cancellation policies to allow more time and flexibility for our customers to be able to make the best decision. We are in contact with each customer individually and take all the necessary
adjustments tour by tour.
“Due to the continuous spread of the virus in Europe and elsewhere in the world we were forced to cancel 6 of our spring tours so far and have offered our clients a free re-booking to any of our future tours or a complete refund. We are staying optimistic, but at the same time we’re approaching the current situation responsibly, bearing the well-being of our clients in mind.
“We know the situation will improve and hopefully we will run a part of 2020 season as scheduled and be fully back in 2021! Take a look at adriaticmototours.com for more information – and bookings!
“In the meantime we have prepared interesting and amusing stories to share with you through our newsletter to help you stay optimistic and hopeful, highlighting the places we love to visit on our tours. In this AMT Story, we will talk about our home country, Slovenia, more precisely about Bovec, an alpine town in the north western part of Slovenia.”
Before we focus on Bovec, just a few words about Slovenia. As we Slovenians like to say, it has it all: Alpine twisties, Tuscany-like wine
growing areas, picture perfect lakes, dense forest areas, high mountains, Adriatic coastline, medieval towns and castles, a perfect capital city with a castle overlooking the old town and the river, excellent wine, delicious food and friendliness of the local people. Slovenia covers only a small patch of the European map, but it is packed with rich resources, exhibiting great diversity and has roads from your motorcycle wish list. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and you’ll wish you could stay longer.
Bovec: Slovenian Alpine Mecca
Bovec is a part of very beautiful and rich north-west Slovenia, home to the Soča Valley and Triglav National Park. Bovec is a small alpine town surrounded by high mountains, located alongside the turquoise and fairytale Soča River. It’s a superb outdoor center for water sports, hiking, and other adrenaline-pumping activities. If we have a rest day in Bovec, we often go zip-lining in Učja Canyon, the biggest zipline park in Europe, and are rewarded with unique views of the Bovec Basin and the peaks of the Julian Alps.
I rode Norway with Edelweiss, and loved it.
Sometimes you’ve just got to drink coffee.
I wonder what I’m thinking about on this Beach’s tour?
(Photo Gretchen Beach)
Shopping on the Edelweiss Pyrenees tour.
The whole area is amazing, and the views are spectacular. And so is the riding to, from, and around Bovec, amidst high alpine peaks. It’s sometimes difficult to stay focused on the road and not look around! The area is also historically and culturally rich, as this area of peace and tranquility was the site of the infamous “Isonzo Front” during the WWI.
English speaking readers - and others – might be interested to know that near Bovec was the site of an important battle where Ernest Hemingway drove an ambulance and found inspiration for “A Farewell to Arms.”
Two of our tours will take you to Bovec. On our 9-day Slovenia tour you’ll spend one night in Bovec, while on our 15 day long Alps Adriatic Adventure you’ll enjoy a rest day in Bovec, allowing you to explore the Soča Valley or relax, admiring the high mountains and enjoying the local specialty – Soča trout, the largest trout in the world (Salmo marmoratus).
Durmitor National Park, Montenegro
Imagine a narrow, winding road on a mountain plateau surrounded by snow- covered peaks. The grass turns gold in the afternoon when the sun is low and the air is sharp and fresh. When you reach the top of the pass, you NEED to stop the bike, take off your helmet and breathe in all the eauty and serenity. Your only company - a herd of sheep and a lonely shepherd.
This is how it was back in 2003 when Matej rode to Durmitor NP in Montenegro for the first time and decided we needed to show this
pristine beauty to our riders. Durmitor has been a favourite AMT destination since the very start of the company, and it forms a very important part of all our Balkans tours.
Today, 17 years after we took our first group to Zabljak, the highest town in the Balkans, Durmitor isn’t much different. Okay, we’re able to sleep in a nice hotel now, and we can even choose a restaurant for the dinner. But despite that, Durmitor has kept its charm and is still one of the most unique and pristine places you can ride to. And the Adriatic Coast is only two hours ride away. Simply Amazing!
Durmitor NP was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1980.
Hit the road with Beach’s Rob and Gretchen Beach are fiends of min e, too. This is not so much an indication that I make friends easily but that a good tour operator tends to become a friend, not least because of the experiences you’ve shared. That even includes embarrassing photos of sleeping bears, Gretchen!
“Dear Peter, writes Rob, “Everyone on the BMCA team is doing well. We hope that the same applies to you and your loved ones. Like you, we are adhering to this compulsory but necessary pause and waiting for better times to come.
“With the dream of travel running through our minds, we have put together our 2021 tour schedule. By signing up early for a tour next season, you will help us to better judge our potential for staying in business through this difficult period. Simply drop us an email to tours@bmca.com. No deposit is required at this time.
“Please remember, this communication is pre-release and our website is still being updated to reflect the 2021 schedule. Complete details may not be available immediately on the website for some itineraries. Keep checking back, as we are updating the site constantly. And here’s The Adventure Calendar!” Maori Meander, New Zealand. 3 Weeks, North & South Islands, February 22 - March 15, 2021 Sicilian Sojourn, Sicily & Southern Italy. 2 Weeks, April 24 - May 9, 2021 Island Interlude, Corsica & Sardinia. 2 Weeks, May 16 - 30, 2021
Viking Vector, A special 1-time return to Norway! 3 Weeks, June 6 - 27, 2021 Classic Alpine Adventure, Central European Alps, 2 Weeks, July 4 - 18, 2021 and August 22 - September 5, 2021 Alpine Apogee, Austrian & Slovenian Alps. 9 Days, July 24 - August 2, 2021 Transylvanian Trek, Hungary, Romania & Slovakia. 2 Weeks, September 12 - 26, 2021 Adriatic Amble, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia & Montenegro. 2 Weeks, October 3 - 17, 2021
Besos y abrazos from Scott at IMTBIKE
I don’t even know what that means (except I suspect that ‘besos’ means ‘kisses’ in Spanish) but I trust Scott, another friend, enough to use it.
“A motorcycle trip is experienced three times: first in dreaming about it, then by living it, and finally, by remembering it,” he writes to all his IMTBIKE friends.
“At IMTBIKE, we would like to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your unconditional support and trust, not only at this
The Balkans are simply a stunningly scenic place.
IMTBIKE specialises in Morocco.
unprecedented time, but also in the past and again in the future.
“Soon, we will again be enjoying motorcycle adventures in Europe, Morocco and other exotic destinations. We will catch up with old friends and make new ones, and we will create lifetime memories. As we wait for this moment to arrive, we wish you and your loved ones good health, courage and patience.
“Apart from dusting off forgotten talents, making the oven a faithful friend, and scrutinizing every closet in
the house, we have been dreaming for weeks. At last, we are closer to giving life to those dreams. Or, more precisely, to giving them gas!” Hmm, I’m not so sure that that expression conveys the same thought in Spanish as it does in English, but so what.
Here’s just one of IMTBIKE’s rescheduled tours, Exotic Thailand. It runs from January 24 — February 6, 2021; starts / ends in Bangkok and offers 12 riding days / 1,481 miles with one rest day in Pai. Highlights
include riding the Mae Hon Song Loop, the most famous motorcycle road in Thailand. You will also experience exotic jungle landscapes; discover floating markets, beautiful temples and royal palaces; take a longtail boat to see the Long Neck women and enjoy delicious Thai gastronomy.
More information from tours@ IMTBIKE.com or on www. IMTBIKE.com and remember that they run an amazing range of rides in Europe and North Africa as well. D
A guided tour is often the best way to find the really good roads. (Photo Uwe Krauss)
ADVENTURE
The best places to ride all over the world. You’re prepped, now go!
WORDS RICHARD MILLINGTON PICS MOTORRAD TOURS
WORLD TRAVEL
MIGHT BE a funny old subject right now, most of us are happy to be travelling as far as the local shops, but this will pass and there’s no time like the present for putting those riding trip daydreams down on paper and making them a reality. And, current situation aside, the World’s most incredible riding spots, stunning scenery and cultural diversities are more accessible than ever so now’s the time to get that once-ina-lifetime trip planned. So where to go? We can’t tell you your ideal destination; that’s a very personal
thing and ultimately a trip has to be to somewhere that’s special to you for one reason or another. We have ridden millions of kilometres across the globe and over the years there are a number of destinations that really stand out each every time we travel there. So here is the Motorrad Tours bike trip hall of fame, the cream of the cross-continental crop, the finest in far-away places. Put simply, in no particular order, these are our favourite places in the World to ride and travel on motorcycles and, naturally, we’d love to take you along for the ride.
Visit Asia, visit Vietnam.
More than just a good backdrop for yet another war movie, Vietnam is an incredible, diverse country with fantastic hospitality and scenery that even the wildest Hollywood director would dismiss as being too far-fetched.
The traditional touring approach to Vietnam has always been the comedy 125cc Chinese rental bike, but if you really want to appreciate the whole of Vietnam, riding it on a big bike is the way to go. Plus, some of the roads there are so good to ride you’d be kicking yourself if you ditched the GS for a Wan Kjing
Adventure... further
The guys at Motorrad Tours know a thing or two when it comes to travelling on a motorcycle. In this series, they share that knowledge and experience to help you get the most from your next trip.
125cc Chopper (no really, we saw one).
One of our favourite areas is the Dong Van Karst plateau in northern Vietnam, combining ridiculous scenery with great riding. Layers of other worldly pointy mountains stack themselves against the skyline, stretching off into the distance. When you do reach a town, you’ll rarely see English written or spoken. Getting by with pointing and sign language only adds to the feeling of being somewhere truly remote, truly alien.
Winding through this sensory overload is a network of tight, twisting roads, tortured into challenging hairpins up and around the terrain. The free-spirited Vietnamese driving standards take some getting used to, but it’s worth dodging the occasional truck and clouds of scooters to ride in this incredible environment.
No, wait, visit Africa and check out Morocco
Morocco, and more specifically the Atlas mountain range is perhaps best described as the most in-reach hard-to-reach destination. It is Africa, it is an Islamic country, the official language is Berber; the dress is different, the culture is different, the style is different and, most of all, the standards are different. Alcoholic drinks are not the norm, many establishments are dry. Modesty is required in dress, so taking your shirt off and sitting in the town centre with a beer is a no no. Often people in Morocco don’t like having their photo taken and politeness is considered very important; learn please (afak) and thankyou (shukran) and seek permission before pulling out the camera.
There are incredible riding roads, both dirt and asphalt, with scenery ranging from green lush forests in the North, to the western edge of the Sahara and the red dirt Morocco is famed for. We steer clear of the chain hotels and stay in the Riads – traditional Moroccan houses with solid outer walls and central courtyards.
The riding here is some of the best in the world, but the biggest impression this place leaves on us each time we visit is just how different it is. The culture, the people and the whole vibe of Morocco make you feel totally out of place, yet thoroughly welcome.
Ok then, Namibia in South Africa
For special destinations, Namibia knocks it out the park on wildlife alone, but add in
stunning roads through mountains and sand dudes and this place becomes perfect for a motorcycle adventure.
You can stick to the blacktop and enjoy the twisties, but at some point you will have no choice but to spice things up by tackling some sandy sections. To get the most out of our trip, we start in Cape Town for a true blend of the varied culture and scenery Africa has to offer.
The winelands and the Cape of Good Hope kick things off, before we head north through the Ceder Mountains and on to Namibia.
A surreal ride through an abandoned 1950s mining town, its buildings
reclaimed by the desert, reminds you that nature is still in charge here.
Stunning roads thread their way though some incredible scenery, with mountains and sand dunes dominating the landscape.
Rivaling the landscape for space on your camera is a game drive in the Etosha National Park, home to elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions and even leopards.
A photographer’s dream, Namibia is the backdrop for the most incredible sunsets giving the perfect ending to each riding day. I rode my bike through the mountains, through sand dunes and then got a photo
of a lion. That’ll sound pretty damn good at Show and Tell when you get back to school.
Ah, but you can’t leave out Peru in South America Atacama. Incas. Machu Picchu. Lake Titicaca. La Paz. Andes. Nazca. Peru is like a rock and roll hall of fame for iconic landmarks. It’s a fascinating place to travel and best of all, being on a bike lets you tie it all together with some fantastic riding roads. The secret to a riding trip here is to balance the riding out with days off the bike to take it all in, rather than simply rushing around the monuments
so you can jump back on the bike and make it to the next town before sunset. Careful planning is also required to manage the altitudes when riding in this region; we go as high as 4650m above sea level, but always with time to acclimatise and avoiding dramatic ascents.
In terms of the best places to go, a favourite riding spot of ours has to be crossing the Andes to Cusco and then heading north to the beautiful Río Urubamba Valley. Stunning views surround roads that start sweeping and flowing before progressing to technical hairpins and tighter sections. And matching the great riding is a night staying in a remote Hosteria for some proper, traditional South American hospitality.
Straying from Peru into Bolivia is also a must, even if it’s just to tick a box and ride the infamous Camino de Muerte – The Road of Death. This narrow, perilous road hangs on the cliff face through La Cumbre pass and is a challenging ride
requiring 100% concentration. The road’s reputation remains, but the danger is vastly reduced these days as the buses and trucks that used to cause most of the drama now use a new alternative route.
Isn’t Patagonia in South America too?
South America definitely punches above its weight when it comes to global must-see destinations, and Patagonia is largely to blame. It’s vast, the scenery world class and the hospitality is humbling. If that wasn’t enough, you can dine out on steak and wine for the price of a beer in Sydney and it’ll be some of the finest of either that you’ve tasted.
For endless landscapes with not a soul in sight, the Carretera Austral road running North to South through Patagonia is tough to beat. Built as a military road, the southern section of this route tracks around ocean inlets, with fantastic climbs and descents. Massive distances between fuel and the tiny villages hammer home the remoteness of this region; the fill-ups you do find will be a pump at a café.
Who is Motorrad Tours?
Richard Millington is the director of Motorrad Tours, with years and literally millions of miles of route planning and tour delivery under his belt. From the Highlands of Scotland to the rice paddies of Vietnam, Richard works tirelessly to put together impeccable tours that keep people coming back time and time again. So if the above sounds like a lot of effort to you, or if you want to see the best a country has to offer the adventurous motorcyclist, give Motorrad Tours a call on +44 (0)1622 776686 or log onto their website www.motorrad-tours.com to see where they are headed to next.
Riding down to the End of The World highway is a very special thing to do, as is reaching the Southernmost tip of the continent. This is a challenging region to ride in; temperatures range from ‘extra jacket, waterproofs and a neck warmer’, right through to ‘liners out, vents open, where’s the next cold drink coming from’. The wind on the Steppe adds to the challenge of picking a good line through the deep gravel and the hairpins on the mountain passes demand your full attention.
All this is what makes it such a special feeling when you reach Ushuaia; it is an achievement and a bloody good one.
Alright, but what about the Rockies?
Alaska and the Canadian Rockies. Vast. That is the only word to describe the feeling of riding across Alaska and into the Rockies. The road stretches
away to an ever-illusive horizon with nothing but unspoiled vistas hand-railing the road either side. A seemingly endless supply of sweeping curves in the mountains will keep you focused and flowing from one frontier-town to the next.
The hospitality will blow you away. There’s no sitting alone at a bar –everywhere you go someone will have a story to tell, an experience to share or a guitar to break out and sing songs around a fire with you. This trip is what modern adventure bikes are made for – blending stunning tarmac roads with fantastic dirt and gravel passes. Whether sealed or gravel, the roads tend to be wide, well maintained and enjoyable.
There are some big mileage days due to the size of the place, but the roads in these parts are built for covering distance. One of the best roads to ride is the Lewis and Clarke trail – 99 miles (about 160km) of perfect winding
blacktop. Other drivers are generally very courteous, law-abiding Americans and Canadians, a number of big-rig logging trucks and touring motorcycles. There is a reasonable police presence and they do like to keep a check on speeding so anyone from NSW should feel right at home. They’ll also ask you at the border crossing whether you’re carrying drugs or guns – just remember that sarcastic answers are only funny until you get strip-searched…
We’ve not been everywhere, but we’ve ridden in a hell of a lot of places and between us have put millions of hours in to riding, researching and discovering the best riding spots on the planet. Have we found them all yet? Heck no; ask us in another twenty years, but for now, these ones are our pick of the pack. What we have learned is that travelling the world on a motorcycle is incredible, unrivalled and way better for the soul than putting a new roof on the summerhouse. D
THE FALLOUT FROM THE Wuhan Flu pandemic caused Paul Corradini (the new organiser of the Alpine Rally) many sleepless nights.
Bans on public gatherings buggered the footy, so a scruffy bunch of motorcycle riding campers could expect no lenience or dispensation.
Paul felt that regardless of the situation, the Alpine had to occur – one way or the other! And so it came to pass that a virtual Alpine was announced. All pre-paid entrants would receive a badge and access to the Facebook page.
Of course certain dark forces made other plans. Then at the final hour, Premier Gladys lifted the number of persons that could attend a public gathering and the work of the dark forces landed on the lawful side of the line.
The site for this year’s adventure was a campsite not far from the Bondo Forestry Camp on the Brindabella Road – about half an hour out of Tumut.
First in got the flat spots on the high ground, everybody else had to make do. In the summer, this would be a wonderfully shady place – in the winter, not so much. On our arrival on site, there were two of
the stalwarts of rally life holding court over a bottle of Stones - Thrasher Grunge and Henning, who ran the Alpine for the last 30 years before handing over to Paul.
There was good news. Word from Allan Peters, past president of the BMWTCNSW, indicated that the Far Cairn Rally will be back on this year – September 19/20 at the Tottenham Racecourse as per previous years.
Discussions with Thrasher indicated that his rally, the TTT, will go ahead as usual also. The last full weekend in August, this year the 29th & 30th.
Anyone who attends will find the track in to be in good order, as it has been remade following the bushfires that went through the area. There is plenty of fire damage in the forest and on a personal level, Thrasher lost two shipping containers full of bike parts, but his house survived. He also reports the traditional bonfire for Saturday night has been built.
Organiser Paul reported 84 pre-paid entries, and his wife Andrea ran the virtual site and shop.
Next year the 52nd Alpine Rally will return to its spiritual home – Cotterill’s Cottage on the Snowy Mountains Highway, Yarrangobilly. Pack the winter woollies! D
COVID–19… to the 51st Alpine Rally
R I D E T O W O R K
WATCH OUT, BIRDS
The FCAI kills two birds with one stone: Covid-19 and traffi c problems
IAM NOT THE BEST friend the FCAI has in this world. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries does have a motorcycle division, but despite the fact that I have nothing but affection and respect for its commander-in-chief, Rhys Griffiths, I have simply not been impressed with its past efforts on behalf of Australian motorcyclists and the industry in general.
That might be just me, but there you go. Tell me about all the useful, effective initiatives they have run to help motorcycling in this country over the past few years. My door is always open.
Having rather snarkily said that, I am entirely in favour of their latest effort. Here it is, unblemished by any comments from me.
TWO-WHEELED SOLUTION TO COVID CHALLENGE
The Australian motorcycle industry and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) are urging commuters to take to two-wheels with COVID-19 travel restrictions easing and people beginning to resume daily travel to their workplaces.
In Australia there are about 2.1 million licensed riders, and approximately 870,000 registered motorcycles and scooters (Australian Bureau of Statistics), meaning there are about 1.2 million licensed riders who can ride but currently aren’t. The industry hopes these inactive riders will use the pandemic as a prompt to take advantage of the many benefits of two-wheeled commuting.
With mass transit systems susceptible to contagion risk, personal transport has become the go-to option for many commuters. Motorcycle and scooter riders can mitigate infection risks, with two-wheeled transportation offering an effective means of maintaining social distance while enjoying a freeing and fun ride that ends with easy parking.
As the volume of vehicles on the roads increases to potentially beyond pre-pandemic levels, riders can also nimbly negotiate traffic and park conveniently, cutting commute times.
Nationwide, motorcycle and scooter dealers remain open to perform servicing and sales for riders wishing to make a return to the road.
FCAI Motorcycle Manager Rhys Griffiths said he hoped lapsed riders
would return to their bikes as commuting rates increase.
“COVID-19 has changed the way we go about our lives. Motorcycles and scooters present a clever solution to the challenges the pandemic presents,” said Mr. Griffiths.
“A motorbike might well be the best way to maintain social distance without creating congestion. Riders can avoid the contagion risks presented by public transport, while cutting commute times by lane filtering through increased traffic.
“So the message is, get them out of the shed, get them serviced and get riding. If you haven’t got a bike, your local dealer is open for business.”
Riders are reminded to strictly observe all social distancing and contagion control requirements, and to regularly disinfect helmets, gloves and any high-touch surfaces on vehicle controls.
The Industry initiative, Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Week, offers a DIY guide to ensuring your motorcycle is ready for the road at http://www.ridetoworkweek. com.au/news/pre-ride-check .
Excellent. Well done, those chaps. I could not have put it better myself. Well, not much better. This is what the FCAI’s Motorcycle Division ought to be doing all the time.
JPT
Two
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Mega Edition!
GOOD NEWS FOR BEEMERS
ARE YOU WONDERING
HOW to spend the money you’ve saved during the lockdown by not spending your nights at the pub? Information about new products has been building up a little recently because we’ve had a lot of other stuff to get through. It’s not easy being the only remaining monthly all- round motorcycle magazine in Australia! Forgive us, please, and dig into all of this wonderful new gear that’s available in the shops and on the web.
“Ex Africa semper aliquid novi,” wrote Pliny the Elder, and he might have been writing about German BMW accessory maker Wunderlich rather than Africa. There is indeed always something new
from Grafschaft, just south of Bonn. Let’s have a look at a few of their recent additions.
1. Adjustment mechanism VARIO for the high windshield of the BMW F 750/850 GS Products from Wunderlich are designed and made as well as possible, they reassure us and we have no reason to doubt them -- including the VARIO adjustment mechanism for the BMW F 750 and 850 GS.
Windshields are a field in which Wunderlich has many years of know-how. This adjustment, which is suitable for the Wunderlich MARATHON windshield as well as for the large one from BMW, can not only be steplessly shifted in height by
up to 56mm from the basic setting, but inclination can vary by 11 degrees. The adjustment paths are so generously dimensioned that even in two-man operation or when the machine is fully loaded, the optimal alignment of the disc in height and inclination can be achieved in just a few simple steps even with gloves.
2. Windshield ENDURANCE PRO for the BMW S 1000 RR
This racing windshield was made by Wunderlich for BMW S 1000 RR riders who value effective wind protection and a stylish look in the style of endurance racing machines. For optimized aerodynamics, the Wunderlich
You will have noticed that we feature a lot of product news from Rollies Speed Shop. Here’s some more. L.A. based Thrashin’ Supply Co. has been making products for passionate riders since 2014. What was started by a group of friends in the San Fernando Valley has turned into one of the premier parts and apparel brands in the V-Twin industry. Using nothing but the highest quality materials, Rollies’ Scott Beeby tells us, Thrashin’ has managed to create a wide range of options for all occasions. Aircraft
ENDURANCE PRO is pulled further back towards the cockpit. For better wind protection, it is clearly 40 mm higher than the original screen. The windshield integrates perfectly into the design of the fairing and the line of the RR and looks like one piece. Five mm windshield thickness ensures mechanical and aerodynamic stability even at the highest speeds. The high-quality workmanship of the scratch and break-resistant PMMA material can be seen easily.
3. Engine protection cover EXTREME for all BMW R 1250 ShiftCam and R 1200 LC boxers. The front engine cover of the BMW boxer engines has
grade aluminium is used to manufacture risers, engine covers, foot controls and more; Thrashin’s HandleBar, Duffle, and Saddlebags are all made using high-grade ballistic nylon; and stainless steel is used across the line of exhausts that Thrashin’ has built from the ground up. These are items made by fellow two wheel enthusiasts, so a lot of thought has gone into every design decision. The entire selection of their gloves, for example, is able to control a touch screen -- just one such example. For your nearest dealer phone Rollies on (07) 3252 5381 or see www.rolliesspeedshop.com
AND DREAMERS
always been vulnerable to stone chips, spray and road dirt that are blown up by the front wheel, as well as the grit on the highway. To protect it, Wunderlich has developed an engine protection cover made of tough, impact-resistant and hard-wearing plastic. The well thought-out component shape also ensures high mechanical stability and low weight. The motor protection cover is optimally integrated with the 4-point fastening, acts like a protective shield and also enhances the engine design.
4. Headlight protector foldable Clear or Grille – black
For off-road or the highway, headlight protection is
available in two robust versions: a clear acrylic pane or a protective grille. Most headlight grilles are not approved for road use in Germany and the headlight glass behind them is difficult to clean. Both of these solutions protect the headlight effectively and can be folded up when traveling on the road or for cleaning purposes. They are legal and functional.
5. Engine protection bar SPORT for the BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR
This new sporty engine protection bar concept, which Wunderlich developed for the new BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR, shines in two ways: with maximum protection and low component weight. The engine, in particular
And now for something completely different! Kuryakyn’s new Tracer L.E.D. Fairing Lower Grills feature an intense “racetrack-style” diffused lighting effect that completely transforms Harley-Davidson fairing lowers. Available for all 2014 or newer H-D twin-cooled models with fairing lowers, Tracer L.E.D. Fairing Lower Grills provide powerful full-time white running lights with additional amber switchback turn signals to significantly enhance rider visibility. The advanced diffused lighting technology combines high-output L.E.D.s and specially designed lenses that absorb and distribute
the water pump, the clutch and alternator, as well as their housing covers, are optimally and reliably protected. The two-part asymmetrical engine protection bar fits snugly and, thanks to its compact design, also gains in stability and rigidityand this with a minimized component weight. You can find components for all current BMW motorcycle models and older model series at www.wunderlich.de/en. The Australian distributor is Procycles, www.procycles. com.au . But of course not all the new goodies come from Grafschaft. And just in case the riders of the big GSs haven’t got enough, here’s another item, this time from Touratech.
light over a greater viewing angle, eliminating shadow effects for crisp, concentrated and uniform illumination. What more could you ask for? Well, how about housings which are made from durable and lightweight injection-moulded ABS in chrome or satin black, with both finish options featuring opaque polycarbonate smoked lenses and honeycomb-styled steel grills. These direct “snap-in” replacements for the OEM radiator grill panels also feature easy plug-&play wiring through existing harnesses in the fairing for hassle-free installation. For more information, visit www.kuryakyn.com.
6. Handlebar Raisers
Touratech’s handlebar raisers provide riders with greater comfort and better control when touring on their BMW GS motorcycle. While the raisers increase the handlebar height by 35mm, they also bring the handlebars 20mm closer to the rider. This provides better ergonomics for taller riders, as well as a much sportier riding style. So say goodbye to back pain, and say hello to a more upright and comfortable riding position. The raisers are available for: BMW models R1250GS, R1250GS A, R1200GS, and R1200GS A. The Touratech offset handlebar risers are available from shop. touratech.com.au .
NEW IN THE SHOPS
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL STANDARD
Priced at $21,495 AUD / $22,750 NZD, the Softail Standard is intended to offer an attainable entry point to Harley-Davidson Big Twin ownership and is an ideal blank canvas for customization. As a lean bobber steeped in attitude, it offers the dynamic performance of the Harley-Davidson Softail chassis, and the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin powertrain. Featuring classic Vivid Black paint and highlighted with gleaming chrome and polished finishes, the Softail Standard model is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle presented in distilled form. Whether a starting point for owners seeking attentiongrabbing style, increased performance, or a look that amplifies their personality, Harley-Davidson has created four Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories packages designed specifically for the Softail Standard model.
Day Tripper Custom: Combine classic bobber style with next-level versatility by adding a pillion and a 21inch detachable sissy bar
with pad so a passenger can come along for the ride. This package also includes passenger foot pegs and mounts, forward foot controls, and a black leather Single-Sided Swingarm Bag designed to hold essentials. Coast Custom Package: Capture the elements of the performance-oriented, West Coast style. Components include a Softail Quarter Fairing, black anodized aluminium Moto Bar handlebar and matching 5.5inch tall riser, a Bevel two-up seat and passenger foot pegs,
ADVENTURE FIRST SIMPSON 30 LITRE PANNIERS
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, we like gear made in Australian or New Zealand. One obvious reason is that locally-designed stuff can be expected to work in our sometimes extreme conditions. Not that quality equipment from overseas won’t, of course. But when Glen Cochrane contacted us with news of his panniers, we were happy to give him some exposure.
“From 2014 to 2016 I did a ride from Alaska to Argentina covering some 120,000km,” he writes. “I saw a need for some tough panniers that would stand up to the punishment they cop on trips like this.
Several other brands that I and fellow travellers used were next to useless. So when I got home I got to work with a few ideas I had.
and BMX-style foot pegs. Touring Custom Package: This package outfits the Softail Standard model for the long haul, with a comfortable Sundowner two-up seat and passenger foot pegs, a 14-inchhigh light smoke quick-release windshield, classic black Detachable saddlebags, and a 14.5-inch detachable sissy bar and backrest pad. Performance Custom Package: Amplify throttle response and mid-range acceleration with a Screamin’ Eagle® Stage II
“Over the past 3 years or so I have been designing and testing some rotomold plastic panniers. Many dollars and grey hairs later they are now on the market. Adventure First Simpson 30 litre panniers are available in Red, Slate Grey and Black. All manufacturing, excluding hardware, is sourced within Australia. My web site is www.adventurefirst.com.au
and there is a Facebook page by the same name.
“I have made several videos, one of them shows my Troopcarrier driving over a pannier and after some minor adjustment it was ready for action again. I know of nothing else as tough as this.
I have refined a universal quick release mount that another manufacturer uses. This mount allows the panniers to be
Torque kit for the Milwaukee-`Eight 107 engine and a Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner to dial it in. Complete the package with a free-flowing Screamin’ Eagle Heavy Breather Performance Air Cleaner and Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon mufflers for a deep-bass exhaust note. It’s a factory-engineered performance upgrade that retains the original equipment factory warranty when installed by an authorised Harley-Davidson dealer.
fitted to most of the existing common racks from other manufacturers.
“I also have for sale a KLR650 speedo hub fix that does away with replacing the front hub when the speedo inevitably fails, and there will be more unique products to follow when time and cash flow allow.” We’ll be keeping an eye out for other Adventure First products for you.
KRIEGA TRAIL 9 ADVENTURE BACKPACK
While we’re on the subject of carrying stuff, Kriega’s 2020 collection of bombproof motorcycle luggage and accessories for hardcore riders has arrived, kickstarting with the distinctive Trail 9 Adventure backpack. Priced at $269 and available in the choice of three striking colours (black, lime and orange), the Trail 9 Adventure backpack is a compact and convenient way to carry a nifty nine litres of gear via multiple compartments to store your stuff as you see fit.
The main storage compartment carries four litres and uses a robust roll-top design to keep your stuff clean and dry even in heavy downpours. A separate five-litre compartment can house a 2.0L, 3.0L or 3.75L hydration reservoir ($59, $75 and $85 respectively) or anything else that needs quick access via a YKK heavy-duty and water-resistant zipper.
The distinctive honeycomb net exterior is a Hypalon net that cleverly holds even more gear under tension via an elastic cord so you can dry wet clothing such as gloves or air out your stinky socks.
The Trail 9 features a light version of Kriega’s proprietary Quadloc harness system as found on all its backpacks, which means it takes the weight off your back and shoulders and redistributes it to your chest and torso for all-day riding comfort, even with heavy loads. There’s also a removable waist strap for added stability.
If you need more space, check out the Trail 9’s identical-looking bigger brother, the Trail 18 ($349) which is twice the size. As with all Kriega products, the backpacks come with a 10-year warranty.On sale now at all good motorcycle stores or buy online at www. kriega.com.au/product/trail9adventure-backpack/ .
KRIEGA MAX 28 EXPANDABLE BACKPACK
Maybe that’s not enough?
Do you need a bombproof and waterproof motorcyclespecific backpack with enough storage space to carry a laptop or full-face helmet? Meet the all-new Max 28 expandable backpack
from Kriega.
Priced at $385, the Max 28 is a 28-litre, three-section urban load-lugger designed for two-wheeled commuters and weekend warriors and comes packed with real-world practicality. How so? It’s all in the name with a clever expansion function that allows it to grow from 22 to 28L by simply unzipping it. Now you can safely stash your full-face helmet.
The waterproof section features a roll-top closure for full protection from Mother Nature’s tears and sneezes. That’s where you can secure a 14-inch laptop or any sensitive equipment that you need to keep dry.
A third section up front folds down to expose a nifty organiser pocket for quick access to small, everyday essentials. In other words, this bag will comfortably swallow everything you need for a big day at the office or a big overnight trip.
The Max 28 expandable backpack features a
light version of Kriega’s proprietary Quadloc harness system, which means it takes the weight off your back and shoulders and redistributes it to your chest and torso for all-day riding comfort, even with heavy loads. There’s also a removable waist strap for added stability. On sale now at all good motorcycle stores or buy online at www.kriega. com.au/product/max28expandable-backpack/ .
And that’s it for now. If you have a new product that you’d like to promote, drop us a line with a couple of reproductionquality photos and we’ll see if we can fit it in! D
W H A T S A Y Y O U ?
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.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
IT’S GREAT THAT YOU guys love what we do and seek our advice on what we’ve used and abused. There are a lot of products out there in the market and knowing what’s great often comes down to trial and error, but asking us can sometimes be the quickest way to find that right product, as is the case with Phil. He’s now going to have what we consider the best tyre plugs out there. For his effort, he’s won the awesome Nelson-Rigg tee and backpack. Send me your shirt size and mailing address, mate. SW
TRIALLING THE TRIALS
Dear Stuart,
To say I was ‘underwhelmed’ by your test ride of the Royal Enfield Trials Works Replica 500 (May 2020) pretty much covers it. Having owned a Sammy Miller Bultaco Sherpa T (250cc) and mostly operated around the Goldworthy/Marble Bar region about 1970 I would like to make the following observations. Other than a very small fuel tank (1 ½ gallons? [6.8L]) which I altered to have 2 small
PLUG IT
Hi there,
Just wondering if you are able to recommend a tubeless tyre puncture repair kit. There seem to be quite a few available and I was wondering if there is a standout kit that is the one to buy? Also, I see that there is basically two types: one where you insert a sticky rope with glue and the other which is a screw in and snap off thingy. Any recommendations?
Thanks Phil Close Cawongla
Hi Phil,
After using many over the years the one I keep going back to is the ‘Stop and Go’. Easy to use and 100% seals the puncture. I’ve even had six plugs in the one hole (well, cut) and it sealed!
They are so good I’ve ridden 10,000 odd km’s
with one in – essentially from the beginning of the tyre to the end of its life. Touratech sells them, here’s the link - https://shop.touratech.com.au/puncturerepair-kit-stop-go-pocket-tire-plugger.html
The only thing missing in this kit that I’ve found helps is a small pair of pliers to pull the plug firm once in the tyre. You can use the pointy ream tool but it’s much easier to use a pair of pliers.
Cheers, Stuart.
Thanks for your prompt reply Stuart. What you’ve recommended sounds like the go. I’ve had a look and will place an order now.
Thanks Phil
exterior fuel containers (5L each) on a specially made rear frame to cover this deficiency, it turned out to be the best off-road motorcycle I have ever owned or ridden in remote areas.
Oh yes! The registration powers that be in WA insisted that it had to have 2 number plates. Where can the front one go? There is nowhere to put it, Hmm…might have to go between the handlebar crossbar and the handlebar mounting points. Not a problem until I was being taught
how to do ‘jumps’ across ditches when the top edge cut my safety gear off me when I went over the handlebars (NW safety gear- crash helmet, short sleeved shirt, shorts, desert boots. The top edge cut my shorts off me from the bottom leading edge right up to the belt, luckily it missed all the dangly bits in between!!
The 20HP (15kW) was sufficiently powerful to get us up on top of the sand in dry river beds and enough torque to scare the living hell out
of me when climbing very steep slopes slowly. (as you know under these situations if you lose traction and suddenly regain it, you end up downhill with the bike on top of you). If the engine was running there was enough torque to get whatever you wanted done. Gearbox speeds and spacing were interesting, max engine rpm was 5500 and in first gear at this speed it was 4mph (6.5k) in the 5 speed box, top gear was good for about 110k. (as long as you kept your teeth clenched to stop the fillings working their way out). The intermediate gears seemed to be well placed to do the job between the two extremes. I have noticed that the current Trials bikes virtually leave you with nowhere to sit (the Sherpa T was not well endowed in this area but was livable). I was hoping to get some pointers on what you thought of the trials specifications of the Royal Enfield but this was not forthcoming and since I have never seen or ridden one I am unlikely to find out.
About 1975 I needed another offroad bike to service a grid-cutting contract I had taken on in Tasmania. The idea was to take my F100 as far into the bush as I could and set up a permanent camp and use the bike to get out and collect supplies and to use it to get from the camp to wherever the closest point I could get to the current grid location. Having loved my Sherpa T I thought another one would be ideal. Sad to say no longer available (I should never have sold it!) I ended up with a Bultaco Alpina (250cc) which I was assured had the same engine and gearbox as the Sherpa T (I’m not selling this one!). It also had a more comfortable seat and a bigger fuel tank which was a plus. They lied! Since I was loosely based out of Waratah I registered it there (windscreen wipers√ indicators√ 12V√ etc√ - all bullshit!) if you know Waratah it used to have a hydroelectric power plant to supply the mine there (one of the very first in Australia) which was accessed by a steep and twisty track. I knew I couldn’t ride right down to the power station as there is a section at the bottom which was as close to a ladderway as you could get. But for a new bike I figured it was a good test of its abilities from
this point upwards.
Got down there OK but the ride up was a bit hairy as the 1st gear was too tall and it needed 1000’s of rpm to get enough power to move. Thought I was going to end up impaled on a tree before I got out of there. My bush camp was on the west side of Lake Rosebery and it was about 100km from there to Burnie for supplies, on the way there is a very interesting piece of road called the Hellyer Gorge. 128 bends in 11km ranging from slight to hairpin. (funny how this was a quicker trip on the Alpina than on the BMW R100RT!) This is a piece of road which all you interstate twisty road deprived motorcyclists need to test out!
This particular day I was coming out for supplies on the trusty Alpina (Spanish knobbly tyres) in the pouring rain when I noticed a single headlight slowly creeping up on me. Aha! I wonder if he can keep up with me in the gorge? Gave it all I had and eventually I had to stop and he caught up with me on his Honda 4 and asked “how do you do that, I lost sight of you very early on”. Don’t think he noticed that I was stopped on the wrong side of the guideposts and was on the last 200mm of embankment before I vanished over the edge had a terminal set of shakes all the way to Burnie after that!
How did I end up with a Sherpa T? About 1969 I took on a position in the Goldsworthy mine (near Port Hedland) not having a vehicle I took to walking out to interesting spots and old mines. This worked well until October when I decided to walk to an old mine about 6 km away. It showed a working windmill there so I didn’t take any extra water with me. Arrived there and discovered that the windmill had been turned off as there was no stock in the area. Oh well, walk back. By the time I got to the mine range of hills I was feeling a tad buggered and my heart rate had gone up to 200bpm after only a short climb up over the range. I eventually got back to camp and emptied a 9L water chiller and couldn’t face food until the next day. This got me to thinking, maybe it was time to get some suitable transport, preferably 2 wheeled.
Fortunately, at this time 2 Wheels
magazine had come out with their first issue which included a full listing (supposedly!) of all the motorcycles available in Australia. Carefully pored over the article and decided that the only bike which seemed to suit my requirements was the BSA Bushman which was an improved(?) version of a BSA Bantam with the addition of knobbly tyres, high rise mudguards, and a bashplate(?). Acquired one and discovered that an ancient design 175cc 2 stroke engine leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of foot paddling trying to get up hills, pushing it in sand and sliding it on the flat to get it out of mud as it was incapable of powering itself out let alone with me on it.
Enter Geoff Raper to the scene; a Yorkshireman with the 1st Yamaha DT1 into WA (so he said!). Well I tried to keep up to him on the Bushman but eating his Castor oil fumes on a regular basis was most unpleasant. The last straw was when following him at speed down a dry creek bed I lost control and it felt like I had castrated myself on the back of the rather steeply rising fuel tank. The next trip to Perth I sought out options. 2 Wheels had missed Bultaco, Husqvarna, and other similar brands from the list. So I bought a Bultaco Sherpa T Sammy Miller special (250cc).
At least Geoff and I were now fairly equally matched in bike capabilities. I discovered some other interesting things to do which I do not recommend. Look! there is an empty longneck laying on that claypan, perhaps I shall give it a mighty kick with my desert boot enclosed foot (at 70kmh!). have you ever wondered what 5 instantly broken toes feel like all at once??
Cheers
John Tewkesbury, Tas
Hi John, Great stuff. One thing you do need to know about the new Royal Enfield is it is in no way a proper ‘trials’ bike. So, thinking it could do any of those things, or me testing to find that out would have had the bike broken or me on a gurney! LOL! I’ve ridden Hellyer Gorge a number of times and love it too. Lots of great roads in Tassie!
Cheers, Stuart.
WHAT SAY YOU
NAME IT
Stuart, Love the magazine.
Could you put names of places on photos especially in Australia as it gives us places to visit and explore. Where is The Grumpy Baker on the Cover of No 88, Bridge Page 34, scenes Page 50-1.
Norm Cowdrey
Hi Norm,
Glad you love the mag - thank you. We try to label some places but fitting in captions into the design sometimes doesn’t work. The Grumpy Baker is a new bakery opened up on Bells Line of Road, Bilpin NSW.
The bridge pic is in Qld somewhere. I can’t remember as the photo is some years old. Pics on 50/51 relate to the map. Have a great weekend, mate. Cheers, Stuart.
FREE TRAVEL?
The Queensland tourism industry wants borders opened. Tourism is important to Queensland. Tourism is important to Tasmania too. The Tasmanian Tourist Industry Council (TTIC) wants Bass Strait ferries free for private vehicles. Tasmania is the only state holiday makers have to pay high fees to drive/ride the sea road to cross the border. One Victorian Dad said it was cheaper to take his family to Bali on holiday than to go to Tassie.
The Motorcycle Riders Association (MRA) in Victoria supports the TTIC call to make Bass Strait ferry trips free
for private vehicles. The MRA calls on riders and drivers who want free ferries to Tassie to email Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein giving the plan support.
peter.gutwein@parliament.tas.gov.au
Thousands of drivers and riders from all states & territories will be on our roads when travel restrictions are lifted. Some on the east coast will go north. Some will go west. Some will go south. Many will travel Victoria for the the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, the Alpine Road, the Yarra Valley, the high country and much more. A free ferry service would make exploring the magnificent island state and sampling the wonderful produce and hospitality that much more affordable. Many of the tourist dollars saved on a free sea road will be spent in Tasmania.
The TT Line will soon introduce two new ships. The Victorian ferry terminal will move to Geelong in 2022 making access to the island state easier. Free travel means more travellers. More travellers means more jobs on the ferries and in Tasmania.
Regards
Damien
SCOOT ON!
I am so glad I subscribe to a motorcycle magazine that isn’t snobbish about scooters. It is said: “You can get rich feeding the poor, and you go poor feeding the rich”. Here in Melbourne COVID-19 is
proving that to be true. Restaurants are fast disappearing. When Piaggio set out providing transport for the working class in post-war Italy, who could have imagined it would own Gilera, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi and Scarabeo?
Ciao!
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your note. There are more scoots to come! We have a Super Soco (not a scooter but fits the same requirements) and will be getting the new Tmax 560 shortly. Cheers, Stuart.
STAND UP
Hi Stuart.
I was rereading your piece on the Yamaha Niken from Feb. and have a couple of questions.
I’m at that age where a hip replacement looks appealing but is still some time off. Too young according to the medico’s! Riding the Breva is doable and the GPz impossible so I thought something different might be in order. Harleys are only good for boat anchors, Spyders are a definite option. I’m assuming the Niken stands for itself when stationary, thus avoiding the need to put my feet down. Like the Spyder a definite advantage. Is the seat-pegs ratio relaxed enough to meet my needs (pain free) or similar to the Breva, doable. Or should I simply wait for a new hip and/or stronger drugs! Thanks again for your time
Peter Glasson
Hi Peter, Sorry to disappoint you but the Niken doesn’t stand up by itself at standstill, it is just like any two wheeled motorcycle, so that rules that out of your thoughts. Are you after a lightweight and easy to handle bike? If so, I have a couple of ideas.
Let me know. Cheers, Stuart.
Hi Stuart, Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated.
Apart from a few quick squirts around locally (150km or so) I mostly travel distance, 2 up and luggage, 250 to 300km per day. I did buy a Spyder a couple of years ago and rode it to
to improve my biceps
to improve my biceps
Hi Harry,
to improve my biceps
Hi Harry,
Hi Harry, I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
I’m sure your legs look fine to the ones that care…your family. As for your bike not being a very good exercise machine, you better get an adventure bike and do some hillclimbs, that will get the muscles burning! - Cheers, Stuart.
COVID 1
Dear Stuart,
COVID 1
COVID 1
Dear Stuart,
Dear Stuart,
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
Sydney and down the south coast to Tathra. It was a joy to ride and performed beautifully but, it wasn’t 2 wheels and no more pain free than the Breva. I eventually sold it. I don’t think a light weight bike would suit my needs but thank you for considering my situation. If things get worse I might revisit the Spyder option as they now have a more feet forward seating position, than the one I had, which would help, but cost to buy and cost to own is fairly high. Might have to look for a better chemist instead! Thanks again for your time and thoughts
Clearly there is a lot of economic downturn as a result of COVID19 and it is further impacting on car sales and I would think motorcycle sales (which I think have been down anyway pre Covid19).
Peter Glasson
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
ONE, TWO, THREE?
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
Dear Stuart,
There is nobody much on the roads in the ACT except those who by necessity have to go out for work or food and essentials.
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
Before I start my whinge, let me say that Australian Motorcyclist, particularly in these times of COVID inspired motorcycle deprivation, provides a very welcome distraction. I look forward to its arrival each month and appreciate the quality reading that it provides.
I have been managing to use the bike for essential trips within the confines of the ACT border but that is a big change from our weekly ride group where we would usually ride out of the ACT to, say, Goulburn or Boorowa or Yass or
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips.
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips.
Braidwood. Purpose to ride, have a social get together and have some food whilst out. Now, no such trips.
However: I am frequently astounded at the uncritical way in which motorcycle journalists regurgitate the PR spin of the manufacturers. On page 66 of Issue #4, Vol 8 (JUN 2020), regarding the new Triumph Tiger 900, you state that it “has a new unique 1, 3, 2 firing order for greater character and feel, which should sound awesome”.
I know there has been panic in terms of buying up of products like loo paper, tissues, hand sanitizer, pasta, canned tomatoes and other products. This panic buying has been ridiculous in my opinion and created a problem of store supply where there was no need to stockpile goods at home. I note that the news reports say that a small supermarket group Drake’s has refused to buy back 150 x 32 roll packs of toilet paper and 150 x 1 ltr sanitizer. I am GLAD they refused a refund as the individual concerned was having about 20 people chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy individual!
I know there has been panic in terms of buying up of products like loo paper, tissues, hand sanitizer, pasta, canned tomatoes and other products. This panic buying has been ridiculous in my opinion and created a problem of store supply where there was no need to stockpile goods at home. I note that the news reports say that a small supermarket group Drake’s has refused to buy back 150 x 32 roll packs of toilet paper and 150 x 1 ltr sanitizer. I am GLAD they refused a refund as the individual concerned was having about 20 people chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy individual!
I know there has been panic in terms of buying up of products like loo paper, tissues, hand sanitizer, pasta, canned tomatoes and other products. This panic buying has been ridiculous in my opinion and created a problem of store supply where there was no need to stockpile goods at home. I note that the news reports say that a small supermarket group Drake’s has refused to buy back 150 x 32 roll packs of toilet paper and 150 x 1 ltr sanitizer. I am GLAD they refused a refund as the individual concerned was having about 20 people chase these products and then he attempted to re-sell on E-Bay. Serve the bugger right for being a scungy individual!
Another way of expressing that firing order would be 3, 2, 1. The only other firing order that a straight triple can have is 1, 2, 3. To prove it to yourself, draw a Mercedes 3 pointed star emblem, number the points in whatever order you like. You will always end up with a sequential series, depending on direction of rotation.
The laws of physics are unaffected by the direction of rotation. The engine does not know which cylinder fires first and the flow of gases remains the same. The only way that a change in the rotational direction could have an effect is if the engineers did not make the appropriate alterations to the drive train. Then
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would be exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would be exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
All that said, I think your quoting of figures of the people that die daily from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mozzies and murders is an unfair comparison! Yes to date the total numbers of COVID19 deaths World Wide would be exceeded by a week’s worth or less perhaps of the
reasons for the daily figures of these deaths, however this pandemic of COVID 19 is not normal and as you would know has the potential for totally overwhelming the hospital and medical resources of all countries. I am not aware of any cancers etc you can catch from shaking someone’s hand or touching contaminated surfaces. So, comparing normal worldwide deaths to COVID19 deaths is like trying to compare apples and oranges.
the bike would have a very distinct character. The awesome sound would be the scream of terror from the new owner as they make a rapid backward exit from the showroom. You were not the only journo to blithely pass on the information. I note that one of your competitors has almost the same phrase in their latest issue.
Yours sincerely
reasons for the daily figures of these deaths, however this pandemic of COVID 19 is not normal and as you would know has the potential for totally overwhelming the hospital and medical resources of all countries. I am not aware of any cancers etc you can catch from shaking someone’s hand or touching contaminated surfaces. So, comparing normal worldwide deaths to COVID19 deaths is like trying to compare apples and oranges.
Bruce Fenney
reasons for the daily figures of these deaths, however this pandemic of COVID 19 is not normal and as you would know has the potential for totally overwhelming the hospital and medical resources of all countries. I am not aware of any cancers etc you can catch from shaking someone’s hand or touching contaminated surfaces. So, comparing normal worldwide deaths to COVID19 deaths is like trying to compare apples and oranges.
Hi Bruce,
I felt your editorial came across as dismissive of the seriousness of Covid19 and smacked a bit of self-centredness in highlighting the inconvenience it has caused you. I like bikes and riding too, but many people have had to alter travel plans etc for the greater good.
I felt your editorial came across as dismissive of the seriousness of Covid19 and smacked a bit of self-centredness in highlighting the inconvenience it has caused you. I like bikes and riding too, but many people have had to alter travel plans etc for the greater good.
I felt your editorial came across as dismissive of the seriousness of Covid19 and smacked a bit of self-centredness in highlighting the inconvenience it has caused you. I like bikes and riding too, but many people have had to alter travel plans etc for the greater good.
Thanks for getting in touch. You will note that I mentioned we haven’t ridden this bike as yet, and yes, it was a spewing of the manufacturer supplied content. Look for the proper review, hopefully within the next couple of issues! Cheers, Stuart.
I think that all the media reporting though is worrisome for Australian people as it is repeated and repeated and like the bushfires you do not get a break from it. Every time you turn on the T.V, look at Facebook, listen to the radio it is in your face or ears.
I think that all the media reporting though is worrisome for Australian people as it is repeated and repeated and like the bushfires you do not get a break from it. Every time you turn on the T.V, look at Facebook, listen to the radio it is in your face or ears.
I think that all the media reporting though is worrisome for Australian people as it is repeated and repeated and like the bushfires you do not get a break from it. Every time you turn on the T.V, look at Facebook, listen to the radio it is in your face or ears.
G’Day Stuart, Thanks for the prompt reply. I will be looking forward to the next issue as I always do.
Take care Bruce D
I try to reduce my listening/reading/ watching to once or twice a day to keep up with developments - more than that is
I try to reduce my listening/reading/ watching to once or twice a day to keep up with developments - more than that is
I try to reduce my listening/reading/ watching to once or twice a day to keep up with developments - more than that is
Special Feature
Special Feature
TOUR OPERATOR DIRECTORY
TOUR OPERATOR DIRECTORY
ADRIATIC MOTO TOURS
ADRIATIC MOTO TOURS - Europe www.adriaticmototours.com info@adriaticmototours.com
– Europe www.adriaticmototours.com info@adriaticmototours.com
CENTRAL OTAGO MOTORCYCLE
CENTRAL OTAGO
HIRE AND TOURS – New Zealand www.comotorcyclehire.co.nz Info@comotorcyclehire.co.nz
MOTORCYCLE HIRE AND TOURS – New Zealand www.comotorcyclehire.co.nz info@comotorcyclehire.co.nz
EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL
COMPASS EXPEDITIONS - North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa www.compassexpeditions.com
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:
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:
Europe and Thailand www.imtbike.com tours@imtbike.com
ROMANIA MOTORCYCLE
IMTBIKE TOURS & RENTALS
MAGIC MOTORCYCLING
MAGIC MOTORCYCLING
Thailand and Croatia
– Thailand and Croatia www.magicmotorcycling.com tour@magicmotorcycling.com
RIDE THE WORLD MOTORCYCLE TOURS www.ridetheworldmotorcycletours.com david@rtwmotorcycletours.com
RIDE THE WORLD MOTORCYCLE TOURS www.ridetheworldmotorcycletours.com david@rtwmotorcycletours.com
Cafe directory
INLINE4 CAFE
ThE ShAggY CoW
WORLD ON WHEELS - Europe, Iceland, South America, India, Asia, Mexico, Africa & Himalaya www.worldonwheels.tours Adventure@WorldOnWheels.Tours
– Europe, Iceland, South America, India, Asia, Mexico, Africa & Himalaya www.worldonwheels.tours Adventure@WorldOnWheels.Tours
grEY guMS CAFé
Best café and fully licensed restaurant on the way to Philip Island Circuit I Vista Place, Cape Woolamai Philip Island, Victoria 0427 475 681 York LANE
City Laneway cafe/bar run by the original Ducati riding ace racer. York Lane behind Clarence St 02 9299 1676
Expectational coffee and food stop in the Southern Highlands 112 Main St Mittagong 02 4872 2966
Really the Centre of the Universe if you are travelling up The Putty 8679 Putty r oad, Putty NSW 02 6579 7015
PITSToP AT MT MEE CAFE
A great ride to a beautiful location north of Brisbane 2070a Mt Mee r d, o cean View, Queensland 07 342536520
ChuBBS
Definitely a haven for people interested in classic motorcycles and filling their bellies! 42 Windbourne r d, Brookvale 0420 546 477
APRILIA www.aprilia.com.au
ROAD
Shiver 900 ABS
Dorsoduro
Tuono
SCOOTER
BENELLi
www.bmwmotorrad.com.au
ROAD
G
R nineT Racer $19,150
R nineT Urban G/S $18,750
R 1250 R $21,240
R 1250 R HP $27,040
R 1250 R Exclusive $26,065
R 1250 R Spezial $26,765 R
K 1600 GTL
E W B I K E P R I C E S
$37,990
K 1600 GTL Elegance $40,490 ADV SPORT
S 1000 XR
ADV TOURING
G 310 GS
F 750 GS
F 750 GS Tour
F 750 GS Low Susp
F 750 GS Tour LS
F 850 GS
F 850 GS Rallye
F 850 GS Rallye X
F 850 GS Tour
$22,190
$8090
$13,590
$17,305
$13,840
$17,005
$17,990
$18,390
$22,305
$21,805
F 850 GS Low Susp $18,240
F 850 GS Rallye Low Susp $18,640
F 850 GS Tour Low Susp $21,505
F 850 GSA $TBA
R 1250 GS $23,490
R 1250 GS Rallye
$24,940
R 1250 GS Rallye X $29,890
R 1250 GS Exclusive $28,140
R 1250 GS Spezial $31,390
R 1250 GSA $25,490
R 1250 GSA Rallye $26,390
R 1250 GSA Rallye X $31,590
R 1250 GSA Exclusive
R 1250 GSA Spezial
SCOOTER
C 650 Sport $14,150
C 650 GT $14,990
CAN-AM (BRP)
www.brp.com
Spyder F3
Spyder F3-S
Spyder F3-T
Spyder F3 Limited
Spyder RT
Spyder RT Limited
CF MOTO
www.cf-moto.com.au
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
$TBA
DUCATI
www.ducati.com.au
*All Ducati prices are ride away ROAD
Scrambler Sixty2
Scrambler Icon
Scrambler Full Throttle
Scrambler Café Racer
Scrambler Desert Sled
Scrambler 1100
Scrambler 1100 Special
Scrambler
R 1250 R Spezial
K 1600 B
K 1600 GT
K 1600 GT Sport
NEW BIKE PRICES
HONDA
www.honda.com.au
ROAD
HUSQVARNA
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/au
Vitpilen 401
INDIAN
www.indianmotorcycles.com.au
*All Indian Motorcycle prices are ride away
Chief Vintage
$32,995
Springfield $33,995
Springfield Dark Horse$34,995
Chieftain Dark Horse
Chieftain Limited
Roadmaster
Roadmaster Elite
KAWASAKI
www.kawasaki.com.au
ROAD
Z125 Pro KRT
Z400
Ninja 400
Ninja 400 KRT
Ninja 400 SE
Z650L
$35,995
$36,995
$40,995
$49,995
$4249
$6499
$6699
$6949
$6949
$10,499
Ninja 650/L $10,699
Ninja 650/L KRT
Ninja ZX-6R 636
$10,999
$14,999
Ninja ZX-6R 636 KRT $13,999
W800 Café
W800 SE Black Edition
Street
Z900RS Café
Ninja 1000 SX $16,999
ZX-10R $20,999
ZX-10R KRT
ZX-10R SE
ZX-10RR $35,500
ZX-14R Brembo Ohlins $22,099
Z H2 $23,000
H2 SX SE+ $33,000
Chief Dark Horse $28,995
TOURING Versys X 300 SE
Medley 150
PEUGEOT
www.peugeotmotorcycles.com.au
Tweet 125
Django 150 Evasion
Django 150 Sport $4990
Django 150 Allure
Belville 200 RS
ROYAL ENFIELD
www.royalenfieldaustralia.com ROAD
Classic 350
Classic 350 Redditch
650
650 Interceptor Custom
650
650
650
650
Himalayan
SUPER SOCO
www.supersoco.com.au
SUZUKI
www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au ROAD
GSX-S125
V-Strom 250
V-Strom 650
V-Strom 650 XT
V-Strom 1000 XT
SCOOTER
Address
$11,990
$16,490
$2490
Burgman 200 $5490
Burgman 400 $10,490
SWM
www.swmmotorcycles.com.au
ROAD
Gran Turismo
Silver Vase 440
Gran Milano 440
SM 500 R
SM 650 R
TRIUMPH
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
*Some Triumph prices are ride away
ROAD
Street Triple S 660
$7490
$12,800
Street Triple S $13,800
Street Triple R $15,850
Street Triple RS
Bonneville Street Twin
Bonne Street Cup
Street Scrambler
Bonne T100
Bonne T100 Black
Bobber
Bonne Bobber Black
Bonneville T120
$17,550
$13,700
$15,600
$15,900
$15,300
$15,300
$18,000
$19,500
$17,200
Bonneville T120 Black $17,200
Speedmaster
Thruxton
Thruxton R
Speed Twin
Tiger Sport
$19,500
$18,700
$21,100
$18,000
$17,550
Speed Triple RS $22,700
CRUISER
Thunderbird Storm $22,800
Thunderbird Commander $23,800
Thunderbird LT $25,000
Rocket 3 R $29,990
Rocket 3 GT $30,900
ADV TOURING
Scrambler 1200 XE
B E A R F A C E D
HERE BEGINS THE SAD NEWS
SAD DOESN’T REALLY COVER it, but it’s certainly part of this piece of news. The virus has done a lot of damage to a lot of people, but when it affects so many people, it becomes an especially powerful blow. I don’t recall that I’ve ever handed over my column space like this, but the concern this note shows for other people just melted my heart. I couldn’t begin to write a more appropriate coda for Compass Expeditions, so I’ll hand you over to Mick and Jerry. Loved your work, fellas.
PT
It is with a profound depth of sadness we announce that after millions of kilometres ridden around the world, the trail has ended “in a dead end” for Compass Expeditions. We have been forced to make the incredibly tough decision to close Compass Expeditions due to Covid 19 and subsequent collapse of forward bookings coupled with complete lack of business confidence going forward. Automatic refunds will be made to all… Currently Compass Expeditions is in a financial position to refund ALL deposits paid for ALL tours booked, however… all indicators point towards Australians not being permitted to travel internationally for a long long time, [so] it is therefore only prudent for us to refund all monies owed and close the doors, now, considering 75% of our clients are Australian.
Are we panicking? We don’t think so, pre Covid 19 had seen a distinct downturn in future bookings, then Covid 19 arrived, we offered the option to roll over deposits until 2021 or 22 or refund deposits, 95% took the refund option, which is what we would have done if we were in the same situation, however this has left us financially vulnerable. We have decided to cease operations now and still be in the position to refund all deposits paid.
When we look back at the last 13 years it is barely possible to believe what we have experienced. There is an incredible “Compass family” that we have laughed with and cried with. This family have become our friends, and we shall so sorely miss riding with everyone.
We understand the world is full of people in a far worse situation than us and life will go on, but the overwhelming sense of disappointment, sorrow and emptiness is hard to put into words, our only hope is that you will never forget the times you rode with Compass Expeditions and that the name Compass Expeditions shall live on for a while longer before being consigned to the pages of history.
We have been overwhelmed with wonderful, appreciated, words of encouragement over these last two months but sadly it takes money to go into stasis. Closing down and dismissing our incredible staff until everything opens up again is not an option for us as they
are the business as much as us, we do not wish to continue on without them.
We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank our incredible tour leaders who led the way in motorcycle touring: Hugo, Juan Carlos, Juan, Sarah, Justin, Bayne, Ellis, Felix, Danny, Peter and Pieter, we were blessed to have such amazing committed crew, our office staff: Craig, Alison, Jordan and Veronica, whose investment in our business was an example of the very best an employer could ever hope for. Our South American team: Sayda, Ana Maria, Simone and Eddy, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the endless challenges of operating tours in South America didn’t affect the rides too much, our amazing service providers scattered across the globe, from the B&B operator in the remote mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the ger owners in Mongolia, our hotel booking agent in Russia to our bike supplier in Cape Town, the list is endlessbut most importantly it’s our guests who made Compass who it was and what we became, our profound thanks to you all.
I think back at all the incredible people we have met along the journey, the Herero & Himba women in Namibia, who we always visited and dropped off needed supplies, the children on the high altiplano of Bolivia whom we have been supporting since our pre Compass days, over 20 years ago, Isaac, the gardener at the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe and Otgoo, the effervescent manager of the wonderful ger camp at Khovsguul Nuur, Mongolia. The list is utterly endless, we will miss these people dearly, knowing that in all likelihood we will never see them again.
In the words of the Garth Brooks song The Dance, “I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance”, yes this is painful beyond words but the dance over the last 13 years was so worth it.
Goodbye friends and thank you for the ride.
Mick McDonald & Jerry Cook Directors
B O R I S FIRE
WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC
IKNOW IT’S HARD TO believe, but there are riders out there who have never sat in front of a blazing outdoor fire with their fellow riders.
This may be why they are such miserable, lip-pursed sons-of-bitches who tutt-tutt like old women whenever they see a wheelie or get passed by someone exceeding the speed limit. Go sit in front of a campfire, you doddering, fossilised He-Karens. Stare into the flames. Behold your own mewling chicken-shittery within them.
I’m also convinced many of the issues younger riders have (“Why won’t they nod back at me?”
“I had to lay it down” “Everyone crashes” “All the gear all the time” and so on) can be solved by spending a few nights gazing into the depths of a campfire – one they have ridden to and have maybe expended some effort on that ride.
Yeah, I know. This is unlikely to happen in this modern world where being separated from one’s phone reception is like losing a limb.
There is no hope for the old whiners and wobblers who have lived their entire lives without being bathed in the magic of a well-burning blaze. So I offer them none. Eke out your remaining years in emotional misery, you nanny-state-loving bastards. The sooner we’re rid of you, the better off we shall all be.
But the young people who are learning their motorcycle craft, and who see social media as some kind of replacement for actual inter-human contact…well, there is still hope for them if they would but make an effort to go and sit in front of a campfire a few times a year.
And you kinda have to make an effort here. Setting a garbage bin alight in a public park just lacks the same je ne sais quoi as torching a few logs of ironbark under a star-flecked sky. Especially when you have ridden there. Gathering around a fire is one of our oldest and most powerful genetic memories. That is why such a thing
has so profound an effect upon those who do it from time to time.
When man first discovered how to make fire and would gather with his kin beside its welcoming and warming glow, all things were possible. And all things were spoken of. Stories were exchanged. Tales were told. Lies were good-naturedly listened to, and advice, wanted and unwanted, was offered. The fire focused the gathering on its searing orange depths, its everchanging flames and coals, and it promised to keep the monsters at bay while ever it burned.
And it has kept that promise to us all. Sadly, so many of us don’t even know what that promise is.
One would think that motorcyclists, who thanks to their chosen transport can be considered as the very last of the free-spirited and adventurous roamers like the horsemen of yore, would never forget the promise fire made to man. And while many of us have not forgotten, many more have, and many more are not even aware of it.
And they are made lesser as a result. My hardcore camping days are largely over. Age and health issues have conspired to lessen the times I spend in front of a fire with my friends. But I still do it because am driven to do it.
Once or twice a year, I will ride somewhere with a bunch of likeminded people and we will burn lots of wood, and the flames will warm our faces, and their orange reflections will dance off our bikes. We will laugh
a lot. We will say things to each other we could never say in the light of day. When we step away from the fire to have a leak, we will quickly return to its warmth and its nurture. And we will spend far more time looking into the flames than we will looking at each other. I think that’s because there is an honesty around a fire you don’t have to look for in peoples’ faces. I don’t mean the tall-tales kinda honesty. I’m talking about a different honesty. A man can be himself and so be true to himself around a fire.
Of course, the fire thing isn’t a privilege reserved for just motorcyclists. Hikers and fourwheel-drive campers build fires too.
The difference is that motorcyclists have quite possibly stared death in the face 100 times on their way to that campfire. They have danced on the edge of the abyss and have suffered the vagaries of the weather and the road-surface in ways no other person can understand.
As a result, the fire means more to the motorcyclist than it does to anyone who isn’t a motorcyclist. No-one who has not paid the price to ride will ever get this.
And I’m good with that.
Just as I’m good with coming home smelling like a hazard-reduction burn from time to time.
Because that’s precisely what I have been doing – hazard-reducing via the welcoming glow of a fire. You should give it a go if you haven’t already done so. D
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